This week we are featuring talented quilt pattern and fabric designer Jemima Flendt, all the way from Western Australia! We just love Jemima’s fresh, bright aesthetic and we’re so happy to have worked with her for the 2022 Quilter’s Planner. We caught up with Jemima to find out more about her Luminous Stars Pillow, her design process and her enviable new sewing studio.
Thank you so much for designing such a beautiful project for our 2022 Quilter’s Planner! Why did you decide to make this, and can you tell us a little about the inspiration behind it?
Sometimes you need a smaller project to spruce up a spot on a couch or bed, for a gift or even because you need to find your sewing mojo again. These types of projects being smaller in nature come together quickly and give you a great result in a smaller amount of time and materials. As well as having them make a space look even more inviting, it’s lovely to be able to share something you have made with a special person as a gift.
Tell us a little about the fabrics you worked with for your project.
I have used a single Alison Glass print paired with Kona fabrics for this Pillow design. I love how this print has so many beautiful colours and details in the fabrics so that when you look closely you can see butterflies and strawberries along with birds and other details.
How do you go about designing quilts and projects? What is your design process?
Quite often a lot of my designs start out as scribbles on a page. I might be out and about in nature or among buildings and see something and I often begin to immediately try and break it down into how that might work as a quilt block. Once I have an idea that I am keen to work on, I will head to the computer and work up a design in Illustrator using a fabric collection or colours that I might like to use. Once I have some options mocked up on the computer, I will then order fabric and begin cutting. It is then a case of working through making it and writing the pattern as I go.
What type of fabrics are you drawn to? Would you say you have a distinctive style?
I am very much drawn to bright and modern styles of fabrics. Tula Pink, Anna Maria Horner, Alison Glass, Carolyn Friedlander are among some of the designers work whom I love and use the most in my own work.
Tell us a bit about your sewing space. Do you have a dedicated space or are you making space on the kitchen table?
I have my very own studio. We have just moved to our new house and have turned what was the home theatre room into my sewing studio. This is a great big room which gives me lots of room for my sewing machine table, cutting table, design wall and fabric storage shelves.
What is your favorite feature of the Quilter’s Planner?
I love to be organised – so being able to write down where I am at with a project and then have something to tick off the steps and stages I am at works well for me. It helps to keep the WIPs in check and under control as well as feeling like you have achieved a number of projects once you look back on the year. The projects at a glance pages are great for this!
What is the one thing you can’t live without?
Chocolate – I absolutely could not live without it.
What do you want to do more of in 2022? We’d love to know!
In 2022 I am hoping to be able to be back traveling to teach workshops within Australia and internationally again. I have missed these in person events along with trade and quilt shows. This has always been such a powerful and important way of connecting with people in our quilting community.
Thank you so much for chatting with us Jemima, it’s been a blast!
Find out more about Jemima, her quilts, fabric and books on her website and follow her on Instagram @tiedwitharibbon.