Art Gallery Fabrics - The Creative Blog

As someone who has been behind the scenes here at AGF,  I've had the honor and privilege of looking at collections come to life! Today I'm excited to finally see Sharon Holland’s first kids collection, Lilliput, live and in action. Now for me, this kids collection is the most unique I have ever seen, as Sharon really outdid herself by balancing adorable forest creatures, sweet florals, and tying them together with boho elements. 

Lilliput is inspired by observing the natural world through a child’s imagination. Encounter sweet foxes and bunnies in forest shades of fern green, budding pink, spring violet, and earthy clay. 

*Available in 16 quilting cotton prints

This collection is so perfectly balanced with blenders, medium-sized prints, and large-scale designs that are ideal to piece together in your patchwork projects! Since there are a lot of eclectic elements in this collection, there are so many prints that are ideal for adults too, like “Secret Garden” and “Liliputian.” 

*Rayon print in Ferngully Cinnamon

*Knit prints in Berry Picking Dim and Ferngully Lilac

What I love most about the substrate prints is that they're so versatile, they could be transformed into apparel for kids and grownups! If you check out the lookbook below, you're going to find a stunning dress made by Alexis Wright, and the more playful knit “Berry Picking Dim” subtle purple and navy background makes it ideal for any little girl and boy!

If you’re looking to accentuate these soft colors, check out these matching AGF Elements:

*AGF Denim in Indigo Shadow and Frosted Sage & Pure Solids in Raw Gold and Cinnamon 

More matching AGF Elements not pictured:

PURE Solids: Sweet Macadamia, Blushing, Sugar Plum, Mauvelous, Sienna Brick, Fresh Sage, Forest Night, Ocean Fog, and Nocturnal.

Nature Elements: Dusty Mauve

AGF Denim: Adobe Clay 

There are plenty of opportunities to create magical quilts like our “treasure hunt” free quilt pattern that will let your little ones go on an adventure, where they will meet the sweetest forest critters and nature’s blossoms!  

DOWNLOAD HERE

Flip through the pages of our Lilliput Fabric lookbook to discover playful quilt blocks, adorable fox plushies, quilts, and more that you can recreate. With the help of a few talented makers and even Sharon herself, we have put together tons of quilty projects that will get you excited to sew for your kids!

Don’t forget to check our “Let's Talk Fabric” YouTube segment,  where you'll get to see the natural world through a child's imagination and unfold the magical story within every print as if the fabrics were right in your hands. Be inspired to create all sorts of patchwork projects with all the sewing patterns featured in this video, matching AGF Elements, and some sweet up-close shots of the knit and substrates available. 

If you love to quilt for the little ones in your life, this collection is for you! I can already see all the cute outfits, baby quilts, and nursery decor with these fabrics. If you get your hands on these fabrics and create something, please share it with us on social media using the hashtag #AGFLilliput, I would love to see it (and Sharon would too!) 

Until next time,

Happy Sewing!

-Jannelle 

Welcome back, fabric friends! 

Today we are featuring one of my favorite and easiest way to create a patchwork pillow, I like to call this one "Zanthia" and if you know about basic half-square triangles, then you'll especially love making this pillow. Once you create the HSTs, all it takes is some cutting and rearranging to complete this look! 

Have fun with your fabric choices too, as for this tutorial I kept it simple by using AGF Pure Solids, but play around with some movement by including some prints. 

Let's get started!

FABRIC REQUIREMENTS:

Fabric A PE-421 1 yd

Fabric B PE-436 1/2 yd

Fabric C PE-456 1/2 yd

Fabric D PE-457 1/2 yd

Fabric E PE-482 1/2 yd

EXTRA MATERIALS:

• Batting
• Cotton Rope-90” for piping
• Backing:
• Two (2) 24” squares
• Pillow fill

CUTTING INSTRUCTIONS:

Three (3) 2” x WOF strips from fabric A.

Two (2) 22” x 15 3/4” rectangles from fabric A.

Two (2) 12 7/8” squares from fabric B.

Two (2) 12 7/8” squares from fabric C.

Two (2) 12 7/8” squares from fabric D.

Two (2) 12 7/8” squares from fabric E.

INSTRUCTIONS

To complete this pillow you’ll need to make two different blocks, for each block you’ll need two different HST combinations.

Begin with block #1.

For the first HST combination, take one (1) 12 7/8” square from fabric C and one (1) 12 7/8” square from fabric E.

Place one on top of the other, right sides of the fabric together, align.

Use a fabric marker and your ruler to trace a diagonal line from the top left corner to the right bottom corner.

Sew 1/4” away from each side of the previous traced line.

Use your rotary cutter to cut on top of the drawn line.

Press open, you should end up with two (2) CE HST’s.

Set aside.

Repeat the previous steps this time with one (1) 12 7/8” square from fabric D and one (1) 12 7/8” square from fabric E.

You should end up with two (2) DE HST’s.

Sub-cut the HST’s into six (6) 2” strips as shown in the diagram below.

Sew the strips together alternating the colors following the diagram below for strip placement.

Make a total of two (2) block #1.

Press and set aside.

Move on with block #2.

Take one (1) 12 7/8” square from fabric B and one (1) 12 7/8” square from fabric D.

Place one on top of the other, right sides of the fabric together, align.

Use a fabric marker and your ruler to trace a diagonal line from the top right corner to the left bottom corner.

Sew 1/4” away from each side of the previous traced line.

Use your rotary cutter to cut on top of the drawn line.

Press open, you should end up with two (2) DB HST’s.

Set aside.

Repeat the previous steps this time with one (1) 12 7/8” square from fabric C and one (1) 12 7/8” square from fabric B.

You should end up with two (2) CB HST’s.

Sub-cut the HST’s into six (6) 2” strips as shown in the diagram below.

Sew the strips together alternating the colors following the diagram below for strip placement.

Make a total of two (2) block #2.

Press and set aside.

Bring one (1) block #1 and one (1) block #2.

Sew them together and repeat the same steps one more time to end up with two rows.

Attach the rows together as shown in the diagram below.

Quilt as desired.

I suggest and echo quilting with contrasting thread but feel free to get creative!

Add piping if desired.

PILLOW BACKING

Take both 22” x 15 3/4” rectangles from fabric A.

Fold one 15 3/4” edge 1/2” towards the wrong side of the fabric of each rectangle.

Fold the same edge ó” again and edgestitch the fold in place to have a clean edge.

Take the quilted pillow top and lay it at the right side up.

Take one rectangle from fabric A and align it wrong side up to the right side of the pillow top.

Take the other rectangle from fabric A and align it wrong side up to the left side of the pillow top.

Pin the three pieces in place and sew around the edges at 1/4”.

Clip the corners and flip the piece to the right side of the fabric.

Fill the pillow.

and you're finished! I hope you enjoyed what I did with the quilting, I felt like I had to do something unique for this project. It'll be a cool idea too if you quilted on the red and orange pieces. 

If you found this tutorial helpful or have any questions, please let me know in the comments below! As always, if you end up making this project, tag us on social media using the hashtag #artgalleryfabrics, I would love to see your creations.

Until next time,

Happy sewing!

-Jannelle

Happy Friday, makers! 

There is a lot of stuff happening here at AGF so hold on to your sewing machines for this announcement because our knit selection just got a little bigger! Our 6 NEW colors to our Knit Solids range are “Spruce,” “Sienna Brick,” “Cinnamon,” “Mink,” “Camouflage,” and “Mauvelous.” Hurray for more options for the softest knit fabrics in the industry! These light colors are ideal for all-year-round makes, and with its four-way stretch, this fabric calls for the softest apparel, quilts, and even home decor. We added this new range of colors, so you have more color options to pair with your next big project.

Speaking of big projects, we have some BIG and thrilling news to share…

To celebrate this special release, we collaborated with 5 talented makers showing off all the new Knit Solids! Meet the makers below, their wonderful garments, patterns used, and all the colors they used from the latest release! 

So let’s get to it and start with Emily Stone from Replicate Then Deviate:

How adorable are these girls rocking their two Jalie Bella dresses in “Spruce” and “Mauvelous” knit colors! Our fabrics have a four-way stretch, making them so breathable and comfortable. You can really see that in those movement shots, feeling so fresh and free! 

Tami Peterson from Sew Sophie Lynn:

I am loving Tami’s retro take on these kid’s outfits! The True Bias Rio t-shirt featuring “White Linen,” “Sienna Brick,” and “Camouflage” knit solids has the coolest design strip in going across the shirt and the matching Retro Joggers took this outfit to another level. Even the Pepper Puff Sleeve shirt featuring the color “Cinnamon” has the sweetest puff look on the sleeves. The color blocking in Logan Color-Blocked Hood featuring “Cinnamon,” “Spruce,” and “White Linen” is what gives these patterns that extra retro look.

Anna Metcalf from Kainara Stitches: 

I love how all these kids are professional models! These pictures are to-die-for and truly give these apparel pieces justice. Starting with the girl’s Brynn Top featuring “Cinnamon” knit solids which she tied in the hem of the  Swim and Surf shorts featuring our “Indigo Shadow” denim. Plus, the boy’s Jordan hood featuring “Mink” and “Camouflage” knit solids is a great example of how these fabrics are perfect for transitional weather. 

Lakeisha Webb from Sincerely Shantelle:

These modern pieces that Lakeisha made are staples! The Margot Peplum top featuring the “Mauvelous” knit color is something I would wear all year round because you can easily add layers on top. If you’re looking for something to make for the spring, then the  Eloise Peasant Dress in the color “Spruce” knit is the one for you, look how sweet those sleeves are! And of course, you can’t leave the little ones behind, making the Blueberry Classic tee for children featuring “Camouflage” knit color was the cherry on top.

Karly Nelson from Paisley Roots:

If you ever thought that you couldn’t make something with our knit fabric, then let Karly Nelson prove you wrong! We are over the moon with all the pictures she submitted with these fabrics, the amount of patchwork and detail is something you don’t want to miss. Joining the quilt coat train, she made the Twig and Tale Wild Things Coat and Gather Quilt (click here for tips) pattern featuring all six new knit colors! She even used the knit selvage as part of the design which is so cool and creative. The multi-colored X-Factor crop tops that the girls are wearing feature “Spruce,” “Mauvelous,” and “Camouflage” knit solids, that I could see being used quite often during the summertime. Then, we have her take on the Rowan Tee that she color-blocked some curves on the corner featuring knit colors in “Spruce,” “Mink,” “Cinnamon,” and “Camouflage” and Cessatio Joggers in “Sienna Brick” for the ultimate trendy outfit. Next up, we have the Sofilantjes Solis Dress featuring the color “Cinnamon” and the braided knit straps that turn this dress up a notch. Lastly, ending it with a band with all the sweet accessories she made with our knits like the Scrunchies and Headbands all made with the new knit solids colors!

We’re so proud of all the participants that made this release possible! All the inspiration, color combinations, and all the little details don’t go unnoticed. This collaboration was so much fun and it puts a big smile on my face, and I hope it does the same for you!  Please make sure you follow their Instagram accounts and show them some love in the comments below. Let me know your thoughts about this release, your favorite outfit, and what’s on your sewing list!  If you’d like to share your latest makes with us, make sure to tag us on social media using the hashtag #AGFKnits, we would love to see them.

Until next week,

Happy sewing!

-Jannelle 

Welcome back, Makers! 

Here at AGF, we are inspired every day by the projects you share with us online! From your fabric pulls to your inspiration, and your final projects are what keeps fueling our passion for making fabrics. We work hard at AGF to gather our creative juices to come up with fresh ideas and nothing is more rewarding when we see them come back full circle! 

When the year started, Pantone released their new colors of the year, we were feeling inspired! The colors of the year 2021 were “Ultimate Gray” and “Illuminating,” a neutral pebble gray with a bright yellow that represents optimism, resilience, and hope for the new year. The team and I went straight to work to translate this into fabrics and went directly to the warehouse to choose some fabrics! Excited to share our findings, we created a newsletter with free sewing projects and inspiration to get the year started on the right foot, and to our surprise, Audrey from @skirtfixation came up with an amazing collaboration. 

Audrey, also being inspired by these colors, hosted a fantastic “Pantone Party” on her website Project Run and Play featuring tons of apparel made of Art Gallery Fabrics substrates including quilting cotton, rayon, knit, denim, and even canvas! Every week of March, she invited a talented maker that shared their creations with us and we had to come here today to give them all a spotlight. 

So without further ado, prepare to be swept off your feet by all these amazing garments! 

Starting with Audrey herself! 

*Find more pictures, details of the patterns, links, and more in her blog post. 

• Annie is wearing a Novella Pinafore dress made of “Soda Straws” canvas print. Moto Quilted Jacket featuring “Charcoal Powder” denim with “Tin Tint” knit fabric. The back of the jacket featured a paper pieced Goose Chase pattern featuring “Canary” Pure Solids. 

• Lowel is wearing a Fell & Dale cap in “Charcoal Powder” denim, Thyme Shirt in “Canary” Pure Solids, and Morocco Pants in “Wicked Sky & Charcoal Powder” denim fabrics. 
• Tina is wearing an Odeline Dress in the “Cactus Bloom Moonlight” rayon print. 
• The baby is wearing a Journal Jumpsuit in “Buck Forest Moonstone” knit print.

Next up we have Tami Peterson from @sewsophielynn 

*Find more pictures, details of the patterns, links, and more in her blog post. 

• A Story Dress made from “Striped Bold Graphite” knit print. 
• Robin Dress in “Fields of Goldenrod” quilting cotton print. 
• A Lemon Tee in “Daffodil” knit solid print and “Striped Alike” knit print.
• Prose Cargo Shorts in “Clouded Horizon” denim print. 

Then we have Katie from @madebykates

*Find more pictures, details of the patterns, links, and more in her blog post. 

• Her middle son is wearing a Georgie Hoodie featuring “Tin Tint,” “Snow White,” and “Graphite” knit solids, paired with our knit print called “Striped Sleek Sun”. His shorts are a Prose and Poetry Cargo pattern featuring “Charcoal Powder” denim. 
• Her daughter is wearing the Story Pattern, omitting the long sleeves featuring “Wire Flowers Foil” knit, and used the Metro Pattern with “Citrine” Pure Solids quilting cotton for the bottom pants. 
• Her youngest boy featured the Lemon Tee featuring “Striped Bold Graphite” & “Daffodil” knits and Cobalt Board Shorts pattern using “Charcoal Powder” denim. 

Last but certainly not least, we have Celina Bailey from @ensemble.patterns

*Find more pictures, details of the patterns, links, and more in her blog post. 

• Featuring the Georgie Hoodie made from “Striped Sleek Sun” and “Ice Cream Shop”
  knits and it’s paired with Morocco Pants using “Cluded Horizon” denim.
• This sweet girl also models a (modified) D'Anjou Dress made up in a patchwork of yellow and grey Art Gallery Fabrics premium cottons.
• Also wearing a quilted jacket using the pattern Joseph(ine) Cardigan lined with “Blooming Brook Sol” quilting cotton. 

That’s a wrap, folks! A huge thank you to all the makers that participated, we were so excited and proud to display their makes and we hope to bring you inspiration as well. Please make sure to head to their blogs, follow them on Instagram, and show them some love in the comments below! If you are a garment maker and would love to share your makes, please tag us on social media using the hashtag #artgalleryfabrics so we can see it and spread the love. 

Happy sewing!

-Jannelle 

Welcome back, makers! I hope all of you have been thrilled about a new collection release every Friday here at AGF, it’s been a crazy few weeks but what can we say? We’re crazy about fabric! Today’s release is a little different because we just expanded our latest blender fabrics: Decostitch Elements by adding more colors!

Introducing, Golden Earth, Lilac Dusk, Pink Powder, Peach Whisper, Coral Rose, Skyline Blue, Teal Fog, and Subtle Sage; our 8 NEW COLORS!

If you don’t know what blender fabrics are, I highly suggest reading my blog post about all Art Gallery Fabrics’ Elements and how to use them! But here’s a quick explanation, these fabrics are non-directional, meaning you can cut them in any direction without affecting the design. Think about this blender as a solid but with an added texture that will complement the other prints you’re using. What makes Decostitch Elements different is that its design is filled with stitching motifs and unexpected little details that add depth and texture to your patchwork projects.

These fabrics couldn’t be released at a more perfect time because it is spring and all these new colors are ideal for the season. Bright pastels that will make a good addition to your quilty projects especially baby quilts or spring home decor! 

*28 Total Decostitch Colors 

Enjoy a larger range of colors, which means you’ll have more options to choose from when sewing with all our AGF collections. 

You can also use them alone and embrace the range of colors just like we did in our “Fairy Garden” free quilt pattern! 

DOWNLOAD HERE

See their true colors and what makes these blender fabrics so special in our “Let’s Talk Fabric” YouTube segment, where you can view up-close all the exciting stitching motifs and the unexpected little details. Get excited to put the pedal to the metal on your sewing machine once you see all the hand-quilted projects, a free quilt pattern, our new color card, and more in the video below!

These colors will also be available in our Decostitch Elements color card, where you’ll find the exact shade to compliment your next sewing project. This is more than just a color card but a tool that you can use when picking out fabrics and making sure you have the right color that fits! 

Please share with us your creations by using the hashtag #AGFDecostitchElements on social media, because we love to scroll all day long to see all the wonderful things you create with our fabrics! 

Until next time,

Happy Sewing!

-Jannelle 

I don't even know where to begin on this blog post because my excitement for today's collection release is more than what I can express in words! As someone who is from Peru, this collection means a lot more to me as it has a lot of prints that represent who I am and where I come from. As soon as I saw “Andina” in the works and why, my heart skipped a beat. Andina was inspired by the Andes culture, which takes a few elements from several countries on the western side of South America like their colorful land of textiles, prolific art forms, and iconic landmarks.

*Available in 16 quilting cotton prints

This collection is filled with the prettiest and most saturated colors I have ever seen! I mean look at that red and that yellow... SWOON. One of the most amazing qualities of this collection is the attention to detail, the closer you get to a print, the more there is to admire and love. All these elements take me to a special time in my life where I lived and enjoyed many trips visiting Peru. It made me nostalgic and I wanted to share a quick photo that I found while looking through some old albums!

This is me and my dad in Peru in 2006. I cherish this picture a lot because it’s the only picture I have that shows the home I lived in for several years (that bright yellow on the left). 

*Bolts pictured: Golden Huaca, Florid Animalia, Flowering Molas, Nazca Lines, and Urubamba Flora.

What made this collection even more special is that it was designed by one of our In-house designers of Colombian nationality and inspired by our own AGF family, and the people pictured above are just a few that this collection is dedicated to. Meet Yonier, Marcela, Kathy, Margarita, and Jannelle (that’s me on the top of the stairs) who have been a part of the AGF family for years now, representing the beautiful countries of Colombia and Peru. We all got to choose a print that we loved most for our fabric masks, and of course, I had to pick “Golden Huaca” as it reminded me of my home in Peru. 

I also wanted to share a special message from Art Gallery Fabrics:

At Art Gallery Fabrics, our commitment to diversity and inclusion is deeply rooted in our collective values as a company and a community of talented creators. It is important to us to celebrate, respect, honor, and appreciate different cultures and communities.

By creating, making, sewing, crafting & quilting, we’re leaving our mark and expressing ourselves and every single one of us integrates a piece of our life experiences, our time, our love, to tell a story as one.

As a company owned by a couple that belongs to a “minority group”, Art Gallery Fabrics has always valued and will continue to value people equally. 

We are so proud of the diversity in our team, composed of wonderful human beings of different races, genders, nationalities, sexual orientations, physical abilities, thinking styles, and backgrounds that bring richness to our work environment.

The love for this collection just keeps on growing, and it’s because, on top of offering quilting cotton, Andina also comes with a couple of substrate options! With two eye-catching rayons, the moment you lay your hands on these fabrics, you’ll want to create dresses, skirts, and everything in between. But if you are feeling on the more cozy side, enjoy sewing with the one knit print available that’s super soft and stretchy. 

*Featuring rayon prints: Awaska Russet & Nazca Lines Carmine 

*Featuring knit print in Awaska Ecru

If you’re looking to accentuate these beautiful colors, check out these matching AGF Elements (blenders):

*Featuring Floral Elements in Esmeralda, Pure Solids in Tigerlily & Turmeric, and our Denim in Cool Foliage and Adobe Clay.

More matching AGF Elements not pictured:

PURE Solids: Raspberry Rose, London Red, Candied Cherry, Raw Gold, Turmeric, Tile Blue, Warm Wave, and Caviar. 

Floral Elements: Coral & Tropical Green.

Denim: Wicked Sky

Discover more sewing inspiration in our Andina Fabric Lookbook, linked below!

In our “Let’s Talk Fabric” YouTube segment, we want to give you an insight into all the latest AGF collections, and Andina is a special one you don’t want to miss. In this video, you’ll find behind-the-scenes footage, scrummy patchwork projects, and tons of sewing inspiration to fully grasp the magic of using these fabrics together. Click play, and enjoy looking through the world of Andina through a high definition lens! 

Enjoy fussy cutting your favorite elements and playing around with the direction of the prints in our “Inca” free quilt pattern!

DOWNLOAD HERE

Get your hands on this collection and a chance to win a Fat Quarter bundle of Andina by CLICKING HERE! The giveaway will only last for a week, so spread the word to all your fabric friends. The winner will be emailed and announced right here on the blog!

THE WINNER IS VICTORIA GUARDADO! PLEASE CHECK YOUR EMAIL TO REDEEM YOUR PRIZE! 

Please reply within 7 days to claim your prize (check your email on April 9!) If we don’t receive a reply, we will have to choose another winner as we’d like to be fair with all participants, and pass the opportunity to another contestant. Thank you! 

Thank you for allowing me to share my story and give you a little bit of insight into who the person behind writing all these blogs is from! I hope this collection brought you joy as much as it did to me, and let me know in the comments below if you’re a quilter from this region.

Whether you are from the Andes region or someone that can just appreciate these beautiful prints, I can’t wait to see what kind of projects you create with these fabrics. Please tag your makes on social media with the hashtag #AGFAndina, so I can show some love. I already have my bundle waiting for me, and I plan on creating the free quilt pattern to gift to my grandmother (she’s Peruvian too) whose birthday is coming up! 

Until next time,

Happy Sewing!

-Jannelle