JOIN US~ 
As we unfold a very special line-up of 16 bloggers who will show their own interpretations of BLACK&WHITE COLLECTION . Daily, they will share how they were inspired and by which of my 24 prints. I am excited to see all the finished projects every day until February 6th. In keeping with blog hop tradition, there is fabric to win every day at every blog stop.  On the last day, I will be giving away a FQ Tower of BLACK&WHITE  Also check out Instagram for more prizes, as we've been hash tagging great stuff #blackandwhitefabrics #jennifersampou. It's just plain fun!


BLACK&WHITE is a timeless theme whether used on its own or paired with color like in my  Elephant and I quilt. It never goes out of style. It has inspired souls since the beginning of human expression. Who knows, maybe first realized at the magical hour just before dawn. Perhaps the fall of dusk when a tree canopy, birds migrating above or mountain range revealed a striking silhouette of black design against a brightened sky— void of intense hue yet full of contrast. 

The Elephant and I quilt/pillow pattern is paper pieced, gender neutral (boy pattern insert) using mostly my low volume prints  from the collection and the new 2014 Kona Colors Ten Square. The image was inspired by my visit to the Elephant Nature Park in Thailand with my sister where we met the petite and courageous Lek Chailert who devotes her life to the rescue and rehabilitation of elephants. 
••••••••••••••••Travel always changes my life for the deeper. It opens my eyes, fills my mind and heart••••••••••••••••••••••••••

One day I will go back and devote more time as a volunteer in Lek's park. For now, I am donating part of the proceeds of the sale of my pattern to Elephant Nature Park. I will also gift her one of my quilts, hopefully in person. I have a limited number of precuts and patterns for sale in my store (free shipping code: BlogHop) if you want to make your own. Yardgage can be found at your favorite store or  The Cotton Patch has all 24 bolts plus Studio Stash yarn dyes. 

Below is the talent list and we open with some fabulous quilt projects by Better off Thread, Sew Kind of Wonderful (I love their ingenious approach to using one ruler for so many quilt options) and Teresa Coates who is working up some magic for Fabric Depot. Follow along for 16 days and see what everyone is doing. Share with your friends too. We're having a party and we want you here!

To win the grand prize, sign up on my mailing list (if you haven't already) AND leave a comment on my page here by February 8th about which projects inspire you and what you would make if you won fabric. I will be updating this post as it moves through the hop and highlighting the projects. Drawing February 9th.

INSTAGRAM GIVEAWAY- Taquito FQ rollup and Elephant and I Pattern giveaway on Jan 30 and Feb 6. Enter to win by re-posting any Blog Hop projects and tag #blackandwhitefabrics and #jennifersampou

That wraps it up for today. Be sure to stop by Robert Kaufman blog as they are kicking it off today too! They have a stunning quilt by Janice Ryan, quilted by Angela Walters (both posting about it next week) and it's a FREE download on their website with kit available at Keepsake Quilting. 

Until tomorrow. Quilt from morning 'til night in Black&White.
xo,

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.

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