Art Gallery Fabrics - The Creative Blog

Hi, Makers! 

The holidays are around the corner and it’s that time of the year where we makers really shine! Today, I would love to talk about something a little different, deeper than just sewing, and it’s about the wonderful gift of giving. What it really means to make something with your heart and hands and give them to the people you love and appreciate. Last year was a very difficult one, due to the pandemic affecting every one of us. Most of us couldn’t spend holidays at home with our families as some are sick and hospitalized. Making us think, how can we make them feel better? How can we bring them warmth? With these gifts, we can bring joy to the people in hospitals, and this gesture will certainly make them feel appreciated, especially in this holiday season, where we focus on making projects from the heart. I knew we had to come together and give them something made with love to brighten their days, decorate their room, and make them feel loved and optimistic.

During the height of rough times, I am amazed at what the sewing community can do together! This wonderful community always stepped up to the plate to help when it was needed, making masks, collaborating, and making things with what they already had in hand. Makers truly support each other, as we know the amount of love that goes into all our projects. With this in mind, I am so excited to announce that here at  AGF we invite you to an event of giving back, and to join us in creating handmade gifts for those in need.

Starting today, I encourage you to use your healing hands to make something beautiful and share it with us using the hashtag #AGFGiftofGiving on all social media platforms! Share the joy of giving something handmade, and creating something with your own hands with fabrics and tools that you already may have. Time to dig through your fabric scraps, take out those UFOs, and finally transform them into something with a purpose. As you posting your projects will help spread the word, we also plan on sharing the love every week until the end of the year and sharing your posts.

Please feel free to share every project with us whether it’s big or small! Here are some suggestions that you can make: toiletry pouches, napkins, garlands, table toppers, coasters, fabric trees, stockings, ornaments, mug rugs, lumbar pillows, neck pillows, bowl cozies, whole cloth blankets, and pillows. 

Those are just some ideas from the top of my head that I believe would be ideal for someone in the hospital, things that can be displayed in their rooms like a cozy pillow on the guest chair, a garland to hang on their hospital bed, a table runner to place over their bedside table, and pretty little coasters or mug rugs for their beverages. Please let me know some project ideas in the comments below all of your suggestions to help all of us makers.

At the end of the year, I will gather a lot of the projects that you share with us online and post about them again so don’t forget to tag and tell us your story. Of course, this event doesn’t have to end here because the gift of giving is forever! I encourage you to continue sharing your projects under the hashtag as we will also do that same. 

We can’t wait to join you on this amazing journey and to help us make a difference this holiday season.

Thank you for your kinds hearts, 

-Jannelle

Welcome back, makers! 

When surrounded by such a creative team, I’ve gained so much appreciation when a concept is brought to life! As creatives, there isn’t a mentor, no checklist, no rules to follow, just following your gut. However, with persistence, patience, and tons of practice, you can achieve anything you want! As makers, we can all relate to this, to think back to where we started off and how far we’ve come with our newfound skills. So, let’s take a moment and give yourself a pat on the back for everything you’ve accomplished! 

With accomplishments in mind, we come to today’s celebration of our AGF designer, Katarina Roccella’s 20th collection with us! She was always a crafty person, working on an array of mediums until she discovered the world of fabric, where she began to sew and create garment pieces for her daughter. After a few short years, she wanted the garments to be unique which led her to design fabric. Fast forward to today, we celebrate this huge milestone where Katarina created this special edition of 20 quilting cotton prints to commemorate the special occasion!

Showing her love for design, “Twenty” combines groups of warm & cool hues and merges past prints with new ones for the ultimate line of blenders, yet versatile enough to use as a whole collection.

For this collection, Katarina’s idea was to gather a group of prints that would work nicely together as a group, but also individually, for different kinds of projects. So the only theme or story was cohesiveness and unified color story.

*Rayon print in Buttonballs Somber

You can’t go wrong with the available rayon print in this collection! This substrate has a soft hand and a delicate drape, perfect for dresses, blouses, and more. 

Add to your patchwork projects by combining Twenty with these matching AGF Elements:

Decostitch Elements in Red Desert, Skyline Blue, and Peach Whisper.

Floral Elements in Russet Orange and Stormy Sea.

Pure Solids in Blossomed, Crystalline, and Terracotta Tile.

Show off the large variety of colors and textures with our free quilt pattern called “Momentum”, filled with tons of quilting fun like the “No Waste Flying Geese” method and the “Magic 8” technique!

DOWNLOAD PATTERN

Check out all the fun we and other talented makers had when creating projects for the “Twenty Fabric Lookbook” that’s filled with tons of patchwork, quilts, home decor, and even apparel with the available rayon print! 

While you’re here, check out our Let’s Talk Fabric video! 

• See Twenty fabrics in action

• Discover unique projects

• Watch exclusive behind the scenes

• Take a closer look at prints & scale

Stay on the lookout for the giveaway hosted on our Instagram page, it’ll be a fast one! Make sure you follow us and turn on the notifications so you can get the chance to win a fat quarter bundle of these prints. Plus, you might want to stick around, we will be showing tons of projects and fabric inspiration through the week with Twenty fabrics! We’d love to see what you make too, so make sure to tag us on social media and use the hashtag #AGFTwenty. Until next time...

Happy sewing! 

  -Jannelle

Hi, Quilters!

My name is Jennifer Tryon from HomeMade, and I’m so happy to be a guest blogger here on Art Gallery Fabrics’ blog!

To introduce myself a bit more, I am the creator behind Homemade! At HomeMade, we are all about creating, learning, and having fun! This is why we have partnered with some of the best brands in the crafting industry to bring you one of kind virtual weekend crafting events.

If you haven’t seen the news on social media, we at HomeMade have partnered up with Art Gallery Fabrics to bring you an amazing quilting retreat that you won’t find anywhere else!

This retreat is our 2021 Virtual Quilting Retreat!

VIRTUAL QUILTING RETREAT:

The Virtual Quilting Retreat is a 6-week quilting event where I will teach you how to make a quilt from start to finish! During the 6 weeks, you will get access to 5 video classes where I will take you through each stage of the quilting process. ​Plus, when you sign up for the Virtual Quilting Retreat, we will send you a box with EVERYTHING that you need to quilt along with us!

Now, I know you may be asking, ‘’Hey Jen, what do you mean by EVERYTHING’’?

When I say EVERYTHING, I mean you will get the following in your box: All piecing fabric, Backing Fabric, Batting, Binding, Thread, Basting Spray, and a few other goodies!

The only things you will need to provide are a sewing machine and some basic sewing supplies (pins, scissors, rotary cutter, cutting mat, etc.) to complete the quilt.

FABRIC:

The best part about any quilt along is the fabric and Art Gallery Fabrics as has provided 3 AMAZING quilt colorway options! Meaning, you get to choose what color quilt you want to make during this event.

The colorway options Art Gallery Fabrics has provided are Holiday, Scrappy, and Classic. Below is a quick breakdown of each colorway and all of the gorgeous fabrics you receive in that kit!

Holiday: The Holiday Quilt is made up of both warm solids and prints from the brand new Cozy & Magical collection! The quilt top is against a soft lightly patterned background, with a festive quilting cotton backing and neutral binding both in cotton.

Scrappy: The Scrappy Quilt comes in a variety of bright vibrant colors against a bright white background, with a cotton backing and binding that will provide a pop of color!

Classic: The Classic Quilt features prints that have a beautiful teal blue background, complemented by vibrant patterns from Art Gallery Fabric's Sunburst collection in shades of lighter blues, pinks, and oranges, with a fresh and playful cotton backing and binding of different patterns!

BEGINNING QUILTERS:

One of the questions we have been asked the most since announcing this event is the following: Is this event good for beginners?

Our answer is YES!

If you are a beginning quilter this event is perfect because we have taken all of the guesswork out of the quilting process and gathered up all the supplies. Plus, besides having access to our video classes, we will also be having LIVE Q&A sessions with Amanda Brown from Janome! This means you can ask all of your questions that either have to do with the quilt we are making or just sewing in general.

SIGN UP TODAY:

If you are ready to break out your sewing machine to make this fun quilt, then click here to register for our 2021 Virtual Quilting Retreat! Also, use the code HOMEMADE30 at checkout to get $30 dollars off your box plus FREE shipping!

I can’t wait to see you during our event (which starts November 1st), and thanks again to Art Gallery Fabrics for allowing me to be a guest on their blog!

Happy Quilting,

Jen

Hi, Makers! 

Spooky season is here! One of my favorite holidays is Halloween because we get to do so many fun projects here at the studio. This time around the marketing team and I were thinking about all the projects we can create this season so we started looking for inspiration at things we’ve done in the past! 

That’s when we came across a super sweet quilt block I sewed for Instagram! Where I pieced some strips of Halloween-inspired colors from our Pure Solids range, applied Decostitch Elements in “Stellar” on top, and reverse appliqued to reveal the fabric strips underneath! If you’d like to learn how to reverse applique, click here and watch our Reels video that I filmed to show you a quick tutorial on how to create it! You can also click here to download the bat stencil. 

We received such great feedback from that post, I knew this was the block I had to dig out of my cubby to see what we can do with it. 

 *Pure Solids featured in Honey, Dried Carrot, Vanilla Custard, and Crystal Pink.

Trying to think of ways to recycle this block while still being an easy project, we thought a trick-or-treat tote would be perfect! This way you have the opportunity to recycle some past projects or UFO quilt blocks to give them a new life. This brings us to today’s post, where I show how to create a tote bag using a previous block! 

What I love about this tutorial is that you can easily adjust the size of the tote according to the size of your block and you also have the chance to use 2 blocks that are the same size in one bag (front and back)! 

Let’s get started!

Take a 12'' square of your choice of fabric for the back of your tote (our block measured 12'') or the same size as your existing quilt block, and quilt it.  

Place the back of the tote and the front right sides facing together and sew all three sides, leaving the top unsewn. Pin in place.

Take two (1) 12’’ fabric squares of the desired color for the lining and sew the three sides leaving the top part unsewn. Make sure to leave about 3’’ of opening on one side in order to turn your tote inside out. 

Insert the lining fabric inside the exterior fabric with right sides together. Line up side seams.

Create your handles first. Then, insert one of the bag handles between the exterior fabric and lining fabric about 3” from the side seams (like a sandwich). Be sure your handles are straight and do not twist.

The raw edges of the bag handles should be placed side by side, approximately 5” apart. 

Pin in place and repeat on the opposite side of the bag.

Using a 1/4” seam allowance, stitch around the top edge of your bag.

Turn your bag right side out and carefully press the top seam.

Push the lining fabric into the bag and press the top edge.

Topstitch around the entire top of the bag using a 1/8” seam.

And ta-da!! You have yourself a cute trick or treat bag for Halloween!!

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial! It was a fun one for me to create and I can’t wait to give it to my niece so she can use it this Halloween. I definitely want to use the tutorial again for some of the blocks I have laying around that I can transform into an everyday tote for my groceries! You can even get fancy with it and make the tote bigger by adding borders, have fun changing up the hand straps- there are so many ways you can personalize this project. Please let me know in the comments below if you have any questions or tips you’d like to share! 

As always, please share your totes if you recycle one of your old blocks on social media by tagging us in your photo with the hashtag #artgalleryfabrics! 

Until next time, happy sewing!

-Jannelle 

Just when you thought it was over…

#AGFNationalSewingMonth is back with a final hurrah! For those of you who missed it, here’s a quick recap! Over the month of September, we celebrated National Sewing Month with a special event called Makers’ Call. This event would take you along the designing process until the very end where you get to download the winning free pattern! 

It was a thrill watching everyone be a part of this event, from choosing your favorite block to the final project. After counting over a thousand votes, the winning project was the TABLE RUNNER and we named it “Midnight Flowers”. We posted all about it in our last blog post where you can find all the fabrics used and the free pattern link! 

We received such great feedback after releasing this pattern but behind the scenes, we actually never told you how close of a race this was. The runner-up project was the Lunch Bag and we couldn’t believe it had lost by only 50 VOTES! After so many comments asking for the lunch bag and knowing it was such a close call, we knew we just had to bring it back as a BONUS! 

Introducing… Our “Midnight Flowers” Lunch Bag Pattern! 

DOWNLOAD NOW

The fun never stops!  Now you can download this pattern too and recreate your own version. Thank you all for being a part of this event and we are already planning something for the next one!  Make sure you tell all your quilty friends, especially if they were rooting for the lunch bag about this exciting news! If you make this pattern please share it with us by posting under the hashtag #artgalleryfabrics, we would love to see it!

Until next time, happy sewing! 

-Jannelle

Hello, fabric lovers! 

I would like to start the day with one of my favorite sayings, “It doesn’t matter how many times you fall, what matters is how many times you get up!” We are all humans, going through this roller coaster we call life, and our goal is to try to make the most out of it. Today celebrates exactly that with Jessica Swift’s latest collection, Onward + Upward! One of my favorite things about Jessica as a designer is that her collections are so personal, relatable, and enlightening. 

Onward + Upward embraces the powerful experience of self-discovery and the beautiful nature of life. She illustrates her journey through loss and grief and the rise through it all with bold colors, folkloric designs, and magical creatures.

This collection is available in 12 quilting cotton prints, and just by looking at them will bring a smile to your face! It’s filled with cheerful colors and symbolic animals. In fact, in a special interview with Jessica, she expressed that many of the images in this collection are symbols– either universal or personal – of rebirth and rising up. Such as the phoenix that’s present in the print “Rise Up,” the pegasus in the print “Magical Moment,” and other symbols like the stars and the sun that represent Jessica as the universe and its magic. 

*Knit print in Dream the Best Haze

*Rayon print in Rise Up Scarlet

I love the prints chosen for the substrates because they are both versatile in their own ways! The knit print is playful and bright, making it perfect for kids’ clothing like shirts, leggings, and onesies, & the rayon’s BOLD print is meant to be a statement piece like a flowy dress or scarf. The possibilities are endless! 

Add to your patchwork projects by combining the Onward + Upward with these matching AGF Elements:

Nature Elements: Ocean Breeze

Oval Elements: Pomelo and Deep Bayou

PURE Solids: Cozumel Blue, Fresh Water, Coral Reef, Grapefruit, Flamingo, Georgia Peach, Dragon fruit, and Evergreen. 

Squared Elements: Teal

DOWNLOAD PATTERN

Let me formally introduce to you one of the most stunning quilts of all time, “Thankful”! Filled with the cheerful colors of this collection, this quilt is a true labor of love as it’s gonna cost you a few rotary blades and patience, but I can tell you seeing this beauty in person-IT’S WORTH IT. Download it today and put it on your sewing to-do list, you’ll thank me later! 

On every page of our Onward + Upward Fabric Lookbook below, you’ll discover crafty projects made with the 12 cotton prints, and sweet accessories & apparel with the available knit and rayon print. 

What better way to uplift your spirit than a GIVEAWAY! Just CLICK HERE, fill out the form for a chance to win a fat quarter bundle of the cotton prints of Jessica Swift's Onward + Upward fabric collection! The giveaway ends on October, 8, and the winner will be emailed and announced right here on the blog. 

*Please reply within 7 days to claim your prize (check your email on October 15th!) 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! 

THE WINNER IS ELAINE CAHOON! PLEASE CHECK YOUR EMAIL TO REDEEM YOUR PRIZE!

As someone that uses a lot of crafts to help me through the hard times of my life, I would love to hear any of your stories that sewing and quilting have helped you! No matter what you are going through, you can always rely on this community for support and in the end, have the satisfaction of creating something beautiful. If you get your hands on this collection and you want to share your projects with us, please tag us on social media using the hashtag #AGFOnwardandUpward, we’d love to see what you’re making! Until next time...

Happy sewing! 

  -Jannelle