Sewn Studio Summer Swap

It's been a while since I participated in an online swap, but this one did not disappoint. My buddy Heidi organized it for Sewn Studio, where I used to work part time before moving from Cincinnati. Oh man, do I miss that place! So even though it was online and anyone could participate, a lot of the swappers were Sewn customers. 

When I got my partner's info, all she specified was that she liked both modern and traditional stuff, and she didn't like girly purples and pinks. But she also said she really likes baking and canning, so I decided to make her a table runner. It's shown here as a wall-hanging, which it could easily be used as, if she's not into table runners.

My mom and I have been working on a quilt together of all the Anna Maria Horner fabrics my mom bought at her studio when we went to the MQG Sewdown together in April. (I neglected to blog about that, but it was amazing- workshops with Carolyn Friedlander, Victoria Findlay Wolfe, Angel Walters, and AMH, plus dinner music and studio tour at Anna Maria's home here in Nashville. So wonderful!) Anyway, there were a bunch of tiny scraps from that project that I just started sewing together into improv-y little patchwork panels. Then I decided to add Essex linen in steel (I think?) to make them into modern crosses with slight variations on size and positioning.

It's one of those projects that just grew organically without a clear plan and I absolutely love the end result. Every time I sew that way, I enjoy it so so much. I don't know why I don't do things like that more often. Sometimes it feels easier to just reach for a pattern and follow it without having to think too much, but really, when I take more control of it myself and put more thought into the design, it's that much more pleasing at the end and all though the process.

The back is just the leftover patchwork bits along with bigger pieces of True Colors. The quilting is wavy organic lines with my walking foot, and the binding is a Julianna Horner print from Joann. I love how well the mother/ daughter fabrics go together! This one was a little difficult to send away, but at the same time it always feels good to send your best out for a swap partner.

I also whipped up a quick Heather Ross zipper pouch and stuffed it with scraps to send along. (Cutting measurements: 12"x5.5" and 12"x4.5 contrast for the outers, 12"x9" for the lining and interfacing, and a 3" wide boxed corner.)  This is my go-to pouch size for gifts.

The day after I finished up my swap items, I got my amazing package in the mail from Amanda. I could not believe all the work she put into my gift, and she picked the perfect fabrics for me from the Indelible collection. Plus I was so happy to receive from Amanda, a friend I know from Sewn. The bag is the Senna Tote by LBG Studio, and it's a GREAT tote. So roomy with convenient outside pockets- this one will get a lot of use Amanda, so thank you!

Ombre Strip Quilt

Wanted to pop in real quick to tell you guys about a quilt I just finished for Sewn Studio. I don't normally share my store samples here with you, but I wanted to let you know about this one because well, I'm excited about it, and because we have kits for this quilt top available for an awesome deal. AND we will ship them if you are interested!

I wish I could say I came up with the simple and stunning design, but that was all the boss, Julie. Brilliant!

The rainbow ombre strips are cut from Klothworks yardage we just got in, and you won't find these kits any where else. The quilt finishes at about 40" x 66". It's nice that you only need 2 yards of backing and 1/2 yard of binding to finish this one up! 

Go to the Sewn Studio blog to read more about the kits and how to order them by phone. 

ETA: the online shop portion of the website is not running. If you want a kit, just call 513-321-0600 to order. 

I'll be back tomorrow with another project of my own to share!

Fall Fabric Sneaky Peeks

(Business first: The winner of Wednesday's Peekaboo pattern giveaway is commenter #45 Rhonda D. Congrats! I'll be emailing you!)



If you are new here, you may not yet know that I work in a pretty little fabric shop called Sewn Studio. (See some of my pictures of it here.)

As if it wasn't fun enough to work in a place filled with great fabric and people who love sewing, sometimes there are extra special perks. This week, that meant getting to be in a meeting with the Freespirit rep and see all kinds of fabric lines that haven't even previewed online or at Quilt Market yet.

I thought you might enjoy seeing just a little of what I saw, although there aren't tons of pictures. It was just what I could snap on my phone while trying not to be too annoying to my boss, who was actually trying to make thoughtful decisions about ordering all this stuff.

This is Joel Dewberry. Collection is called Notting Hill and I think it's due out in November. There are two other colorways, but this was my favorite and I think it may be the one we ordered. I love the plaid and that art deco-ish print that's above it. And how fun are those scandinavian looking round flowers?

Valori Wells. I totally missed the name of this, but it's got really great color combos. Love the yellow flowers, and REALLY love those tear drop-ish prints in the upper right corner. (Sorry, hard to see those.)

 New Parson Gray by David Butler. I like that he used a lot more of the warmer colors in this one. Those overlapping circles are very very cool.

Very excited by this one! It's Jay McCarroll. (Again, missed the name of it.) Of course I love the city buildings and maps. Plus the pops of hot pink are killer. But I'm most drawn to that print in the upper left corner. I need to make myself a garment of some sort in that one. 

And we got to comb through the actual fabric samples of Anna Maria Horner's Field Study, which you've probably already seen and is due out next month. Totally had that Moonrise Kingdom feel that I'm so in love with right now. And of course, the genius-level AMH use of color you've some to expect.


If you follow me on Instagram, you saw these in real time on Tuesday. I'm pretty addicted to it now, so if you fancy following me on IG, I'm alittlegressica.



One more thing to share in Sewn Studio news- we are having a giveaway on our blog for one Figgy's pattern of your choice. Enter here.


Have a great weekend! I'll be sewing and hopefully pooling :)

I Work In a Pretty Place

You heard me talk a lot about Sewn Studio during the contest, but I don't think I've ever shown you much of it. (You'll have to excuse the sorry iPhone pictures, which don't really do it justice.) They were just so supportive of me, it reminded me how blessed I am to work with people who really get the whole sewing obsession.

 Isn't that a pretty apron Rachael made?

Reading lounge 

Solids corner- a personal favorite as far as corners go. 

All dots. (and my chevron pinwheel quilt, the kits for which have sold out thanks to a recent Pinterest bump. Sent to Canada even!)

Can o' laminates

All the Oliver & S patterns, neatly tempting me from one place.

And right now you can see all my PR&P creations on display in the window! It's really cool to see it there in my own neighborhood when I drive by the shop all the time. I should really add "have a window display of my work" to some sort of life list or something so that I can retro-actively cross it off :)

Have a great Memorial Day weekend everyone!

So I was in the news for participating in this bizarre new trend called sewing

This is actually a really great feature on the shop I work in, Sewn Studio. It just opened in February, so people in the community are still finding out about it all the time and press like this is great. 

But it's just so funny to me that they make sewing sound like this weird, archaic lost art form that's just now becoming trendy. I mean, I know the whole handmade movement has been huge in recent years, but haven't people always sewn? My mom and grandmothers did it, but now I do to, so there was no generation skipped. Maybe I just have a different perception of it now that it's such a big part of my life. And I tend to be pretty un-self aware about some things, so maybe people my age do think it's really very weird that I sew. But I would still like to think that it's one of those skills that has always been around and always will be. We think we are such modern and trendy sewists with our modern fabrics, but won't the things our daughters make look completely different? Will they think of us as traditional old fart sewers? Of course they will, because that is the cycle of things. The point is, people will always be sewing and making things for themselves and their loved ones. Even when it is easier or sometimes cheaper to just buy something.  

Someone came in the other day to sign up for a beginners class and we actually had to tell her to wait until the September schedule came out because all of the beginning classes for August are already full. She made a remark about sewing being such a great thing in this economy or whatever. But I don't really think people want to learn how to sew because gas prices are high so they have to put the squeeze on their clothing budget. (You guys know that fabric can be a much more expensive addiction!) I think they just want to put their hands to good use. How many people actually make a living manufacturing anything anymore? Not a high percentage. We all have great minds that we put to great use behind computer screens, which is all great and necessary. But hands want to make something, something that can be touched and used and called good. Sewing is just one way that hands get put to good use, but it's my way. 

Geez, I really didn't mean to get all philosophizy on you. I mostly wanted us all to admit that we are dorky grandmas, apparently. (And I also wanted us all to laugh at the weird camera angle they put on my friend Sarah. Heehee.)

Completely unrelated... we are going to see Sir Paul McCartney tonight in the Reds' ballpark. I don't know if this makes me cool, or even more like an old person. I think maybe the correct answer is that I'm like a really cool old person. Either way, I'M SO EXCITED!

GIVEAWAY!!!

Ok, it's not really my giveaway, I just wanted to catch the attention of all you giveaway whores out there :)

The giveaway is here, on the brand new Sewn Studio blog!

It's for fabric designer Jennifer Paganelli's new book "Girl's World," which has 21 projects to sew for girls. It looks pretty durn fun.

All you have to do to enter is follow the new blog and comment. But even if you aren't a local here who gets to have the immense pleasure of shopping at Sewn, you should follow their blog. It's going to have tons of project ideas, round-ups, pretty inspiration, and news from the fabric world. Do it.

In other Sewn news, I just signed up to take a 6-week modern quilting course there, which I'm pretty (extremely) excited about.  I've never had the balls to make a quilt, I figure doing it with a few other crazy sewing enthusiasts will help motivate me. It's taught by the very talented Heather Jones. Just look at these amazing modern designs she has made:

Welp, I'm having a baby tomorrow morning, so I don't know when I'll see you here again. Try not to miss me too much, and when I come back I promise to show you more adorable baby girl pictures than you can stand.