Tula Pink, incredibly creative and fresh designer

I wanted to write today's post about a fabric designer I recently saw speak.  If you are not into sewing of any kind or using fabric I think you will still like to see the interesting and whimsical artwork this young woman produces.
This past year I have gotten really into quilting. Although I grew up with a mother who quilts I never really was interested in it. However from working at Purl Soho I became interested in a different type of quilting, patchwork. My mother is a whole cloth quilter, this is when a whole piece of fabric is used and quilted into. The act of quilting into is sewing your design thru 3 layers; 2 layers of fabric and the batting.
A couple weeks ago I had the opportunity to see a woman named Tula Pink speak at the City Quilter.  I have never heard of her before but  I'm always into learning about new artists.
Tula worked in the music industry before settling down in the mid-west.  She spoke of how she creates prints, develops them and then chooses her color.  Since I have a background in designing prints and yarndyes I was already familiar with the process. However hearing about her creative process and how it works in the quilt world was extremely interesting.

Tula starts everything off with a pencil drawing which is the foundation of the fabric.  While she is creating she is constantly thinking of how the art will look on the fabric at every stage. For example how will it look on the bolt sitting on the shelf and once a customer opens it, how will it unfold.

In her fabric, color is the most important thing so she only works in black, white and gray until the very end.  This seems opposite of what you would think but only working in neutrals helps her concentrate on the art and once the piece is complete she then plays with the color.

Color is the first thing the customer reacts to. I went to see Tula with a colleague from Purl and we agreed. Customers, even us, we are first attracted to color. 

Each collection has a story which helps keep her on track.  Her line Parisville was based on Marie Antoinette the movie from a few years ago by Sofia Coppola, a personal favorite of mine. 

 

I love the little mice running around the circles in this one.

One of her recent collections is called Nightshade. It is a story of 3 sisters, Neptunia, Bella Donna and Scarlett. Neptunia becomes a pirate at age 9.  You can read more here. 

 

Tula and a finished quilt using the Nightshade collection,

I do have to tell you I was so inspired by Tula and immediately purchased some of the Marie Antoinette fabrics. Now what to do with them.

Do you have a favorite fabric designer? Have you seen Tula's work?

What do you think of the large scale prints?

Watermelon - a tasty fruit and fantastic color!

Tuesday at work, at Purl, I designed a bundle of half yard pieces of fabric to sell.

6 half yards go into each bundle. And when designing them it gets tricky and challenging when you get to the fifth and sixth fabrics. Today we were cutting the bundles and putting them together. I realised I Love this bundle! I may even buy it.

from left to right
quilter's linen, remix in green, yuwa honeycomb dots, raindrops on poseys, pink quilter's linen, watermelon slices

 I love not only the watermelon print from Robert Kaufman but each piece makes me feel summer happy. Watermelon colored polka dots, bright neon pink and neon green quilter's linen and lime green gradient remix from Kaufman. I just wanted to get home to my studio and start working; mix and match set of napkins? Or a patchwork table cloth for a bbq?  A little girl's dress? A summer picnic quilt? The possibilities are endless!

What would you create?


One last note- check out this watermelon yarn from Madeline Tosh.

Madeline Tosh light in espadrille - while I was winding this for a customer  I thought  "this should be called watermelon".

Yummm....Want some watermelon items? I must have been in  a watermelon mood yesterday. Here is my Ode to the Watermelon on etsy for the Etsy NY Team.

Happy Friday!

Modern Quilts....Denyse Schmidt

My mother is a quilter. I thought quilting was basically patchwork although this isn't the type of quilting my mother does. Since working at Purl I am slowly learning more about quilting. I have learned what my mother does is whole cloth quilting. I remember as a child she would have quilts set up in our living room and all the Polish ladies from the Christian Mother's (a PTA type group) of our school would come to quilt. My mother is of Polish descent, her mom and dad came over.  I was thinking the other day of a picture that was taken when I was probably second or third grade. I was wearing a bandana on my head and helping thread needles for the quilts. I guess this must be my first exposure to quilts. If I find the picture I will post it for you all. My mother is still quilting but her hands do bother her. She has made all of us, my 4 brothers and sisters, their children and numerous aunts and uncles quilts. I wonder how many she has made. I have two she has made for me. The latest one was a wedding gift, see below. Absolutely beautiful.

Oliver of course is happy to bless any new cloth item in the apartment.

 The edging here is all hand done.

I do want to learn how to quilt and it is much more complicated than I thought. Maybe my mother will give me some lessons over Easter weekend.

 Denyse Schmidt, a well know quilter based out of Bridgeport Connecticut, has come out with a new book. Her quilts are patchwork quilting. Her fabrics are gorgeous and there is a new collection we carry at work called flea market fancy. What a great name! I realized I actually have some of her fabric from a few years ago. They are colorful and sweet and modern. So I was quite excited when I learned Purl was having a book release party for her at the store on March 29th....and I am working at it!  If you live in NYC you should come by and get some inspiration.

LOVE!

Flea Market Fancy comes in 4 colorways.