Forest Forms

There have been dramatic changes in the landscape this week. The soybeans have suddenly turned the countryside golden and the green corn is beginning to brown. Plus it has been one of the wettest weekends ever recorded here. Autumn atmosphere has arrived. In the depths of the forest behind the house the dripping canopy of trees look dark and mysterious. The soaking black trunks and stumps are sprouting some of the most amazing forms. Greg spends lots of time pouring over the mushroom guides, as he is anxious to harvest some for our dinner. But so far, it is  hard to determine the good from the bad! But design wise they all look fine.

These Baneberries look like an "eyeball" plant. Love it! So I guess you can see where my inspiration comes from. There is so much LIFE, even here in the "ordinary" Midwest! And that is exactly what the Prairie Gothic fabric designs are all about.

 The insect world is a big part of the action, too, so they also have a starring role this season. This is a design I have been thinking about for years. It is one of the three designs (in all three colorways) being printed in home dec fabric. I'd like to recover the porch furniture with "bugs".

In keeping with this mysterious theme, here is the Lace pattern, also in the Midnight color way.

This is another design playing off Queen Ann's Lace, but from a different perspective this time.

I think this would make awesome napkins or a table cloth. Hopefully,  you are dreaming up some projects of your own, too!

Summer's End

Where has it gone? It has been a very busy season for me. Travel and teaching has consumed most of my time. But the last two weeks have been at home and it has been wonderful. Watering the vegetable garden in the late afternoon has been a sublime chore. Standing among the towering vines that are radiating warmth and a "green" fragrance and the stillness of the day with only the bees humming is a sensory treat.

But this weekend autumn was in the air! This is the time when my body rejoices and begins to wake up. Today it is raining and I may have to turn on the studio heat. That's the wonderful thing about living in the country... everyday is entertaining!

Also during the last two weeks, I have begun working with the new fabrics. This line is called Prairie Gothic and inspired by the quietly sensational wildflowers and ever present insects in my Midwestern summer landscape. This season I was determined to included a more subdued pallet for one of the colorways. I agonized over the right combinations, but I am really pleased with the outcome.

Also, I have signed up to have my first booth at Houston Market and I am in a bit of a panic! Hmmm... an understatement. I wake up at 3:30 every night thinking of all the things I want show there! I am calling it Jane's "Idea Booth" and I hope you will stop.

This design is called Teasel and Lace and shown in the Dusky colorway. It is available in quilt weight cotton, but also in upholstery goods.  It combines a traditionally inspired repeat with some contemporary wit and decadence. I think it would be fabulous in a rehabbed bungalow or Victorian. Can't you imagine it on a fainting couch?

Here is the Dusky Coneflower design. I have already used it in pillowcases and they look great!

More sneak previews next week! I will also keep you posted on the Idea Booth and would love any ideas and suggestions. 

Baltic Travelogue

Oh my! I have seen such wonders in the past two weeks as a passenger aboard the MS Rotterdam during the Baltic Quilt Celebration! I shared this adventure with Elly Sienkiewicz,

Joan Wolfrom, Alex Anderson, Christine Porter, Velda Newman and about 200 other quilt enthusiasts. Our escapade brought us to Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Helsinki, Arhus (Denmark),

Oslo, Berlin, Tallin (Estinia), St. Petersburg, Helsinki, Stockholm and Copenhagen. 

Being a Scandinavian design fanatic, this was a heaven sent journey! So, of course, the highlights of my experience are design related. I was able to visit some wonderful shops and see some beautiful places. For example, in Helsinki I got to visit Eliel Saarinen's home and several important design stores including Marimekko, Iittila and Artec. 

In Stockholm I could have died of bliss, as I got to explore the shops of two favorite designers. First we found Gundrum Sojun's boutique and got to see her beautiful clothing and interior accessories IN PERSON! A few blocks away we hyperventilated at Svenskt Tenn, the headquarters for a pioneer designer of the contemporary Scandinavian design movement, Josef Frank. For me, this was a religious pilgrimage! I could have fallen to my knees and cried, but I tried to control myself, for Velda's sake. The museums and palaces weren't bad either!

Crocked buildings in Amsterdam.

Norwegian Stave Church

Extraordinary Vigeland sculpture park in Oslo.

Windmill in Denmark

Fabulous sign in Tallin, Estonia.

Berlin fuchsias

Catherine's Palace, St. Petersburg

Hvittrask, home of architect Eliel Saarinen outside Helsinki.

Charming summer house in the Swedish Archipelago.

So this is a brief travelogue and now it's time to fondle some fabric!! My new "Prairie Gothic" fabrics arrived just before I left town! It was a bit frustrating to know the fabric was here and I was there. But this trip has fed my soul and renewed my enthusiasm and I can't wait to get started!

Bon Voyage!

It is a constant frustration to have so many ideas for using the fabric and so little time. I pray for elves... like the story of The Shoemaker and his Wife.  So, I am always delighted when you send pictures of your "Sassaman" projects. YOU are my little midnight stitchers who surprise me in the morning with your wonderful work!

And some of your ideas are amazingly fortuitous! This week a little red package arrived from Delaine Little of the Mt. Tam Quilter's Guild in California. To my surprise, there were three perfect baggage tags wrapped in pale pink tissue. Did she know I was heading out the door on a quilter's cruise of the Baltics? 

Sometimes life works well. Thank you, Delaine! Your work was immediately put into service and will accompany me on this big adventure. And thank you to everyone who has sent photos and inspiration!!! I plan to post it all in an E-album soon. In the mean while, I will attempt to post some travel shots next week, conditions permitting. Bon Voyage!

Help! A Bear with No Name

I have just returned from a glorious week teaching at the Quilter's Affair in scenic Sisters, Oregon. The culmination of the celebration was the famous Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show. The whole town and many volunteers begin at 7 am to hang about 1200 quilts all over the quaint town and in no time it becomes an outdoor theater of quilts and quilt fans.

When I got home there was a little surprise waiting on my front porch... with a face only a mother could love! The poor thing was holding a note which read, "Dear Jane, I please need a name! But first some background information about me: I am made of scraps (from material to thread to stuffing), I was born on the summer solstice, I make everyone I meet smile, I'd secretly love to be on your blog! Thank you for all your help!! Forever yours, Nameless Bear.

But this bear is poor in name only! Look at that fat tummy, those lovely ears and that tie!

Of course, we took him right in and now he sits in the Hickory Throne, the seat of honor. We have discovered that he is especially fond of jelly beans and happy to show off his colors.

Here is another cute little critter; this one made by my talented friend, Laura Foster Nicholson.

It is grand to see the fabric put to such squeezable use.

A "bear behind"... please help us name our new housemate... something French perhaps?

Summer Solstice

This has been a very busy period. I have been teaching  on-the-road most of the month. I am currently at the famous Sisters, Oregon Outdoor Quilt Show. But in the meantime, summer has finally arrived to northern Illinois. The bees are buzzing, the humming birds are humming, the lightning bugs are flashing and the MOSQUITOES ARE BITING!!!!

Poor Greg has to mow the lawn in what amounts to a suit of armour. There will be lots of weeds in the garden this season. The safest way to enjoy the flowers is from the comfort of your home. Here are some happy nasturtiums enjoying the evening sun.

Our local community celebrated the seasons arrival by sponsoring a Summer Solstice show. It was held in a wonderful old factory building filled with artists studios. Here are a few dark handsome men who attended the extravaganza... in Hawaiian style Sassaman shirts.

First, Greg is seriously contemplating bug spray as he models the Water Lily Shirt. Perhaps he can just terrorize those bugs with color!

Gabe, on the other hand, is made of stronger stuff. He seems to be daring those mosquitoes to bother him in his red hot "Wavy" shirt. Bugs or no bugs, this is perfect wear for a summer day.

Surfers will flip for these.

Take note of the weeds in the background. A real break through in lawn care! One of the Solstice artists spray painted the weeds. If you can't beat them, enjoy them... I love it!

June Showers and Pink Flowers

It has been a week of studio work and wet weather. I have been preparing some new patterns (stay tuned) and organizing for two weeks on the road, but in the meantime Mother Nature keeps putting on a spectacular show! Rain and rumbling sky have been predominate for days, contrasted by sudden splashes of sun.

The peonies and irises are in their glory and the roses are just starting to bloom. Both iris and peony were transplanted from our tiny city yard and have finally settled magnificently into their new surroundings. And, of course, filling our home with fragrant bouquets.

So this week has been a celebration in PINK! Yes, pink, the color that I sneered at for years...

that girlie color. But I have had a change of heart and now I believe that it is one of the most extravagant colors on earth. Pale pink, especially, can take my breath away!

Of course, our fabric project for the week is pink, too! I have been looking for the perfect smock pattern for years, when I discovered Indygo Junctions Classic Coverall designed by Secely Palmer. It is a happy combination of nostalgia and style. The great front pockets make it very practical, plus the ties at the waistline make it flattering, too. 

In this first version we have used two Hothouse fabrics. The dots almost look like a psychedelic animal skin. The contrasting pockets, ties and collar are highlighted with a pastel jungle motif. This could bring out the pussy cat in any girl.

Next, Fair Claire swings into summer in another coverall of Hothouse pastel willow leaves and accented with diamond checks from a few seasons past. 

I think this combination is really pleasing. This pattern has great potential for mixing and matching fabrics. It would make a wonderful housewarming or wedding shower gift. Next time I plan to line it to give it more body and perhaps narrow and shorten the ties, so it could become less of an apron and more of an everyday work outfit.

You may want to check out http://www.indygojunction.com for this and other interesting "in the pink"patterns. Thanks again to Susan for her skill and vision!