Tula Pink

So if I were my own sovereign nation, let’s call me Pinkerland, this would be my flag. All of my people, so far that’s me, would wave it proudly and without shame. The bumble bee would be Pinkerland’s national mascot. All of my Olympic athletes would wear pink track suits with red stripes and tease their hair up into beehives. You are all welcome to join or better yet start your own nations and then we can have summits to discuss international issues. We could stand for things like cake for breakfast, sleeping in and shopping beyond our budget. We could also stand for painting our (rented) apartment living room walls hot pink with giant flowers.

Yes, that is a peek at my living room, much to the dismay of my no longer refundable security deposit. When you move every year you tend to be more “experimental” with your decorating. I think the quilt will look nice on my couch. It will be like a giant banner when you enter my apartment that says “hey I’m a narcissist, wanna hang out and talk about me?” Anywhoo, Pinkerland is a lovely place. I think my air conditioning is broken so the  climate isn’t that great but the food is cheap and the conversation is good.

Diamonds are forever ladies. I don’t actually have any but I have seen some and they look like they’ve got a real will to survive. So this quilt pattern is now officially available for download. It’s really easy I promise.

Download Me!

This is supposed to be like the end of a DVD when you have seen what it’s all about and then they go back and show you how it’s all made. Well I don’t use much CGI or make any clay models but I am pretty good with a marker. I wouldn’t mind having a team of people researching the best possible way to make a wing out of abstract lines and shapes, not to mention the added bonus of having someone else go get my coffee. Alas, it is only me and a stack of nature books picked up here and there.

So these are the initial sketches and reference for Flutterby. From here were more sketches, then actual drawings, then scanning and formatting, some redrawing, digital renderings, a bit of color here a little pink there. Some very big decisions are made and off it goes. It’s all terribly glamorous. It’s like being a rock star only the apartment is smaller, I have to drive my own car and my mom is the only one that ever tries to take my picture. Otherwise… exactly the same.

I don’t know if y’all have seen this but it’s pretty fantastic. Of all the fabrics in all the world, Hancock’s of Paducah chose my little infestation of many legged and tiny winged friends to grace the cover of their massive catalog. I have it sitting on my coffee table and am greeted with my own glorious vanity every morning. I couldn’t think of anything better except maybe the cover of Selvedge under the headline “Most promising light weight cotton/quilting fabric designer of the 21st Century.” Hey, a girl can dream can’t she? Besides, too much too soon can give a girl a tummy ache. I should know, I just got back from the movies and I have a clump of Gummy Bears sitting like a brick in my mid region. But you don’t come here to read about my candy exploits, do you?

Okay here it is. I have been waiting sooooo long to show you this. You know how I hate keeping secrets. It has been absolute agony but the time has finally come. These luscious little ditties are called Flutterby. This was so much fun to do my head almost exploded! The collection doesn’t ship to stores until march but my mom’s shop, The Quilt Shoppe (click on it, it’s a linky thing), will have it up for presale this week. She is a lovely lady and I think she deserves your patronage.

So this group is all about bugs, only the cute ones and definitely not anything gross or slimy. There are bees and ladybugs, dragonflies and butterflies not to mention the cutest little snail shaped paisleys you ever did see. Okay maybe snails are a little bit slimy but these are not I promise. I hope y’all like it because it would totally break my heart if you didn’t.