Tag Archives: Lotta Jansdotter

40 and Lotta’s Surface Printing Workshop

First off – this is a picture heavy post. Today, I am turning 40 and decided to embrace it!! I am celebrating it with a trip to New York to attend Lotta Jansdotter Surface Printing Workshop. We (I took the family along) started the trip out with delays from Tropical Storm Andrea, but thankfully we got to the hotel, even though it was midnight (4 hours late).

This morning, I couldn’t wait to get in that yellow cab and be driven to Brooklyn to Lotta’s workshop. One of those cab’s below will be mine!!

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The workshop was held in an amazing space that included the shop, workspace and office.  And yes, in the photo below those are shelves of fabric bolts. I made a purchase while I was there, of course – a strawberry journal, a table runner and the 1 yard of the dandelion fabric from her Echo line.

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The course, itself, was run by Lotta. I shared the experience with 11 other great people who helped me celebrate. The course took you through working with potatoes, rubber blocks and stencils on both paper and fabric.

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I loved Lotta’s teaching style. She made sure that the main goal of the course was just to experiment and go with the creative flow, which was very liberating and stress-free. The four hours flew by….I so wished the course was a weekend course (2 days) – I enjoyed it that much. I would highly recommend anyone coming to New York, to check out her shop at the very least, and if possible sign-up for a class. You will love it.

Potato printing

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Block Printing 

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Inspiration – Pohutukawa flower, the New Zealand Christmas Tree:PohutukawaRed PohutukawaOrangeRedPink

Inspiration – Pacific Island tapa clothes. Designs which are typically painted on woven flax sheets:TapaOrangeSilver BlackTapaPrint

Fabric Printing
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Final Products of Work
Stationary – Pohutukawa and Tapa Cloth Card Sets.
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Tote to carry all the goodies home with 🙂
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Fabric stash additions {21.04.2013}

Oh where to start, I suppose the best place is what I have added within the last 2-3 weeks….

I just realized that this may actually put some clarity and “accountability” on what I have in my stash.

Solids: I am in desperate need of solids. There are a couple of blocks of the month (BOM) or Mini Quilt of the month that I have signed up for and I really want to use bright solids.

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The first 3 on the bottom of the pile are actually Essex linens (which I am loving at the moment). The light blue grey and the blue are from our local fabric store – Thimble Pleasures and the Orange from Fresh Stash (an Etsy store). The rest of these solids are 1 yards of Kona cotton that I purchased at Thimble Pleasures.

Geometrics: Who can resist?

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The bottom of the pile are the tone on tone chevron from Riley Blake. I have always liked the yellow on yellow and my 1/2 yard is almost out so I brought this fat quarter bundle from Hoot Couture (an Etsy store).  I like most of it except maybe the brown on brown one. The hexagon fabric on top is probably one of my favorites at the moment – from a color perspective. The fabric is Oink-a-doodle-Moo Chicken wire by Jenn Ski for Moda and I purchased this at aMaterialGirlQuilts (an Etsy Store).

Favorite Complete Bundles: I have two complete bundles I have been hanging out to buy, both are modern and simple prints which is right up my alley. My only issue I am going to have is how do you break up the set or even make that first cut…..

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This first complete set is Pure by Stof. It is a 33 piece fat quarter bundle. Look at the first one – aren’t those navy and reds great together. The second picture equally amazing with the gray’s, greens (loving the mix of green and navy too), and plums. My only disappointment in this bundle was once I saw the plum fabric I wanted more. I hope that Stof consider to do another release with more of the plum and maybe orange or yellow print colors (and then more grays to go with that release). I purchased this bundle from Tactile Fabrics (one of the few Etsy stores that carried this line).IMG_7205

Glimma by Lotta Jansdotter, who can not like this. I am super excited to do her surface printing workshop in June to celebrate my birthday….I cannot wait….6 weeks to go. I was not sure about the indigo prints but the more I look at it the more ideas pop into my head about what projects I can do with this fabric. I think though that the bundle will have to stay complete for a while longer. Of course this new bundle is available several places, I did however want a 1/2 yard bundle with the solids included. I found that Westwood acres had the 24 piece 1/2 hard bundle (I love this Esty store; next week I will show you the other bundles I purchased from here..there is a list ;-)).

Fun Prints: Lastly, I have been buying prints for making kids pouches or pencil cases etc.
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I thought these prints are perfect for girly pouches or even chair bags. These are 5 prints are from the Little Matryoshka Collection by Lori Whitlock for Riley Blake Fabrics. I was not able to get them from one vendor. So from left to right; 1 yard of the Green polka dots and cream dolls were from The Sew Sweet Shoppe, 1/2 yard of Stripes from Bee Yourself Fabrics, and the last two were a 1/2 yard bundle, the pink polka dots and pink dolls, from Hoot Couture .

My last admission, is I am almost finished the 5th 100 comic board inserts set that I use to store my fabrics nicely (as you see above). So, the proof will be in the pudding – I need to start using some of these and put items in my Etsy store, that will be my goal for May and June. Linking up with Plum and June “let’s get acquainted”.

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Hope you all are having a great weekend. Thanks for stopping by, leave a comment and let me know what exciting purchases you have made recently!!! I love seeing others fabric obsessions too 🙂

March Goal Progress Report

I feel I have made quite a bit of Progress on many of my goals this month. I still may have bitten of more than I can chew. Reminder for April – no more than 3 craft goals !!! Checking in with Lovely Year of Finishes.

A Lovely Year of Finishes

Before I move into where I am at for March, I have planned the new technique to try for June (how’s that for planning). For my birthday (June 8th), I booked a workshop with Lotta Jansdotter who does amazing fabric printing, and to top it all off, I can spend the weekend in NEW YORK!!! You can check out her website here. I am so excited.

Ok, back to the now!!!  I did finish a little hexie coffee cup sleeve for a custom order, in addition to my March goals. Here is where I am at for March:

  1. Bottom, Baste and Quilt, the “Four Seasons in one day” (named after a crowded house song).
    Back finish, Basted, and my first line of quilting done.
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  2. Finish 2 sets of chair bags.
    No Progress.
  3. Finish 1 set of pot holders (custom order)
    Fabric Ordered.
  4. Finish a E-reader case
    No Progress.
  5. Sew + Finish the Triple zip pouch
    Fabric Cut, ready to start sewing.
  6. Kiwi Paper Piecing Cushion Cover
    Completed on Friday. This by far has been my favorite project and I love how it turned out.
  7. Make 1-2 Blocks for our Madrona Road Challenge
    Design decided and first block complete

Continue with my more general goals

  1. Continue with Life Style Challenge with a focus on:
    – No Sugar or Processed Food
    I am doing ok on processed food but awful in avoiding sugar – need to work on that the next two weeks
    – Exercise 3 times a week
    I have executed a plan and suckered in a friend to walk with my twice a week – Thanks Su 🙂
  2. Post 3 times a week min.
    Definitely doing well on this one
  3. Post a new recipe each week
    Yes, at least one recipe a week