Color-Full Day Ahead

Rise and Shine! So much going on today...

By the time you read this, i'll already have hopped the train to NYC for a color seminar given by the IFDA at the NYIGF. I go every year to keep on top of all the new trends in color and materials that we'll see in the home furnishings and accessories markets for 2012. I'm really excited because Crystal Gentilello, Editor-in-Chief of Rue Magazine, will be speaking. If you haven't checked out Rue, you might want to. It's packed with quite a color-splash of fresh, stylish and creative ideas for decorating your home.

I'm also kind of afraid because Doty Horn from Benjamin Moore paints will be speaking too, and every time i hear her, i just want to race to the paint store and get the tarps and rollers out! You see, i suffer from a rampant form of color-ADD. You can ask Pete. Or maybe you have it too? There was a stretch where each time Pete went away for a business trip, i'd re-paint our dining room. Or kitchen. Or living room. It hasn't happened for a few months though, because i finally settled on some colors i really love (at least for now). I love the names too. Our living room has three walls that are Big Bend Beige and one that is Mt. Rushmore Rock:

My studio workspace is Palladian Blue (also Benjamin Moore):

And our dining room is Ginger Ale (Glidden):

Let's see if they stay these colors after today!

The second part of today's happenings is that the wonderfully talented Karrie Lyn of Freckled Whimsy has designed a beautiful quilt using Central Park that is being featured on the Moda Bake Shop! Look at this beauty:

It's called "Geese in the Park" and you can download the all-original (and free!) recipe on the Moda Bake Shop. Karrie sent this little blurb about her inspiration for the design:

"This quilt was inspired from the fabric, Central Park, or in a more general sense, the outdoors. Where I'm from, in the fall, we have geese everywhere – and I mean everywhere! When I saw this line, I knew I had to make a quilt with it. One day I was walking to my car, trying to avoid these said geese, and I had an idea! I started making flying geese blocks and just playing around with them and this quilt is what came out of that. I truly love the line of fabric and I think the flying geese block was perfect to go with it. Thanks, Kate, for such beautiful fabric. I truly enjoyed working with it!"

Karrie, thank YOU for bringing your talents, time and efforts to this unique and beautiful project! I love it! Also, Leah at Burgundy Buttons has done it again and packaged this up as a kit—just for you. Here's a picture of the box:

And here's the little 4" x 4" fabric quilt label i designed--that will also be included in the box:

Finally, the grand-finale of the day is that the inimitable Pat Sloan has invited me to chat with her on her fabulous (and LIVE) Creative Talk Radio show!! Pinch me, pinch me (and then toss some water on me after i pass out, ok?)!!

I just adore Pat and am a frequent listener of her show, so it's an honor to have the chance to share some time with her! If you're around, come listen in or join the live chat (Pat will tell you how). The fun begins today, yes TODAY, Jan, 31st at 4pm EST. Oh and there's a giveaway that you won't want to miss out on! More details to come...(after i regain consciousness, that is. I mean did i mention this show is LIVE? aka: not pre-recorded, aka: unedited aka: potentially blooper-full) Should be fun!

Thanks, Leah!

It's such a pleasure to be writing this post and sharing this with you because i just love when a collaborative effort comes to fruition.

A little over a month ago, Leah at Burgundy Buttons contacted me to let me know that two very talented ladies had created quilt designs using Central Park. She even sent me pictures and both quilts are so creative and fun! They're also very different from one another which is something i'm always amazed to see. I mean it's the same fabric, and yet it's like fingerprints and snowflakes...no two are ever the same.

Leah also let me know that both of these quilts are scheduled to be featured on the Moda Bake Shop and that she would be making kits of each and offerring them for sale on her website! I don't know if you've seen any of the kits she puts together, but she packages them in small bakery boxes that are just so cute they make you want to eat the fabric contained inside (well, you know what i mean).

On top of all this good news, Leah asked me if i'd be interested in designing some custom fabric quilt labels to be included in each kit. Of course i would (and did)!! It was my privilege. I had never done that before but really enjoyed trying to echo the spirit and design of both quilts into a coordinating little label. So you'll get one of these in the kit as well.

I just wanted to take a moment to thank Leah for all her efforts in coordinating this to come together in such a thoughtful way! It was such a pleasure to be a (teenie) part of it.

The first of these two talented designers and their quilts will be featured on the Moda Bake Shop tomorrow. I'll be featuring them here, too, and will give you all sorts of linkies! See you then.