Shell Rummel talks Business, Creative Process & Quilting Fabric with Quilt Addicts Anonymous!

Last week I sat down to chat with Stephanie Soebbing from Quilt Addicts Anonymous about my newest collection of quilting cottons for Free Spirit Fabrics, called Natural Affinity.

I really enjoy Steph and as you’ll see, the conversation flows with a relaxed ease. It’s always interesting when two entrepreneurs chat about the personal challenges their businesses face and this conversation goes there in a real and honest way. I am so grateful for the Quilt Shops ( brick and mortar and online resellers) who bring my quilting collections to the quilting community. Big love to Quilt Addicts Anonymous for being such a strong supporter of my brand for so many years.

Have a watch/listen…hope my words inspire you!

Shell Rummel Talks Inspiration, Textile Design and Time & Tide with Quilt Addicts Anonymous

I am always so honored to be asked to sit down and chat about my collections and the inspiration behind them... My warmest thanks to Stephanie Soebbing, owner of Quilt Addicts Anonymous, for this lovely feature.

We had a great time and I was thrilled to be able to share all about my newest collection for FreeSpirit Fabrics, called Time & Tide. Within 24 hours of our interview posting, she was entirely SOLD OUT of Time & Tide yardage (WHAT??!!!:). So run to your local quilt shop and get your yardage in hand, now!

I am creating an ongoing list of shops that have bought the line and I am adding stores as I learn of them. If you are a quilt shop and you’d like to be added to my list, contact me!

We've got a treat for you today! Not only do we have lots of new quilty arrivals to check out, I also got a chance to chat with FreeSpirit fabric designer Sh...

If you love fabrics and quilting and all things sewing, check out Quilt Addicts Anonymous and join the QAA mailing list... Stephanie does tutorials and has a ton of fantastic videos that you will love!

Creative Spotlight - Ana Buzzalino

I had the pleasure of meeting Ana Buzzalino at Quilt Market in Houston, Texas a few years ago after she wandered into my booth. We had easy conversation about shared interests which became the starting point for our friendship.

Ana is an accomplished fiber artist in Calgary, Alberta… a skillful quilter and embroidery artist. One glance through some of her recent projects and I instinctively wanted to collaborate with her. As my newest quilting fabric collection, Time & Tide, was just launching, I knew that my ocean inspired fabrics combined with Ana’s artistry would be a phenomenal match. And I was so right:)

“Low Tide at Rocky Point”

The STUNNING wall hanging that Ana created showcases my new collection, particularly the Tides Panel at the top. Ana’s beautiful stitchwork really enhances the fluid, watery flow and movement of the Tides Panel.

She incorporated several other coordinating patterns from the Time & Tide collection into the oceanscape and enhanced each with hand embroidery. You can see snippets of Ebb & Flow, Urchin, Sea Glass and Pebble patterns gracing the landscape interspersed with some solids.

Rocks, pebbles and stones are Ana’s speciality… she offers workshops to teach her technique (info below!) and we wanted to showcase them… they are so cool! To add even more texture, she hand embroidered using a variety of shades of 5-weight embroidery threads and then added French Knots with beading details for a bit of shimmer… very intricate and quite a beautiful result.

A dreamy collaboration that shows how you can incorporate hand embellished techniques and intricate stitching onto quilts, wall hangings and many other home decor products using my fabric lines.

I absolutely LOVE how this came out… Ana honored my fabrics beautifully and the incorporation of the rocks, pebbles, hand stitch work and beading added a textural component that really appeals to the artist in me, drawing me in for a closer look. An heirloom piece, for sure.

Gratitude to Ana Buzzalino for her many talents and artistry!

Want to learn how to make those gorgeous tactile rocks, pebbles and stones with your own fabrics? Click here for information about her online workshops!

Learn more about Ana on her website: www.anabuzzalino.com

Introducing Time & Tide, Shell Rummel's NEW Quilting Fabric Collection

FreeSpirit Fabrics presents Time & Tide by Designer Shell Rummel

This video was specifically created to introduce myself and my collection to Quilt Shop owners but it has been well received by quilters and sewers too, so I’m pleased to now share with a wider audience. During the video, you’ll get a little tour of my design studio on the Gulf Coast of Florida and hear how I became a textile designer. I also share my design inspiration for this collection which is so dear to my heart. So, grab a cup of coffee or a cuppa tea and enjoy a glimpse of Time & Tide, my newest quilting fabric collection for Free Spirit Fabrics.

My designs all originate as hand painted watercolors which add a natural organic feel to my fabrics…something uniquely beautiful for the modern quilter.

I’m counting on my sewers, crafters, embroidery artists, quilters and all around Shell Rummel fans to help my brand grow by reaching new quilting customers. Hoping Time & Tide resonates with you and that you’ll share this video and my story with your local quilt shop. Ask them to bring the line into their stores so you can create something amazing, inspired by the beauty of sand, sea and sky.

Time & Tide is available for Pre-Order now via Free Spirit Fabrics and ships to stores in January, 2021.

Creative Spotlight - Richele Christensen

I met Richele Christensen a few years back at Quilt Market in Houston, Texas. She was part of the Tim Holtz and Mario Rossi team who were in the booth next door. The thing about exhibiting at a Trade Show is, if you’re truly lucky, you become connected with the people in the booths neighboring yours… after all, you spend so much time together during those long days. I consider myself the luckiest to have wound up sharing a wall with this charismatic trio… all three of whom are such good people. Through that experience, Richele and I genuinely became friends.

I noticed that Richele had sewn up many of the samples in their booth. I was drawn to her hand stitchwork… so perfectly embellishing each of the different fabrics in the collection. Her talent caught my eye and I took note. When I began considering who could sew for me with my newest collection, Reverie, I immediately reached out to Richele.

My Reverie fabrics lend themselves perfectly to hand stitched embellishments and I knew that by handing the collection to Richele, that she would leave her artistic mark and surely surpass every expectation I had. Her knack for embellishment is so evident in the Sashiko styled stitch work she did for this gorgeous pillow. To my eye, she perfectly matches stitches to fabric, enhancing the patterns in the best way…from subtle to sophisticated. I particularly like how she used a natural thread color for the hand stitching… that brings a cohesiveness to the artistry that is very effective.

Want to sew up this beauty of a pillow? It’s a perfect beginner’s project. Richele shares her pattern for the Stitched Block Pillow featuring my Reverie fabrics over on her Blog! She gives clear and concise step by step directions. Her pillow was made from the pretty and warm Powder palette of fabrics but this would be gorgeous in the cooler Celadon palette too… And, so easy to make this one yours by incorporating your own unique style of fabric enhancing stitchwork… This inspires the artist in me!

Richele also created a fantastic Tote bag with my Reverie fabrics:

I really like the way she mixed the fabrics here. Here skillful sewing and all the chosen notions and hardware are spot on! After holding this Tote bag in hand, I am hooked and want one sewn up in tons of variations of my fabrics;)

The two fabrics she used on the Tote bag’s interior are arguably my favorites… simple, clean, sophisticated patterning that was inspired by a vintage Japanese Kimono.

I absolutely love the creative collaborative process! Even when a creative knows exactly what I am aiming for, I am always blown away when the projects arrive. To see the handwork and know how much care and love went into the process of choosing just the right fabrics…adding just the right embellishment… it’s such a pleasure. I love what I do and am so grateful for talent like Richele, who helps me bring my visions to life so beautifully.

---

Please follow Richele on Instagram… @caliartgirl

And do check out her beautiful Blog Californiaartgirl.blogspot.com for lots of creative sewing projects!

For anyone interested in making the Redwood Tote, the pattern is by Noodlehead and can be found, here.

Shell Rummel Reverie Quilting Cotton Fabrics can be found at a Quilt Shop near you! Can’t find it? Contact Free Spirit Fabrics to locate a retailer. Or, search “Shell Rummel Reverie Fabrics by Free Spirit Fabrics” online for a list of resellers.

Creative Spotlight - Barb Brandt

For those who follow me regularly on Instagram, you know that I am always on the lookout for talented creatives to collaborate with. It’s not always easy to connect creatively so when I do meet someone who not only truly gets my vision but also understands how to make my vision come to life, well, that’s a big win/win!

I always think of Barb Brandt when I want to see beautiful, textural hand work in projects that feature my fabrics. She knows exactly what I mean when I ask for precise Sashiko stitching that still feels natural or, organic hand embellishment that’s not too fancy but still feels special. Lucky for me, Barb speaks my language and her work always delights and surprises. So naturally, I thought of her when I needed a few items sewed from my current quilting fabric collection, Reverie. All Barb’s gorgeous projects were featured during a special Facebook Live, hosted by my local quilt shop, Sew Worth It. There is a link that will direct you over to watch the video at the bottom of this blog post:)

Look at this beautiful Boro Rice Bag she made using my Reverie fabrics from Freespirit Fabrics. The stitchwork is fantastic! Little embroidered and beaded accents that perfectly complement the fabrics.

And then she whipped up these adorable cosmetic and travel jewelry bags… I think it’s the details that make them extra special.

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

Then, because I am obsessed with Kimono’s, Barb sewed up a a truly special women’s robe/kimono. I love the length of this… It is accentuated with deep side slits and a tie belt. It features 4 coordinated fabrics from Reverie and it turns a simple robe into a sophisticated look. This one is begging for a coordinated pajama set (hint, hint:)

And finally, I asked Barb to make an exaggerated large, artsy tote bag that also featured some hand stitched embellishments. She added a solid painters canvas for the body of the tote and added leather handles for durability. I can envision this bag created in linen for an even lighter, beachy look. This bag idea is a great way to use up some of your Reverie scraps and a fun way to get creative with the addition of spontaneous stitching details.

Watch: the Facebook Live Video that I did with Sew Worth It Sarasota:)

Follow: Barb on Instagram: @barbbrandt3 and reach out to her directly for inquiries about any of the lovely projects she sewed for me!

Pattern Sources:

Modern Japanese Rice Pouch pattern is by Karen Stevens …https://www.kzstevens.com/shop-1/modern-japanese-rice-pouch.

Kimono pattern is by Seamwork patterns https://www.seamwork.com/catalog/quince.

FB Live with Sew Worth It

The Backstory…

When I relocated my art and design studio down to Florida part time, I decided I wanted to relearn how to sew. I had, of course, learned on an old Singer sewing machine many moons ago…but I was rusty for sure and in all these years, sewing machines have become kind of fancy. So I reached out to my local quilt shop to help me make this important decision. I ended up purchasing a BabyLock Jubilant from Sew Worth It in Sarasota thanks to Aaron, the most patient quilt shop owner on the planet;) I never mentioned that I happen to design fabrics for a living…I was simply all about the sewing machine.

I picked up my new machine curbside and masked (sign of the times), handed Aaron my business card and drove off, happy as could be. A week later, his lovely wife and business partner, Allison, noticed the business card on the desk and made the connection that the lady who had just bought the Jubilant was also a Free Spirit Designer. She reached out and we hit it off right away. Allison and Aaron invited me to be a guest during their regular Friday night Facebook Live video venue. We began planning a Facebook Live so that they could introduce me and my collections to their Sew Worth It customers. Some things are simply meant to be.

We went Live on Facebook in June at the Sew Worth It store. What a fantastic experience! To date, the video has been viewed over 5,000 times… what a thrill! I loved having an opportunity to meet so many SWI long time customers and share the design inspiration behind my quilting fabric collections. We shared gorgeous projects created by my talented design friends for my current collection, Reverie, and I introduced my latest collection, Time & Tide which is now available for purchase via Pre sale. Sew Worth It is still taking pre orders for Time & Tide if you are interested in yardage or fat quarter bundles:)

My gratitude to everyone who popped online to join Allison, Aaron and me during the FB Live event. We had a great crowd with lovely comments and a very successful night of Reverie sales and pre-selling for Time & Tide… THANK YOU!!! Your waves, smiles and kind words meant so much. I’m delighted to see so many new faces following my adventures on facebook and Instagram. That support and interest in my brand and product lines goes a long way… I’m so honored my collections are resonating with you.

Enjoy the video over on Facebook. My segment begins around the 13 minute mark;)

Creative Spotlight - Floriane Harpster

When Floriane Harpster photographs her quilts, people take notice. I mean, how can you not be impressed as her husband balances on a boulder in the middle of Joshua Tree with a heavy quilt in hand?:) She has an eye for these things, and that is just one of the reasons I have collaborated with her on several quilts to date.

Flo sews/creates very interesting, graphic quilts that have an underlying story. There is a simplicity to her designs… I find them very different, often a bit quirky and always with an air of comfort. The way she presents them in photographs always catches my eye…unexpected locations that make you take notice.

Our most recent collaboration involved my current quilting fabric collection, Reverie. She created two quilts featuring my soft patterning. Both were featured during a Facebook Live with my local quilt shop in Florida. Viewers were just as taken with Flo’s unique quilting style and the way she honored the softness of the Reverie fabric line. I was so proud to share her hand work.

When Flo sent me the quilts to share with the audience during the Facebook Live show, she graciously included the following: “Shell Rummel’s fabrics have always inspired me. I’ve used her collections since I first started sewing and quilting 11 years ago. I grew up in France, lived in Paris for many years. I now live in New York City and find inspiration in architecture, art and nature. Shell’s art interprets these perfectly, mixing toughness, fluidity, intricacy…”

“The 1st pattern I created was inspired by both beehives and The Vessel, a new structure, part of the Hudson yards in Manhattan. It illustrates the connection between earth and sky, nature vs the concrete jungle.”

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

“The 2nd pattern brings me back to my French roots. Paris is ‘divided’ by the river, la Seine. It flows roughly westward, cutting the city in two: when facing downstream, the southern bank is to the left and the northern bank is to the right. I called this pattern “Rive Droite, Rive Gauche” which, when translated means Right Bank, Left Bank. Once again, it interprets the symbiosis found in a lot of cities. “

Her modern art quilts, as you can see, are quite lovely… An honor to work with such talent.

Please follow Flo on her Instagram page: @quiltsewknitrepeat

For all other inquiries related to her cool quilt art, please reach out to her at quiltsewknitrepeat@gmail.com

Fall Quilt Market Recap

When you arrive, your booth looks something like this;) 

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

A bit of a waiting game...  

But when the walls are up, the carpet unrolled, the lights working and the samples unpacked and styled, it's pretty fantastic:) Months of hard work to fulfill a vision, realized. Just as it was for last year's quilt market when we launched Soft Repose, our booth continued to be a haven of calm and tranquility. A lighter, softer, gentler touch overall... which is in keeping with the design aesthetic of the Shell Rummel brand. 

View fullsize

We launched Bloom Beautiful, a rose garden inspired collection that features the prettiest design elements, like roses in bloom, song birds, branches and willows, all in my hand painted watercolor style.  It's a very relatable collection of patterns that mix beautifully with our Quiet Moments collection from last spring... and yes, that's intentional;)  I want my stores to get the most longevity they can out of a collection, so we layer colors and patterns in a way that allows each new collection to build on the one that came before it. 

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

Integral to the success of our booth at Quilt Market, are the talented creatives who create for us! The details are what make our projects stand out and this year we rocked it. Gratitude, to all who sewed for me, @quiltaddictsanonymous, @sugar_bowl_crafts, @tooheycohen, @bwestquilts, @quiltedcardinal .... (you can follow them all on Instagram). Your work is lovely and you made me look real good:) x 

Of course,  time at a trade show is always measured best by the company you keep.  We were fortunate to have spectacular neighbors, Tim Holtz and his lovable team, as well as visits from some fellow designers. Always grateful for the generous spirit of those we share time with.   

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

A joy to have Rachel working with me for nearly 10 years and counting! She worked so hard to help bring our booth to life and really, she's the coolest, so I couldn't deny her a design field trip to the Museum of Fine Art Houston to see the Oscar de la Renta exhibition... a highlight of our time in Houston.   

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

I am amazed at the kindness of the quilting/sewing community! So many shop owners and fabric lovers from all over the globe came by to admire our booth and the lovely projects we featured.  We welcomed the company... they truly are the nicest people you'll ever meet. It's an honor when a store owner/buyer chooses to bring your products into their store and offer it to their customers and we take great pride in knowing that our collections are gaining a following both here and overseas. 

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

Bloom Beautiful is in pre order now and ships in May.

The collection is available via Freespirit fabrics. 

"Soft Repose" Launch...Thoughts on Fall Quilt Market 2016

So thrilled to have exhibited for the first time at International Quilt Market! I was truly humbled by the love and also surprised and honored by how many kind and enthusiastic customers from the US and abroad, actually sought us out, just to say, " I bought your entire Soft Repose line for my store!" ...Wow!  What a feeling. 

The Shell Rummel booth came together beautifully and really was a haven of calm tranquility, a place to catch your breath amidst the sea of rainbow bright fabrics that are so prevalent at Quilt Market.  I like that the serene feel of my Soft Repose patterning resonated so strongly with so many and that my booth ambience truly lived up to the collection's name.  Soft, quiet palettes can speak volumes, too. 

The Coats and Freespirit crafters and sewers created some really spectacular product samples to showcase the Soft Repose Line. As you can see, the patterning (with names like: Infinite Beauty, Raindrop, Tranquility, Steel Magnolia, Touchstone and our signature pattern, Pebble) really lends itself well to softly sophisticated home decor and accessory projects. It's a natural fit for pillows, poufs, modern quilts and personal accessories!  

Over the course of three days we met some of the loveliest people... Buyers from Independent fabric stores all over the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, New Zealand, Japan and Korea... and on and on.  Their enthusiasm was truly awe inspiring!  My heart is full. 

Special thanks to Lisa Kaupp from Design in Motion Quilt Studio in GA, who hand crafted several of the pillows, tote bags and accessory items specifically for our booth from our designs. These samples are so fantastic because they give our customers a visual idea of what they can create with our Soft Repose fabrics! So much possibility...

A big hug of gratitude for my Senior Designer, Rachel who has worked with me in my studio for nearly 9 years, and counting. She plays a big role in every product my studio offers, (and, in addition to our fabric by the yard collections, we offer: rugs, pillows, bedding and bath textiles, house paint, paper craft products, wall art,  invitations and even Judaica) and was a tremendous asset on this trip!  I know she enjoyed her time in Houston just as much as I did as well as having an opportunity to interact directly with our customers,  She can now also add "videographer" to her growing list of talents;)   

Every product the Shell Rummel studio creates begins with my original, watercolor paintings. There is something uniquely beautiful when you can see the artist's hand in a finished product... That artistry is what makes my collections special.  Warmest thanks to Westminster Fibers for seeing the value in an artist designed collection and allowing Shell Rummel a beautiful showcase for our Soft Repose fabrics at Quilt Market! It was a true honor to be a part of it all ~  

We'll be offering more of our beautiful products as Giveaway items over on our Instagram and Facebook pages, so don't miss out:)