My guest today is Mia Whittemore who is the winner of the Uppercase Magazine contest to find the next Windham fabric designer. Mia entered the contest thinking it would be a good experience but she didn’t imagine winning a prize that would land her artwork on fabrics. Mia and I talk about her background in art and how she is flexing her skills in the classroom as an art teacher. Mia hadn’t always thought of her art as a daily practice until she challenged herself to just get creative after her nine to five job. Watercolors entered the picture and as they say she hasn’t looked back. She says it was the thing that changed the way she felt about herself as an artist and eventually gave her the courage to enter the Uppercase Magazine and Windham Fabrics contest. Mia’s artwork is whimsical, colorful, and so vibrant. I so enjoyed chatting with Mia and learning more about her process, her love of all of the colors, and how winning the contest is changing things for her. I have also worked with her first fabric line, Flourish, and it is gorgeous. I am so excited to see what Mia has in her future.
I love a good challenge and I have come to know that when Fat Quarter Shop asks me to do a post for them it will challenge me. I know you are thinking – but you know how to sew Stephanie! What are you talking about? I do know how to sew but I seem to keep myself within the comforts of the rulers and quilt blocks I am comfortable using and sewing. Well things change when I am challenged. I love change.
I had a bundle of Janine Vangool’s new line, Uppercase, with Windham Fabrics. I so enjoyed the chat on episode 086 of the podcast so if you haven’t checked that episode out I encourage you to. I love that Janine has such a quality magazine when magazines are going out everywhere. I love that she is passionate and courageous about doing something she loves which is sharing the stories of creatives all over the world. I enjoy reading the stories behind the makers because it is so encouraging to me to keep doing the thing I love the most – sewing.
The pattern is called Summer Breeze and it uses two rulers below that really help speed up the making of this pattern. I am not a fan of buying rulers I may not use again but let me tell you I use these rulers ALL of the time. I think they are so versatile. I already have plans to use them in making another totally different quilt.
The pattern is super straight forward and I think looks so much harder than it actually is when you sew it up. Don’t you love patterns like that?!?! I mean something that is easier than it looks. I think this quilt makes me look like a super awesome quilter who spent hours and hours sewing up this quilt. It is NOT hard which is so cool for those of us that like an easy pattern that looks like it is full of y seams and paper piecing. Oh what fun!
I have to point out that I decided to make this a baby quilt with less blocks and added sashing. I needed a smaller quilt and I just can’t seem to follow a pattern no matter how hard I try. I like to put my own spin on quilt patterns, or any pattern for that matter, to fit what I need when I am making it.
So the details –
I made 20 blocks from the pattern then added a 5″ border. It makes the perfect smallish quilt.
Are you ready to make your own Summer Breeze Quilt?
Lucky for you Fat Quarter Shop has a great YouTube video to help you make this quilt!
Side Note:: With a storm on the way I took this quilt over to my family’s farm to get some pictures. I have to say this quilt was at home on the farm. I just wish the cows would have gotten in the picture too.
Wanna subscribe to Uppercase… well you are in luck! Janine gave the Modern Sewciety listeners a discount code for $15 off a subscription! Isn’t that awesome!!! Use the code “modernsewciety” when purchasing your subscription to get the discount.
Hi! I am Stephanie, host of the Modern Sewciety podcast. I love to chat with creatives in the sewing industry getting all of the latest trends, tips, and information for you!