Oh reader, how I wish I could share all the beautiful things I witnessed firsthand at the 2015 Fall Quilt Market in Houston, but alas, I couldn’t go this year. (Just wait until Spring — I’ll be there in full force!) However, I spent this weekend poring over social media and getting all the industry news so that you don’t have to. The things we do for love.
Here are the highlights of the new stuff that we’re excited to see in the upcoming months!
– Robert Kaufman again hits it out of the park. Angela Walters’s new collection, Fragmental, features strong geometric designs in bold colors. It’s kind of the antithesis of her previous RK line, Drawn, and her line Athena for Art Gallery. (Have I mentioned that it’s great to see her at Kaufman? I prefer the hand to Art Gallery’s slippery, stiff substrate. But that’s just me.) Carolyn Friedlander also returns with Carkai, a collection inspired by bones and thus imbued with sort of a more organic feel than her previous line, Doe. It’s fun to see these designers almost switching places.
– Quilty people with new fabric lines! Luke Haynes is doing Dapper, a menswear-inspired line for Moda. Do we have thoughts about this? It’s kind of Urban Outfitters meets Brooks Brothers; the shoes and glasses prints definitely give it a hipster vibe. Also, Mary Fons is launching a fabric line (Small Wonders, with Springs Creative) and McCall’s is releasing a pattern collection featuring her fabric, exclusively for independent shops. Cool! I’m also intrigued by Heather Givan’s new line for Windham, Paper Obsessed (even though she’s not technically a newbie designer).
– The big hit at this year’s market was Me+You, Hoffman Fabric’s line of modern hand-dyed batiks. They’re delicious and they come in a huge palette of colors and prints.
– Spoonflower finally launched Sprout Patterns, a service that features custom-printed independent sewing patterns directly on fabric. Featured pattern makers include Colette, By Hand London, See Kate Sew, and more.
– The fabric industry’s affair with substrates continues: Art Gallery announced it will be venturing into denim (including prints!) and popular knit retailer Girl Charlee will be producing its own line of spandex cotton. (Their huge reception at Market shows how much cross-pollination there continues to be between the quilting and garment-sewing markets.) And Andover will reportedly be joining in on the substrate party with Lizzie House double gauze and lawn prints?!
– Tula Pink makes some iridescent fabric shears; the Internet LOSES ITS DAMN MIND.
Anything I missed? Let us know in comments!
