Art Gallery Fabrics - The Creative Blog

At the age of five, I began learning classical piano. Every week, I'd have a piano lesson with my piano teacher and learned to play songs from all "the greats" like Mozart, Bach, Chopin....but my absolute favorite composer's songs to play was "Ludwig van Beethoven." His songs were moody and felt like they just had soul (no offense to the other talented composers), I just connected to his music the most, and his "Moonlight Sonata" became my favorite song to play on the piano..still is today! One of the main reasons I love it so much is that sonata's usually have three movements that contain different speeds: "Fast, Slow, Fast." However, Beethoven mixes up his song "Moonlight Sonata" by making it go: "Slow, Slow, Fast." He liked to experiment with composing music, and serves as a great reminder for learning traditional methods, revamping them, and then applying your own personal style to them. Very inspiring! :)

Beethoven's work also resonated with our designer, Amy Sinibaldi. Striking a new chord with her latest collection "Sonata," these fabrics were inspired by the classical music of one of the most influential musicians during the 18th century. Composed of romantic prints, these fabrics include symphony instruments, harmonious florals like edelweiss, and ornate windows that overlook the wondrous city of Vienna, these designs definitely take you on a musical journey. With a soft color palette of soft pinks and tranquil blues, this collection is great for fussy cutting to make music-inspired projects like whimsical quilts, home decor, wall art, and garments. 

To see more of Amy's collection and quilty projects we've put together with easy-to-follow instructions for you, check out our "Sonata Fabric Lookbook!"

Here's the "Moonlight Sonata" that's filled with TONS of movement for you to enjoy, just click the below link for the FREE pattern:

Download Quilt Pattern

Here's my top picks for blenders from our AGF Pure Elements that I feel go really well with Sonata's designs and colors: 

Happy Monday, Makers!

Here at AGF, we started a new way to feature  our inspiring makers' work that allows them to also win our fabrics, but THE BEST PART is that we all get to know a little more about you! We encouraged makers to post their sewing projects using our fabrics via their social media using the hashtag #AGFMakerMonday, so we could see how talented you are and the amazing work you all do! Once we decide on the winner for the month, the maker receives a feature here on our AGF Blog AND of course...they win A 20-PIECE FQ BUNDLE of our fabric, based on their personal preference.

With that, I'm excited to introduce our October #AGFMAKERMONDAY FEATURE to you, "Gillian Martin Noonan." She's an incredible quilter based out of Newfoundland, Canada who specializes in English Paper Piecing! Let's get to know Gillian a little a better and hear her sewing story!

Fabric Featured: Charleston and Little Town by Amy Sinibaldi

Fabric Featured: Charleston by Amy Sinibaldi

Fabric Featured: Paperie and Playground by Amy Sinibaldi

Fabric Featured: Les Petits, Playground, Charleston by Amy Sinibaldi

Hi Gillian! Congratulations on being our October's "AGF Maker Monday" feature! Can you please tell us a little bit about your background and how you got into quilting?

Home for me is 'Old Perlican, Newfoundland, Canada' -  a small town on the edge of the North Atlantic. My two sons are the loves of my life. My oldest is a lieutenant in the Canadian Navy while my younger son has just finished four months of backpacking in Europe and North Africa. They both live in Halifax, Nova Scotia so I visit there as often as possible. Actually I have been travelling a lot this year (11 European countries and 5 Canadian provinces) because I retired from teaching elementary school kids, last November.

Stitching has been an integral part of my entire life.  My mother adored sewing. All my clothes were made by her. When I was younger, I could come home from school and ask for something new to wear to a school dance that night, and she would whip it up. My mom made everything from quilts to a sofa! Her stash was huge and I still have a lot of it.  Since she sewed so much, fabric shopping was always on the agenda at family vacation time. We visited bookstores and museums for my father, and fabric shops for my mother. At one store in Montreal, Quebec which we often frequented when I was a little girl, I got hoisted up into an attic like room filled with rolls of fabric, so I could pass down what I liked.

My grandmother also played a very important role in bringing me to sewing.  Nan lived with us. She was a trained seamstress who believed I needed to be able to knit, crochet and do fancy work (embroidery) before I went to school.  I did! I loved spending time with her. Nan’s sisters and her mother were embroiderers and quilters too. So, I was surrounded by passionate women who loved to work with their needles, and now when I stitch, I feel very connected to them and their love.

Quilting is my newest needle art.  About 25 years ago, my best friend wanted to take a quilting class. I was supposed to go with her but stormy weather kept me from driving the two hours to the class.  My mom went with her. They both loved it so it was only natural that I give it a try. I made my first quilt, a sampler using templates and scissors, just before my older son was born. My projects remained small because I preferred hand-sewing to my machine and my mother was happily covering my beds with quilts. Eventually I started to use my machine more, making throw quilts. While quilting has been part of my life for the last 25 years, I have never been without some kind of needlework – it is just who I am.

What inspires your work?

Color and shape inspire me. Always having my camera with me lets me quickly capture images/motifs. I love visiting art galleries and taking closeups of paintings to just focus on the palette used. A French artist who I met on holiday here in Newfoundland inspired me to look at “line” in my world. A Newfoundland painter challenged me to look for the pink in the morning snow. Conversations like these and reading about what motivates artists has motivated me to reflect on what I see around me. Quilting friends both near and far also inspire me with the beauty that they create.

 Describe your design style in 3 words:

Storied, energetic, textured.

How did you get into “EPP?”

About 20 years ago, I needed a sewing project that didn’t require electricity and was compact. At the time, my family had a cabin in a secluded cove on the ocean.  It was totally off the grid; you actually had to take an 80 minute boat ride to get to it. I had seen a "Grandmother’s Flower Garden" quilt in one of my mother’s books and I knew it was perfect.  Blue scraps from my mother’s stash which reminded me of my grandmother’s dresses were chosen and my templates were hand drawn on freezer paper. I was set, but when I went to sew my hexie flowers together, they didn’t fit. My accuracy was off so, I put them aside for many years. Eventually I appliqued each to a background and joined the blocks together.  It will be hand-quilted, once I finish embroidering the names of my mother, my grandmothers and great grandmothers on the blocks.

Getting some precut EPP papers on a magazine two years ago made me decide to try it again. This time the hexie flowers went together perfectly. In the Spring of 2017, I took part in the Girt By Sea quilt along.  The central medallion was English Paper Pieced using Tales of Cloth’s precut papers. It was just the best sewing! I ordered another EPP kit as a retirement gift to myself and the first Mandolin block was included as a bonus.  I loved making it as well as the next 17 blocks! Now I have so many EPP plans for the future.

What was the most “time consuming” EPP project you’ve ever completed?

My grandmother’s garden has been the EPP quilt that has been under construction the longest, but my Mandolin blocks have consumed more time as there are many more pieces to each block. I usually make a Mandolin block over three or four evenings. I made my first Mandolin block in January of this year and I have two big blocks and a bunch of joiners left to complete.

How do you stay motivated with your sewing projects?

The key to my motivation, I have come to realize, is that I do many things.  I always have a pair of socks on my knitting needles and frequently a bigger knitting project like a sweater.  There are several pieces of embroidery in progress, and lots of quilting projects in various stages. While I do enjoy a finished project, I believe that I am more process oriented. This year, my quilt guild has had a WIP challenge. I had 10 things on my list (definitely not all my WIPs) and I have completed two.  I will get back to them – maybe. Learning something new is more important to me. This year, I've already have taken classes in goldwork and stumpwork embroidery, and in improv quilting. When I find my motivation lagging with my quilting, I just go work on a totally different thing.

What was the best quilting advice ever given to you?

There has been lots of advice given to me over the years probably because I am not afraid to ask questions. Some advice is specific like having an accurate but scant ¼” seam allowance. Other advice is broader like use the best fabric you can afford, but I think the overall best came from my grandmother who valued patience above everything. Patience lets you take time to get it done to your best. It encourages you to practice which improves everything, and patience lets you help others which opens you to receiving their help when it is needed.

5 things I can’t live without:

1. Books

2. Wool and fabric (How could I choose?)

3. Peanut butter  (A food group isn’t it?)

4. Needles (sewing, knitting, embroidery

5. The ocean (I have always lived near it and I miss it so when it is not near)

Where can other makers' find your work? 

My Instagram @sewgolly - I enjoy the interaction and inspiration it provides with other artisans throughout the world!

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Since Gillian LOVES "Amy Sinibaldi" and sweet florals, we curated this 20-piece bundle for her as her prize! :)

Thanks so much Gillian and to all you makers who have been posting away! It's incredibly inspiring to see what you all make and how you add your personal stories and styles to your projects. We'll be picking a winner and announcing them via the blog next month in November! 

In the meantime, keep posting and sharing your beautiful handmade things with us using the hashtag #AGFMakerMonday for a chance to win.

Good luck and keep creating!

- Sophia 

Hi Makers,

Do any of you LOVE going to see plays or performances?!

It's such a fun event! Getting all dressed up in a nice outfit, entering the theater and taking a seat, waiting for those red curtains to lift up and for the show to begin! From the introduction of the characters to hearing their stories be told through action or songs, the lightning, the set design, the costumes, and overall mood is just incredible, especially from a production point of view! Theater reminds us to be in the present and to be fully immersed in what's happening at that very moment. The acting, the singing, the music being played by a live orchestra..it all comes together and creates an beautiful experience that cannot be replicated. 

Oscar Wilde once said "I regard the theatre as the greatest of all art forms, the most immediate way in which a human being can share with another the sense of what it is to be a human being."

I think he was right! :)

Inspired by the days of performing in theater, our designer Bari J. shines the spotlight on romantic and bold prints that take center stage in her latest fabric collection, "Virtuosa." With a distinct color palette filled with jewel-tones, there’s no doubt that these fabrics fuse together harmony, opulence, and of course...drama! This collection is so great for anyone who loves painterly florals that can make gorgeous quilts, garments, throw pillows, and accessories.

For more opulent-inspired projects that include quilt, garment and home decor patterns, head over to our "Virtuosa Fabric Lookbook! "

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Here's our lovely "Upstage Quilt Pattern" for you to enjoy, just click the below link for the FREE pattern:

Download Quilt Pattern

I've also included these blenders for you (in case you need some ideas) that can easily coordinate with the dramatic "Virtuosa." 

Enter a chance to win a bundle of "Virtuosa" by signing up to our giveaway:

 To enter, please fill the form below. Giveaway ends October 26, 2018.  Good luck! 

----- VIRTUOSA GIVEAWAY -----

Congratulations Roxanne Smith! You're our winner! Please check your email! Thanks to everyone else for participating! :)

*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!

Is there a certain children's book that you absolutely loved as a kid?!

When I was a little girl, my mother or grandmother would lay in bed next to me with a book, and would read to me before I fell asleep, each night. As they read to me, I would let my imagination come to life, pretending that I was making friends with animals or mystical creatures in the story, and going on adventures to far off lands! Depending on the character in the book, my grandmother would change the tone of her voice as she read aloud, which made it even more entertaining and silly. Some of my favorite books were "Where the Wild Things Are," "Goodnight Moon" and the nursery rhyme, "Wynken, Blynken and Nod." I still have all of these children's' books, and take them out from time to time when I'm feeling nostalgic! :)

With that super nostalgic, imaginative feeling in mind, I'm SUPER EXCITED to introduce you all to what we've been working on at AGF Studio. Our latest collection "LITTLE CLEMENTINE!" Inspired by stories coming to life, this story for our collection is  about "Little Clementine," a little girl with a big imagination who enjoys reading books and befriending forest creatures like bears and rabbits. Adorned with enchanted forests, cute houses, ditsy florals and novelty prints like "cardigans" and "cozy scarves," these fabrics are filled with soft, autumnal tones that make these fabrics, extra cozy! This collection honestly is one of my favorites! I love the story, the soft colors and the cute characters in it! I can picture so many different ways to use these darling fabrics with fussy cutting, baby quilts, kids' garments, accessories, a super cute lunchbox, book covers, wall decor, a mobile above a crib, and lamp shades that you'd find in a nursery!

 For more whimsy-inspired projects, head on over to our "Little Clementine Lookbook!"

Here's our lovely "Sweet Wonders Quilt" for you to enjoy, just click the below link for the FREE pattern:

Download Quilt Pattern

Here's some blender suggestions for your quilty projects that go with the "Little Clementine!"

------Little Clementine Giveaway------

Enter a chance to win this darling, fabric bundle by signing up to our giveaway! To enter, please fill the form below.  Congratulations Pat Devore! 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!

Hi Makers, 

With the holidays right around the corner, I know all of us are prepping or have already begun sewing gifts for our family, friends, colleagues and teachers. I think that as a maker, we're always trying to create gifts that are so personalized to the person we're giving it to, so if you haven't started sewing your gifts yet, don't worry! We just released TWO NEW FUSIONS that cater to two different themes that can turn into so many great gifts! 

If you're new to AGF, our "Fusion Collections" are bite-size collections featuring best-selling prints from our internationally-known designers such as Pat Bravo, Maureen Cracknell, April Rhodes, Bonnie Christine, Katarina Roccella and Sharon Holland. With these two collections, you’ll find two different themes that provide you with countless sewing ideas and are no doubt, two collections that are a must-have for your fabric stash. Now, let’s take a closer look on how you can sew with these fabrics!

RAINFOREST FUSION

With botanical designs high on the trend radar for “jungalow inspired”  interiors and fashion, our “Rainforest Fusion” is perfect for creating a “tropical paradise” in your sewing room! Filled with vibrant, lush prints, this collection highlights tropical florals, palm fronds as well as tribal patterns that also act as great blenders. Grounded in bright and warm colors, this collection can be widely used in quilts, outdoor home decor, resort-inspired garments, as well as in accessories and wall art. I would love to make curtains and TONS of throw pillows with this collection! 

 Download Our FREE "Vertical Garden" Quilt Pattern:

TRINKETS FUSION

Channeling “vintage meets modern” and recalling old memories of sifting through a grandmother’s treasure chest,  our “Trinkets Fusion” offers countless ideas for sewing with nostalgic prints that are inspired by pressed flowers, vintage knitting, and hand pressed wallpaper. Deeply rooted in warm hues of rust and gold, this festive collection is a great option for your holiday, sewing projects! From various florals that range in scale to textured designs that make unique blenders, these fabrics can be sewn into romantic, bohemian quilts, throw pillows, rugs, tapestries and special occasion garments! I would love to have a dress made out of "Trinkets" fabrics for Thanksgiving - preferably one that's loose, so I can eat all those delicious Thanksgiving side dishes like mashed potatoes, stuffing and creamed spinach! :)

 Download Our FREE "Free Spirit" Quilt Pattern:

For more sewing projects we've put together using these two collections, head to our "Rainforest and Trinkets Fabric Lookbook!"

In case you're OBSESSED with both of these collections and need them NOW, enter our giveaway for a chance to win BOTH! 

 To enter, please fill the form below. Giveaway ends Friday, October, 12th, 2018. Good luck!  

Our winner is Jo Isaac! Please check your email! Thanks to everyone else who participated!

*Once you have entered the giveaway it's Winner will be announced on Monday, 10/15! :)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!

Happy October! This month is my absolute FAVORITE month since it's officially fall and Halloween is SOON!

To make this amazing month EVEN MORE EXCITING, here at AGF we're going to launching several new products for you! We've been secretly working on some things the past few months, and now the time is finally HERE to share it all with you! Drum roll, please!

 The secret is out! AGF NOW HAS BUNDLES!       

We’re so SUPER thrilled to introduce you to a new way of sewing, AGF CURATED BUNDLES! This amazing sewing community is always inspiring us everyday to be better and to create better! We ALWAYS love seeing what you create from start to finish. We feel we're a part of you, and at the same time we feel you’re a part of us, that’s why we’re constantly trying to help you to design and sew your best projects with our fabrics! These are not your standard pre-cuts, but bundles specially curated to sew easy and fast, making the most of your time because we understand that in these crazy, busy times you need ideas to sew simple and quick projects.

We call it “conceptual sewing” and we’re sure you’ll absolutely love it! 

Stay tuned THIS WEEK and THIS MONTH via our Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Youtube and Pinterest as we will be posting more details about these amazing bundles! :)

Until then, keep creating and thanks for being our biggest inspiration! 

- Sophia