My quilting friends all
know that I have a particular weakness for anything designed by Joanna Figueroa
of Fig Tree & Co. Yeah, it might be
more than a weakness. It might border on a sickness. I should probably seek medical
attention. Perhaps there are fabricinitis
injections I should be taking!
My ailment was never more apparent than with the latest Fig Tree &
Co. fabric release: Aloha Girl. I have
documented my journey here, in hopes that it might help me find a cure.
October 2014
1.
On October 23, 2014, the Fig Tree & Co. blog features a photo of their newest line of fabric, Aloha Girl. Aptly named, the fabric has a subtly tropical
feel, with several soft and citrusy pastels, punctuated by a few designs in a
royal blue. The new line includes both
pinks and peaches, both aquas and sky blues, yummy greens and yellows, and of
course several creamy background prints. I immediately contract the illness.
2.
My first action that night is to show the
husband and the kids. They’ve seen me in this condition before. They know what to do. Nod.
Smile. “Yes, very pretty mom.”
Nod and smile some more.
3.
Next up, I text a picture and giddy
message to my friend Ibby and my mom.
They both respond with an appropriately high level of genuine
enthusiasm, and I love them for it.
4.
Sometime that week, I email the owner of
my local quilt shop, Quilts on Broadway. Barb, the owner, is also excited, and wonder of
wonders, she invites me to sit in on her next meeting with her Moda
Representative so I can see the fabric samples in person. I may have fainted at that moment. That part
is still a bit hazy due to the induced delirium.
November 2014
5. After work on November 13, I zip up to Quilts
on Broadway and sit in on the end of the Moda Rep’s presentation. What a thrill to see samples of so many beautiful
lines yet to be released. Barb chooses
the lines she will order and even encourages me give my two cents. She orders
SEVERAL bolts of Aloha Girl and then sends me home with her Moda Piece Fall Market 2014 catalog so I
can peruse it in the evenings all winter long.
Anticipated release of Aloha Girl:
March 2015.
6.
I wait.
December 2014
7.
I wait some more.
8.
The Christmas holiday draws closer and I
receive some relief for my Fig Tree & Co. ailment by participating in their
12 Days of Christmas sale online. This
provides a temporary respite, but I am still longing for the arrival of Aloha
Girl.
9.
On Christmas Eve morning, our little
family of four exchanges presents before we gather with our extended
families. My gift from the husband is
one of the best I’ve ever received . . . a really awesome gonzo gift
certificate to Quilts on Broadway.
YES!!! Husband of the year award
has been secured.
January 2015
10. I
wait.
February 2015
11. I
wait.
March 2015
12. I wait some more.
13. On
March 19, I receive an email from Barb. ALOHA
GIRL IS IN!! During my work lunch break I head to the quilt shop for a little
oohing and ahhhing. I purchase only one charm pack. There are many decisions to be made, and they
must not be taken lightly!
14. That
evening, when the cherubs are away at their activities, I pour a glass of wine
and lay out each 5 inch square on the kitchen counter. I nibble my favorite pepperoni pizza and
contemplate . . . Which pattern? Which
project? Whatever shall I do? I spend at
least an hour in this happy circumstance, flipping through patterns and books,
auditioning each of them for the Aloha Girl fabric.
15. I
text several pictures to Ibby. She helps
me to narrow down my choices. I have a
plan. I have several plans in fact! I am in the throws of a full-blown Aloha Girl
fever now.
16. On
the weekend I carry my precious gift certificate to the quilt shop and purchase
another charm pack, a couple mini charms (they are so cute after all), a jelly
roll, two apron panels, several fat quarters, and several yards of what Barb
now calls “Taunja cream.” Merry
Christmas to me. Thank you dear husband.
17. The
following weekend I quickly whip together a sweet table runner made from three
Fig Tree Mini Charms (my new Aloha Girl and two I have been hoarding: Avalon and Strawberry Fields). I used the Mini Charm Mix free pattern from Fat Quarter Shop and I love the results of these three lines together. With some darling dragonfly quilting done by
Barb, the runner cheerfully graces my kitchen table.
18. That
weekend I also break into the jelly roll to begin work on a large Aloha Girl
quilt using the County Fair pattern by Sherri McConnell of A Quilting Life. This pattern will be a great way to show off the fabric.
April 2015
19. On
April 11-12, I happily attend the same semiannual quilting and scrapbooking
retreat I’ve been enjoying for over a decade now, with some of my favorite
ladies. I devote this two-day quilting
holiday to working on three mini quilts featuring (naturally) my Aloha Girl
stash. “Stems” is a Fig Tree & Co.
pattern. The other two patterns, “dwell”
and “round&round” are Thimble Blossoms by Camille Roskelley. I finish these at retreat and send them off
to a fabulous custom quilter who will work her magic on these tiny quilts.
 |
In progress at retreat: round&round mini by thimble blossoms |
20. During free evenings in April, I take my
time and continue to work on the “County Fair” quilt. I also begin work on two
Aloha Girl aprons which will be Mother’s Day gifts for my mom and
mother-in-law.
May 2015
21. By
May 9 the County Fair top is finished and ready to give to Barb at Quilts on
Broadway. As a bonus, I now have several
scraps I can use during the Farm Girl Fridays sew along!
22. Mother's Day arrives and both
of the moms receive their Fig Tree aprons.
They are too cute . . .both the moms and the aprons! I thought this was a fitting gift for both of
these lovely women. My mother-in-law is
well known as a fabulous cook, and she just happens to make the best cheesecake
. . . the kind where you want to close your eyes when you are eating it, just
so you can concentrate on how awesome it is!
And my mom makes the gooiest brownies with the best homemade chocolate frosting. In fact, we’ve been known to make a pan
of the frosting just to eat as a snack.
 |
Linda, my mother-in-law |
 |
Brenda, my mom, with my daughter Haley |
June 2015
23. On
June 1 Barb calls to tell me she has finished the machine quilting on my County
Fair quilt. I think it turned out
fabulous--happy fabric, terrific pattern, beautiful quilting! My daughter steals it away to the family room before I can even work on the binding!
24. On
June 27 I receive a small, special package in the mail. Nancy Gorres of Nancy Jolene Quilting has completed the
custom quilting on my three mini quilts, the smallest of which is 11 inches square, and they are OVER THE TOP lovely! There is so much detail, I just sit and
admire them quietly, taking it all in. I
quickly bind them that weekend, and my daughter helps me hang them in the
hallway leading to our guest bedroom.
Welcome home guests . . . come and stay a while . . . but you better
like quilts!
Wow . . . that was quite a journey. We are now well into
July, and obviously I am not cured. I
still have the fat quarters, tucked away in a special drawer, awaiting another
special project for a special someone.
So apparently, my Aloha Girl affliction will continue.
And then of course,
there is the new Fig Tree & Co. fabric, “Farmhouse” being released in a
couple of months. I see a new ailment
coming my way.
Friends, it would
really help me to accept my predicament if I knew there were others
fighting the same battle. Please share
your stories so that we can all take comfort!
Thanks for
reading. Here’s hoping you get carried
away quilting often!
~Taunja