Another Fabric Designer's Approach to Quilting...Meet Kathy Brown of "Teacher's Pet"...See Her New "Happy" Fabric Line and "Take 5" Pattern Series
Kathy Brown, of Teacher’s Pet, has some wonderful quilt patterns and a brand new fabric line out with Troy Fabrics. I met her last Spring at quilt market and instantly
became addicted to her enthusiastic and “happy” approach to quilting and designing. We hooked up again in Houston last month. She had a fun booth filled with her new bright and whimsical fabric line and her “Take 5” pattern series. This is one happy quilter lady!
Here is Kathy to tell us her story:
First, The New Fabric Line
I developed this line in an effort to reach across age groups and genders. I love working with bold, bright colors, and thought that it would be fun to incorporate a happy alphabet with happy colors for young children. Her new line is called"A to Z".
With this in mind, I began by working on producing a panel of alphabet blocks that can be used in so many different ways. The panel itself is a generous size - 36" x 42" - which can stand alone as a wall hanging for a child's room. Add a couple of borders, and a fantastic throw size quilt is ready for a toddler or young child. Cut the individual blocks apart, and WOW - the possibilities!
I have several new patterns that I introduced last month at Fall Market which will utilize several of these possibilities - one being a set of alphabet flash cards…these "flash cards" are going to be a hit with young children. Quilters will love to make them - construction is so simple - and they can be individualized to fit each child! In my booth, I had a mock-up of a youth bed complete with bolster pillows, a throw quilt made with charm squares from the new line as well as individualized pillow cases made from the panel!
While I developed the panel for young children, I wanted all of the
coordinates to reach across all age groups and genders. The bright, crisp,
and clear colors will capture the eye immediately.
From stripes to dots to swirls and sunbursts - the prints cross color lines and coordinate with each other as well as fabrics from my previous lines "Surf 'n Safari" and "Brunch on the Beach" - both Troy Riverwoods collections. You will see several characters reappear in this line, as well as new characters introduced in the alphabet which will carry forth into new lines in the future!
Working With Troy. . .
Working with Troy has been a wonderful experience over the last 3 years.
The Troy team, and Dorothy Troy in particular, took an inexperienced designer under their wings and let me fly with my creative side.
The guidance and support I've received along this journey has been incredible. Troy incorporates 4 designers into their team, and strives to keep all of our fabric lines separate and distinctive with lines ranging from the northwoods look to reproductions / civil war to the whimsical to the bright and quirky!
Keeping these lines so different allows all of the designers to have their individual niche and work so well together without being competitive.
”Take 5” and Other Projects in the Works:
Oooo - so many, where do I start? On the pattern side, I have a pattern series that has been doing fantastic for the past year, and that developing new patterns and projects from that same technique is in the forefront of my work right now. The "Take 5" began the series, and has been followed with “Take 5 For The Table”, “Baby Takes 3”, and our new “Take 5 Gets the Point” which was introduced at Market.
This series began in an effort to assist quilters in eliminating those "fabric choosing jitters"!
With these patterns, a quilter has only to "take 5 minutes - choose 5 fabrics - cut 5/8 of a yard of each of the 5 fabrics - and in 5 hours make a fantastic quilt"!
In the Baby takes 3, it only takes 3/8 of a yard of 3 fabrics to make one of 3 baby quilts.
I try to teach quilters to narrow down their searches to
just a few fabrics - trust their instincts - and go for it! Both novice and
experienced quilters alike love the patterns due to their complicated look - but ease of construction and the fun incorporated into the choosing of the fabrics and block placements.
Another interesting element of this pattern series is that no 2 quilts look the same!
You can actually give the same 5 fabrics to 5 different quilters, five them a Take 5 pattern and send them on their merry way. When they return with their quilts - none of them will look the same. Individuality is the key that has made this pattern series so successful!
More Fabric Lines in the Works!
On the fabric side, oh my gosh! I have a master sketchbook where all of my ideas pinpricks of thoughts get penned. I am constantly working and evolving these ideas and thoughts toward the goal of having them turn into new fabric lines. One central theme in my work is my driving force though, and that is "happy". The lines that I have in the development stage all are happy - all are bright - and all make folks smile. In my book - that's what it is all about! I love to incorporate the humor in everyday life with a little "twist" and turn it into a fabric line and new set of patterns.
What job could be more fun?
How Kathy Works…
I guess you could say I work 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. I love what I do, and I see inspiration in everyday life in so many ways - that my mind is never turned off!
By nature, I am a morning person and wake at 4:00 everyday, and usually find myself in bed around 10:30 pm. Some of my best ideas have been born in my sleep! I'll wake up in the middle of the night, go into my studio and sketch / write until I capture all of the thoughts that woke me - and go from there!
An innocent remark, a quirky thought, a glimpse of a child at play can all trigger an idea for a pattern design or an entire lime of fabric. Isn't life wonderful? I keep a
sketch notebook in my car, one in my purse, one by my bedside, and my master sketchbook in my studio.
This way - no matter where I am - I can capture those things that inspire me. There are so many ideas in my master book; it will take a lifetime to bring them all to completion! Ahhh - the challenge of it all - what fun!
Contact Kathy at theteacherspet@hotmail.com
(Some photos and the graphics thanks to Kathy)
became addicted to her enthusiastic and “happy” approach to quilting and designing. We hooked up again in Houston last month. She had a fun booth filled with her new bright and whimsical fabric line and her “Take 5” pattern series. This is one happy quilter lady!Here is Kathy to tell us her story:
First, The New Fabric Line
I developed this line in an effort to reach across age groups and genders. I love working with bold, bright colors, and thought that it would be fun to incorporate a happy alphabet with happy colors for young children. Her new line is called"A to Z".
With this in mind, I began by working on producing a panel of alphabet blocks that can be used in so many different ways. The panel itself is a generous size - 36" x 42" - which can stand alone as a wall hanging for a child's room. Add a couple of borders, and a fantastic throw size quilt is ready for a toddler or young child. Cut the individual blocks apart, and WOW - the possibilities!
I have several new patterns that I introduced last month at Fall Market which will utilize several of these possibilities - one being a set of alphabet flash cards…these "flash cards" are going to be a hit with young children. Quilters will love to make them - construction is so simple - and they can be individualized to fit each child! In my booth, I had a mock-up of a youth bed complete with bolster pillows, a throw quilt made with charm squares from the new line as well as individualized pillow cases made from the panel!
While I developed the panel for young children, I wanted all of the
coordinates to reach across all age groups and genders. The bright, crisp,
and clear colors will capture the eye immediately.
From stripes to dots to swirls and sunbursts - the prints cross color lines and coordinate with each other as well as fabrics from my previous lines "Surf 'n Safari" and "Brunch on the Beach" - both Troy Riverwoods collections. You will see several characters reappear in this line, as well as new characters introduced in the alphabet which will carry forth into new lines in the future!
Working With Troy. . .
Working with Troy has been a wonderful experience over the last 3 years.
The Troy team, and Dorothy Troy in particular, took an inexperienced designer under their wings and let me fly with my creative side.
The guidance and support I've received along this journey has been incredible. Troy incorporates 4 designers into their team, and strives to keep all of our fabric lines separate and distinctive with lines ranging from the northwoods look to reproductions / civil war to the whimsical to the bright and quirky!
Keeping these lines so different allows all of the designers to have their individual niche and work so well together without being competitive.
”Take 5” and Other Projects in the Works:
Oooo - so many, where do I start? On the pattern side, I have a pattern series that has been doing fantastic for the past year, and that developing new patterns and projects from that same technique is in the forefront of my work right now. The "Take 5" began the series, and has been followed with “Take 5 For The Table”, “Baby Takes 3”, and our new “Take 5 Gets the Point” which was introduced at Market.
This series began in an effort to assist quilters in eliminating those "fabric choosing jitters"!
With these patterns, a quilter has only to "take 5 minutes - choose 5 fabrics - cut 5/8 of a yard of each of the 5 fabrics - and in 5 hours make a fantastic quilt"!
In the Baby takes 3, it only takes 3/8 of a yard of 3 fabrics to make one of 3 baby quilts.
I try to teach quilters to narrow down their searches to
just a few fabrics - trust their instincts - and go for it! Both novice and
experienced quilters alike love the patterns due to their complicated look - but ease of construction and the fun incorporated into the choosing of the fabrics and block placements.
Another interesting element of this pattern series is that no 2 quilts look the same!
You can actually give the same 5 fabrics to 5 different quilters, five them a Take 5 pattern and send them on their merry way. When they return with their quilts - none of them will look the same. Individuality is the key that has made this pattern series so successful!
More Fabric Lines in the Works!
On the fabric side, oh my gosh! I have a master sketchbook where all of my ideas pinpricks of thoughts get penned. I am constantly working and evolving these ideas and thoughts toward the goal of having them turn into new fabric lines. One central theme in my work is my driving force though, and that is "happy". The lines that I have in the development stage all are happy - all are bright - and all make folks smile. In my book - that's what it is all about! I love to incorporate the humor in everyday life with a little "twist" and turn it into a fabric line and new set of patterns.
What job could be more fun?
How Kathy Works…
I guess you could say I work 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. I love what I do, and I see inspiration in everyday life in so many ways - that my mind is never turned off!
By nature, I am a morning person and wake at 4:00 everyday, and usually find myself in bed around 10:30 pm. Some of my best ideas have been born in my sleep! I'll wake up in the middle of the night, go into my studio and sketch / write until I capture all of the thoughts that woke me - and go from there!
An innocent remark, a quirky thought, a glimpse of a child at play can all trigger an idea for a pattern design or an entire lime of fabric. Isn't life wonderful? I keep a
sketch notebook in my car, one in my purse, one by my bedside, and my master sketchbook in my studio.This way - no matter where I am - I can capture those things that inspire me. There are so many ideas in my master book; it will take a lifetime to bring them all to completion! Ahhh - the challenge of it all - what fun!
Contact Kathy at theteacherspet@hotmail.com
(Some photos and the graphics thanks to Kathy)
comments
i am so glad i found your spot! i too love to quilt with bright bold colors. beige and brown quilts bore me no matter how great the pattern or quilting. i will be using your sight quite often. thanks again for showing me i am not crazy for liking bold colors. i live in southern illinois and can not find bold colors at any quilt shop around here. when i visit my out of state children, i stock up on my favorite prints and colors!
Posted by: sally holland | December 23, 2006 10:14 PM
Saw the "From A to Z"panel today at my LQS, and fell in love with it and had to get it. I love your fabrics.
Posted by: Sue | April 7, 2007 10:26 PM
Just made a baby quilt from an "A to Z" panel plus several coordinating prints. The new mom and dad loved it! Now my son wants one just like it for my granddaughter. Where can I purchase another panel and coordinates? (Purchased the first from a vendor at a quilt show and do not have the address of the shop). Thanks!
Posted by: Sandy | October 21, 2007 8:06 PM
Try contacting Kathy at theteacherspet@hotmail.com she may have some fabric or know where you can get it...Kathy has some new great stuff coming out in the next few months as well.
Posted by: gina | October 22, 2007 6:54 AM