And just when you thought I was done… It seems I can’t stop coming up with new stuff. The 6th installment, that’s right 6th, of the Tula Pink saga is here, in sample form anyway. Hushabye should be shipping to stores anytime now so while you are rushing off to purchase that wonderland of critter joy let me introduce you to what’s driving down the barrel at an alarming pace. I call her Plume. I just received my sample swatches and thought I might commemorate the occasion before I start hacking it to pieces to make my quilt for market. I love this collection almost as much as I love myself. It’s bright and happy and fresh and organic, sort of like a hippy but cleaner. It’s possibly the best drawing I have ever done. To finally see it in living color fills me with such geeker joy that I am even willing to feed all of the stray cats that are milling around my yard. I know that means they will come back, it may cost me a fortune in kitty kibble but I just don’t care. Milk for everyone!

And please, how dang cute is that selvage? A little Fleur De Lis instead of the oh-so-boring standard dot? Will the cuteness ever end? I say no. Cuteness will endure for ever and ever. Amen.

This is the most tedious, mind numbing, eye burning part of designing fabric. It is also my favorite part. It keeps me in my studio and out of trouble for hours sometimes even days. I love to see people’s process so I hope I’m not geeking out too much by assuming that you might find this interesting. It’s also my clever-ish way of letting you know what’s coming before it actually arrives.

It always starts with a drawing.

Once the basic outline is down I add in the medium and highlights. Now it’s starting to move, I love that part.

Toss in some darks and throw in a pretty little patterned background and I almost have myself a print.

Aaah, little falling feathers. Now wasn’t that fun. If only I had Bob Ross’ skills I could make it “happy” and then I could have my own TV show!

I’m in California for a little while, blowing of some steam, checking in with my people, getting a few things done and engaging in general debauchery. Sleep is taking a serious back burner, there just isn’t enough time and a girl has to have her priorities, ya know.

I have spent the last 2 weeks traveling from L.A. to San Francisco. So far the highlights have been a wedding (not mine but totally amazing, I cried like a baby), a tarantula (also not mine and seriously gross), Xanadu (wait what? ya that’s right), a couple of impromptu concerts, sushi, friends (my Cali friends have, sadly, been without my presence for some time), more sushi and  a wee dabble in surfboard painting.

The surfboard thing was sort of spur-of-the-moment. I was less than enthusiastic about the magazines I had purchased and the lawn chair I was occupying became less comfortable the longer I sat in it. My BFF from the 7th grade, Ashley, is a shaper so I just grabbed one off the shelf and went to town. That’s her up there doing her thing. She is really good at it, not like I would know, but she certainly seems to know what she is talking about.

I surfed once when I was 13. Then I thought I saw a shark (actually seaweed, boo) and parked my weeny little but on a rock about 50 yards from shore for roughly 4 hours. Ashley had to swim PB&J sandwiches out to me. I finally got off the rock but not without some serious trauma a lifelong addiction to Shark Week on the Discovery channel. I wanted to make sure that next time I would be informed enough to know the difference between a predator and an ocean plant.