Grace upon Grace

When finally sitting myself down to write this post, I checked back on the last journal post I did to announce a fabric collection - which was for Dover - & I had to laugh because I was also late in writing a post about Dover - & also at the date… which was also April 21. There must be something about this date where I finally get my act together(!) (By the way… what ever happened to me doing a post about my Sophie fabric collection…! (Sorry Sophie!)

So… needless to say - even though I’m late in introducing my next collection… I am beyond happy to introduce you to Grace! 🌸

Because I’m a little late in getting the word out - I’ve seen some social media posts about Grace (…thank you to Moda & some of the quilt shops that have ordered Grace!) - & what’s been fun is to read how folks are finding somethings that are very familiar about Grace… & they are right!

Grace actually had a different working name in its creation. I was referring to it as ‘Return to Ambleside’… as well as ‘Ambleside’s little sister’.  That’s because that over the seven years since the release of Ambleside, my first collection with Moda, I have continually been asked if folks could still find Ambleside fabrics. So, when it came time to design this collection, I chose a few prints from Ambleside - resized them (to keep it fun!) - & then added some fun new prints. I worked with the same colorways that I used for Ambleside - so it will work wonderfully for the folks who have been holding on to their Ambleside bundles & scraps. Or, if you missed out on the original Ambleside - Grace is just as charming & sweet!

I have to admit that when it came time to renaming this collection, I tossed out a couple of options… but I knew that ‘Grace’ was the perfect name. Also, because we submit collections about a year before they are introduced - I was working on this collection during the time period of my Dad’s passing. With all the events of the past year, it has made me reflect - quite a lot - on all the blessings in my life, & for how thankful I am for God’s grace & how much comfort it continually brings  me. (On top of that - the hymn, ‘Amazing Grace’, was one of the songs my Dad had requested for his memorial service. For the service, his great-grandchildren were the ones who led the congregation in singing the song together - & that memory, & the words to the hymn have brought so much joy in this past year.

So, for those reasons, my Grace collection is a very special one for me. But also, because it is ‘related’ to Ambleside - it holds a special place in my heart. As I mentioned, Ambleside was my first collection with Moda, and the story of how that happened has ‘grace’ written all over it. One day, I will share how that happened… but for now, I’m just so pleased to carry on the legacy into this fabric collection. I can honestly say it has captured my heart & brings me such joy.

I hope that you will also enjoy Grace & create something that brings joys in the years to come.

Grace is being shown to shops now (so don’t delay & let your local quilt shop know if you would like them to carry it!), & is scheduled to arrive in August 2021.

I will have the new quilt designs & information about pre-ordering some Grace pre-cuts posted to the website tomorrow - so be sure to check them out! (There will only be a couple of days to pre-order bundles…!)

Here’s to Grace!! 

🌱 Bren

Finnegan - pebble & sky ::

I'm back with the final two colorways for Finnegan!

First is the 'pebble' colorway. This colorway is becoming a semi-regular in my collections - as I love the grounding it brings. I also love the grey-taupe-linen hue it has. For me it's not too light, not too dark,... it's just right. I first used this colorway with Ambleside my first collection for Moda, & I remember a shop owner coming up to me at that Quilt Market telling me they had ordered the entire collection... & that I, "should always include this colorway!". While it hasn't been in every collection,  it is one of my favorites. (I know... the girl with all the soft colors... & the pebble colorway is one of  my favorites!) In past collections - I've mostly used it as an accent color - but I've always wanted to use it as a background & so for Finnegan - I have a very fun design that uses the 'pebble' colorway for the background!...I can't wait to show you (soon!).

So... if the 'pebble' colorway brings a 'grounding' to the collection - then the perfect compliment to that would be the 'sky' colorway. Once again - I've included a soft blue with just a hint of aqua in it.

Sigh.

I just love the fresh feel this colorway brings to the collection. If you've ever looked closely - I like to use this color in the tiny little accent flowers of many of my floral designs. I just love the way the 'sky' colorway brings a little bit of sparkle... & a breath of fresh air.

So there are the colorways of my Finnegan collection! I hope you will enjoy them! As a reminder, Finnegan is scheduled to arrive in shops around the end of August 2019, but it is being shown to quilt shops as you read this... & so if you want it in your quilt shop... let them know!  Just in case, we will be adding some pre-order options to the website this next week, so if you would like to check those out - be sure to visit the website in the next week or so! (** A little sneak 'heads-up'... there will also be a couple of kits for a couple of the Finnegan quilts available for pre-order too!)

Speaking of new quilts... I do have some new designs I am making with my Finnegan collection - & I will be posting those this next week... Hope you can come back to see!

♥♥ xo, Bren

Finnegan - lilac & sunny ::

Next for the Finnegan colorways, we have lilac & sunny (yellow). I'm so pleased with both these colorways & they have a special place in my heart. 

Both of these colors (along with a light green) were some of my Mom's favorite colors. When I first started quilting, I wanted to make a quilt for my Mom. When I asked her what colors she liked, she responded, "All of them". But, when I pushed her a little more to narrow it down, she told me that when she was a little girl, she had a quilt on her bed that was light green, yellow, & lilac/lavender and she loved it so much! She then told me that she had never really thought about that - but if she had to choose - she would pick those three. (...& she also told me not to make her choose between the three!)

The lilac colorway is a new colorway for me (but I'm thinking it won't be the last!) and I love how it turned out. (I can almost smell lilacs when I look at it... it's too bad we don't have 'scratch & sniff' blog posts!)

And, I couldn't help but name the yellow colorway sunny. I love how it works with all the other colors... so agreeable... so... sunny!

So, these two colorways add a special touch for me to my Finnegan collection. 

I hope you love them to!

♥♥ xo, Bren

Finnegan - blossom & sprout ::

The next two Finnegan color ways I wanted to give you closer peeks of are 

Blossom (pink) & Sprout (lt. green). Looking at these makes it feel like you've walked into a spring garden!

I love being surrounded by a soft green... this is such a calming color for me... (I think that's why it's pretty much in every collection I design!) For Finnegan - I'm calling the light green colorway 'sprout'. When I was working in the interior design field - I remember learning that green is actually the most predominant color that we are surrounded by. Also, while some people claim they don't care for green & they don't want it (at all) in their interiors... once it was pointed out that then it would mean that there would be no plants or flowers... & in most cases they would need to have block out curtains (trees, grass plants outside!) ... most every one admitted that why yes!... they actually do like green & want it somewhere in their interiors.  It was always fun when those kind of statements were made - & I have to admit that I enjoyed the process of what I would call 'leading them down the green path'.(!)

The blossom colorway  in Finnegan is a little smaller this time as the pink hue is already on most of the floral prints - regardless of the background. This way - the blossom color is scattered all through the collection - with a few blossom coordinates to accent all the pretty flowers & buds.

Tomorrow I will be back with two more Finnegan color ways... 

(& one of them is a new colorway!)

Hope you're enjoying these Finnegan peeks as much as I am!

♥ ♥ xo,  Bren

Introducing... Finnegan! ::

I had a very big (& heavy!) box arrive at my house a few weeks ago… and once again, Moda made it feel like Christmas morning at my house.

Finnegan arrived!

Finnegan is the name for my latest collection for Moda Fabrics, and I have admit, I am a bit smitten with it! There are a couple of prints in this collection that have jumped up high on my all time favorites list.(!) The colors for Finnegan are my classic softer palette - with names like sky, sprout, sunny, lilac, blossom pink, pebble, and of course my classic linen-white. All hues that embrace & celebrate the freshness of spring! What’s been fun for me is how well they work set with not only the linen-white, but I’ve been setting them with the pebble colorway as well & I’m loving how they sparkle on both!

Over the next few days, I’ll be sharing some of the new designs & some of the new patterns that are in the works! If there is something that catches your eye… be sure to let your local quilt shop know, as the Moda Reps (yay for the Moda Reps!) are going around to the quilt shops taking orders for what is known as the March collections… (also known as Pre-Spring Market Collections).

Being part of the Pre-Market collections group is allowing me a little extra time to make all the samples for my new quilt patterns… & for that I am so very thankful! I will have five new quilt designs for you… & I’m having so much fun making them!

So please check in again to see more of Finnegan… & the new patterns!

Thanks so much for checking in with my blog… there are some changes coming (big ones)… & so I sincerely appreciate your visiting (& not giving up on me ever blogging again!)

 ♥ xo, Bren

:: Bella & Gingham Love...

This is just a little post - just to let you know (if you don’t know already) that I’ve added some sweet little bundles to the website. One of these bundles is a selection of some of the sweet little ginghams that are from my Moda fabric collections. (By-the-way the ginghams are printed on the diagonal - so they are also great for binding!) There are currently twelve colors in the bundles &  are available in fat-quarter & half-yard bundles. I’ve received a couple of requests for a one-yard bundle, so if that’s more of what you would like - just email me & we will be happy to put that together for you.

The other bundles are bundles of twelve Bella Solids that work wonderfully with all of my Moda collections. I don’t know if I’ve ever mentioned this - but I have chosen & specified the colors for my fabric collections using colors already in Bella Solids. So, I’ve chose the twelve that I’ve used the most (& that I love!!) & we’ve got them available for you to enjoy as well! They can be used to extend any of my fabric collections as well as looking really pretty all on their own. They are also available on the website in fat-quarter & half-yard bundles... & just like with the gingham - if you might be interested in a one-yard bundle of the Bella Solids... email me.

Now I’m off to the studio...

Hope you have a wonderful day!

♥ Bren

:: More patterns... & oh!... those Scrap-bags!

Lookie!... I'm back... & not after a months absence! 

(I'm trying!... I'm really trying hard!)

So... on with the new pattern introductions...

The next recently released pattern is actually a favorite design from my book ‘Comfort & Joy’ with some updates & a much requested mini version. (Which is a true miniature - the full size scaled down to a baby quilt or smaller wall quilt size.) It’s called ‘Coventry’ & it’s a wonderfully classic star block in a quilt always lends an aire of both comfort & sophistication at the same time. Here the Ohio Star blocks are placed with setting squares - giving the quilt an airy-ness & then bordered withfun ‘dotted” borders. This quilt could be made an any colorway & look wonderful!

The final recently released pattern is called ‘Hopscotch’  - a classic quilt design brought to you with two setting options - straight set - or on point... and two sizes for each - so that you have four options to make the size for any occasion! I had so much fun with this design - as it can be made with either your stash of fabrics - or simplified even more with using a Layer Cake™ (for the larger sizes) - or a charm pack (for the smaller sizes) & some background & border fabrics. In fact - I will be kitting this pattern in a couple of the options & there will be a pre-order opportunity coming up in the next month... so if that sounds good to you - keep checking back! (If you are signed up for the e-newsletter - you will get the first opportunity to sign up! - You can sign up for the e-newsletter either through the link at the top of the page (if you are looking at this page on a computer or on the web version) - or to make things easier - by clicking here!

The bundles & scrap bags I mentioned in the last post have been flying out the door (thank you!) & some are already sold out. So, if you’re thinking about getting some... don’t delay. It’s been fun with the scrap bags - squishing them down to get as many into a box (or a smaller box) for reduced shipping costs (that we refund back to you!).... We’ve been kept very busy!

Hope you’re having a good summer. I’m keeping busy with getting new designs started for the next fabric line, as well as looking at what’s in store for next year (already!)... & trying to avoid the summer heat. We had a really nice lingering spring this year - & usually we ease into summer temperatures - but not this year. We went from days into the 70’s - 80’s straight to the 110’s. Ouch. Thankfully, our monsoon season has started & we’re getting some rainy days that help cool things off a little. But the silver lining is that it makes for perfect times to stay indoors (where there’s air conditioning!) & get stitchery & designing & pattern writing done.

Here’s to keeping cool! (or warm for you in the southern hemisphere!)

♥ Bren

:: Already?... it’s mid-July already?... Oh my!

I have to admit... the summer & events are distracting me something fierce! I was going to introduce each of the new patterns last month.... & so much more. (sigh) I will also admit that because of the ease of Instagram, I had thought a lot about whether to end blogging or not... but then Instagram changed from a chronilogical order of posts to one that is pretty random. (I hear it’s the same as Facebook’s algorithm - which makes no sense to me & is a big reason I really don’t ‘do’ Facebook.) So... I’m going to really try to be better about posting here on the blog. (... & I know you’ve probaby heard that before from me... so I appreciate you humoring me here & for your patience!)

Here's what's new on the website!...

Ambleside - fat eighth & fat quarter bundles

Windermere - fat eighth & fat quarter bundles

 

Bespoke Blooms - fat eighth & fat quarter bundles

Fleurs - fat eighth & fat quarter bundles

Before I get to the pattern intoductons - I wanted to give you the heads-up that I have been in the studio for the past few weeks & have been bundling & packing scrap-bags & have a bunch of new bundles available on the website! For most of the bundles - many are the last of the fabrics I have available so when they’re gone - I won’t be able to offer them again. Also, there are three types of scrap-bags & for a limed time they are priced at only $5!

So, on to the new designs...

Here’s the first of the new patterns featuring the fabrics from my upcoming fabric collection for Moda - called ‘Fleurs’. The first pattern is called ‘Snowflake Fleurs’... a vintage design inspired by one of the beautiful quilts from the ‘Infinite Variety - Red and White Quilts’ exhibition. While the original quilt was white appliqué on a red background, this version playes with a scrappier variety of fabrics & a little version as well! I had so much fun making this quilt - that I also made a smaller version using the reds & greens from ‘Fleurs’ that I can use for a Christmas table topper or sweet little wall quilt.

The next quilt is called ‘Little Stitches’. I just love stitchery, & I know this love of stitchery is shared by many quilters. These quilts celebrate those stitches with wonderfully simple blocks in settings to echo a couple of my favorite stitches. I hope you enjoy the cross between quilting & stitching as much as I do! ... & you’ll notice there’s two versions of this design (one of them being red & green version again... Which hopefully shows how wonderfully flexible the ‘Fleurs’ line is!).

I’ll be back with some more designs & goodies!

(Thanks again for your putting up with my sporadic posting...!)

(p.s. You can find all of the items on this post in the 'New Items' section on the website.)

♥ Bren

Before I post the new patterns - I wanted to show you my favorite booth at Spring Market.

This is the beautiful new fabric collection called 'Welcome Home' by Jennifer Bosworth. 

Isn't it beautiful?!!!

I wish I had a photo of the entire booth - but it was all so special, I took photos from left-to-right. Jennifer designed her booth, featuring the amazing projects using her 'Welcome Home' collection, so that it represented all the areas of a home...

... the dining room

... a desk & craft area

... beadroom (the quilt on the wall is her new block-of-the-month!)

... & closet (on the right - little girl clothes & doll clothes to match!)

It was the prettiest booth I have seen!! I am so happy for Jennifer... it couldn't have happened to a sweeter person!

You may better recognize Jennifer Bosworth from her wonderful online shop Shabby Fabrics... 

& guess what?  The 'Welcome Home' collection is already available at Shabby Fabrics! You can also sign up for the beautiful Welcome Home BOM she has designed as well as see all the other wonderful projects for this beautiful line! I hope you'll join me in congratulating Jennifer on a beautiful fabric collection!

♥ Bren

:: Windermere is on it's way!

It feels like such a long time ago that I was at Spring Market introducing it...

but my second line with Moda - Windermere - is getting ready to ship!

(the first three photos are of Windermere)

I'm so excited!!!

We will have some special gingham bundles when the yardage arrives... & I will let you know then they are ready.

Until then - I have added some bundles & precuts of Windermere (linens too!) and Ambleside on the website as well as some more kits of Seedlings & a new kit for my Checkers pattern. The kit for the Checkers quilt is based on a vintage quilt & I am completely smitten by it. I made mine (& the kits as well) from a few of the wonderful French General 'solids'... & it is a wonderful year-round quilt.

You can find all the new things on the newly re-designed website (or click here!)

There is also some fun Ambleside 'scrap bags' available - (where all proceeds will go to our Quilted Comfort project!)

I'm keeping very busy these days - working on the new patterns for my next line that will be introduced in December.... (!) More on that soon!

♥ Bren

:: doing a little happy dance here. . .!

Yep. . . it's true. (!!!!)

… but feel free to pinch me, 'cause there are times I can hardly believe it.

I am so happy to announce that my next fabric line will be making it's appearance at Fall Market with Moda.

(… insert girl doing happy dance for the umpteenth time…)

It's called Ambleside.

…& I couldn't be more pleased.

(… & it's been so very hard to keep it secret until now! Whew.)

Here's a little peek of one of the colorways. ♥♥♥♥

:-)  ! ! ! 

(a trillion times squared)

… um… If you need me… I'll be in the studio.

♥ Bren

... a little psa (public service announcement)

Although I'm in the midst of (trying to) getting distributor orders out the door, some design deadlines, & getting ready for some stitching friends to come over. . .

my UPS man just brought these. . . & I had to let you know!

'These'. . . are the latest line from Primitive Gatherings - called Floral Gatherings (the top bundle), & Floral Gatherings Shirtings (the bottom bundle), & I have been smitten with them ever since I saw them a few months ago. (!) The colors are classic, the prints are classic shirtings prints & they are altogether lovely.

I'm posting this because I did get some extra bundles so that I could make some available for you! I got fat-eighth bundles - so that they are affordable & are such a great size for some stash 'enhancing'. (Although, I'll be honest - mine won't last long in my stash, my head is swimming with ideas!)

The yardage won't be out in shops for about a month - but I have a feeling these won't last that long! (oh yea!. . . you can find them by clicking here!

Hope you're having a great start to your week. . .

. . . now, I've got some orders to finish!

♥ Bren

… lately. . .

. . . what I've been up to. . .

. . . the TNNA (The National NeedleArts Association) Market,

in Nashville. . .

. . . here's  Bonnie Sullivan's (All Through the Night) lovely display. . 

. . . & here's  Bonnie Sullivan & her sister Ann, who came with her to Market.

(Ann had a display of beautiful jewelry that she creates there too!)

. . . & there's a bunch of fat-eighth bundles  just loaded onto the website.

. . . Esprit de Noel (French General)

. . . my latest - Durham Anew (2012)

. . . Durham Anew (2011)

. . . & Georgia Lou

It has been quite the busy week!

I took a little trip to Nashville this past weekend,

to visit the TNNA Needlework Market.

What fun it was!

It snowed (well flurried) most of the time I was there, 

& it was so pretty to see.

What I love is that this Needlework Market is held at the Embassy Suites, & instead of having to set up a booth in a great big convention center, here you set up your displays in the the 'living room' area of your suite, & folks come to you!

It makes for a wonderful, casual & home-y feeling, & I love the idea!

I also was able to meet up with some wonderful designers 

who exhibited & they were so helpful with information & ideas

about the needlework industry & about the show.

I also came home with a bunch of new threads & flosses & 

placed a few orders for fun new items!

I left feeling so excited about the next step. . .

My goal is to do the fall show - in St Charles, MO.

I've been working on charting several designs 

& I've found that I love the process. . . 

I can hardly wait to start stitching!

(& now that I have my new threads - that starts this week!)

When I came home, I found a wonderful box on my doorstep,

from Moda - with bundles of Esprit de Noel,  the latest line from

French General for Moda.

I must admit. . . I LOVE this line!!! 

(& I rarely say that about Christmas lines!)

I'm keeping one - to make a new quilt, 

but I've put the other two (fat-eighth bundles) on the website.

Warning though. . . there are only two. . . so don't delay!

(The line won't be available in shops until May.)

Just before I left for Nashville, I also made up some bundles

of my fabric lines - including my latest (yet to arrive to shops)  

Durham Anew (2012).

These bundles are limited & once they are gone - well. . . you know.

While I'm closing the door in fabric design for awhile,

I'm so excited about what is upcoming. . .

. . . speaking of which, I'll have a new quilt or two to show you in a day or two!

Hope you have a great start to your week!

♥ Bren