Spring Bloom Blog Hop!

Good morning! I’m super excited to be today’s stop on the Spring Bloom blog hop, celebrating Amanda Caronia’s debut fabric collection  for Windham Fabrics! I had the wonderful good fortune to meet Amanda, who designs patterns for fabric and home goods under the brand name Bella Caronia, at last fall’s Quilt Market in Houston. I loved the new fabric collection that she was showing at Market, so I was thrilled when she contacted me to make something for the blog hop celebrating its official release!

At Market, Amanda and I chatted about our mutual love for Japanese art and history. She had moved to California relatively recently, and I recommended that she visit the Los Angeles County Museum of Art’s superb collection of 19th century Japanese cloisonné enamels (which are breathtaking, by the way). So of course when she asked me to design something using her new Spring Bloom fabric, my thoughts turned immediately to Japanese cloisonné. (Luckily for me [and you!] the Walters Art Museum had an exhibition of this type of enamel work in 2010 and has made it’s images available under the creative commons license. The vase photograph here is from it’s collection of images.)

Pair of vases, Goto Seizaburo, c. 19th-20th centuries

 

I also knew that I wanted to use some of the motifs in Amanda’s fabrics, and the three-lobed floral motif that is featured in several prints stood out to me as being perfect for modern appliqué. Amanda grouped them into medallions, but when lined up the motifs reminded me of the trailing wisteria blossoms that are found on many cloisonné vases.

This pattern quilt illustrates one of my favorite things about modern appliqué–that you can use the appliqué forms to showcase special fabrics, while not needing to use a huge amount of yardage. All of the appliqués for this quilt were cut from fat quarters, and I had enough leftovers to piece a large strip for the backing as well.

Of course I incorporated Amanda’s selvage as a record of the fabric collection!

You have a chance to win some fat quarters of the Spring Bloom collection, too! Windham is generously giving away a pack of all fifteen prints to one lucky reader. To enter, simply leave me a comment so I know how to contact you; if you wish, also tell me which project you are most excited about working on this spring! Entries will be open for one week, until midnight on Tuesday, May 5, and I’ll draw a winner at random next Wednesday, May 6.

And remember to check out the wonderful things that other makers have been creating with the collection! There’s a chance to win at each stop on the tour!

April 20 Windham Fabrics Snip-its, Bella Caronia Blog

April 21 Leah and Bea Koch – Wintergreen and the Bee

April 22 Nell Timmer – Nell’s Notions

April 23 Jessica Darling

April 24 Kristy Daum – St. Louis Folk Victorian

April 25 Sherri Sylvester – Thread Riding Hood

April 26 Cindy Wiens – Live a Colorful Life

April 27 Krista Hennebury – Poppyprint

April 28 Felicity Ronaghan – Felicity Quilts

April 29 Casey York – The Studiolo

April 30 Janice Ryan – Better Off Thread

May 1 Deborah Moebes – Whipstitch

May 2 Bella Caronia Blog That’s a Wrap

Thanks for reading, and can’t wait to hear about your spring projects!