Whimsy Quilts

Hi everybody,

Thanks for stopping by my blog for my date with the Playground Showcase!!  My name is Cristi Cooper and I've owned and run a fabric shop called "Whimsy Quilts & Fabrics" for several years, but as I wind that down and close up shop, I'm ECSTATIC to be able to have more time to create!

I love everything Amy Sinibaldi touches and I had an absolute blast playing with her new collection -- Playground -- for Art Gallery Fabrics.  I've touched my fair share of fabric over the years and I've always loved the perfectly soft texture of AGF fabrics!  I was ecstatic when these beauties arrived in my mail box!

I have 3 little kids (Ellie - 10, Griffen - 7 and Gavin - 4) and these fabrics made me think about my favorite tiny humans ALOT.  My kids love to play on the playground and during the summer, we try to go to a different one almost every day.  I really felt inspired to make something that carried the whimsy and nostalgia and the feeling of the collection….  And after much thought and deliberation, I ended up inspired by this image:

To create this:

I've not appliquéd very much (maybe 2-3 times ever) and also haven't made children's clothing very much so this was a serious effort for me!  Now I want to make a patchwork skirt of my very own!  

I overthought every detail (anyone else do that?) but now that it's all done, I'm so excited to put it on my kids' playroom wall!!  I envision that this sweet girl is swinging barefoot, in her Sunday best, on a warm Fall day with a gentle breeze.  Right now, I want to BE her.  I hope I never forget what it's like to hear my kids' giggles as they play, when they are all grown up.

Major props to the people who appliqué on a regular basis!!  Particularly if you needle-turn appliqué.  I thought about doing that and then realized that I think that form of appliqué will have to come after my kiddos have left for college.  All of my patience is used on them. ;)

Thank you Amy for letting me play with your gorgeous collection!  I absolutely love the design, the nostalgia, the colors and honestly, the memories that I already know your fabrics will bring back for me.  That's really an incredible thing to say about fabric. <3 p="">

We're nearing the end of the Playground Showcase, but here's the list of all the lovely folks participating!!  Giuseppe Ribaudo is on tap for tomorrow and I know he'll make something incredible!!  

xo

Cristi