MODA LOVE BLOG TOUR: FIG TREE DAY
September 05, 2014
... we are anxiously awaiting the arrival of our newest collection, Somerset, in late September. We can't wait!
WELCOME TO FIG DAY ON THE MODA LOVE BLOG TOUR!
If this is your first time visiting here, welcome! My name is Joanna Figueroa and I have been designing fabric for MODA for over a decade now [wow that makes me feel a bit old!] and patterns for my company Fig Tree & Co and Fig Tree Quilts [over 200 patterns at this point... yikes!] for more years than I want to admit to :-). I also write books, travel to teach and teach online at Craftsy!
If this is your first time joining us for one of these fun tours, you are in for a treat! For each QUILT MARKET [Houston each October and various Spring locations in May] the designers who attend Market get together and create a special project for our SCHOOLHOUSE event [an educational event for store owners at Market] that we then share with you the following season in a blog tour. It is a wonderful way to see what everyone has been up to and what the new fabrics are. If you haven't been following along yet, you might really want to [and not just because there will be wonderful GIVEAWAYS on each and every stop on the tour]. HERE is the link to all of the designers on each day. Today I am joining the fun ladies from Basic Grey and Pat Sloan.
As always, the amazing brainchild behind these themes, ideas and projects is the amazing MODA LISSA. She knows way too many "interesting" things about all of us designers after all these years of working together so we just do whatever she tells us :-). We love her so much. MODA LOVE!!!
QUESTIONS
Question: When did you fall in love with quilting/textiles?
Answer: The year that I was married, we moved to a new town and I had a bit of extra time on my hands while I was working on my Masters degree. It was that year that I found and bought my first vintage quilt at a yard sale & signed up for a quilt class at our local "mall". I have no idea what made me do it in that particular moment other than I finally had a bit of time but I was hooked from the very first moment! I had admired textiles for a long time before that but that was definitely "the moment" of my conversion!
Question: When I teach workshops, I love...
Answer: it when people use my patterns in totally and completely new ways and with different fabric choices. It makes me feel like I "did my job" if I can see the cross over between my designs and completely different styles!
Question: What is your favorite MODA precut?
Answer: Most definitely a jelly roll. The jelly roll has inspired me to do so many new and different things that I don't think I would have ever tried had it not been for that little roll!
Question: What fuels you to create?
Answer: Its an addiction. I really can't help it. Seriously. People ask me all the time if I ever run out of ideas and I kind of laugh. I always have WAY MORE IDEAS THAN I HAVE TIME TO MAKE THEM. EVER.
VIDEO
Speaking of great ideas, here is a special little VIDEO from Market with some tips that I wanted to share with you about piecing strip sets and cutting angles! I know these are some basic tips but they have proven very, very useful to me over the years! Thanks Josh!
PATTERN
This time around, we all worked with one simple pattern that did such a great job of showcasing each and every newly debuted collection. HERE is the pattern if you want to try your hand at your own version. You can literally do it in one aftermoon, it's that straightforward!
... our Somerset version and my friend Cynthia's Somerset version with a red floral border.
We made our version from our upcoming SOMERSET fabric and backed it in our favorite butter yellow snuggle [see above]. Yum! I know this is going to be one of those quilts that the kids fight over simply because of the backing [we sell it on our site if you are in search of some].
As for the rest of us here at Fig Tree, well we got a little carried away...
... From the top left: Fig Tree greens and reds for a Christmas version, Honeysweet, Mirabelle, all Seafoam prints from several lines including Mirabelle, Fresh Cottons, Buttercup and others. Each one feels so very different!
But then we thought about MODA LOVE and about spreading it. So I challenged my monthly sewing group to choose some of their favorite Fig Tree collections and make one of their own. We had so much fun! MODA LOVE those ladies so much!! Thank you Laurie, Cheryl, Diana, Cynthia, Maggie, Mary, Anne, Patty and Joanie!
... Fig Tree Fresh Cottons, a mix of lighter Fig Tree prints, Kate Spain's Honey Honey and a mix of Fig Tree jewel tones.
We had so much fun each choosing a different Fig Tree fabric collection or themed grouping for each quilt and sewing up a storm. Since all the ladies "took" all of the latest collections that we had Layer Cakes for, I decided to make one from my all time favorite Kate Spain grouping, Honey Honey. Serious MODA LOVE with these quilts!!
Some more about what we've been up to...
MODA LOVE: MY FAMILY
We took some time off this year to do some travelling with the family [get ready for a post about our most recent trip to Mexico soon]. As the kids get older it is getting more and more real that we won't have them here with us forever and want to enjoy them while we have them. Some of our trips have inspired new fabrics and products for me at the same time. I am nothing if not a crazy multi-tasker!
... Hawaii
... the British countryside
... Mexico
MODA LOVE: MINI QUILTS
We have been totally and completely bitten by the MINI bug! We just added 2 more patterns this summer and are working on several more for Market!
And the latest two...
Oh my goodness, these are so much fun to make in between larger projects!
MODA LOVE: AURIFIL
Working with Aurifil this year has been more fun than we could have imagined and we are eagerly awaiting our new AURIKIT fabric/thread kit coming this month. To see the really exciting things that are happening with that kit, click HERE.
MODA LOVE: Somerset Patterns
Our newest pattern releases to accompany SOMERSET are some of all time favorite quilt patterns ever!
Navajo Stars [possibly one of my all time favorites]...
... hint, hint.... we are making this into a Halloween kit in the next week or so. Stay tuned!
Homestead in the Fresh version.
Sweet Sixteen in the aqua version.
and possibly the most perfect quilt to be making in the upcoming months, TWIRL. All made with 1 Jelly Roll!
MODA LOVE: What's Coming Next!!
Even though we love all of the goodies that we have shown you, it is hard not to look forward to what is coming too. We are debuting a new line in Houston this October and it is called Aloha Girl. Gee I wonder why!? There are some new colors and some new goodies in it. Stay tuned for more on that as Market approaches...
GIVEAWAY
So for all those of you you who have managed to read that whole long thing... to enter the GIVEAWAY, comment and tell me how many times I mentioned MODA LOVE and what Fig Tree pattern is next on your TO DO LIST or WISH LIST!
SALE
Throughout the TOUR, we are having a crazy PATTERN SALE. 20% off all patterns !!! Just enter the code MODALOVE during checkout! Shop HERE!
Thanks so much for playing along!