Kaffe Fassett's Sew Artisan! eBook

KAFFE FASSETT SIMPLE PATCHWORK AND FASHION IDEAS

NOW IN NEW EBOOK

© Tony Bartholomew/Turnstone Media

Kaffe Fassett, the master of color whose career has influenced the worlds of fashion, needlecrafts and quilting, along with FreeSpirit Fabrics are pleased to introduce Kaffe Fassett Sew Artisan!  This first-ever EBook for Kaffe, is filled with simple, yet bold, patchwork quilts, clean-line fashions and easy-to-make accessories, showing quilters and sewists how to mix and match his newest fabric range, Artisan.

Within the 72 pages of this EBook, Kaffe effortlessly weaves his 100% cotton two-color print, hand-dyed batik, yarn-dyed woven and Ikat Artisan fabrics into everything from simple patchy quilts and cushions to casual table fashions and even a child’s tent.

“My Artisan fabrics were something I had dreamt of creating, inspired by my travels to ethnic markets where I witnessed how people used the fibers and textiles of their regions to create beautifully hand-crafted works.” said Kaffe. “In Sew Artisan! I bring together these different types of ‘ethnic’ fabrics, and show you how they can be sewn together to make quilts, garments, and accessories.”

This EBook offers 14 projects featured in four-color photography with step-by-step instructions plus tips and techniques which encourage the quilter and sewist to appreciate and embrace the different characteristics of combining these stunning fabric from the Artisan range designed by Kaffe Fassett for FreeSpirit.  For instance the “kantha” stitched whole cloth quilt is backed by a silky, smooth blush Ikat, allowing the heavier-weight quilting threads to easily pull through all layers while adding a luxurious feel and drape to the quilt. 

“The idea of combining together different fabrics is hardly new: ‘make-do’ and ‘waste not’ are patchwork ideals. In Sew Artisan! you will see that these fabrics offer an opportunity that is well worth exploring,” said Kaffe. 

The Sew Artisan! EBook is downloadable for $14.99 (US) by visiting http://www.freespiritfabrics.com/sew-artisan  A print on demand version is also available for $19.99 (US) plus shipping and handling.

To learn more about Artisan by Kaffe Fassett for FreeSpirit, visit www.freespiritfabrics.com.

About FreeSpirit

FreeSpirit is a brand under Westminster Fibers, Inc., a division of Coats plc, and is one of the leading brands offering high quality fabrics and well-known for its creative, unique fabric designs and talented, trend-setting artists. FreeSpirit offers some of the finest fabrics in the market to inspire sewing creativity and speaks to a new generation of sewing enthusiasts.

About Kaffe Fassett

Kaffe Fassett is a world-renowned artist, textile designer, and author, and his use of color is widely regarded as visionary. His work has been exhibited at museums worldwide, including the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. He is a fabric designer for FreeSpirit and the author of more than 30 books. He lives in London. For more information, see his biography, Kaffe Fassett: Dreaming in Color, or visit kaffefassett.com.

The Artist UnSEWn presents Love & Friendship by Verna Mosquera

20 years ago I began two romances. One was my love with my husband, Miguel and the other my love of quilting. They both started at the same time. I took my first quilting class the month I got married back in 1996. It seemed only fitting that in 2016, which marked the 20 year anniversary of both I’d commemorate my journey through a fabric collection. These romances both inspired LOVE & FRIENDSHIP.

I truly believe that one thing cannot exist with out the other. You find a certain friendship in those you love and often a love for those you are friends with. Miguel and quilting were no exception. With both, it started as an interest, then soon became a friendship and not long after a love to last the ages.

I met Miguel walking down the street in a beautiful place called Punta Del Este, Uruguay. We became fast friends sharing stories of our childhoods, the places we had visited and those we longed to discover. For years we corresponded through letters until I returned to Uruguay in the early nineties and lived there for over a year. Our friendship consisted of walks on the beach, dinners at outdoor cafes on hot summer nights and winter afternoons watching foreign films. He was very well read, so articulate, quite brilliant, extremely witty and pretty darn handsome too! It was not a wonder after a year our friendship turned to love, one that has endured. I was so lucky to marry my best friend.

My romance with Miguel brought tremendous travel. The places we longed to discover became reality as we began to travel the world together. We visited so many cities in Europe, Canada, South America and eventually the United States. With each trip our love and friendship grew and I gathered artistic inspirations in color and design.

Just a few of my favorite moments:

Indulging in flan on a rainy afternoon on the beaches of Punta Del Diablo, Uruguay

Renting and riding bikes through the trails in Whistler, Canada

Sight seeing and enjoying tea in the Cotswalds, England

Summer evenings eating gelato as we crossed the Ponte Vecchio in Florence, Italy

Enjoying tapas and taking pictures in beautiful San Sebastian, Spain

Not long after we returned to the US, I took a quilting class as a New Years resolution to learn something new in my artistic life. What began as a curiosity, quickly turned to passion and the creative fire has never stopped. It led me to work in a quilting store, teach classes & eventually start my own pattern company, The Vintage Spool. When I attended my first quilt market I met Donna Wilder, founder of FreeSpirit and have been designing fabric for FreeSpirit Fabrics ever since.

With Miguel by my side I have had the opportunity to work as an artist while we raise our two boys Milo, 15 & Nico, 12. Starting my own business with Miguel as my partner has allowed me to be with my children every step of their young lives. Days can often get crazy as I wear many hats but my friendship with Miguel has endured and without him it could have never happened. He’s always been supportive in any way I needed. Doing everything from the books for The Vintage Spool, to loading vans for trade shows, to being Mr. Mom while I have traveled to teach.

While our recent journeys are closer to home we still often enjoy a day out antiquing together. He gets a kick out of old tools and I go crazy over vintage quilts, French ribbon and unique glass buttons. Our home is an eclectic mix of treasures usually up-cycled that we have found and spruced into something fresh and new. We never tire of being together. He is usually sitting alongside me on the couch as I stitch my newest designs in the evening. 

It’s amazing how far we have come in our romantic and creative journey. Miguel still makes me laugh, his shoulder is always there to lean on when times are tough and I haven’t gotten tired of looking at his handsome face. The love and friendship we have shared has been the most amazing gift in my life. It has been with his support that I have grown into the artist that I am today. Because of our love I am empowered to share my creativity with others through my Vintage Spool patterns and my collections for FreeSpirit.

LOVE & FRIENDSHIP is available from your favorite local quilt shop or online retailer in eight different prints and three color ways. I hope it will inspire the romantic in all of you.

View Love & Friendship HERE. Download our free Quilt Pattern HERE.