---Taking something ordinary and turning it into something extraordinary---
Lucy and Ollie (the kitties) have just come in from playing in the garden all summer long and their “mom” (Valori Wells, textile designer for Robert Kaufman) has been very busy designing a line of fabric with them as the “stars".
We are featuring the companion prints that work with the two feature designs that are digitally printed (above).
In the summer, the garden is filled with wildflowers and the cats love watching the birdies. The colors in the block printed designs are bright and playful with the designs mimicking the elements in the garden. There is something about “magenta” (raspberry) these days that just makes a palette of fabrics sing. I find myself constantly going to it for that bright sparkle.
The deeper raspberry "grass" print has depth with the quieter violet in the background.
As Val designs the fabric, she hand carves the blocks and layers the colors and patterns. The depth in design emerges as she prints with different values, shades, and tints of color.
The color names make you think of summer: Grass, Kumquat, Raspberry, Sunshine, Water, and Silver.
When the fabric arrived for Valori to create the patterns for this line, we just felt that the main print with flowers, birds, and kitties should be featured. We came up with “In The Meadow” (42” x 60”), as a design that uses the panel and 2 1/2” wide strips. It is a FREE pattern and the kit is $40.
A few years ago when Valori’s children were babies, she designed a stuffed cat and made it out of flannel. We took that pattern and adapted it to the present fabric. I (Jean) made fourteen different cats with individual bibs before I showed them to Val. You should have seen her face when I pulled all fourteen out of the bag for her to see. She was so excited! I then took them to the store and got the same reaction. We are having so much fun with this pattern of the Studio Cats and have workshops and events planned.
Not everyone is into cats and we realize that. Val created a stunning quilt using her favorite “motif of the moment — triangles.” “Cat Nip” has the subtlety of a modern quilt and the shadow effect of the two tones in the background makes it a more complex design.
Violette Grace just turned ten and I just love this picture of her with the “Lucy and Ollie” pattern. Traditional blocks are a favorite of Val’s and she likes reworking them to make them her own.
Meow and Chirp was designed by Jen Carlton-Bailly of Portland. She has her own online pattern company, Jen is very fond of the circular shape and very cleverly designed the corners of the blocks using them.
Our companion fabrics for this month are also all from Robert Kaufman:
Kaufman Essex Yarn Dye Homespun E114-1242 Natural
(If you have not added this substrate to your basics, you are missing out. It is 55% linen and 45% cotton with a wonderful hand and subtle texture.)
Kaufman Essex Linen E064-1328 Seafoam
Kaufman Essex Yarn Dye Homespun E114-1178 Indigo
Kaufman Manchester SRK-15373-33 Kiwi
(this is a wonderful solid like fabric with a woven in slub-like thread)
Kaufman Manchester SRK-15373-22 Violet
Kaufman Lucy and Ollie AVW 17084 296 Kumquat
Kaufman Lucy and Ollie AVW 17084 296 Water
Kaufman Lucy and Ollie AVW 17086 186 Silver
Later this month, we'll share some more ideas for using this fabric line, as well as ideas for how to "personalize" your Studio Cats.
--Jean
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