FreeSpirit fabric designer Tanya Whelan, of Grand Revival Design, is now an author too — her book Sew What You Love is fresh on store shelves. I welcome her today to introduce this unique sewing book, which, while infused with her clean, bright, sophisticated design sensibilities, offers an incredibly versatile selection of projects that can easily adapt to any style.

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I so appreciate Kim letting me talk about my new book, Sew What You Love, today. I’m a huge fan of True Up and the inspiration and information it provides all lovers of fabric and design. Just wanted to say a little about what I tried to do with this book. Basically, I wanted to provide patterns and instructions that were really easy but also pretty, stylish and very useful. Things that a reader would want to use on a regular basis, not just once in a while. This is what I kept in mind with every project. I also didn’t want to include projects that could figured out by just looking at them, you know, napkins, drawstring bags, etc. Instead, I wanted to include lots of simple patterns that were easy to use but hopefully offer value in that they would take a while to design if you were doing it yourself (at least they took me a while!) The other thing I really wanted to include were easy, versatile adult garments. I think people are pretty comfortable making a bag or clothing for a child but are a bit more hesitant to make a piece of clothing for themselves. I wanted to show how easy it can be. Anyway, here’s the description and happy sewing in 2012!

Sew What You Love includes 30 projects plus a few extra super fast and easy little projects. It features projects for Little Ones including toys, skirts, tops and bedding. Projects like the Soft Fabric Shade, Apple Pie Ottoman, and Design as You Go Quilt from the Home section are both stylish and useful. The Personal Style section provides patterns and instructions for easy to make, versatile and stylish dresses, skirts, tops and more. And the Bags section includes a variety of stylish options for two totes, a hobo, a clutch, and a structured little bag with old fashioned appeal. Three large pattern sheets are tucked into an envelope at the back of the book. The book includes simple techniques for sewing with knits, using elastic thread, and bag construction. – Tanya Whelan

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Don’t miss Tanya’s brand-new fabric collection, Sugar Hill, which also comes in laminate and flannel flavors. And, you may have known that Denyse Schmidt’s Flea Market Fancy and Heather Bailey’s Freshcut are being re-released in early spring … Tanya’s first collection, Barefoot Roses, is also getting the legacy treatment!

Leave a comment on this post for your chance to win a copy of Sew What You Love. A second winner will get to pick a free downloadable .pdf pattern for Tanya’s Metro, Monterey or Practical bags. Everyone gets a free copy of the Travel Checkers set from the book! Winners will be drawn randomly on Monday, January 23, 2012, and the giveaway is open to readers worldwide.

{ Mark & his wife Cara at their first Quilt Market in Salt Lake City. }

Mark Cesarik describes himself as a surface designer, graphic designer, fine artist and doodler—and his fabric designs are a fusion of each of those styles. He burst onto the fabric scene with Sew Bettie, a collection of kitschy, fun designs featuring moustaches, dogs and other quirky motifs, printed by Spoonflower. Thus far, Mark has released two collections with FreeSpirit Fabrics, Calypso Swing and Morning Tides. His latest fabric line with the company is Cosmic Burst, shipping in April.

You had a very interesting path to becoming a fabric designer—would you share your story?

I can honestly say that I probably would not be involved in this industry if it weren’t for my lovely wife, Cara—an avid sewer, crafter and quilter. She asked me to make a fabric design for a pattern she was working on after she discovered Spoonflower. One thing led to another and we created SewBettie, our online fabric business in which we printed at Spoonflower and sold on our website. After about two years of running SewBettie I ended up signing with Westminster/Freespirit and the rest is history…

{ Boxer Fabric – A SewBettie print available from Mark via Spoonflower. }

You’ve now released two collections of fabric with FreeSpirit, Calypso Swing and Morning Tides, with both of them featuring bright colors and shapes that make me think of a warm escape. What story are you telling with your fabrics?

That’s a good question! Both of those collections are very “warm” and “fun.” I think that when I was designing those collections that is what I had in mind, something fun and playful. My next two collections will show off my dark and complicated side… (Just kidding! But in all seriousness my first two collections certainly do represent the lighter side of things.)

I like to use the term “pop antique” when describing my style.

{ Pin cushions made by Cara Cesarik using Morning Tides. }

While definitely not “dark,” Cosmic Burst does take a sophisticated turn (I’d describe it as “classic meets contemporary”). What was the inspiration for this newest collection? What story are you telling? 

Cosmic Burst is definitely a more sophisticated look, in terms of the motifs especially. my first collections have more simple and lighter motifs, whereas there is much more detail and information in each print in Cosmic Burst.

I chose the title “Cosmic Burst” because I thought that it had more of a modern “out of this world” feel to it. With a few of the designs, my initial inspiration was kaleidoscopes—the way that kaleidoscopes have a limitless amount of information and every time you look at them you see something new. I wanted to juxtapose these designs with a few more simple ones as well and when I was finished I kept on thinking of the word “cosmic” and “Cosmic Burst” came from that.

{Light Speed from Cosmic Burst, releasing this spring.}

What sort of bribe do I need to offer you to get you to preview the Cosmic Burst fabrics before they’re introduced at spring Quilt Market?  I know you posted a (teeny, tiny) teaser on your blog. 

Well, I can report that the entire collection is now on display on my website. I think that the collection is in line with what my previous ones brought to the table but with a little bit more maturity. Certainly I am growing as a fabric designer in terms of my own taste as well as in terms of what works and what doesn’t.

{Cosmic Burst. 1) Gamma Ray 2) Radiowaves 3) Building Blocks 4) Venus Trap 5) Milky Way 6) Moon Stones 7) Solar Panels Light Speed}

{Cosmic Burst – Alternate Colorway.}

I know I’m probably not the only person who remembers reading on your blog that you and your wife integrated fabric from Calypso Swing into your wedding decorations. What came first, the fabric collection or the wedding colors?

The collection certainly came first! In truth, I had actually finished this collection more than a year before we were married… but the pinks and grays certainly leant themselves to the festivities.

{ Place setting at Mark and Cara’s wedding, featuring Calypso Swing. }

Finally, I have to ask… Will we ever see your wonderfully kitschy Sew Bettie fabrics—especially fabulous mustache prints—on fabric store shelves? *fingers crossed*

Well one thing I can say is that you can still get them on my SewBettie Spoonflower page… we’ll just have to wait and see what comes next!

{ Les Moustaches – Mark’s popular moustache fabric, released under the SewBettie name through Spoonflower. }

Images courtesy of Mark Cesarik, used with permission.

Another Australian indie fabric producer! Twomonkeys is run by Jodie Drescher, mom of two little boys. She designs ultra-cute fabrics for the kiddos, and they’re available retail and wholesale through her website.

Umbrella fabric from Yuwa, spotted in two colorways at Contemporary Cloth (Sondra loves Yoshiko Jinjenzi too!) and in a great red at Bon Bon Atelier.

Ottobre is a very highly regarded magazine of children’s clothing patterns. The Finnish company also publishes women’s clothing issues a couple times a year. If you’ve ever sewn with them or just flipped through, you’ve probably wondered about the great fabrics they use and figured that the apparel fabric stores in Finland must be amazing. Well now you don’t have to book a flight to see for yourself (though I’m sure they’d love if you visited!) — Ottobre is selling fabrics and their current and past magazine issues on Etsy. I picked some of my favorite fabrics to show you here. Lots of great printed knits, velour, and apparel-weight cottons. I love the simple styling of the photographs too.

Charm Stitch: Always 10% off all orders with TEN10.

DeltaPatchwork.com: 20% off all Stencils (through 1/31/12). Sale 20% off all Kaffe Fassett category (through 1/18/12). Free shipping on all contiguous U.S. orders $40+.

Drygoods Design: Free domestic standard shipping on all orders $35+. Orders under $35 ship for the low price of $3. Canadian customers $9.95 Flat Rate shipping up to 4 lbs and the rest of the world is $11.95 for Flat Rate up to 4 lbs.

Ellen Medlock Studio: 25% off entire purchase sitewide – fabrics, patterns, bag hardware, everything! (through 1/31/12)

eQuilter: Batiks – Yellow, Gold, Orange, Peach 10% off. Clearance – Animals Birds & Bugs 35% off. 1 yd minimum. (through 1/15/12)

Fabric.com: 20% valentine’s section. Designer cotton print blowout – $4.95/yard on select prints from Amy Butler, Robert Kaufman, Freespirit, Riley Blake, Michael Miller, and more (through 1/16/12). Always free shipping on orders $35+.

Fabric Envy: 15% your entire order with code customer15. (end date unknown)

Fabricworm: 10% off children’s fabrics (through 1/19/12). New perpetual discount — 5% on your order of $50 or more with code save5.

Fat Quarter Shop: 40% off Echino Ni-co by Etsuko Furuya, Floursack by Whistler Studios, and 50% off Rocky and Bullwinkle by Windham Fabrics. (end date unknown)

FinnStyle: Big sale on more than 50 Marimekko fabrics. (while supplies last)

GloriousColor.com is reducing the price of Kaffe Fassett, Brandon Mably, and Philip Jacobs regularly priced printed fabrics by taking off $1 per yard. (through 1/31/12)

Gorgeous Fabrics: 13% off almost everything for Friday the 13th. (through 1/15/12)

Harts Fabric: 10% off all fashion fabrics (including Liberty Tana Lawn!) with code LIBERTY (through 1/16/12). Always free shipping on U.S. orders $75+.

JAQS Fabrics: 15% off all fabric bundles with code JAQSBundles10 (through 1/15/12).

Mad About Patchwork: Over 80 bolts of designer fabric on sale. Anna Marie Horner, Pillow & Maxfield, Riley Blake and lots more!! Yardage and fat quarters starting at $5 /yard. Super deals on pre-cuts and kits too. January Feature Fabric – save 30% on Soul Blossoms by Amy Butler for Westminster Fibers. (through 1/31/12)

Marie-Madeline Studio: 30% off all fabrics. (through 1/20/12)

nido: Tons of new fabrics added to the sale section: 20% off Ruby Star Rising, Echino fall 2010, Nani Iro, and Denyse Schmidt’s Greenfield Hill (while supplies last). Always free shipping on all orders $50+ and all other orders just $5.

Oh Olive Organics is closing up shop — all organic fabric is 40-50% off and non-organic fabric is $4-5 per yard. (while supplies last)

Pink Chalk Fabrics: Magazine back issues and books 40% off. (end date unknown)

The Quilted Castle: Save 35% on the following Moda fabrics with coupon code save35: Meadow Friends by Deb Strain, Strawberry Fields by Fig Tree Quilts, and Little Apples by Aneela Hooey. Extra 10% off clearance items with code 10clear (both through 1/22/12).

Quilthome: 25% off all currently in-stock Kathy Miller fabrics with coupon code QHCSF25. (through 1/16/12) See website for additional daily deal. One coupon per order. Always free shipping on orders $50+.

Sew Modern: LouLouThi, Happy Mochi Yum Yum, Across the Pond, Tina Givens, Jenean Morrison, and tons more fabrics on sale. (end date unknown)

Rubisco: Great selection of vintage fabric 25% off with code PERU12. Convo if you want to bundle items or discuss shipping options! (through 1/22/12)

Sew Modern: Over 200 fabrics at 20-40% off, including Menagerie by Eleanor Grosch, Forest Friends Flannel by Cloud9, lots of Freespirit designers, and more. (end date unknown)

This-n-That Fabrics: Lots of new clearance items. Free shipping for or all U.S. orders and $5 off international postage. (through 1/31/12)

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Get the Sale Alerts emailed to you weekly! Simply visit this link to have the sales delivered to your email. Use this link for your RSS feed reader. (If you’re already subscribed to the True Up feed or get all the posts by email, you don’t need to change anything; the sale alerts will still be included in there.)

Shops! If you’re tweeting about a fabric sale, please add #fabricsale and I’ll seek them out to add to this post.

The 10th edition of J.J. Pizzuto’s classic textbook Fabric Science (and optional Swatch Kit) was just released. I have the 8th edition. If you’re a student, you probably already have it and don’t need me to tell you about it. But if you’re just a freestyling fabric nerd like me, it’s an indispensible resource, and this 10th edition looks a lot sexier. It’s a reference for every type of fiber, weave, knit, finish, process, and quality that exists, plus you get an industry overview with a career guide, and a chapter on textile law. You can see the full table of contents on the publisher’s website here under the contents tab. Updates for the 10th edition include a standalone chapter addressing the effect of textiles on the environment. I’m looking forward to someday forcing encouraging my sons to work with me on fabric-related science fair projects!

{ full disclosure: links are Amazon Affiliate links, through which I receive a small percentage of the purchase price if you buy these or any products after clicking on them. }

Elephant Showers, a house collection from Timeless Treasures, is so retro-good, I may not need to shop for vintage fabric again. Well, that will never happen, but these happy 60s-70s prints made the thought at least cross my mind, so that’s saying something!

{ image courtesty Hawthorne Threads }

Back in November, some of my favorite indie Australian indie fabric designers, Umbrella Prints, released their second quilting cotton collection. Though Rock Garden is composed of just three prints, you can see from the quilt in the picture above that less can be more.

Rock Garden, along with their first collection Oasis and their hand-screenprinted fabrics, can be purchased through their Big Cartel or Etsy shops.

{ images from Umbrella Prints }

In case you missed the news, True Up now has a Fabric Design Forum to support the book and hopefully be a community hub for aspiring and working fabric designers worldwide. I’ll periodically post hot topics here so the left arm knows what the right arm is doing.

Lots of pretty cool people — including some familiar names! — are introducing themselves.

What is the best thing to design a fabric collection on/with?

What are industry standards for color?

Surface Design e-courses are getting lots of love.

How does one learn to use a Wacom tablet?

Illustrator: Should I take the plunge?

A Surface Pattern Design Guild has started up — it’s in the Bay Area but open to designers worldwide.

Petite Capuchon is a sweet little near-dot print, offered in four colorways by Matatabi on Etsy.

{ the Modern Quilt Studio booth at Fall Quilt Market 2011, courtesy of Weeks Ringle }

In case you are crazy and don’t follow the-parents-of-modern-quilting Weeks Ringle and Bill Kerr on Weeks’ blog or Facebook page, they have made a whole heap of changes for 2012. Their book Transparency Quilts is just out from C&T (you can see several stellar examples of the patterns in the picture above), they have a new independent-shops-only magazine called Modern Quilts Illustrated, they have moved to a beautiful new home, and have changed their name from FunQuilts to Modern Quilt Studio. They are still occupying the FunQuilts website, but bookmark ModernQuiltStudio.com, which will launch soon.

I have a copy of the magazine and it’s terrific — just as you’d expect from them! — with visual-learner-oriented quilt patterns. They decided not to sell it on Amazon and offer it directly to customers and through independent quilt/fabric retailers, which is rare in this day and age. It will be published 3 times a year and is ad-free. More info on how to find a copy or subscribe is here in their introductory blog post.

KimoYES (Australia): A further 20% off already-reduced items. (through 1/12/12)

Mad About Patchwork (Canada): Over 80 bolts of designer fabric on sale. Anna Marie Horner, Pillow & Maxfield, Riley Blake and lots more!! Yardage and fat quarters starting at $5/yard. Super deals on pre-cuts and kits too. January Feature Fabric – save 30% on Soul Blossoms by Amy Butler for Westminster Fibers. (through 1/31/12)

Charm Stitch: Always 10% off all orders with TEN10.

DeltaPatchwork.com: Additional 50% off clearance category (through 1/11/12). Free shipping on all contiguous U.S. orders $40+.

Denver Fabrics: Linen $4.95 and $8.45/yd, Cotton Twill $4.75/yd, Wool Suiting $8.45/yd, Cotton Knits $3.95/yd, Rayon Knits $4.45/yd, Cotton Lawn $4.45/yd. (end date unknown)

Drygoods Design: Free domestic standard shipping on all orders $35+. Orders under $35 ship for the low price of $3. Canadian customers $9.95 Flat Rate shipping up to 4 lbs and the rest of the world is $11.95 for Flat Rate up to 4 lbs.

eQuilter: Batiks – Yellow, Gold, Orange, Peach 10% off. Clearance – Animals Birds & Bugs 35% off. 1 yd minimum. (through 1/15/12)

Fabric.com: 20% off the Best of 2011 fabrics (through tomorrow only, 1/9/12). Always free shipping on orders $35+.

Fabricworm: New perpetual discount — 5% on your order of $50 or more with code save5.

Fat Quarter Shop: 40% off Echino Ni-co by Etsuko Furuya and I Heart by Rashida Coleman-Hale. (end date unknown)

GloriousColor.com is reducing the price of Kaffe Fassett, Brandon Mably, and Philip Jacobs regularly priced printed fabrics by taking off $1 per yard. (through 1/31/12)

Harts Fabric: Always free shipping on U.S. orders $75+.

Mad About Patchwork: Over 80 bolts of designer fabric on sale. Anna Marie Horner, Pillow & Maxfield, Riley Blake and lots more!! Yardage and fat quarters starting at $5 /yard. Super deals on pre-cuts and kits too. January Feature Fabric – save 30% on Soul Blossoms by Amy Butler for Westminster Fibers. (through 1/31/12)

Marie-Madeline Studio: Sugar Hill cottons and flannels by Tanya Whelan 25% off. (through 1/13/12)

nido: Tons of new fabrics added to the sale section: 20% off Ruby Star Rising, Echino fall 2010, Nani Iro, and Denyse Schmidt’s Greenfield Hill (while supplies last). Always free shipping on all orders $50+ and all other orders just $5.

Oh Olive Organics is closing up shop — all organic fabric is 40-50% off and non-organic fabric is $4-5 per yard. (while supplies last)

Pink Chalk Fabrics: Winter clearance – over 400 fabrics newly added to clearance. (while supplies last)

The Quilted Castle: Over 1,000 items on sale, up to 50% or more off! Free Spirit, Moda, Robert Kaufman, Windham, Michael Miller and more. Free shipping on orders $200+. (end date unknown)

Quilthome: 25% off all currently in-stock Tanya Whelan fabrics with coupon code QHATWF25. (through tomorrow only, 1/9/12) See website for additional daily deal. One coupon per order. Always free shipping on orders $50+.

Rubisco: Great selection of vintage fabric 25% off with code PERU12. Convo if you want to bundle items or discuss shipping options! (through 1/22/12)

Sew Modern: Over 200 fabrics at 20-40% off, including Menagerie by Eleanor Grosch, Forest Friends Flannel by Cloud9, lots of Freespirit designers, and more. (end date unknown)

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Get the Sale Alerts emailed to you weekly! Simply visit this link to have the sales delivered to your email. Use this link for your RSS feed reader. (If you’re already subscribed to the True Up feed or get all the posts by email, you don’t need to change anything; the sale alerts will still be included in there.)

Shops! If you’re tweeting about a fabric sale, please add #fabricsale and I’ll seek them out to add to this post.

Ta-da! Here it is! The most wonderful Amy Butler introducing Lark (and the inspiration for it, Maxime de la Falaise) and giving us a tour of her booth. Amy Butler just released her own Lark video here.