Ombrés and Octagons is what I am teaching at Craft Napa January 18-19, 2020 as well as My Color Wheel . Sign up is in 7 hours. June 1, 7am. So yes, I am burning the midnight hour to get this post out to you! Sign up, and learn more about how to use ombré fabrics, work with value, hue and how to make the most of my SKY Collection as well as other ombre style fabrics. This quilt above is called Sunset Lake, featured in OMBRE QUILTS BOOK. We're going to have a ball and a great way to kickstart your creative new year, and it's all in gorgeous Napa Valley, just 45 minutes from our Golden Gate Bridge! It's 5th edition of Craft Napa and there are so many great classes to take! It would be a treat to see you there! 

All SKY fabrics will be shipping in October, see the entire collection here.  Above shows variations of MY COLORWHEEL class at Craft Napa, January 16, 2020. 
1. Winter Shimmer is shipping or has shipped to your favorite store. See the collection here! 
2. I have KITS in the shop for Cardinal Shimmer Kit and Winter Shimmer Table Runner Kit
2. If you want just the patterns that are made up in Winter Shimmer, check out my new Cardinal Shimmer and Winter Shimmer Table Runner,  which  are both based on the same Octagon Shimmer Template.
3. Contact me jennifersampou@gmail.com if you want to order patterns wholesale for your store. Minimums apply. 
4. Craft Napa sign ups open June 1, 7am Pacific Standard Time. Get while the getting's good! 
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Above is some of the Winter Shimmer fabrics and the pieced then appliquéd Cardinal Shimmer. Below is the Tree Shimmer Table Runner, No Hats in The House Ode to Trees paper pieced pattern and Better off Thread Star Quilt. 

Have a great weekend everyone! Thanks for reading my blog, making beautiful things with my fabric and telling me about it! See you on Instagram! 

xx
Stay Creative. 
Jennifer

HUGE NEWS! If you follow me on Instagram, where I gush all the time about the cool stuff happening in my studio, At Robert Kaufman and C&T Publishing, you know by now I am in the final stages of my book, OMBRÉ QUILTS and have printed designer samples of SKY COLLECTION (see all 30 here) which I used to make every quilt (and then some!) for the book. The perfect storm of getting fabric and book to market AT THE SAME TIME was a robust undertaking, one that took the whole team at both C&T and RKC, plus some super talented sewists to help me get it done and for that I am grateful. I’m thrilled and you all get to benefit too!

Here are the hard fast details and NEED TO KNOW:
Book & Fabric shipping to QUILTERS Worldwide OCT 2019. Sharpen your blades and rev up your machines!

•SKY COLLECTION premiering now, MAY 16-19 at Kansas City International Quilt Market at KC Convention Center. Robert Kaufman Booth #925 Open to Wholesale Trade Only. We’ll be moving and shaking!! SO much exciting stuff premieres at these markets and this is our time to show it all off! This is where your store sees fabric, projects and orders all new products for Fall 2019.
•OMBRÉ QUILTS Book is also available for preorder at C&T Publishing Booth #324.
•SCHOOLHOUSE Presentation, like I am going to show all the projects In Real Life! Thursday RM. 2205 at 12:45 PM. Giving samples out free!
•OPEN TO PUBLIC - FABRIC CHIC!! SEE ABOVE ^ all quilts to show... rolled up in a Meet in Greet and talk(cause is just more fun that way) Wednesday 6-8pm. WINE TOO! 170 English Landing Dr. Parkville MO (10 min drive from KC Convention Center) Door Prizes! YOU’RE INVITED-
​ PLEASE COME IF YOU CAN!

These gorgeous pastels are what I used (Thanks to my dear friend and pastel teacher, Amanda Houston) to create the SKY design which is a celebration of all the glorious skies we witness overhead, 30 pieces to commemorate my 30 years of being a professional textile designer, and they are digitally printed which gives us limitless color options and a more green/sustainable approach to printed fabric which makes me very happy.

OMBRE QUILTS book highlights 6 gorgeous projects, talks about what is an ombre, which ones to buy, how to use them, cut them, and why you’ll fall in love with these versatile prints (if you already haven’t) so not only is it a HOW TO book, but also a process book as I discuss color, value, placement and design. You’ll learn a lot. I will show you all the projects in a later post and talks in more detail. For now, know that above is what the cover looks like!

Can you tell how happy I am?? I love all colors, I love all moods and textures of fabrics. It’s been a while since I have done this kind of intense color and it feels so good to be immersed and to get such “never before possible” colors digitally printed on one yard of fabric. You have to see it to believe it. It’s so yummy. More to come later. Please comment below if you have any questions, observations etc....These Ombres styles are trending up now and it’s time we dig in and have some more fun. Until next time, Keep creating, it does your soul good
xo
​Jennifer

Take a look at what my students did in the barn. I am so proud of them. Lots of natural light and room for creative work! 
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 Pokey Bolton is the founder of Craft Napa, her latest endeavor and it's a retreat that I highly recommend. With an impressive resume to boast, Pokey is the founder of two quilt magazines, hosted PBS Quilting Arts TV,  was Chief Creative Officer at Quilts Inc and now that she has moved to Napa, built an AMAZING Art Barn and sharing her dreams with us!
 I believe she is just ramping up! 

I was lucky to be invited to teach and be the keynote speaker at The Creativity Luncheon. The event was a true, fill your cup kind of artist & sisterhood pow-wow. I got to preach my favorite belief  "we are all creative". We just need to support our creativity....

                           Harness it.                      Nourish it.                   Run with it.
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Sunrise walk behind barn. Mist, light, shadows and tucked in that valley is Pokey's Art Barn....Magical. 

Freddy Moran is unforgettable. She's funny, talented, colorful, witty, frank, charming, wicked stylish and some one I am lucky enough to call my friend. I met Freddy when I began designing fabrics for P&B Textiles 30 years ago and Irwin Bear, the owner knew it was imperative that I meet all the local movers and shakers of the quilt scene in the San Francisco Bay Area. Of course she was one of them even though she was just coming into the quilt scene and lamenting the fussy piecing and perfect matched seams of shaker blue and tea dyed calicos that has previously defined many American quilts. We actually had a class together at the Cotton Patch and both of us fled class, feeling completely subpar at our inability to stitch a straight line and press open a seam..because we were off 1/32 of an inch...Seriously...she brought out her ruler to measure our work....Wrong teacher for us! We have laughed at that early story ever since. She has become a local icon and inspiration to us all with her renegade "red is a neutral" quote and encouraging quilters to just jump in, not be afraid of putting fabric down, and to just get in the studio and do the work.  She loves color. She uses all kinds of hues and patterns. She liberates everyone who has ever taken a class from her to just keep adding more color, and not worry about your technique. Grab so glue! Go ahead, no judgement here!  JUST HAVE FUN. And if it's not fun, why are you doing it? Did I mention she is mother to 5 grown men, 12 grandchildren ( I think) and family is paramount to her...Which is another reason I love her so. 

Making Faces is her latest collection that was shown here in Berkeley at Hello Stitch and the other half of her collection hung at Bay Quilts this past month. Seeing them all together lined up along a massive white wall with sun streaming in from large skylights just made me smile. She is uninhibited, a natural born creative and I was thrilled that she was feeling up to the outing. Freddy has had a very difficult year and gave all those who love her a real scare. She came through the other side and is back at it in her studio with a little help from maker friends and shines brightly when she meets a new quilter. It's one of my favorite things when we have been out and about together. People are drawn to her and she lights up a room and really engages with each and every person she talks quilts with. I just love witnessing these interactions. Her years of teaching have influenced multiple generations of makers and we are so lucky she has embraced her style, strong voice and shared her stories and visual delights with us. 

This picture below was taken three years ago when Anthropologie opened up in Walnut Creek. We were so excited and made a special trip to see all the delicious design, color in home decor and fashion. What a fun day, one I will always cherish. We shopped till we dropped then headed to lunch across the street at Neiman Marcus for a little bubbly....and some small bites...Please leave any comments you might have for Freddy.  I will pass them along to her. I know she'd love to hear from you and is always amazed that she has influenced so many makers in the world of color and fabric. 

Keep Making,
Stay Creative,
​xx