QuiltCon only days away! Will you be there?

QuiltCon, February 21-24, 2013 in Austin, TX,  is the first modern quilt show and conference of it’s kind, and will incorporate a juried quilt show (with cash prizes), vendors, lectures and workshops  from top modern quilters, including FreeSpirit designers Denyse Schmidt, Anna Maria Horner, Valori Wells and David Butler as well as Rowan artist Amy Butler.

Will you be there?  We hope so.  If you are, please stop by booth 300, Stitch Lab from Austin, TX, to visit with some of our designers.  They would love to meet you, talk fabric and autograph a book or even your fabric. Snap some photos with your favorite designer and use hashtags #Rowan Fabrics for Amy Butler and #FreeSpirit Fabrics for all others! We will select one winner for each brand to receive a package of fabric goodies! Here is the schedule:

Friday, February 22

Valori Wells, FreeSpirit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm

Saturday, February 23

Anna Maria Horner, FreeSpirit . . . . . . . . . . 9:00 am - 10:00 am

Denyse Schmidt, FreeSpirit . . . . . . . . . . . . 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm

Amy Butler, Rowan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm

Parson Gray (aka David Butler), FreeSpirit . 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm

Even more exciting, FreeSpirit designer Denyse Schmidt is the Keynote speaker the evening of Saturday, February 23.

Comment and let us  know if you will be there. We will!

10 & 10 series continues featuring FreeSpirit Novella Rayon!

Scarves continue to be all the rage, lest we get left behind this fashion forward moment.  Sew4Home puts us in the groove using FreeSpirit Novella by Valori Wells rayon fabric to create this scrumptious, very drapey ruffled scarf.  Make one or a dozen. The instructions are here. Don't forget to keep going back to Sew4Home as this series will end in a huge FABRIC giveaway!  Get sewing!

Erin McMorris, a lover of design, fashion and textiles

Erin McMorris says “If it has a surface, I’ll put a pattern on it.” This is a testament to how much Erin loves design, textiles and fashion and a reflection of her style for FreeSpirit Fabrics. When asked what inspires the whimsy behind her designs, she quips. “I’m a fun, whimsical person so it comes out of me naturally.”

Spoken with pure moxie, a confidence she carries into her most current FreeSpirit Fabric collection. Aptly named Moxie, her newest collection is made up of 24 SKUs of 100% cotton fabric available now at your local quilt shop.

Word bubble trends and a visit to a Lichtenstein Retrospect in Chicago captured Erin’s imagination and helped bring Moxie to life. The graphic shape of the word bubbles and the look of printed comic books translated into three color ways of fun retro-looking graphic flowers, text message word bubbles and emoticons – so today. Black is Erin’s favorite color way.

It’s no wonder the graphic design of word bubbles captured her attention. Erin is a student of textile design who attributes her own “moxie” to the fashion houses and textile studio’s she worked for upon graduating from the University of Cincinnati and the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City. While over the years her style has changed with her designs, more oriented for surface design she still enjoys fashion work. Her fashion work gives her anonymity and the opportunity to try different styles and categories.

The big question is did her love for designing for textiles and fashions begin with her own sewing prowess? “Not likely,” says Erin. Using her grandmother’s old sewing machine, Erin began her crafty career sewing items for her dolls, graduating to a wrap skirt for Girl Scouts. She confesses she was desperate to finish and wear the skirt. “I’m pretty sure that even though it was brown floral that I looked like a rock star. But I’m thankful there are no pictures to confirm or deny.”

Erin’s sewing is not her primary strength however she likes to make thing for friends who are astounded by the idea of doing something by hand. While she will always point out a flaw in her sewing, most people are thrilled and amazed to receive something made by hand. So, with her new fabric and her sewing skills revealed, what does Erin hope consumer’s will see when they touch and see Moxie? “I hope they have the moxie to make everything that can possibly be made in fabric and then remake it again in another color way!”

To learn more about Erin, visit her at www.erinmc.com. View her new collection Moxie in the Preview Gallery at www.freespiritfabric.com.

10 & 10 Continues on Sew4Home; Make this closet hanger safe!

Is this the prettiest closet hanger safe you have ever seen?  Of coure it is because it is made with FreeSpirit Petal Home fabric by Tanya Whelan.  For step-by-step, color illustrated directions, visit Sew4Home and out 10 & 10 Series;10 Designers and 10 Collections to create several how-to tutorials plus an awesome Great Giveaway in the end. See the entire Petal collection here. Make a new years resolution today to expand your sewing creativity and try something new for yourself.

10 & 10 Series Starts Today on Sew4Home

Our friends at Sew4Home bring you truly creative ideas for using fabrics as well as very helpful and educational sewing tips.  Last year we had a lot of fun with Sew4Home producing our Romantic Bedroom Retreat in which we showed you how to mix and match different designer's fabrics and different types of fabrics like voiles and cotton sateens, etc.  We also ended the year with a Holiday Home series offering some fun gift and home decorating ideas.

Now, we are kicking off the  New Year with a brand new series. We've selected 10 Designers and 10 Collections to create several how-to tutorials plus an awesome Great Giveaway,in the end. So get ready to mix it up for the new year, and make a resolution to try something new for yourself. We start with a bold clutch with a beautiful big ball clasp. Dress it up or dress it down. We made three, using six beautiful fabrics from Joel Dewberry's Notting Hill collection for FreeSpirit Fabrics.