Well hello and welcome to the Riley Blake 'Quilt Market Blog Tour' it's been wonderful reading the blogs each day and hearing about the inspiration behind the new fabric collections!
I'm here today to tell you a little about my newest fabric line called Saltwater, this is my third collection with Riley Blake Designs and I just love it!
So let me take you on a Saltwater journey x
If you are familiar with my design work and collections you will know that I love to have a strong story behind the designs I draw, it is usually a storybook idea where I imagine the main characters and their surroundings, the places they go and things they meet along the way. Once I have a story line I relate this back to design and ultimately a fabric collection.
The Saltwater collection began first with a playful series of mermaid drawings with free movement and flowing hair, playful and fun loving girls.
I fell in love with them and knew their story had to be shared in fabric and thread.
The girls personalities quickly came to 'life' through a series of rough sketches, as I began to imagine the places they would travel and the ocean friends they discover the collection grew into what you see today.
If you were a mermaid, what would you see?
Of course a mermaid would be lost with out her greatest companions, the seahorse, narwhal and tiny baby turtles, salt water flowers and ocean waves.
I adore the colour palette in Saltwater, for this range I have added the deeper blue among the teal and a little dash of yellow, however my favorite is the mint in the patckwork cheater print.....definately my new love.
For the strip quilt above, I have used the Saltwater 'cheater' print in three colorways, cutting 2 inch strips across the fabric width. Simple and very effective!
The newest pattern design I have been working on with Saltwater is called Mermaid Waters, the paper pattern and PDF version of Mermaid Waters is now available in the Cinderberry Store we are also running the Mermaid Waters Quilt Club beginning in early July, a five part block of the month series including fabric, pattern and thread!
There are 18 fabrics in the Saltwater collection / six prints in three colourways - be sure to follow @cinderberries on Instagram and view our #saltwaterfabric feed there are some fabulous creations there to inspire you even more!
Well I hope you loved this little view into the inspiration behind the collection and I hope to see you all again sometime.......if you feel like making your own Mini 'matchbox' Mermaids be sure to check out my last tutorial for some fun xx
I hope you have enjoyed my Salwater journey and the way my collection was created, be sure to tag #cinderberrystitches or #saltwaterfabic and share your fabulous stitching projects with me - I always love to see what you create x
Here’s the schedule for the rest of the Riley Blake blog tour!
5/30 – Kelly Panacci
Till then, enjoy!
Natalie x
