SJM Meets RBD
Check out Sarah’s Riley Blake Designs makes!
Late in 2023, I was selected to join the incredible team of Riley Blake Designs (RBD) Makers. This team is full of quilters, makers, and fabric enthusiasts who are tasked to create magic with upcoming fabric collections.
I’ve been on a consistent cycle of working with roughly two collections a month, creating quilts, bags, pouches, and other quilty-but-not-a-quilt items. Here’s a round up of all of my projects thus far in 2024!
Quilts
I had the opportunity to use Riley Blake’s line of solids, Confetti Cottons, to make two of my recent quilt design cover samples: Divisadero and Sunset Star. I hadn’t really worked with their solids before, as I was historically a Kona girl if I was to use a solid color, or Ruby Star Society Speckled if I wanted a blender. Using these solids was really surprising to me, the colors are deep and rich and the quality of the fabric was waaaaay better than any other solid line I had worked with before. The quilts are very sturdy and durable, with excellent hand. I’m definitely keeping with these solids as my go-to!
Quilted Tote Bags
I made a few tote bags using my own Hella Big Tote / Hella Big Candy Bag tutorial for the Let It Bloom collection by Little Forest Atelier and Expression Batiks in Elementals. I opted for a standard patchwork panel with the Let It Bloom collection and used my Golden Gate Quilt curves for the Elementals. I now use each of these totes daily, because they are in fact HELLA BIG and can hold all of my necessities and my kids things as we do pick up and drop off at school each day!
Patchwork Zippies
I have long been wanting to make these pouches in bright, fun colors, and I was tickled when I got the opportunity to use the Sparkler Basics for them. I chose a rainbow color palette and made them in three sizes. I intend on making these basic pouches into a pattern by the end of the year, so sign up for my email newsletter if you’d like to be notified when it drops! If you’re a local friend in the San Francisco Bay Area, I will be teaching this patchwork zippie pattern at Coastside Quilt Studio in Pacficia in September!
Tub Family Bins
If you know me, I love a good bin. Double love them if they’re made with fun fabric! I was able to work with this gothic style Halloween fabric, called Sophisticated Halloween by My Mind’s Eye. I love the spooky elements of this collection and was immediately drawn to the main print. It’s subtle Halloween and can easily be incorporated into my daily home decor. I made these Tub Family Bins, pattern by Rosie Taylor Crafts, and they will be great plant pot holders until October rolls around and they’ll transform into candy bins!
Pillows and Bunting
In the fall last year, my family moved to a new home of our own after years of renting. We were so excited to be able to toss fun paint on the walls and create special rooms for each of our kids. Our young daughter was first to get a room makeover. As I was signing up for my projects for Riley Blake, I came across the Copacetic collection by Julia Frazier. It’s a collection that immediately jumped out to me as it is full of flowers and fun! I opted to make some flower shaped pillows with fabric buttons, completely self drafted (and may have drawn blood with getting that silly button on), and some triangle bunting to hang on the wall. I just love how cheerful this collection is!
So what’s next for SJM & RBD?
I’m busy working on my next projects, including this little sneak peak over here! This is the Little Witch collection by Jennifer Long. I made these braided blocks, tutorial by Woodberry Way, and I’m thinking they’ll turn into something new for the fall season.
I’m also working on my next quilt pattern, called Lombard, that will be using the Blossom Basics collection. More on that soon!
