{book it} Kaleidoscope Paper Piecing by Nancy Mahoney

Dutch Treats by Nancy Mahoney

Nancy Mahoney

Kaleidoscope Paper Piecing is your twelfth quilting book and you’ve made dozens of quilt patterns. How do you keep coming up with ideas?
Designing is one of my favorite aspects of making quilts. My ideas come from a lot of different places; vintage quilts, playing with blocks, gardens, old buildings. I see quilts designs all the time. When I need to create a design using a specific fabric collection, I let the fabrics talk to me and then I look for a design that will showcase those fabrics. When I’m design quilts for a book, I play with blocks and borders until I come up with a design I like and then I add the fabrics.

You’re very encouraging in the book, urging new quilters to learn new skills and experienced quilters to try something a bit more challenging. Do you find that writing is a bit like teaching?
Yes, the approach is very similar. I can reach out to more quilters with a book and I always want lots of visuals to help each person understand the process. In a class, I can help each person individually depending on their skill level and I like to include lots of tips, tricks, and stories.

What do you enjoy most about the quilt design process and does that tie into the writing process, as well?
I really enjoy the “what if?” part of designing, as in what if I change this block, fabric, border. Then there’s the “aha” moment when it all comes together. I design quilts using EQ7 and always carry my laptop when traveling. I’ve spent many hours in airports, playing with quilt designs. For me, the process of writing a book is similar to designing and making a quilt. I start with an idea or concept and tweak it until it’s just right. Next, I break it down into its many components and then I put together one step at a time.

Emeralds and Amethysts

Between writing and designing and teaching, do you still find time to do much quilting yourself these days?
Actually, I still make lots of quilts. In 2011, I made about 30 quilts and machine quilted all of them myself. I try to make good use of my time. If I’m on hold or waiting for someone or something, I use that time to work on a project. Even if it’s only a few minutes.

Of the ten quilts featured in Kaleidoscope Paper Piecing, which one is your favorite? Or which one are you dying to see made by someone?
Oh my, that’s like trying to pick your favorite child! I love each one for different reasons… but if I have to pick just one, I would say Raspberry Truffles [featured below]. For one thing, I love using black and white fabrics. My sister was visiting from Idaho and I was working on the blocks for that quilt. We spent several wonderful days chatting and sewing together. Of course, I’d love to see all of the quilts made by someone else using their own colors and fabrics. It’s always a thrill to see your design interpreted differently.

Rasperry Truffle by Nancy Mahoney

If you had to give some advice to someone who has never tried paper piecing (like me!), what would it be?
Most people who haven’t paper pieced are intimidated by the designs. Choose a simple design, without a lot of odd-shaped pieces, and try it. Be patient and keep in mind it takes time to learn a new technique. Take a class or get a book… I know of a really good book that shows how to paper piece Kaleidoscope blocks!

Kaleidoscope Paper Piecing: Ten Dynamic Quilt Designs is available now through your favorite distributor and Martingale/That Patchwork Place.

{in the know} Ty Pennington’s new adventure

A note from Ty Pennington:

As you know, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition is ending it’s incredible 9-season run on ABC in 2012. As you might imagine, it’s a little difficult for me to accept this. The show has been my life for almost a decade and I’m incredibly proud of it.

EMHE will continue to air in repeats domestically and worldwide and ABC is producing special episodes. By the time the series ends later this year, the show will have helped over 200 families using a half-million volunteers across the nation. It’s a truly remarkable run. Westminster Lifestyle Fabrics has been a part of the success of EMHE helping in room designs, by providing fabric and by finding quilt makers when needed.

Today, my new daytime series The Revolution premieres on ABC at 2 pm ET. This new series comes from the producers of “The Biggest Loser,” and “Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition” and will feature an innovative format never before tackled on daytime television.

The main idea behind The Revolution is to encourage change–small or huge–in any area that needs it. The co-hosts for the show possess expertise in the most common areas daytime viewers (mainly women) say they want to improve: relationships, health/medical, diet/fitness, finance, fashion/style, and home/environment. I have been working on the show for a couple of months now and I gotta’ say, it’s really exciting and fresh.

We’re just getting started with The Revolution, but already we’re excited about the possibility to showcase some of my design expertise in new and unique ways.

{in the know} Bari J. joins forces with Art Gallery Fabrics

Art Gallery Fabrics Inc. is delighted to introduce and welcome textile designer Bari J. Ackerman to its team as its first licensed designer.

“…We want to bring quilters and sewers more creativity enlarging the spectrum with talented artists that bring their own vision, perspective and passion for fabric design,” said Pat Bravo, emphasizing Art Gallery Fabrics’ principle of welcoming new designers that are willing to inspire.

Pat Bravo and Bari J. share a passion for design, color and the legacy of quilting. They respect and welcome each other’s aesthetics. “To me, Bari is the epitome of the designer that pushes boundaries, while remaining true to her vision. Her modern vintage look will awaken a new trend within Art Gallery Fabrics’ fan base,” said Pat Bravo.

“Working with Pat is such a natural for me. The aesthetics at Art Gallery Fabrics are cutting edge, fashionable, and unique. There are no boundaries when it comes to designing for Art Gallery. I get to be just exactly who I am here,” said Bari J.

Their combining forces, long friendship and their unique design approach will not only expand Art Gallery Fabrics’ ever growing fan base, but also encourage and promote other designers to join the evolving force that Art Gallery Fabrics is.

Bari J.’s debut collection LillyBelle will preview at Kansas City Quilt Market 2012, and will be available at Art Gallery Fabrics in June.

Inspired in the romantic and chic 17th century France, LillyBelle feels like stepping into a beautiful French chateau surrounded by luxurious gardens, clocks and birds with beauty and color all around. It is just like a French sampler that was extracted right out of a scene of a beautiful painting.

For more information contact Marcela Loayza – Marcela.loayza@artgalleryfabrics.com

About Bari J.
Bari (the J. is for Jill, her middle name) recently moved to Scottsdale, Arizona with her two teenage daughters, Anna and Emily, and her husband, Kevin, to live closer to family. Bari describes her design aesthetic as funky vintage modern, and she is passionate about color in her life. Bari says, “color is of the utmost importance in design” … she loves to mix them in surprising ways by coordinating colors that may not ordinarily be thought of as friends to each other. It is this sense of color that makes her designs stand out as unique, playful and stylish.

About Pat Bravo
Pat Bravo began learning about fabrics, dress-making, and pattern making at a very young age in Buenos Aires, Argentina. While taking painting classes she met husband Walter Bravo, and have been and worked together for 26 years.

In 1986 she moved to the US, which changed her life drastically and went to a process of adaptation, but with her sewing machine, as her security blanket, she came back to life. During that time she discovered “ traditional quilting”, and quickly evolved to art quilts. Unhappy with limited color variations, she decided to paint her own fabrics, which caused a sensation within the quilting community. Due to the demand, Art Gallery Fabrics was created in 2004 to produce them commercially.

{in the know} Amber Eden, Stitch’s new editor

On Tuesday, Interweave announced that Amber Eden has taken over the editor position for both Stitch magazine and the online community SewDaily.com. Eden accepted the position after Tricia Waddell left Interweave to take a new position with Liesel & Co.

Eden is the former editor-in-chief at Taunton Press for Threads, Sew Stylish, and Craft Stylish magazines and the related websiteMore recently she has been a DIY design columnist and blogger with a weekly sewing column for AOL’s Stylist.com and a technical editor for sewing book projects.

“Amber is a proven leader whose background and experience in sewing and craft publishing makes her ideally suited to lead the team at Stitch,” says Interweave Senior Vice President and Publisher John Bolton. “We feel confident that her knowledge of the marketplace and commitment to excellence will enable us to further build on Stitch’s success in the category.”

Prior to her role at Taunton Press, Eden worked for a number of media companies in key leadership positions such as editorial director for Quince Girl magazine/QuinceGirl.com, online director for the National Center for Learning Disabilities, features editor of American Girl magazine, features editor of Country Home magazine, and associate editor of BRIDE’S magazine.

“Interweave’s position in the craft media space is legendary and I am thrilled to be joining Stitch and SewDaily.com,” says Eden. “Stitch magazine truly reflects the new direction for sewists, with a fresh perspective on sewing… the future is bright.”

{in the know} Tricia Waddell is joining up with Liesl and Co.

Liesl and Co., the parent company of oliver + s, has announced that Tricia Waddell (founder and editor for Stitch magazine) has joined them in a “new product development role.” Waddell will be working on a new brand for them that they are developing for independent fabric stores. It will be launched at next spring’s Quilt Market.

Watch the oliver + s blog for posts from Waddell, coming soon.