nanaCompany

The Softer Side :: a new fabric collection

Happy New Year friends. I hope you're well. It's been a while but good things are coming. As for now, I've got a new fabric collection that's just hit shops. Art Gallery Fabrics introduced in 2022, a Season of Tribute, where each of the designers introduced a collection of fabrics comprised of past beloved prints recolored to create a whole new collection.

My collection is called The Softer Side and it includes 12 cotton prints, one knit, one rayon, and two flannels.  You may recognize some of the prints...

This collection is in shops now!

Take a look at The Softer Side LookBook to get inspired! I sewed up a few ruffle bibs (pattern is from my first book, Sweetly Stitched Handmades) using these prints for a baby girl named Arie.

I also sewed up a quick quilt (didn't use a pattern) and it felt so good to cut and stitch and press again.  It's been a long time!!  I love these Softer Side prints so much because many of them are my faves and the color palette feels so classic. I truly hope you fall in love with these and find them at your local quilt shop or online store.

xo amy

Introducing Velvet: the VELVET Showcase

Introducing VELVET, my latest collection with Art Gallery Fabrics.  This collection is all about the luxury of home: all the little things and loved ones that make your home a haven.  My initial inspiration came from the green velvet cushions on my living room couch, and hence the name.  Like most of us, I’d been spending more time at home, as I’d designed this collection in the midst of our pandemic while feeling especially thoughtful about the place I felt safest, comforted, and loved.  To see the fabrics, download swatches, and find the LookBook, click here on: Velvet.

It’s been so fun to see this collection arriving at stores and to see the amazing things people have made with it.  I ran a VELVET Showcase on my instagram in May and I wanted to share all the beautiful projects here as well!

Day 1: Candy Wells @thepaintedravenco made this gorgeous #tqchristiannaquilt (pattern by @tonkavitchquiltery) using one focus print from Velvet and the result is stunning!  Photo credit goes to @kinandcotton. 

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Day 2: Megan Lopez of @theathenaworkshop made her own pattern, #supergalacticquilt and it’s out of this world! 

Day 3: Lydia Nicholson of @arvehandmade made this super cool cushion using a pattern from the book Handmade Style by Anna Graham.  I love Lydia’s use of a fussy cut medallion at the center of the cushion!

Day 4: Sally Gauntlett of @secret_life_of_a_seamstress used one of the rayon prints from this range to make a gem of a dress, all flowy and dreamy.  Sally has previously used the other rayon print from Velvet to make a collared top and I’ve included that pic as well.  See Sally’s insta for pattern details.

Day 5: Kim Vogelsang of @kimmvogel made an #ebbandflowquilt (pattern by @penelopehandmade). She took her quilt to the Desert Botanical Gardens for glamour shots and it’s breathtaking! Photo credit to @olivia.grace.photo

Day 6: My friend Shannon Fraser @shannonfraserdesigns made the most delightful table runner using her own #Jollyjellyquilt pattern and I love seeing Velvet paired with natural linen. The jam jars are so charming!

Day 7: Stacie Hawley of @wildflowerfrippery created a #Lilianstarquilt (pattern by @compassandwildflower ) using Velvet + a few other choice Art Gallery Fabric prints and the result is simple modern perfection!

Day 8: Mary Gove @thecurlyquilter created this #irisquilt (pattern by @penelopehandmade ) for her daughter and I’m swooning over this beauty!

Day 9: This was my day! I created a poster size version of Angela Pingel’s #adorla quilt and this is my second time using this pattern I love it so much for its modern impact.

And that wraps up the VELVET Showcase.  I wish I could convey my round of applause to the fantastic sewists who contributed their creative hard work!  Fabric on a roll is a beautiful thing, but fabric in the hands of makers who know how to make it shine... that’s so rewarding and my favorite part.  

Velvet is now available in shops and online. I hope you love it as much as I do!

xo amy  

 

About time...

Time goes by so fast and so slow all at the same time, haha.  Goodness.  In the thick of quarantine I finally found time to make a bear I'd promised Mia for years.  Literally years.  Like, I'd kinda thought it might be too late to put in the effort, but no.  She still wanted the bear.  This wasn't going to be any old bear, it was to be made out of something well loved, and therefore represented giving new life to a thing that had always brought comfort.  Mia is now 8 by the way.  Every time she had come into my studio and spotted her old baby jacket lying there atop a hastily drawn bear template she'd ask, "When!?"  And I'd say... soon.  I think I was nervous of messing it up actually and didn't know how to proceed.  But, I did it finally!

So now, let me show you this most beloved jacket of Mia's.  The one she had tried to wear long after it had been outgrown.  As in, she tried to put it on as late as age 6 (the jacket was size 18 months).

She wore it til almost three.  I'm pretty sure what she loved about this jacket was not the pink tweed or big brown buttons.  No, the best part of this jacket was the inside: the satin polka-dotted chocolate-brown lining.  Insanely soft and always cool.  The very lining I used to make bear's ears, of course.

I used sherpa from JoAnn's so that he was bear-like (soft and cuddly) and wool felt for the nose and eyes. I have a lot more satin and I don't know what to make with it (maybe you have some ideas?) but... bear is here.  Mia loves him and he's in rotation with several other stuffies she carries from room to room.

And by the way.  This is Mia these days.  I took these pics last week or so when she received her first communion.  Clearly a sign to me that time is going by way too fast.  (Especially when I tell you that this kid is already boy crazy!)  

xo amy 

Mayfair Showcase | Giveaway!

Over the last few weeks I shared a select group of talented makers and their sewing projects using my latest fabric collection, Mayfair, on social media.  This here is the round up and let me just say-- these sewists did a phenomenal job at making Mayfair shine!  So much beauty!  I'm so excited to share the projects and makers and links.  And please take, note... there's a giveaway at the end!

Day 1:

Elizabeth Chappell of Quilter's Candy made her Bundles of Joy quilt.  To see more pics and pattern info, click here.

Day 2:

Brittany Lloyd of Lo and Behold Stitchery made her Church Window Quilt.  To see more pics and pattern info, click here.

Day 3:

Mary Warren of Mcgewa made an Elma Ruth quilt using the pattern from Penelope Handmade.  To see more of Mary's beautiful work, click here.

Day 4:

Faith Essenburg of Sarana Ave made the Lacey Park quilt (pattern by Heidi Staples).  To see more of Faith's work, click here.

Day 5:

Jennifer Jones of Penelope Handmade made her Iris quilt.  To see more pics and get pattern info, click here.

Day 6:

Lou Orth of Lou Orth Designs made a hoop art mini quilt.  It is so adorable and you must check out her fun quilt patterns-- click here.

Day 7:

Amber Elliot of Alderwood Studio made her Santorini Quilt (you MUST click on the link to see this whole quilt!!)  See more pics and find out more about the quilt along happening right now-- click here.

Day 8:

Holly Darling of Holly Dolly Darling used Mayfair rayon to create two handmade skirts: one for herself and one for her daughter.  To see more pics and get pattern info, click here.

Day 9:

Fran Gulick of Cotton and Joy made her gorgeous Solstice Lights quilt.  To see more pics and get pattern info, click here.

Day 10:

Alex Luenz of Alexouq made her Quilt Berbere and it is simply stunning!  To see more pics and get pattern info, click here.

Day 11:

Alex Hoffmann of Hoffmama Company sewed up her Weighted quilt.  To see more of Alex's work and get the pattern, click here.

Day 12:

Jennifer Monroe of Sunshine Selvage used Mayfair knit to sew up a fun, simple, and oh so flattering dress-- get pattern info here.

I stinking love everything these ladies made.  And it's not just what they made, but the time and effort that goes into this-- the staging, the beautiful photos and blog posts-- agghhh I LOVE it!!! And I'm wondering, what caught your eye?

If you'd like to enter the giveaway for a fat quarter bundle of Mayfair, it's easy!  Choose a project (or a few) and click on the link(s)-- explore!  Then let us know in the comments below which project inspired you most!  I'll pick a random winner soon!

xo amy

A glance back and a look forward...

{ Disclaimer: I began writing this post back in January.  So forgive me the untimeliness but I'm catching up on all things life and well, now it's leap day already. But I'm here!  For those of you new here: Hi, my name is Amy!  I've got four kids, I design fabric, make stuff, and I'm in nursing school.  I'll be an RN by the end of the year!  And if you want to know the truth: I complain a lot (I may whimper here and there) but I absolutely love everything that's on my plate. In fact, I keep going back for seconds! }

Did you enjoy the holidays? (sorry, I know.  By now they're safely tucked behind us.)

I feel so blessed.  I truly enjoyed our holiday.  My Christmas included all four of my kids under our roof, delicious food, laughs, love, and... karaoke.  Yes, lots of karaoke.

 

And now a look ahead...

At our house Christmas is over at about January 6th and I'm always ready to clean up and begin the New Year fresh... tidy, clean and new, and sparkling!  

Well this year I have a new fabric collection releasing for you!  It's called Mayfair and it's a 12 piece compact collection that was inspired by my travels to London when I was in my 20's... carefree and wide-eyed, taking in all the wonder.  Mayfair was the neighborhood where my hotel sits so all my exploring started from right there, in that bright, ritzy, but still charming to me, little pocket of London.  This collection captures for me the sophisticated, the quaint, the exotic, and the charming aspects of the bustling city I instantly loved.

I can't wait to see how you use these fabrics!  These prints are going to be fabulous in quilts, small projects, garments and patchwork.  See the collection and substrates available at the Mayfair collection page at Art Gallery Fabrics.

These here are strike-offs I've begun to sew with.  Just little things here and there because I'm so excited, of course!  What a dream it is to cut into new fabric you've designed yourself.  I still pinch myself over this :)

{ Mill and Stars 5" pincushion pattern from "Perfectly Pretty Patchwork" by Kristyne Czepuryk}

This poster-sized mini quilt was made using Angela Pingel's free Adorla pattern.  If you go download the PDF, you'll see mine is a mini version because I downsized the "leaves" to 6 1/2" blocks, but the effect is the same and the simple design is so effective and fun.  I see myself making many, many more of these!

So flash forward to today... I'm so happy that Mayfair has arrived!  It is available at shops and online (simply google: Mayfair Amy Sinibaldi). I can't wait to see what you make with it.  I have so many more projects to share and there will be a Mayfair showcase coming up soon, so I'll be back before you know it!  

xo amy

Wonder Tree :: Christmas Ornament Tutorial

Happy Holidays, friends!!  I'm so happy to be participating with Amber Elliot of Alderwood Studio for her Little Christmas Sew-a-long.  She's gathered a few of my favorite sewing friends to unite their Christmas tutorials, and today I bring you the Wonder Tree ornament!!

It's no secret I like simple.  I like easy.  And I do love some good color-blocking.  This little tree gift topper/ornament is all of those things and I've written up the free instructions!  To download the PDF click here: Wonder Tree Christmas Ornament Tutorial by nanaCompany.

I hope you love this simple color-blocked tree ornament as much as I do!  Be sure to check out the other tutorials that are part of the Christmas Sew-a-long at Alderwood Studio!

xo Amy

Zakka from the Heart

My friend Minki Kim has done it again!!  Her latest book Zakka from the Heart has recently been released and it is just as delightful and sweet as she is!  This book contains 16 zakka projects and what's really clever is how Minki creates everyday items using unexpected construction techniques.  She has an engineer's mind along with the charm of a true artist!

Using Minki's "Little Town Coasters" pattern I made a house-shaped coaster and oh it's so cute.  Rather than do a running stitch around the houses, I preferred the crisp look of the linen edges, so I appliquéd those with tiny stitches.  I love it so much I wish I had time to make a whole set. 

Because of timing, I chose to move forward because I really wanted to make one of Minki's patchwork baskets.  I used a combination of my fabrics with a few other Art Gallery prints, and of course I used linen.  The size of this basket is just so handy and I'm already using it to hold fabric scraps.  If you get Minki's book you'll see that she attached a handle on her basket and it looks so cute but it's totally optional.  It's hard not to love all the possibilities with this basket!

If, by chance, you're not familiar with Minki's work, please visit her website- I know you'll fall in love! Thank you Minki, for writing another wonderful book!

xo amy

The Sonata Showcase continues... and that's a wrap!

I have loved this Sonata Showcase because each designer has given me a gift.  To see my fabric in the hands of such amazing makers is the most rewarding part of designing fabric and I have been overwhelmed with the sewing skills, the photography, the time and effort each designer has put in to this.  A showcase, indeed.  So, would you like to see the last several featured designers??  Yes, yes, of course!  Here they are:

Day 9 of the Sonata Showcase featured an all time fave designer of mine: Nicole Young of Lillyella.  What a talent this girl is.  She used Sonata to make her Mini Maker Station and I personally think every one of us needs one of these!  Read more about it at her blog: click here. 

 

Day 10 of the Sonata Showcase featured Alexis of My Sweet Sunshine who really is a ray of sunshine and an inspiration in the world of garment sewing.  She used Sonata to make spring separates for herself and I couldn't love them more!  See more pics and read about the patterns she used at her blog post: click here.

And I'm totally smitten with Alexis' everyday style ~ she's killing' it!! (swiped this pic from her Insta, which you should totally follow if you're into garment sewing!)

 

Day 11 of the Sonata Showcase featured Elizabeth Chappell of Quilter's Candy Box ~ she runs that super fun quilty subscription box service and is also a pattern writer!  She used Sonata to make this beautiful quilt and I love everything about it except this:  she can't seem to figure out a name for it!  Go to her blog and give her a name suggestion?  Click here!

 

Day 12 of the Sonata Showcase ~ the last and final day ~ features Barbara Maj of Just Acorn.  Barbara is a true gem I've recently discovered thru her charming Insta.  She created a ton of gorgeous things ~ a fawn rattle, a skirt for her adorable daughter, and several dolls.  I could go on and on about my love for her creations but let me show you...

I mean.  C'mon.  Barbara is a magic maker for sure!  As are all the talented women who joined me in this Showcase.  I'd like to give them all a virtual round of applause and standing ovation!!!  I hope you, the audience, have enjoyed seeing all the ways Sonata can shine and have been inspired to make something beautiful yourself!!  To see all the prints in the Sonata collection: click here.

To find Sonata fabric at online shops, you might try here (I found these shops by doing a quick internet search):

~ Fat Quarter Shop

~ Lady Belle Fabric

~ Fabric.com also has the knit and rayon

~ Hawthorne Supply Co also has the knit and rayon

~ Polka Dot Tea in Australia

~ Olive + Flo in UK

And with that, I lower my baton and say farewell!

xo amy

Sonata Showcase continues...

I have so many beautiful projects from the Sonata Showcase to share with you, let's get right to it!  And don't miss the giveaway at the end!

 

Day 3 featured Fran Gulick of Cotton and Joy.  Fran is a web designer by day, and quilter by night.  She used Sonata fabrics in her Mighty Stars quilt ~  find out all the details at her blogpost: click here.

 

Day 4 of the Sonata Showcase featured Cristy Stuhldreher of Love You Sew.  Cristy is a sewing pro who makes everything ~ garments, quilts, and beautiful bags!  Check out the prototypes she made using Sonata for her Abbey Convertible Backpacks (to read all about it, click the link!)

 

Day 5 of the Sonata Showcase featured Victoria Smith of Ginger Root Bags on Etsy.  Victoria makes gorgeous modern pouches and bags that she sells in her etsy shop and they look great in Sonata!

I love these bags by Victoria!

 

Day 6 of the Sonata Showcase featured Brittany Snow of Lo and Behold Stitchery.  Brittany is a NICU nurse and an amazing pattern writer.  She used Sonata in her Snow Cabin Quilt.  Read more at her blogpost: click here. 

 

Day 7 of the Sonata Showcase featured Shannon Fraser of Shannon Fraser Designs and she shared her beautiful hand quilted Modern Aztec Quilted Table Runner... a pattern she talks about at her blogpost : click here.

 

Day 8 of the Sonata Showcase featured Rachael Thomeczek of Wren Collective.  Rachel is so fantastic at making evocative, simple, modern, gorgeous quilts and her photography makes me swoon.  She used Sonata to make this diamond quilt I love so much.  See more at her blog: click here.  

 

G I V E A W A Y

from Ginger Root Bags!

There's more gorgeous Sonata inspiration still coming but I wanted to let you know, Victoria of Ginger Root Bags is generously offering to give away one of her pencil pouches to one of you!  Scroll back up and see the pretty pouches in my Eidelweiss print... believe me you'll want one!  Simply leave a comment below telling me what kind of sewing you currently do, and what kind of sewing you're interested in learning!  Easy Peasy! On January 18th I'll announce the winner!

xo amy 

Sonata Showcase kicks off the New Year!

Happy New Year, Friends!  I wish you all peace and joy.  I've always loved starting a new year and 2019 is no different.  There is so much to hope for and so much to strive for.  I would like to share with you some pics from the holidays but first I have to jump right into the New Year's business of... (drumroll)... the Sonata Showcase!  It has begun!  

It features these twelve talented makers who will each be sharing a project made with fabrics from my latest Art Gallery Fabrics collection: Sonata!

First up is Jill Griffiths of Kneesocks and Goldilocks.  Jill is a mother of four, OB/GYN and amazing garment sewer.  She is inspiring in every way.  Just look at these beautiful dresses she made for herself and her daughter!  If you are interested in learning garment sewing, or you're already a fan, I can highly recommend Jill's insta photos for inspiration.  The patterns she used for these dresses are from Chalk and Notch.  The rayon Jill used is called Pastoral Crescendo and can be found here, here, and here as well (google: Pastoral Crescendo rayon).

 

 

The next featured maker on the Sonata Showcase is Faith Essenburg of Sarana Ave.  Faith is a creator of beautiful things, mama of three adorable boys, and is making a home in the loveliest Victorian farmhouse.  Check out this beautiful flying geese quilt she made:

I love flying geese as a motif- they make such a big impact and show off fabrics wonderfully.  See more pretty pics of the quilt and read all about it at Faith's blog post here.

And I'll be sure to keep you updated on all the featured makers in the Showcase coming up soon!

xoxo amy

Canon :: a free patchwork pattern

Hello!  Have you seen?  I have a brand new fabric collection out.  It's called Sonata and I love it so much!!

This collection was inspired by my lifelong love for the music of the amazing Ludwig van Beethoven and it is my favorite yet.  One of the very first things I've sewn up using Sonata was a cushion cover ~ and I think it looks pretty good!  I've sewn up a few other projects already and I'll be sharing them soon, but I wanted to show you this as an introduction :)

It really is a simple but beautiful patchwork that can be turned into a mini quilt or cushion, and I've named it Canon, based on the musical idea of repeating elements that build upon one another.  Please find the free Canon PDF pattern HERE.  

xo amy

Ornament Box Quilt Pattern now available!

Summer's coming to an end and you know what that means?  The holidays are coming!!!  I'm kidding sorta, but kinda dead serious.  Because time goes by that fast for me.  

So.  Yum, right??  Originally, I was cutting just a stack of my Little Town collection, but a few fabrics from my other collections hopped in there and looked so nice  ~ so what you see up there is a bundle of 21 fat quarters AND one of my very own boxes of Aurifil threads that I'm giving away over at *Instagram*.  There's just a few hours left (I'll be picking a winner Friday August 25, 2017) but thought I'd give a quick shout out over here, too.  If you're new to Insta, my name is @amysinibaldi ~ go look for this giveaway picture to read how to enter.  But the clock is ticking!  Go enter!

 

 

Ornament Box is my latest quilt pattern that I wrote up specifically with Little Town fabrics in mind, but of course it would look great in any fabrics.  In fact, when you purchase the pattern, you'll receive a file for the coloring sheet (below) so you can play and imagine the design in any of your favorite palettes.    

{ Purchase the Ornament Box Quilt Pattern. }

I love the simplicity of this pattern but think it still packs a punch.  And you'll want a pretty new quilt for the cold winter nights that are coming soon, my friends.  Hahaha.  Coming soon, not too soon, but soon!!!

xo amy

Riverside Tote ~ Free PDF pattern

hello All!  I made a tote using my Ananas Cream print in canvas (from the Charleston collection) and took it down to the James river for a spin.  Hence the name.  Riverside Tote.  ;)  I think the pineapples are just perfect for a beach bag and of course I love the striped binding, too (this print is from my Les Petits collection).  I used Art Gallery Fabrics yarn dyed cotton for the base.  If you're looking for a simple bag to make ~ this is it!  This tote is very basic but oh so useful for throwing in several towels, sunglasses, flip flops and sunscreen.  It measures approximately 18" x 15" x 6 1/2" and is just the right size!

If you'd like the basic info on how to make this bag yourself, I've written up a simple PDF pattern and you can find it here: Riverside Tote PDF Pattern.  All the best and enjoy your summer!

xo amy

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Little Town

Summer may be just beginning, but please let me introduce to you a hidden place far away, nestled deep in a forest of pines... a Little Town where winter lasts the whole year through!

Yes, Little Town, my next fabric collection with Art Gallery Fabrics, is arriving at shops right now!

Little Town is a sweet collection of 16 prints perfect for winter... and all year through.  :)

In May, I shared the collection at International Quilt Market in St. Louis.  I'm so bummed I didn't have time to take pics of all my samples but here are a few shots I did get before leaving...  

The following are quick phone pics taken in St. Louis at Quilt Market.  The lighting was terrible at my spot at the convention center and the colors looked all wrong, but here was my display:

My favorite part was the line-up of baby clothes in Little Town knit, cotton and rayon...

 1. The pink Peplum top in knit sewn by Heather O'Brien

2. Twinkle Stars dress sewn by me

3. Winterberry vest sewn by me (are you interested in a single 12-18 size pattern for it?)

4. Winterberry Pine rayon baby dress sewn by me, baby collar made using a pattern from "Made for Baby" by Ayda Algin

5. Blue Starbright Scrunch Top and leggings sewn by Heather O'Brien

And I had a great time there ~ seeing friends and talking with shop owners.  Market is always a blast.  I hope you all love Little Town.  

Want to see how pretty it really is??  I have received my yardage and I'm dreaming up all kinds of projects...

Pillowcases.  PJs for all of us.  Quilts, tree skirts, stockings... Now to start sewing!

xo amy

Made For Baby

I'm here to share a book with you that's new.  It's full of beautiful photographs and simple sewing projects that are fun to sew.   It's a book I'm so happy to add to my library, as it's written by someone who's been inspiring me for many years.  I'm sure you're a fan already, but if not, I'm happy to introduce Ayda of Cafenohut.  

At her flickr, her instagram, and her blog, you'll see in abundance why I love Ayda's clean and happy and oh-so-charming style.  I was so excited for her when she mentioned she was writing a book with Tuva Publishing.  Her book, "Made for Baby", is one we all need to have close by ~ because let's face it, even if you're not or never having a baby soon, someone out there that you know is.  And sewing for baby is so much fun!  So welcome, to my stop on the Made for Baby blog tour...

Really, all the projects are cute.  I made one of these baby collars for my display of Little Town fabrics at Quilt Market last month... I didn't get a good pic of it yet, but when the fabric LookBook comes out I'll be able to share.  So, I flipped through the pages of Made for Baby and randomly chose this project...

Ok.  So, it wasn't random at all.  I chose it, because I thought it was adorable.  Ayda's choice of color palette, her use of clam shells, and the dimensions of her design are spot on.  So I made this:

I used a mixture of Paperie, Playground, Charleston, and Les Petits fabrics (all my own!), which I love. But because I was pressed for time, I couldn't do the clamshells.  And then the dimensions had to be changed ever so slightly.  And when I was finished I realized, that I love the fabric house just precisely as she designed it.  Maybe this fall, when I have more time (ha!), I'll be able to make one with the hand sewn clamshells in my Little Town fabrics and I will think it's as charming as hers.  :)

Don't get me wrong.  I like mine.

I'm madly in love with the color palette.  But as a fellow designer, I appreciate the finer details involved in making a pattern just so.  Hats off to you, Ayda!

Thank you for sharing your book with all of us!  And thank you all for stopping by my turn on the blog hop... 

 

 

To see a bazillion beautiful makes and meet their makers click on the links below to follow the entire Made for Baby blog tour.  Also, make sure to visit Ayda's blog for a chance to win a copy of her book.  I promise you'll love it!

May 3	Ayda ALGIN	www.cafenohut.blogspot.com
May 4	Jemima Flendt	www.blog.tiedwitharibbon.com
May 5	Sarah Edgar	www.alittlehappyplace. blogspot.co.uk
May 8	Lisa Cox	www.aspoonfulofsugardesigns. com
May 9	Ange Hamilton	www.alittlepatchwork. wordpress.com
May 10	Lauren Wright	www.mollyandmama.com.au
May 11	Melissa LeRay	www.ohhowsweet.com
May 12	Minki Kim	www.minkikim.com
May 15	Faith Essenburg	www.SaranaAve.wordpress.com
May 16	Kristin Esser	www.kristinesser.com/
May 17	Lauren Guthrie	www.guthrie-ghani.co.uk/blog
May 18	Bridgette McNay	www.thefamilyhearth.com
May 19	Torie Jayne	www.toriejayne.com
May 22	Constanca Cabral	www.constancacabral.com/blog
May 23	Stacy Olson	www.stacyolsondesign.com
May 24	Caroline Husle	www.SewCaroline.com
May 29	Nadra Ridgeway	www.ellisandhiggs.com
May 30	Wynn Tan	www.zakkaArt.blogspot.com
May 31	Sedef Imer	www.downgrapevinelane.com
June 1	Lauren Nash	www.transientart.com
June 2	Jennie Pickett	www.cloverandviolet.com
June 5	Amy Sinibaldi	www.nanaCompany.typepad.com
June 7	Kim Kruzich	www.retro-mama.blotspot.com
June 8	Elea Lutz	www.elealutzdesign.com
June 9	Samantha Dorn	www.aquapaisleystudio.com/blog
June 12	Ayda ALGIN	www.cafenohut.blogspot.com

xo amy

april

busy busy.  April has been quite a month.  All good but it kept us quite busy.  Spring break.  My sister came to visit.  Easter was glorious.  We celebrated Olivia's birthday.  I finished another collection.  And I sewed something!

A pouch!  Yea!  I really just wanted to sew with some of my new fabrics.  I used Les Petits stripes and dots, Charleston flowers, AGF denim, and leather.  But let me say right now: Leather and I are no longer friends.  At least we won't be friends on pouches, I think.  That was really hard and I may have started sweating and it was... well... rough.  We got through it this time but no more leather bottomed pouches for me thanks.  I will, however, thoroughly enjoy this one!!  Isn't it beautiful?  (The little zipper charm is from @frogginghappy on Instagram)

And of course Miss Mia wanted to get in on the photo action.  :)

 

Did you have a nice Easter?  I took this photo at Jamestown settlement several weeks ago.  We visited the museum and I was so struck by the place and all the history that took place here.  (Jamestown was the first English colony in North America, settled in 1607 ~ thirteen years before the Mayflower landed in Massachusetts.)  There are ruins and graves, artifacts and skeletons.  All so interesting.  Anyway, when I got home I thought this pic was particularly beautiful.  Lucky us, in those busy days before Easter Sunday we received a lovely package from the UK that contained these two fine handcrafted bunnies...    

Aren't they so gorgeous?  They are the handiwork of Katy Livings, the designer of Stitch & Sprig.  Katy was kind enough to collaborate with me, dressing her signature bunnies in these Charleston + Les Petits fabrics to be featured in an upcoming LookBook.  They are so beautiful I can't believe these bunnies are now ours!!!  Thank you, Katy xo

 

 

Next up??  I'll be busy the next several weeks prepping for Quilt Market in St. Louis where I'll be showing my next collection: Little Town.  Hope to see you there!

 { Little Town Rayon }

{ Little Town strike-offs }

{ Little Town medallion using "Ice Cream Soda" EPP templates from Tales of Cloth }

 

 

Last but not least, we have a winner chosen for the Modern Triangle Quilts Book Giveaway from my last post.

G I V E A W A Y    W I N N E R  !!!

Congratulations Dale, who said, "I am starring at a fat quarter bundle of liberty florals, trying to imagine what quilt pattern would best work with them."  You're the winner!  Please contact me asap with your details. :)

xo amy

a finished quilt at last

Back in February I mocked up a quilt, slowwwwly pieced it together, and then sent it off to Norma, my quilter (her website is Petit Design Co.)  The quilt has been back and finished for a while but finally I got my husband to come take pics with me.  I thought I needed him to hold the quilt up, but when I saw this tree I knew we could give his arms a break.  

And then he says to me,"I know a better place.  C'mon."  It was just across the road, really, but it's a little hidden nook and a part of our neighborhood I hadn't seen.  I was in love!  

It was the most perfect spot for photographs and I can't wait to go back with a bottle of wine!  But first, a little Charleston + Les Petits sewing ;)

Annnnddddd... a tiny sneak peek at my next collection.  It's coming to shops in June!!

xo amy

exploring Charleston

This is the month!  March 2017 is finally here.  That means Charleston + Les Petits are right now shipping to shops and you'll be able to see in person these two collections I have been so excited to share with you.  I hope you love them as much as I do!!

I don't know if I have told you the story about how this line came to be, but it's a short one.  In July 2016, on our cross-country road trip from California to Williamsburg, VA we happened to stop in Charleston for dinner.  In total we spent three hours there.  We drove around for a bit.  Then we got out on foot.  We had dinner at 82 Queen and I happened to take this one photo afterward in the rain before leaving the city...

And then we drove on to our next stop.

But I was in love.  Charleston.  No really!  Love.  And I decided right away to design a collection inspired by it.  So I did. 

I went back to Charleston in October 2016 with my sister in law, Lisa, and we walked and ate and drank our way around the city.  She was such a good sport letting me snap away ~ hundreds of photos of all the charming details.  The problem is... everywhere you turn in Charleston, there is something beautiful and charming!  

If you ever get a chance, I hope you'll go and see what a fabulous city it is.  Ps. It was recently voted "Best City in the World" by Travel + Leisure magazine.  That's a pretty good endorsement I think ;)  If you've already been there, what's your favorite part???

 

 

{ Charleston knits }

{ Charleston quilting cottons }

{ Charleston ~ Waterfront Park color way }

{ Charleston ~ Sunset Harbor color way }

{ Les Petits ~ full collection }

{ Charleston and Les Petits, all together }

Start looking for these fabrics in your favorite shops this week!!  And make sure to hashtag your photos on instagram #charlestonfabrics #les petitsfabrics :)

xo amy

hello February?

Wait a second.  Whaaaaa??  How did I miss popping by to say hi in January?  Geez!  Well hey 2017, you're looking good!

{ sewing exercise, because sometimes you just gotta flex your muscles, right? }

 { gratuitous shot of my dear dear friend, who sadly has no other name than "Janome" }

I feel like I'm always saying this, but I do have lots of fun stuff coming up, stuff I can't share yet.  I know, blah blah blah, really Amy?  I wish I could spill the beans now, but that ruins the fun.  So secret sewing and designing aside... what I can show you is this.  I've been working sloooowly on a quilt.  I've called it "Riding Waves" and here's the mock-up...  

I'm going to finish it this week and send it off to Norma, my quilter, but at the rate I've been going... (insert snail emoji here.) ;)  So fingers crossed!

 

 

Well look at that.  That very small, very lovely stack of dots and stripes are strike-offs for my next collection, Les Petits.  (Strike-offs are samples we get from the fabric mill to check for correction before bolts and bolts of the fabric are printed.)  This is only about half of the Les Petits collection but I wanted to share because they're just so pretty, aren't they?  I also got in strike-offs for my other next collection, Charleston, and wow, they looked good too!

I immediately had to make something...

It's a mug rug for my desk.  So fun, right?  Les Petits and Charleston will be available at shops in March!  Ask your local quilt shop owner if they've ordered them ~ and if no, why not!? ;)

xo amy

ps.  Here's once last glance at 2016 in a nutshell...  It was a good year.  But 2017 is going to be even better!

New Collection Previews | Winners!

So fun to see Paperie + Playground fabrics together...

But did you hear my latest collection(s) have been announced?  Yes, I'm over the moon excited!!  The first is called Charleston and I can't wait to spill ALL the beans, but for now here's a tease...

And another new collection I've got coming out (both release in March 2017) is called Les Petits.  Here's the tease...

With Les Petits I've gone 'back to the basics' and designed my favorite simple graphic patterns in colors perfectly matched to Charleston!  Think dots, stripes on the bias, etc.  Agh!  I'm dying over here.  So happy to share these at last and so anxious to get my hands on them!!  March 2017.  It couldn't get here any faster!!!  Do you like these previews?  Promise I'll have more to share soon ;)

W I N N E R S

I've got two winners to announce.  First is the winner of the Quilt Block Cookbook Giveaway.  Congratulations to Rinda Sjarif!  Please email me your details asap.

Also, we have a winner of the Playground Showcase Giveaway.  Congratulations to Linda gerig!  Please email me your details and I will send out your fat quarter bundle of fabrics :)

xo amy