Art Gallery Fabrics - The Creative Blog

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!

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!

Today I'm joining the 50's club and I have a strange mix of feelings. I don't know what to think: if I am already old, if I'm still young --this thing they say that "these days 50's are the old 40's". You may have experienced it already.

Going over my life in my mind as a film rolls at the movies, I could see how many things I went through and how happy and grateful I am about everything I've achieved!

For this occasion thought that a blog post had to have something different about me. Told myself: "Pat, you better come out with something special to share"!

Hope you like it.

1. I was born in Argentina, this same day 50 years ago
2. I still feel like 25
3. My parents divorced 26 years ago. I never saw my father again, so I don't know if he's still alive 
4. My mother taught me how important is to love your family and your sewing machine. As I grew up I realized how right she was. She is 84 and lives with me as well as my only sister, the best one a person can have
5. My father taught me how important is to love dogs. He also taught me to hunt. These days I love dogs but I hate hunting
6. I moved to the US 22 years ago
7. Never knew what a quilt was until I came to live here
8. My original hair color is dark blond and now white hair is rampant, so I use extra light brown to color it
9. I met my husband Walter when we were both 20 and we fell in love immediately
10. Since then we are together for the good and the bad
11. Always thought that I could not have found a better husband than him
12. We got married at 23
13. I still drool over him :-0
14. My only son Alex is the best son a mother can have
15. I suffer from Endometriosis
16. So I had to have four years of treatments before I became pregnant 
17. I lost one pregnancy before and another one after him
18. Alex came to this world through C-section, because I didn't dilate more than 3 cm
19. He had Wilms tumor when he was 9. After a year of chemotherapy the cancer disappeared
20. I think I was born with a special gene in my body. The "sewing" gene. I sew since I can remember
21. Also love to cook since I can remember. My first cooking book was a present from my mom for my 7th birthday
22. My first year married I cooked 365 different meals for Walter. Bad thing. He gained 45 pounds
23. I lived in 3 countries during a same year
24. I am 5'4" tall and weight 138 pounds
25. OK... I confess: I am a procrastinator! This thing of "Don't leave for tomorrow what you can do today" doesn't go with me. I prefer to wait till tomorrow
26. My family call me the handywoman of the house. I can paint walls as well as installing an entire tile floor on the kitchen or bathroom
27. Many years ago I learned that for the chinese people roosters symbolize harmony in the family. I love them. That's why I began collecting many in all sizes and materials 
28. Because I'm so fortunate in life, every day I wake up thinking how much good I can make to the people around me
29. HATE to exercise. I'm a couch potato at heart 
30. LOVE to read. I can lay down an entire day reading and having Dulce de Leche Häagen-Dazs 
31. I am a perfume compulsive buyer. Never use the same fragrance everyday. For me, it's a mood thing
32. My favorite color is... of course... PINK!!
33. And my favorite flower a peony
34. I am a history junkie. Favorite readings: royal biographies. More than 300 books on the subject are sitting on shelves at my house
35. Still can't speak and write 100% perfect english; people say I do it very good. I don't know why but I feel embarrassed by that. I would love to speak more slang
36. All my life I was an admirer of Coco Chanel, but if I have to confess, the designer that inspired me the most was and still is Kenzo. He changed my vision of fashion and print fabrics forever...
37. I could never get up early. It's a great effort to do it. It seems that my body clock did not come well set from the factory. My ideal day would begin if I wake up at 12 noon. At night I feel is the best time of the day. That's why I design complete collections at night. My senses awaken and the best of me comes alive --or this is what I think, 'cause everybody is sleeping and can't see it :)
38. The first time I made a quilt 20 years ago I didn't have an absolute idea of what I was doing. Hell no! Everything I know today I learned myself. Trial and error were my friends
39. Should I introduce you other friends I have: quilting books!. I learned so much from them
40. I LOVE quilting, but never thought that would be that much and that I would become so obsessive about perfect piecing 
41. I came to this industry hand painting fabric panels during my period of landscape quilter. Because I couldn't find specific colors in stores I decided to paint my own. All my quilting friends told me they would love to buy them at quilt shows. The first panel I sold at a quilt show in Dallas was "a moment I'd never forget". Selling panels to award-winner quilter David Tailor made me feel like I was in heaven
42. Years ago, never thought that I was gonna design fabrics. Now I can't imagine my life without designing
43. Neither that I was gonna work with my husband as my partner
44. I have cried after working a lot of time on a collection and didn't come out the way I wanted
45. I have pulled out the hair of my head too. Well... almost
46. Is there a color freak? That's me! Thanks Pantone :)
47. When I start designing, a color palette always comes first. That triggers a mood and... the name of the collection draws in my mind very vividly 
48. For me, drawing was a long journey of personal evolution. Designing fabrics walk the same path
49. One of the best designers and master of color for me is Kaffe Fassett. The first time I met Kaffe I couldn't believe my eyes! He came to my booth to shake my hand and congratulate me on my designs; I was sooo excited but he didn't realize that my knees were shaking too... 
50. I LOVE to be connected with you in here. Many people say that a blog shouldn't be written only to expect comments. I don't think so. Every time I write a post I wait with excitement to read yours!

All my love, 

Pat

Hello hello!

I'm glad you enjoyed our pics from Market, it was soo much work but oh so rewarding in the end!

So you know how they say "a picture is worth a thousand words"? Well that might be true, but because nothing tells the story like a VIDEO, the video-editing genius and graphic design extraordinaire Kat (part of our awesome AGF team lol) made this cool video about our experience at Market.

As you'll be able to tell, it was insanely rolling-on-the-floor-laughing fun and we had the best time ever, I honestly can't complain.

So if you never attended Market you'll be able to see a little bit of what really goes on in there (plus you'll get to see the AGF team making a fool out of ourselves in public lol) 

I still laugh everytime I watch it ha! What do you think, is this what you would expect to see at Market? What do you imagine it's like? Do share!

Happy long weekend everyone!

Love,

Pat. 

ps. Can't watch it on YouTube? Watch it on Vimeo or Facebook! 

Last June I went through one of the toughest, most painful moments I ever had to go through in my entire life. My baby Sheebo had to part. I felt like I would never be able to smile again, at least for a long time. The mere thought of bringing another dog to the family was unconceivable...

But along came Lucas.

(here modeling a fabric bow made with the Coquette collection)

Don't you just wanna grab him and squeeze him? 

The unbelievable part of the story is that, when I went to the shelter (trying to not fall in love with the impossibly cute faces staring from their cages), the lady that worked there told me somebody had left Lucas ON THE ROAD!!!! She said that a car stopped at a traffic light. Inside the car were a woman with two kids. This woman came out of the car and went back to open the trunk. She took a puppy and left him on the street. As soon as it turned out green again, she accelerated. The car behind her almost hit him! 

Can you believe that? I mean, who would actually be capable of taking this and dumping it on the side of the road like a garbage bag??

He's a gorgeous American Cocker Spaniel and he's here to stay. (It's been quite a long time since I last had to decorate the house with puppy diapers but I don't mind)

Welcome to the family Lucas! You're in for a ride =)

Love,

Pat

They have just come back from Asia and brought me many, and I mean MANY pictures. From the Mills, of the fabric's production process, about the coloring, inks, new styles; but I decided to have these as the most important to me. They talk about the love of father and son, the joy of being together, their rapport. They also talk about the pride of a father because his son wants to follow his steps in the business, and the pride of a son because his father wants to teach these steps to him.
This is a moment that speaks about Love and a special relation, and I wanted to share it with you.
This is what my family and what Art Gallery Fabrics are made of. A lot of Love.

Want to see some pics on how our fabrics are produced? Wait for me until I share them on the next post...

Love,

Pat