Art Gallery Fabrics - The Creative Blog

Have you ever visited and explored a forest? There's no other feeling like being in this unique, natural environment! Being surrounded by so much greenery, the stillness, the fresh, invigorating smell of the trees, and unexpectedly discovering cute animals, bugs, as well as cute mushrooms, plants or flowers. It's definitely a place to decompress, discover, and let your curiosity and wanderlust guide you. 

Making her debut with a collection, our newest designer Alexandra Bordallo takes you into a whimsical forest with “DEW + MOSS!” These prints are filled with little gnomes, fireflies, and florals that were inspired by wandering through the forest with her family in Spain. Alexandra’s youthful style comes to life in this collection through hand-drawn, inky lines, and quirky designs. 

With a color palette that’s grounded in various greens with pops of burnt orange and grapefruit, these 12 fabrics can be used in various sewing projects to use in nurseries, playrooms, or even classrooms. 

Along with 12 prints in cotton, there's 3 knits to pick from to make cozy garments! The prints are a super fun, retro vibe, especially with the color combinations and can be used in numerous gender-neutral sewing projects. You'll discover cute snails that serve as a great reminder for "slowing down," blooming florals and a gnome village that's filled with mushroom houses, and where gnomes gather to drink coffee and garden.

Check out our "Dew + Moss Fabric Lookbook" that features this collection and what you can sew with it! 

Here's our "Gnomesville Quilt" that is a bold, impactful design! Click the below link for the FREE pattern:

Download Quilt Pattern

- - 🍄 DEW + MOSS GIVEAWAY 🍄 - - 

Enter a chance to win these 12 prints by signing up to our giveaway!

Congratulations Sarah Jasinki! 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!

Mister Domestic takes us to the great outdoors with his newest collection, "Catch & Release." Inspired by trips with his family to their favorite fishing spots in Oregon, he captures the spirit of relaxing and unwinding in nature with these 12 prints. 

Catch & Release is a whimsy collection that’s for those who enjoy disconnecting and being present in the moment. From swirling, schools of fish to gorgeous mountain scenery, these prints are perfect for creating fishing-inspired quilts, weekender bags, plushies, or even fishing gear for all ages.

In this collection, you'll discover schools of cute fish, paddles, ladybugs, a gorgeous mountain landscape, and even a fun, fish-scale print! 

This collection also comes in 3 knits - a super cute fish print in navy blue called "Catch & Release," a sweet fluttering ladybug print called "Good Luck Trails," and a ditzy floral print called "Flower Stream."

This collection also comes in a gorgeous, flower-filled rayon print named "Blue Bank Flora!" 

Along with Mister Domestic and other talented makers. we collaborated on fishing-inspired projects in our "Catch & Release Lookbook!" Make sure to check it out for inspiration of what to sew with these fabrics. 

Here's our "Making Waves Quilt" that's filled with tons of fun print and movement, just click the below link for the FREE pattern:

Download Free Quilt Pattern

---- CATCH & RELEASE GIVEAWAY----

Enter a chance to win this fish-filled bundle of "Catch & Release" by signing up to our giveaway:

Congratulations to our winner, Michelle Olejar! 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!

For our latest collection, we're transporting back in time to the early 1900s in London, England. In the west end of the city, lies a district called "Bloomsbury" that was (and still is) a fashionable residential area where various intellectual and cultural events took place. During the turn of the century, a group of artists and writers gathered in this district and called themselves "The Bloomsbury Group." English writer Virginia Woolf was one of the most notable members of this group. The other members included Leonard Woolf, Vanessa Bell, E.M. Forster, Lytton Strachey, Roger Fry, Clive Bell, John Maynard Keynes, Duncan Grant and Desmond McCarthy. They were famous for being one of the first literary groups that supported women in the arts as well as many other social issues. 

Our designer Bari J. has a great affinity for this unique time in history as well as the city of London, so she decided that with her latest collection "BLOOMSBURY" to draw her inspiration from this exact time and place! Imagining a world that would surround luminaries like Virginia Woolf, Bari brings to life an English garden that would be nestled within the Bloomsbury district that's filled with gorgeous, painterly blooms, songbirds, and lush foliage.

With 15 quilting cotton prints, these are such pretty fabrics to create luxe-filled quilts, throw pillows, rugs, gorgeous maxi dresses for outdoor weddings, and even fun accessories like make-up bags and market totes. 

Besides our quilting cotton, Bloomsbury also comes in several different substrates, so you have tons of options to pick from! For this collection, there's four knits that come in several different floral prints, color, and scale!

It also comes in a gorgeous rayon that's filled with jewel tones and pretty florals for dresses, skirts, kimonos, hair scarves or even cute, button-up blouses. 

Here's the canvas option that's not only great to use for home decor but you can also use in garments or accessory-making too! 

..and last but not least, "Bloomsbury" comes in a cotton panel that can be used as quilt borders, backings, tablecloths, skirts or dresses!

For more ideas of what to sew with this collection, check out our "Bloomsbury Fabric Lookbook!

Download Quilt Pattern

-Bloomsbury Giveaway-

Enter a chance to win a FQ bundle of Bloomsbury by signing up to our giveaway:

Congratulations Patricia Streim! 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!

Have you ever spent a day exploring an artsy neighborhood?! You’d probably start your day, grabbing a cup of coffee at a cute cafe, wander in and out of art galleries, browse small shops that are filled with unique, artisanal crafts, and of course, spend some time photographing all the amazing murals you’d unexpectedly find in alleyways. In Florida, if you're looking to see some street art or explore some unique shops, galleries, plant stores and delicious cafes, our biggest art district here is "Wynwood" which is a fun place to head to! If you were here this past weekend, you got to experience the annual "Art Basel" in full action with artists arriving from all around the world, creating unique, pop-up installations and events. There's never a dull moment in the art district between the art and people watching, you'll always leave with a ton of inspiration. 

Inspired by a city’s art district, AGF created its latest collection, “Art District Fusion.” This fabric line features all the sights you’d spot while strolling down quaint streets that are home to many artists and creative like-minds. From bright colors and eye-catching designs like friendly cats, decadent ice cream, and painterly textures, this fabric line is available in cotton with select prints in knits and a rayon for garment makers! Designed for all you “art lovers at heart,” Art District Fusion is perfect for creating modern and playful sewing projects like geometric-filled quilts, pillows, rugs, and accessories that make a bold, artistic statement.

Head over to our “Art District Fusion Lookbook” for more sewing ideas and projects!

Here's our lovely "Street Signs Quilt" for you to enjoy, just click the below link for the FREE pattern:

Download Quilt Pattern

Here's my favorite blenders that can easily coordinate with "Art District Fusion!" 

-- ART DISTRICT FUSION GIVEAWAY --

Our giveaway winner is Nancy Hart-Kline! Congratulations and 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!

Often when you have a creative goal in mind, you just have to begin and start somewhere. Eventually, you'll learn along the way and get better at whatever it is that you're setting out to do! There's often no mentors to ask beforehand, no check list, no guidelines...just you and that gut feeling. However, with patience, persistence, and of course practice, you can achieve anything really! I'm sure all of us can relate to this because we've all started off somewhere. Just think back to how far you've come, and take a moment to pat yourself on the back for everything you've accomplished. 

With accomplishments in mind, a great reminder of this journey is our AGF designer, Pat Bravo. She began sewing as a little girl, and overtime got into quilting and began shopping for fabrics that she wanted to use for her quilty projects. As she became more familiar with her craft and materials, she realized the type of fabrics she "craved" did not exist at the time, and decided to begin designing her own fabric. Pat knows quilting, fabric and the process that connects the two oh so well. With her latest fabric collection "Legendary," she celebrates creating 40 fabric collection in 14 years. Celebrating this milestone, she created this special edition of 24 prints to commemorate the special occasion! 

 If you LOVE anything "romantic bohemian," this collection's for you! For more elegant-inspired projects that include quilt, garment and home decor patterns, head over to our "Legendary Fabric Lookbook!"

Here's our gorgeous "Entwine Quilt" for you to enjoy, just click the below link for the FREE pattern:

Download Quilt Pattern

I've also included these blenders from our AGF Elements for you that can easily coordinate with the bohemian-inspired prints of "Legendary." 

Enter a chance to WIN THIS FABRIC BUNDLE by signing up to our giveaway:

- - - LEGENDARY GIVEAWAY - - -  

Our winner is JEANNE RESLER! Congratulations and 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!

Happy Monday, Makers!

Here at AGF, we started a new way to feature  our inspiring makers' work that allows them to also win our fabrics, but THE BEST PART is that we all get to know a little more about you! We encouraged makers to post their sewing projects using our fabrics via their social media using the hashtag #AGFMakerMonday, so we could see how talented you are and the amazing work you all do! Once we decide on the winner for the month, the maker receives a feature here on our AGF Blog AND of course...they win A 20-PIECE FQ BUNDLE of our fabric, based on their personal preference.

With that, I'm excited to introduce our October #AGFMAKERMONDAY FEATURE to you, "Gillian Martin Noonan." She's an incredible quilter based out of Newfoundland, Canada who specializes in English Paper Piecing! Let's get to know Gillian a little a better and hear her sewing story!

Fabric Featured: Charleston and Little Town by Amy Sinibaldi

Fabric Featured: Charleston by Amy Sinibaldi

Fabric Featured: Paperie and Playground by Amy Sinibaldi

Fabric Featured: Les Petits, Playground, Charleston by Amy Sinibaldi

Hi Gillian! Congratulations on being our October's "AGF Maker Monday" feature! Can you please tell us a little bit about your background and how you got into quilting?

Home for me is 'Old Perlican, Newfoundland, Canada' -  a small town on the edge of the North Atlantic. My two sons are the loves of my life. My oldest is a lieutenant in the Canadian Navy while my younger son has just finished four months of backpacking in Europe and North Africa. They both live in Halifax, Nova Scotia so I visit there as often as possible. Actually I have been travelling a lot this year (11 European countries and 5 Canadian provinces) because I retired from teaching elementary school kids, last November.

Stitching has been an integral part of my entire life.  My mother adored sewing. All my clothes were made by her. When I was younger, I could come home from school and ask for something new to wear to a school dance that night, and she would whip it up. My mom made everything from quilts to a sofa! Her stash was huge and I still have a lot of it.  Since she sewed so much, fabric shopping was always on the agenda at family vacation time. We visited bookstores and museums for my father, and fabric shops for my mother. At one store in Montreal, Quebec which we often frequented when I was a little girl, I got hoisted up into an attic like room filled with rolls of fabric, so I could pass down what I liked.

My grandmother also played a very important role in bringing me to sewing.  Nan lived with us. She was a trained seamstress who believed I needed to be able to knit, crochet and do fancy work (embroidery) before I went to school.  I did! I loved spending time with her. Nan’s sisters and her mother were embroiderers and quilters too. So, I was surrounded by passionate women who loved to work with their needles, and now when I stitch, I feel very connected to them and their love.

Quilting is my newest needle art.  About 25 years ago, my best friend wanted to take a quilting class. I was supposed to go with her but stormy weather kept me from driving the two hours to the class.  My mom went with her. They both loved it so it was only natural that I give it a try. I made my first quilt, a sampler using templates and scissors, just before my older son was born. My projects remained small because I preferred hand-sewing to my machine and my mother was happily covering my beds with quilts. Eventually I started to use my machine more, making throw quilts. While quilting has been part of my life for the last 25 years, I have never been without some kind of needlework – it is just who I am.

What inspires your work?

Color and shape inspire me. Always having my camera with me lets me quickly capture images/motifs. I love visiting art galleries and taking closeups of paintings to just focus on the palette used. A French artist who I met on holiday here in Newfoundland inspired me to look at “line” in my world. A Newfoundland painter challenged me to look for the pink in the morning snow. Conversations like these and reading about what motivates artists has motivated me to reflect on what I see around me. Quilting friends both near and far also inspire me with the beauty that they create.

 Describe your design style in 3 words:

Storied, energetic, textured.

How did you get into “EPP?”

About 20 years ago, I needed a sewing project that didn’t require electricity and was compact. At the time, my family had a cabin in a secluded cove on the ocean.  It was totally off the grid; you actually had to take an 80 minute boat ride to get to it. I had seen a "Grandmother’s Flower Garden" quilt in one of my mother’s books and I knew it was perfect.  Blue scraps from my mother’s stash which reminded me of my grandmother’s dresses were chosen and my templates were hand drawn on freezer paper. I was set, but when I went to sew my hexie flowers together, they didn’t fit. My accuracy was off so, I put them aside for many years. Eventually I appliqued each to a background and joined the blocks together.  It will be hand-quilted, once I finish embroidering the names of my mother, my grandmothers and great grandmothers on the blocks.

Getting some precut EPP papers on a magazine two years ago made me decide to try it again. This time the hexie flowers went together perfectly. In the Spring of 2017, I took part in the Girt By Sea quilt along.  The central medallion was English Paper Pieced using Tales of Cloth’s precut papers. It was just the best sewing! I ordered another EPP kit as a retirement gift to myself and the first Mandolin block was included as a bonus.  I loved making it as well as the next 17 blocks! Now I have so many EPP plans for the future.

What was the most “time consuming” EPP project you’ve ever completed?

My grandmother’s garden has been the EPP quilt that has been under construction the longest, but my Mandolin blocks have consumed more time as there are many more pieces to each block. I usually make a Mandolin block over three or four evenings. I made my first Mandolin block in January of this year and I have two big blocks and a bunch of joiners left to complete.

How do you stay motivated with your sewing projects?

The key to my motivation, I have come to realize, is that I do many things.  I always have a pair of socks on my knitting needles and frequently a bigger knitting project like a sweater.  There are several pieces of embroidery in progress, and lots of quilting projects in various stages. While I do enjoy a finished project, I believe that I am more process oriented. This year, my quilt guild has had a WIP challenge. I had 10 things on my list (definitely not all my WIPs) and I have completed two.  I will get back to them – maybe. Learning something new is more important to me. This year, I've already have taken classes in goldwork and stumpwork embroidery, and in improv quilting. When I find my motivation lagging with my quilting, I just go work on a totally different thing.

What was the best quilting advice ever given to you?

There has been lots of advice given to me over the years probably because I am not afraid to ask questions. Some advice is specific like having an accurate but scant ¼” seam allowance. Other advice is broader like use the best fabric you can afford, but I think the overall best came from my grandmother who valued patience above everything. Patience lets you take time to get it done to your best. It encourages you to practice which improves everything, and patience lets you help others which opens you to receiving their help when it is needed.

5 things I can’t live without:

1. Books

2. Wool and fabric (How could I choose?)

3. Peanut butter  (A food group isn’t it?)

4. Needles (sewing, knitting, embroidery

5. The ocean (I have always lived near it and I miss it so when it is not near)

Where can other makers' find your work? 

My Instagram @sewgolly - I enjoy the interaction and inspiration it provides with other artisans throughout the world!

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Since Gillian LOVES "Amy Sinibaldi" and sweet florals, we curated this 20-piece bundle for her as her prize! :)

Thanks so much Gillian and to all you makers who have been posting away! It's incredibly inspiring to see what you all make and how you add your personal stories and styles to your projects. We'll be picking a winner and announcing them via the blog next month in November! 

In the meantime, keep posting and sharing your beautiful handmade things with us using the hashtag #AGFMakerMonday for a chance to win.

Good luck and keep creating!

- Sophia