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!

You cannot know where you are going until you know where you have been

Needle in a Fabric Stash is proud to share with you a true ‘before and after’ story. With one year in the books, we decided to look back and reflect on how far we have come. 

500 bolts of happy, bright, modern fabric has grown into a stash of over 1500 bolts.

After looking back at the pictures from the grand opening, we were in disbelief of how much the store has transformed in only 12 months. 

Grand Opening 11/8/14

One year and 1000 more bolts later

Not to mention, the launch of our online store, where most of our fabric, bundles and kits can be purchased whenever and wherever.

Processed Online Orders

With a larger stash in our midst, we went to work. The Starfall and the Bowtie quilt kits did not remain our only 2 kits for long. Needle in a Fabric Stash has now handpicked and curated a total of 13 kits for purchase.

Sue, the owner, has taken inspiration one-step further by drafting exclusive patterns. This year she created modern designs such as the Apron, Cotton/Linen Canvas Tote and BOHO Shirt. In 2016 she will be featuring new designs such as a Poet’s Smock, Urban Poncho and Improv Star Pattern. 

Urban Poncho

Trendy Apron

BOHO Shirt

Poet’s Smock

The New Year also promises a remake of the Charlie Harper Bird Quilt, showcasing a brand new line of  Art Gallery Fabric that we cannot wait for you to get your hands on.

Other designs in the store feature the creativity of Alexis Wright. Her first girl’s dress pattern was brought to life using our fabric and remains an eye-catching display in the store today.

Alexis Wright’s girl’s dresses

Natalie Pollard, our in-house longarmer, has also been instrumental in the first year of business. She continues to inspire, co-teach classes, and aid in the preparation for our quilt shows.

This year we jumped at any chance to participate in the larger fabric, sewing and quilting community. One of our favorite projects was hosting our first Row-by-Row Experience.

Tropical Fish by Needle in a Fabric Stash

June through September, quilters from all over the country visited our store to pick up a complementary pattern for their row-by-row quilt. Over 130 people also took advantage of the chance to purchase our one-of-a-kind kit and add to their modern fabric stash.

For our first quilt show, we traveled to the Flying Geese Quilt Guild’s show in Mission Viejo, CA. Our goal was to create a mini-store in our 10X10 space… And we did just that.

Booth Under Construction

10X10 Finished Booth

Attendees were thrilled to capture just a sliver of the atmosphere that Needle in a Fabric Stash offers. We were just as excited to network and serve a new community of quilters and sewers.

Some of our biggest news arrived back in September, when we were officially accepted into QuiltCon West (February 18-21,2016 in Pasadena, CA). Presented by The Modern Quilt Guild, QuiltCon is the largest modern quilting show of its kind. We are honored to be a part of this event and cannot wait to share our happy and bright fabric and designs with modern quilt lovers alike.

Last but not least, Needle in a Fabric Stash has been deemed the official home of the new Temecula Valley Modern Quilt Guild. In the beginning of December, we hosted a mixer with 13 people.

Temecula Valley Modern Quilt Guild’s first mixer at Needle in a Fabric Stash

Four out of those 13 stepped up for leadership positions. TVMQG will meet the third Thursday of every month and is in the beginning stages of what we hope to be a tight-knit and fun group.

Although at the beginning of this blog, we said this was a ‘before and after story’, we most definitely do not plan on stopping here. We are so thankful to our loyal and passionate community, whether you have inspired us, shopped with us or are just now discovering us. 

This is just the beginning my friends, so do not hesitate to get to know Needle in Fabric Stash a little better this coming year.

Who knows what will hit our stash next…  

If I can sew, sew can you!

I want to take this chance to welcome the fabric lovers, the quilters, the sewers and the curious of all ages and levels. Needle in a Fabric Stash store and blog has transformed from a vision to a reality and this could not have been done without the overwhelming support and enthusiasm from people just like yourself. Take a moment to check out the About Page, where you can learn more about my passion for sewing.

You will quickly discover that this is not your Grandma’s fabric shop! Needle in a Fabric Stash’s blog and store will be filled with fun, bright and trendy fabrics and sew and quilt classes for all levels to provide you with an unbeatable experience. Follow Needle in a Fabric Stash and visit the blog for sneak peeks into sewing and quilting classes of all levels, featured items, kit/block of the months, how-to’s, patterns and more!