Fresh Figs

Hello Houston!

So here I am in Houston for the 9^th or 10^th time I think. I guess I would have to count back to be exact but if it hasn’t been that many times, it certainly feels like that many! The weather is, well… the epitomy of Houston weather. It feels like it is almost 90% humidity and it is forecasted to thunderstorm at the same time. Hope that gives a good feel for how much weight we are all going to lose this weekend nothing more than standing here and sweating!

If I haven’t already given it away a hundred different ways till Sunday [is that even a saying?]… I am showing my first retro kid’s line this Market. I have been so excited to do a kid’s line even though my munchkins are mostly a bit too old to enjoy the fabric and the goodies we’re making from it… the youngest of our brood is in heaven! If she thought it was all for her before, now she is actually right!

The collection is called Whimsy. And although it is a kid’s line, it is also versatile enough to be a fresh, stand alone Fig Tree line, blending perfectly with all the other lines before and after it. If you remove the 2 more clearly “kid” prints-the rest of the line is classic fresh vintage Fig Tree! So really it is like having 2 lines in one and I am very excited to see how people respond to it when the reps start showing.  A few little birdies have told me that the early reviews on it have been great so we can only hope that the rest go that way too. It is a bit nerve wracking to do something a bit different after so many successful years of doing more classic floral based collections. Why fix it if it isn’t broke, is always my motto right?  So I’ll keep you posted on the feedback.

 

Here are a few fun shots of the newest pattern to support this line, Whimsy Fresh. It’s a kid’s room ensemble pattern with some new unique styles of quilts, really fun use of the Snuggles fabrics, floor daisies, bed and floor pillows,  “puffy” quilts and more.  Makes me wish I was a kid again….

To see a few pics of another one of my favorite new patterns, Jelly & Jam, go on over to the Jabber....

Talk to you soon.

Alden Lane & a little sneak...

Alden Lane Outdoor Quilt Show in Livermore, CA......

This was our beautiful scenery for 3 days!

 

As a featured artist, we had the honor of having 40 quilts hanging in these 100 year old oak trees throughout the nursery. To say it looked stunning would be an understatement. The combintation of the oaks with the lines and lines of quilts hanging as if in their branches... amazing to see!  

Thank you Alden Lane Nursery & Alex Anderson for the wonderful weekend!

Given the angles and the sunshine.... very, very difficult to photograph. So here are just a few....

And for those of you hoping for some pattern sneak peeks... here are a couple of shots of one of the new bag patterns... Prairie Rose....

Talk to you soon.

Snuggles!

I only have a few minutes before I sneak off to bed earlier than I probably should... but I thought I would try to continue my daily sneak peeks.

Let's all keep our fingers crossed and maybe miracles will happen!

I am currently working with one of the specialty fabrics in my upcoming line. Snuggles are exactly what they sound like... they are soft, cushy, creamy, plush, roll around in it yummy. 

Better still they come in most of the main colors of the new line- billowy cream, buttercream yellow, grass green, soft tomato red and seafoam aqua!  

I have to tell you that my kids keep sneaking up into the studio and snagging the rolls of yardage so they can play with them when I am not paying attention. These rolls are getting more action in our house than any other fabric ever has!

a simple kid throw we're making with the Snuggle for the booth...

Talk to you soon.

Off to Alden Lane Quilt Show

Jelly Girl

Taking a little break from the sneak peak photo bonanza tonite and prepping my materials to teach a class tomorrow at the Alden Lane Outdoor Quilt Show in Livermore, CA. I will be teaching angles, diamonds and angled blocks made easy from my Jelly Girl, Jelly Stars, Sweet Sugar Swirls & French Kiss patterns.

This unique show is kind of a Northern California legend, started and sponsored for years by Alex Anderson and a beautiful local nursery and garden center. Each year a huge variety of quilts are hung in 100 year old oak trees throughout the gardens. Quilts include those of the two featured artists along with other local quilters. The nursery is decorated for fall and the result is pure quilting magic!

Classes are completely sold out but the show itself will continue throughout Saturday & Sunday and will be showcasing 40 of my favorite quilts! 

I am honored to be a featured designer at this event and so will also be leading a garden tour for anyone interested in taking a walk through the gardens and hearing about my quilts. If you haven't already signed up, come join us as I think there is an unlimited amount of spots for the tour event on Saturday.

And besides that, it should be a beautiful day with beautiful quilts, booths and yummies!

Jelly Stars

French Kiss

Talk to you soon.

Outtakes...& goldfish

Many of you have emailed me asking what on earth I've been going on about fish for....

Well a few months ago when I was finalizing designs for this new children's collection, the idea to make a goldfish came to me. I figured it would be a fun, simple little softie that would accompany the line and the colors perfectly. 

Well, famous last words as they say.

I guess there is a reason there aren't that many fish softies out there... 7 prototypes later, a lot of foul language, many different changes, additions & suggestions and way too much time.... we present Stanley!

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

Thank you for all the sweet comments & emails about the pattern & mostly about the model! Don't feel like you need to comment on her again... but here are a whole series of out takes from yesterday's photo shoot. 

At this point, I think we are done with kid photo shoots for a while... at least until next week's pattern finishes!

In terms of the fish... well its actually more like Stella when you think about it, but nevertheless Stanley it will be. Ella has already chosen the aqua version. Believe it or not, but the boys as old as they might pretend to be, both also want one!

Can you believe that Stanley has already has his photo taken 223 times? That's one popular fish I tell you. And just fyi, it will be a while before I attempt another animal....

Talk to you soon.

Let them have Hats!

Today has been all about hats around these parts. You will laugh, but tomorrow is going to be all about fish... just wait and see, its definitely a first.

One of our brand new THREADS patterns is for matching mommy & girl sun hats. But let's be honest, I am certainly not going to put my head on the cover of a pattern if I can at all avoid it. So today for 3 hours we shot the model de jour! Since the boys wouldn't be caught dead in a sun hat, that only left one person ready and willing.

 

And although I do certainly love the results, photo shoots with the munchkin are always surprisingly fun and exhausting at the same time. Thank you to everyone involved for their patience & creativity!

Here are a few of the pics.... several of these are on the pattern cover. The rest will go to the in laws! 

This last one is easily my favorite. In order to distract her when she was getting bored, we asked her how many toes she had on her feet and so of course she promptly started to count them on her fingers! Here she is up to toe number #2 I think. Sweet moments in the midst of work, deadlines & insanity.

p.s. glimpses of the new fabric in pic #4...

Talk to you soon.

Sunwashed

Okay, poking in for a minute again. Here is one of the latest. Its gone to print and will actually be ready for Market. I think it might easily be my favorite of the group... of course I'm not quite done yet.



And of course "she who believes that all quilts I make are in one way or another for her" made an appearance during the photo shoot for this one.... too bad her shirt didn't match or she may have well ended up in the final picks.

Hope you are having a great September. Mine has disappeared somewhere. As if we didn't all already know. Back to the sewing machine. If all goes well, more sneak peaks tomorrow!
Talk to you soon.

Just for a bit....

I'm popping in just for a bit...

I have disappeared into the depths of my studio once again.... I am sure you all know why. Market is right around the corner and thus I have been in that alternate universe of fabric, design, sewing machine and directions, lots and lots of directions. One of my gals remarked the other day that I don't seem to leave my studio except to eat and play with my munchkins... I think she might be right!

Market falls early this time around, really early and the fabric is late this time around, really late! Crazy combination.  See... I am speaking in 2 word sentences, what is that about? Only awake and productive by means of Starbucks!

I can share a tiny peak of one of my upcoming patterns, entitled Cameos..... that's it there behind the office door. Its a honeybun pattern and its really fun to make. Will have one to show you made from Mill House Inn [this one you are seeing] and one from the new line, Whimsy [that one doesn't quite exist yet]! 

Stay tuned. I think tomorrow my camera will be charged & maybe it will find its way to the yummy stack of brand new lovelies on my studio floor.

Talk to you soon.

A Fab Giveaway by FQS

Fig Tree Club

I am sure you remember me telling you about the new Fig Tree Club that is starting this fall in local quilt shops and online stores alike. We have started with 20 fabulous venues that are listed here on the blog at the top corner of the left sidebar. Each shop is absolutely fabulous in its own right and has a great program set up to have the club work at their particular shop!

If you haven't had a chance to sign up yet, be sure to look on that Club list to see if a shop near you is participating before the club meetings start early this fall! 

Whether or not you have signed up yet, you should check out the FQS blog today. They are having a great giveaway of Mill House Inn yummies as a way of promoting their Club. You don't want to miss it!

                  This is the FQS giveaway prize here below!

                   Have fun and hope you win the goodies!

Note #1: If you are one of our valued shop customers and especially one of our Club shops and are doing a giveaway or special promotion, please let us know and we would be happy to blog about it to help spread the word! We want to promote all of you however we can! 

Note #2: If you have not been able to find a local quilt shop near you or a favorite online store who is participating in the club, we will be adding a whole new group of stores in late October. This next set of stores will be starting with the Spring '10 project.

Talk to you soon.

School & Pumpkins and such

Well, my munchkins started school yesterday... all 3 of them! A lot of emotional firsts for us in the Fig household... first kindergarden day for Ella, first day back in 3rd grade with the same beloved teacher as last year for Zack and the first day of a brand new school in the 6th grade for my oldest, Ben. It looks like they all weathered it much better than I did and are quite excited to go back again tomorrow... 

...a few moments on the front porch before walking to school. Oldest had to leave earlier so managed to escape the mandatory first day of school pictures....I love the fact that she still sits like that and just doesn't care. In fact she will show off those Dora unders to anyone who will listen!

Me on the other hand would love to just stay on the couch and watch a long marathon of some wonderfully cheesy old show like Remington Steel or Magnum P.I.... with a glass or 2 of wine. Why is it that they are just so much more resilient than we are?? I tell ya, I am never going to make it into their teenage years!

On the Pumpkin front....

Look to see what has popped up in the latest Better Homes & Gardens Special Interest publication? The Halloween Tricks & Treat 2009 issue is on stands as of yesterday and contains this wonderful ad sponsored by the one and only  MODA Fabrics.

 I know, I know why anyone would want to look at this much face of one person is still a mystery to me!  But after an entire day of shooting 478 different shots of me and this pumpkin stack, lots of advice from my lovely friend and lots of emails to this amazing marketing guru, we finally settled on this shot. A little photoshop magic and we were good to go. Thank you ladies!

Talk to you soon.