Sew It Seams

Garden Gifts by Gil-Jin Foster

by Gil-Jin Foster

Gil-Jin Foster has created a beautiful garden setting, complete with adorable gardening girls, potted plants, flowers, butterflies, watering cans, birds bearing gifts and friendly bees and dragonflies.  The main panel can be used as one piece or cut into individual blocks. 

 

The wide border stripe and sweetly stitched patchwork offer many project possibilities.
A simple  stripe and a tonal daisy round out the group.

Click on the swatches to see the entire collection. 

This collection is perfect for girls and tweens, with easy projects to make a bedroom warm and welcoming.  Adorable for children's outfits as well!
This outfit was made by Terry in our Sample Department, from Kwik Sew pattern #3698.

 

 

Here is the free quilt project for this collection, made by Elizabeth Allocco.

 

Next up, this adorable Bunny to enhance your garden….it’s a gift!

Soul Garden by Carolyn Gavin

Soul Garden by Carolyn Gavin has a very Flights of Fancy feel about it.  The whimsical flowers and beguiling butterflies are highlighted in two prints within the collection.

Three different kinds of flower prints support the group:  very contemporary, classic calico and fanciful tone-on-tones:

Click here to see the entire collection

We have two quilt projects we’re offering, each with a very different style.  Both are free downloads from our web site.

"Soulicious Stars" by Alison Tudor



"Joyful Blossoms" by Heidi Pridemore

  Here are some other ideas to spark your imagination:
 This cute owl is called “Max the Owl Pillow” by Virginia Lindsay
from Gingercake Sewing Patterns & Design on Etsy. 
http://www.etsy.com/shop/ginia18

These outfits are all designed by Zozobugbaby, www.zozobugbaby.com.

The adorable dog is “Pogo – A Little Person’s Best Friend” soft toy sewing pattern
by Tictac & Toe on Etsy.
Dog - Soft Toy Sewing Pattern

What kind of fantastic creativity will this collection inspire in you?!?
  

Guest artist Janet Broxon

Janet Broxon has designed quite a few luscious fabric collections for P&B.  Her current collection, Gypsy Wind, features rich colors, textures and swirling artwork.  We asked Janet how she gets her ideas and a few other questions as well.

WHERE DOES YOUR INSPIRATION COME FROM?
I think inspiration always comes from a little bit of everywhere and everything. All the nature I’m surrounded by in Maine, shopping, art festivals, museums, traveling, research, all contribute.



DO YOU HAVE AN ARTIST WHO INSPIRES YOU?
There is probably a little bit of influence in Gypsy Wind from one of my favorite artists, Paul Klee, but also Folk Art from around the world: Indian, Aboriginal, Mexican, African, etc.

HOW DO  YOU GET STARTED DESIGNING A FABRIC COLLECTION?
Most of my collections have begun with a piece of my art or illustration that I’ve already completed, with lots of patterning within, from which I create a main print. Working with a designer from P&B, we then pull out a lot of coordinates or come up with new ones that will complement.


YOUR COLLECTIONS SOMETIMES HAVE A TROPICAL FEEL.  WHAT WOULD BE YOUR DREAM VACATION?
Given that it is winter now in Maine, I usually crave some place very warm, possibly tropical with beautiful beaches and known for a vibrant colorful culture with great food. That could be a lot of places I guess. I wouldn’t be terribly picky.

CURRENT FAVORITE BOOK OR MOVIE?
In this category there are so many favorites. I’m currently on “The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet's Nest,” the third book of the trilogy by Stieg Larsson . These books contain a bit of everything: murder mystery, love story, family saga and corporate and government corruption.

CURRENT ART/CRAFT PROJECT?
I’m getting more interested in mixed media collage. I like to create art using a wide variety of materials including bits of fabric from my collections. I also recently acquired a sewing machine, so I am anxious to get creating some fun but more basic sewing projects like pillows, bags, wall hangings and scarves.

FAVORITE FOOD?
I love all kinds of food but my favorite is probably Mediterranean style, pastas, paellas, feta cheeses and olives etc.
Now there’s a topic for the next fabric collection!
 

Gypsy Wind by Janet Broxon

Janet Broxon has been a very prolific designer.  Her many fabric collections with P&B have always been strong, dynamic groups with gorgeous artwork, rich colors and metallic accents.  Her latest collection, Gypsy Wind, is no exception, and it has some exciting additional elements artfully thrown in.

 

 

 

Here is what the full collection looks like (click on the swatch)
 


We received so many great ideas for quilts that we produced several.
Click on the quilts below to download free patterns!

Here’s one by Heidi Pridemore using the pink colorway.

This one is by Elizabeth Allocco, using the blue pieces in the collection.




Janet Mednick used both color combos for her quilt project.

We found a lot of great projects beyond quilts as well.  Here are some of the ideas that we had.



The pinwheels you see were made using the directions in the tutorial prior to this blog entry (scroll down to see it!)


The dress is really terrific.  It uses the gradation stripe that goes from green to blue – it’s all one piece of fabric!  The dress pattern is McCall’s #M4817.


We also made a lot of pillows, using various patterns, or just winging it!

How does Janet Broxon get her inspiration for all these great fabrics?  We asked, and we’ll give you the answers!

Easy pincushion project

Here’s a fun and easy pincushion project – great for your sewing table, part of a gift basket or a quick, cute beginner lesson in hand and machine sewing.  We’ve made it in two sizes, and you can make whatever size you want. 

Here are the instructions for the smaller size:

Start with two pieces of fabric cut 10.5” x 3”.  Machine sew them, right sides together, down one long side with a ½” seam allowance. 

Open them up and press the seam allowance to one side.  Fold the piece in half lengthwise, right sides together, and machine stitch across the short end.
Using a thick thread, hand stitch large stitches down each long outside edge (we used black thread so you can see them).  Leave the threads hanging loose on each end – no knots! 

With wrong sides out, carefully pull the hand sewn stitching on one thread to gather the fabric  as tightly as possible.  Tie off the threads on the inside of the pincushion.  There should be no open space.  Turn the project right side out.  Stuff the pincushion with batting or the filling of your choice.

Gather the hand sewn thread on the opposite end and tie off as before (you will have to tie it off on the outside, but then you’ll hide the knot).
To create the flower, download template to cut out 5 petals.  The edges will be raw, so you might want to pink them.

Use the thick thread to hand sew the short straight edge of the petals all together as one piece.


Gather these petals the same way you did with the pincushion, tying off the knot on the back side.
Make a fabric button with matching or contrasting fabric (you can buy button kits at craft stores).
Center the flower on top of the pincushion and hold it in place.  With a long needle and about two feet of thread, insert the needle from the center bottom, all the way through the stuffing (you can squish it down as you push the needle through) and come up through the center top, and through the center of the flower (leave one end of the thread dangling out from the bottom).  Loop the needle through the eye of the button and go straight back down through the top of the flower, through the stuffing, and come back out on the bottom.  Experiment with pulling the threads tight on the bottom, to make the pincushion as plump and as short or tall as you want it, and then tie off the threads with several knots.  Bury the thread ends back into the center of the project.
Voila!