A Walk in the Park

Could you use a little color and cheer in your day? You're in luck! 

Today, Kitty Yoshida shares the inspiration behind her latest fabric collection, Gramercy.

Tell us Gramercy came to be.

Well, as you know, I'm a city girl at heart. New York City is my home, and I'm constantly inspired by the city itself--the architecture, landmarks, parks, fashion and style... Gramercy Park is a fenced-in private park in Manhattan; there's just nothing else like it in the city. Residents who live around the park pay an annual fee to have a key, and while I'm not lucky enough to live on the park, I have a friend who does, so I've visited it. The park is amazing--it was fenced in back in the 1830s, and it's 2 acres of greenery in the middle of the city. Some of the townhouses surrounding the park are almost that old as well. It's such a peaceful place; I love walking through the neighborhood as well. I wanted to create a fabric line that reflected my love for the park and the area in general, and Gramercy is what came about. 

Do the fabric names have special meaning?

Definitely! Lexington and Irving Place are streets that run along the park, and Hudson, well, of course the Hudson River borders Manhattan, and Chelsea is another great neighborhood nearby. 

(You can read more about Gramercy Park and the surrounding area here.)

Tell us about your color palette. 

My favorite time in Gramercy Park is the spring, when everything starts to bloom. Also, as I mentioned, I'm very fashion conscious, and these citrus-y colors are what you're seeing in the department store windows on 5th Avenue. They're very fresh and in style, and I wanted my fabrics to be the same. 

Can you share some of your favorite prints from the collection?

I love the Chelsea florals. They're pretty stylistic, but they're also fun. The High Line Geo prints remind me of the layout of a city like Manhattan--lines, squares and boxes--and provide such an interesting contrast to the more organic flowers and leaves. Of course, the Hudson plaid is similar to a print I've done before--taking a traditional plaid and turning it on an angle to make it more modern. Another favorite is the Irving Place print. It was inspired by the feel of the Hotel Irving, which is near the park. A great tonal-type fabric with such an elegant motif. 

Chelsea Green

High Line Geo Pink/Multi

Hudson White/Green

Irving Place Pink

See close-ups of the entire Gramercy collection here.

Also, make sure to download the free quilt patterns designed exclusively for the Gramercy collection:

View on Lexington by Wendy Sheppard

Midori's Place by Wendy Sheppard

Summer Star by Diane Nagel

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Finding Your Oasis

What would you consider your oasis, or refuge? Fabric designer Kitty Yoshida's "happy place" is strictly city based, shines through loud and clear in her newest fabric line, Urban Oasis.  

How did Kitty come up with Urban Oasis? Keep reading!

The name ''Urban Oasis'' sounds like such a juxtaposition.

It is, and it isn't. While the word ''oasis'' often brings to mind the proverbial water hole in the middle of a desert, the second meaning of the word is something that ''serves as a refuge, relief, or pleasant change." Growing up in New York City, many of my personal oases are city-based. And really, what art or fabric lover wouldn't consider beautiful designs to be an oasis?!

What do you feel gives these fabrics such an urban edge?

The colors, for one. Black, gray, cream, white—they're the colors you see walking through the city, and what you think of in terms of buildings, sidewalks, roads. Adding in the lime, deep purple and teal just makes the fabric pop. I also think the crosshatch texture evident in many of the prints creates an urban feel, as well as gives the fabric dimension.

Do you have a favorite print in the collection?

Do I have to pick just one? I love the florals, of course—florals and paisleys tend to be my signature look. But as something a bit different, I'm really drawn to the terrazzo prints, the spiro-dot prints, and the urban tapestry—which to me, looks like a city from above.

Terrazzo

Spiro-dot

Urban tapestry

How do you make the curvier, more organic motifs work so well with the more geometric designs?

I think that probably contributes to the urban look as well—in a big city, you see so many geometric shapes that contrast with the mass of humanity that lives there. Think of Central Park in the middle of Manhattan. It's not what you'd expect, but it just works. I also think the contrast in the two styles of prints creates another point of contrast in a project, helping the fabrics to pop. 

See the entire collection here.

Inspired? Find free patterns for these two quilts featuring Urban Oasis here.

"Madison Square Park" designed by TailorMade by Design

"Silver Lining" designed by Wendy Sheppard

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Kitty's Christmas Spectacular

We are wrapping up our Christmas in July celebration with one more designer interview: Kitty Yoshida. Debby Kratovil used Kitty's Christmas Spectacular collection in her table runner tutorial, featured here. 

Here's Kitty!

How would you describe your style?

I like to think of my style as vintage, but with an urban edge. As a New York native, the city is what inspires me most, and I love to juxtapose that within my collections of florals.

What inspired the collection? Do you have a special love for poinsettias?

Poinsettias are such a classic flower found only during Christmas time, and I love the striking combination of the red and white petals. I wanted to update this classic icon, and design a collection with a twist. By pairing poinsettias with the black and gold metallic, I thought it would make a beautiful and sophisticated combination that is accessible to a quilter of any style – Traditional or Modern.

What started as the main focus of Christmas Spectacular, the poinsettias or the snowflakes?

The main focus from the beginning was the poinsettias, but how can you not include snowflakes in a holiday collection?  As I walk the streets of New York City during the holiday season, I always go to see the giant snowflake that adorns Fifth Avenue, and I used this as inspiration in the collection.

How did you choose the color palette?

Red and green were natural choices, but I chose deep, rich shades to give the designs a sophisticated and regal feel. I think these darker hues are really complimented by the gold and the black as well.

What a great plaid! Can you talk about its modern twist?

This plaid is almost like a lattice print, which fits in better with the style of the collection rather than a more homey or folksy traditional plaid.  Setting it on point is a modern twist and I think this geometric element juxtaposes nicely with all the swirls and florals in the rest of the collection.

Do you have a favorite print in the collection?

As much as I love the poinsettia prints, the Flakes and Flurries print holds a special place in my heart. As I mentioned, the snowflakes are a nod to the giant Fifth Avenue snowflake adorning the city in winter, and the dotted swirls remind me of swirling flakes that blow as I wander the sidewalks during a snowfall.

Thanks Kitty!

Thanks to everyone for joining the fun for our Christmas in July celebration. Please stop back next week when we announced the five winners from the blog hop! 

And if you missed our five Christmas in July tutorials, you can find them by clicking on the links below.

Day 1: Ho-Ho-Ho, Let It Snow advent calendar tutorial, click here.

Day 2: Christmas Spectacular table runner tutorial, click here.  

Day 3: Snowfolk Mantel quilt tutorial, click here.

Day 4: Peppermint Twist pillow tutorial, click here.

Day 5: Star Bright Wall Hanging tutorial, click here.

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