Today's project was to quilt this small piece, "Orange Segments." It is a variation of a new Here2There pattern designed by Amy. I love working with this pattern and exploring how the use of color can change the feel and look of the block. I love that it looks complex, but goes together easily.
We are excited to share our newest pattern, "Italian Fields." This is our fifth pattern.
"Italian Fields" is a strip-based pattern, and the individual blocks are easy to piece. The pattern will make a 31 1/2" x 31 1/2" wall hanging, but the quilt can easily be made larger. (The borders on the cover photo are not included in the directions.)
Because it uses strips, "Italian Fields" can put a favorite jelly roll you have on hand to good use! And don't be afraid to have fun with color. This pattern works up beautifully in a range of bold and whimsical colors!
This was one of the two patterns taught last week at a hands-on workshop of Here2There patterns, and all who tried it created something wonderful!
"Italian Fields" being quilted and a close up of the blocks.
A block made from "A's Triangles" H2T Pattern.
I spent the day sharing two of our patterns with eight ladies at a Camano Island Quilt Guild Workshop. Each quilter choose one pattern and made a block or two or half dozen in her colors. The time flew as we shared, talked, measured, cut, made decisions, sewed, ate, and laughed. Yes, we ate. Thank you Lana for the best homemade chicken noodle soup I've ever tasted. And thank you everyone for the smiles while you played very hard.
These two CIQ participants made their "Italian Fields" blocks in their favorite colors.
Three more colorways using "Italian Fields."
We are excited to share our two new patterns - A's Triangles and Break of Day. Each pattern has detailed fabric requirements, clear instructions, and diagrams.
A's Triangles is a bold geometric pattern using strips that frame a center triangle. The blocks go together quickly, and those pieces that are trimmed are used in the border. What a fun way to use your scraps, or create a palette of your choice. The pattern is for a 42" x 43" quilt or wall hanging, but it can be easily modified to create a larger quilt.
Break of Day is an easy strip-based quilt. It can be elegant or playful depending on the choice of fabrics and colors. We used a jelly roll of black and white fabrics for framing units, Asian-inspired focus fabrics, and a selection of contrasting color for the fractured blocks. The pattern will make a 44-3/4" 53-1/2" quilt.
Both patterns can be purchased at Over The Rainbow:
Patterns are also available in the Here2ThereArt at Etsy shop.
We are excited to announce that we've released our second Here2There original quilt pattern. Affectionately known as "Cranes," "A's Cranes" is based on a simple half log cabin block which frames a corner focal fabric. Our original was very Asian in feel, and we love the rich tones of it - and had a great time mixing and matching fabrics from our stash to build each block.
"A's Cranes" can be made with a 40-strip jelly roll (noting that you'll have to add the focal fabric and a small amount of scrap fabric for accent strips). Or, dive into your stash and put what you already have to use. (The pattern uses 2 1/2" strips.)
Here's a close up look at blocks in the original:
We are making a pirate themed version of the pattern for a show we're doing in December. As we tested the block with the swashbuckling kid-friendly fabrics, it was wonderful to see the block take on an entirely new vibe.
We also assembled a jelly-roll based kit for the pattern in a colorway that plays with both batiks and an Asian focal fabric.
Every quilt has a story behind it. And in the case of our first pattern, "A's Strips," there was a quilt behind the quilt. Those of you who have a copy of the pattern know from the "History of A's Strips" that the pattern was based on a quilt Opal made as a gift. I loved the vertical lines and random feel and rich interplay of color and pattern that I wanted to standardize the elements into something repeatable... and so I did.
We showed you the quilt I designed (with bird transfers used as the spliced elements), and we showed you photos of two other versions of the quilt made during testing.
I though you might enjoy seeing the quilt upon which it was based. (You really are only seeing a portion of it here.) This quilt doesn't match up exactly to "A's Strips." Instead, it's the touchstone upon which the pattern was based.
This one... a one-of-a-kind.
Thank you for the support and encouraging words from those of you who came by our booth last weekend at Art By the Bay on Camano Island in Washington, and especially those who braved the cold and rain on Sunday. We had the most colorful booth at the show. Our birdhouse placemats were a hit. In fact, we sold all of them and took special orders for others. Our pattern for A's Strips was popular for the quilters, and our quilted art totes found new homes. And I smiled when I saw someone walk by with one of our quilted coffee sleeves on their espresso drink....
This is our booth before it was set up,,,,10 feet by 10 feet, with a climbing rope hanging right in the middle.
Still not ready, but almost...these are some of our items we had on display.
Everyone commented about our soft colorful Dream Pillows.
Today, the day after, we are busy completing special orders and planning for the upcoming shows.
I live on a small island. We have one gas station, one grocery store, and a handful of other shops. There are two traffic lights. Mostly Camano Island is residential. But, we do have a small treasure that most people know only online. My friend Laura owns and runs Over the Rainbow, an online fabric store. She has converted the barn behind their house into a wonderland of fabric, with bolts lined up in an array of colors, shelves bulging with the likes of which only a true fabric lover could love and wish for. She and her daughter Mandi work in a tiny office processing online orders, and then they cut the fabrics to fill the orders. Laura's mom, "Meemaw" does the bookkeeping. And when Laura isn't in the shop, she is out taking care of her animals: alpacas; donkeys; rabbits; ducks; chickens; dogs; and a resident cat or two.
This is the ground floor, just the front...can you even imagine!
This is upstairs in the loft (that would be hayloft)...lol...and just one section...
When Amy was here a few weeks ago, I knew that I wanted her to see it. And truly, it is overwhelming when you walk in...where do you start? Within minutes, I had lost Amy to the lure of the bins of triangle folded fat quarters...she had maybe 20 of them which had caught her eye.
If you go to their site, Over the Rainbow, you can see photos of the animals on the farm, and photos of her family. Her newsletter is full of news about fabrics they have, and those they will get. They run sales that are to die for. And, their shipping rates are the best..they will cram as much fabric as they can into a Priority envelope. Over the Rainbow was the first shop to carry our first pattern, "A's Strips", and, they have seen the quilts for the next patterns we are in the process of completing. Thank you Laura and Mandi for your support!...
We're excited to announce that our first pattern is now available! The pattern for A's Strips was designed by Amy based on a random/free-form quilt I made her last fall. Amy loved the lines of the quilt and set out to standardize it and make it a Here2There original.
The cover photo shows Amy's version into which she spliced in photo transfers of birds from our sketches. The pattern gives detailed directions on personalizing the quilt, an extension size, and even a Jelly Roll adaptation.
My friend Judy Irish tested the pattern for us. This is her version using all Kaffe Fassett and Westminster fabrics. As you can see, the pattern works in a range of colors. We love the brightness of this version.
The above photo (left) shows a 40-strip Jelly Roll by Moda (purchased at Over the Rainbow, which Amy got to visit in person last week) and A's Strips pieced from the Jelly Roll. The Jelly Roll version uses all of the strips, plus an 8" strip of (at least) one more color for the larger rectangles. The pattern is fast to work up. The Jelly Roll top was pieced in one evening.
The pattern will soon be available in other places. We've introduced it, however, at here2there.etsy.com with free shipping during the month of June.
Let us know what you think!
Amy and Opal are two artists living in different states on the west coast who have teamed up to create fiber art together. Their journey and process is captured here.
