Art Gallery Fabrics - The Creative Blog

Have you ever been on a road trip that just inspired you so much? There's something just so exciting about packing up, jumping behind the steering wheel and heading out on an unforgettable adventure. Windows down, music up...observing all the sounds, sights, smells..as you drive through quiet forests, open fields, majestic mountains, serene deserts...welcoming spontaneity and the unexpected. Trips like this often bring new perspectives and creative ideas, and this is exactly what happened to our designer, Bonnie Christine! 

Bonnie recently went on an 8,000-mile road trip across the country with her family in a vintage Airstream named "Miss Marjorie"! With each state that she visited, she collected wildflowers from the roadside and also took tons of photos of wildlife and nature. Once she arrived home, she decided to use everything she had seen on her trip and turn it into her latest collection, "The Open Road"! 

"The most challenging print is also my favorite…the animals print called “Walking with Bear” (and Doe). It’s one of the most detailed and intricate prints I’ve ever created and although it was challenging, I loved every minute of it. These are all animals we had sightings of during our travels, and I love how it represents the wildlife of our beautiful country."

The Open Road is a sweet collection for children as well as those young at heart. With these 16 prints that are filled with wildflowers and cute animals, there’s plenty of options for you to create nature-inspired quilts, throw pillows, travel accessories, and romantic boho garments!

This collection also comes in two colorways! Bonnie created both of these groups of colors by pulling inspiration found in photographs she took during her trip. The "Under The Sun" colorway has earthy tones of blush pink, sienna and sage. The "Under The Trees" colorway has sunny hues with pops of navy and kelly green. 

To learn more about Bonnie's inspiration, the story behind the fabrics and projects you can create with this collection, head to our "The Open Road Fabric Lookbook!" 

Here's the lovely "Marjorie's Quilt" that features a map of the United States...just click the below link for the FREE pattern:

Download Quilt Pattern

- - The Open Road Giveaway - - 

Here's your chance to win a bundle of these gorgeous fabrics! To enter, just sign up to our giveaway - details below. 

Congratulations to our winner, Josina Dunkel! Please check your email. :)

*Once you have entered the giveaway it's normal for your information to disappear. To confirm your entry check your email for a confirmation and approve it. By entering our giveaway you'll be automatically signed up for our newsletters. Don't worry, we don't spam!

Welcome back, Makers! Recently, AGF launched the Color Master in “Designer’s Palette Edition” where they have curated a 10-piece FQ/HY sampler bundle from each designer with coordinating prints, to better introduce to you each designer’s style. As you can tell from the title, Color Master has taken a turn this month and I’m excited about a new journey, starting with Sharon Holland’s group of fabrics! 

Sharon has been sewing and quilting for over thirty years, and always had a love for art and photography. As one thing led two another, she merged her two passions and became a textile designer. She is inspired by the world around her, by first capturing her inspiration in photographs, then translating them into paintings or drawings and then of course, into fabric collections! Filled with hand-drawn- nature-filled prints, her Designer’s Palette is perfect for those who love that modern vintage vibe. 

Capturing her soft-romantic color palette with prints from her past fabric collections, like Signature, Coastline, and Sketchbook. I can see projects made with these fabrics ranging from baby quilts, table runner, or some delicate make-up pouches. But of course, Sharon made a beautiful Feathered Nest Quilt, using all her prints from the bundle! 

DOWNLOAD HERE

 A true collector’s box! Remember that this box is there for your convenience, it has many uses! The “Color Master Box” can keep your fabrics organized and neatly displayed for easy finding, or you can share the love because it’s perfectly curated in a box for an easy present!

Too excited to get straight to the fabric?! You can get all Color Master Designer’s Palettes, in a BUNDLE. The bundle option is there for anyone ready to be cut and be sewn right away, also available in FQ or HY.

If you're a fan of Sharon Holland or know someone who is, these group of fabrics would be the perfect gift or you treat you yourself by finding them in our online stores. AGF made a box for all of their designers, so don’t forget to check them all out here. If you have any project ideas or already sewn something with these fabrics, make sure to tag us on social media using #artgalleryfabrics

Keep making,

Jannelle

Christmas in July? Yes, please! Who else is crazy about the winter season? I have to tell ya I am definitely not a fan of the cold and the weather can be quite miserable at times but there is something that always fascinates me about this time of year. I love the music, getting together with family and friends and all the traditions that come along with the season.

I also enjoy making handmade gifts, holiday ornaments and festive decor to decorate my home. Which is why I have never been more excited to talk about AGF’s new Collective Collection called Merry and Bright!

Since our prints are so versatile and can often be grouped together to create a certain mood or theme for sewing projects, we decided to start creating new groups called “Collective!” For this first group, we were really inspired by winter and cozy feels, so we curated whimsy prints from various collections and designers.

I love the winter whites, greens, reds and blues! I chose the perfect block to make with this collection called the “Christmas Star” block! Who likes jumbo blocks! This block measures out to be 16” squared and can be perfect to turn into a holiday pillow or an easy to put together quilt top.

Have fun watching the video tutorial below!

Wanna see all the prints offered in Merry and Bright? I made a fun fabric haul video for a up-close look. I would love for you to watch this video below and comment with your favorite holiday tradition! I love reading all your comments! :) Check out our Fabric LookBook here! 

Happy Sewing,

Meli

It’s that time again to learn something new to hopefully one day make an entire quilt! But for now, I want to make sure I know how to do everything step-by-step, so when I finally get started on the big project, it will look the best.

Today, I asked my trustee sewing wizard “Meli” to teach me how to bind. I had some leftover 1 ½ ‘’ strip pieces when I was making a bordered square block using #BundleUp in “Americana” edition and make one long piece for the binding. 

I was told there’s two types of binding- a single and double fold binding. I took a picture to visually understand the difference because I didn’t understand until I had the fabric in my hands. Since I had a narrower piece and I didn’t want to waste it, we’ve decided to use single binding because it required less fabric (pictured on the left).  

For a single fold bind, we had to sew right sides together, fold over the raw edges and press to the other side of the block and sew again. This method was a little more complicated because you can easily pull over the fabric too much and when you sew the piece down, you’ll realize that the edge of the fabric didn't get sewn on. 

You’ll see what I mean in the picture above because in some parts the stitching is only going halfway. Next time I practice some binding, I will try to do a double fold as it’s much easier to get a more even stitch since I don’t have to fold it multiple times. 

At least what matters is that the front looks good, right? Haha! I'm proud of my little project, and I can't wait to keep practicing! Here some quick lessons I learned from this session:

1. Make sure you sew a long strip enough to cover the whole border. 
2. Single fold binding is great if your strip isn’t wide enough.
3. Make sure you get tight corners! Mel taught me to sew right off the corner so when I fold the fabric I have a perfect edge.
4. Use a walking foot on your sewing machine to help you guide the fabric.
5. CLIPS!! Put as many as you feel comfortable using. 
6. Don’t fold the fabric over too tightly because when you sew in the ditch, it won’t sew the edge of the fabric on the back.

The is the first time binding so I plan on doing different methods to see which works best for me. I’ve watched a lot of YouTube videos on how to do bind but every video, everyone had their own way of doing it! If you have a specific way or tip you can share with me, please let me know in the comments below. 

Till next time,

Jannelle 

Anyone else preppin’ for the "most wonderful time of the year," a.k.a. Christmas in July?! 

I know a lot of us get a jump start on holiday sewing this month which is definitely a fun way to take a break from the summer heat, cool off in the air conditioning and get ahead on that big gift list. Handmade gifts definitely take time, especially when it comes to quilting! If you're searching for some fabric to use with your holiday-inspired projects, look no further! We got you covered with options. 

Introducing our first ever, holiday-inspired collective, “Merry & Bright” that’s filled with whimsy prints from designers like Amy Sinibaldi, Pat Bravo, Maureen Cracknell, Katarina Roccella and Bonnie Christine. Inspired by winter and cozy feels, you’ll discover snow-covered forests, twinkling stars, mistletoe, ribbons, and berries. 

Grounded in a color palette of frosted berry, evergreen and vanilla cream, these 10 prints are great for quilts, pillows, wall art, and gift giving! "Merry & Bright" is our first ever holiday-inspired collection so we're super excited to share it with you, and hope it brings your sewing lots of joy. 🌲🌟 It's available now in stores too! 

Now that you're familiar with our latest collection, check out our "Merry & Bright Fabric Lookbook" that filled with tons of holiday ideas! 

Here's our whimsy "Noel Quilt" that's great to add to any wall! Click the link below for the FREE pattern:

Download Quilt Pattern

- MERRY & BRIGHT GIVEAWAY - 

Enter a chance to win a fabric bundle of this collection by signing up to our giveaway:

Congratulations to our winner, Cyndi Black! Please check your email. 

*Once you have entered the giveaway it's normal for your information to disappear. To confirm your entry check your email for a confirmation and approve it. By entering our giveaway you'll be automatically signed up for our newsletters. Don't worry, we don't spam!

Hello, Makers! 

You may have heard about the latest addition to Pure Solids, but in case you haven’t- we added 20 NEW COLORS! Last week, our lovely AGF Sewcialite, Elizabeth Chappell decided to showcase #PureSolids in a fun way. She reached out to a handful of talented makers and started the AGF Pure Solids Blog Tour (link to her blog). Every day they shared on their social media what they decided to make, along with a pattern that Elizabeth is planning on releasing soon. Although the tour has come to an end, these makers talent deserve a major spotlight so here’s a quick recap if you missed it: 

Day 1, @thewillowmarket stretched her creative abilities and created her first ever all solids mini quilt! Filled with beautiful color and texture, while using #xmarksthespotquilt pattern. 

Day 2, Rachel from @wren.collective made her debut using #overtherainbow quilt pattern! With this earthy color palette, it was the perfect wall art piece. 

Day 3, @loandbeholdstitchery also used the #xmarksthespot quilt pattern but with an ombre effect, taking it to a whole other direction.

On day 4, @simplymackbeth decided to brighten up the day with an #overtherainbow quilt! She took a simple approach, but paired it with her impressive quilting skills to really elevate the look. 

Day 5, a veteran of using Pure Solids, @morgankellyquilts, showcased her super cozy #xmarksthespotquilt by choosing a softer color palette and completing the vibe with Bonnie Christine’s print as the backing. 

Last stop on this tour- Day 6 with @stitchandbundle’s debut! She mixed some soft and bold colors and alternated it on her version of #xmarksthespotquilt. 

A round of applause for these ladies! I really enjoyed seeing what colors each would choose and especially observing how each maker’s style comes through to their final project. Make sure to follow them on their social media to get a full grasp of their talent and also follow Elizabeth’s account as she will be announcing her new quilt patterns very soon. 

Who did you enjoy the most on this blog tour? What would you love to see made with our Pure Solids? Let me know in the comments below! 

Happy sewing,

Jannelle