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. ;)

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!

MRW: Quilt Edition #4 - Quilt Market Explained in GIFs

When I'm obviously the only person on my flight going to Quilt Market:

When I watch the collection preview video during Cotton + Steel's Schoolhouse:

When Heather Ross sits next to me during Anna Maria Horner's Schoolhouse:

When I talk to people in line for Sample Spree:

When I see Kim Kight working the C+S table at Sample Spree:

When my husband asks what I bought at Market:

When I tell my friends what I really bought:

When I see Elizabeth Hartman's new fabric line in her booth:

When I've had 3 cocktails at the MQG Meetup:

2015 Spring Quilt Market Recap

A lot of people say that Quilt Market feels like a blur, but I can't relate this time around. It was a series of meaningful moments in rapid succession, but never a blur. I relished every moment of the experience and feel such a sense of pride to be a part of this industry.

On my flight home from Minneapolis, with everything still fresh in my memory, I typed up a long blow by blow journal entry of everything that happened. Let's be honest though. You want to see the fabric! So if you do want to hear some of the cool personal stories I amassed, we'll have to chat sometime.

First up, Heather Ross's booth! Her new collection for Windham, Tigerlily, features a whole bunch of friendly felines. I met Heather at Quilt Con a few months ago, and I offered to make samples for her booth. She emailed me in early March to take me up on the offer, but requested that I ship them to her before the end of the month. I was curious why she needed them so quickly, but I cranked out two adorable Oliver + S outfits in a couple days. Turns out she needed them for the official lookbook photoshoot! The look books were handed out en masse at her booth, so that was friggen' awesome. The outfits her were hanging in her booth as well, and Heather even mentioned that her daughter was wearing one of the outfits regularly. Lesson learned. Never be afraid to talk to the people you admire, because they might blow your mind.

Heather signed copies of kitty cat prints for us fans and generally kicked ass as she is want to do. I seriously can't praise her enough. She's such a kindhearted and generous person. Sometimes when we hold people in such high regard, we find ourselves feeling let down when they aren't exactly what we imagined them to be. I had no idea what Heather would be like when I met her at Quilt Con, but she couldn't have been more amazing. Since then, she's continued to exceed my expectations and I feel so blessed to know her. She's a treasure.

Next: Lizzy House over at Andover. I must be a genius because I completely forgot to take pictures with my DSLR, so all I have are my cell phone pictures. I made made the blue quilt that had the honor of holding Lizzy's name tag on it as well as a Dear Watson Bag that hung off the endcap. I also made a Washi Tunic, but Daryl (of the Andover Team) said they forgot to bring pants and the mannequin looked like Donald Duck! They decided to show it off at the business meetings instead.

My buddies, Julia (@stars_sunshine) and Liz (@fatchickquilts) also made booth swag for Lizzy. Julia made the little butterfly mini quilt in the photo above, as well as the dino pillows and dino dress below. Her dress was a serious show-stealer. Every time I walked by the book, there was at least one person being hypnotized by it. Liz made a clutch, elephant softie, trail tote (all in the photo below), and a monster zipper pouch that Lizzy was especially fond of.

 I've come to the conclusion that Cotton + Steel are the fabric equivalents of the Spice Girls. They each have unique personalities, but they all mesh together so well. They have intensely passionate fans. Camera flashes follow them everywhere. I attended their school house session on Thursday where they introduced their new collections. Just like last time, I bought a bundle of each at Sample Spree and have already started sewing with them.

Their booth was pretty huge and reminded me of an I Spy book from my childhood. It was a transportative daydream. Someone in that group has some major set styling experience. It's such a joy to pour over the details and props they find to help tell the stories of of the collections. The ladies are friendly as ever, but I can't help but feel like I'm walking up to the cool kids table in the lunch room. They're just so COOL!

My Instagram followers know I've been on a Carolyn Friedlander fangirl bender over the past month. I was really excited to see her booth and her applique BOM pattern. She also has two new little house paper piecing patterns that will be available soon. Both are on my wishlist. She also said she'll be having a new line of fabric coming out this fall, so that's exciting too!

Rhoda Ruth is Elizabeth Hartman's first fabric line, and this was her first Quilt Market booth, but you'd never know it. It looked like the work of a seasoned veteran! A month before Market I had offered to help her make samples and she politely declined because she said she likes to make all her own samples. Well she turned it out! Her booth was rah the perfect reflection of her style: clean, polished, and modern, yet bold, playful, and cute! I just love her collection, Rhoda Ruth, and it's tone on tone look. I've found myself gravitating towards simpler colors and monochromatic palettes over the last several months, so her line is high on my wish list. I think her work and that of Carolyn Friedlander appeals to me so much because their collections behave more like a choir than a rock band with a lead singer. They know how to share the spotlight with all the prints in the line and form a cohesive collection that will sell evenly and play well with prints from other designers.



Tula Pink's booth was getting swarmed not only by fans, but by a film crew. Tula is filming her own reality show! Her mom told it's a full 10+ episode series with "pajamas and coffee and everything." I can't wait to watch it.

I got to meet Jeni Baker for the first time! I'm a huge fan of her and her work, so it was a little jump for joy moment. We bonded over bunny love (I speculated that George is the "basement cat" to my "ceiling cat," the white moon bunny). Her new collection, Curiosities, is bright and happy, and perfectly Jeni.

Anna Maria Horner's Loominous collection was one that really surprised me. At first I was underwhelmed by the simple woven fabrics, but seeing them in a quilt was like getting kicked in the stomach. They had the rich look of an heirloom quilt made from found fabrics and collected over time. It was a very emotional presence that the fabrics created. I've been noticing myself taking on a greater appreciation for the traditional roots of quilting, probably because I don't have that legacy within my own family. It's like I'm trying to build my collection of family history through quilts. AMH's line is going to fill a very special spot in my stash once I can set aside some money to order it.

Violet Craft's new Jungle Abstractions pattern is a follow up to the infamous Forest Abstractions. The Lion is the first release, but more animals are coming too! This quilt is just beyond words... I went to Violet's school house on Thursday, which was one of the highlights of Market for me. I sat in the front row, eager to see Violet in person. Before I could even say hello, Violet looked at me and said, "I'm so glad you're here. I've been excited to meet you!" It through me for a loop. I had no expectation that she had a clue who I was, much less wanted to talk to me! After her very insightful presentation we sat down for a wonderful conversation on art, the industry, and building a brand. It was touching how forthcoming she was with advice and sincere feedback. Sometimes people in this industry guard their success stories and hesitate to share their thoughts. Violet is the complete opposite and her kindness was inspiring. I deeply hope that I can someday do the same for others.

And lastly, my beloved 7 Islands booth. There were just way too many cute prints to mention, so here's a pretty snap of Ellen Baker's new line, monochrome. As usual, I want it. I want it all.