The Original Scrap-Bag™ in Pop Rox

Posted on May 4, 2014 by Plaid Portico

I was pretty happy when Jamie Kalvestran sent me photos of Pop Rox on her popular Original Scrap-bag™ pattern. I LOVE her bags. Jamie is an experienced product designer as well as a sewing pattern designer and print pattern designer. AND she blogs. There is her print & pattern design blog, A Pattern a Day, her sewing pattern blog, Scrap-bags, and Small Town Gardens. Her patterns can be found in independent quilt stores or you can always get a downloadable pdf through Jamie here.

Take a look at this Original Scrap-bag™ with Pop Rox, and of course I’ve picked more of her things to show you after that, including more bags and quilts, and a link to a pdf catalog to all the cool patterns for her Chickadee fabric line with Andover fabrics. Kind of to die for!

Pop Rox in The Original Scrap-bag™

Super Simple Modern Quilt by Jamie Kalvestran

Buttons Bows & Yo Yo’s by Jamie Kalvestran

Big Easy Tote Bag by Jamie Kalvestran

The Bayport Bag by Jamie Kalvestran

Chickadee by Jamie Kalvestran

Pattern Revolution does Pop Rox

Posted on April 29, 2014 by Plaid Portico

I came upon Pattern Revolution by way of Carla Crim of The Scientific Seamstress, and so glad I did. A superb site dedicated to “Encouraging and Educating the Modern Sewist” this site has the BEST photos, many courtesy of Suzanne Winter Photography. It is a site contributed to by a whole collective of women, so the projects and patterns are many and varied in both skill level and type. Focused on electronic pdf patterns, one can find patterns for baby, girls, boys, women, toys, bags and accessories, PLUS sewing tutorials and inspiration, fun sew alongs, and a featured designer series. Oh and did I mention, TONS of prizes and giveaways!

It’s well done and accessible to any sewist. And its cool-at least I think so. Take a look at just the cutest ruffle dress and vintage romper done in Pop Rox. And off course I will show you a sneak peek at other cool things you can find over there at Pattern Revolution!

Ruffle Dress by Suzanne Winter, Pattern Revolution

Ruffle Dress by Suzanne Winter,Pattern Revolution

Vintage Romper by Suzanne Winter, Pattern Revolution

Long Beach Board Shorts Sew Along at Pattern Revolution

The Bay dress and top by Brownie Goose, (stitched by Crystal)

Runway Deconstructed on patternrevolution.com

Free Baby Bumble Bag Tutorial from patternrevolution.com

Learn to adapt and alter patterns, on pattern revolution.com

The Essential Sewing Reference Tool by Carla Crim

http://patternrevolution.com/pattern-reviews/2014/4/22/the-bay-dress-and-top-by-brownie-goose (stitched by Crystal)

Patchwork Posse

Posted on April 21, 2014 by Plaid Portico

Continuing our Pop Rox round-up and spotlight on some amazing creative people who have played with Pop Rox, today we look at Patchwork Posse. I met Becky several years ago at The Creative Connection Event where she was a panelist and participant. I have loved collaborating with her and see her creative business grow. Not only will you find a plethora of great tutorials and patterns for quilts, bags, dolls and stuffed animals on her site Patchwork Posse, she also has a lot of fun things going on like quilt block round robins, and lots of free stuff!

AND if you’re a plushie lover like Becky, you must check out her site PlushiePatterns.com where she collects and publishes plushie patterns. I think what really differentiates what you will find on Patchwork Posse is the sheer diversity and originality of the projects and tutorials, AND it’s so prolific. It is literally chock full of anything you would want to do or need to know. If you are looking for fresh ideas for small projects this is the place. It’s one stop shopping–for quilting patterns, tips and tutorials AND sewing projects as well as appliqué and embroidery. It’s kind of a magic place to visit if you own a sewing machine.

So, take a gander at project tutorials using Pop Rox on Patchwork Posse, plus of course I chose a number of other great projects and articles to show you so you can get a really good idea of the many flavors of Patchwork Posse. Have a wander over there!

Quilt as You Go Binder Tutorial by Patchwork Posse

Quilt as You Go Table Runner by Patchwork Posse

Fabric Weaving tutorial by Patchwork Posse

15+ Fox Plushies by PlushiePatterns.com

Hexagon Quilt Patterns and free tutorials by Patchwork Posse

50+ Fabric Bins and Baskets by Patchwork Posse

Using Color in Your Quilts on PatchworkPosse.com

Mitered Quilt Block Tutorial by Patchwork Posse

Voices in Cloth 2014: Part One.

Posted on April 16, 2014 by Plaid Portico

Well, I have been waiting to begin the coverage of the Voices in Cloth 2014 exhibition, and I can’t wait any little longer. So we will intersperse coverage of the show with continuing coverage of the Pop Rox project round-up. The Voices in Cloth 2014 Exhibition, put on by the East Bay Heritage Quilters was at the Craneway Pavilion on the Richmond waterfront near the end of March for 2 days only. A dramatic space, a bustling crowd and great local vendors added to the exhibition buzz.

There were some trends in this group of curated quilts, mostly from local northern California quilters. There were a lot of silks, linens and other than standard quilting cotton used. There were hand-dyed fabric and batiks, and quite a bit of Asian influence. There were interesting combinations of traditional fabrics in modern quiet designs and modern fabrics in more traditional quilt designs. And many art quilts. And lots of color!

As usual, you are subject to the whim of my curatorial eye. I just take pictures of the quilts I really like. Now I am going to show you my top ten favorite quilts from the show (in no particular order) I have 60 more quilts to go so this will be a several part series. Here are the first few and my favs, all for different reasons:

Silk Arithmetic by Stacey Sharman

Scattered Rings by Jane Herlihy

Plaid One by Eleanor Dugan. Quilted by Dani Lawler.

Quilt in Forever and a Day by Amy Adair. Inspired by Gypsy Kisses by Kathy Doughty.

3 Fans by Sally Pooler

Explosion 3 by Barb Strick

Inclinations by Ellen Wong

My Traveling Quilt by Leah Brown. Quilted by Kathy Ritter.

Not Entirely My Fault by Rebecca Rohrkaste. Quilt pattern by Kathy Doughty.

Springtime Harmony by Cynthia Sanders, quilted by Sue Fox

Welcome to the Mouse House

Posted on April 9, 2014 by Plaid Portico

Next up on our Pop Rox round-up is Welcome to the Mouse House who made the Pop Rox dress, a version of the Caroline Party Dress. The. cutest. dress. ever. I am a huge fan of Hayley of Welcome to the Mouse House. And her website/blog is cool–its a mix of interior design, decoration, sewing, craft and cooking–all kinds of DIY.

There are home projects and redecorating–think light, clean, airy and original. There are tutorials on sewing, embroidery, home decor, wall art, hair accessories, and craft projects. Yes, and of course I will show you some pictures of a few ones I think are pretty cool to give you a taste.

The pattern for The Pop Rox dress, a version of the Caroline Party dress can be found in the Etsy shop Mouse House Creations, along with some other yummy yummy patterns.

But first let’s see the Pop Rox Dress. AND let me say here that an unexpected joy about designing fabric is connecting with so many great crafters, quilters, bloggers and creative business people. It opens my world and is such a gift.

Pop Rox dress by Welcome to the Mouse House

Pop Rox Dress by Welcome to The Mouse House

Pop Rox Dress by Welcome to the Mouse House

Welcome to the Mouse House

United Colors of Love by Welcome to the Mouse House

Rainbows and Kitty Cats Birthday Party by Welcome to the Mouse House

The Norah Dress and Tunic by Welcome to the Mouse House

The Apron Dress Tutorial by Welcome to the Mouse House

Puppet Theater Cabinet by Welcome to the Mouse House

The 30 Minute Easter Skirt by Welcome to the Mouse House

The 30 Minute Easter Skirt tutorial by Welcome to the Mouse House

Swoon Sewing Patterns

Posted on April 8, 2014 by Plaid Portico

Next up on the Pop Rox round-up is Swoon Sewing Patterns who made the gorgeous Coraline clutches. Swoon has super high quality patterns for mostly bags and lots of bags they have! The best part is that you can buy the patterns right off their site and have the option of a downloadable pdf OR a paper pattern. Yes, and there are also freebies and tutorials, particularly on the blog.

First we’ll show you the gorgeous Pop Rox clutches, then I have to show you more of their bag patterns. Their style is “simple and clean”. I like that. And if you don’t think you are up to sewing, but you like their bags, check out the Etsy store DiedelBug Handmade. You can also find they patterns on YouCanMakeThis.com, Swoon Patterns Etsy shop, Craftsy, and Go To patterns & Co.

And tune in for special fund-raising sale notices on their Facebook page they will be doing to help fund a new small specialty sewing shop. The commercial space has already been leased!

Coraline Clutch by Swoon Sewing Patterns

I also like that they show their patterns made up with lots of different kinds of fabrics. So many great bags–some I haven’t seen anything like it before. Love the Betty Bowler Bag! Take a look.

Betty Bowler bag by Swoon Sewing Patterns

Dorothy Day Tripper bag by Swoon Sewing Patterns

India Hobo Bag by Swoon Sewing Patterns

Levi Utility Bag by Swoon Sewing Patterns

Roderick Kiracofe and Ben Venom at Stitch Modern

Posted on March 20, 2014 by Plaid Portico

Well, a few weeks back we were treated to am amazing slide show presentation by artist Ben Venom, who “juxtaposes traditional handmade crafts with extreme elements found on the fringes of society” and whose “work can be described as opposing forces colliding at lightening speed”. I have to quote his website since I cannot describe it sufficiently myself. He is an amazing energetic presenter and we were all entranced and invigorated. Unfortunately I have no pictures! So you are going to have to click on the image below to get to his website. This is something else. Color me inspired.

Ben Venom, photo by Margo Moritz

After Ben, we changed courses and were treated to a viewing of a stream of quilts from Roderick Kiracofe’s collection while he discussed them. I got a photos of a few of them to share with you. Amazing. Most of them were from quilter unknown, from many a decade gone by. They were priceless and Roderick’s passion for his quilt finds was palpable, as was the audience’s response! Pretty exciting to meet him and pretty scary that I know now one could actually COLLECT quilts. Oh, no, hold me back!

Roderick Kiracofe is an art and quilt collector, accomplished author, curator, and consultant. A good summary of his books and accomplishments can be found HERE (why reinvent the wheel!) Truly a joy to see some of his collection and hear the stories behind them. Several are going to be in his new book Unconventional and Unexpected: American Quilts Below the Radar, 1950-2000, Abrams, Autumn 2014. Currently available by Roderick on Blurb are Quilts and Quilts 2, and on his Amazon page one can find a number his books including the amazing and well-known The American Quilt: A History of Cloth and Comfort 1750-1950 and Cloth & Comfort: Pieces of Women’s Lives from Their Quilts and Diaries.

Without further ado, take a gander at some of these finds of Rodney Kiracofe. Apologies for my less than stellar photography due to viewing circumstances, but still well worth a look I think.

From the collection of Roderick Kiracofe

quilt top back From the collection of Roderick Kiracofe

From the collection of Roderick Kiracofe

Next up at The Plaid Portico will be curated coverage of the big show of the East bay Heritage Quilt Guild, and a project round-up for Pop Rox which is just starting to hit stores now.

It’s finally here, the new Quilts! Quilts!! Quilts!!! 3rd edition

Posted on December 9, 2013 by Plaid Portico

What a fun book signing party. Gorgeous quilts in a garden nursery setting, with sweets galore and a couple hundred people. Celebrating the 3rd edition of the million copy best selling quilting “bible” first published 25 years, Quilts! Quilts! Quilts!! 3rd edition by Diana McClun and Laura Nownes is now out with all new quilts using modern fabrics. Stunning.

So many people have said they learned to quilt with the previous editions, maybe I will be one of the first ones to learn to quilt from the new edition…after I finish all my initial get-my-feet-wet improv quilting projects I’ve started.

I think I got shots of all of the quilts that are in the book and some extra quilts that were being exhibited and with their permission will be showing them all here but it may take a few posts to go through them all so stay tuned. Here are some shots of the event, and the first round quilts. Enjoy!

Diana Mc Clun and Laura Nownes signing books

The third edition of Quilts! Quilts!! Quilts!!!

The Giant Tumble by Diana McClun and Laura Nownes, quilted by Marla Monson
p. 62 of Quilt! Quilts!! Quilts!!! 3rd edition

The Giant Tumble by Diana McClun and Laura Nownes, quilted by Marla Monson
p. 62 of Quilts! Quilts!! Quilts!!! 3rd edition

Circles by Diana McClun and Laura Nownes, quilted by Marla Monson
p. 70 of Quilts! Quilts!! Quilts!!! 3rd edition

Lazy Day Quilt by Gail Abeloe
p. 26 of Quilts! Quilts!! Quilts!!! 3rd edition

Rectangles by Diana Mc Clun and Laura Nownes, machine quilted by Kathy August
p. 22 of Quilts! Quilts!! Quilts!!! 3rd edition

Rectangles by Diana Mc Clun and Laura Nownes, machine quilted by Kathy August<br />p. 22 of Quilts! Quilts!! Quilts!!!

Rectangles by Diana Mc Clun and Laura Nownes, machine quilted by Kathy August
p. 22 of Quilts! Quilts!! Quilts!!! 3rd edition

Grandmother’s Flower Garden byMcClun and Laura Nownes, quilted by Victoria McEnerney with fabrics by Valori Wells, p. 64 in Quilts! Quilts!! Quilts!!! 3rd edition

Spoolin’ Around by Diana McClun and Laura Nownes, quilted by Victoria McEnerney, p. 59 of Quilts! Quilts!! Quilts!!! 3rd edition

Pinwheels by Ashley Pevy, quilted by Marla Monson, p. 42 of Quilts! Quilts!! Quilts!!! 3rd edition

Star Light, Star Bright by Diana McClun and Laura Nownes, quilted by Marla Monson, fabric ‘Terrain” by Kate Spain

Kaleidoscope by Dawn Guglielmino, quilted by Beth Hummel, fabrics “licorice Fizz” by Carol van Zandt, p. 54 of Quilts! Quilts!! Quilts!!! 3rd edition

Kaleidoscope by Dawn Guglielmino, quilted by Beth Hummel, fabrics: “licorice Fizz” by Carol Van Zandt, p. 54 of Quilts! Quilts!! Quilts!!! 3rd edition

Quilts from Quilt Market Houston 2013 #9

Posted on December 2, 2013 by Plaid Portico

Finally we have our last Quilt Market report. Little bit of a gap here as we dealt with the holiday. Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. And last but not least, my final picks from the many, many quilts in the exhibitions at Quilt Market Houston 2013, and some of my absolute favorites for different reasons: