It doesn’t happen often - in fact, this is the third time - that I have fallen in love with a fabric designer. The first was Marcia Derse back in 2014. The second was with an Art Gallery fabric, Hello Bear, by Bonnie Christine. Last year for Christmas my stepdaughter Jen gave me a gift certificate to a Wisconsin fabric store Quilt-agious in Mukwonago. That’s where I found a collection of Seth Apter fabrics. His Storyteller fabric line caught my eye for its texture, its color, its collage-like appeal. And thus my most recent and very serious fabric crush.
And here’s some of what this line has inspired, including a purse in the upper left that I use daily.
My granddaughter was married last summer and had a very specific color palette. So I cautiously began using some fabric for one of my favorite quilt designs, Trip Around The World, for Nikki.
I know what you’re thinking: what a tame use of these fabrics. So I went a step further by making a gift bag to go along with the quilt, and I liked the bag much better.
But at this point t I really wanted to play with these fabrics. I bought a jelly roll of Seth’s fabrics and used them in “Tightrope”, a pattern by Robin Pickens found at Quilt-afious. It’s been hand quilted in an off-center spiral. It almost looks like stained glass.
Here is a Fika tote, pattern by Noodlehead. That blue grunge along with the Storyteller fabric? Love love love. But by this point I was accumulating some pretty tasty scraps and had to do something with them. The quilt below is odd but pretty in its own way. It too is hand-quilted. I added to those Seth Apter scraps some scraps from artisan shot cottons in an attic window approach.
This bag pattern, Bohemian Carpet Bag, from Quilt-agious, leaped out at me from the store’s website. I had to have it, along with some newer Seth Apter fabrics, all of which were on back order. So I ordered the bag, the necessary hardware, and the fabric - and waited three months. For someone who is into instant gratification, this was the longest wait ever! But so worth waiting for. I love this bag, I love the hardware, and this fabric is just so fun,
But my favorite piece/quilt of all so far has been this Pacific quilt design from Art Gallery Fabrics featuring several but not all Seth Apter fabrics. I love the braided and woven effect of this design. I’ve included two photos because the lighting is so different in each.
I’m not done with these fabrics. While I’m not sure what’s next, I must credit Seth for my shift in colors. For so long I’ve been all about reds, greys, and blacks. This last year has taught me to embrace blues and greens! And I will continue to haunt the Quilt-agious website!
