nanaCompany

Playground Showcase | Giveaway

It's seriously still a pinch-me moment when I think about my new role as fabric designer for Art Gallery Fabrics ~ and seeing my fabrics sewn into pretty little things is a dream come true!  Sooo many beautiful projects have been shared by my very talented friends during the Playground Showcase... did you see them all?

(Click on links to see ALL the beautiful pics and info on projects ~ such as patterns used, etc.)

{ Katie Skoog of Simple Life Pattern Co. }

{ Michelle Curtis of Chelle's Quilts }

{ Peta Peace of SheQuiltsALot }

{ Minki Kim + Kristin Esser at minkikim.com }

{ Jemima Flendt of Tied With A Ribbon }

{ Tara Curtis of tjaye.com }

{ Alexis Wright of MySweetSunshineStudio.com }

{ Melissa LeRay of OhHowSweet.com }

{ Ali Brorsen of BecauseofBrennaClothing.com }

{ Angie Wilson of GnomeAngel.com }

{ Rachel McCormack of WoodenspoonQuilts.blogspot.com }

{ Stacy Olson of StacyOlsonDesign.com }

{ Shannon Fraser of ShannonFraserDesign.ca }

{ Cristi Cooper of Whimsy Quilts }

{ Giuseppe Ribaudo of @Giucy_Giuce }

{ Kristyne Czepuryk of Pretty By Hand }

All these designers are just so awesome and are making waves in the sewing industry with their own work.  Be sure to explore their blogs to see what else they're up to.  (Thank you, friends, for taking the time and care to create such beautiful makes with Playground fabrics for the showcase.)  You guys rocked it, thank you so much!!

So... today is the last day of the Playground Showcase and it's my turn!  I made a quilt... for... (surprise surprise)... Mia.  A quilt to keep her warm during nap time at her new pre-school.  And I really felt, during the entire process of making it, that I was making something really special.  As cheesy as it sounds, I knew I was making something that would truly wrap her in my love while she's at school.  And what's really cool is that she understood.  When I showed her the quilt and I tried to explain it in my simplest kid-speak, she said, "it's like you're hugging me while I sleep?"  Yes.  Yes.  

That's exactly it.  She's a smart cookie, that one.  :)

So of course I used a lot of blue (her favorite color.  Blue raspberry anything rules Mia's world.)  And I'd literally been going nuts trying to decide on a pattern for the quilt.  As the clock was ticking ever louder in my ear, I happened to glance over at an issue of Love Patchwork and Quilting I'd just bought and the cover quilt by Emily Dennis spoke to me ~ like angels singing, haha!

I love Emily's quilt!  And I love triangles ~ so with this in mind, I set to work.

I cherry-picked prints from my own collection to create a palette for Mia.  (oops, there's one missing up there -- Posy Chain in Freshlily.)

It went together quite easily.  I built this baby from top to bottom with Aurifil threads and of course I went really boring with the quilting thread color: white!  Its my fave.  :)  I used a different construction method than Emily's Triangle Pop quilt, but the idea is the same and I have to say this may be my most favorite quilt of all time ever.  And now I want to make a big version for myself (of course)!

Oh my gosh, WARNING!  Dorkiest picture ever below.  I almost didn't include it, but there had to be one clear full view pic of this cute quilt.  (It measures about 42" x 42").

Sorry about that.  Seriously why didn't I cover my face?!!  Anyway, it's the perfect size blanket for Mia at nap time.  And she loves it, too.

To see the entire Playground fabrics collection click here.  For more inspiration, check out the Playground LookBook.  Also, check out the fun Playground fabrics video.  And with that... this Playground Showcase is a wrap.  Thanks for visiting friends!

G I V E A W A Y S

Playground fabrics are sold at quilt shops worldwide but I'd love to give a fat quarter bundle of the entire collection to one of you, my readers.  Leave a comment below, telling me what you'd like to make and a winner will be chosen at random.  Comments will close at midnight, Sunday, October 9th.  This giveaway is open to all.  Best of luck to you!

AND for another chance to win a fat quarter bundle, Lady Belle Fabric is sponsoring another giveaway at Instagram.  See my insta or @becker1210 for details.  Yay for second chances!!

xo amy

Wistful Winds

Shari Butler of Doohikey Designs has created a beautiful collection "Wistful Winds" and I had an unexpected chance to play with them for her blog tour (today's the first day!  Wahoo and welcome!)  I'm so happy I could do this because Shari is such a special lady and I know she created this collection with her heart.  She'll be talking about her inspiration and the story behind this line on her turn of the blog tour, so make sure to follow along to the end!

Isn't it so sweet?  Her fabrics worked perfectly to create this pillow and baby quilt.  When I saw the playful colors and multi-dots, I immediately began thinking of pairing them with linen for a round pillow ~ something I've never done before, so I was a little nervous.  I used a 30 degree triangle template to make the sections of the pillow and it turned out to be quite easy.  I appliquéd by hand the little wistful girl to the center, because she just had to be the focal point and I love how it turned out.

But I wanted to use more of these pretty prints so I made a baby quilt...

Sweet and modern.  I improv'd it, of course, and made simple stars set against a pale pink background.  It's the perfect set for a toddler ~ to snuggle with on a chilly morning with a good (picture) book.

This is my favorite star.  I love that Wistful dot in multi the best.  I love it so much I put some in the quilt binding, too...

Congratulations, Shari, on a beautiful line!  Wistful Winds will be available at Fat Quarter Shop and other fabric stores soon.  

Want to see more?  Follow along the Wistful Winds blog tour to see how these other talented makers use Shari's fabric in fun ways.  Here is the schedule:

October 3rd:
Amy Sinibaldi – www.nanaCompany.typepad.com
Kristyne Czepuryk – www.prettybyhand.com

October 4th:
Amanda Niederhauser – www.jedicraftgirl.com
Amy Smart – www.diaryofaquilter.com

October 5th:
Meagan Taylor/Kristi Jones – www.meagsandme.com
Christine Cook – www.stitchingrevival.com

October 6th:
Elea Lutz – www.elealutzdesign.com
Jodie Carleton – www.vintagericrac.blogspot.com

October 7th:
Sedef Imer – www.downgrapevinelane.com
Jina Barney – jinabarneydesignz.com

October 10th:
Elizabeth Evans – www.simplesimonandco.com
Kimberly Bourne – www.mainstreetmarketdesigns.com

October 11th:
Jemima Flendt – www.tiedwitharibbon.com
Nadra Ridgeway – www.ellisandhiggs.com
Amy Chappel – www.amerooniedesigns.blogspot.com

October 12th:
Katie Skoog – www.thesimplelifecompany.com
Amber Johnson – www.alittlebitbiased.blogspot.com
Tina - http://www.onelittlepooh.net/blog-2/

October 13th:
Angie Wilson – www.gnomeangel.com
Clare Horsman – www.claresplaceblog.blogspot.com
Deanna Wall – www.stitchesquilting.com

October 14th:
Melissa Mortenson – polkadotchair.com
Jessica Stewart – www.izzyandivydesigns.com
Gwen Sager - www.tillalili.blogspot.com
Shari Butler – www.doohikeydesigns.com/blog/

xo amy

the look of Playground | Fat Quarter Shop Giveaway

One of the wonderful things about Art Gallery Fabrics is that you really can "feel the difference".  Our designs are printed on soft pima cotton that has a lovely drape perfect for quilts and garments.  Not only that, but certain prints in each collection are also offered in canvas, voile, and knit: see here.  Today, I have a round-up for you of some of the beautiful garments sewn in Playground fabrics by some super talented sewists:

{ All garments and photographs above are the work of Laura Scaramella of @laura.scaramella and the Simple Life Company }

{ All garments and photographs above are the work of Alexis Wright of @myysweetsunshine and Violette Field Threads } 

{ All garments and photographs above are the work of Ali Brorsen of @becauseofbrenna and Because of Brenna }

{ All garments and photographs above are the work of Katie Skoog of @slpco and the Simple Life Company }

G I V E A W A Y

Weren't those pictures just gorgeous?  I hope you love Playground as much as I do.  And a big thanks to Fat Quarter Shop for sponsoring this giveaway of one fat quarter bundle of Playground in the Sunny Adventures palette...

These are my favorite colors in the collection and I know you will sew something beautiful with this bundle.  Simply leave a comment below telling me which of the Playground prints is your absolute fave and you'll be entered to win these 10 fat quarters.  Comments will close Friday, August 12 at midnight and I will announce the winner soon thereafter.  This giveaway is open to all.  Best of luck to you!

xo amy

p.s. See here all the prints in the collection at Fat Quarter Shop.

Playground Friends

{ Close up of butterflies by Nicole Young of Lillyella.  Pic by Nicole Young. }

Hello!  So much time has passed since my last blogpost because I've been rather busy with my family making our move from Los Angeles, California to our new home in Williamsburg, Virginia.  Whew!  All I can say is amazing.  An amazing road trip... an amazing new house in a community that knocks my socks off... and an amazing transformation is currently underway turning our "new" house into a home.  Home.  What a wonderful thing!   

As always, fun new projects are in the works, but I really wanted to show you the beautiful makes my friends took the time to sew for my Quilt Market "Playground" booth back in May.  All of these items were made using strike-off fabric, and often times I gave the designers just the teeniest bits of scraps to work with, which makes their creations all the more impressive.  I hope you like what you see, because (I'm happy to say) Playground is hitting shops right now!

{ Kite Mini by Michelle Curtis of Chelle's Quilts.  So in love with this.  Pic by Michelle Curtis. }

{ Heidi Staples of Fabric Mutt created this adorable hexagon mini.  Second pic by Heidi Staples. }

{ Stunning hopscotch mini by Jenn Rossotti of Ginger Peach Studio. }

{ Minki Kim of Minki's Work Table created so many tiny works of art, using her 'sewing illustration' style and her "Beautiful You" stamp set, available through Alte New. }

{ Minki Kim also created this adorable bunny mini, which can be seen in more detail at her instagram @Zeriano. }

{ Ingenius donut mini by Sari Thomas of Sariditty.  Pic by Sari Thomas. } 

{ Gah.  Beautiful 3-D Butterflies by Nicole Young of Lillyella.  Pic by Nicole Young. }

{ Hopscotch Quilt by the talented Stacy Olson.  Pic by Stacy Olson. }

{ I heart this mini by Peta Peace of She Quilts A lot.  Pic by Peta Peace. }

{ I love this modern hexie mini by Nicole Daksiewicz of Modern Handcraft. }

{ Gorgeous "Grace" dress sewn by Alexis Wright.  See more of Alexis' beautiful creations in the upcoming Playground LookBook or at her instagram @myysweetsunshine. }

{ Sweet baby dresses sewn by Melissa LeRay of Oh How Sweet. }

{ City Tiles Quilt, designed and pieced by Emily Dennis of Quilty Love.  Quilted by Norma Evans of Petit Design Co.  This quilt is so beautiful when seen as a whole, I'll try to get a better shot of this soon.}

{ Amazingly fun quilt designed and made by Jennifer Chon of Sunny In Cal. }

Sooo.  All together, we were awesome.  And I'd like to send a giant shout out to all these generous and talented designers and makers.  I could never have done it without you!  Thank you for making such a beautiful Playground booth with me.  xoxo

xo Amy

Spring Market 2016 Recap

Whew!  International Quilt Market 2016 in Salt Lake City is a wrap.  And like anyone will tell you: it pulls you in like a tornado, spins you around for a bit and leaves you with a blurry recollection of awe-inspiring quilts and people.   At least that's what it was like for me.  When you get the chance to spend long enough with friends old and new ~ that's the best part.  But mostly there is never enough time, and you look forward to the next Quilt Market to do it all over again!

Above are the lovely lovely Art Gallery Fabrics designers who showed at Spring Market and first I'm going to show you our AGF corner.  This here was my Playground fabrics booth, or more correctly ~ wall.

I feel so lucky to have had so much help from friends this time around, who took the time to help me sew and create this beautiful display with their mini quilts (I'm going to blog about their projects in it's very own post.)  These are just overview pics I took and I didn't take many I apologize, but the lighting in the convention center was less than flattering and I prefer to do a dedicated post using pics that were taken by myself and the artists beforehand.  

These precious garments (minus the furry vest, of course) were sewn by Alexis Wright and Melissa LeRay.  Make sure to stay tuned for the Playground fabrics LookBook which will be coming soon after the release of this collection, due out in July, and which will highlight many of these items.

This is Bonnie Christine's new AGF Organics collection "Hello Ollie" and sadly I didn't get a pic of Bonnie in her booth, but it was breathtaking and she is seriously so lovely in person ~ and way more swan-like than me.  

Walter Bravo, head of Art Gallery Fabrics, and Pat Bravo, designer of the fresh and pretty new collection, "Heartland".

I fell so in love with these Heartland softies in Pat's booth.

Dana Willard of the super fun new Limited Edition collection, "Boardwalk Delight."

Isn't this romper adorable!!??  It's designed by the Simple Life Company.

Katarina Roccella, designer of the charming new collection "Pandalicious".

This print is my favorite!!

Sharon Holland, designer of the sophisticated new collection, "Tapestry".

And that there, next to the candle is my favorite print in Sharon's new collection.

Bari J always makes beautiful collections and "Joie de Vivre" is gorgeous gorgeous.

I love the colorful tassels on this monogram cushion.

Maureen Cracknell.  Lemme just say, I love all these girls and I've seriously been holding back here in order not to gush on and on about all of them, but this pic of Maureen just kills me.  So cute, and her "Nightfall" booth was stunning ~ as always.  

My favorite was this adorable owl dress.

So!  What do you think of the Art Gallery Fabrics collections?  All beautiful, right?

So now we're going to visit some friends.  

Amber Johnson of Gigi's Thimble showing off her latest quilt patterns.  Jack, to the right, is my fave.  And not just because there's a touch of Paperie fabric in it.  I think it's just simply stunning. 

Frances Newcombe of 'Franny & Jane' debuting their fresh new collection "Manderley".

Sherri McConnell and Chelsi Stratton (heart heart emojis!)

Showing their latest collection, "Desert Bloom" and see the pillow back there made using my "Merry and Bright" pattern?!

Yay!  Here's a pic of my Quilt Market partner in crime, Jenn Chon, with Vanessa Goertzen of Lella Boutique ~ showing her latest collection "Olive's Flower Market".

Joanna Figueroa of Fig Tree and Company, of course.  It was my first time meeting her and oh... she's fun!

Think I'm in love with this elephant pattern by Ricrac.

Definitely in love with the Lepidoptera quilt by Elizabeth Hartman, though I'm thinking the Frances Firefly quilt pattern may be more up my alley.

Oh I love the colors in Violet Craft's new collection "House of Hoppington"!

I finally got to meet the inspiring Heather Jones and had a chat with her about baby deer and her art process, among other things.  She's absolutely lovely.

And I was so happy to be able to see these gems made in Lizzy House's new Whisper Palette, made by my friends Nicole Young and Sari of Sariella Studios.  (They also made the two gorgeous minis in my booth: scroll back up.  See the the donuts and butterflies!?! :)

Eeeek!!! Getting to meet and hug the amazing Lori Holt was such a treat!  I've thought the world of this lady for so long, so to meet her in person... well, you know... it was definitely a highlight.

And really guys.  It was such an unexpected delight to meet Sandy Klop ~  not only was I star-struck, but I was equally surprised at what a hoot she is!  Warm, funny, and able to speak more Korean than I can... let me just say I was charmed.

So sadly, this is where I run out of photos.  That's because I didn't have time to walk the whole floor and see everything... imagine, there was more inspiration and beauty!  So, I'll leave you with these fun phone pics ~ because quilty people really are the best!

Recognize some favorites in here?  So much fun!

p.s. there's a short little video of me talking about Playground fabrics live from Market, here.

xo amy

Off to Spring Quilt Market | Joyful Carousel Giveaway Winner!

Today I'm off to Salt Lake City for Spring Quilt Market 2016 and I'm so excited to share with everyone just some of the beautiful ways you can use Playground fabrics.  Of course it's been crazy-town over here the past few weeks and I can't wait for the moment I can sit down and catch my breath.  Until then, here are sneak peeks at some of my recent makes... and I promise I'll be showing ALL of it (including all the beautiful things my friends made)... soon. 

{ Kaleidescope mini quilt pattern by Jemima Flendt }

{ bunny head using a pattern from the book Storybook Toys by Jill Hamor }

{ I used the rattle pattern from my book Sweetly Stitched Handmades to finish off the bunny head }

{ Tokyo CarryAll Tote, pattern by Amy Morinaka }

{ Lined Baby Vest, made by tracing Mia's old vest from Old Navy, size 12-18m }

{ Fabric Gift Baskets using the pattern from Lisa Cox' new book: A Spoonful of Sugar }

{ See-Saw Quilt, designed by me }

Hope you liked the sneaky peek!

W I N N E R

We have a winner for the Joyful Carousel Fat Quarter Giveaway!  Congratulations to Ayda - Cafe No Hut who has won the 15 fat quarter bundle specially curated by Pat Bravo.  Please send me your details Ayda, so we can send the bundle to you!  And a big thanks to Fat Quarter Shop for sponsoring this giveaway.

I'll be back soon with my Spring Quilt Market pics.  And for those of you attending Market, please be sure to come by the Art Gallery Fabrics booths, look for the Playground booth, find me, and say hi!

xo amy

Tell Me A Story Quilt | Joyful Carousel Fat Quarter Giveaway!

I couldn't wait to get my hands on Amy Friend's new book: Intentional Piecing.  

I could just tell by the cover that I would like the book, and I was right.  I'm totally smitten with these charming fussy cut Tell Me A Story quilt blocks ~ perfect for showing off special fabrics.  Plus the book includes several other very original projects and Amy shares so many good tips throughout.   

Using fabrics from my upcoming Playground fabrics collection + Paperie, I made a mini quilt using four Tell Me A Story Quilt blocks and I absolutely love everything about it.  

If you'd like to get crackin' on your own Tell Me A Story Quilt, I'm happy to offer you dear readers a 30% discount from the Lucky Spool web site (click here) using the discount code “FRIEND30”.  And there's a fun event taking place on Instagram until June 1st: post a photo of your Tell Me A Story Quilt block(s) with the #IntentionalPiecingBook #TellMeAStoryQuilt hashtags and you'll be entered to win a super cute bundle of fabrics.  See @duringquiettime on IG for details.

G I V E A W A Y !

Fat Quarter Shop and I are teaming up to give away one really fun bundle of fabrics called "Joyful Carousel".  This 15 fat quarter bundle was specially curated by Pat Bravo ~  I fell in love with the colors and thought you might like it, too.

To enter for a chance to win, please leave a comment below telling me about your most recent fave project finish ~ I'd love to know what you've been sewing lately!  This giveaway is open to all.  Comments will close next Wednesday, May 18th at midnight, and a winner will be announced shortly after.  Best of luck!

xo amy

hello Playground

I am so very happy to announce my first full collection with Art Gallery Fabrics: Playground!

{ click here to see bigger swatches with names and colors }

Inspired by childhood memories of Ring around the Rosie, tire swings, the sandbox, jumping rope, hopscotch and four square, he loves me (he loves me not), and Fruit Stripe gum (that I wasn't actually allowed to chew because that was "sugar" gum).  I went old-school in my thinking for this collection, hailing memories of when the playground was mostly made up of tires ~ giant tires that four of us could crawl into and hide in, or the little tires that we jumped across.  That and the black top are what we had in elementary school just before the awe inspiring "playscape" came on the scene ~ these wondrous structures our children play on now.

I hope you like this collection as much as I do.  

Playground won't be hitting stores until July, but I've received strike-offs and am busy sewing samples for my booth at Quilt Market in Salt Lake City, this May. 

My first project was a zippered tote bag, and no I haven't written a pattern for it.  Yet ;)

And my second project was a cushion cover that I absolutely love.

This cushion was inspired by Debbie of Happy Little Cottage, who made a beautiful runner last year after she saw a pic of an old vintage quilt.  I looked and looked online for the name of this block and maybe you can help me(?), but I've guessed that it must be a variation on the Old Maid's Puzzle block, but set on-point.  So many people have already asked me on Instagram for a pattern, I said that I would make a simple one-sheet and here it is.  Download the PDF here.  It looks like this:

I hope this little one-sheet helps.  And I really hope you fall in love with Playground like I have.  This is just an introduction, there will be so much more to share as time goes by! :)

xo amy

beautiful and new | winners!

My husband and I can be terribly practical, like deciding to ignore Valentine's Day ~

So it was really fun to receive some actual valentines in the mail this year from my friends, Renee, Stacy, and Lauren.  (I guess you guys just love me more?!)  Hee hee, thank you sweet friends!

 

 

Does that look amazing to you?  It's Art Gallery Fabrics latest introduction: The Denim Studio.  Read all about it here and find it at shops now.  As soon as I received mine, I used textured denim, solid smooth denim, and Coastline fabrics to make this cute clutch.

The little leather patch?  I made that using a leather stamping kit from Michael's craft store ;)

 

 

Made a few more nine patches on Mia's clothes quilt, and of course I had to share.  There's just something about the process of turning her old clothes into something beautiful and new that feels so good!  Here are a few tips that might be helpful if you're at all interested in this kind of project:

• prewash the item, otherwise stains may emerge when you press.
• the first cut is always the hardest.  I know.  But it gets really easy once you start.
• cut as close to the seams as possible to get the most usable fabric
• even a 12 month baby girl's dress yields so much more fabric than you'd imagine (start snipping!)
• fussy cut around major stains but consider using the pieces with minor discolorations.  I think of it as added character.
• occasionally add in a piece that has a pocket, button placket or tag, just for fun.
• don't discount ruffles or even wide hems ~ these can be pressed open and used occasionally if there isn't a fade line down the crease.
• make the first cut.  Storing those clothes in a bag in your closet really isn't a better idea!

 

 

Congratulations to the two winners of the Paperie Blog Tour giveaway:  LeAnne K and Kim Fernald.  You'll each be receiving a fat quarter bundle of Paperie from me and a $25 gift certificate to Fat Quarter Shop (courtesy of them.)  Thank you to all who entered and who have been so kind and supportive of my first Limited Edition collection.  I am thankful for every kind word.  

xo amy

Paperie Blog Tour | the happy ending

Whew!  You guys!!!  What an amazing gift this blog tour has been for me... to see everyday all the beautiful creations made using my Limited Edition collection with Art Gallery Fabrics: Paperie.

 

{ Notes for all pics above can be found here. }

 

 

I wouldn't want you to miss a thing, so here is a recap of all the amazing projects from the Paperie Blog Tour (with direct links).  Please visit the maker's blogs ~ this is such a talented crew of sewists and I know their work will inspire you!

• Heidi Staples of Fabric Mutt made a Stationery Kit.  Tutorial follows on her blog.
• Kerry Goulder of Kid Giddy made Bubbles the Paperie doll and her tiny Co-Pilot bag.  A Tutorial follows.
• Cheri Lehnow of 'Tinker With This' made the True Love Pincushion and embellished Paperie Tags.  Both include tutorials.
• Sharon Holland of Sharon Holland Designs made two adorable "baprons" and shows how to appliqué with knit.  Pattern linked.
• Jemima Flendt of Tied With a Ribbon made a Cotton Reel pincushion and an Undercover Maker Mat.  Patterns linked.
• Michelle Curtis of Chelle's Quilts made a gorgeous quilt and a Paperie planner.  Planner tutorial follows.

• Christina Egner of One Little Pooh created a Paper Hearts Piano Runner, a cross-stitch bunny pillow and a needle book.  Patterns included.
• Ali Brorsen of Because of Brenna sewed little girls dresses, pants, a little boy's tie, a pennant, and heart wand (tutorial included).  All patterns are linked.
• Kristine Lempriere of Townmouse stitched up a little girls top and skirt.  Patterns can be found at her online shop.
• Nicole Young of Lillyella made her Undercover Maker Mat and a Love Story mini quilt, all patterns are available and linked.
• Lori Landenberger of Sew Psyched created an English paper-pieced Pillow of Lerve.  Three tutorials follow.
• Jennifer Chon of Sunny In Cal made a beautiful quilt, pattern is linked.

• Melissa LeRay of Oh How Sweet made a Moda Love quilt.  Pattern is linked.
• Megan Jimenez of Quilt Story Story made an original embroidered mini.
• Faith Essenburg of Sarana Ave. created two pillows, a mug rug, and heartstrings garland.
• Renee Lange of Sewn With Grace created an original quilt, mice and bed, and a mouse house purse and a baby blanket.  Some patterns linked.  
• Sedef Imer of Down Grapevine Lane created ornaments and a doll quilt.  Doll quilt pattern will be published in her book, coming soon.
• Kristyne Czepuryk of Pretty By Hand made a trio of "Amy's Pretty Pockets", pattern available on her website.

• Heather Andrus of Quilt Story Story stitched up the sweetest unicorn friends.
• Stacy Olson of Stacy Olson Design made a gorgeous HST quilt and a skirt.
• Erin Cox of Why Not Sew? created a portfolio and clamshell pencil case.
• I stitched up a Paperie + Pure Elements quilt top called "True Story".

 

 

For my blog tour project I chose to work with HST's (half-square triangles).  I mean, originally I tried doing Half-Rectangle Triangles but it didn't go so well.  Me and the HST were just meant to be, I think. ;)

I made this quilt top using all the Paperie prints + 6 Pure Elements in these colors:

I'm calling it my "True Story" quilt.  And if you look very closely there are a few extra fabrics in there.  Those were cut from my kids old clothes but they blend in really well.  So many thoughts were racing through my mind while making this quilt top ~ I'm not kidding when I say I really enjoyed it.  And actually it was a sloooowwww process of sewing a few HST blocks together, putting them up on the design wall (a cheap fuzzy backed tablecloth), standing back ~ squinting, thinking about what colors I wanted to use next, arranging, rearranging, and then sewing them together.

Once upon a time, I had thought I would do full columns of the same colored blocks.  Quickly, though, I realized I preferred a much more random, more free-flowing arrangement of the HST's.  It may appear to be a very modern quilt, but I was deeply inspired by quilts of old.  And the point at which I decided to add in a few of my kids clothes was when I was really digging deep into my thoughts about antique quilts and quilt making a hundred years ago ~ about how quilts were always made with "recycled" fabrics back then.  There was no such thing as "quilting" fabric,  no quilt stores, no carefully pre-matched collections of fabric ~ a quilter used what she had on hand and when a particular color or print ran out, she simply continued with something else (similar or not).  So, it's in that nostalgic mindset that I made this top.  Although there is a very studied arrangement to my blocks, you'll find no pattern there.  Look as long as you like, I promise no pattern can be found.  And some may find that kind of "arrangement" disconcerting ~ I am so so pleased with my quilt top and I'm sending it off to Norma immediately to be quilted.  I can't wait to get it back ~ to bind it and wash it.  OH a freshly washed quilt.  I've really never been so excited!  True story. 

Thank you so much for following along the Paperie Blog Tour.  If you've made it this far, of course there is a happy ending.  I have a giveaway for you!  Please leave a comment below telling me which project you'd love to get started on right away.  I'll award two (2!) random winners each a fat quarter bundle of Paperie (including a half yard cut of Gathering Blooms) plus a $25 gift certificate to Fat Quarter Shop (where you can find Pure Elements on sale this month)!

Thanks to Fat Quarter Shop for co-sponsoring.  This giveaway is open to all.  Two random winners will be chosen.  Comments will close Wednesday, February 24th.  Good luck my friends!

The end. ;)

xo amy 

Paperie Blog Tour kick off | the week in pics

Very excited today is the start of the Paperie Blog Tour!  Twenty-one old and new friends sewing with my first fabric collection to inspire you (and me!)

And we're kicking off with the very talented Heidi Staples of Fabric Mutt, author of the book, Sew Organized For the Busy Girl.  Go see what she stitched up and enter for your chance to win a Paperie love letter!

 

January 25 ~ Heidi Staples of fabricmutt.blogspot.com

January 26 ~ Kerry Goulder of kidgiddy.com

January 27 ~ Cheri Lehnow of tinkerwiththis.blogspot.com

January 28 ~ Sharon Holland of SharonHollandDesigns.com

January 29 ~ Jemima Flendt of tiedwitharibbon.com

January 30 ~ Michelle Curtis of chellesquilts.com

February 1 ~ Christina Egner of onelittlepooh.net

February 2 ~ Ali Brorsen of BecauseofBrennaClothing.com

February 3 ~ Kristine Lempriere of townmouse.typepad.com

February 4 ~ Nicole Young of lillyella.com

February 5 ~ Lori Landenburger of sewpsyched.blogspot.com

February 6 ~ Jennifer Chon of sunnyincal.com

February 8 ~ Melissa LeRay of ohhowsweet.com

February 9 ~ Megan Jimanez of quiltstory.blogspot.com

February 10 ~ Faith Essenburg of saranaave.wordpress.com

February 11 ~ Renee Lange of sewnwithgrace.com

February 12 ~ Sedef Imer of downgrapevinelane.com

February 13 ~ Kristyne Czepuryk of prettybyhand.com

February 15 ~ Heather Andrus of quiltstory.blogspot.com

February 16 ~ Stacy Olson of stacyolsondesign.com

February 17 ~ Erin Cox of whynotsew.blogspot.com

February 18 ~ Amy Sinibaldi of nanaCompany.typepad.com

 

{ the cutest handmade mouse quilt and buttons and lovely things sent to me by Alisha Orlando.  If you love the buttons as much as I do, contact Alisha at Instagram: ministryoffabric }

{ "Love is All Around Coaster" sent to me by the lovely Anorina, who graciously offers the pattern free on her blog: Samelia's Mum }

{ gifts from Chiara including pretty buttons on button cards I designed for eHow.  You can find the button card printable here. }

{ beautiful new AGF fabrics arriving just in time, as I write my second book. }

{ Paperie Log Cabin Mini inspired by this one: made by Christopher, the Tattooed Quilter }

{ my desk, after being tidied up }

{ inspiration pic for a project just wrapping up }

{ when you've only got 5 minutes to sew... take it. }

xo amy

LookBook

One of the things I've loved about Art Gallery Fabrics all these years is the LookBooks they create for all new collections.  The LookBooks showcase all the new prints displayed in fun projects and offer project details where possible.  The Paperie LookBook came out today and I hope you'll go take a peek. 

Of course, I made many of the items in the Paperie LookBook but the ones I'm most proud of are two dresses I stitched up most recently using Paperie yardage.  I made one for Olivia and one for Mia using their favorite prints, Manuscript and Eponine.  Here are a few shots from our photo session...

Here's a closer look at Mia's pocket(s):

p.s. I've got countless, countless pics of Mia sticking her hands into these pockets lifting that dress up to her chin.  ha ha!  Mia.  I kept having to yell, "Mia, put your dress down!"

xo amy

Paperie at Fall Quilt Market 2015 | Recap

In the days leading up to Quilt Market while preparing for my very first booth for Paperie, I spent little snippets of time working on non-market projects just to keep myself sane.  I found these sweet paper gift boxes at JoAnn's and think they're too pretty not to share.  Don't they remind you of the gorgeous favor boxes at Laduree? 

I filled these up with favorite fabrics and sent some off as thank you gifts to the girls who hosted the Sweetly Stitched Sew Along.  I can't wait to fill some boxes with Paperie fabrics, soon!  (p.s. Paperie fabric ships to shops this month!)

And in the spirit of lovely boxes, one of my very first makes using my strike-offs were these awesome boxes using Amber Crawley's square box pattern.  If you enjoy English Paper Piecing, you'll enjoy making these boxes as the technique is quite similar.  (Find all of Amber's patterns here.)  Love love love.

It wasn't easy, but little by little I began to cut deeper into my strike-offs to make samples for my Paperie booth.  Above was a sneak peek at a doll quilt I made.

A "Little Granny" quilt made using Stacy Olson's pattern: (get it at her Etsy shop).

I made a little zakka holder (I will be writing the pattern) to make sure my booth had a whimsical piece in it.

As I was dwindling down to the last bits of my fabric, I enjoyed making little things like this tray á la A Spoonful of Sugar.

I fell madly in love with this drawstring bag made with my "happily ever after" print.  (Pellon "shape flex" gave the bag such great structure.)

I bought a few props and made a few tags with the smallest of scraps just for fun.  I did some paper crafting...

I didn't have time to take pics of all the things I made for Market ~ it was like a tornado at my house.  But it all came together for my booth...

The adorable knit baby clothes were made by friend Melissa of Oh How Sweet.

And every person who walked by my corner went straight to this wall to touch this dress.  So soft.

The awesome book stack "Paperie" quilt was made by my dear friend Jenn of Sunnyincal.  It received the most compliments out of everything at my booth ~ because, yeah, Jenn rocks.  Everything else was made by me, but I'd like to say a big thanks to Norma of Petit Design Co. ~ she had the frantic and delightful task of quilting my pink quilt and doing the binding for me as well, and then shipping it to me in Houston as I was running that late.  Of course.

As for the experience of Quilt Market?  Well.  Do you have a bottle of wine and a chocolate cake and a few hours to spare?  Because not only was it my first booth, but it was my very first time experiencing Quilt Market at all and I think I felt every emotion possible during the process.  I love this pic of me and the girls below (you know, Maureen Cracknell, Pat Bravo, and Sharon Holland) ~ because I couldn't have done it without them.  And my husband.  I have so much love for these people.  

It was most definitely a whirlwind with a concentration of experience that I've been trying to absorb and dissect ever since.  I suppose I've never before felt like I was on stage and yet my booth sort of was... a stage, which was exhilarating and nerve-wracking at the same time.  Of course everyone I met was so nice.  And I knew that those five days would have quite an impact on me.  I'd been told it's an emotional rollercoaster ride and "they" weren't kidding.  I think what's most important is that I've come home from Market with a very clear idea of where I'd like to go on this creative journey... and that I know I'm surrounded by exactly the people I'd like to journey with.  And that is a very good feeling.  Indeed.   

Then I got home and before I could blink it was Halloween.  

At the age of three, I finally got Mia in a costume and that made this Halloween especially fun.  (Get this "Trick or Treat" art and other adorable printables at Ink and Bobbin on Etsy.)

We had a Pirate Mia, Mad Hatter Olivia, our friend Olivia as Alice, and Nicholas the Headless Horseman...

Ever the little nut, here's Mia cracking us up with her favorite Pirate poses (???).  And the truly headless horseman, ewww.  Hope you had a spooky fun Halloween!

Goodbye October.  Hello November!  My favorite month of the year :)

xo amy

hello October

It's still hot here.  And humid.  Hot and sticky humid.  So have I mentioned I'm really excited about the month of October coming and bringing with it some cool weather for boots and sweaters and scarves?  Also, hello October!  This year ~ for the first time ever ~ it means Quilt Market in Houston.  I'll be there at my booth for Paperie with Art Gallery Fabrics and I'm so excited!!! (nervous, panicky, and thrilled... all at the same time!)

 

  

A few of my projects are in Make It Yourself magazine right now... have you seen?

I made this pillow using scraps from different lines of fabric.  The black dots are from Hello Bear by AGF.  Both the red stripes are Bonnie and Camille.  The colored dots are from Robyn Pandolph for RJR, and the postal stamp fabric is a remnant and sadly I don't have the info for it.  I love how they styled this pic.  Find the pattern for this "Patchwork Pine" in the magazine!

This oven mitt was made using Little Joys fabric by Elea Lutz for Penny Rose Fabrics.  Elea's fabric designs just kill me.  They are so classically sweet ~ just like her.  And p.s. my friend Kristyne has a project in the mag, too ;)

{ The three images above were used with permission from Make it Yourself™ magazine. ©2015 Meredith Corporation. All rights reserved. }

Make It Yourself (Fall/Winter 2015 issue) is at newsstands now!  Or you can download it here.

 

 

Wilmington, North Carolina is such a charming town.  Renovated brick factories, quaint shops, on the water...  (If you go there, be sure to check out the crepe place in town.  You're welcome.)  I flew there last weekend to teach at the Swapaholics retreat and had a blast with a fun group of truly sweet, talented, and giving women.  I didn't bring my camera and I wish I did, but as it was my first experience at a sewing retreat I'm sure I won't forget it.  (If you'd like to take a peek, check out #swapaholics on Instagram.)  And, although I only participated in one swap, I got some handmade goodness from several women that I heart and admire ~ so each of these things are special to me.  Thank you Jennie, Renee, Jamie, Gina, Nicole, Linda, Katmama and Cheri ~ so excited to have something from each of you! 

And I have to shout out that I was especially touched by the bunny that Renee made just for me.  It literally brought tears to my eyes... just look at the Paperie heart (talk about creative and thoughtful)! #bigloveforthatgirl

p.s. now that the retreat is over, I'll be releasing my pattern for the "Well Traveled" sewing book soon!

 

 

Congratulations Wendy!!!  (Wendy who wrote: "Looks like a cute book with cute idea's. Something I really would enjoy. Thanks!")  You've won a free digital copy of Erin Cox's new book, Sweet Tweets!  We'll be in touch to get you your prize :)  

 

 

When I returned from Swapaholics, I came home to a box of fabric containing strike-offs for my Limited Edition line Paperie.  Wow.  My name on the selvedge?  A dream come true.  And this isn't even the final product.  Little tweaks and fixes happen once strike-offs are examined and then the designs are printed onto AGF's luxurious pima cotton. 

And I now have the ability to tell you that cutting into and sewing with your own fabric is pretty sureal.  Pairing it up with linen in your first project?  Of course!  Gah.  This is fun.  

xo amy

Paperie ~ see the full collection!

No more sneaky peeking, no more teasing... it's all out there, girls!

Get a good look at Paperie, my Limited Edition collection (yes, all ten prints!) with Art Gallery Fabrics in their new Fall 2015 LookBook... click here to see.  Seriously, go check out every print!  And so many other gorgeous designs coming your way from the AGF family.  I'm truly in love.  

After you've checked out the LookBook lemme know what you think?  I've been so excited and nervous about this, I'd love to hear what's your favorite print?

xo amy

Sneak Peek: Paperie

Ready for a tease...

Here's a taste of what you can expect from Paperie, my Limited Edition collection with Art Gallery Fabrics coming out this fall!  So excited!  Are you ready for more?

xo amy

one last bit of summer sewing: Mendocino!

Here's a pic that only we can appreciate, I realize.  How many times do you look at your trimmings and think, 'gosh they're so pretty!  I know!  So this one's for us.

Over the summer I had a little secret sewing project and now I can finally reveal it!   Windham Fabrics is reissuing Heather Ross' gorgeous line Mendocino next spring, and they sent some over my way to play with.  I made a quilt!

A simple quilt, made of 20 nine-patch blocks with sashing.  Instead of white, I used Windham 1930's Ivory solid for the sashing and I love how warm it looks.  (The nine-patches are made of half-square triangles, and each HST unit measures 3".) 

Basically this quilt is a study in color.  And it's a cozy 43" x 53" ~ so the perfect lap quilt.  If I were to do it again, I would make the HST units larger, maybe 5" each, in order to see more of Heather's fun prints and make the quilt larger.  But I love this little cutie.  Gotta love Mendocino ~ look for it in shops March 2016! 

xo amy

p.s. Make sure and come by tomorrow for a fun sneak peek at my new fabric collection with Art Gallery Fabrics:  Paperie!

The secret's out xx

You guys!!  I'm so excited!

Today I am a fabric designer.  Happy day!  It's better than a happy day, it's ~ oh, I can't even tell you ~ it's just a dream come true.  This morning,  Art Gallery Fabrics announced me as a new Limited Edition designer~ joining a dream team of artists doing the most wonderful things with fabric.

If you'd like to get more of the juicy details and see a teensy SNEAK PEEK AT MY COLLECTION, head over to Art Gallery Fabrics: The Creative Blog.

I'm off to celebrate!  (insert confetti, fireworks, and bursting heart emojis here)  

xo amy!!!

Zakka Workshop coin purse kit giveaway

hello!

Just wrapped up my big summer project and I'm so happy I could scream and shout.  The big reveal will be coming soon and I can't wait to share with you.  Soon.  Like, really soon!

Have you seen these cute purse kits available at Zakka Workshop? 

This is one I made over the summer.  The kit includes the hardware and full instructions on how to make one.  Then you can purchase just the hardware if you'd like to make more.  And there are other styles.

I put together this little set for a small giveaway.  You'll get the purse kit of your choice (pick one style) and I've got a fat quarter of the cute L-collection fabric and a few wooden labels added in just for fun.

Just leave a comment here.  Tell me what fabric you've been working with this summer and what you've been sewing... I'm in sewing withdrawal right now!!!!

This giveaway is open to all (international friends included) and comments will close Wednesday, August 26th at midnight.  One winner will be chosen randomly.  I look forward to hearing about your summer sewing!

xo amy

Sweet Liberty

There was a very small, untidy shop in a rundown strip mall near where I lived years ago.  And in that shop there were three rolls of Liberty of London lawn.  I didn't know what it was at the time, but I bought yards of what they had and now keep them hoarded away from my regular stash.  They're prints I've never been able to identify.  I'd wanted to bring them to London last trip, but in my whirlwind of activity ~ forgot.  Maybe next time.

Today, I have a small but growing collection of Liberty Tana lawn.  Small by my estimation ~ about 25 half or quarter yard cuts and a bunch of scraps.   I recently came across Sew Sew n Sew, a darling shop on etsy that carries Liberty and Atsuko Matsuyama and cute cross-stitch patterns.  It's basically a little slice of heaven for me, though items ship from Hong Kong ~ which is the price one pays for the best of the cute stuff.

So, I got all these lovelies from Iris, at Sew Sew n Sew, but it's the Liberty that's got me all excited and suddenly I only want to sew with Liberty! (Because Liberty makes everything better!!  Right?!)

Have you seen some of my latest projects on Instagram?  (Come follow me.  I'm @amysinibaldi)  I've been so enjoying the Instagram quilt-along #MySmallWorldQAL ~ sewing Jen Kingwell's pattern "My Small World" from the Spring 2015 issue of Quiltmania.  It's a fun pattern, full of small pieces that won't ever bore you and it's based on one of my favorite rides at Disney (my husband proposed to me on that ride!)  I haven't been able to make much progress yet, but I love what I've got so far.

I can't wait to get back to this.  Are you quilting along?  Check out the hashtag on Instagram for more details if you'd like to join.  I also started another "My Sweet Home" mini quilt and here's a sneak peek at my progress:

On a completely different note, I recently got the chance to talk with Stephanie Kendron on her fun podcast, Modern Sewciety!

Here's the link, if you'd like to listen in!

P.s. For those of you asking about my Toshie Ishii cross stitch pattern cards that were put out by Lecien, those are virtually impossible to find now.   Ask me how, I know, but I did find one ~  Superbuzzy carries the baby pattern as well as a ton of other cute cross-stitch patterns.

xo amy