Designer Tidbits: Priory Square by Katy Jones - The Jolly Jabber Quilting Blog

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Designer Tidbits: Priory Square by Katy Jones

247 Comments

Good day everyone! We’ve got one of our favorite British bloggers, Katy Jones of I’m A Ginger Monkey, today on the Jolly Jabber. After years of quilting and blogging, she’s finally debuting her first fabric line with Art Gallery Fabrics. Read on to learn about her first fabric collection, Priory Square. 

Q: Tell us about the Priory Square Collection. What were you inspired by?
A: My inspiration came from a classic English Country Garden. I grew up with keen gardeners as parents and spent a lot of my childhood with my even more keen gardening grandparents. I was a nature nerd – obsessed with birds, flowers, and plants. I wanted my fabrics to remind me of my childhood and to be a more true representation of England than most ‘English’ inspired collections. Usually they have red buses and scenes of London but that’s as relevant to me as the Empire State Building is to a Texan! Kind of familiar but not where my English heart lives! We all have a universal love of flowers too, whether you live in the UK or US and having something that didn’t alienate others because they just weren’t familiar with elements of my line was important. 


Q: What is your design process when beginning a new collection?
A: I started with a color palette, which was taken from a bunch of flowers. Sunday clippings was the main print, and that was where I started because I felt that it was much easier to begin with the focal print and then put in other elements around that. I don’t draw so I trawled through catalogs, books, and images of flowers and gardens to find the perfect floral elements. I then created a collage on paper, and this was transferred to illustrator and manipulated until I was happy with the layout and colors. 


From there, the other prints were created around this central print. Because I’m a quilter, it was important to have prints that played well together but also on their own. I like eclectic mixes so I also wanted the collection to have that feel too. I did a lot of printing onto paper and making mock up quilt blocks to see how the prints behaved together. I found that was the best way for me to get a feel of how things would work when they were fabric. A few designs were scrapped because they weren’t quite right and in others, the colors were changed. 


Q: We know that you love quilting and sewing, but what is the best part about being a fabric designer?
A: The selvage! Hands down the best part! It’s a weird feeling knowing you are sewing from fabric that came from your own head. I don’t think that can be beat!

Q: Do you have a favorite print from the Priory Square collection?
A: Sunday Clippings is my favorite print partly because it was the first print and where the rest of the collection evolved from, but also because it’s a big bold floral and I am a sucker for big bold florals!

Q: What’s next for Katy Jones?
A: My regular job as editor of Quilt Now Magazine keeps me crazy busy and I love it. So there’ll be more of that, and I’m hoping that at some point in 2015, I can convince my bosses that we need to get international distribution for the magazine. I’ll be at Quilt Con teaching in February and at Glamp Stitchalot in November also teaching. Maybe there’ll be more fabric eventually, but that’s not something I’m thinking about right now – I need to get my first Quilt Market booth ready before I can think about all that. 

SURPRISE! We’re giving away a Priory Square Fat Quarter bundle in honor of Katy’s new collection. Just enter through Rafflecopter below for your chance to win. This contest ends on November 19th, 2014 and the winner will be announced on November 20th, 2014 Good luck everyone!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

247 comments

  10. I absolutely adore this line! Sunday clippings is beautiful! And I also love that gold rose! I cannot wait to get some of this fabric. I think I may make a holiday in London duffle with the map print and others. Wouldn't that be quite fitting? Thanks for the awesome chance to win!

  16. I am making swoon blocks and would love to use your main print and a coordinate to add to my collection. I will eventually put them together ( I currently have six completed) but meanwhile it is just fun coming up with different fabric choices for them.

  37. I'd make a throw quilt and big plump pillows to liven up our sofa during the all too long winter months. All these flowers & bright colors would remind me of warmer days that I so love.
    Debbie
    ===^..^===

  43. A quilt, of course! But first I'd have to stare at it for months before finding JUST THE RIGHT quilt design. 🙂

  44. I would be very tempted to follow Katy's example
    and make a Dresden quilt
    – vintage and cool!

  45. I've been wanting to make a totally hand-pieced and hand-quilted piece and I think these fabrics would be a great choice for that!

    Thanks!

  48. This collection is so versatile. I would make quilts of course but I think I would also like to make accessories such as bags and scarves. I am hoping to get some voile to make blouses as well. Thank you for another lovely giveaway!

  49. I just love this fabric-the colors!
    I would make my daughter a jewelry roll and I would make a quilt.

  50. I love scrappy quilts using fabrics I love, so I think Priory Square would get mixed into my next Scrappy Quilt.
    Magistra13 at yahoo dot com
    Beth

  64. I enjoy reading about her creative process. So many fabric collection is put out by designers and no insight is provided to how the designs came about, especially when they are non-artists — meaning not illustrators, painters, etc.

  78. I would make a quilt and keep it!! I give most everything I make away but this is gorgeous fabric and I will keep it and love it.
    Pauline

    perry94022 at hotmail dot com

  100. Mug rugs all around! I'd love to make a series of mug rugs for my dearest friends. There is something so vibrant and jubilant about this collection; I like to think of each of us settling in with a cup of tea, a Christmas movie, and our own Priory Square mug rug.

  101. When I reached the end of the interview and found there was a giveaway of this awesome fabric, my morning got much brighter. Your primary fabric, Sunday Clippings, is a standout and so colorfully striking, that I will have to get some yardage of that one. Thanks you for this giveaway opportunity.
    lv2bquilting2@comcast.net

  110. I love the Rolling Stone block and think this fabric selection would make a beautiful quilt. Thank you for the opportunity to win such a great giveaway

  123. Beautiful. I think some of the fabrics could make a beautiful skirt or dress. Would love to see some of those beautiful english gardens.

  129. Lovely fabric!!! Love the design! Would make a great quilt, table runner, or pillow. Thank you for this great giveaway!
    Have a super great sewing and stitching day!

  130. Really cute fabric. I'd start with an outfit for my girlies, then move on from there. Thanks for the lovely giveaway.

  140. Such a great fabric collection!
    I have 3 daughters and would use the fabric bundle to make something for each one of them–quilted totes, cosmetics bags etc.
    Thank you for the giveaway.

  149. I want to make a scrappy quilt that lets all the colors and patterns play. The Roundhouse quilt pattern by TraceyJayQuilts would be awesome in these fabrics.

  152. I would use it along with other fabric in my stash to make a picnic quilt for my middle daughter.

  155. I have been wanting to make a couch quilt with the One thousand pyramid pattern using crisp white with bright colors. I think this fabric line would be perfect.

  157. I'd definitely make a fun quilt with these pretty fabrics!! Thanks for the chance 🙂
    terryscwayons(at)yahoo(dot)com

  166. I'm primarily a quilter, but my granddaughter would love a skirt made from this collection. I have a scrappy pattern that's perfect!

  167. We just painted our kitchen and livingroom in a neutral colour. Some placemats, a tablerunner and a few pillowcovers in these fabrics would bring colour in our lives (next to the crafts of the kids of course ;-))

  170. Oooooh! This fabric collection is so pretty, I'm thinking that a quilted bed runner and matching cushion covers would be perfect for our master bedroom!!

  184. I love this color palette and mix of large and small prints. I would love to make something Henie with this bundle. Thanks for the chance!

  188. This collection would make a lovely throw for a special friend in need of some cheering up these days. Thanks for offering a giveaway of Priory Square.

  193. I really like the strong contrasts in this collection. I would make a lap quilt or maybe a tote bag. Thank you for the giveaway!

  195. Yes have an international distr for the mags….you have Aussie fans waiting. .!!ganddpalmer@bigpond.com

  203. May have already left one comment–sometimes things don't always show on my mobile–anyway I'd make a commemorative quilt for all the walks through English gardens with my British husband 🙂 our first together before we married, Leed's Castle.

  210. So many great ideas. I'm in love with this collection, and the focus floral is gorgeous. I'd make a Dresden plate, I think. Wanting to try a new pattern.

  217. It's beautiful fabric. I would make a lap quilt for myself to use this winter.
    paweis at yahoo dot com

  224. Hiya!!! Love this line. That heart quilt is adorable. I think these prints would look great in an Around the World quilt. Thanks for having the giveaway. Blessed be, hugs!!! Pam

  238. A fabulous bag, for starters. It's so bright.

    I loved Katy's comment on how this is an English collection, but without the red buses and such. I like those too, but I know they aren't entirely representative of the UK!

  246. Placemats so I could look at this loveliness everyday! Thanks for the chance to win! Sarah- crjandsbj(at)netzero(dot)com