Now, it's time for everyone's favorite part of our monthly "portrait of a designer" series. Val told us all about how her two, adorable young daughter's inspired her latest fabric collection Cocoon (26 cotton, 7 linen and 7 voile SKUs, delivering in April). Then our blog tutorial diva, Melissa Peda, gave us some awesome inspriation with her Easy Peasy Pillows. Valori also offered a handy shopping tote project, perfect for doing your part to save the planet.
Now, the moment you all love so much. It's time to share the beauty and vibrancy of Valori's Cocoon collection. According to her, "For myself as an artist I feel like I am coming out of a cocoon. Finding my path and my balance with my work, my family and myself."
How do you find balance in your life? Does your quilting and sewing give you the needed relief from reality and send you into a creative, stress-free world? Tell us about how your sewing helps you tranform your life or the lives of other, much like a butterfly emerging from its Cocoon. Two commenators will be chosen at random to win six, one yard cuts from each substrate -- 2 for Cotton, 2 for Linen and 2 for Voile (that's six total if my math is correct)! Winner's will be announced here on Monday, April 30.
The rest of my life is very packed - with computer work, driving, organizing the family etc. Sewing gives me a chance to live in the moment, to just slow down and concentrate on one thing, where my mind is not working in a million directions. It is definitely something I need in my life.
ReplyDeletei like to sew and quilt for charity, because it gives a nice meaning to some of my projects. but i also use my sewing time for myself as a break from doing something for everyone else, because that time is just mine. it is part of balancing being a mom and a wife, and it is also an important part of who i am, and learning to expand my creativity and skills.
ReplyDeleteSewing is a haven for my. A time to be creative and remember that this season of night time feelings and potty training accidents will pass soon too. It is also a time I use to mostly create for others. It has been a way not only to give but a time to teach my older children the value of giving.
ReplyDeleteFor me, quilting is therapy. I always sleep better if I've sewn something at the end of the night. It helps me relax! My favorite thing is to make baby quilts as gifts... the look on people's faces as they open one is priceless. christina112358 at gmail dot com
ReplyDeleteTese are gorgeous! Hope you pick me.h
ReplyDeleteCreating is a necessity in my life for balance and happiness. I always find a way to fit my creative expression around work and family (but sometimes the dusting suffers). Often I make gifts for people and it is such a pleasure to see their happiness. Thanks for the chance - this is an incredible giveaway - wow!!
ReplyDeleteThank you for the chance to enter and win beautiful Cocoon prints and try out the new-to-me substrates. Quilting absorbs my mind as when concentrate on the sewing I think less of my health ailments and pain. I do it in small increments and take breaks to check blogs like FreeSpirit's. Your fabric lines are always inspiring creative ideas in me.
ReplyDeleteMy professional life tends to consist of left brain activities, so to balance that out, I turn to sewing. This give me the creative outlet that I need, so that I can go back to work refreshed. It also sets an example for my grandchildren who think of my scrap bin as a treasure trove.
ReplyDeleteQuilting is my creative outlet. 75% of the time I'm just making a quilt, I have no recipient in mind. Talk about freedom. Plus, when I need a gift, I almost always a a quilt that will do just fine.
ReplyDeleteGrowing up, I loved to sew. Then I got married, had 4 children, went to work and my sewing machine sat idle. But my job is stressful (police dispatcher) and I found myself eating too much and smoking. I needed to find something to do with my hands to quit smoking.
ReplyDeleteEnter sewing: I revamped my attic space and moved in a desk and bought a brand new machine. And I'm having fun and just now beginning to learn how to quilt. I love the "alone-time" and the pride of creating something pretty. I'm ready to start bigger projects, like quilts, that I can gift my family and friends.
Have I quit smoking, no..but I've cut down on my binge eating and I'm not smoking nearly as much as before and I'm hoping by summer's end to have totally quit. My sewing area is a smoke-free zone and that help so much.
shel704 at aol dot com
Sewing & quilting definitely gives my analytical accountant brain a chance to be creative (while maintaining the precision of sewing at a specified seam allowance and giving me the challenge of performing quilt block math).
ReplyDeleteMy limited sewing time gives me the chance to escape from the crazy routines of the day and do something that I want to do. As a stay at home mum I can sometimes forget that I have interests . And although the time is very selfishly my time I use it to make things for others, and I do believe that if I've got a bit of crafting in a day I'm a happier person!!
ReplyDeleteSewing - gives me something productive to do with my time....a quilt is a very nice product
ReplyDeleteSewing - gives me a way to make unique gifts...a quilt is a very nice gift
My quilting time is what helps me relax and I love being able to create beautiful quilts for others. Quilting has given me an outlet for my creativity and allows me to bless others. Thanks for the chance to win some of your beautiful fabrics.
ReplyDeleteSewing/quilting absolutely helps me escape from my everyday craziness! I work full time, am involved in too many organizations and have a husband that has a public job that requires us to go many places in the evening but sewing just lets me have ME time! Beautiful line!
ReplyDeleteGreat giveaway! For me sewing is totally relaxing. My mind will be free of all things that I was thinking about. I can feel my blood pressure lowering.
ReplyDeleteSewing is my passion and "therapy" to wind down from a long day in the corporate world. And most of the time, something pretty comes out at the end! Added bonus.
ReplyDeleteI think sewing really helps balance my life, as many hours a day are spent doing things that don't benefit my household at all. With sewing I get to make things, and feel fulfilled and creative, and that time I spend has something to show for it!
ReplyDeleteThank you for the giveway, I especially like the moth cocoon, those are fantastic colors!
gibbylet(at)gmail(dot)com
Sewing and quilting are such great therapy for me. I can head into my sewing room and turn on some great music, and my mind fills with creativity and purpose. Walking out refreshed with a finished project is always a good feeling.
ReplyDeleteI'm fortunate that I'm retired and have all the time I need to quilt. As a result, I like to spend at least 1/2 my time doing charity quilts. It takes me out of my world and makes me realize the challenges so many others have in their day to day life. I hope my gifts give them some comfort. Kathie L in Allentown
ReplyDeleteWorking as an engineer I do miss a creative outlet - and sewing/ quilting fits right in! Additionally I like to support charities and so it becomes a perfect match. While I may be sitting&sewing in my house 'cocoon', the result is something beautiful and shared with the outside world.
ReplyDeleteThanks for a chance - cocoon is fabulous!
I started quilting when I decided to retire, thinking I would only do a couple of quilts! Are you laughing out loud?? Oh yeah, totally addicted and there are never enough hours to get all the sewing in! Thanks for a fabulous giveaway.
ReplyDeleteSewing is such a joy for me. I just love to play with fabric, so whether I'm quilting or piecing or making a garment I'm happy. When I've had a stressful day I'll sneak away to my sewing room and balance is restored.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the great giveaway! Well, for me sewing is a relaxing activity. I'm able to release my stress at work when I sew.
ReplyDeleteMy quilting is a place where I can make the decision without worrying about how it affects others or what they think. Now I just need a little more confidence to make those decisions.
ReplyDeleteSewing and creating have helped me escape from a world of 4 sisters (younger) and an annoying older brother, when it was just too much!
ReplyDeleteSewing gives me a sense of fulfillment, whether it's making a dress for my mother (2 recently), quilt toppers for charity or little girls dresses, I love making something pretty... the best kind of therapy.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful designs on these fabrics!
ReplyDeleteI have my own room for my quilting, needlework and crafting. My studio. Definitely a stress free zone. Except when it's really messy, like now!
Sewing just relaxes me and takes all the stress out. It focuses my energies and allows me to create something useful and beautiful at the same time.
ReplyDeleteQue lindos!!!Nem sei o que dizer sobre as minhas horas no quarto de costura,na maioria do meu tempo fico só cortando,separando e criando peças que na minha cabeça sempre são pequenas...Ledo engano,quando vou para a máquina me empolgo e quando vejo estão lá:colchas king,almofadas enormes,tapetes grandiosos etc...acho que tenho mania de grandeza.Sou como este sorteio GRANDE!!!!tiacarminhapezzuto@gmail.com
ReplyDeleteSewing is my creative, artistic outlet. The process is just so peaceful and lovely that it helps me destress and, in turn, I enjoy life more. When I can make something lovely for my children or practical and lovely for my home, I feel so good!
ReplyDeleteAs a full time mum quilting and sewing have become my way of maintaining my own identity. I love being able to produce something tangible, pretty and useful!
ReplyDeleteI have been busy creating my stash, my stash of fabrics as well as stash of patterns. I have a couple of Valori Wells coin/pocket patterns that the new fabric will look great in. Thanks for the opportunity to win these adorible fabrics.
ReplyDeleteEverything is so high-tech these days; tactile projects have fallen by the wayside. I love the way fabric feels between your hands as you sew, the pushing and pulling of the needle, watching the thread move and disappear in the fabric, and seeing the finished project emerge. When you sew, you pour a little of yourself and reconnect to others.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the chance to win. Quilting is an artistic escape and wonderful way to share with others. There's nothing better than hearing from someone years later how much they've treasured a quilt given to them. Music to a quilter's heart.
ReplyDeleteBalance. It's just an act. At least for me. I SO wish I had more time to do the things I'm especially passionate about, such as making quilts. Cancer while still too young to quit working really hijacked me from what used to be relatively balanced. Now I struggle to find the energy for the things I love to do at home. But I still keep plugging away. These fabrics are so pretty. I'd love to see them in a quilt.
ReplyDeleteI love the relaxing rhythm of sewing, especially long quilting lines and chain piecing on my machine. It's nice to go for a long time and not have to stop.
ReplyDeleteFor me sewing allows me to sew for my family. They enjoy the things I make for them and I enjoy making them.
ReplyDeleteMy sewing gives me a chance to play with color & beautiful fabric, which I've always loved. I've yet to work with voile, would love to give it a try with some of Valori's lovely fabrics.
ReplyDeleteI have MS. Quilting is my "relax" time. It is my therapy. It keeps my hands and fingers working well and my mind active! There are days I cannot get to the machine, so I work on hexies or take multiple breaks throughout the day. I love to quilt. I love the process from design to completing a top.
ReplyDeleteSewing provides relaxation, stress relief and pure fun. i strive hard in my career and sewing provides an element of real world sanity.
ReplyDeleteSewing is the means by which I relax, ease the stress of a corporate career, and express my creativity. If I could not sew I would be lost!
ReplyDeleteSewing is my go-to stress reliever. My 26 year old daughter recently had surgery and suffered complications. The last few months have been a complicated mess, given that she lives about 500 miles away. There have been scary nights as well as unexpected progress. She will be okay, but she still has a long road ahead. Sitting down at the sewing machine keeps me (and my mind) busy, and gobbles up time when I am anxiously awaiting an update. I usually end up with a wonderful quilt that reminds me that life really is a patchwork of events, good and bad, held together with stitches of love.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the giveaway :) Sewing is such a nice way to feel like I get to finish something with a house full of kids and never ending laundry ;)
ReplyDeleteI also use sewing to relax. It is nice to be able to turn my brain off for a little while and still have something to show for it!
ReplyDeleteThis is a subject close to my heart.
ReplyDeleteAbout 12 years ago during severe illness I was introduced to quilting. It litterally saved my life.
I found hope, friendship and most of all I found passion. Passion generates endorfines and make you happy. Very simple, very important:-)
I live with several chronic diseases - and I live extremely well with them:-) I sew for my self first of all, it is my medicine - I can't sew for hours but it is a great release to enter this creating world where time, troubles and pain dissappears.
And one passion can lead to another, it is contagious. I now also enjoy crewel embroidery immensely and I can think of no better way to spend my time:-)
Sewing is something I remember my mom and grandmother doing and I love that I was able to share the skill with my daughters. I don't know if they will be like me and pick it up later in life as a way to share of themselves or not but at least I know they can mend clothes! I love that I can take small pieces of fabric and create something beautiful and usable and then give it to someone to enjoy. It is one of the few ways I know of that I can give a piece of myself to others and I 'sew' enjoy that.
ReplyDeleteI absolutely love sewing! It gives me such a wonderful sense of accomplishment when I take a design that I have been dreaming about and make it come to life. It fills my heart to see my children dreaming of what they want to create also after watching me sew. : )
ReplyDeleteI'm nearly done with my art degree and while fiber art is my passion, it is lacking in my studies. I sew in my free time in order to keep doing what I love. I have always been drawn to creating and have finally found my place.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was very young needle and thread were my babysitters. My mother worked at my grandmother's in-home sewing business and my sister and I spent our after school time making clothes for our Barbie Dolls and Trolls. Quilting has always been my "Go To" place. it takes me back to that simpler time before life got in the way.
ReplyDeleteI'm recovering from a chronic illness and sewing allows me to forget about all that and create something beautiful that makes me happy. It's a way of escaping the everyday and embracing the beauty, I love it :)
ReplyDeleteQuilting allows me to transform the love I feel into something tangible. I can't find the words to say how good I feel when I send a quilt off to a far-away loved one, knowing they'll soon be wrapped in an expression of my love for them.
ReplyDeleteI love the peace I get from piecing! And I love the beauty combined with utility in the quilts I make for people to actually use.
ReplyDeleteSewing and quilting is my stress relief and has the added bonus of bringing joy (I hope!) to those I give quilts to.
ReplyDeleteQuilting is my relief, I like to paper piece, I just love you fabrics thanks for a chance to win, love the 100 block books,
ReplyDeleteQuilting is my refuge and an outlet to express my need to create!
ReplyDeleteMy grandma loved to sew and I watched her and learned. She had so much fun taking fabric and making quilts for family. I have carried on her tradition of quilting. It is so exciting to create, it relaxes my mind. Thanks for sharing quiltmaker 100 Blocks issue 5, need a new one as the older issues are getting dog eared.
ReplyDeleteSewing is one of my creative outlets because I love the colors and feel of all of the fabrics. Thanks for a great giveaway!
ReplyDeleteOh I hope that I can get in on this giveaway! These fabrics are so pretty! It would be so fun to do a butterfly or bug quilt.
ReplyDeleteI love exploring new ideas and colors. I spend a lot of time looking around and planning and dreaming about a new quilt before I actually start it. When fabrics and designs start coming together, it's like a butterfly out of a cocoon for me, watching my creativity grow. Quilting is a quiet piece of my afternoons or evenings, once I put my energetic little boys to bed at night. It's "me" time and quiet time, music and books on CD as I explore and enjoy my fabrics and skills.
I'm still working on finding the balance in my life. What sewing and quilting does is give me the feeling that I've accomplished something creative and lasting.
ReplyDeleteAh, balance! I like variety, and even need a break from crafting at times. :) It is good to get the creative juices flowing and make something beautiful (hopefully!).
ReplyDeleteI love designing and putting my colors together! I love the expression in quilting. thanks!
ReplyDeleteSewing takes me out of my routine and gives me a creative outlet and giving a gift to someone that I have made myself makes it more personal.
ReplyDeleteSewing is my chance to be creative and to try new things! With a recent move and 3 young ones I haven't been doing it as much as I'd like lately!
ReplyDeleteThis is such amazing fabric!
ReplyDeleteSewing is a creative outlet for me. Currently, I am really into making items for baby because I have one grandchild and another on the way. I have had fun using a number of great prints to make burp cloths, bibs, a wall hanging, crib rail protectors and a shopping seat cover.
ReplyDeleteQuilting is my passion, though illness is preventing my doing machine stitching right now. I also sew small softie items for grandnieces, which are dragged around and well used.
ReplyDeleteFreespirit and associated lines like Rowan, have my favorite designers. Thanks for so many wonderful fabric collections!