Art Gallery Fabrics - The Creative Blog

Hello makers and fabric lovers!

With a new season upon us, what better way to honor the bright colors of spring with new shades of a couple of our most popular blenders: Floral and Decostitch Elements! These six new colors of each are perfect to add to your stash of AGF blenders since they make up a few missing shades between some, and they work well with others. 

If you’re unsure what blenders are and how to use them, check out this previous blog post that gives you great ideas on how to use these non-directional fabrics. 

Introducing our new Floral Elements in Sweet Peach, Victorian Brick, Antique Rose, Chalk, Washed Denim, and Storm Winds.

Introducing our new Decostitch Elements in Topiary, Airy, Timber Wolf, Desert Rose, Abyss, and Rosebud. 

In addition to our new prints, we have also revamped a few of our patterns using the new colors. First up, we have our checkered bucket hat using a variety of different Florals and Decostitch to create this soft statement piece that is perfect to add to your wardrobe. For this hat we used our Florals in Washed Denim, Storm Winds, Antique Rose, Sweet Peach, Victorian Brick, and Chalk, and our Decostitch in Abyss, Timber Wolf, Airy, Rosebud, and Desert Rose. 

To view the video tutorial for this hat, click here. 

We also have a PDF version of this hat pattern that we created with flannel if you would like to download that as well. You can find that here. 

For strip set 1, we used Floral Victorian Brick for fabric A, Decostitch Rosebud for fabric B, Floral Antique Rose for fabric C, Floral Sweet Peach for Fabric D, and Decostitch Timber Wolf for fabric E. For strip set 2, we used Floral Storm Winds for fabric F, Floral Chalk for fabric G, Floral Washed Denim for fabric H, Decostitch Airy for fabric I, and Decostitch Abyss for fabric J. We used Decostitch Desert Rose for fabric K, which is the lining. 

Next up I have another statement piece for your wardrobe, this Artsy Tote that we made using a combination of new and timeless Decostitch colors in Cloud, Caffe Latte, Blue Minerale, Indigo Sky, Skyline Blue, Granite, Timber Wolf, and Abyss, in addition to our linen blend in Soft Sand. This tote has a combination of rectangles, squares, and half and quarter circles to form a trendy catch-all that can be taken anywhere you go; the beach, farmers market, the coffee shop…anywhere! 

To view the PDF pattern for this tote, click here. 

Last up are two new combinations of our Florals to make our favored Alegria computer cover. The first one includes Antique Rose, Sweet Peach, and Victorian Brick and the second one includes Washed Denim, Storm Winds, and Chalk. We used high loft batting to make this computer case perfect to protect what’s inside while also adding velcro to keep the flap closed. 

To view the PDF pattern for this laptop cover, click here. 

The excitement to sew with these fabrics was growing and I was so happy when I finally got to cut into these beauties. With spring upon us and summer coming quickly, I know that I will get a ton of use out of the bucket hat and tote bag, and I can’t wait to show these projects off to friends and family. 

I want to see what you make with our new Florals and Decostitch! Share your photos on social media and use the #ArtGalleryFabrics so I can share the love! 

Happy sewing everyone! 

Hello makers!

For those of you that have been following along with our Patchwork Stories, we have arrived at another week of inspirational handmade projects, and this week is centered around decor and different ways you can incorporate patchwork into your home. We’ve seen some different ways to spice up our wardrobe and accessories, as well as some comfy elements to snuggle with like pillows and of course quilts, but what about the one place that is all about togetherness and bringing families together: the dining table. 

Featuring coasters, placemats, and a table runner, this dining setup is the perfect inspiration for the coming spring and summer seasons. Paired with a variety of prints from multiple different fabric collections, our Pure Solids make a fabulous appearance coupled with matching shades and contrasting combinations. 

These super cute coasters consist of four squares with one snowballed corner, diagonal quilting, and simple binding to keep your surfaces free from water rings and let’s face it, make your drink glasses look pretty. You can find the instructions on how to make these coasters here: Reverie-Coasters_Instructions-1.pdf (liveartgalleryfabrics.com) 

For these coasters we used these fabrics:

• ‘Berry Picking’ from “Lilliput” by Sharon Holland
• ‘Sunbleached Leaves’ and ‘Flying Seeds’ from “Soften the Volume”
• ‘Hillside Gust’ from “Velvet” by Amy Sinibaldi
• ‘Cherished Gatherings Glint’ from “Open Heart” by Maureen Cracknell
• Pure Solids in ‘Mauvelous,’ ‘Miami Sunset,’ ‘Ocean Fog,’ and ‘Fresh Sage’ 

While they don’t entirely have snowballed corners, these placemats combine strip piecing and diagonal seams to create a lovely contrast between the lighter and darker fabrics while letting the floral print shine through. You can find the instructions on how to make these placemats here: Musing-Placemats_Instructions-1.pdf (liveartgalleryfabrics.com) 

For these placemats we used these fabrics:

• ‘Jasmine Soulful’ from “Velvet” by Amy Sinibaldi
• ‘Flying Seeds’ from “Soften the Volume”
• Pure Solids in ‘Ocean Fog,’ Fresh Sage,’ and ‘Patina Green’

This table runner consists of mainly flying geese using the no-waste flying geese method. By pairing like colors together, each flying goose has an effortless combination while also contrasting beautifully with the flying geese around it. You can find the instructions on how to make this table runner here: woolgathering-table-runner_Instructions-1.pdf (liveartgalleryfabrics.com) 

For this table runner we used these fabrics:

• ‘Berry Picking’ and ‘Ode to Toady’ from “Lilliput” by Sharon Holland
• ‘Flying Seeds,’ ‘Natural Bouquet,’ and ‘Sashiko Mending’ from “Soften the Volume
• ‘Cherished Gatherings Glint’ from “Open Heart” by Maureen Cracknell
• ‘Hillside Gust’ from “Velvet” by Amy Sinibaldi
• ‘Rambling Rose Briar’ from “Spirited” by Sharon Holland
• ‘Teeny Weeny Cinnamon’ from “Little Clementine” by AGF Studio
• Pure Solids in ‘Mauvelous,’ ‘Blossomed,’ ‘Miami Sunset,’ ‘Ocean Fog,’ Patina Green,’ and ‘Blushing’

I recently just moved into my own little studio apartment (yay!) and I needed some ideas for home decor and these techniques and color palettes are exactly what I am going for. They are bright and colorful and perfect for adding some homey-ness to my humble abode. 

I would love to see your take on these projects, so make sure to tag us in your photos on social media using the hashtag #artgalleryfabrics and #AGFPatchworkStories

Happy sewing everyone!

Karli

Hello makers! 

If you follow our YouTube channel, then you may have recently watched a video on how to make a 9-patch block using the strip piecing technique. If you haven’t seen the video, make sure you go watch it here: 

Easy 9-Patch Block Using Strip Piecing - YouTube 

This video is part one of the project that I will be sharing with you all below: a big fluffy patchwork pillow, which is part of our Patchwork Stories. To read up on our Patchwork Stories and the role it can play in our everyday lives, check out our past blog post here:

AGF Patchwork Stories: 45-Degree Strip Piecing - Art Gallery Fabrics - The Creative Blog (agfblog.com)

This pillow is super easy and simple to make and can use any patchwork you may have such as spare blocks, and it’s fat quarter and half yard friendly. This pillow has a finished size of about 20” x 20”, but the best part is that you can make it whatever size you may want! If you’re interested to see how we made this pillow, make sure to keep reading below. 

Here is what you will need:

• The patchwork block we made in part one
• A 20” x 20” piece of batting
• (2) 20” x 15” pieces of fabric for the pillow backing. I used Ikat Diamond Rustic from ‘Kismet’
• Scissors
• A 20” square pillow form or stuffing

Start with your patchwork block laying flat on your work surface.

Grab a template that is the size of the pillow that you want. I have a piece of foam here that is 20” x 20” but you can use a large square ruler, a piece of cardboard, or anything else square that you have. Position your template at an angle on your block and mark each corner. Your template should fit perfectly so that each corner matches up with a seam. 

You can either trace around your template if the edges are smooth, like a ruler or use a longer ruler to draw a line from mark to mark. 

Take a pair of scissors and cut on your drawn lines. 

Lay your cut block on top of a piece of batting and quilt as you see fit. I personally like my batting a little larger than the piece I’m quilting just in case there is any shifting. In this case, I decided to quilt a line ¼” away from each seam for a little rustic feel. 

Trim away any excess batting and set your pillow front aside. Grab your two backing pieces and fold one long edge on each piece down ½”, then down another ½” and topstitch in place. 

Lay your pillow front right side up. Take your two backing pieces and place one right sides together on top of the pillow front with your folded edge in the middle. Place the other backing piece right sides together with the folded edge also in the middle. The two folded edges will overlap. Stitch around the entire square at 1/4".

Trim your corners, turn right sides out, stuff with your pillow form or stuffing and you have a patchwork pillow!

I had so much fun making this pillow because there wasn’t really any pattern or rhythm to follow, I could just improvise what I thought looked pretty. You can use your leftover scraps for another pillow, or any other project that you feel like making! 

I hope you all enjoyed this tutorial and I would love to see what your patchwork pillows look like, so make sure to tag us on social media using the hashtag #AGFPatchworkStories.

Happy sewing!

Karli

Hi makers!

The holidays are coming to an end once again, so it’s time for cleaning, eating leftovers, and deciding on New Year's resolutions. One of my resolutions for this next year is to try and be more eco-friendly and reduce my carbon footprint as much as I can. I was recently shown these super cute pin cushions that use those scraps that almost always get thrown away due to no usage… selvages. Here at AGF, we have so many colorful Pure Solids with selvages that include the name of the color, so what a great idea it would be to make my very own color card out of pin cushions! Sure, an actual color card takes up less space, but this way is so much fun and a great scrap buster, so what’s not to love? 

For this project we are using the selvages of our Pure Solids in Sweet Fig, Hydrangea, Plum Preserve, Bewitched, and Amethyst.

Let’s get started! 

Cut your selvage pieces 5 inches long by 1 ½ inches wide. Cut your backing piece 5 inches by 5 inches. 

Sew your selvage strips together at a ¼ inch seam allowance. 

Press your seams in one direction. 

Place your selvages and the backing right sides together and sew ¼ inch all the way around leaving an opening to turn

Trim your corners and turn your pin cushion right side out, making sure to poke out the corners. 

Stuff your pin cushion with your choice of stuffing. I used polyester fiber fill, but you could use batting scraps, walnut shells, scraps of fabric, or anything else you have. 

Hand sew the opening closed and your pin cushion is ready to be poked! 

If you want to create the other versions, I listed each color I used for the other cushions below. 

Blue: Tranquil Waters, Parisian Blue, Tile Blue, Night Sea, and Nocturnal

Green: Icy Mint, Tender Green, Jade Cream, Emerald, and Peacock

Yellow: Honeydew, Lemon Tart, Empire Yellow, Turmeric, and Raw Gold

Orange/Red: Georgia Peach, Dried Carrot, Mandarin, Burnt Orange, and London Red

Pink: Candied Cherry, Weathered Brick, Dried Roses, Miami Sunset, and Blossomed

Black/White: Caviar, Magnetism, Steel, Ash, and Snow

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial! It was a fun one for me to recreate and since I love colors, I had to make one from each color of the rainbow. These would also be so cute with selvages from a collection, or selvages from complementary colors. Please let me know in the comments below if you have any questions or tips you’d like to share! 

What else can you sew with your selvages?

As always, please share your pin cushions by tagging us in your photo on social media with the hashtag #artgalleryfabrics! 

Happy Sewing!

-Karli

Ah, I can already smell the cinnamon spice in the air! It’s time to snuggle up in your favorite quilt and grab a hot cup of tea, and enjoy a nice Netflix holiday movie! This is my favorite time of year to sew (who isn’t, right?) to sew several small projects in order to make plenty for myself and my loved ones. I’ve noticed that mug rugs are all over the internet and I can totally see why because it checks all the boxes of what I’m looking forward to sewing! 

If you have never heard of a mug rug before, it’s a quilted mat that combines a coaster and a placemat to hold your drinks and a snack. The perfect 2-in-1 project that I knew I had to make a unique tutorial for all of you to recreate. 

Let’s get started:

I used some nice warm tones for the fall season and used collections like Sharon Holland’s Kismet, our Sparkler Fusion, and Luna & Laurel collection, with a mix of blender fabrics such as our Floral Elements and Pure Solids. 

You will need Fat Eighths for all fabrics.

Four (4) 2’’ squares from fabric A.

Two (2) 2’’ squares from fabric B.

Three (3) 2’’ squares from fabric C.

Three (3) 2’’ squares from fabric D.

Three (3) 2’’ squares from fabric E.

One (1) 7’’ x 8’’ rectangle from fabric F.

One (1) 11 1/2’’ x 8’’ rectangle from fabric F.

One (1) coffee template from fabric G. 

Join fabrics A, B, C, D, and E squares following the diagrams below.

Take one (1) 7’’ x 8’’ rectangle from fabric F and the assembled piece and join them.

Take a batting piece and quilt as desired.

Take the Coffee Template and place it on top of fabric F. Place it about 1’’ from the left side and about 1 ½’’ from the bottom.

Place steam-a-seam on the coffee template and iron it so it sticks on the mug rug.

Topstitch all around to secure it.

To create the smoke on top of the coffee, use the free motion quilting or hand stitch if you prefer.

Take the backing fabric and place it right sides together. 

Sew all four sides leaving about 3’’-4’’ of opening to flip the piece inside out.

Clip your corners, flip your piece inside out, press your piece and close the opening. 

And you are done! Enjoy cutting up some squares, appliqueing, and quilting this sweet project! Let me know if you recreate your own version of this by tagging us on social media using the hashtag #artgalleryfabrics, we would love to see it! Also, in the comments below let me know your go-to holiday movie that you'll be enjoying this mug rug on. 

Until next time, 

Happy sewing! 

-Jannelle 

Hello Makers,

Team flying geese or Half Square Triangles? Both choices can create tons of different quilt designs and sewing projects. Today I am excited to talk about my new series on Youtube, dedicated to the beginner quilter. Learn how to choose fabrics from my Sewing with Color video and once you got your fabrics picked out it's time to learn some basic quilting units. In my next two videos I show you how to create Half Square Triangles (HST) in three different ways and Flying Geese in two different ways. 

I love that in quilting there are multiple ways to create the same thing, you can pick and choose the options that work best with you and your quilting project! Download and print a copy of your HST and Flying cheat sheets from the video and have fun watching my brand new videos below!

Got any tips about creating HST’s or flying geese? Share your knowledge in the comments!

Happy Sewing,

Meli