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:
Enter a chance to win these 12 prints by signing up to our giveaway!
Congratulations Sarah Jasinki! Please check your email. :)
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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:
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.
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It’s that time of the year again where we get to share with you a PREVIEW of our NEW AGF COLLECTIONS for Fall/Winter 2019!
With this round of collections, there's definitely a lot of amazing storytelling involved in each line. You'll get to see a glimpse of what's new from designers like Maureen Cracknell, Jessica Swift, Sharon Holland, Mister Domestic, Katarina Roccella and AGF Studio. With these collections, you'll also discover lots of different places around the world..like the ocean, an African grassland, an English countryside, the midwest prairie, and an enchanted forest!
For production this time around, we decided to switch things up and film all of our collections in ONE VIDEO for you to see. Don’t worry, we’ll also be posting each collection preview this week on social media as well.
We hope you love this video and enjoy what we've been secretly working on the past few months, make sure to comment below and tell us what's your favorite upcoming collection too!
Being from Florida, I'm extra excited to announce our latest collection to you all that highlights a city here in the sunshine state. One of our newest designers, Katie Skoog is making her debut with her line of fabrics, "West Palm."
Now if you're not from Florida or are familiar with the places here, West Palm Beach is about an hour or so northeast of Miami. It's a very resort-filled tropical destination that offers breath-taking hotels, five-star restaurants, shopping, theaters, historical sites, and of course beaches that are filled with unique, protected wildlife. My personal favorite place in West Palm is "Antique Row" that offers more than 50 antique and specialty shops all along one street, it's a vintage lovers dream for sure!
Although our designer Katie lives in chilly North Dakota, she finds much of her inspiration with tropical places, and therefore decided that her first line of fabrics should represent just that! In West Palm, you'll discover coastal-inspired prints like garden coral, monstera leaves, poolside mosaics, and flamingos. Coming from a background in pattern design and quilting, she used her experience to create designs that would speak to both worlds, offering a ton of versatility with all 16 cotton prints. This collection is definitely bright, cheery and filled with so many seashore-infused motifs that make it perfect for beachy quilts, home decor, garments, and accessories. I definitely would love to make a beach quilt featuring "Palmrise Aruba Tropic" and "Playful Seaweed Dayglow."
For more details on these fabrics and what to sew with them, check out our "West Palm Fabric Lookbook" that we put together for you.
Here's our "Seaside Quilt" for you to enjoy and sew up, just click the below link for the FREE pattern:
Enter a chance to win this tropical-filled fabric bundle by signing up to our giveaway:
Congratulations Rhonda Runge! You're our winner! 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!
An award-winning quilter, author of a quilt book and a craft book...just a few things that make her extra special...and now she's our newest AGF Sewcialite! Please give a warm welcome to the talented, Carolina Moore!
Born in Holland and currently living in sunny San Diego, California with her husband, two sons, a dog and a cat, Carolina's been quilting for 25 years! Using her expertise and amazing precision with each make, we first noticed her back in 2012, when she became part of an AGF sewing challenge. After falling in love with her quilty passion and work, we began collaborating with Carolina on several projects for our Quilt Market booths and lookbooks. Describing her design style as "fun, bold, modern," she's obsessed with English Paper Piecing, as well as long arm quilting, and chocolate. :) We're so excited to have her as part of our AGF family and can't wait for the upcoming projects she has planned this year.
To get to know Carolina a little better, here's a fun little interview we did with her!
Congratulations on becoming an AGF Sewcialite! Can you tell us a little bit about your background, and how you eventually got to where you are today?
Thanks so much! I am crazy excited to be an AGF Sewcialite! Getting to play with gorgeous AGF fabrics every day means I’m totally living my best life! The short version of my story is that my mom grew up sewing garments. She loved sewing. When we moved here to the US, she took a quilting class and caught the quilting bug as well. She taught me to sew, and sent me to a kids’ quilting camp where I fell in love with quilting as well! I also did some garment sewing, and my mom and I made my prom dress together. After having my first son, I actually spent a couple years working in a quilt shop. It was there that I was introduced to AGF. After participating in an AGF challenge, I had the opportunity to make some projects for some award-winning Art Gallery Fabrics booths at Quilt Market, and then I started attending Houston Quilt Market and teaching classes! I love making, and try to do something creative every day.
What was the very first thing you sewed?
With a mom who did a lot of sewing, I have been sewing as long as I can remember! The first thing that I remember sewing was dresses for my dolls from my mom’s fabric scraps. I was still a beginner, so my dolls had a lot of strapless gowns since it only required a single seam.
What are some of your favorite projects to create? Favorite technique?
I love quilts. And pillows. And bags. I love small projects and simple projects because life gets so busy that if it isn’t small or simple, it gets tossed into the WIP pile, never to be seen again! Though every now and then I love taking on a really ambitious project! My favorite techniques are English Paper Piecing (my book “Learn how to English Paper Piece” just came out with Nancy’s Notions last month), and I love Free Motion Quilting.
If you were a sewing notion, what would you be and why?
What a fun question! I really struggled with this one, though! Am I the thread that keeps things together? Am I a needle because I’m always sharp? What about a seam ripper that always has your back during the tough times? After giving it a lot of thought, I think I’m probably batting. I’m always in the middle of stuff, I’m all about keeping things warm, and I am a little fluffy … though I’m trying to make healthier choices so that I can be more “low loft!”
If you had to describe your describe aesthetic in 3 words, they would be?
Fun, bold, modern.
What are some of your favorite things to do in California!?
I grew up in California’s High Desert, went to college and got married up in the San Francisco Bay Area, and now live in San Diego…so there is SO MUCH that I love to do in California! My favorite might be a new tradition that we started with my kids. Each summer, we plan a road trip from San Diego up to the Bay Area to visit family. Last year, we went to the LaBrea Tar Pits in LA, and then up to the Sequoias. The year before, we spent the night in Solvang (a cute little tourist town with a Danish look) and then up to Hearst Castle. I love teaching my kids how to plan a trip, and then we all get to enjoy the trip together!
And here in San Diego, I love the beach. We live about 20 minutes away, and when one of us is having a rough day, I like to get everyone into the car and head to the ocean. Watching the sunset over the water seems to make everything just a little bit better.
Where do you often find your inspiration?
I find that inspiration can come from anywhere! Sometimes, I’m inspired by wanting to make something for a friend. Or needing something like a purse or an apron. And there are those special times when the fabric just speaks to me and tells me what it wants me to turn it into. Those are the best.
Your favorite movie of all time is?
HA! This is a funny question because I grew up in a house without a lot of television. We had a TV, but just “rabbit ears” - no cable. And my mom really didn’t want us spending our time in front of the TV. So, I spent a lot of time reading and making. Because of that, I don’t know that I have a *favorite* movie. Movies I really enjoy are “Big Fish,” “The Count of Monte Cristo,” and “Shawshank Redemption.” As for books, I love listening to audiobooks while sewing. My favorite fiction books are the Harry Potter series and the Hunger Games series, and my favorite non-fiction is probably “Big Magic” and “The year of Yes.”
What’s on your “sewing to-do list” for this year?!
Oh my! I have so much on my sewing to-do list this year! I want to make pincushions and have already started with some. I have a couple of bags that I really want to make this year. I’m finally getting some new furniture for the living room, so I plan to make some new cushions. And I want to work on projects where I can teach beginners. I really, really love new quilters and treasure each opportunity to teach a new person how to quilt.
That’s what I have planned so far - I’m sure other projects will sneak their way in! Sometimes the inspiration just strikes and I have to put aside everything else just to create!
This year, we're planning BIG things here at AGF and super excited to share all of them with you, these next couple months! With that, I'd like to announce that our AGF family is getting a little bigger and I'd like to introduce you to our newest designer - Alexandra Bordallo! Currently residing with her husband and young son in Spain, Alexandra's whimsical style caught our eye, and we just knew she had to be part of our talented team.
Here's a little interview I did with her, so you can get to know her a little better and hear about her background!
1. Can you describe your creative path and what brings you to where you are today?
As a kid, I enjoyed making woven bracelets with my friends and I took painting and piano classes. When I was age 15, I bought my first sewing machine. I’m always trying to challenge myself to learn new sewing and quilting skills. I also have a knitting, crochet and embroidery obsession which also are my favorite fall and winter activities.
Being a mom has changed my perspective in every way. When my son was born, I wanted to spend all my time with him. I was working part time as a social worker and selling my sewing creations on my Etsy shop. I built my sewing brand and was sharing my creations on my Instagram account, just for fun. My love for sewing and fabrics are the reason why I started to learn how to draw and design repeating patterns. In September 2015, I took my first surface design course. I've been learning so much by following Bonnie Christine’s Skillshare classes! She’s an amazing teacher and her advice encouraged me to follow my dream. I started drawing and designing repeat patterns all the time.
I focused all my energies into only one industry and started calling myself a fabric designer. I keep learning and practicing. I often work late nights just to finish a repeating pattern or draw some new sketches for future designs. After five years of hard work with a few ups and downs, my dream finally came true and I can't wait to sew with my own fabrics soon.
2. Describe your design style.
It’s a tough question. I think my work is constantly evolving and I like to experiment with new drawing techniques and materials. My style often includes hand drawn inky lines, naïve motifs, quirky sketches inspired by nature and everyday objects.
3. How do you find inspiration and organize it?
Inspiration comes from people around us, feelings and experiences. I love being outside in nature with my family, reading books with my son, listening to music and taking photos as future inspiration. I start with an idea or object to draw as reference. When I do not know what to draw, I often draw flowers and from there everything begins to flow again. All my designs start with hand drawing in my sketchbook. When I have a bunch of sketches I am happy with, I scan them and start coloring in Adobe Illustrator, building the repeating pattern. I can spend hours recoloring a design. Color is everything!
4. When you're about to sit down and begin designing, do you have a certain ritual you have to do in order to begin your creative process?
I need to wear comfortable clothes, a pair of leggings and a big t-shirt. I have some nail polish on my desk and I often find myself painting my nails when I feel overwhelmed. Recently, I decided to draw directly with ink pen into my sketchbook to avoid my stupid perfectionism voice and just draw without thinking too much.
5. My spirit animal is....
A dragonfly!
6. Five things you can't live without....
My son, water, music, my sewing machine, and....my son :)
7. Do you have any goals lined up for 2019?
Last summer, I released my first sewing pattern, the #2in1summerbag and I’m writing new patterns to release with my first fabric collection. I also would love to learn how to sew garments for myself!
Please make sure to give Alexandra a warm welcome and stay tuned for more to come!
A Debut Collection by Alexandra Bordallo: Dew + Moss