By now you've likely heard the shocking news about Coats pulling the plug on Free Spirit / Westminster. As a fabric lover, my morning was derailed when I heard the news. I was texting everyone all my fabric friends piecing together the story and trying to get answers. After watching Tula Pink's livestream today, it sadly looks like she was just as blindsided as the rest of us. I also picked up on something else from watching the comments from other viewers: ...a lot of consumers don't really understand what the scope of a fabric designer is.

I field a lot of questions from fellow fabric lovers through Instagram, email, etc. that I don't always have the answers to. Sometimes I get annoyed because I'm thinking, "Why do they expect me to know this?" Then I remember that most people don't know what the don't know. And what they don't know is the boring, unsexy behind the scene details of being a fabric designer.

So think of this like an a FAQ that is completely useless! These are all questions that fabric designers (i.e., me) are frequently asked, but probably won't be able to answer.

Stuff I Don't Know

• Where can I buy your fabric?
• When will your fabric be available in stores?
• Is X shop going to carry your fabric?
• Is X collection still in print/available for wholesale? 
• Will there be precuts available of your fabric?
• I live in X country. Is you fabric sold here?
• 
  

Why I don't know this stuff

 As a fabric designer, I license my work to my manufacturer. That means I provide them with artwork, and they handle the rest. They pay me a royalty to use the artwork on fabric that they can then sell. They do not print it "for" me. I don't work for them and they do not work for me. We're two independent business with our own duties.

My duty is to make the artwork...and that's about it. Anything else I do is pretty much a bonus. I design patterns, sew projects, photograph my look book, and attend Quilt Market because I want to, but I am not required to do any of that.

My manufacturer's duty is literally everything else. They work with the mill to print the fabric. They coordinate production, manage the warehouse, take wholesale orders, ship the fabric to stores, etc. I don't have a hand in that.

So you know when you ask the teenage employee at the movie theater why a large popcorn is $15 and they shrug and say, "I dunno, man. I just work here." Well, I'd say the same except I DON'T EVEN WORK HERE. That would be like asking the director of a movie that's being shown at the  theater why the large popcorn is $15.

So when you ask a fabric designer a question about anything other than their artwork and they say, "I don,'t know," it's not because they're clueless. It's because it's probably a question for our manufacturers! 

Panache Fabric by Rebecca Bryan

Blenders have kinda been my jam this year. As much as I love a good fussy-cuttable print, I can't ignore the virtues of blenders. In fact, almost all of the prints I've been going bananas for lately have been blenders. I bet 2014 Felice would find my blender appreciation boring, but...*cue snooty mid-Atlantic accent*... I think I've developed a more mature fabric palette. Good thing my friend Rebecca Bryan's debut collection has a fancy name to match: Panache!

I have such admiration for Becca's quilt designs and eye for color. When Becca told me she was planning on getting into fabric design, I was all like:

And of course, she went and designed one of the prettiest bundles out there. I picked up one at Spring Quilt Market 2017 and it actually broke one of my big fabric habits. I used to keep bundles all pretty and tied up, segregated from my general stash. Panache just made more sense to break up and mix right into the madness. Then I broke up all my bundles so everything could be in color order. One of the downsides of being on the inside of the industry is the constraint of frequently needing to work exclusively with one line at a time. I feel like Panache is a great excuse to break out of that. I've been having such a great time looking though my stash for blenders, mixing Panache with lots of other prints.

My favorite project I've made with the line so far is the Batty Bat pattern by Funky Friends Factory. Look how cute and spoopy he is! 

I used Panache throught my Fussy Cut Sampler blocks for the book's SAL. I think a bundle like this would be a great starting point for a sampler quilt. 

I most recently used a bit of my favorite print, the black triangles, as an accent on a drawstring bag to hold all my pins to sell at Quilt Market. I love the selection of black, white, and gray prints in this line too! Most rainbowy blender lines just ignore those colors, but it's so good to have them.

And of course, Panache's stripes were the only non-Caturday/Luna Sol prints I used in my Tula Nova quilt (although that yellow stripe is pieced). The stripes might get overlooked, but they're so dang useful. I just ordered a few yards of the black and white stripes to use for quilt bindings. 

So if you've been bananas for blenders like me, give Panache a gander! It's one of those flexible, perfect-for-every-project type collections that I have a feeling I'll be repurchasing and stashing.

Caturday Blog Hop & Giveaway

Happy Caturday, friends! Pretty much every day is Caturday in our home with the two furbabies that inspired this collection, Batman & Chi.

A post shared by Felice Regina (@iamlunasol) on May 19, 2017 at 3:29pm PDT

Caturday initially started off as a sketchbook exercise in drawing cats. I was hesitant about designing a cat-themed collection because there is SO MUCH cat fabric in existence already. But during an afternoon of browsing cat fabric online, I realized I was seeing a lot of the same themes. Paw prints, yarn balls, and pretty much anything portraying cats as gentle, sweet princes and princesses. Meanwhile, Batman was trying to shove his butt in my face, Chi was trying to use the litter box while my husband was scooping it, and my mom was complaining about how she'd have to replace her clawed up couch when we moved out. I wondered, "do the people who made those prints even have cats? Because cats are assholes. Adorable and lovable, but still assholes." (Anyone remember this embroidery pattern? It's relevant.)

I designed Caturday to tell the true story about our feline friends. Litter Glitter depicts those awful pee clumps you scoop out of the litter box. Cat Scratch Fever is your ruined couch. Assterisk is...well...cat buttholes. (Here's a relevant comic I did back in college.)

One of my favorite parts of the range are the two border prints that I designed specifically for garments. The scale works for both adults and children's clothing. Check out this lovely dress by Lucy, @SmileandMake.

But of course, we can't forget the quilts! I have three new quilt patterns available to coordinate with Caturday: Pretty Paws, Caturday Medallion, and Fishbones. All are available as PDF downloads through my Craftsy shop, but Pretty Paws and Caturday Medallion are also being offered as paper patterns in quilt kits through local quilt shops. Be sure to ask your local shop if they plan on offering the kit!

A fourth pattern, Kira Kira, is available in issue 52 of Love Patchwork & Quilting magazine.

The collection has 24 prints in all and is in stores now! For more project inspiration, view the look book or check out #CaturdayFabric on Instagram (and tag your Caturday projects too!). If you need something small to get you started, give the Fat Cat Softie a try with my free tutorial.

GIVEAWAY!

To celebrate the launch of Caturday, I'm doing two giveaways for a fat quarter bundle of the collection. One here, and one on my Instagram. To enter this giveaway, simply leave a comment below! I'll pick a random winner on October 23rd. To enter my Instagram giveaway, check the post here.

Be sure to follow along with my friends for the rest of the Caturday blog hop!

Blog Hop Schedule 

October 16 - I Am Luna Sol (Me!)
October 17 - @iamlunasol Instagram Giveaway
October 18 - Kate Basti
October 19 - Modern Handcraft *Delayed until Oct. 20th*
October 20 - Gnome Angel
October 22 - Sew Sweetness Facebook Live stream @ 5pm CST

#LunaSolFabricContest

It's time for a contest/giveaway! #LunaSolFabric has been in stores for a few months now and I want to see what pretty projects you guys are making with it. Share your creations featuring Luna Sol and win some stellar prizes!

RULES

1. Post a photo of a project on Instagram that prominently features Luna Sol with the hashtags #LunaSolFabric and #LunaSolFabricContest. 
2. Deadline is April May 1st, noon central time. 
3. Make as many entries as you like, but only one entry per project.
4. WIPs are allowed but you may only enter a project once, so the closer to completion, the better your odds are. 
5. You must be one of my followers. 

PRIZES

3rd Prize

• Scrap bag of fabric from my upcoming fabric collection
• Comet Bunny enamel pin
• PDF pattern of your choice from my shop

2nd Prize 

• Scrap bag of fabric from my upcoming fabric collection
• Small Luna Sol #Aurifil thread set
• Comet Bunny Enamel Pin
• PDF pattern of your choice from my shop. 

1st Prize 

• FQ bundle of my upcoming fabric collection
• Large Luna Sol #Aurifil thread set
• Comet Bunny enamel pin
• PDF pattern of your choice from my shop.

Winners will be announced on Instagram!

Luna Sol Blog Hop

It's the final day of the Luna Sol blog hop, and I'm going to finish it off Oprah style. YOU GET A FREE PATTERN! AND YOU GET A FREE PATTERN! FREE PATTERNS FOR EVERYONE!

To keep everything neat, I've separated the projects into individual posts / links, so click the big bold links to get each freebie. If you'd like to read more about the inspiration behind Luna Sol and see more projects, check out this post.

-Moon Bunny Bag-

With the moon motif playing such a big role in Luna Sol, a round bag was an easy design choice. I adapted my Owl Carry It Bag pattern with a simple appliqued silhouette of the bunny sitting on the crescent moon, the same image from my selvedge!

-Phased Quilt-

The Phased quilt uses the the Luna colorway and the Sizzix Drunkard's Path dies for a modern interpretation of moon phases. The whole and half circles may look randomly scattered, but this quilt is actually comprised of one block, repeated nine times.

-Celestial Bunnies Mini Quilt-

Thank you so much for following the Luna Sol blog hop. As a special thanks, we have an extra special giveaway with three prizes!

1. Fat quarter bundle of Luna Sol
2. Large Luna Sol Aurifil thread set
3. Small Luna Sol Aurifil thread set

To win, leave a comment with your email address! I'll pick three random winners on September 28th and contact the winners. 

In case you missed the previous posts in the blog hop, here's the schedule and participants:

Sept. 19 - Fabric Mutt

Sept. 20th - Bryan House Quilts

Sept. 21st - Stars & Sunshine

Sept. 22nd - Modern Sewciety

Sept. 23rd - Sew Scatterbrained

Tips for Aspiring Fabric Designers: Pitching to Manufacturers

There are tons of great resources out there for aspiring fabric designers when it comes to the actual design process. Creativebug's video course series and Kim Kight's book, A Field Guide to Fabric Design, are two of my favorite resources I suggest to newbies. But over the past several months, as I was helping a friend on her fabric design journey (she just signed to her top choice! Yay!), I realized there aren't as many resources out there for the process of pitching your collections to a manufacturer. Let's try to change that. I'm going to share some tips with you based on my experiences when hunting for a licensing deal.

1. Look for manufacturers where you stand out, not "fit in"

For starters, don't put your eggs in one basket. Unlike with magazines and book publishers, it's acceptable to submit your work to multiple manufacturers for consideration simultaneously. So which ones are you going to try first? Well, almost every aspiring designer (myself included) seems concerned finding a company where their style "fits in well" with the other designers in that company's catalog...wrong move!

While pitching to one manufacturer, the art director commented that my work would likely end up competing against a designer they represented because we're both into colorful, playful, modern prints featuring animals. She explained that shop owners would probably choose to buy my collection or the other designer's due to the similar themes and colors. They generally look for things they don't already have because manufacturers are looking to reach new audiences rather than have their designers compete for existing ones. Of course their are exceptions. Companies like Cloud 9, Art Gallery, and Blend have a more narrow brand image and may be less likely to consider collections that don't assimilate with their style.

Visit the websites of manufacturers look through their roster of designers. Ask yourself, "Does this company represent a broad range of designers?" If so, ask yourself if you can fill a gap in their portfolio.

2. Pitch in person

Manufacturers get dozens, sometimes hundreds, of emails every week with submissions from artists. Some review them as they get them. Others have regularly scheduled meetings where they flip through submissions as a team. Either way, your work can easily get passed over. I believe pitching in person has a stronger impact and creates a more memorable impression. Furthermore, modern quilters tend to be interested interested in the designers themselves, which means personality and presence sometimes plays a role in marketing. As the designer, you're part of the "product," so showing up in person will help convey how serious you are about your aspirations.

3. Don't fuss over a pretty package

When I was in the pitch phase, another aspiring designer I met eagerly looked through each other's portfolios. Mine was just an album of designs on my iPad while she had a beautifully crafted scrapbook. Each page featured a print along with photos of her inspiration for that print (plants, architectural elements, etc) and a paragraph about the design. It was kinda like one of those "nailed it" Pinterest fail memes where my iPad portfolio seemed like the fail in comparison. I tried to regain my confidence by telling myself my work didn't need a fancy book to earn a licensing deal; the quality of my designs would speak for themselves. And they did! In talking to various art directors, they confirmed that they don't pay much attention to the "fluff". It's the fabric they're concerned with. Instead of slaving over the perfect presentation, focus on creating more content.

4. Make some digital project mock ups

Have you ever been "meh" about a certain fabric collection that later won your heart when presented as a finished quilt? Why not do the same thing with your fabric designs? Make a digital mock up of quilt patterns using your fabrics to show how great it performs as a collection. This tip has the added bonus of helping me work through issues I might not have noticed with my designs, like a lack of color contrast or scale. Manufacturers like to see that you have an eye for quilt design as well as fabric design because it'll make the collection easier to market. Make your talents easy to see.

5. Be bloody persistent

Early on, if I didn't get a timely response to an email, I took it as a flat out rejection. We women are conditioned not be "nags" so we sometimes feel bad about being persistent. Well, in this industry you need to be persistent as hell. It's nothing personal, these are just busy people and it seems very common to have to pester people for a response. As a general rule, I follow up on emails 1-2 times a week until I get a response. I've only ever gotten a snarky reply once, and it was pretty tame, so don't worry about being annoying. As long as you are polite and professional, no one will hold it against you.

Spring 2016 Quilt Market Recap: The Luna Sol Booth

Now that I've had a week to refresh after Quilt Market, it's time to talk about my fabric collection, Luna Sol, and all the awesome samples that I had on display!

Luna Sol draws its inspiration from many aspects of my life and personality, but the tl;dr version is the moon bunny. The moon bunny originates from Eastern folklore, and that is how I first heard about the concept as a child. During college, the idea of the moon bunny just stuck with me for some reason, but I wasn't thinking of it in the original context anymore. The character started morphing into something I used as a personal identifier. I refer to it as my "spirit animal" sometimes for simplicity because it's a confluence of so many ideas. It embodies themes of cycles, introversion, introspection, the nature of creativity. I think watching Watership Down for the first time helped cement all of those things together in my mind. The image of the ghostly Black Rabbit of Inlé and the song "Bright Eyes" by Art Garfunkel had an inexplicable impact on me. 

I'm sure most of you have heard the idea about how highly creative people tend to have turbulent emotional lives. I for one, totally relate to this short comic. Back at 2015 Quilt Con, even Heather Ross admitted she can't get through the process of designing a collection without crying at least once. I've dealt with depression since I was was eleven, and I honestly think it's the reason I became such an aggressive maker and illustrator. Somewhere along the way, I stopped thinking of the episodes as an affliction. Now, instead of being knocked on my ass when a wave hits, I've learned to ride it and let it fuel my internal exploration. When I feel empty and aimless, it drives me to find what is important to me. At the very least, making a stack of quilts and filling a sketchbook gives me a feeling of accomplishment to offset the lows. I guess you could say the moon bunny is the cuddly face of this cyclical life. He does his thing on the moon in low times and then blasts off like a comet when the tide comes in. 

The name Luna Sol, embodies this cycle as well. Night to day, totally natural. It's just the way I live, and the result is bright and colorful! With all that said, let's talk about the samples! Many of my samples can be seen in my look book with relevant details (dimensions, pattern availability, etc.), so if I don't mention the nitty gritty, check there. Samples marked with a * will be free patterns. Releases will be closer to September when Luna Sol ships to stores! All samples were made by yours truly unless stated otherwise. Yay for HMQG buddies!

 Let's start with the left wall! We'll go clockwise from the top. The blue Mia & Moi dress was made by my friend and fellow designer, Patty Sloniger, who started me on this fabric design adventure. Next is the Northern Lights* quilt which was pieced by Cheryl Watson and designed/quilted by me. Then we have a sunny Collegiate Tote. The bunny dress pattern was a surprise find during a Hobby Lobby run, so even though I schemed to outsource all the children's garment sewing to friends with kids, I found myself making a 4T dress. Go figure. We also have my billionth cathedral window pillow cover, sans pillow. At the center is a mini quilt that was actually one of the first quilt patterns I came up with for Luna Sol.

On the floor below sat a pillow version of Northern Lights*, one of three Easter Bunny Buddies made by Liz Pawlik, the Guild Duffel (a new pattern of mine coming later this summer), and the Matsuri Bag.

Here you can see a better view of the Northern Lights quilt*, a kaleidoscope mini by Stephanie Freeman, and the centerpiece, the Satellite Medallion! This quilt pattern is featured on the cover of the look book and will be featured in an upcoming issue of Love Patchwork & Quilting magazine. I made my first Alder Shirtdress too, but it stayed on the mannequin because it ended up not being very flattering on me. Giuseppe Ribaudo (AKA @giucy_giuce) made an awesome EPP pillow complete with pom poms (tutorial here)! Julia Eigenbrodt also made a pillow featuring a leaping bunny with her FPP wizardry. She also supplied several of her adorable 3D printed embroidery hoop necklaces that we sprinkled around the booth. 

On the right wall we hung up my Phased quilt* which I made using the Drunkard's Path dies from Sizzix. The round Moon Bunny bag* hanging beside it features an applique version of the logo from my selvedge. Below that, you can see the Sweet and Sassy dress made by Katie Christman that her daughter preciously modeled in the look book. Heidi Staples made the Planetary Mini Medallion* which will be part of my blog hop closer to the release date. Hilary Jordan made the Sketchbook Shirt for her son William, who dubbed it his "fireball bunny shirt." Karri Garza also got in on the kid's sewing with a Geranium Dress!

I made a patchwork lined drawstring bag at the last minute, which hung out next to the Crimson & Clover Train Case also made by Stephanie Freeman. There were four more large quilts that we didn't have room for on the walls. From top to bottom: Feathered Stars by Rebecca Bryan, The New Wave Quilt, Sunset Star* which was pieced by Debbie Grosskopf, and Night Bunnies* by Stephanie Kendron. You can see all of those (minus the New Wave) in the look book. Lastly we have the Sprocket Pillow that you can see better in the panorama towards the top of the post.

We displayed the look books, fabric, another Easter Bunny Buddy, and my Aurifil thread collection on the cardboard table. If you haven't seen the gorgeous thread colors to coordinate with Luna Sol, you can check out the post and interview on Aurifil's blog. All of the large quilts (minus Night Bunnies and Feathered Stars) were quilted using these threads, and they were heavenly to have. It's such a relief to have the perfect colors already at your disposal.

I hope you enjoyed all the pretty Luna Sol projects! You can check out the #LunaSolFabric hashtag on Instagram to see more and keep up with what we're making with it.

Spring 2016 Quilt Market Recap: An Overview

As usual, I'm going to break up my Market recap into a few posts. This is just going to be a basic overview. I'll talk more about my booth and other booths in separate posts.

When Seth and I were at the airport this past Wednesday, "It Feels Like the First Time" by Foreigner came on the radio. I didn't think about it at the time, but it was some serious foreshadowing! We've wrapped up my fourth Quilt Market, but this time was a whole new experience. I officially debuted by first fabric collection for Windham Fabrics, Luna Sol!

Normally, I wouldn't bother starting at the airport, but the story is just too good. After we took our seats on our plane in Phoenix (connecting flight), I noticed a woman with a distinct haircut coming down the aisle. I whispered to Seth, "I think I know who she is. I think she's a fabric designer." She either noticed my intense staring or my "World's Okayest Quilter" shirt, because she sat down next to us. She was finishing up a phone call, and when she hung up, I spotted the contact's last name on her screen. Confirmed! So I leaned over and said, "Are you Heather Bailey?" She said yes. Cue my completely non-subtle OMG face. We had a great chat, and I even spied some of her sketchbook contents when she somehow managed to draw on the bumpy plane ride.

We arrived in Salt Lake on Wednesday night so I wouldn't feel rushed for my schoolhouse on the following day. My quilty BFF Julia joined us in the wee hours of the morning. I hadn't seen her since she moved to Ohio late last year, so I'm really glad she was able to come help/hang out! I tend to have trouble making decisions when I'm anxious, so Julia took over as my personal art director when setting up my booth. It turned out way better than I imagined!

After we set up, we immediately had to take down a large chunk of my samples to head off to my schoolhouse...which shared the same time slot as Tula Pink and Alison Glass. I only had about eight people come to mine, but it sure helped ease the pressure! Plus, it seems that a lot of my favorite designers had similar experiences with their first schoolhouses, so I didn't worry about it too much.

After re-staging the booth, we helped the Windham team set up for Sample Spree, which means we were able to scope out our prey and be perfectly staged when the madness began. I managed to be pretty good this time. I picked up Printshop, Porto, and Raindrop from Cotton + Steel, Hemma from Windham, and Shibori from Moda. 

The show went on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, during which I met many lovely shop owners and fabric lovers. I was able to take occasional breaks as well as come in early to see all the booths I wanted to see. Honestly, it was still a blur, but that comes with the territory. It was an amazing week, and I can't wait to do it again next year. ;)

One Hour Top with Hit Parade Knits

I've been a long time sufferer of knit-phobia. I had a brief encounter with knit fabric in college, trying to make a tshirt for one of my BJDs. It kept getting sucked into my machine and stretching. I honestly had no clue what I was doing, but it instilled a sense of fear in me.

At Quilt Market, Julia wore a dress she made out of Lizzy House's Hit Parade Knits from Andover. It looked so comfy and cute, I was pretty jealous. After scoping at the knits at every major booth, Julia declared the Andover knits are her preference. They stretch two ways, and don't distort the colors' appearance when stretched. They're also very soft and an ideal weight for garments. 

I decided it was time to face my knit-phobia. Giuseppe sent me the cream kitty print and I selected an easy beginner project: the One Hour Top from Fancy Tiger Crafts. I don't have a serger so I spent some time researching how to tackle the task of sewing with knits. The main points I gathered were:

• Prewash your fabric (always a good tip)
• Take care not to stretch the fabric when transferring the pattern
• Use a ballpoint needle
• Use a stretch stitch, AKA, the lightning bolt
• Use polyester thread (cotton doesn't stretch and will break)
• Use a walking foot
• Lower the pressed foot pressure to the lowest setting 
• Don't stretch the fabric when sewing

After adding 2" to the hemline (I need something I traced my pattern onto the fabric with a water soluble marker and cut it out with my rotary cutter. This process took way longer than usual because I had to be careful not to stretch the fabric. Luckily the One Hour Top only has two pattern pieces.

I used a stretch stitch for all my seams and it worked wonderfully. I was pretty shocked that it worked so well right out of the gate.

The only issue I had was with the twin needle. I've never used a twin needle before. The pattern says to use a twin needle to hem the neckline, sleeves, and bottom hemline. I followed my machine's instructions to set up the twin needle tested on a scrap piece of knit. Based on the illustration in the pattern, it looked like they were doing a straight stitch, so that's what I selected. Well, it offered ZERO stretch. It didn't seem practical to have the neckline and sleeves not allow for any stretch, so I switched back to the stretch stitch to hem everything. I mentioned this to Lizzy House during our Meadow Quilt workshop and she informed me that there's actually a twin needle specifically for knits. Who knew?

The finished top is precious! I love loose 3/4 length tops, so this is right up my alley. I can't wait to sew more with knits.

How to get your projects into Quilt Market

In the weeks before and after the past two Quilt Markets, I've received questions about how I've gotten my projects into exhibitors' booths. Since it's a multi-faceted question, a blog post seemed like the best way to respond.

I made my first project for Quilt Market when I was a total newbie. I had less than 5 months of quilting experience, but I wanted to help my friend and fellow designer Patty Sloniger fill up her booth at Spring 2014 Quilt Market with lovely goodies. My Wing It baby quilt and a cathedral window pillow were featured in her booth and marked my first foray into market sewing.

When quilt market looms near and the #quiltmarketprep hashtag comes to life on Instagram, I see lots of enthusiastic sewists asking how they can get in on the action. I want to answer some of the questions I see pop up with market sewing.

Q: How do I get my projects into Quilt Market booths?
A: Contact the manufacturer or designer you want to sew for and offer your help! Market happens twice a year in May and October, so email the manufacturer 2-3 months prior to the show to introduce yourself, offer your help, and outline a few projects (which we call samples) you'd like to make. Include a link to your blog, Flickr, or Instagram account so they can see examples of your work.

Q: Do manufacturers / designers tell you what to sew or can you pick your own projects and fabric choices?
A: It depends. I've done both. I've had exhibitors who say, "I need X made with these fabrics" and I've also had samples where I was given free reign. If you have a specific pattern and fabric selection in mind, let them know.

Q: Do you get paid for your projects? Who keeps them when the show is over?
A: Once again, it depends on the exhibitor. In my experience, when I get to choose the fabrics and the project, I end up keeping the sample after the show and I do not get paid for it. I'm okay with this because I get the fabric for free (and they always send more fabric than I need for a project) and I get some exposure for my patterns and designs. When I'm being told what to make, I've gotten paid for my time and the exhibitor keeps the samples. There is no "normal" arrangement, so ask the exhibitor up front if you will be compensated and who will retain ownership of the samples.

Q: Do I have to design original patterns to make samples for market?
A: Not necessarily. Exhibitors definitely like having original, unique samples to show, but using an existing pattern is perfectly fine too.

Q: Can I attend Quilt Market if I sew samples?
A: Maybe. I attended my first Quilt Market on behalf of Michael Miller Fabrics after making samples for Patty. If you make a lot of samples for a manufacturer, you can try asking them if they will obtain a badge for you to attend. The worst thing they can say is no. Alternatively, you can get submit your credentials to obtain an Industry Professional badge.

Fall 2015 Quilt Market: Favorites

For a fabric lover, Quilt Market feels Santa's workshop. There are so many sights to take in and exciting products to covet. Here are my favorites from the show.

Cotton + Steel Collections

Photo credit: @cottonandsteel

No surprise here because I love everything these ladies do. The six quilting cotton collections  (Fruit Dots, Cat Lady, Penny Arcade, Macrame, and Bluebird) have the most gorgeous selection of colors yet. I bought a FQ bundle of each at Sample Spree and I've already put the entire range into color order. In past releases, one collection usually stands out as my far and away favorite, but it's really hard to choose this time.

The Lovely Hunt by Lizzy House

Photo credit: @suppose_quilts & @vhaberdashery 

I'm not sure if this collection counts since it released prior to market, but The Lovely Hunt has so many things going for it: a wonderfully rich color spectrum, unicorns (in a style that reminds me of The Last Unicorn), and great coordinates. As a medieval art lover, this collection turns the art I love into something modern and bright.

Mendocino by Heather Ross 

Photo credit: @mushyhed and @fatquartershop

Another no brainer for my list. I'm by no means a water baby, but mermaids have always been captivating to me. The sense of movement this collection creates is so impressive to me as an illustrator. I'm not much of a pink-loving girl, but the rich berry tones combined with the rich oranges and golds compliment each other so perfectly.

Pacific (and quilt patterns) by Elizabeth Hartman

I actually took these photos. 

I held out on buying Rhoda Ruth because I mistakenly thought it would be available at Sample Spree. When I learned Elizabeth had a new collection available in it's place, I was still eyeing Rhoda Ruth until I saw Pacific at Schoolhouse. Several of the prints in Pacific are direct reprints from Rhoda Ruth (prints I wanted), plus Pacific has bunnies! Her new quilt patterns are all to die for. I for one, have Fancy Forest lined up on my cutting table already.

Carkai by Carolyn Friedlander

Photo credit: @carolynfriedlander & @thermoweb

I knew I would love Carolyn's new collection before I even saw it. Her prints are the perfect blenders, and her color selection is always on point. Her design savvy gives me woozy knees every time I see her booth. I don't think anyone else could take such a small number of projects (that are mostly small themselves) and make a 10' x 10' booth look so enticing. Her fabrics and samples really embody the idea that less is more and attention to detail can have a huge impact.

Patterns & Quick Curve Ruler by Sew Kind of Wonderful

Photo credit: @sewkindofwonderfuljenny

The Quick Curve Ruler isn't new, but it caught my attention this past weekend. The quilts in their booth and a hypnotic demo by Sherilyn had me foaming at the mouth for their products. I picked up their new booth, One Wonderful Curve, at the book signing as well as the original ruler and Country Chic pattern (pictured right). They also have a mini QCR for tiny versions of their quilts. 

Fall 2015 Quilt Market Recap

Quilt Market is my favorite time of year, and this Fall 2015 Market was no exception. I attended market for the first time last fall, so this is my second time making the rounds at the George R Brown convention center. It felt a little different this time around. Armed with my Windham Exhibitor's badge, it felt so good to be able to introduce myself as a fabric designer instead of saying, "I want to design fabric" like I had in the past. As an additional bonus, I attended along side my sewing BFF Julia.

Schoolhouse sessions by Kim Anderson & Elizabeth Hartman

This was my first time attending a full day of Schoolhouse, and it was a long day! I went to sessions by Angela Walters, Elizabeth Hartman, Lizzy House, Cotton + Steel, Aurifil, Kim Anderson, Sarah Jane, Heather Givans, and more. I love hearing designers speak about their collections and how they market them to the shop owners. It's not something the end consumers really think about, but designers have to put a lot of consideration into it.

Schoolhouse sessions by Lizzy House & Cotton + Steel

After Schoolhouse, we went to Fabric 2.0 for a quick drink, some snacking, and mingling before heading off to Sample Spree. They moved the time up an hour from previous markets, so there was only an hour gap between it and Schoolhouse. I had been skeptical of the change, but I think it was a good move. It was nice to be over and down with all the craziness an hour earlier so we could go home and get some sleep.

Giucy Giuce and I with our Collegiate Totes // Julia and her Lizzy House Dresses

We walked the show floor on Saturday and Sunday, and somehow managed to get all the business tasks on our to-do lists checked off. Of course we had lots of welcome distractions along the way, like stopping to chat with old friends as well as meeting people we've adored online. I got to meet Abby Glassenberg, Aneela Hoey, and Sandi Hazlewood for the first time and had some delightful conversations. Although this wasn't my first time talking to Tula Pink, it was the first conversation we had that extended beyond a quick "hello." She and her brother imparted some nice words of wisdom for me as a new designer. :)

Julia and I are huge Lizzy House Fans

My friend Patty had a booth for her new collection with Michael Miller, Into the Deep. Her booth completely knocked my socks off. You may have seen the jaw-dropping mermaid dress on IG.

Into the Deep by Patty Sloniger

 The booths were full of so many projects, it's difficult to take it all in at times. You may have notices that all of these photos are taken from my IG account. I had intended to bring my DSLR on Friday, but didn't follow through. I struggle a bit with feeling like the camera prevents me from being in the moment, and in the end, I didn't want to make the sacrifice just for some photos.

My Bubble Plus quilt in Heather Ross's booth // Violet Craft's booth

 It was great reconnecting with friends I don't get to see often like Gina Pina entourage, Becca Bryan, and the Bunny's Designs gals. Market may be a professional event, but it feels like a family reunion with a side of business.

There is always so much on my mind after market, so I'll be breaking up the tornado of ideas into a few posts. Check back soon for more.

Fall Quilt Market Sewing

I like Christmas as much as the next person, but I think Quilt Market is my favorite time of year. I love sewing with a clear sense of direction and list of projects to tackle. Fall 2015 is my third time sewing for market booths and this is the biggest batch of projects yet.

For Heather Ross at Windham, I designed and pieced my Bubble Plus quilt with her Mendocino collection.

For Violet Craft at Michael Miller Fabrics, I paper pieced two blocks from her Forest Abstractions pattern with her holiday collection, Christmas at Brambleberry Ridge. 

I three projects for the Andover booth. First is a Collegiate Tote with Alison Glass's Indigo Handcrafted and Andover Chambrays. I also made two small cathedral window pillows with the chambray and Lizzy House's new collection, the Lovely Hunt.

And last but not least, another Collegiate Tote for my dear friend Patty Sloniger of Michael Miller Fabrics. Her new line, Into the Deep is one we used to chat about in our office kitchen, which makes it exciting seeing it come to life.

Sewing for market puts a fire under my butt to crank out some awesome projects. I hope you catch glimpses of them in the #quiltmarket hashtag when the show starts on October 24th!