Brenda Riddle on “Mrs. March” and “Pastel Antique Flowers”

We have two new collections in our store that may seem like old favorites–Mrs. March’s Antique Rose Collection and Pastel Antique Flower Collection by Lecien. Our good friend Brenda Riddle of Acorn Quilt & Gift Company adores these fabrics, and today she tells us why.

I realized the other day that there is a question that I ask Kimberly sometime after every Quilt Market, and that question is:

“What Lecien fabrics did you order?”

And each and every time…without fail…I wait with anticipation for their arrival.

I just can’t help myself! Even though, as a quilt designer, I have access to many fabric lines, I find that one of my personal stashes that I love to add to are my fabrics from Lecien.

Why Lecien? Well, those who know me well know that I love a vintage look and with many of the Lecien fabrics, from the Durham lines to Mrs. March’s Antiques, working with these lines creates a quilt that has that very special look, as if it has been a treasured heirloom for years. It is as if it has a softness already built into the fabric. I am known for the ‘soft’ look that my quilt designs evoke – but when I used some of the darker fabrics (burgundies & greens) from one of the Mrs. March lines for my quilt ‘Bittersweet’ – it still came off as a softer version of dark, and I just loved that! It can take years for a quilt to get that softer patina (and often with that comes wear & tear on a quilt), but with the Lecien fabrics – that looks seems to come automatically.

There is also the reminder – when I use the Lecien fabrics – that it is a Japanese fabric, and that means quality. I am a huge fan of the incredible workmanship that I see in Japanese quilters and in the items that I see using these fabrics. (I even have started a collection of Japanese quilt & craft books…even though I can’t read them!) I find such inspiration in them!

Even though I have just (“ahem”) ‘added’ to my Lecien stash with the new Mrs. March’s Antique line, I have to admit that I am also in love with the new Pastel Antique Flower collection. I got a bit of it at Sample Spree at last fall’s Quilt Market – and it is one of the sweetest lines of fabric that I have seen in a long time. (And yes, my own ‘collection’ of that line has grown recently too!)

All in all, no matter what Lecien line or collection it is – they will remain a favorite of mine for years to come. If you haven’t tried any of them yet – I encourage you to give yourself the treat of a little bit of Lecien too!