Art Gallery Fabrics - The Creative Blog

Hello, my fellow fabric lovers!

It’s Shannon, from Shannon Fraser Designs, popping in again to share some creative inspiration with you. 😊

In case you missed my post last week, you can read my Introduction post here.

Where does your quilty inspiration come from?

Is it the fabric? A specific color? An idea that came to you while you were driving? Or maybe even a pattern you’ve seen that you just had to make?

All of these fit the bill for why I create, and I could enumerate a bunch more. It’s amazing the plethora of sources for creative inspiration.

I’m always curious to know what sparked a fellow maker to come up with a new design idea, so I thought I’d share with you a little about my creative inspiration.

Today’s project all stemmed from having the opportunity to work with my quilty friend’s range of oval drunkard’s path templates. I do love a good curve design and I was particularly curious to explore the design options featuring these unique rulers designed by the talented Jenny Hayes of Papper Sax Sten.

I got the templates back in the summer and spent a few days during my summer vacation playing around with different ideas. I got about 14 designs in and then changed tracks.

If you follow me on Instagram, then you know I have a soft spot for improv quilting. I call them my ‘freedom sessions’ and they satisfy a creative need like no other technique has.

Normally I approach improv quilting on the mat – without any idea of where the design will end up. It’s a piecing adventure that always leads to a fun result – whether I love the end product or not. That’s not the point, the point is to not question myself, just trust that what I need to create is being created in that moment. It’s seriously awesome! If you’ve never tried improv, I highly recommend giving it a go.

But this was my first time using that technique on the computer. What surprised me was that I got that same feeling from letting loose at the computer as I do at the mat, just quicker!

And it left me fired up to bring her to life.

You know that feeling.

It’s like a light goes off inside of you where every fiber of your being is yearning to bring the idea to life. It’s the one that gets you out of bed early (on a weekend, no less) and raring to get slicing and stitching!

And that fired up feeling is exactly what I’m seeking in my makes. I don’t want to just make to make (although there is merit in that), but I’m always seeking that “must make this” feeling. It’s the best feeling that calls to you no matter what you’re doing, beckoning you to dive in and start quilting.

That’s what this design did for me – even though my hubz didn’t get the design.

Which brings me to another key point, quilting is not about what others need, want, see, understand – it’s about YOU! Unless of course, the quilt is for that person 😉 Otherwise, it doesn’t matter what others think. All that matters is that you have a vision, an idea, a need to make. That’s what matters most.

At the very moment that I was on the hunt for the perfect colors to match my digital mock-up, the AGF team and I connected about collaborating featuring their PURE Solids. I’d worked with them before in my Modern Heart baby quilt and I knew how fabulous these solids were. So, I jumped at the chance to stitch with them again. After perusing their solids collection, I found my ideal matches:

*PURE Solids in Burnt Orange, Quartz Pink, Weathered Pink, Mauvelous, and Peach Sherbet.

I do have a soft spot for coral (so much so, it even sneaks its way into my wardrobe!) and have found it to be such a versatile color. Nowadays, I actually consider it as part of my neutral repertoire. I’ve yet to find a color it doesn’t pair nicely with. Here I focused on pairing coral with a soft peach and deep burnt orange, a touch of mauve and then this dramatic burgundy that I feel makes the design.

To really up the quilty texture, I opted to hand quilt her using a combination of 12wt Aurifil Thread and pearl cotton thread in size 8. I love the chunkiness of those threads. They stand out and have the most amazing hand feel when you run your hand over your quilt. I especially love the juxtaposition with the silky softness of the PURE Solids. It’s seriously heavenly! If you haven’t tried this combo, I highly recommend giving it a go.

I hope this curvy abstract and the story of how she came to inspire you to look beyond your current quilting practice and seek out fun new quilty adventures – you never know where they may take you 😉

I’ll be popping in again next week to share another take on the Cloud Surfing quilt design and will also be releasing the pattern so you too can make your very own!

Happy quilting!

xo

Shannon

Hello, my fellow fabric lovers! I’m super thrilled to be guest posting here today. In fact, I’ll be guest posting over the next several weeks with some fun projects, inspiration, and tips to share with you.

But first, let’s get to know one another a little 😊

Hi! I’m Shannon. I’m the modern quilt pattern designer and maker behind Shannon Fraser Designs. I’m based out of Montreal, Canada and you can usually find me stitching away in my home studio with my hair in a top knot, sipping copious amounts of coffee all while hanging out with my loyal sewing companion – Pips – my cat!

We’ve already established we’re mutual fabric enthusiasts 😉 And that’s exactly where my journey with sewing and quilting started.

I loved fabric, I just needed to figure out what to do with it – ha!

So, I got to sewing. Teaching myself one project at a time. Diving in and just figuring it out as I went along. I eventually started selling my handmade aprons, bags, and cushions. That is until I stumbled upon a YouTube video on how to make half-square triangles, or HSTs, as I’ve fondly come to know them as. Yes, lots of acronyms to get familiar with when first exploring the quilting world. But, oh what a wonderful world it is.

One HST block leads to another, and before I knew it, I was well on my way to creating my first quilt top.

This was back in 2015 and I haven’t looked back! To say I’m hooked would be an understatement. I just felt like I found my creative home.

There is so much to explore and learn that it can be a little overwhelming.

Been there before too, huh?!

Yeah, this journey of sewing and quilting has been a series of highs and lows as I continue my exploration and try new things.

This is why I started designing my own quilt patterns to share unique designs that are explained in a way to make them beginner-friendly.

When I started, I knew nothing about fabric companies or fabric designers. And what a world it is to explore!

It can be a little intimidating to get to know the different brands and stay on top of all the different fabric collections available for us to play with.

But that’s the beauty – there is so much textile goodness for us to explore that we’ll never be out of creative inspiration!

Playtime Quilt

You probably already know this, but not all quilting cotton are created equal. As I tried new fabrics out, I realized that while they’re all listed as 100% cotton they all feel a little different. And I absolutely adore the feel of Art Gallery Fabrics. They’re so silky soft. I remember getting my Playground fabrics from Amy Sinibaldi for the Playground Blog Hop and I was amazed at how soft they felt. I kept petting the stack! Ha! You know you do it too 😉

This is taking me back to the first blog hop I ever participated in and can I just say how nervous I was!

I felt honored that Amy trusted me with her fabrics enough to design the Playtime Quilt.

Everything Amy designs steal my heart, but I have a soft spot for this collection as it had me reminiscing about my childhood and taking a trip down memory lane – love when that happens! You can read more about that project here. 

I couldn’t get enough of the Playground collection and used the scraps to create the Spring Lilacs quilt. Proof that fabric scraps are worth holding onto!

Spring Lilacs Quilt

After that first introduction to AGF, I was hooked. Hooked on the feel of the fabric – ‘cause, let’s face it, we’re in this for the tactile feel as much as for the final quilt, right?! And there’s something about the silkiness of the cotton that I can’t get enough of.

Which is why I was so in when Amy asked me to play with her Sonata fabric collection. This time I went for a modern table runner using the Modern Aztec pattern. Super cute and practical – love those kinds of projects! Don’t you?

Sonata Modern Aztec Table Runner

My second ever blog hop happened to be for the one and only Pat Bravo! I have a true love for Scandinavian style and her Heartland collection has all those yummy Scandi vibes. There was a shipping mishap with my fabric bundle landing in an entirely different country! Since my original design idea wasn’t possible under the new tight timeline, the Winter Star quilt was born! As much as I love that baby quilt, I was disappointed not to get to make a full-size quilt. So, when the original fabric shipment showed up unannounced, I decided to make the Plus Infinity quilt for my husband. Lucky him, as he just adores owls and was completely smitten with the collection.

Heartland Winter Star Baby Quilt

Heartland Plus Infinity Quilt

Here’s where it gets fun, though.

Art Gallery Fabrics offers lots of versatility in their collections and I can go from soft, girly and whimsical to bold, graphic and colorful in a nanosecond! My Flight Plan quilt is a great example of that! I used their Geometrical Bundle-Up which instantly appealed to my love of saturated color and bold geometrical shapes.

Geometrical Flight Plan Quilt

I love bold color, but I remember thinking “is this too much?”. Which was quickly followed by “Nah, go bold or go home, Shannon!”. Ha!

That motto is showcased in my House of Cards quilt which features the trimmings leftover from my Flight Plan quilt. I love using those little extra bits to let loose and just play. It gives me a chance to jump between more structured quilt projects (i.e. using a pattern) and what I call my ‘freedom sessions’ of improv quilting just using scraps. It’s two completely different quilt journeys and each appeals to different sides of my creativity.

House of Cards Modern Improv Quilt

There’s nothing demure or delicate about this one, but it’s an instant shot of happiness when I look at her.

So, that’s me – a textile lover who stumbled upon quilting, can’t get enough of bold colors and graphic designs and is known to stop by their fabric cabinet to just pet her stash and get some quilty inspiration.

I’ve been working on a fun project behind the scenes that I’ll finally get to share with you next week!

In the meantime, you can catch some sneak peeks over on Instagram @shannonfraserdesigns. 

xo

Shannon

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!

Hi Makers - 

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!

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!