Sew Mama Sew – Reflections and Predictions

Yes, I know…I’ve already done my own little reflection post for the year. But since that one was really more about me, you’ll all indulge me as I cast my glance back on the year of the whole quilting world right? Sew Mama Sew is having their reflections and predictions posts again and since I participated last year, I thought it would be interesting to do it again. Plus it’s always fun to see what others think were the main things that happened and go “what? I didn’t even know people were doing that!”

Looking back at the 2011 sewing scene, what trends stand out in your mind?

We definitely saw a new love for detailed paper piecing full of text prints and realism.  (Ringo Pie…if you don’t know what I’m talking about, then look it up on Flickr and prepare yourself for some fabulous blocks by some of my favorite people!)  Plus a huge jump back to traditional piecing and samplers with the Farmer’s Wife Quilt along (not my personal favorite, but there are a few collections out there that I like).  I’m excited by both of those things because they are a step up in technique for a lot of people.  It’s great to see people really challenging themselves.

What did you make that you’re most proud of? (Share a photo in your post!)

I’m pretty proud of a lot of things I made…I should be right?  They take a lot of time! lol  But I’ll go with my Zig Zag Quilt because not only did I make that but I also attempted to do a quilt along with that.  Not the most successful quilt along in the world, but I had a few people play with me.  I have plans for another quilt along though that I think a lot of you will like and it’s on a much smaller scale.   Win. win.

Sew Mama Sew - Reflections and Predictions

Sew Mama Sew - Reflections and Predictions

What sewn projects have you seen this year that you absolutely love?

okay…I’m lame, but I just spent an hour trying to pick out the sewn projects that I really love.  And I love so many that I can’t pick.  I know…lame!

Alright…spent more time looking…lol And I have to admit that I’m sooo in love with this color combo from Badskirt Amy’s block that I could eat it!

Sew Mama Sew - Reflections and Predictions
(photo from the amazing photostream of Amy)

Are there any trends you’re over and done with?

Honestly, I’m okay right now. I’m coming to accept that we all like different things and that’s okay. I used to be annoyed with cutesy fabrics but I find myself using them or seeing others use them in new ways…so the trick for me is to just keep those “trends” from becoming stale. For instance, I love the way that Lorena In Sydney has used a novelty print from Aneela that is pretty cutesy but turned it into geometry and careful piecing!

Sew Mama Sew - Reflections and Predictions
(photo of Lorena’s beautiful work!)

What are your thoughts about social media? How is it going for you? What do you love or hate?

Always a tough question. I blog, so I obviously think that is a decent form of communication. I like to read what certain people are thinking when they create something. So I enjoy having the option of reading a blog over simply seeing a picture. But often I am content to just see a picture of someone’s work…and then flickr is fabulous and quick.

Twitter. Ugh. I tried for about a week to get involved. Maybe I’ll try again. I probably just need to find my own crowd like anything else. I hate feeling like I don’t know what’s going on and I think that has happened to me when on twitter. But I think that there are enough of us who feel that way and we could all find each other on twitter. lol I have a feeling that a lot of the conversations that I used to see happening on flickr in groups is now happening on twitter. So I think I’ll have to make that jump just to have fun little convos with people about the industry.

Facebook. I’m on it.  Honestly there are a ton of companies of facebook using that as a pseudo blog and I need to weed out all the info I’m getting. I’m a little over saturated with information because I do check out all the different platforms.

Did you have a favorite fabric collection or print in 2011?

Soooo many fabulous fabrics! I know I’ll pick something and then change my mind, but off the top of my head I can say that in 2011 I became aware of Sweetwater. These ladies just have an aesthetic that I eat up! I realized that in my most recent project with the reindeer I used fabric from four different lines from them without realizing it! I obviously just gravitate towards their crisp yet whimsical aesthetic.

Sew Mama Sew - Reflections and Predictions
(my Picket Fences quilt made from Hometown for Moda Bakeshop)

What do you predict for 2012 in the sewing industry?

Predictions?  More fabulousness from everyone.  Seriously.  I think people are just getting better and better.  I really hope that more people find the online quilting world and see just what you can do with fabric.  Because people are knocking it out of the park all the time.

Oh yeah, and I think we’ll be INUNDATED with more fabric.  I cannot even keep up with it all.  It’s killing me a little that there is so much fabric out there that I want and yet so much that I already have.  But I think I’m just going to enjoy the ride.  Get the fabric I want and use it up!  Just have fun with it….no hoarding.  Because these designers keep proving that they’re able to come up with more fun designs.  (See, there’s a good side to the fact that some designers lines all look the same.  You’ll be able to find something that you like for a long time. Teehee!)

4 thoughts on “Sew Mama Sew – Reflections and Predictions”

  1. I really enjoyed reading this Angela. I have the same thoughts about a lot of things, and totally drool over ringo pie stuff. I really need to work at some paper piecing this year!

    I have really mixed thoughts about the fabric thing. Just like anything else, it's an industry. (One that happens to give me my job, since I work in a local fabric shop.) I love it all, but sometimes it feels like it becomes all about these certain hyped up lines that everyone just has to get their hands on, and then you see all the bloggers make their versions of basically the same quilt from the same fabric line… I don't know. It's all great and inspiring on one level, but on another level it just feeds the hoarding and consuming mentality. And there are so many designers I love, but why do they have to come out with 2 lines and sometimes more every year? Sometimes I feel like things would be better and more special if they were a bit rarer. And there would be room for more diverse designers in the "top tier." I guess I just worry that we spend all these hours on (very pretty) quilts that we love, and then in 30 years they will look dated because they came from the "modern fabric age", and it will all start to look the same, you know?

    I hate to sound negative about it, because I really do love modern fabric and quilting and being a part of that online community, as well as being lucky enough to have a job in that industry. I guess I just want it to get even better. Sometimes creativity can go stale when it is churned out on demand. I hope that makes sense.

  2. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on the year, and I too love the Sweetwater lines – I loved their scrapbooking stuff too when I used to do that. I leapt into the sewing community about half way through the year, so I have no idea about trends and things as predicted or how they turned out. I particularly love your last remark about the designers though ;o)

  3. I really enjoyed reading your thoughts, Angela.

    I fully intend to finish my zig zag quilt from your sew-a-long by the summer. I'm curious to see what you have up your sleeve for the next one.

    One of my personal goals this year to to reduce and condense my online experiences. One of the first things I did was finally delete my Facebook. I was only logging in a couple times a month and when I did, just found I didn't enjoy it at all. I tried Twitter when it started and couldn't get into that either. I do notice that there seems to be a lot going on there, but I think I would just get lost with all of the lingo. I do love having a blog and connecting with people on Flickr.

    As far as commercial fabrics go, I feel like there is so much hype about entire lines and when a person thinks they have to use the whole thing in a project, they lose their own voice. I know you have made patterns for the Moda blog, and while I do like some of what I have seen, there is no way I would make any of them using just one line. There are a few exceptions, as I do really like Lizzy House's designs, but lately I just don't care for much out there. This year is going to be about making my own fabric designs to use in my sewing.

    Ok I think I've rambled on enough for now. 🙂

  4. so we are almost twinners! i totally feel like the 3rd wheel on twitter, totally overwhelmed by all the talk on facebook and they totally need to slow production on cute fabric!

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