Kim Andersson – Part 1: A Journey to Quilts
I would like to introduce you to Kim Andersson of I. ADORE. PATTERN! Kim and I belong to the East Bay Modern Quilt Guild. She is talented, fun, and she bubbles over with creativity. We have asked Kim to be a guest writer for us this week, so be sure to visit again on Friday to learn even more about her.
WELCOME KIM!
Thank you Pati, for such a lovely welcome! I’m so excited to be a guest on “See How We Sew” and share with you my sewing journey. Six years ago my family and I moved to San Francisco from Sydney, Australia, and I was in awe of all the fabulous fabric and pattern books available here at very enticing prices! Blessed with a new baby that slept (my first didn’t), I bought a sewing machine and started to sew again! It was through wonderful quilting fabrics that my passion for sewing was sparked.
I was sewing mostly clothes and toys for my two boys. On a trip to NYC I came across the store, Purl Soho. In the window was an amazing quilt in fabulous prints. That gorgeous quilt turned out to be Single Girl by Denyse Schmidt in her fabric collection Katie Jumps Rope.
So started my love of quilting.
Soon I was reading books and searching online for various piecing and quilting techniques, taking classes at my local quilt shops, and discovering everything from hand quilting to improv piecing. I learned something new every time I turned on my sewing machine.
This search led me to join the East Bay Modern Quilt Guild 4 years ago, I really enjoy the learning and camaraderie of being a part of this group. I’ve gone from making baby-sized quilts to King-sized quilts with the wonderful support of my guild! It truly is amazing when you find friends that are as obsessed as you are :). Together we’ve created an annual quilt show, Stitch Modern, for the past 3 years. It’s been a wonderful show with some great events! If you live locally, pencil it in your diary for next year, it just get’s better and better.
“Diamond Life” Front and Back views. Stitch Modern 2013.
At the start of a new project I love image searching and researching for my quilt designs. This has led to a Pinterest addiction. My Quilt board is filled with gorgeous colors and shapes! The list of quilt designs that I’d like to sew is out of control!
I love working with a variety of fabrics, both pattern and solids in my quilts. I’ve used Quilting Cotton, Voile, Cotton Lawn, Linen, Denim…the list goes on.
Linen/Liberty Double Disappearing Nine Patch in process.
I recently finished the top of a Double Disappearing Nine Patch quilt that used lovely linen texture and tones mixed with some gorgeous Liberty of London fabric. Oh how I love Liberty and linen!!
My Linen/Liberty quilt top on s how at Stitch Modern 2014.
My Liberty Hexys are a work in progress… mostly worked on at the kid’s soccer practice.
Looking at all the gorgeous fabrics in my stash, I find I have fabrics of many different styles. I see that I can be drawn to fabrics that have a more defined graphic style or a lovely loose painterly style. The element that unites them all is their wonderful palettes. A fabulous color palette gets me every time.
Yes, my fabric stash is under control…well…sort of….
This love of fabric has also led me in a new career direction. I’ve been a graphic designer for many, many years and all this play with fabric has rekindled my passion for pattern.
My studio and my King size Half-Square Triangle quilttop on the wall. You can see more on my studio and design process here.
Last year I competed in a fabric design competition on “The Printed Bolt” called REpeated. Run by two fabulous quilt girls, these challenges were close to heart as we were making fabric designs for quilt fabrics! They had some very talented judges and the response from readers was fabulous!
Here are the links for my REpeated challenge designs and the stories behind them:
Challenge One: Folkloric Stitches
Challenge Two: Up In the Air
Challenge Three: Spring Dot
Challenge Four: Grandparents Garden
Final Challenge: Tidal Lace
So last October, with my collections in hand, I traveled to Houston Quilt Market (an amazing experience!). I met with some lovely and supportive fabric companies and quilty people and I’m pleased to say that my very first fabric collection will be released later this year! I’ll be sharing more with you soon and in the meantime you can see some of my design work at www.iadorepattern.com.
I hope that you enjoyed reading a bit about me and my journey to quilts. Next post, I’ll show you some other sewing that I like to do, with a mix of clothes, toys and gifts…and maybe a bit more about quilts.
Let the stitchy fun begin!
Cheers,
Kim Andersson
If you want to see more I have sewing and quilting images over on Instagram. Another addiction?
#IAdorePatterns #PurlSoho #KimAndersson #EastBayModernQuiltGuild #ThePrintedBold #StitchModern #DenyseSchmidt #LibertyofLondon