While Mom, Katrina and I were at the quilt show in Stover, Mo. we saw a booth filled with lovely, coordinating colors & neat designs. We were loving every quilt & the color palette. Here are a few samples of the fabrics & projects that we (especially my mom) enjoyed: 

Katrina’s favorite project was the pin cushions.

Aren’t they cute? 

At first, we simply thought this shop had done a good job of creating a pretty, coordinating booth. As it turned out, these patterns and fabrics were all designed by Renee Nanneman for Andover Fabrics. And, Renee was attending the show! 

It was very fun to meet her and talk about her design process for two of her fabric lines. We definitely didn’t expect to meet a fabric designer at the Stover Show!

Wickerweave Basics & Villageware Toile 

I came back to South Dakota with two sets of fat quarters that Renee designed. The first was from her Wickerweave fabric collection. It is available here. Renee explained that the Wickerweave Basics collection is a printed fabric, that she designed to look like a linen (a woven fabric). 

The second collection that Renee shared with us is called Villageware Toile, it is available here. These prints have the look and feel of English Transferware dishes. I’d never heard of this style of dish before, but after I saw a few examples – I could put a name to the style.

According to CountryLiving.com transwerware was, “developed in the 1750s in response to costly hand-painted wares from China, the new transfer-printing process meant that pottery patterns could be reproduced exactly, repeatedly, and more cheaply than ever before.”

{via: Country Living, Charles Schiller}

Renee said, “To develop the theme, I searched for antique fabrics with light and airy patterns.” 

She also looked at the transeferware dishes for inspiration, even some in her own collection! The pattern on the dish below is replicated in one of the fabrics in the collection. It was a child’s saucer and it dates to the late 1800s.

Photo Credit: Renee

I haven’t decided how I am going to use these fat quarters…yet. I’m really up to my ears in Christmas projects right now! But in the meantime, I’m enjoying the tied-up-in-a-bow bundles as “quilters christmas decor” in my studio.

Need’l Love “Threads” Series

Now, as if learning stories behind these vintage-inspired fabrics wasn’t cool enough — Renee also publishes books! You may be familiar with the Need’l Love “Threads” series of books that Renee publishes. She started her publishing business when she was 26. Since then, she has published 27 “Threads” books. Ten of the books coordinate with the fabrics she designed.

Learning all of this was definitely the highlight of our trip to Stover. She uses her creativity to pull together two things that I just love: fabric & books.

P.S. Be sure to check out Renee’s website: www.needllove.com

P.P.S. As you can tell, the day in Stover was a fun one! To read other posts about that day click here.