Sunflowers in My Heart
In difficult times, our creative community often leans-in to its abilities and makes effort to do what we can to help ease the suffering of others. Whether it’s making facemasks for frontline workers or quilts for people displaced from earthquakes or floods, we try to reach across distances to share our care and to try to turn feelings of helplessness to hopefulness.
When the Russian invasion of Ukraine began in March 2022, I felt the urge to help in some small way. As the atrocities unfolded, I, and the rest of the world, learned about the significance of sunflowers not only in the Ukrainian culture, but also as a symbol of strength and renewal. It was with this in mind that I designed my “Sunflowers In My Heart” t-shirt to honor and celebrate the indomitable spirit of the Ukrainian people. When I learned that Chef Jose Andrés and World Central Kitchen (WCK) had stationed their operations in Ukraine and several surrounding countries to feed Ukrainian refugees, I was deeply inspired by their commitment and bravery. As so many of you remember, we made them the focus of our ongoing t-shirt fundraiser to help amplify the humanitarian work of this extraordinary organization.
WOW, did you ever help!
Occasionally, I see sunflower shirts worn by friends around our neighborhood or on social media and they still make me pause to reflect on the Ukrainian people and the unimaginable daily struggles they continue to endure in their country each day.
“Sunflowers in My Heart” is a fabric collection that expands on the sunflower image I created and radiates happiness into each of the supporting prints. The warm golden yellows chase away gloom, the grassy greens grow optimism, and the deep blues reflect a sense of tranquility. At least I hope they will.
It’s been a while since my last regular line of fabrics, and while I really enjoyed designing batiks for a bit, I was so happy to be back in my design garden – drawing and arranging colors and puzzling prints together in energetic combinations. Thought I’d share a brief look at some of the steps in my design process as well as what’s available for this collection.
I always start by drawing. It helps me get a feel for some of the elements I’ll carry through a collection. Often, I’ll arrange some of the motifs so they fit together - as you can see with the bunch of poppies, dianthus, buds and leaves above.
I scan these drawings in to my computer where I develop a color palette and create repeatable prints. Before a print is sampled, the first step is to have the mill match the colors on fabric. They send the “strike offs” to me for approval.
Sometimes, the colors need a bit of tweaking. The first strike-off of this turquoise was a bit grey/dull and I didn’t think it’d stand up alongside the others in the palette. The mill sent a bunch of options for me to pick from, and one was perfect!
Once the colors are all approved, the mill samples the prints. I’ll send multiple color combinations of each print and the mill will send those along with additional variations. Then my job is to narrow down all the options into the final collection.
I really love how this main “hero” print turned out! The line quality of my drawing was kept intact throughout the printing process from the original sketch (left) to the paper printout (royal blue print below the sketch I’m holding), to the fabric yardage (right). The only problem was that I had such a hard time narrowing down which color combinations of this print to include! Each of them looked so different depending on whether it was a dark outline color on a light background or vice versa. So, you’ll have 6 options to choose from! Here’s the final collection. Twenty-eight vibrant florals, geometrics, paisleys, blenders annnd …
… a panel! One yard, 20 blocks and a whole bunch of sunflowers! Each block finishes at 8” and will fit perfectly into a quilt. Or cut them up to make a tote bag, table runner … sky’s the limit. I can’t wait to see how this panel gets creatively used, by YOU! Leave a comment below letting me know how you would use this panel/what you would make with it, and you’ll be entered to win a BIG SCRAP BOX of ‘Sunflowers In My Heart’ fabrics! Random winner will be announced on July 4 along with a fireworks display in your hometown (well, maybe the fireworks aren’t just for you. lol!) Update: Giveaway is closed, thanks to everyone for commenting with your excellent ideas!!
To go along with the collection, I designed two quilt patterns, ‘Bloom’ and ‘Kismet’. Every year, we grow sunflowers in our garden and it seems the more there are, the happier they make me! ‘Bloom’ grew from that joyful feeling. The quilt finishes at 53” x 57” and uses a fat quarter bundle plus yardage. ‘Bloom’ will be available as a kit so be sure to ask your local quilt shop if they’re going to carry it. YAY!
‘Kismet’ is another fun floral quilt that looks a lot more complicated to piece than it is. This quilt finishes at 61” x 61”. Though I called for a fat quarter bundle in the materials list, that’s a lot more fabric than you’ll need. BUT, I figured out how to use the leftover fabric to make a free, bonus ‘Moda Love’ quilt and included a suggested layout in the pattern. Either pattern would make a great sew along! Don’t you think?
When I put the finishing touches on both of these patterns, we’ll be offering them as pdf downloads in our shop. Will let you know when that finally happens. If you prefer a paper pattern, please check in with your local quilt shop to see if they’ve ordered some from Moda already. If not, maybe they will :)
In addition to fabrics, I’m excited to share that Aurifil will be releasing a collection of 10 small spools of their 50 weight cotton threads! Have you sewn with them before? If not, you will love it! Come to think of it, I’ve used Aurifil threads on almost every quilt I’ve ever made. Why do I like it so much? It’s not fuzzy so it’s easy to thread through your sewing machine - or a needle if hand quilting. It’s strong, hardly ever breaks, and the colors colors colors! Their luminous sheen makes quilting appear almost glittery. This spool collection will give you the perfect amount to sample and experience.
Another fun part of collaborating with the creative team at Aurifil is that not only did I get to pick the threads to coordinate with the fabrics, I also designed the packaging! I immediately had the idea to make it look like a garden seed packet. Won’t it look so cute on your sewing table? ;) When I have actual samples later this summer, I’ll be sure to share more.
Finally, and perhaps the most wonderful part of this collection, is that both Moda and Aurifil will be generously donating a percentage of sales to World Central Kitchen. By purchasing this fabric, you will be doing so much good by supporting the incredible work carried out by WCK as they feed people in need and provide disaster relief to communities all around the globe. I feel so deeply grateful, it makes my heart full.
I hope you stitch your own bright joy and love into every seam, uplift someone’s spirits with your creations and ultimately send as much positivity out into the world as possible. We sure need a whole lot more of that.
Thanks for spending some time with me today!
xo Kate