Tag Archives: Botanics

Carolyn Friedlander Modern Hexies Progress

February 24, 2016 kittywilkin 17 Comments

It’s no secret that Carolyn Friedlander is one of my favorite fabric designers. Last year, I made an entire quilt featuring her Doe fabric line, with cameos from Botanics and Architextures. But as her new fabric lines come out and continue to coordinate so well with her originals, I decided I wanted a quilt that truly showcased her varied and gorgeous fabrics. What better than a Modern Hexies mini quilt using Nicole at Modern Handcraft’s fabulous method?!

Now, I’m already putting myself up against a wall a bit, since I began this project after Architextures became all but extinct. I’m hoping, though, with a bit of luck and a few insider tips, I can eventually acquire at least a 2 1/2″ square of each of the fabrics from Architextures.

Thanks to a tip from Allison at Campbell Soup Diaries, I recently picked up one of my all time favorites, plus Ledger in Ivory, from Westwood Acres.

Through the #getyourquiltywishesgranted event on Instagram a few months back, I obtained a few more archaic Architextures prints, as well as the Carkai mini charms I’ve nearly made into hexies. I’m on my way!

I already have basted hexagons from all of Botanics and most of Carkai. I have some scraps left from my Doe quilt, so I’ll see where that brings me and go from there.

backed in text from architextures — Might be a bit too busy for my aesthetic.

I think I will make a few more hexies before ultimately deciding whether to back the hexies in my favorite Essex yarn dyed linen in charcoal, or to stick with solid white. Perhaps I’ll be crazy and use one of the still easily attainable text prints from Architextures as the background. Time will tell.

If you have any tiny (2 1/2″ square at least) scraps of Carolyn’s Architextures fabric, please let me know if I can persuade you to send them my way! I will be happy to compensate with fabric, chocolate, or cash money. And of course gratitude. Lots and lots of gratitude.

I thought I would link up with Lee’s Work in Progress Wednesday, but it appears I’ve been out of the WiP loop long enough to have missed that she’s taking a (potentially permanent) break from her link up. Oops! Still check out her blog at Freshly Pieced since she’s always making something gorg! I’m also going to go wild and link up with Molli Sparkles’ Sunday Stash since I’m finally sharing my new CF acquisitions.

Quilting, Stash Building

Stash Building: Botanics, Two Ways

November 30, 2014 kittywilkin 5 Comments

I finally, finally have the full line of Carolyn Friedlander’s Botanics, in two forms!

Botanics fabric, two ways. — Botanics, two ways.

I have two secret sewing projects in the works, which is fairly new for me. Normally, I may have a sort of secret sewing project since it’s a gift for someone, but these are two entirely new experiences. One is my Schnitzel and Boo Mini Quilt for the swap. It’s fun since it’s quasi secret, but peeks are allowed (and there are lots of them on Instagram). The second is a completely secret project, which you’ll get to see mid to late January. (intrigued? ;))

Either way, these fabrics came into my stash for my secret sewing. They are technically on standby, but I figured having them would NEVER hurt, since I’ve been wanting the full Botanics collection since it came out. As much as I’d love to buy a bolt of each, charms and layer cakes will have to do for now.

Look at those gorgeous colors! Oh, I can’t even begin to tell you how excited I am to have these fabric packs in my possession, and I can’t wait to make something fabulous!

I also added little bits (a fat quarter and scrap piece) of these awesome fabrics to my stash. I gave in to an instagram destash by my Schnitzel and Boo group momma, Sandra at Small Town Thread.

I’ve been in love with the typewriters since seeing this mini made for Holly at Bijou Lovely. The bicycles are just too cute to pass up. I can see bits of both of these making their way into smaller projects, or as feature bits in larger quilts. I’m already plotting my first little project with them.

I’m linking up with Molli Sparkles’ Sunday Stash. What’s new in your stash?

Quilting

My Modern Fabric Designer All-Star Quilt

April 28, 2014 kittywilkin 2 Comments

April is nearing its end, which means I’ve been shop hopping every chance I get. On Saturday, I went on a whirlwind 10 hour trip up the coast of Maine from Freeport to Nobleboro, visiting six shops before calling it a day. I will be introducing you to all of the shops I’ve visited in the next few weeks, but will spread them out a bit.

With all of this shop hopping going on the past few weeks, I’ve been really itching to start a new project. More specifically, a new quilt. I’ve been quite drawn to low volume, black and white, and grey tone fabrics lately, and have developed a fairly decent stash of them, at least for a beginner like me. I have decided it’s time to pull them out and get them into a quilt. During my epic shop hop along the Maine coast on Saturday, I bought the fabric needed to supplement my stash and I got started cutting last night. I’m so excited about this quilt!

This quilt will contain fabric from many of my all-time favorite designers, and seeing all of these gems together makes me very, very happy. Little glimpses of Carolyn Friedlander’s Botanics & Architextures, Lotta Jansdotter’s Sylvia, Denyse Schmidt’s Chicopee, Anna Maria Horner’s True Colors, Sarah Jane’s Wee Wander, Laurie Wisbrun’s Perfectly Perched, Lori Mason’s Koyoto Garden, Brigitte Heitland’s Zen Chic, Violet Craft’s Madrona Road, Beth Studley’s Henna, and more. I need some Alison Glass and Tula Pink in there… who am I missing? In my eyes, it’s the all-stars of the modern fabric design world all in one.

I don’t know about you, but I’m counting down the minutes until my kids go to bed and I can sew!

Do you like to make quilts out of primarily one fabric line (plus coordinates or solids), or do you mix and match?

Quilting, Stash Building

Stash Building

March 8, 2014 kittywilkin Leave a comment

One of the occupational hazards of following other sewing blogs is exposure to awesome new (or old) fabrics. Last week I saw a post about a fellow quilter who found a small square of a gorgeous fabric remnant that she was trying to track down. I’ve been all about black and white fabrics, gray scales, and texts lately and this post was all I needed to bump me out of my fabric buying moratorium briefly enough to get half-yards of a few awesome and soon-to-be out of print fabrics.

The Alexander Henry Ghastlie Clover in natural print is what first drew me in, and I wish I could remember which blog I was reading so that I could give proper credit for the inspiration! To make the most of shipping charges, I also ordered a half yard of Botanics Leaves in Charcoal (Carolyn Friedlander for Robert Kaufman Fabrics), and Architextures Field Notes in Black (another Carolyn Friedlander design for Robert Kaufman Fabrics). I’ve been wanting to get some Architextures and Botanics before they go out of print, and I’m glad I finally have a bit in my stash!

I found all of these 100% cotton fabrics at Fresh Modern Fabric’s Etsy shop. The fabric came expertly and smoothly folded, gorgeously packaged, and Alice threw in samples of Up, Up and Away and Jewels! This may be a slippery slope…