a color:FULL life.

color:FULL 
Craving color and the lack of it is the way my artistic pendulum swings. I can honestly say, I love all colors. What about you? It's only in context, that I would dispute their beauty or worth. From the quiet  "Marsala" Pantone Color of 2015 (yeah, I know...lots of you loathe it) to the intense, citron moss that grows on noble firs in the Sierra Mountains, I find them easy to use and like. It depends on what they are paired with, the amount displayed or the location they occupy. This is color sensitivity. Like you, I have many moods and sometimes I crave serene palettes that are soothing, understated and divine. Other times I want the "sock it to ya" Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk palette trumpeting through my studio and life. Fall 2014 was the later...You can find Color:FULL fabric collection and Studio Stash Yarn Dyes in your favorite store (shop local!) or online now and it's available worldwide. Here is a little story about how they came to be. Mostly pictorial, as it's my preferred method of communiqué. 

My motto is "inhale inspiration, exhale design" and this is what I have always done and will continue to do as long as my eyes open, my brain functions and my hands work. These images below are the two color story covers of Robert Kaufman's sales samples. Sales reps travel to shops and retailers throughout the world to sell my prints. Entire collection can be seen here.
(fashion photo from Getty Images and Gary Pepper) 

Grand LeMoyne Star is a quilt I designed because I wanted to show a simple, yet striking pattern that highlights these fabrics. The black and grey are part of my Studio Stash Yarn Dyes that are pretty fabulous to work with and so versatile. This is now a beautiful pattern available in my store  which includes materials list and published by C&T Publishing.   
(Pieced by Betsy Hada and quilted by Terri Carpenter)

This "sock it to ya" color palette is from the flower markets of Chiang Mai, Thailand. My passion, my mojo, my heart is fueled by travel. So is my sister's, we do lots of this together...(She hosts trips all over the world! Join her!)

My Kid's favorite summer activity is frequenting The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. Mine too. By the time we've screamed through 5 consecutive rides, we all feel a tad ill...but happy. And I have a new color palette swirling in my mind.

So here is the exhale part...Sitting in my studio, choosing color, sketching and painting designs, often in delicious silence. 

I create messes, pick them up...procrastinate a bit and repeat until it's done. I usually go through a few stuck periods where I wonder a bunch and then it works itself out...The designs come to fruition. That is all part of designing in my studio. I am comfortable with the process and enjoy the ebb and flow.

Sometimes, In the middle of the night when I can't sleep I find myself in my studio. The boys are in a deep slumber and I have a few hours of creative time. I feel like it's truly free time given to me before I crawl back into bed and get a few more hours of sleep before I really HAVE to get up. I no longer fear insomnia, but napping through a carpool shift is a real risk. 

Once the collection is done and all the strike offs (final proofs) are approved, it's printed in Japan and woven in India. Sample yardage is sent to many different makers and we work on a tight deadline for Quilt Market. Below left is Rocket 88 by The Quilt Engineer (free download) and dresses are Oliver and S patterns. These women are so incredibly talented and productive.

This Delight Quilt is by Jaybird quilts. Her rulers and patterns are super popular and you can see why! The amazing quilting by Angela Walters, of course!!

Here is part of the talented and helpful crew from Robert Kaufman and Jaybird Quilts. I am indebted to them for all the support they give to me, plus they are a joy to work with. 
That wraps up 2014 and I am so excited about my upcoming collections in 2015. We are gearing up for an Insta Blog Hop at the end of this month using my Black & White Collection that premiered last Quilt Market. It seems like it takes forever for the fabric to finally get into the stores and your hands. But I hope it's worth the wait!

I have been spending time sharing on Instagram. I hope you'll join me and the millions of others who get their daily image fix of gorgeous quilts and see the instavibe of makers, sewists, quilters, crafters and artists from all over the world. 
Lastly, please check out my store , we've added new items for sale. 

Stay tuned! An exciting Spring lies ahead!

Go create! xo

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