Fresh Figs

MARKET RECAP

The whirlwind known as Portland QUILT Market has finished up and we are home digging ourselves out... literally! You would not believe the mess we create around here as we prep for Market!

We have managed to unpack most of our stuff, sent out most of our orders and started to process distributor requests as we speak! We have also taken several long naps... just to be real LOL!

For those of you who have been following along, we hope you enjoyed the ride! For those of you who haven't had a chance to see the craziness that is market, you can take a look at our facebook posts or follow the Fat Quarter Shop gals as they post all kinds of fun stuff about market, schoolhouse and all the other goings-on!

As for us, here are a few shots of our booth. As usual, we didn't get out of our booth much so didn't get as much of a chance as we would have liked to visit with everyone else exhibiting. Hope you all had as great a market as we did!

We apologize for the sometimes ood lighting. You gotta love convention center lights!

.. special note: the carpet in the convention center was bright, bright royal blue. We just couldn't have that in the picture LOL!!

We had a lot of fun showcasing some photography again this time around [back left side of the photo].

 

...  making those FIG TREE letters just about did us in. Let's just say that it was a much bigger and more involved project than we ever anticipated. But I have do have to admit that we loved the result!

.. added in a couple painted ladders and we were good to go. True confessions: we may or may not have painted those suckers the night before market started in a friend's backyard. In the dark. I think if you look closely you will see that it was indeed in the dark! LOL!

... our LOVE YOU MORE quilt was a bit hit. Here it is in MODA BELLA SOLIDS, clover and snow with snuggles on the back. Pretty sure that this is the one everyone will be fighting over at home. That is as soon as it comes out of the box!

 

... thinking of making the LIFESAVERS runner into a baby quilt. It would be perfect 3 x 3 blocks and a couple borders!

... the ONE PIECE BAG was a huge hit! I can't even tell you how many times I opened the pattern to show store owners how simple it is to contruct. Really! We think you all need to whip one up for the summer. Perfect pool or beach bag. I will be using mine this weekend!

Hope you enjoyed the shots. We will have more pattern showcases coming up so you can get more detailed info about each pattern.

Also stay tuned for a fun pattern announcement tomorrow!!

Honeysweet Pattern Showcase: One Piece Bag

Okay... I have to rave about this bag a little bit... 

I don't know if you know but some of our most popular patterns over the years have been bags. We have an EASIEST BAGS EVER series with handbags, totebags and accessory bags in them and they are basic and are accessible to make and easy to construct so that people who are afraid of bags won't be intimidated.

This here back really should have been a part of that series due to its simplicity but its name was just turning out too long LOL!

It really is one rectangle with a handle loop sewn to it while it is still flat. It is then folded up and the 2 side gussets are pinned in and sewn. That's it! True story. 

We really think you might want to try it!

... its the perfect size, not too big and not too small.

... the handle can be made long or short depending on how you like to carry your bag.

 

... the hardware we used included a magnetic snap and bag "feet" so that it doesn't get dirty when you set it down. That's it!

... here's my own personal one with one of all time favorite prints from TAPESTRY.

 

PATTERN INFO

NAME: The One Piece Bag

SIZE: The bag measures app. 12" x 17"  across the front not counting the depth or the handles.

FABRIC: The main fabric used is the large floral from our upcoming HONEYSWEET collection. The one I am holding is the aqua leaf print from TAPESTRY along with the orange from that same collection. We will also show some pictures of a version we have made out of MODA Dotties and a few others next week.

ETC.: Pattern will be available in both printed and pdf form by the end of today!!

Hope you are enjoying the "reveals". So far we have shown you CHERRY PIE, CLOVERS & JAM, HEXIES, PAINTED LADIES AND ONE PIECE BAG.

 

Honeysweet Pattern Showcase: Painted Ladies

When we first started working on these little blocks, we were "smitten" - does anyone even say that anymore??- with how fun they were to make and how quickly they came together.

We started with a table runner, that quickly became a bed runner and was eventually also made up as a quilt. A few of these blocks together would make a great wall hanging, table topper or a wonderful lap quilt for a little girl!

We decided to name the pattern PAINTED LADIES because here in our hometown of San Leandro we are home to thousands of migrating Monarch butterflies every year. They cover trees and bushes and fly in swarms in several of the parks and golf courses in our area. They return every year and apparently sometimes fly hundreds of miles to get here. Each year we pile the kids in the car to go and watch them. They are mesmerizing.

I know that technically Monarchs and Painted Ladies are not the same butterfly but the name was too lovely to pass up... and they do almost look exactly the same!

... this is the Honeysweet version with one of my favorite prints in the border.

... the full, flat HONEYSWEET version.

 

... a little butterfly detail.

 

... this is the table runner, turned bed runner created from a mix of AVALON and TAPESTRY fabrics. Love the combination!

 

 

... bed runner again draped over a chair.

 

PATTERN INFO

NAME: Painted Ladies

SIZE: Comes in 2 sizes, 58" x 66" lap size and a 24" x 83" bed runner [which you can of course make a bit shorter for a table runner]. 

FABRIC: The two collections shown are HONEYSWEET for the first photos and a mix of AVALON and TAPESTRY for the runner. A Layer Cake was used for the lap size and 1/4 yds or fat quarters for the runner size. Charm packs can also be used for a more scrappy look.

ETC: Patterns will be available by the end of day today!

So far we have also debuted CHERRY PIE, CLOVERS & JAM and HEXIES. Just scroll the previous posts to see those brand new patterns.

Honeysweet Pattern Showcase #3

When we found out our new collection was having those brand new yummy little hexagon packs with it, we knew it had to be something cute and small and did I mention cute?

Introducing HEXIES, our new mini "thread" pattern made from the new MODA HONEYCOMB packs. Actually one pack can make up to 5 HEXIE bags! 

... on our samples, each piece both inside and outside is a different hexie and thus a different fabric. So much fun to play with.

... embellished with a simple snap and an outer button, each purse has its own little personality.

 

 

... they are a bit addicting to make. Kinda like eating potato chips.

PATTERN INFO

NAME: Hexies

SIZE: The purses measure app. 3" x 5" across the top, when stuffed. The gusset on the side is about 1 1/2" deep.

FABRIC: These are all made with the new MODA hexagon pack called HONEYCOMBS from our debuting collection, HONEYSWEET. The template is included in the pattern so you can of course cut your own hexies!

ETC: The pattern is coming back from the printer any day now and they patterns will be available by the end of this week!

So far we have also shown you CHERRY PIE and CLOVERS & JAM. See here and here.

Let the Patterns Begin!

Hopefully you have already gotten a glimpse of our new CHERRY PIE pattern, here. I am in love with that one at the moment, although the others that I am about to start showing you are not far behind. 

In fact, this might be one of my all time favorite jelly roll patterns we have done. It is so simple and graphic and yet so much fun to make and it showcases the fabric perfectly!

Introducing CLOVERS & JAM [since Clovers and Jelly just didn't sound quite right LOL!]

... styled version of the HONEYSWEET version. Perfect for a quick fall project this upcoming September!

 

... detail of the block and the quilting.

 

... flat shot of the full quilt.

 

And since we always like to make up the new patterns in both the upcoming collection that we are debuting [HONEYSWEET in this case] and the current one, here is the AVALON version of the same quilt...

... tried some channel quilting this time around for a more modern, fresh look on this AVALON version. Love the result!

 

 

PATTERN INFO

NAME: Clovers & Jam

SIZE: 71" x 71"

FABRIC: As mentioned above, the first shots are all of the HONEYSWEET version perfect for the fall, we think! The second version is made from our current AVALON collection out in stores now. 

ETC: The entire quilt can be made with one jelly roll, background and a border! You gotta love that!! The pattern will be available and up on our site by the end of the week [ or maybe sooner if all goes well] in both printed and pdf format! Yeah!!

Note: We will have a VERY few kits available of the AVALON version of this quilt in the next couple of days so keep your eyes peeled if you're interested! 

Getting Ready...

As usual, the week before Market is a flurry and frenzy of activity around here. No matter how much earlier we think we will be ready, there is always stuff to do at the end that can only be done... well, at the end!

We have been showing lots of little sneak peaks on facebook over the last couple of weeks so if you havnen't visited or "liked us" there yet, you might want to head on over and check it out!

We have 9 new patterns to debut in Portland at Quilt Market next week and we are hoping to have them all done and off to print before we leave. Several of them are already done and waiting to be stuffed into baggies as we speak! Yeah for having some things done early this time around!!

The first pattern we let you peek at is possibly my favorite this time around. Of course you know that the second I say that, I will have another favorite take its place LOL!

The CHERRY PIE pattern was such a hit in our office that we decided to kit it early out of our AVALON fabrics and they have been selling like crazy! We have just made up our last batch of kits and put them up on the site so if you have been waiting or thinking, now is your chance!!

Go HERE for kits.

Here are a few shots of the yumminess that is CHERRY PIE!

... you gotta love the yummy quilting in those fabulous white spaces!

 

... flat shot of the AVALON version.

 

... love those cherries. I am starting to think of putting these blocks on all kinds of things this summer... pillows and a table topper to start!

 

... flat shot of the HONEYSWEET version.

PATTERN INFO

NAME: Cherry Pie

SIZE: 63" x 80 [blocks are 9" x 9 3/4" each]

FABRIC: The styled sample above is made from our AVALON collection with a bit of TAPESTRY thrown in for variety. The flat shot at the end is made up from our upcoming HONEYSWEET collection that we will be showing in Portland.

ETC: These cherries can easily be made with 1/4 yds. or fat quarters as well. The background used is either MODA BELLA SNOW or the cream tone on tone that comes with our collections, either AVALON or HONEYSWEET.

The kits are available now. The pattern will be available in another few days in both printed and pdf format!