Fancy Cooper Bag-A-Thon is bringing you a load of CUTE!

Kiyomi here, I've been coveting the Cooper Bag by the Walden line of Colette patterns since it came into the shop last year. I had a trip to the northwestern coast planned and I needed something to carry the various layers required and all the fabric souvenirs I would be picking up along the way. Lucky for me Fancy Tiger had a Cooper Bag class that walked me through every step of making this cute backpack!  

The Cooper Bag comes in three versions. The class covers the backpack style but leaves you with the skills to be able to complete any version. As a novice sewer, I'm not sure if I ever would have pursued the pattern on my own. The class was a perfect way for me to pace myself and not get overwhelmed by all the pieces (there are so many pockets!) and gave me courage to tackle the various hardware required for the straps and detailing. 

The hardest part was probably picking out my fabrics. I constructed my bag using Etsuko Furuya's 2014 collection for Echino - it has a very clever "birds and bees" theme. The bag came together pretty easily once the millions of pieces were cut. It was fun adding cute details like the yellow straps and the fussy cut bird pieces. This bag was a great way to showcase this amazing fabric with all the strap details and pocket separators.

One bag wasn't enough though. My partner mentioned how cute it would be if we had matching bags for our trip, and of course I agreed with them! So one bag down, I made a second using a Muddy Works Japanese fabric by Tomotake, and Carolyn Friedlander's Botanics collection for Serina's bag. These bags were perfect for our trip and now continue to be our go to bags for everyday use. The pattern book is well written with tons of pictures, but if you're hesitant about doing a large project like this on your own then I highly recommend taking the summer class!

Hi, it's Nathalie! Like Kiyomi, I've also been dreaming about making up a Cooper bag ever since we got the pattern. I'm a grad student and I didn't have a good bag to haul around my books and my computer, so I knew I needed to make a backpack. I'm a huge fan of Colette patterns (I've made several of their dresses) and I was so excited to see that they are branching out with some cool men's and unisex patterns. This bag is perfect - I love the magnetic snaps on the flap that keep the bag closed without fussy clips or zippers, I love that I can adjust the straps based on how full I fill it, and I love that it's big enough to hold a lunch and my most recent knitting project!

The pieces were a little bit of a pain to cut out because there were so many of them, but once I started sewing it came together really quickly. I've sewn a lot of clothing but I've never sewn anything with hardware before, so I was glad that the instructions for the straps were clear and easy to follow. We sell kits here at the shop for all the hardware you need for each version of the bag , so don't worry about where you'll find the right rivets, magnetic snaps, and slides!

I wanted my bag to be sturdy, so I made the lining and the bottom out of duck cloth. I think if (or when) I make another backpack, I'll add stabilizer to the lining to make it even more robust. I loved the bee fabric from Etsuko Furuya, but I have a little more muted tastes than Kiyomi. Pairing it with black and grey duck cloth gave me the more subtle look I wanted while also highlighting the fun and colorful honeycomb. One of the great things about the pattern is that there are endless possibilities for fabric combinations! You can follow the pattern recommendations for which fabric to use for different parts of the bag, or you can mix it up and use a different fabric for every strap and pocket if you want.

What a perfect comfy and casual bag for bike rides and summer picnics!  

Japanese Fabric Overload!

You all know that we have a soft spot in our hearts here at Fancy Tiger Crafts for Japanese fabric. We have received so many amazing collections lately we couldn't help but share them with you! 

First up we have Muddy Works. This is a collection by husband and wife team Tomotake. These beautiful simple geometric designs are printed on double gauze, quilted double gauze, cotton-linen blend, and cotton sheeting. With such a range of textures and prints this collection is perfect for all your sewing needs! 

We couldn't resist the jungle-themed magic of the Fujiyoshi Brothers. This fabric is a heavy cotton oxford print. Their dynamic vivid eye for color produces stunning work. Tigers!

Studio Cooca  is a collection that are original drawings by people with disabilities that have been transformed into fabric! They are earning an artist commission through their imagination with this medium. We are very excited to support this project. 

Last but not least, Echino, oh boy! In true Echino style they have done it again with bright polychromatic animal themed prints and large scale repeats. Etsuko Furuya, the woman behind Echino, continues to steal our attention with every collection released. I mean can you ever have enough bright, fun, bold animal prints?! We think not! Also, Lemurs!

Stop by the store to see even more amazing Japanese fabrics and get started on your next project! 

New Melody Miller and Echino Ni-co

Hot new fabrics are here from Etsuko Furaya and Melody Miller!

Etsuko's newest Echino Ni-co line features big, adorable polka-dots and transportation of all kinds, from buses to planes to bicycles. No one makes buses as cool as Etsuko!

Retro awesomeness + sparkle = Melody Miller's Ruby Star Sparkle fabrics! Roller skates, rotary phones, kitschy pyrex and old-school 110 cameras--add a touch of metallic and you get these magical prints! We have the full collection so you can make all of your glittery dreams come true.

Those hot pink roller skates want to be my newest Market Tote! What will you make?

New Fabric Collections from Japan are Here!

Echino + Nani Iro + Melody Miller + Heather Ross = Yay!

We finally unpacked it all and can't take the magic of our newest fabrics! 

Melody Miller's Ruby Star sheeting is here! These stunning prints on lightweight linen/cotton are large scale and make super fantastic bags and skirts and curtains and more. Below, see each of the fabrics with the whole print from selvedge to selvedge. They are 62" wide!

We've been anticipating and planning for the new Echino line since we got a peak at quilt market. We've got a major crush on Etsuko Furuya. Those animals in fancy frames? They're destined to be sewn up into hot bags and skirts.

Naomi Ito's newest Nani Iro fabrics are pretty dang dreamy. Printed on a soft double gauze, they'll be great for dresses and blouses.

Heather Ross's newest line, Nursery Versery, has cute storybook characters for little ones, with adorable illustrations of the itsy-bitsy spider, little piggies and mice.

Plus, we have even more super-cute Japanese prints for all your adorable to the max projects!

Happy sewing!

Jaime's Echino Beignet

You probably know that I am obessed with Echino fabrics. Each time a new collection arrives I always plan out a million projects. This time I decided I had to have a bright mustard skirt and this parrot circle print was the perfect candidate.

I have never made a Colette skirt so I was excited to give the Beignet a try. The Beignet skirt is a high-waisted, straight skirt made with lots of panels for a perfect fit.

I took my time with the one and worked on it over the course of a couple of Featherweight Fridays, which is a nice break from my usual frenzied sewing pace. The skirt turned out great. It is fully lined and has pockets. I finished it with some bright coral buttons and I love their unique oval shape.

I was able to debut this skirt at the midsummer farm party for our CSA farm, Pastures of Plenty. So beautiful and summery!

Quilt Market Report Spring 2012

Amber and I just got back from Kansas City for the Spring Quilt Market! This is where we get to shop for all the amazing fabrics and patterns we carry here at the store. We also get to meet and talk to fabric designers, pattern designers, bloggers and other shop owners. It was super amazing and we were really impressed with the strength of the new collections. Here are some highlights:

Amy Butler has a new collection coming out this July, Cameo. Her booth was a beautiful mix of vintage with her bright prints forming a fun contrast.

Anna Maria Horner's newest collection for Free Spirit is Field Study due in August. Natural elements such as feathers, flora and fauna inspire these designs. We loved the life-sized crouching leopard decoupaged with fabric!

Can you believe this quilt?! The pattern for this strip-pieced quilt by Anna Maria Horner will be available as a free pattern for her Field Study fabrics through the Free Spirit website. I can hardly wait to make one - it was stunning.

We really love what's going on over at Cloud 9. This organic fabric company started out so tiny and is growing into the most adorable fabric company of all time. Their current and upcoming collections are awesome, and they keep working with amazing artists. We have Monsterz in stock now so here is some inspiration with these awesome baby quilts.

Seven Seas is another Michele Brummer Everett collection for Cloud 9 coming out this summer. More of her adorable drawings, but this time with a maritime theme. Those little boys shirts are too cute!

We were thrilled that Denyse Schmidt had her first ever booth at quilt market. Her booth was amazing and featured an inspiration wall for her upcoming collection, Chicopee. We went ahead and ordered the full collection so you are all set come August.

We also got to see all of her quilts from her newest book in person - talk about inspiration! Meeting Denyse was awesome - she was lovely and it was so magical to chat with one of our favorite quilters.

The buzz of quilt market was the new Liberty of London quilting cottons. Quilt Market was the debut of this new venture for Liberty and we think it's going to be amazing! Their first collection is called Bloomsbusy Gardens and each of the 11 prints comes in 5 colorways. We ordered a ton of it, so you can quilt with Liberty to your heart's content come late August. The Liberty quilting cottons will be much more affordable than their Tana Lawn counterparts, but you can expect the same great designs and colors.

Melody Miller had a booth! Yay! Her booth was a perfect picture of her unique, vintage-inspired style and highlighted her newest collection for Kokka, Ruby Star Vinyl.

We couldn't resist a photo-op with the lady herself!

Oh Tula Pink. So much awesome fabric and I can't believe this Gem quilt!! Tula Pink has another new collection hitting the shop in July called The Birds and The Bees. We love the bright colors, but mostly I can't wait to get my hands on it so I can make this quilt.

Here we are with Ms. Pink in front of this amazing Gem Quilt. Looks pretty good, right?

And now here are some sneak peeks from the land-of-all-awesome-Japanese-fabric, Seven Islands! There will be a new Echino collection coming out featuring birds and animals, our favorite. I couldn't get over the giraffes and owls in ornate frames and of course the hipster deer-in-glasses polka dot print. The zebras are looking pretty hot too. We ordered all of it and several laminates so don't worry - there will be plenty to choose from.

Fancy Tiger favorite, Nani Iro, has a new collection out as well. She is working with some new and different colors and designs that we are excited about.

Finally we will leave you with this double gauze tunic - we need to make this!

Lots of great stuff is on the way - we didn't even show you the new Lizzy House, Moda, Sarah Jane, Lotta Jansdotter, Bari J., Dear Stella, Blend or Alexander Henry fabrics! OMG so much awesome stuff to sew!

Better Know A Crafter: Ysolda Teague

Ysolda, as you may know, is an amazing knitter. She is in town visiting us and we couldn't be happier. Come by tomorrow night for a special lecture, booksigning and meet & greet!

Last time she payed us a visit, Ysolda surprised us by spending a few hours in our sewing studio, designing an adorable skirt which we published as a free tutorial on our blog. (You should make one!) We love Ysolda's secret sewing side. When she rolled into town this time she immediately started designing a super-cute handbag!

Ysolda Teague

Tell us about your crafty self and what kinds of crafts you do.

I design knitting patterns so I kind of craft for a living. My job involves a lot of thinking about making stuff, a lot of writing and calculating along with general business stuff. I love it, but it's definitely cut into my craft time. I've done almost every craft at least once. I spent my childhood sitting on the floor of the crafts section at the library, falling in love with crafts and craft books.

Tell us about bag you've made.
I've been hauling a huge bag around on this trip and I thought it might be nice to have a smaller one. I've loved this car print for ages but never used it. I like the contrast of the cars and the flowers on the handles. These Japanese handles are really cute and they were easy to use--they give a really professional finish.

I didn't use a pattern and my bag kept getting more elaborate. The piping was the hardest part, but I think it was worth the hassle of sewing through so many layers where three piped seams came together.

How did you learn to be so crafty?
My mother is an artist and, although she is more into drawing and painting than craft and didn't really teach me techniques, she always made sure there were lots of supplies available. As far back as I can remember I had my own little table in the kitchen and there was always paint set up. We made playdough and crafted decorations for all my birthday parties. Crafting was so much a part of my everyday that I was shocked to find out that my friends didn't live like this or that they weren't allowed to make so much mess.

I couldn't see how to make a living with crafting and decided to do something intellectual at university. I turned out that I couldn't live without making things and that's when I fell in love with knitting. I could sneak a project into my bag and pull it out during dull lectures. My notebooks started to fill up with ideas for my own designs. Crafting became my life even when I tried to do something else so I figured I may as well give in. And now I'm sneaking time to make things that aren't "work"--where I can just focus on just putting something together, making it up as I go along.

What is your favorite animal?
I'm currently obsessed with narwhals. I love that so many people don't know they're real.

Thanks Ysolda! Happy sewing (and knitting, of course!)