Essentials II Fabrics

Hello makers!

I finally have a chance to blog about Essentials II! I was so excited when I received the advanced yardage that I went sewing crazy. I grabbed that fabric scissors and cut right away! As you know per my last blog post, I created the adorable Essence Pillow case for BERNINA USA (click here for the tutorial) and I'm sewing some other cute things. You all need to see how the LookBook is coming along, stunning! Essentials II

Essentials II is a three toned color story with my signature of fresh and bright hues along side trendy patterns. I created this collection to blend perfectly with my previous ones, and it does. Last night, I color coordinated them with Dare Fabrics, and guess what? They look terrific together. I'm definitely sewing something with these two.

As you all know, I love adding new decorations to my sewing studio and specially when I receive new fabrics. I want to feel inspired daily and everything that surrounds me inspires me, so I decided to get all my new Essentials II fabrics and lay them on my wall, just for project inspiration. At least that's what I thought! I think I'm keeping them up :)

I love using embroidery hoops as frames for my fabrics, what do you think? It is a great decor idea. I always use this method when decorating, because they are cute and super easy to make, in just two minutes you have a adorable wall full of beauty!

I am trying to do updates to my sewing room with each new collection I release, I want to see the beauty of them daily and it makes me even more inspired!

Happy sewing everyone and remember to be inspired.


xoxo


Pat B. 

 

Same Block, Different Looks

Hello lovelies!

A while ago I made a blog post for AGF called, One Block Three Ways and I wanted to do it again on my blog. I wanted to show the different ways one single quilt block can have with different fabric selections. Sometimes we just get stuck in one style and we forget that we can mixed and match with different fabrics, and have a stunning result. 

This time around I made two Pinwheel quilt blocks (being one of the easiest to make because it only involves half square triangles!), giving them two different looks, Ethnic and Romantic.

Ethnic

For Ethnic, I used Etno Fabrics'  Dreams of Amina, Shore Remains Algae and Macchiato Pure Elements from Art Gallery Fabrics. If you wan to go for a more Ethnic look on your quilt, make sure to choose light and dark pure colors that will complement the main fabric which you had selected for central focus.   

I like to get inspired in everything I do and visualizing my inspiration is a must, so I created this little mood board with inspirational images that will help me get inspired and I hope it helps you as well☺

Here is a close up of the Ethnic quilt block. See how the soft Mocchiato perfectly complements Dreams of Amina and Shore Remain Algae, it truly makes this block stand out.

Romantic

For Romantic I used Rock 'n Romance. I wanted to give romance an edge with a bit of Rock n' Roll and what a great way to do so than with Rock 'n Romance.

For this block I used Wild Heart Spirited, Femme Metale Steel and Art Gallery Fabrics' Verve Violet. Romance is all about sweetness and softness, but with the bit of Rock 'n Roll I added to it, I had to add a strong yet soft background color and AGF's Verve Violet was the way to go choice. 

And here is some of my inspirational pictures to help me get inspired when choosing colors ☺

A close up of this Romantic quilt block. The fun part about it is that this block does not look the same while using different fabrics. You will have two completely different quilts using the same quilt block! How cool is that??  

I wanted to prove my point by using a traditional quilt block. If you choose your fabric carefully and have in mind what sort of quilt you want to achieve (Ethnic, Romantic, Modern...etc) you can make something amazing and can turn this traditional block in a very stylish one ☺


xoxo

Pat.

Etno Inspiration

Hello there fabric lovers! 

I had been blogging a lot about what inspires me and I want to conclude this -inspirational posts frenzy- with a quick blog post about what inspired me to create my latest collection, Etno. I decided to create a collection that captures the ethnic expression trend through a medley of etchings. Floral motifs are designed with bold brush strokes, and energized geometrics combine with artistic patterning. Etno is playfully crafted, and outlined with a sophisticated color palette of tan hues, aquamarine, spiced yellow and ambrosia. Textures and intricate designs are what Etno is all about and its clearly represented in this inspiration board which has a bit of Etno inspirational images. 

When I am designing a new collection, I require visual inspiration. I usually save images on my computer archives which I will constantly visit. But sometimes a computer archive is not enough so I create an actual mood board filled with textures, objects, colors and images that stimulate my senses. Take a closer look at a piece of Etno's mood board, crowded with pictures, colorful textures and future project ideas. I like it so much that I won't take it down until my next collection☺

I love surfing the web and I am constantly stumbling upon great images that inspired me greatly, but sometimes the good-old-mood-board is always a great source of inspiration. With  this ladies I conclude my inspirational frenzy! Many things inspire me daily and I always wanted to share it with all of you. I hope you all enjoyed it as much as I did.☺☺

xoxo,

Pat

Floral Eye Candy

These flowers are so beautiful and lush that I had to share them with you. Look at the colors and how intricate they are!! The sight of flowers always brightens my day and reminds me how amazing nature is (and of course it also inspires many of my designs). I hope that these images do the same for you!!





Happy Thursday, Lovelies!

Color Inspiration

Ode to the Pantone Color of the Year: Radiant Orchid.

From me with eLove! December 2013

Hello and seasons greetings!

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Mine was quite relaxing with family and friends. I'm in the holiday spirit, so I already have the December free digital backgrounds all ready for you to enjoy the entire month of December!

My Modernology line screamed Christmas to me. Here is a frosty winter wonderland, and a merry Christmas red floral digital backgrounds from you to choose from.

Christmas tree
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without calendar
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Happy Holidays
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without calendar
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I hope you enjoy December's digital backgrounds! Please Instagram me a pic of your computer, iPad or phone with your Pat Bravo background. I'd love to see them in festive holiday action!

Happy holidays to you!

From me with eLove

Hello, and happy November lovelies! I was so  busy with Quilt Market that I almost forgot a new digital background for you!

I can't believe that Thanksgiving is only weeks away. I thought the perfect colors for this month would come from my Indie collection. Golds and browns mixed with deep navy and maroon are stars in Indies' eclectic palette.

Wonderlust Soleil
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Marqueterie Berry
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without calendar
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I hope you enjoy November's digital backgrounds! Please Instagram me a pic of your computer, iPad or phone with your Pat Bravo background. I'd love to see them in action!

I'll be back soon with a Quilt Market recap!

xoxo,

books that inspire : COLOR

Hello lovelies!

I've been super duper busy preparing for Quilt Market in a few weeks. There are so many things that need to be done! I hope you've been following me on Instagram to get a sneak peek of all of the projects that I've been working on. I've been so wrapped up into quilting and painting that I've haven't been on social media much. But I wanted to do a blog post today!

Everybody knows that I love color! Color inspires me to design. There are many great books on color theory and you can refer to them any time!

Here are some color books that I shared at Sewing Summit. I consider them to be the best of the best when it comes to looking for a color palette for your new collection!

COLOR SCHEME BIBLE
This in my opinion is the best book for color stories available. It is divided by a single color, which, in its own category, is divided by shades. For each color scheme you have a selection eight colors and they already come named to further inspiration.

NEUTRAL COLOR SCHEME
This book is the same as the Color Scheme Bible, except it focuses on neutral color schemes and involves less colors.

COLOR YOUR HOME
Each color in this is schemed by temperature: blue-vivid, blue-earthy, blue-rich, and so on. The color groups are small with only three in a group. It's a great color starter, but you may have to add in some other colors.

COLOR HARMONY
This is a great book that has a special section on trends. Color groups are visualized by moods. For example, you will find powerful, rich, romantic, vital, mellow. Each mood is subdivided by harmonies, complementary, etc.

Although each book is for home interiors, they are great sources of color inspiration for any aspect of design or otherwise. These are my go-to books when I'm looking for those interesting color combinations and just need to get that color motivation going. I don't get tired looking at these books!

Happy reading!

From me with eLove

Happy October lovelies! It's officially fall and I have a new digital background for you :)

This quote is my personal message to every aspiring designer. I created it for my Sewing Summit class, and everyone loved it! So I want to share it with you too. I'm hoping this background will be a daily reminder to help inspire you in whatever you are making. We all have gifts to give in some way, whether it's sewing a quilt, helping someone, or following your passion to share with the world. When everything you do comes from your heart it's that much better!

The first background choice has the quote with my Femme Metale Chrome pattern from Rock n' Romance. If you want to go a little more simple, the second background has a chalkboard look. Both are available with and without the October 2013 calendar!

with calendar
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without calendar
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with calendar
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without calendar
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Please Instagram me a pic of your computer, iPad or phone with your Pat Bravo background. I'd love to see them in action!

Enjoy your October!

Love,

And the winners are...

Hello there! I hope you all had a wonderful and relaxing weekend! I enjoyed reading all of your entries on my blog and Facebook page of what you would make with the 'bundle of joy.' There were so many unique and thoughtful gift giving ideas!

Now I have for you the TWO winners of the giveaway!

Congratulations Phyllis and Meg! They will each receive the fat quarter bundle of joy of 11 prints. I can't wait to see Phyllis' patchwork pillow and Meg's beach blanket!

Happy sewing!

Bundle of Joy Giveaway

Hello lovelies!

Today I have a special treat for all of you! I'm going to give you a chance to win a colorful bundle of my fabrics, or what I like to call your very own 'bundle of joy.'

As most of you know, I'm inspired by all the beauty that surrounds me. All those pretty little everyday things are what stimulate me to design. From gorgeous magazine clippings to flowers blooming in my garden, these simple beauties are what have sparked my fabric collections.

Once I'm done designing, I can't wait until the final production comes in and I have all my fabrics in hand to start making all sorts of goodies, from dresses and shirts, to handbags and quilts!

This is the part that amazes me the most. My very own fabrics, that were created from all the beautiful inspiration surrounding me, have now become their own form of inspiration for you to create!

Whenever I see a bundle of fabrics with a fascinating color story, my imagination starts working, thinking of quilts, table runners, clothing... just about anything! I just love the fact that inspiration is in the form of anything and everything. It just brings me great joy!

When it came time to selecting a set of colors that would become part of my new line of threads for Aurifil, I found myself staring at this one bundle that just seemed SO right! The colors were the right mix of deep and rich, with bright and intense. I instantly started to select the colors for the box set that I would later name 'Bold Beauty.'

My sweet dears, this is the bundle that inspired the 'Bold Beauty' box set for Aurifil! Not only do I have a 12 spool set of this gorgeous array of colors, but now I have a new mini spool collection.

 This bundle inspired me to select my thread colors. What does this bundle inspire you to make?

To enter the giveaway, leave a comment below with your answer to, "what does this bundle inspire you to make?" Two lucky winners will win this fat quarter bundle of joy!

For a second chance to win you can enter on my FaceBook page.

Contest ends Friday, the 13th, and winners will be announced Monday, the 16th.

Good luck!

Where I Sew

Hello friends!

I hope you have all had a wonderful weekend, crafting and catching up on all sorts of projects! I've been working on some new tutorials and projects for you that I will be sharing within the upcoming month. So don't forget to check back within the next week and see what I have in store for you!

Today's post is very special to me because today I will be showing you one of my most treasured spaces: Where I Sew!

I have been so fortunate as to have a little section of the house to myself. Not only do I have a sewing room where I make my projects, but I also have a connecting room, my studio, where I design my fabric collections and have all sorts of inspiration surrounding me.

When we first moved in, my studio used to be the "library", where my son Alex had all his gaming systems set up and the walls were lined with bookcases. It was sort of a living room, that really wasn't a living room, but it was! Then it became my workspace, where I had only my computer desk, a beige couch, and a vintage rug for decoration. From there, I started to add my own style to it and Voila! I now have my studio and sewing room.

As most of you know, I love collecting vintage furniture, so you can be sure of it that my sewing room and studio have quite a few vintage finds, combined with some modern furniture pieces that I have. I can't get enough of mixing the modern with traditional!

Most of you know that I'm a history fanatic, so of course I had to pay homage to one of my favorite historical figures, Marie Antoinette. I have her portrait in one section of my studio, with a set of striped-floral pillows that I made. I have to say, these are one of my favorite projects that I've done so far!

I LOVE COLOR, so it has be present everywhere I work! Accents of color are a great way to liven up your home and add a touch of brightness and happiness to any room. I've painted picture frames, collected colorful vases, and bought decorated tea sets that all have something to bring into my decor.

Ah, here is my sewing room! Yes, I know it's a bit organized, but that's for photographic purposes. Did you really think I would take a picture of all the mess that I have lying around? Besides, I had to clean up someday and I thought that taking these pictures would give me a good enough reason to do so.

You can find all sorts of inspiration for your spaces on Pinterest. One of my favorite pictures is that of the thread being framed on the wall. I had to do it for myself because the idea seemed so wonderful to me!

Even though it may not be organized 364 days out of the year, I love to try to keep things in an orderly fashion. I have all my fabric bolts, interfacing and batting rolls, as well as my threads, in this nice wooden shelving unit I got from Ikea some time ago. It's proved quite helpful, showcasing wonderfully what I have that way I can grab things and go (which is probably why it might get messy sometimes)!

So, thank you for stopping by! I hope you enjoyed reading as much as I enjoyed sharing it with you. Hopefully this inspires you to add some color into your life and not to be afraid to add your own style into your working space!

Until next time, my lovelies!

XO,

Color Inspiration

What I'm Loving Right Now

Happy Wednesday to everyone! I need to get inspired in order to get over hump day. Right now I'm loving KENZO.

The House of KENZO was founded in Paris in 1970 by Takada Kenzo. Kenzo is a native of Japan and I am inspired by his diverse culture, nature and colors in his designs. I really like his romantic style and it is reflected in my studio work. I own all three KENZO books!

Check out my KENZO Pinterest board to see more of his breathtaking fashions and home decor. And be sure to follow me on Pinterest too!

Ciao,

Pat

Paris 2012

This is the second time I visit Paris and I feel it's like the first time. I remember when I went back in 2009 it was around the same time of the year, cold and rainy... but it didn't matter to me because I would go there regardless of what weather!
Everything looked very new to me; I'm not talking about the monuments and museums, but the shops have a totally different feel. It's a city that renews itself day after day. I imagine that because of the huge amount of tourists it gets yearly. 

I don't know why but I come here to get all kinds of inspiration... everything is so beautiful and artistic! And it's the second time that happens to me the same: when coming back, I want to start designing right away :)

This is some of the pictures I took. All of them make me so happy. I hope they make you happy too!

St Germain des Pres old street

Christmas decorations are a must in Paris and they are to die for!

Can you believe that you can order this as a floral arrangement?

Galleries Lafayette is a department store like Macy's and they have this decorated skylight on the seventh floor

This huge wall of kitchen towels organized by color is so inspiring

All home decor stores have beautiful displays

Desigual had a complete home decor section and the colors are as bright and fun as here

Laduree is a famous store that sells delicious macaroons. This year the windows are really colorful 

I loved this lovely blue ceramic set, it reminded me French Provençal without the yellow

This cute drawer cabinet was cover with a floral tapestry fabric. What a great idea to use our stash!

French people are known for cooking dishes with many types of mushrooms, so you can find them everywhere at street markets

They even make these grapes look more delicious. Artistic decorations everywhere!

Chinese tea sets

You can put different kinds of tea in these containers covered with fabric

I found this store that have home linens in every color in the rainbow...

Coffee anyone?

Colorful street markets show a great contrast against the grayish city landscape...  

One distinguish feature of Paris is the flowers. You have them in almost every color possible

Parisians have an eye for "everything" floral. And these damask roses are an example on how bold they engage with color

I had the most amazing time! But I have more pics to show you that deserve their own posts, like a quilting show that by chance I was lucky to visit and a very traditional parisian flea market...

I can't wait to talk to you about them :)

Much love, Pat