Thursday, February 27, 2020

A Week in the Life of a Designer, Part 4

In the previous three posts, I've shared about managing a quilt shop with fabric that's in the store, preparing for special events with fabric that's coming soon, and designing fabric for next year. This week, I'll give you a taste of what I'm working on for Spring Quilt Market through computer generated quilts and how it all comes together.

Computer Generating a Quilt Design

After editing the fabric collection and selecting my top 40 picks, the mill makes any changes requested, and begins printing. The first fabric shipment is sent with limited yardage and precuts, just enough for Moda to use for marketing purposes and to send a few yards to me to make my sample quilts for market. The larger quantities of yardage and precuts aren't printed and shipped until after the orders are gathered at market.

In the meantime, I have jpeg images of each fabric in the collection that I can insert into my designs to create a pretty good facsimile of what the final quilt will look like. I place each piece of fabric into each block of the quilt to make it as realistically scrappy as possible, sometimes using the 40 prints dozens of times a piece. I swear sometimes it takes longer to computer generate an image than to piece the quilt!

Here's the Cabin Sweet Cabin computer generated quilt I shared earlier. If a quilt looks flat without the dimension of quilting, it's probably computer generated.


And here's part of the not-quite-finished Cabin Sweet Cabin quilt in reality on my ironing board. Joy pieced and quilted the charm quilt, then I added the candy cane appliques. I'm still waiting on red buttons to decide on the perfect size berry accents for the holly motif. Sweet Holly ships to quilt shops in June.


Writing , Piecing, Quilting

When the computer version of the quilt is completed, I do the math to figure out the yardage requirements. The computer image of the quilt plus the supply list is included in Moda's Playbook. That's the quilt shop owners' guide to ordering fabric and patterns. If they decide to kit a project, they need to know how much of each fabric to order. I've found if I wait, often the fabric is sold out before it even arrives at the warehouse. You have to know what you need months in advance. Not an easy task as a shop owner. At this point, I'm also writing the instructions so they will be ready when the sample yardage arrives, about 5-6 weeks before market.

As soon as the big brown truck delivers the boxes of sample yardage from Moda, Robert brings the new goodies home so I can begin to cut kits for all the projects. I have several great piecers that will turn a project around in a few days to a week, depending on the quilt and the timeline. No one is allowed to take a vacation in April or September :). They are the first eyes on the instructions, making notes and editing as they go.

Kathy Limpic (also our KT Event Coordinator) is an excellent traditional piecer. Her quilts always measure the exact size and are super flat, often pressing seams open. This is the Evergreen runner that arrived in my mail yesterday, not yet quilted.



When the tops are completed, Joy Johnson is my go-to quilter. She also piecec and works in the store parttime. She has a way of adding a spark of life to a quilt without overpowering the fabric or the design. You can see in the photo above of Cabin Sweet Cabin how simple grid lines in the log cabin blocks with a ribbon candy border sets this little charmer off perfectly.

Prepping for Market

Once the quilts are quilted and bound, the next thing on my list is photography for market brochures and pattern covers. Robert is my in-house guy. We set up lights in the retreat space upstairs where I have a large design wall. I pull props from the storage room and style the quilts when I can. This is also when I'm planning how to decorate my booth at market - planning a theme, gathering props, etc.

The quilts are finished, the brochures are ready, so it's off to Market we go. In May, we'll go to Pittsburg, PA for 3 days to show our newest collections to quilt shop owners and the quilting industry. Fabric orders are taken at the Moda booth. After the fabric arrives, it's time to fold/roll huge bolts onto the smaller bolts you see in shops. In October, they'll ship the newest KT fabric and patterns all over the country.

So, I sent the new Spring Market collection to Moda in August, and it will arrive at your favorite quilt shop in October. Now you know why we, as designers, can't show you what's new to us, because it isn't available for months! We don't want you to be disappointed in the long wait. (It's difficult for us, too.)  

I'm still computer generating the newest fabric collection for Spring Market (it's top secret right now), and I can't share those images yet, but watch here and follow me on Instagram @lynnektq for the first look later this spring.

Thanks so much for reading along and commenting throughout this 4-part series. I've enjoyed reading each one of them. Please continue to send your questions.

Comment here to win the Star Cluster pattern from Through the Year, available in just a couple weeks.












41 comments:

  1. Nearly 2am & I can't sleep! So, I read your blogs! I have enjoyed reading your blog on designing. Very interesting. How do you do it all?! Amazing! Love your fabrics! Love your patterns!

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  2. WOW! That's a busy life! I don't know how you keep up with it all. There's so much more to it than designing the fabric and making quilts. But you do it very well and you and Robert make a great team! I love that Star Cluster pattern!

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  3. It's been very interesting reading about the of a designer. The quilts are beautiful.

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  4. I had to chuckle when I saw Pittsburg, PA. When I visited the shop a few years ago, I think Robert thought I was pulling his leg when I said Pittsburgh, PA has an "h" at the end. Looking forward to seeing you and Jenny Doan in August near Pittsburgh, PA :-)

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  5. You mentioned Moda helping/ guiding more when you first started and now after twenty years they leave most of it up to you. How do companies find designers and guide them to the point where you are at today? So many details and informative!

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  6. i enjoy reading your blog. your quilts are so homey!

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  7. It has been interesting to hear about the process of what designers go through when developing a new fabric line. Thanks for sharing!

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  8. Thanks for sharing the process of developing and designing new fabrics. This was really interesting. I always love to know how something is done. Your new line is just beautiful!!

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  9. Thank you for this series of on A Year in the Life... Very interesting. Always love your designs and fabrics. Thank you for sharing with us.

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  10. What a wonderful life. Thanks for sharing with us your talent and inspiration.

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  11. Great blog series! Your fabric and designs are so loved!

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  12. Thanks for taking the time to explain your process to us. I love star patterns and your fabric lines. What a wonderful way to combine the two with the Star Cluster pattern.

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  13. I love the star cluster pattern and the Through the Year fabric. I am so looking forward to the release date. Thank you for sharing.

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  14. I can't believe all that has to be done before your fabric goes to Market? Crazy but such a wonderful outcome!! Can't wait to see your Sweet Holly fabric in the shops, love it and the Star Cluster pattern. Thanks for a chance to win.
    Carmen

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  15. I have really enjoyed reading about the fabric-designing process! So much work, so much time, so much patience -- but all good for us! Hope to visit your shop one of these days, to see what a whole roomful of KT goodness looks like. I love the Star Cluster pattern -- star blocks are my fav.

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  16. What a process! The Star Cluster pattern is beautiful.

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  17. This is amazing. I had no idea that you did so much for your fabric collections. You do things I thot Moda would do. You are incredible to keep your shop going during all this time as well. Thanks for the insight.

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  18. So interesting! I really enjoy all this info. on your design process. I have been a K T fan since before your first fabric line! That's a long time!

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  19. You have such a busy life. I think all you accomplish is remarkable. I love the Star Cluster quilt!

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  20. Wow, so interesting to learn all of the steps. You all make it look so easy, but it's not! Thank you for all of the hard work and dedication. Stars are one of my go-tos. I love this quilt!!!!

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  21. I have so enjoyed reading about the process, and all the work, behind getting that beautiful fabric to the LQS!! I Love the Star Cluster quilt!! And always your fabric!!

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  22. That's a beautiful quilt. Thanks for sharing the process.

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  23. It’s wonderful to be able to learn more about how you design. Thank you.

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  24. I get tired just reading about all you do!! You should be exhausted all the time! :-) The "Star Cluster" pattern is beautiful! Thanks so much for giving us all a chance to win a copy! Blessings to all!!!

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  25. Thanks for sharing your designing process. So much work is put into each pattern, Love the "Star Cluster" pattern and thanks for the chance to win a copy.

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  26. Thank you for sharing your passion with all of us. I found the information so very interesting. Thanks for the chance to win a copy of "Star Cluster".

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  27. I've always wondered why some patterns look "flat" on-line! Thanks for sharing your process with us. I have learned so much!

    Sandy A

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  28. I sue enjoy your design esthetic and your color sense. These are my go to colors for quilts for me! Thanks for sharing your expertise with all of us! Star cluster is one of those patterns I've been lusting after, but could not justify the purchase because of all my other projects currently in the pipeline. It would be perfectly ok to win it!

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  29. Beautiful quilt, thanks for giving us info on all you do to make it happen.

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  30. Really like your tree runner and of course your new Star Cluster quilt as stars are one of my favorite designs. I have enjoyed reading about your process in designing.

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  31. It has been interesting following you as you explain all the behind the scenes work of developing some beautiful fabric and patterns for all of us quilters to enjoy.

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  32. Love stars and the variety in this quilt is fantastic. Would enjoy making it if I win the pattern. Thanks for your blog, great fabrics and fun patterns.

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  33. Thank you for sharing the design and production process. Your story is very interesting.

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  34. That star pattern looks like it would be fun to make.

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  35. I've enjoyed this series. I had no idea it was such a job to design fabric and I admire what you do and make even more!

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  36. I would love to win this pattern. I so love your fabric designs, rich colors, and quality materials. This would be my second quilt design by you.

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  37. What beautiful quilts! With so much going on it must be difficult to juggle it all at times!

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  38. I love star quilts AND Kansas Troubles fabrics, so the pattern is just to my liking!! Thanks so much for the chance to win!! I had no idea what went into designing fabrics until designer Deb Strain (another Moda designer) came to our quilt guild a year or two ago and gave a talk. Very interesting, and a lot more involved than I realized. I live near Pittsburgh, PA and wish I knew how to get involved in helping at that event, but with my luck I would be out of town that week.

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  39. Thank you for this information series on design. It has made me appreciate what you do and all that is required to be able to purchase your beautiful fabrics and patterns.

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  40. KT store is so gorgeous. Warm & inviting to see..star pattern fits in .. can't wait to add to my library of KT
    Great work you & staff are doing!

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  41. I am enjoying reading the design process. Quilts with stars are one my favorite quilt patterns. I love it that Star Clusters has different size stars in it - so pretty!

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