Make Your Mark
I just posted about this quilt over on the Making Modern Memories blog, but I wanted to post here to give more detail about the construction of the quilt, because sometimes quilters like those details : )
I knew immediately that I would want this to be the quilt I submit to the Thoroughly Modern Quilts exhibit that is being sponsored by our guild, the Atlanta Modern Quilt Guild, and the East Cobb Quilt Guild, one of the largest guilds in Georgia. We are so honored that they asked to partner with us to promote our cause. The exhibit is going on now at the Mable house in Mableton, Georgia.
I am a modern quilter. But admittedly, there is a huge side of me that is vintage. I love classic designs. I love classic designs-turned-modern even more. That’s what Emily Cier of Carolina Patchworks did with this pattern. She took a classic zig zag design and roughed it up a bit. I LOVE it. It is graphically bold and striking. I felt the need to add some late 60s coloring to it, so I used Sable, Bone, Olive, Peapod, and Tangerine.
The Front (click images to enlarge):
Other than the Kona Challenge Quilt that I made for the AMQG last year, this is the first chance I’ve had to make an all-solids quilt. I LOVE working with solids.
My goal in 2012 is to get myself beyond the basics of freemotion quilting. I have FMQ’ed several client quilts and quilts of my own, but I stayed in my comfort zone, doing only a simple meander, maybe a loopy design. I am to the point that I want something more complex and challenging in my quilts. So my goal in 2013 is to really work on my FMQ’ing skills in terms of new designs and not limiting myself to one repeating pattern on a quilt.
I decided this was the quilt to break that barrier. Ha! Why do I always do that on a really important quilt with a strict deadline? I dunno, I work better when I know there is a deadline to meet. I had already submitted a picture of the completed top of this quilt and been accepted into the Thoroughly Modern Quilts exhibit, so really, there was no turning back.
I started with the Peapod green color, doing a bit of an arrow/bird tracks/snow tires design. That was fun, actually, and helped to build up my confidence a little. My next “brilliant” idea was to do pebbling in the orange sections. Um, yeah. about an hour into with with a 4″ x 4″ section completed and I realized pebbling in solid zig zags could be… well, a disaster. Not only would it take forever (hey, I’m willing to put in the time and work for a design I think is fabulous), but also, it would made those sections so very dense. So I decided to improvise a la Angela Walters and break it up a little. As you can see, I did smaller sections of pebbling outlined a few times with a echo pattern. The end result? I love it.
The Sable section ended up being my favorite, though it was the most intimidating. I found a rhythm that just worked, and actually I was kind of sad when I finished those sections. In the interest of time, the Olive green ended up with a straight-line stitch.
And finally, in the Bone section, I did a swirl pattern, also quite intimidating. So much to think about, such as making them somewhat uniform and keeping the size of each circle consistent. It was fun, though. I wish I’d had a better plan for finishing at the end of each row, though.
The back (click images to enlarge):
Obviously having such varied quilting on the front makes for it’s own design aesthetic on the back. I love it!
I love, love, love this quilt. I have already decided this one is for me, and it will hang in our living room. Now that we have a house with walls suitable for hanging quilts, we’re starting with this one! I am even painting the living room a deep, olive green, which will coordinate nicely with this quilt.
If you’re local, I hope you will go see the exhibit. I have seen pictures of some of the 45 modern quilts hanging, and to say they are stunning is an understatement.
With this quilt, I hope to look back in a year and feel that it’s a bit amateur-ish because my freemotion quilting has excelled : )
Happy Friday! The Our Epoch shop is brimming with with new Kona (13 of the BRAND NEW colors are here, more coming!!), so it’s time we have a sale to celebrate!
Today through next Friday, August 17, all Kona, Bella and Riley Blake (what little bit is left) will be $4.90/yard! Or $2.45/half yard!
We are striving to offer the largest selection of Kona in the Atlanta area, and if we aren’t there already, we are darn close. Click here to see our selection of solids.
Also, how about a little Riley Blake sale? August, September and October are big months with lots of new stuff coming in, so let’s make room! All Riley Blake 5″ Stackers are a flat $5.00 each, all 10″ Stackers and Rolie Polies are a flat $16.00 each. For some of these items, that’s an 80% discount! The Fat Quarter Bundles are 25% off. The Riley Blake sale is while supplies last as they are limited. I am happy to hold things for you, but out of courtesy for others, please only reserve items you know you intend to purchase immediately.
You can find the Riley Blake precuts here.
Feel free to peruse the Our Epoch store, and you can either order through the site, or you can just email me or message me what you want and I’ll send you an invoice. This sale is NOT available on Etsy.
A few reminders:
-Kona bought on sale will not count toward the Kona Rewards program.
-Please keep your cuts to half yards or multiple yards (no fat quarters for this sale).
-If I run out of a specific color of Kona, I am happy to reorder and give you the discount on that particular color.
-I am happy to make pickup/drop-off arrangements, or you can come by and “shop”. If you are not local, I am happy to ship anything you need (postage not included).
-Riley Blake precuts are first come, first served! Supplies are limited!
I finally figured out Pinterest last year, and wow, did it open doors for me! Like most quilter folks, I did a lot of pinning of quilts other people had made, tutorials, patterns, projects and things of that nature. Just looking at so many beautiful quilts on one place was enough to make a girl want to go nuts buying fabric and start cranking out quilts.
But then one day I noticed someone pinned something that caught my eye. It wasn’t a quilt. It wasn’t fabric. It didn’t even have anything to do with sewing or quilting. If I remember correctly, the person had pinned in on a board where she was contemplating a palette for her master bedroom.
It was a Design Seeds palette.
I can’t remember the exact one, but I do remember that it was called “Mental Vacation” and had a picture of a beach, with rolling waves, miles of sand, tropical trees and flowers. Below the photo was a swatch of 5 different colors that someone had pulled from the photo to create a custom palette. Never before had I looked at a palette and immediately had it evoke a feeling… and that feeling matched the photo exactly! Seeing the shades of blue, sand, turquoise and beige absolutely gave me the feeling of an ocean scene.
But also? While the shades worked absolutely beautifully together, they are not shades I personally would have EVER picked to put together.
At first, I only saw a few of these beautiful graphics. I pinned all three our four that I saw. Over the next few weeks, I had hoped to see a few more surface (it never really occurred to me to investigate further to find the source of the palettes, as I was new to Pinterest). They did here and there. I saw a few other versions that were similar in concept, but the palettes didn’t seem to be as cohesive and complete as the Design Seeds palettes.
At some point, I got smart. I did a search on Design Seeds (this is where you see the clouds part, a ray of light shine down, and hear angels sing…). This is an entire website full – and I mean FULL – of these beautiful palettes.
And thus, I found the brilliance behind the palettes: Jessica Colaluca.
Jessica’s story is fascinating and so very genuine. Our Epoch is going to feature a blog post on Jessica in the near future, but in the meantime, you can find more information about her and Design Seeds here.
I suppose when most people look at the Design Seeds palettes, they see interior design. Ideas for rooms in their home. Maybe for wardrobe or clothing.
When I browse through them, I see Kona. Lots and lots of Kona. The color palettes alone are very inspiring, but pairing them with an inspiring photo is a double-whammy.
I’ll be honest, I’ve long thought about making a sushi-inspired quilt. Why? Well, for one, I love sushi. Probably one of my most favorite foods on earth. But also, Sushi has such a beautiful, colorful and rich texture. And it comes in many shapes and sizes. Sushi also feels like a niche thing. Kind of like how bacon is trending right now.
I have collected a few sushi-esque fabrics over time, waiting for the right idea to strike. Most of my attempts have been with novelty fabric. Don’t get me wrong – there are cute sushi novelty fabrics out there. But, I’m not really a novelty person. Most novelty prints are too cutesy. And they look like they belong on an apron. Not on a quilt.
As I was perusing her site for the first time, devouring palette after palette, this one struck me:
And the palette! Oh, the palette! It hit me with my color combination weaknesses. Charcoal is one of my absolute most favorite colors. Put it with a bright and very contrasting orange and green, too? Then mellow it out with a pale peach? Yes. Oh, yes.
That palette above? Became this in my head:
I apologize in advance for the quality of the photo. That is, indeed, the true Kona. My lighting is terrible and these were taken in a hurry in an effort to get this announcement posted. I have a real photographer coming to take better pictures!
I thought about this for a long time, which I was also thinking hard about going all-in with Robert Kaufman to offer a large selection of Kona colors. It was the perfect storm!
I contacted Jennifer to clear any legalities and to kindly ask permission to offer bundles of Kona based on her Design Seeds palettes. And she said yes!
So Our Epoch will soon offer these bundles in fat quarters, half yards, and full yards! Yes, we will select several palettes to bundle, but the possibilities are endless. You can build your solids on any palette you wish. Or use one of ours to start, and go from there!
As I was laying out the different combinations based on palettes, I literally got goosebumps. I have always struggled, as a quilter, to really grasp color and the way it works and doesn’t work. I find that I usually stick the basics. Grays are my go-to for background and blender fabrics. But playing with the palettes, I find myself wanting to be very daring and bold.
How can you not?!
So here are a few other quick (and I mean quick!) examples of palettes I put together:
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I’m really sad that the photos of the fabrics really do not do them any justice. But at least you get an idea of what we’re doing here. What I love is that all of these palettes of Kona fully stand on their own. I see a quilt already in all of those. But what happens when you add in prints that coordinate with these solids? My head will explode!
We would love your feedback and your thoughts on using Design Seeds to inspire your quilts. Do you already have a palette in mind? Let us know! We’ll be doing some palette giveaways soon!
So here’s another big announcement for our store. We recently stocked the store with 50 beautiful colors of Kona, with more arriving all the time. I know there’s a lot to choose from! I’m having trouble adoring the colors in my sewing room every night, and deciding which direction to go first!
I introduce to you, the Epoch Kona Program! For those that order from my website or locals that order directly from me, you will automatically be enrolled in the Epoch Kona Program. There are different tiers of rewards as you purchase Kona (at regular price).
After you have purchased 10 yards of Kona, you will earn a free fat quarter of Kona*
After you have purchased 20 yards of Kona, you will earn a free half-yard of Kona*
After hitting 30 yards, you will earn a FREE YARD* for every 10 yards of Kona your purchase with no limit of rewards earned!
*Your choice of color that is in stock
There is fine print, but not very much. And certainly not very fine : )
*This offer applies only to orders received from www.our-epoch.com/store or purchased directly from Andi Barney. This offer does not apply to Etsy orders at this time.
*This offer only applies to regular price Kona, and will not apply to clearance, sale or otherwise discounted Kona sales.
*This offer applies only to accumulated yardage, not fat quarters or fat quarter bundles (purchase of half-yard or full-yard bundles will apply).
*Our Epoch will keep track of your yardage purchases and accumulation and do our very best to alert you when you have earned a reward, but ultimately, it is the customer’s responsibility to also alert us when they believe they have earned a reward.
*The customer will be responsible for the additional postage if necessary.
*Accumulated yardage means any combination of quarter-yard (not fat quarters), half-yard, or full-yard purchases.
*Earned rewards will be rewarded from one color of the customer’s choice. For instance, if the customer has earned a one-yard reward, the one-yard can only come from one cut of fabric. However, if the customer has earned multiple one-yard rewards, each one-yard reward can be cut from a different color.
*This reward program only applies to Kona purchases, not any other yardage purchases at this time.
*This offer is not retroactive to Kona already purchased from Our Epoch or Making Modern Memories.
Our Epoch has been really busy behind the scenes, working some major projects and inventory. And happily, we’re finally ready for a two-part reveal. Today I’ll reveal one of the biggest areas of growth at Our Epoch this year, and later I will reveal the second part of what’s to come.
I’m excited to report that 85 lbs. of fabric is arriving at my doorstep this Friday – 43 bolts of new Kona colors! Yes, we have partnered with Robert Kaufman to offer you an ever-growing selection of Kona choices at a great price. Also, we already have an order in for 15 of the new colors once they are released in June/July. I cannot tell you how excited we are to add these colors. Have you seen them yet?
Those living in the Atlanta area will be invited to come to an Open House in a few weeks, in which all Kona will be discounted for the day. We’ll also have a special deal going for those that aren’t local, don’t worry! To celebrate all the beautiful new colors coming to Our Epoch, we’ll be doing a few giveaways and and contests for fun prizes.
Be sure to follow us on Facebook and Twitter so you’ll find out first what’s coming!
Here’s a list of the first round of Kona colors arriving this week. Please let us know what colors you are looking for in our second round!
Pink
Candy Pink
Melon
Medium Pink
Red
Tomato
Coral
Pacific
Copen
Robin Egg
Lake
Evening
Lagoon
Ice Frappe
Wine
Pomegranite
Corn Yellow
Buttercup
Banana
Mango
Tangerine
Paprika
Berry
Eggplant
Cerise
Mulberry
Pansy
Thistle
Amethyst
Azure
Kiwi
Chartreuse
Peridot
Seafoam
Jade Green
Basil
Lime
Raffia
Espresso
Sable
Charcoal
Bone
Champagne
Already in Stock:
Ash
Medium Gray
Coal
Sand
Snow
White
Black
New Colors coming in June/July:
Kumquat
Citrus
Peapod
Sprout
Leprechaun
Camellia
Tulip
Iron
Steel
Parchment
Mushroom
Biscuit
It’s finally time for the big reveal on our new online store!
All the basics (Moda precuts, Bella & Kona yardage, Aurifil thread, pearl cotton, etc.) are already listed and ready to go, and the store is fully functional. Over the next week, we’ll be adding all of the Sublime Stitching embroidery patterns, which will be on sale, and all of our notions and other goodies.
Once the new store is settled and moving right along, we’ll be adding Riley Blake precuts – I am so excited about this! The lines that they will be putting out over the next year just blow me away, and making decisions on which lines to carry will be excruciating. Are there any you are excited about?
We have a bunch of new templates and projects rolling out, and a slew of new tutorials coming, too. So much is happening here that I’m inspired beyond belief!
Thank you to everyone who has continually supported me in this endeavor, and never let me forget that I can be successful! It is our pleasure to serve you, and we are honored to be a part of your creativity!
Andi Settlemoir Barney
Welcome to Our Epoch!
If you follow Making Modern Memories, you probably already know this has been a big year. I started my little business by making commissioned quilts, mostly from tshirts, baby clothes and other mementos. Little did I know that the retail side of my business would stretch and grow itself at the same time. Just a few months ago, our selection of products grew to include Moda precuts, Bella solids and United Notions. On the horizon, we’ll be carrying a variety of Riley Blake products and some others.
Making Modern Memories just celebrated it’s 1 year anniversary last week, and it was clear that the retail side needed it’s own home. Quilters need their own space, their own community. Our Epoch wants to offer you that community.
Our Epoch offers tutorials, product and tool reviews, and previews of new items coming into the store. We have a place in the pulldown menu if you are looking for a specific thread, notion, template, etc. Please contact us if you have trouble finding your item or want to find a better price. We are happy to special order for you when we can, at no additional cost. We may not offer everything you need yet, but we are increasing our selection every week and strive to provide as many of your needs as possible.
We are still in transition, so please be patient with us! Our online store is still available here, and our Etsy shop is still up and running. The store is rebuilding on another server and should be ready in about a week – we’re excited for the new look and feel of the store!
The Making Modern Memories blog is still up and running, but will move to a new server shortly. We’re in the process of a major cleanup, as that blog will mostly appeal to non-quilters, or people who are interested in seeing finished quilts.
Please do us a huge favor and go like us on Facebook. Help us to spread the word to your quilting pals. And please, do tell us how we can help you Make Your Mark.
Making quilts and other handmade goods isn’t just about arriving at a finished product – each item has it’s own story.
We want to hear your story.
