Happy New Year everyone! With a new year, I’m happy to launch my newest fabric collection with Cloud9 Fabrics — Park Life!
My mum taught me to sew from an early age. I was always interested in fashion and was always creative, and seeing her whip up clothes for us and herself was so inspiring. She had a great collection of patterns from the 60s and 70s, one of the eras of design that inspire me most, so I sewing up baby doll dresses for myself when I was 12, and all throughout high school. After school, I’d head to Fabricland and try and find fabrics for my next project. So, fabrics have always been close to my heart.
So you can imagine how incredible it was when I started working with Cloud9 Fabrics and seeing my very own artwork come to life on fabric!! When I received my first collection, Grey Abbey, I was a blubbering mess of tears and emotion. As I unwrapped every bolt, I felt my heart swell with pride and amazement. I’ve been so lucky to keep this amazing collaboration going with Cloud9, and went on to produce Wildwood, Morning Song, Floratopia, and now — my latest collection — Park Life! And I continue to get emotional every time a new collection arrives on my doorstep.
Park Life is inspired by my trip to London last year. I’ve been to London many times and have always found it so inspiring, with some of the best museums in the world. This time around, I spent a ton of time in the Victoria & Albert, and wandering through nearby Hyde Park. There’s something magical about the British landscape to me, I think it tugs on my heartstrings because I feel that primal connection to it, as my mum is from nearby Ireland, and my ancestry is based in the UK.
I was touched by the idea that swans are nationally protected in the UK, by the Queen. Walking through Hyde Park and seeing those beautiful and majestic creatures swim freely and with a silent confidence, inspired the Royal Swans print. I also went to the William Morris Gallery, which was dreamy. Morris is one of my greatest inspirations and to see his work with my own eyes, and to feel surrounded by his art and philosophy, was deeply affecting. I’ve always loved this quote by Morris: “Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.”
Just generally being surrounded by lots of green and the damp british air contributed to the idea for the collection. And for all Blur fans out there, the name of the collection is a little nod to that great British band as well.
I hope you like this new collection, which is currently shipping. Ask for it in your local independent quilt shop, or find it online in many online shops! And if you sew anything up, I always love seeing your creations. Happy Sewing!
