The Perfect Go-Everywhere Tote

Even if you're not headed back to school, fall just seems like the perfect time to make a new tote bag. Joanie Holton and Melanie Greseth of Tailormade by Design have come up with one that we think you'll love. The tote, featured in the October-November issue of Quilt magazine, features bold, contemporary prints from Casablanca--an autumn feel with flair! 

Recently we caught up with Joanie, who filled us in on the details of this versatile design. 

What did you like about the Casablanca fabrics?

We really liked the fall coloration—the rust and darker colors, and that it was a contemporary-looking, neat floral.

Love the floral embellishment!

After we finished the bag, we thought it needed something extra, so we talked about adding a 3-D element. The fabric really lent itself—it fit perfectly with style of flower. We like doing 3-D texture whenever we can.

You found such neat grommets for the bag.

I love grommets. They're really easy to use and they create a crisp, classy look. You can find some really fun grommet styles now, too. I'm becoming a little obsessed with them.

How did you decide to quilt this?

Bags are the perfect place to practice machine quilting because they're small (compared to a quilt). I typically do pretty simple straight line or crosshatch quilting on a bag

What will you be using the tote for?

It's just a really perfect size. You can fit what you need in there for a day, but the size is completely manageable. It's cute—it could be used as a purse, or just a tote bag. 

Find the kit for the tote bag here.

See the entire Casablanca line here.

Find Quilt magazine here. 

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Sweetie Pie: Classic and Clean

Last week we showed you Michele Crawford's version of Sweetie Pie; today we have a more contemporary take to share, Caitlin Bevevino's pinwheel "Precious in Pink," featured in the August-September issue of Quilt magazine. 

"Precious in Pink" by Caitlin Bevevino,
featured in the August-September issue of Quilt magazine.

What attracted you to the fabric line?

I chose the Sweetie Pie collection because it was something fun and bright for a kid's quilt, without looking juvenile. 

What prompted to use only one color (the pink) in this quilt?

My aesthetic is pretty classic and clean, so using only pink was a natural choice for me. 

Why did you decide to make a pinwheel quilt?

I used pinwheels for the same reason; I love classic blocks and pinwheels have always been one of my favorites.  And, I think the mix of the bright fun fabric with the classic pattern gave it a nice contrast, and the pink really pops against the white. 

How did you decide on a border treatment?

The borders are pretty plain, but I think they accent the quilt nicely; they frame the quilt well without taking away from the pinwheels.  I usually lean toward plain borders when I want to really showcase the quilt blocks. 

Tell us about the coordinating pillows.

For the pillows, I added large rick rack and ball fringe because I've always loved those trims - especially rick rack! 

Find the kit for this project here.
See the entire Sweetie Pie collection here.
Find Quilt magazine here. 

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Interlude Three Ways

We're back with some more project inspiration to get you sewing, this time featuring Michele D'Amore's Interlude collection! 

Take-Along Tote

First up, as we approach summer, it's definitely tote season. From a tote to carry supplies to a quilting class to a beach bag, you can never have too many big bags! One of Melanie's favorite totes had seen better days, so Joanie made the bag below, a similar size but with more structure. 

"Take-Along Tote" designed by Melanie Greseth and Joanie Holton;
featured in Simple Quilts Spring 2013

Find the project kit here.
Find Simple Quilts & Sewing here.

Sweet Interlude

The "Sweet Interlude" quilt, also designed by Melanie and Joanie, features six-patch rows mixed with large cuts of floral fabric. Joanie says that "though this line has a modern flavor, it also has a sweet, peaceful feel to it..." which shines through in this welcoming quilt.

"Sweet Interlude" designed by Melanie Greseth and Joanie Holton;
featured in The Quilter magazine, April/May 2013.

Find the quilt kit here.
Find The Quilter Magazine here. 

Hearth & Home

This quilt has a surprisingly modern feel for something inspired by the old brickwork in Melanie's bedroom fireplace (how cool to have a fireplace in your bedroom!). Melanie challenged Joanie to figure out the pattern, and the results are right on the pages of Quilt magazine. 

Find the project kit here.

Find Quilt magazine here.

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All aboard the nostalgia train

You don't have to be a 2-year-old boy to catch the train obsession. The romance of trains--steam engines, sleeper cars, cross-country travel--speaks to most of us in some way. Add in vintage train images, quilt-friendly coordinates, and a huge panel design, and we think you'll agree that our "Locomotion" collection is a hit!

Have you seen Lori Hein's "All Aboard!" design? It's featured in the June/July issue of Quilt magazine.

"All Aboard!" designed by Lori Hein and machine quilted by Laurie Burgess
featured in Quilt magazine June/July 2013
photo courtesy of Quilt magazine

Lori's quilt works for a train-obsessed child, or a young-at-heart train fan, and big pieces means it sews together quickly. We asked Lori to share a bit with us about her design. 

What drew you to the Locomotion collection?
Three reasons: While I was growing up, my dad was a model train enthusiast. Also, I loved the print that had nostalgic brochures on them.  One of the brochures was titled "Mt. Rainer," which is in Washington state where I live.  

And thirdly, I have fond memories of riding on an open box train in the mountains of Santa Cruz, CA, when I was a child.  The place was called "Roaring Camp."

Talk to us about working with the panel for your design.
The challenge of working with a panel, any panel, is that they aren't always printed straight on the grain of the fabric and so I almost always need to add a fabric "frame" it to correct that. I was delighted that this one was printed pretty straight. I used just one panel in my design, but if you purchased three, you could put train engines in all the large rectangles and use a continuous row of trains in the top and bottom borders. 

Train panel

How did you develop this design?
I'm always asked how I come up with a design.  I'm not sure there is a real answer to that.  I begin with knowing about how big I want the quilt to end up.  Then I doodle on graph paper and try to come up with a balanced design using uneven numbers of panels to make it interesting. I knew I wanted it very geometric and masculine looking.

What do you like best about the quilt?
The old-fashioned, nostalgic feeling of times past that the fabric has. A bygone era that is a part of history.

See the entire Locomotion collection here.
Find the kit for the All Aboard! quilt here.
Learn more about Lori Hein here.
Find Quilt magazine here. 

P.S. Quilt magazine is offering a free pattern to make the coordinating pillow (using the other half of the panel needed for the quilt!) here.

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Extreme Color in Action

Everyone loves tonals, but just what makes a truly great tonal print? 
We think it involves texture, depth, and beautifully saturated color. A stand-out tonal will compliment the prints it is paired with when used as a "solid," but will also shine if you give it a starring role.

We've shown you Paula's Extreme Color collection as the trusty sidekick to the dynamic, pattern-filled Fabrique-istan line, but today we're letting these tonals take center stage. 

Here's "Whirligig," by Ebony Love of LoveBug Studios, 

made using a Drunkard's Path block. 

Color saturation at it's best! 

 The pattern for this quilt is featured in the April-May issue of Quilt magazine. You can order a kit (including die-cut Drunkard's Path units!) here.

We think it's a fantastic choice for the cover! 

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