INDELIBLE - the word of the day!

Hi everyone,

no, this will not become a blog about words or dictionary - still about quilting (mostly), so read on! :)
Just to honor the dictionary though :

So here is this unforgettable, memorable, INDELIBLE - in fabric!!

Meet INDELIBLE!!

A brand new fabric collection from one of my favorite companies - Art Gallery Fabric and from their brand new designer - my new friend, talented artist, Katarina Roccella!! 

I am sooooo excited for Katarina and her first, gorgeous collection!

Indelible will be available in all quilt shops in June, but you can see the entire collection, HERE, for now.
Besides the love of fabric and sewing, Katarina and I share one more thing - a country of birth! See, Katarina is a talented artist who still lives in my beloved Motherland, Serbia and city of my youth, Belgrade! We connected on Facebook and I was so happy to be able to help Katarina sew with her beautiful new fabric, to make things for her first booth at Spring Quilt Market.
What fun that was!
Quilt Market is a quilting professionals trade show where all new and up-and-coming products are showcased for shop-owners to scope out and purchase. Every company or independent designer or publisher has a booth and #ArtGalleryFabric booths are always such a visual treat and inspirational source! You can see photos of Katarina's both and read about her first Market experience on her lovely blog, Like Flowers And Butterflies .
Oh but let's get back to sewing!
As soon as I saw Indelible on social media, I ran to AGF site and downloaded the whole collection in picture format (JPEG) to be able to play in my Electric Quilt software. (you do know that almost every major fabric company now has that on their web sites? So not only can you see what's coming, you can plan and design your quilts and projects even before fabric is here! Just awesome!)
And play I did... but more about that later! :)
Priority was to sew Katarina's quilts for the booth, so here is her lovely design, quilt called STAMPED (using the lighter color group of fabrics, called Subtle Watermarks)

 Or with different block orientation and in darker color group (Darkened Ink):

They might look complicated, but they are really not and there will be a free pattern for this quilt on AGF web site as soon as fabric is out!! You make one simple block (and it's mirror image) and 20 blocks will make this lap size quilt (50"x70") - easy-peasy!

Here is a little photo journal of my fun:

To keep some motifs on fabric in right orientation  I cut my strips on the lengthwise grain (oh and this one is one of my favorite prints in this collection! :)  )

 All the print strips are cut...

 Strip-piecing, strip-piecing...

 Because there are mirror image blocks, I needed mirror image strips sets, again, so that orientation of printed motifs stays correct - I did not want my birds upside down! :)  (oh and just look at this fabric! - another favorite of mine!)

 All the strip-sets pressed and ready to be cut! Yes, I used strip-piecing method to make elements of the block, rather than doing individual pieces - seems quicker and more accurate/consistent way to do it!

 Time for June Taylor monster...

 This ruler really helps in speedy strips cutting...

 Once I had all my strips cut, here is a block layout! I am always so excited when block is laid out and ready to go!! You?

 After some crazy chain-piecing (I love chain-piecing and do it all the time - might show you how if you think you would like it? ), all the blocks are done, and even the day was getting done at that time - that is a lovely sunset streaming into my window...

This time I pressed seams to one side - pressing seams in opposite directions in mirror-image blocks made for lovely, nested seams that make things fit so well - yeah!! Don't you just LOVE nested seams and when things fit? He he...

TA-DAH!!!! Top is done!

 I pieced the back (photo down below somewhere) and on to the quilting...(this had to be done fast!) and.... TA-DAH!!! (again)

 Tried a quick photo-shoot and realized two things:
 - 1. white is really, really hard to photograph and
- 2. I need to learn how to do this better (photograph)!
Photo above is "corrected" in photo-software and one below is as is - big difference, right? Aahh...I will learn how to do this better, I WILL...

Here is the back:

I have to say - I LOVE the back almost as much as the front! :)

Bit more detail of quilting - to enhance the chevron design I quilted large circular loops in printed areas and linear, (free-motion) lines in white. What do you think, did it work?

 

Playing more with photography in my garden...

 Oh and the binding!!
I was so excited to try this new (to me) way of doing binding! I found this through one Facebook post and tutorial is from Aunt Martie's blog, you can find it HERE.

Yes - binding has an accent color!! Just LOVE it!

 It is a bit more work than regular binding, but it is so worth it, don't you think?

Oh and of course, in case you were wondering - my pal  #Aurifil was at work here again. This quilt was pieced and quilted with lovely, 50wt Aurifil 2615 - beautiful light gray color!!

 So here is how we started:

 And here is what was left after all of it:

Now on to some more sewing with this gorgeous fabric collection!!
Can't wait to show you a dark version of this pattern and some other designs that I am dreaming about! These are some that came to my mind first when I started playing with Indelible in my trusty EQ:

Belgrade Gardens:

Migration:

So, what do you think? :)
Isn't INDELIBLE indeed unforgettable?? A must have for quilts, fun, one-of-a-kind clothes or other fun stuff? I can't wait to play some more!!

Have a happy Friday and wonderful weekend ahead,
Marija