Introducing a Modern BOM – Choreography BOM

Today, the StudioE blog shines the spotlight on an exciting new quilt, called Choreography, that features fabrics from Brushstrokes by Pepper Cory and the Just Color! basic line by Studioe. Choreography is designed as a Block of the Month (BOM) program and is available exclusively to independent quilt and fabric shops. To tell you the story behind the creation and design of this graphic, modern-style quilt is its designer, Julia LaBauve, of JML Colors. Once you’re smitten with the quilt and its story, dance over to the JML Colors web site to order patterns and contact your Studioe direct sales representative or go to the Studioe website to place your fabric order… and let the music begin!

 

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Choreography
Written by Julia LaBauve

We all dance to our own music….

It amazes me how ideas form and how they become something that I can hold, touch and use. Initially it seems simple: a design “bounces” around in my head and I can imagine that it would look pretty good as a quilt. Easy! The design takes shape, I audition the fabrics, make final adjustments and there it is! My newest creation! Make the quilt top… write directions…. and a new pattern is born. But wait, the quilt top has to be quilted. Arrange for that. And there is the testing phase… and… who will test? Go find the appropriate tester. In the midst of this process, I’m hopeful that the timing works out so that while the top goes for quilting I can finish writing and then send it all to the tester. After that, corrections… reviews… it seems it will never be finished! And while all this is happening, my fabric friend and local Studioe Fabric rep, Veronica Hofman-Ortega, is waiting to see the finished project. You know…no pressure at all!

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This is how Choreography was born. I had in mind a design that reminded me of the tile work I see when I visit my family in Spain.
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The idea took form and the pattern was born. But at the write-quilt-test stages, it felt like we were all dancing together to some particular rhythm. If one of us missed a step, we would all stumble and the timing would get all messed up. Thanks to the fabulous quilting work of Pat Yearwood (Stitch’n Quilt) and tester Patricia Kelly-Flis, Choreography is now a beautiful quilt, available to quilt and fabric shops as a BOM program.

Choreography was designed with Studioe Fabrics in mind. I wanted fabrics that were modern and vibrant.

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Fabrics that “read as solids” were the perfect choice to highlight sharp points and angles without worrying about competing fabric motifs. They also create a pleasant background to the stronger graphic design. I chose Brushstrokes, a beautiful new collection by Pepper Cory, and Just Color!, one of Studioe’s popular blender lines to achieve these goals. This was especially important when working with the paper-pieced blocks. These are slightly more complex than the rest (don’t worry, block size is 10” x 10” finished so the pieces can be handled comfortably). I wanted each piece to be clear and visible. Paper piecing is too much work for it all to blend and the design disappear in to the block!

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I love how the orange stands out, but does not seem to overwhelm anything. I especially enjoyed using a variety of blues. Choreography became a study in color – because they are “solids”, fabrics do not compete with each other and it is the color that creates the designs. And the same goes for the rest of the traditionally pieced blocks – sharp contrast that creates a strong graphic design.

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I hope you take a look at Choreography and choose to do the BOM. Shop owners should contact their StudioE direct representative for fabric orders and the JML Colors website to order the BOM patterns. I encourage quilters to visit their local quilt shop to request the program. This quilt was fun to make and see the design grow as blocks were added to the design wall. Now I am ready to find my next “bouncing idea” and to start “dancing” again.

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