Designer Tidbits: Jungle Ave by Sara Lawson - The Jolly Jabber Quilting Blog

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Designer Tidbits: Jungle Ave by Sara Lawson

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Hello everyone! We’re so excited to have Sara Lawson of Sew Sweetness here on the Jolly Jabber. Sara is well known handbag designer and  pattern-maker and this year, she has collaborated with Art Gallery Fabrics to launch her first every fabric collection, Jungle Ave! Keep on reading to learn more about her inspiration and projects.

Table Runner – ‘Tasty’ Jaybird Quilts
Q: Tell us a little about the Jungle Ave collection. What were you inspired by?

A: My collection is inspired by city living. I live in Chicago, and even though it is a metropolitan city, I was curious to explore the softer side of the city. I thought about people living in apartments or in highrises, and how they could still keep potted plants on their balcony or have small patches of soil to plant vegetables. I combined the floral elements of these ideas with the images of asphalt and riding the subway (here in Chicago, it’s the elevated train, or ‘el’). The images of the elephants come in because I wanted to play with the idea of an ‘urban jungle’; the elephants perfectly marry the floral idea with the grittier images of the city, such as the black polka dot print or the fuchsia text print.
Top Left: Spiraled Jungle by A Quilter’s Table, Top right: Elephant Quilt by May Chappell, Bottom: Colorful Quilt by Elizabeth Dackson

Q: What is your design process when beginning a new collection?

A: First, I brainstorm an umbrella theme for my prints, and at the same time, adapt a color story, which is a grouping of colors that I would use in every print in the line. For Jungle Ave., because I was working on an urban jungle theme, I researched and pinned (on Pinterest) lots of images, from quilts to animals to clothing to the runway. I also sketched out a lot of ideas, which I then translated to the computer. Some of my digital designs did not end up working for the line, but it was all part of the process. I completely cleared my schedule for about 6 weeks to work on the designs; they definitely didn’t come to me over night! But the hard work was definitely worth it, and I think Jungle Ave is definitely a representation of ‘me’.

Q: What design trends are you currently exploring?

A: Polka dots and text prints are always near and dear to my heart. I also love large-scale prints, which is something I always like to use when making bags or clothing.

Elephants – from the book ‘Stuffed Animals’ by Abby Glassenburg

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: Fearless! I love bright, bold, and large – the louder the better. My favorite print from the line is definitely ‘Elephant Skyline’. I have always been a big fan of the ‘focal print’ out of any fabric line, and I think this is definitely the focal from Jungle Ave. There’s just so much organic movement going on, with the hills, elephants, and buildings. Also the colors are so strong. I can see this fabric being used in a million different things, from dresses to bags to little boys’ pajamas to a baby’s cloth diapers.


Q: What projects do you hope to see made with Jungle Ave?

A: Since I am a bag-maker, I’ve already made bags in all of the fabrics for my pattern line. I’m excited to see more clothing and quilts. I’ve seen a few quilts so far made in my fabrics that I absolutely love, so the line definitely works well in quilting too!

All of the Dresses are Serendipity Studio except for bottom right which is April Rhodes

8 comments

  8. I LOVE Sara's style, I bought her 1st book when it came out but have only made 1 purse from it so far. I got her fabrics over the weekend and can't wait to play with them! AGF are simply the best!