Use, Stash, Repeat with Bountiful Fabrics Blog Tour

I‘m delighted to be back for another blog tour for Sharon Holland’s Fabric designs. This time I’ve managed to create some striking and extremely practical projects with the  Bountiful Fabric Collection designed by Sharon Holland for Art Gallery Fabrics.

My dear friend Alexis, creator of the My Sweet Sunshine Studio Blog, and I shared a photo shoot last year for Sharon’s Coastline Blog Tour and had so much fun.  Now we are back sharing a day together for these Bountiful projects! She and I met in my fabric shop, Needle in a Fabric Stash, just over two years ago and instantly began a friendship filled with drooling over the latest and greatest Art Gallery Fabrics and sharing (usually via on-going text because we are both crazy busy) details and progress about current sewing projects.

This time around I’ve created the Use, Stash, Repeat pattern for reusable bags using Sharon’s amazing Bountiful prints. Click here to see the full collection. 

Cities all over America have adopted a plastic bag ban. When Temecula passed the law last year, I was eager and ready to support it by creating the Use, Stash, Repeat bag pattern. I took pride in making every effort to stay in-line with a no waste theme by creating dimensions for the bag so you end up wasting almost zero fabric.  The Bountiful designs and this reusable bag go great together.  Each bag uses a trio of Bountiful Fabrics.

Scenic  Blue Sky, Prairie Maze and Vine Umbra

Arborescent Seasons, Gather Rustic and Haymow Early 

Perennial Optimism , Prairie Crimson and Plain Weave Thatch

More fun to admire than decorated Easter Eggs, these bags conveniently roll up and easily fit into pretty pocket style pouches sewn into the bags. The pouches fit perfectly in your glove compartment or purse so you can always be prepared when you are running errands on the go. With one handle exposed, you can hang them on your shoulder until you’ve finished shopping! And, of course, I couldn’t pass up a chance to create some handmade buttons with scraps from Bountiful Fabrics as well as previous Sharon Holland Fabric Designs.

When I was planning out the photo shoot for these projects I thought it would be fun to hit three of my favorite Temecula shops to show off these great bags made from a selection of my favorite Bountiful Prints.

Old Town Spice and Tea Merchant was first on my list. I picked up some of my favorite spices to prepare a gourmet Easter Brunch for the Stone Family. It was fun to fill up the bag made with the Arborescent Seasons print with spices such as masala chocolate chai for tea and fine herbs for eggs benedict. Once filled, I realized that this bag and the specialty spices inside would also make a great gift for the chef in your life!

Farmer’s markets are always fun places to pick up herbs, flowers and fresh produce. These bags are perfect for a stroll through Farmer’s Market, but truth be told, the asparagus in the photo came from the fields of UC Riverside and is a special variety developed by husband Neil in his research work. We are very blessed to have the best of the best asparagus every Spring and wow does it look amazing in the bag made with the Perennial Optimism print.

And I’m sure Alexis would agree that our favorite local spot to bring a Bountiful bag and fill it to the brim is Needle in a Fabric Stash! Just look at all these beautiful Bountiful fabrics in the bag with Scenic Blue Sky utilized as the main print.  

Now’s a good time to head on over to Alexis’ blog. She showcases the Bountiful Fabrics in a stunning dress that pairs lovely with these bags.

For even more inspiration be sure to check out yesterday’s maker, Mathew Boudreaux’s blog to see what he created for the tour. Links for all the makers participating in the Bountiful Blog Tour can be found on Sharon’s website. 

Blithe Fabrics Blog Tour

Welcome to Needle in Fabric Stash’s Blog. We are a boutique style modern fabric store in Temecula, Calif. and if there’s one thing that inspires us to create beautiful, one-of-a-kind projects, it’s the alluring details of Art Gallery Fabrics. Since being invited to participate in Katarina’s Roccella’s Blithe Fabrics Blog Tour, I have been excited to share with you the way these prints so effortlessly bring this unique shirt design to life and give you the chance to add this piece to your own Art Gallery Fabrics wardrobe!

Every minimalist needs a couple of great feature pieces in her wardrobe to accent her jeans, favorite pair of boots and small collection of tees. When Blithe Fabrics by Katarina Roccella arrived in our shop, Eternal Nature Grey in Linen immediately pulled at my heartstrings and I could already imagine the way it would illuminate a stand out piece that would soon freshen up my wardrobe. I was delighted! Some of the best memories I’ve had with sewing garments over the years include finding unique prints on different substrates. This print is a catch. I already had the West Water Tunic Pattern by Samantha May Lamb and knew it was a perfect combo for the layered look I was going for.  

What also made this project special is that this is the first available Art Gallery linen cotton print. It washes well, has a nice drape and surprisingly it does not wrinkle very much for a cotton linen. The West Water Tunic Pattern, available in our Temecula shop and online, is very easy to follow and sews up quickly. The handmade fussy cut covered button gave the top a finished look that a store bought button just couldn’t achieve. It seems to go along with the simple yet sophisticated look of this tunic.

When I browse high-end boutique shops I love to look at the finishing touches inside garments. As they say, the devil is in the details. So, when vintage print cottons are used for linings in shirts and jeans, this small, but mighty element can make you feel like a million bucks on the inside and out. Using the Joy Wreaths Plum cotton print out of the Blithe collection did just that. This print created a beautiful lining, capturing that chic designer look just like that .

The Blithe bundles and prints are selling quickly at Needle in a Fabric Stash and the enduring prints lend themselves to a slew of  sewing and quilting projects. Although this time I chose to feature a garment for the blog tour, over the holidays my daughter, Hannah, designed sophisticated pillowcases with three of the prints from the Blithe Collection. We were also inspired in the shop to curate a woodland style fat quarter bundle   combining Blithe with some of Katarina’s other fantastic collections.

Needle in a Fabric Stash’s curated Blithe bundle

Pillowcases using the Blithe collection

Now it’s time for you to create with Blithe Fabrics! If you are still searching for ideas head on over to Katarina’s Blog to get inspired and stay updated daily on the Blithe Blog Tour. Tomorrow Cassie and Alexis will show off some amazing patterns using Blithe knits. Be sure to check out their blogs Lily Shine Boutique and My Sweet Sunshine. 

 

Give Thanks and Keep Sewing

As the official blogger for Needle in a Fabric Stash I decided to get in on the sewing action during this Thanksgiving holiday. When I was growing up I loved sewing with my mom. One Summer I made a handful of shorts that I wore out completely. One pair had ice cream cones, one had Hawaiian flowers and another had loud geometric designs. I made quilts for my dolls, backpacks, dresses and anything I was in the mood for. Since then I have been busy with college sports, full time work and have not sat down to sew for years.

Thanksgiving around our house is pretty relaxed. We like to keep the focus on the food and family. There is always lounging time in between meals and so my mom and I thought it would be fun to sew some pillow cases for Christmas gifts this year.

We got started and it was just like old times. The first step was picking out the fabric – which was more difficult than it sounds for those who know how different our tastes are. I love all of the prints my mom picks out and can fully appreciate her eye for color. However, I admit that my own personal style is very plain and nothing like the ice cream cones I used to rock. I now have a fear of prints and bright color in my everyday life. It sounds extreme, but it’s true.

We came to a compromise that we were both very happy with. I loved the neutral tones of the Art Gallery Blithe Collection by Katarina Roccella and my mom sold me on the whimsical pattern of the Winter Woodland print. She especially loved the subtle metallic details on the Winterberries print. Lastly, using the Birch Bark print  for the cuff pulled the prints together. If you love these designs as much as we do, stay tuned in January because Needle in a Fabric Stash has been invited to participate in Katarina’s Blog Tour  and will be making a project using the Blithe collection.

My mom reviewed rotary cutting, pressing and simple techniques and she taught me the steps for this simple, fun and easy burrito pillow case pattern. I made a few pillowcases – one for myself, two gifts and even a sample for the store.

No matter how busy life gets it is special moments like these that make it worth sitting down for a moment with those who mean the most to you. Reminiscing over ice cream cone shorts and creating new memories of sophisticated pillowcases are just some of our Thanksgiving traditions here at the Stone house. From our family at Needle in a Fabric Stash we wish you a happy holiday season filled with laughs, love, good food and hopefully even some sewing!

Forest Floor Blog Tour

It is such a pleasure to be included in another Art Gallery Fabrics Blog tour. Today is my turn to showcase Bonnie Christine’s designs for the Forest Floor Blog Tour, uniquely inspired by her outdoor adventures. The Forest Floor Collection is sophisticated, yet whimsical and the prints offer diversity for sewing and quilting projects.

Wide-eyed bunnies, forest mushrooms and enchanting botanicals foster the magical theme for these fabrics. These storybook elements inspired me to create two very special projects for young children or at least those young at heart. The first project is a quilted pocket pillow using the book Growing Up Modern and the fabrics from the Dawn and Twilight colorway. My second creation is a floor quilt with a vintage-feel suited for playtime, reading time or even an outdoor picnic. For the quilt I used fabrics from the Dusk and Sunset colorway. You can shop these prints and the AGF denim here.

The two surprise guests brought this tour to life. Small and sweet, Margie, follows her mom and grandma as they shop in our local quilt and fabric shop, Needle in a Fabric Stash. I am delighted to watch her grow as she learns to walk and talk amidst the bright and happy fabrics in the store. As you can see she is a natural in front of the camera too!

My friend Alexis Wright, author of My Sweet Sunshine Blog, and I enjoy collaborating on these blog tours. Earlier this year, we shared a photo shoot for the first time during the Coastline Blog Tour. Alexis takes beautiful photos and was thrilled to have sweet Margie as her model for the day.

The quilted pocket pillow is an extremely popular item in our shop. Moms and grandmas make these up by the dozens for Christmas and other occasions for the young readers in their life. By using a generous fussy cut of the pink bunny featured in the In the Thicket Dawn print, I customized the patchwork pocket. What a great focus print this makes!

It has been a while since I’ve made a quilt with curved edges! I was ready for the challenge and I designed the quilt with several elements in mind. First I was influenced by the marriage of the dusk colorway and the Art Gallery Black Denim patchwork.

I also make a point to utilize fabrics in such a way as to have minimal waste. So, I used the width of the AGF Denim as my guide and implemented a modified technique of “quilt as you go” by layering the front and applying the 1.5 inch curved bias that separates the denim borders from the sweet green bunny fabric, In the Thicket Dusk.

The vintage vibe of this quilt is just charming, right down to the little pin tucks that ended up being necessary to get the bias to lay flat around the four curves. I can’t wait to draft and sell this pattern for future Art Gallery prints that look great combined with their denim selection as well as the Forest Floor collection does.

Cute-as-can-be, Margie’s darling dress, was not one of my projects, but her grandma made it out of the Nature Study Bark print specifically for the photo shoot. This print is one of my favorites. Just think what a great combo all of these projects would make for professional family pictures or even Easter pictures. It reminds me of the cherished Easter photos in our lush background we took as a family when my kids were growing up.

I hope you’ve enjoyed the projects and find that they spark your creativity when deciding what to make with the mystic and magical Forest Floor collection. To shop the entire Forest Floor Collection, AGF Denims and patterns visit our online shop or stop by our brick and mortar shop in Temecula, CA. Our favorite part is when you share your completed projects with us on social media. Find us on Instagram and Facebook. We can’t wait to see what you make!

Be sure to check out all of the makers on the Forest Floor Blog Tour including Maja Wlusek on Friday, July 22 and Cheri Lehnow on Tuesday, July 26.

You can also visit Bonnie Christine’s blog for more details and other great ideas of what to create with the Forest Floor fabrics.

Art Gallery Pandalicious Bundle July Giveaway

The 2016 Row-by-Row Experience is in full swing and customers are loving Needle in a Fabric Stash’s Home Sweet Home Row which exclusively uses Art Gallery Fabrics.

One of our customers, Jessica, owner and designer of the blog Sew Millie Mae, customized her row using our Art Gallery fabric kit and posted announcing it as her favorite row…so awesome, check it out here!

If you missed our first Art Gallery Fabric Giveaway last month in celebration of Row-By-Row, here’s your chance to win a delightful bundle of Pandalicious by Katarina Roccella.

The winner of this giveaway will get their choice between the Black Pandas colorway or the Blue Pandas colorway. Each bundle features nine fat quarters and a 24-inch Panda panel. We cut the main Panda Print as a panel to include one complete repeat of the pandas and landscape so you are not disappointed with receiving yardage with no pandas or partial pandas. Browse Needle in a Fabric Stash’s complete collection of Pandalicious here.

Truth be told, we are having so much fun with this collection. These two panda prints sparked the idea for a ‘his and her’ pair of summer shorties to lounge around the house and pool on the weekends. It’s great timing since our 28^th anniversary is quickly approaching.

These are so easy to make and so fun to wear! My husband, Neil was hinting that he wanted some, so I easily adapted them in an effort to make them a little more manly than my “boy” shorts I’ve been sewing and collecting for these hot summer nights. What a great gift for couples…right?

What will you make with Pandalicious? Be sure to check out Art Gallery’s blog and their Pandalicious Lookbook for great ideas and inspiration for both sewers and quilters.

Here’s how you can win a Pandalicious Bundle:

Follow Needle in a Fabric Stash (@needleinafabricstash) and Art Gallery Fabrics (@artgalleryfabrics) on Instagram and carefully follow the instructions on our Pandalicious Post on Instagram to qualify for your chance to win. The Pandalicious Giveaway will run July 17 through July 31. A winner will be selected at random and announced August 1.

 

 

Boardwalk Delight Fabric Instagram Giveaway

 

To kickoff our participation in the 2016 Row-By-Row experience, the nationwide shop hop and quilt challenge beginning June 21, Needle in a Fabric Stash is proud to announce our use of all Art Gallery Fabrics in our row. We are ready to start celebrating with the first Art Gallery giveaway of the summer on Instagram!

We are giving away a fat quarter bundle of Art Gallery’s Boardwalk Delight by Dana Willard. This delicious 12-piece bundle is curated and donated by Sue, owner of Needle in a Fabric Stash.

Here’s how you can win:

Follow Needle in a Fabric Stash (@needleinafabricstash) and Art Gallery Fabrics (@artgalleryfabrics) on Instagram and carefully follow the instructions on our Boardwalk Delight Giveaway Instagram post to qualify for your chance to win. The Boardwalk Delight Giveaway will run June 19 through June 30. A winner will be selected randomly and announced July 1^st.

If you haven’t seen it already, check out our last blog post here for the details on Row-By-Row and our unique 2016 “Home Sweet Home” row crafted exclusively with Art Gallery Prints.

And for some great ideas on how to use Art Gallery Fabrics be sure to check out their blog…it’s fantastic!

 

 

 

Coastline Blog Tour

Hello and welcome to the Coastline Blog Tour!

I sat down to meet with an Art Gallery representative for the first time back in 2014. It was the second fabric order I had ever placed for Needle in a Fabric Stash. We sat in the shop for hours. I went home that night and when my husband asked how it went I said, “I saw the most beautiful fabric today and I cannot wait to sew with it.” Since then, my love of Art Gallery fabrics continues to grow and it is apparent through our expanding inventory in the store.

You can only imagine my excitement when Art Gallery designer, Sharon Holland invited me to join the Coastline Blog Tour. It is a privilege to create and share all of the fun ways I have enjoyed using her fabric designs in my shop and in my life. I want to thank Sharon for the wonderful opportunity to collaborate!

Two projects were inspired using Sharon’s Coastline fabrics. The Beachcomber Quilt and Noodlehead’s Bucket Bag from Anna Graham’s Handmade Style Book.

Creating the Beachcomber quilt was a special experience for me. I have been patiently waiting for the perfect fabric collection to pair with an existing quilt pattern on display in the store. Customers have been begging me for the pattern. It was love at first sight. I instantly envisioned the diverse and colorful fabric line full of beach and ocean themes fitting perfectly with the unique pattern.

From the Coastline Collection I selected seven prints for the panels, using the Beachcomber Tide as my focus print. I especially love the little sandpipers. The Netting Twine is also one of my favorites. I used it for the binding because I think the khaki Hawaiian vibe ties all the incredible prints and striking colors together so well.

The other prints include: Sailcloth Quietude, Conchology Dune, Buoyant Vista, Trade Winds Harbor and Sand Bar Lagoon. 

Natalie Pollard at Pro-Stitched Quilts and I worked together to pick a customized design for the quilting of each separate panel. The meandering water on the Sailcloth Quietude print takes me right aboard one of the sailboats for a nice day in the water at Balboa Island, CA, where my husband and I used to sail as newlyweds.

Each panel is quilted with a unique design

There was no stopping here. When I saw the Sand Bar in Canvas, I couldn’t resist the urge to use it for the Bucket Bag Pattern published in the Handmade Style Pattern Book. What more do you need for the beach besides a beachy quilt and an oversized canvas bag?

Every step of constructing this bag was fun. The Trade Winds Harbor print made a perfect base and I used a blue woven from the store for the straps. This directly navigates the eye to Sharon’s beautiful designs. The blue metal zippers are a perfect pop on the canvas. The stopper, created from the Trade Winds Harbor print paired with a tan leather strap, just pulled the whole look together.

A local sewist and friend, Alexis Wright is also participating in this blog tour and we were excited for the opportunity to share our blog day. We planned a beach trip to La Jolla, CA and spent the day playing in the high tide and taking lots of photos. It has been such a treat to get to know Alexis better, share ideas, work on matching prints together and sharing sneak peeks with each other along the way. Alexis’ dresses and shirts designs are one-of-a-kind pieces that she so beautifully captures with her captivating photography. 

Alexis Wright and I jumped at the opportunity to share our blog day

The Beachcomber Quilt Pattern and Quilt Top Kit, as well as the Bucket Bag Kit are offered as Needle in a Fabric Stash exclusives in the store, online and also at QuiltCon West beginning on Feb. 18th.

It is amazing to see so many projects come to life with Sharon’s Coastlines fabrics. All of the prints mix and match so well. I hope we have inspired you to use these beach themed fabrics for your own quilt, tote bag and garment projects.

Be sure to check out all of the talented people on this blog tour including Raedene Averitt who showcased her project on Friday, Feb. 5. And Jennifer DeShazer who will be the next on tour tomorrow, Feb. 9. You can visit Sharon’s blog for more details about other fabulous makers on this tour and how to win her giveaway of a Coastline Fabric Bundle…good luck!

A Stitch in Time…brings exciting news and a busy summer!

Let me start this post by saying I’m sew sorry for leaving all of you hanging by a thread since my last post all the way back in November (pun intended).

In the past nine months, Needle in a Fabric Stash has experianced immense growth in many forms. Although it is delayed, I have great news for the sewers, quilters and fabric lovers alike.

We are happy to announce that our bright and modern fabric inventory has continued to expand. In the process we have filled even more shelves and of course displayed new samples in the store. If you find yourself itching to start a project or longing to add to your stash, stop by the store and browse our new fabrics, patterns and projects!

There is no better way to be inspired than right here surrounded by fun fabric and friendly people. 

Denise Schmidt Tribute Star Quilt

If summer has you on the move with the kids, busy with work or spending time with friends, don’t worry there is still time for fabric.

No matter where life takes you, Needle in a Fabric Stash now offers online shopping where you can browse and purchase most of our products from anywhere in the world. Yes it’s true, after many hours spent on the computer (and the iPad and the iPhone) we do realize the age of technology is upon us. In the midst of this addition, our number one priority remains to meet the needs of our passionate shoppers!

The Sushi Quilt is One of the First Quilt Kits Available Online

In other cyber news, Needle in a Fabric Stash is now on Instagram. So grab your smart phone, follow us @needleinafabricstash and don’t hesitate to double-tap! (In Instagram language that means “like” our photos).

Why should you follow us? New classes, projects and collections will be posted. Even more importantly, we will be posting give-aways and contests for FREE fabric.

Also make sure to check out our Website, Facebook and Pinterest! (yeah, we’re pretty much everywhere).

A Family that Sews Together Stays Together

The best part about Thanksgiving is the opportunity to relax with your family and be reminded of who inspires us to follow our dreams and never look back. It becomes clear that these moments are even more important when both of your kids are juniors and seniors in college and make the decision to fight the holiday traffic down from school in order to cherish these rare opportunities.

Mother-daughter duo, Sue and Hannah Stone

This post is actually coming straight from the blog creator herself, Sue’s daughter Hannah. For the average college student, waking up early on a Saturday morning to work at the new family store sounds a bit rough (or at least it did to me when I agreed to it).

However, I write this post while sitting in the shop this morning, listening to my mom teach her beginner sewing class. Now, keep in mind that my mom has been teaching her entire life. In the first 10 years of my life my mom taught me how to solve math problems, how to play tennis and of course how to sew. 

All three of these passions are running themes within our family and as you can see they continue to shape all four of our lives in unbelievable ways.

I think that we all knew that this Thanksgiving was going to be a little bit different than the rest because even though there are only four of us, we are all running in different directions with our heads cut off. To start with our holidays are never extravagant. To give you an idea, I’m pretty positive that for the past four years I have worn sweat pants to every Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner and never waver from the plan of lying on around on the couch for most of the day.

But the highlight of this Thanksgiving was not the couch or the mashed potatoes. As I sit here in the store listening to my mom and dad utilizing their endless amount of practical skills to start up this business so quickly and what appears to be seamlessly (pun intended), I know in my heart that through this venture they have taught me that anything is possible. Whether you are labeled a quilter, a sewer, a journalist, an engineer, an asparagus breeder, an entrepreneur, an athlete or a teacher you will never just be one thing in this life.

Thank you mom, dad and Sean for helping me make it alive to my senior year of college and giving me the motivation to make everyday better than the next.

Everyday is Thanksgiving, Happy Holidays from Needle in a Fabric Stash and the Stone Family.

So Much Fabric…. So Little Time

The floors are in, boxes are arriving and the fabric is making its way on the shelves! Here is a sneak peak for what is in store for our grand opening.

The bright and modern atmosphere is really coming along and is shaping up to be even better than the original vision. This is not even half of more exciting construction to be done. Join us on November 8th to see the final product and start building your own fabric stash!