Wishing Everyone A Very Happy New Year!

Owl & Drum would like to wish its customers, vendors and friends all the very best wishes for a Happy New Year!

Since opening our doors last August, we have enjoyed meeting many crafty people from across the Tulsa area, Oklahoma and way beyond.

It's been really fun to learn their new ideas for art and design projects and we are grateful for everybody's support for our fabric-crafts-gifts shop. It has been a great experience.

Our store will be closed from Monday, Dec. 31, to Monday, Jan. 7, due to a pre-planned trip out of town. We apologize for any inconvenience the brief closure may cause.

However, Owl & Drum will be open for business online as usual at www.owlanddrum.com and in our etsy store.

And, when we return to our 2810 E. 15th St. store, we will be hitting the ground running.

For details about our many upcoming in-store classes in January and February - including crochet, beginning kids' sewing, beginning quilting, paper piecing, vortex pillow-making needle felting, and "Pinterest Parties" - please visit our Facebook page or send an email to owlanddrum@gmail.com.

The classes should be a real hoot - for young and old crafters, alike!

Thanks for helping make Owl & Drum a success and we wish you and your families health and happiness in 2013!

Blend Fabrics Feature Great Designs

Among the many new fabrics featured at Owl & Drum are some beautiful designs by a stylish Georgia textile design company.

Blend Fabrics, based in Atlanta, is the new licensing division of Anna Griffin Inc. Griffin has 18 years of successful product development and design while working with a dynamic mix of talented, versatile designers.

Three fabrics from Blend’s Tilly line and six from their Timber & Leaf collection are currently being sold at Owl & Drum’s store in midtown Tulsa and on its website, www.owlanddrum.com.

“One of the new collections by Blend Fabrics that we’re really excited about is called Timber & Leaf,” said Bianca Howell, the co-owner of Owl & Drum.

“It’s got a lovely woodland creatures theme, with wolves, foxes and deer. The colors are really great and the animals are beautifully illustrated.”

Playful Fox Blue

Fawn in Birch Blue

The Timber & Leaf collection, which is designed by Sarah Watts, features the wonderful flora and fauna of the forest in two sophisticated color palettes that include coral, gold, aqua and taupe.

Gerbera Grey

Tree Rings Blue

Watts, an independent illustrator and designer based in Atlanta, earned a bachelor’s degree of fine arts in illustration at Ringling College of Art and Design.

In addition to her passion for textiles, she is also an “image maker” of books, concert posters and stationery. Storytelling, folk art, and “a touch of darkness” shine through in her work, while she says ink drawings and vintage color have shaped her visual aesthetic.

Designed by Charlotte Lyons, the Tilly collection features mixed-media collages of vintage stitching cards, hand-painted florals and woven textures.

Rabbits and Roses Multi

Cherie Cards Red

Lyons is a self-taught designer and artist who developed her own techniques for painting, needlework, felting, mixed media and a number of other crafts. She combines the humble designs of traditional art and craft and the inventive use of repurposed materials.

Over the years, her work has been featured in her own books  – The Companion series, Mothers and Daughters at Home, and Between Friends  – as well as numerous magazines. She currently sells her wares on Etsy.com, teaches classes across the country, and creates designs for licensing.

Born and educated in St. Louis, Missouri, Lyons and her husband live in the lower Hudson River Valley of New York, with her three daughters and their partners living nearby.

Other Blend Fabrics collections are called Bugs, Global Bazaar, Gabbie, Blomma, Alchemy, Bella, Cushion & Dust, Animal Parade, Little Monkey and Hope Chest.

The company has been featured in McCall’s Quilting: The Best of American Quilting, among other publications.

“Blend is a collective of many artists’ work, a mixture of styles and a celebration of talent,” according to the company’s website, blendfabrics.com.

“(We are) a high-end textile design company that supplies fabrics and licensed designs to major retailers, independent retailers and e-commerce retailers worldwide.

“A true tribute to talent, Blend’s artists represent both well-known designers and some of the world’s best-kept secrets. With unique, ‘fashion forward’ design aesthetics, each artist brings an all-encompassing approach to the marketplace with a fresh, on-trend design perspective.

“Blend expressly designed to reach new product categories, while promoting talented artists from around the world.”

Griffin first made her fashion mark in the wedding industry during the mid-1990s by developing one of the industry’s first “print-it-yourself” invitations with a custom look.

She is an expert at translating exquisite patterns evocative of Old World style into modern mix-and-match designs. In addition to numerous fabrics, her signature collection includes invitations, stationery, home office, decorative paper and accessories.

Blend Fabrics’ website features easy-to-use PDFs of numerous patterns that interested crafters can follow to create their own quilts and other fabric-based homemade projects.

The company has recently completed a very busy period of showing its new collections to buyers across the United States, including Owl & Drum owners Bianca Howell and Dani Weaver on a buying trip to Texas.

Blend Fabrics staffed booths at the Los Angeles Textile Show from Oct. 22-24, as well as at the International Quilt Market – an important twice-yearly industry trade show –  which was staged shortly after from Oct. 27-29 in Houston.

Joe Spiegelberg, the president of Blend Fabrics, is a veteran of the industry, having founded Maude Asbury in 1988. Maude Asbury is a luxury gift company that designs and manufactures fabric covered photo albums, picture frames and magnet boards that are hand-made in the U.S.

For more information, visit blendfabrics.com, or follow the company and its designers on Facebook, Twitter or their individual blogs.

Owl & Drum, located at 2810 E. 15th St. in Tulsa, OK, sells about 150 bolts of fabrics made by more than a dozen manufacturers and designers.

The store and its website – owlanddrum.com – also offers unique handmade gifts, jewelry and other items made by Tulsans, Oklahomans and artisans from Portland, Oregon, and northern California. It also sells many different craft books, equipment and supplies.

Owl & Drum is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday, and from 12-4 p.m. Sundays. The store is closed on Mondays.

For more details, call Bianca at 918-742-1404, visit www.owlanddrum.com, send an email to owlanddrum@gmail.com or follow us on Facebook, Blogger.com, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram.

Trina Teaches How To Make A Gift Bag

Owl & Drum is happy to offer to interested crafters a free gift tote bag tutorial, which has been designed by talented seamstress Trina Seagraves.

Trina, who lives in Broken Arrow with her husband, Josh, is an instructor for beginning quilting and sewing classes at Owl & Drum in midtown Tulsa. She makes her own line of soft goods, including pillows and burp cloths, under the brand called Gate17. 

The supply list for the approximate 11-inch-by-14-inch simple gift tote bag project is: 1/3 yard of fabric; 7/8 yard of ribbon: and coordinating and contrasting thread.

For more information, visit www.sewgate17.com or www.owlanddrum.com.

Good Times Roll At International Quilt Market 2012 in Houston

The fall International Quilt Market 2012 in Houston proved to be a whirlwind of renewing old acquaintances and making some new connections with talented people and their pretty, cool products.

More than 1,000 vendors exhibited their wares – from fabrics to sewing notions, patterns to ribbons, book publishers to sewing machines, buttons to batting – and many thousands more buyers and store owners flocked to the Lone Star State to see the shape of things to come.

The scene was bustling across thousands of square feet of floor space, a convenient “networking lounge” was created for attendees, and dozens of wide-ranging classes, workshops and seminars were held on numerous business and creative topics.

Michael Miller Booth

Yep, the well-run Oct. 27-29 trade show at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston showed the future for the homemade crafting community is bright. 

And, hopefully, will get even brighter.

Kokka/Echino

“There was such a lot of choice everywhere and people seemed upbeat about the business climate going into the holidays,” said Bianca Howell, the co-owner of Owl & Drum.

Tula Pink and her new collection Salt Water.

“It was really nice to say ‘Hi!’ again to the people from ArtGallery, Birch, Monaluna and other companies we buy from and to see their great new designs.

“And, while we were there, we picked up some new lines from cool companies like Windham Fabrics, Lecien, Cloud 9 Fabrics, Andover, Riley Blake and BlendFabrics, who are all doing some great work,” she added.

“We also found a new ribbon resource, as well as some wool felt, that we think our customers will like.”

Among the prevailing trends in the field of fabrics are woodland creatures, bright colors (especially neon), distinctive chevron shapes, and nautical themes and imagery. So, look for some of those designs in the store in the future . . .

Michael Miller

“I liked that there were so many organic materials being used by so many different companies,” said Owl & Drum co-owner Dani Weaver, who was attending the twice-yearly trade show for the second time.

“Organic cottons are becoming more and more popular with people. It’s good, because you can make great products with them and they're better for the environment. Our customers have been asking for them.”

The International Quilt Market is staged by Quilts, Inc., which produces three consumer shows and two trade shows each year that “set the standard for both the art and the business of quilting,” according to its website, quilts.com.

The next International Quilt Market will be held from May 17-19 in Portland, Oregon.

“I’m looking forward to going back to Portland," Howell said. "It's where I lived for five years and where I established the Urban Creatures’ recycled T-shirt jewelry and furnishings business with my great friend, Carla.

“There are so many great designers and different stores in Portland. It’ll be fun to see the new places that have opened since I left town.”

Also next year, the spring edition of the International Quilt Festival will return to the Chicago area after a three-year hiatus. The event will run from June 21-23 in Rosemont. The last time the event was held in 2010 more than 20,000 people attended. Other festivals will be held in Long Beach and Cincinnati in 2013, too.

For more information about the International Quilt Market, visit quilts.com, www.facebook.com/quiltfestival or www.twitter.com/quiltfestival.

Owl & Drum stocks more than 175 fabric bolts made by more than a dozen different designers and manufacturers. More fabrics are added on a regular basis, and they can be bought in the Tulsa store or at www.owlanddrum.com.

The 2810 E. 15th St. store also sells unique handmade gifts, jewelry and other items made by Tulsans, Oklahomans and artisans from Portland, Oregon, plus a wide variety of craft books, equipment and supplies.

Owl & Drum is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday, and from 12-4 p.m. Sundays. It is closed on Mondays.

For more information, call Bianca at 918-742-1404, visit www.owlanddrum.com, send an email to owlanddrum@gmail.com or follow the store on Facebook, Blogger.com, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram.

"Holiday Open House" Prize Winners

Owl & Drum customers Kara Lowry, Annie Ferris and Rennee Lenertz are the winners from our recent “Holiday Open House” in-store prize drawings.

Kara wins a multi-colored, one-of-a-kind Urban Creatures necklace, specially made by Owl & Drum co-owner Bianca Howell.

Annie wins a $25 gift certificate to spend in the midtown Tulsa store, while Rennee wins a pattern of her choice by Green Bee Design & Patterns.

“We had a really enjoyable first open house and we’re grateful to all our customers, old and new, who stopped by last weekend,” Howell said.

“People liked our ‘make-and-take’ gift table, especially children, where they had the chance to embellish glass ornaments with felt, feathers and confetti and make unique gift tags from fabric scraps.”

Owl & Drum’s inaugural “Holiday Open House” on Dec. 1-2 also featured a special trunk show from Green Bee, a leading pattern-making company from Nashville.

Attendees saw examples of Green Bee’s popular “Scoop Tote” bag, “Vera Bag,” and the “Amelia” dress – all of which are stocked at Owl & Drum – among other patterns and samples.

The star of the show was the spectacular Diamond Ring Quilt, a king-sized quilt made by Green Bee.

“Everybody who saw the quilt said they loved it,” Howell said. “People enjoyed seeing all of Green Bee’s different designs and samples – they really do create some beautiful patterns.”

For more details about upcoming events and classes at Owl & Drum, call Bianca at 918-742-1404, visit owlanddrum.com, or follow the store on Facebook, Twitter, Blogger.com, Pinterest and Instagram.

Q&A with Quilting Instructor Trina

    Trina Seagraves is an accomplished quilter and seamstress who lives in Broken Arrow, OK, with her husband, Josh. 
    She is the instructor for Beginning Quilting Classes at Owl & Drum, as well as the host for "Pinterest Parties" at the 2810 E. 15th Ave. store in Tulsa, OK. 
    Trina will be hosting Owl & Drum's Pinterest "Winter-themed Craft Party" from 6:30-8:30 Thursday, Nov. 29, and our Pinterest "Holiday-themed Craft Party" from 4-6 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 2.
    Trina will be teaching her next Beginning Quilting Class on Sunday, Jan. 13. Spaces are still available. People who are interested in taking the class can email Bianca Howell at owlanddrum@gmail.com.

When did you start teaching sewing classes?

I started teaching in October 2010. I always love showing people how to make the fun, easy things I create, and I want to share that with others. I think it is important to learn the techniques, but its also important to learn to relax and not be such a perfectionist that you take the fun out of quilting/sewing!

Do you come from a sewing/craft-making family?

No, but my mom has started to scrapbook over the last few years. She introduces me as, "Trina - she's the crafty one. I don't know where she got it from, because it wasn't from me!" Its a long introduction, but I'm glad my mom is proud enough of what I do and work on to take the time.

Do you find yourself working with certain colors/patterns/textures?

When I first started getting serious about making this - my hobby and my passion - I would use individual collections, and nothing else. Now, I find myself reaching outside of that box. I love mixing bold colors and big prints. If I were put on a fabric ration and could only buy one fat quarter a week for the next couple of months, I would pick stripes - big, bold stripes. I just love them so, and they are so much more versatile than most people might think!

When you are not sewing, what craft do you like to do?

I'm in a hardcore nesting phase right now, so I've been doing silly home decor items like painting empty picture frames and spray painting different thrift store finds to use around the house. I really love doing all sorts of things, especially mod podge projects! I avoid yarn, drawing and oil paint, though.

Describe your workspace or studio?

We live in a two-bedroom apartment, and the living room is my main working space. This is where I keep my most current projects. The floor is my giant supplies shelf, as I do my cutting and ironing sitting in the floor. 

Currently, the coffee table is holding a puzzle my husband and I are trying to get done in time for Christmas. We definitely live in this room and its getting harder and harder to hide all these craft projects when company comes over!

I also use the kitchen floor because it's big enough to act as a frame-painting space or a quilt-design wall, which is the state it is currently in. 
Our bedroom was a "craft-free zone" - until we started getting chilly nights! Now, I have a little cross-stitch project ready for the warm, comfy time before bed.

What do you like best about living in Broken Arrow?
My favorite thing about Broken Arrow is that when I walk on Main Street or on Dallas (the street I grew up on) I can feel like I'm at least somewhat connected to my immediate past, because my great grandma used to walk these same streets. This is home. I always wanted to live in Seattle or Chicago or somewhere like that. But, as I'm growing up and wanting to start my own family, I'm seeing that there really isn't any place better than home.

For more details about classes and special events at Owl & Drum, call Bianca Howell at 918-742-1404, visit www.owlanddrum.com or follow the store on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, Instagram and Blogger.com.

Join Us At Our "Holiday Open House"

We can’t wait for our biggest event of the holiday season! And it's coming up just around the corner . . .

Owl & Drum’s “Holiday Open House” will feature a special trunk show from a cutting-edge pattern-maker, a make-and-take table for customers, 20 percent off of all craft books in the store, prize drawings and light refreshments.

And the weekend of fabric-filled fun starts soon . . .

The first annual open house will be held from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 1, and 12-4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 2, at Owl & Drum, 2810 E. 15^th Ave., Tulsa, OK.

Prize drawings at the store will include patterns, gift certificates and a multi-colored, one-of-a-kind Urban Creatures necklace – specially made by Owl & Drum co-owner Bianca Howell.

"We'll have festive sweet treats and simple, but enjoyable, crafts for people of all ages to make and then take home," she said.

"I'm excited about our upcoming 'Holiday Open House' and, especially, Green Bee Design & Patterns' trunk show. They create some beautiful patterns and use a lovely range of silhouettes.

"People will like seeing first-hand the finished articles that can be made from their stylish patterns."

Green Bee, a cool company out of Nashville, has sent Owl & Drum a variety of samples – including dresses, bags, and other items – to show exactly what people can make with a bit of time and effort.

Attendees will be able to see examples of Green Bee’s popular “Scoop Tote” bag, “Vera Bag,” and the “Amelia” dress – all of which are stocked at Owl & Drum – among other patterns and samples.

Green Bee was established by Alexia Marcelle Abegg, Rob Bancroft and Michelle Abegg.

Alexia Marcelle Abegg, an artist, designer, seamstress and author, runs a sewing school in Nashville called STITCH.

“I began to work with fabric and stitches much like I had been doing with watercolor and paper,” she says on the company’s website, greenbeepatterns.com.

“Rather than following a pattern, like the quilters of past generations in my family, I began to improvise and develop an instinctual method.”

Her husband, Rob Bancroft, is an artist-turned-illustrator who  says “the transition from painting to print and pattern design was a natural evolution.”

His first fabric collection, MicroMod, from Cloud9 fabrics is due to debut in stores – and its arrival is eagerly anticipated at Owl & Drum! – in December.

Michelle Abegg has been an avid seamstress since childhood, designing everything from children's clothing to custom wedding gowns. She says it’s her “dream job” to be a designer with Green Bee Design & Patterns in Nashville, where she lives with her artist-photographer husband Jimmy Abegg.

Greenbeepatterns.com features free knitting patterns to download, information about stitching classes, “Shop Green Bee,” and examples of patterns, art and interesting journal entries.

The newest pattern, the Sophia cowl – Green Bee's first knitting pattern – is just one of the free downloads that are available on the website.

For more details about Owl & Drum’s upcoming “Holiday Open House” on Dec. 1-2, call Bianca at 918-742-1404, visit owlanddrum.com, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Blogger.com, Pinterest and Instagram.

Hey, We're Having a Cyber Sale!

It's the holidays and our Cyber Monday Sale is now on!

Owl & Drum has special Internet-only savings in our Etsy store and at owlanddrum.com.

Art Gallery Fabrics Focus On Chic Motifs

Beautiful florals, strong colors and abstract patterns are a hallmark of Art Gallery Fabrics, a Florida-based design company.

Owl & Drum currently stocks more than 20 bolts of fabric – including the elaborately named  “Night Glowing Daisies,” “Sweet Days Seashell,” “Afro Fusion Dusk” and “Splendor 1920” – made by the Miami firm that specializes in contemporary elegant quilts, patterns and collections.

Art Gallery Fabrics was established in 2004 by founders and owners Walter and Pat Bravo.

“Our desire to bring a chic and modern perspective to the quilting industry is what inspired us to start Art Gallery Fabrics,” the Bravos said.

“Since then, creativity, beauty and design have been our passions. And, to this day, they have not changed . . . We love to design fabrics that fit today’s modern lifestyle, while adding a chic, sophisticated touch.”

The company works with a talented design team – Pat Bravo and Bari J, plus the AGF In-House Studio – who create enticing color palettes and artful, intricate prints that make the fabrics one-of-a-kind statements.

Art Gallery Fabrics' 100 percent pima cotton fabrics are known for their exceptional quality and innovative design. It also offers its “Elements” blender lines.

Owl & Drum – which is located at 2810 E. 15th St. in Tulsa, OK – carries about 130 additional fabrics made by several other designers and manufacturers. More fabrics are being added each week, and they can be bought in the store or on its website.

The latest Art Gallery Fabrics collection to hit stores is “Splendor 1920,” designed by Bari J. Owl & Drum picked up five bolts of this group.

“We love their colors and art deco stylings,” said Bianca Howell, the co-owner of Owl & Drum.

Nouveau Geo Coral

Grandeur Bloom

Flights of Fancy

Decodence Primrose

English Garden

The store at 2810 E. 15th St. in Tulsa, OK, also sells about dozens of other fun, interesting fabrics. Plus, Owl & Drum offers unique jewelry and other items made by Tulsans, Oklahomans and artisans from Portland, Oregon, and northern California. It also sells craft books, equipment and supplies.

Owl & Drum is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday, and from 12-4 p.m. Sundays. The store is closed on Mondays.

For more information, call Bianca at 918-742-1404, visit www.owlanddrum.com, send an email to owlanddrum@gmail.com or follow us on Facebook, Blogger.com, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram.

Thanks For Backing "Beila's Bunch"

Every little step helps on the road to a cure . . .

Owl & Drum was proud to participate in the “Tulsa 2012 Walk For The Cure,” which was an important annual fund-raiser for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

This year’s event generated $107,296 for the JDRF, whose research goals are patient-focused on finding a cure for Type 1 diabetes and removing the disease from the lives of sufferers. The nonprofit also develops better ways to treat the disease and improve people’s lives, and to prevent Type 1 occurring in those most susceptible.

The 1.25-mile walk was held Saturday, Nov. 3, at the OU Tulsa Schusterman Center, 4502 E. 41st St.

Beila, Owl & Drum’s “special little friend,” has Type 1 juvenile diabetes and undertakes a daily routine to deal with the disease.

The family found out she had diabetes in the summer of 2011 and Beila, now age 6, began receiving an insulin shot as little as four times a day. Recently, she began using an insulin pump that feeds her insulin through a little tube.

Her mother, Sacha, and sisters Juniper and Kalliope supported Beila on last weekend’s walk, plus family and friends, as "Beila's Bunch."

The team walked with many others to help bring greater awareness  to the issue of juvenile diabetes.

Owl & Drum donated $100 to the JDRF, matching the money that customers put in a “Beila’s Bunch” donation jar on the counter of the store at 2810 E. 15th St.

“Thank you to the people who supported us on our walk,” said Bianca Howell, the co-owner of Owl & Drum.

“The donations to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation are much-appreciated. Beila and the rest of us on her team had a good time on a crisp, sunny morning in Tulsa.

“There were some fun activities for the kids – they had a Jupiter Jump and a climbing wall – and it was a good atmosphere on the walk. We will do it again next year, and we hope you can join us.”

For more information about the JDRF or Walk For The Cure, contact Shelbe Adams of the Tulsa Green Country Chapter at sadams@jdrf.org or 918-481-5807.

Over The Moon To Offer Monaluna

Among the 150 fabrics that Owl & Drum is delighted to offer are four stylish prints from a California company lead by a talented, versatile artist.

Jennifer Moore designs and sells modern, organic cotton fabric out of a100-year-old farmhouse in Walnut Creek for her burgeoning business, Monaluna.

Owl & Drum is currently featuring four fabrics from Monaluna’s Fox Hollow line - Foxy Too, Shroomy, A Is For Alphabet and Wonderland Blue – and will be adding more of the funky firm’s fabrics in the future.

Foxy Too

Shroomy

A is for Alphabet

Wonderland Blue

“We are big fans of woodland creatures, particularly owls, so we immediately fell in love with their collection called Fox Hollow,” said Bianca Howell, the co-owner of Owl & Drum.

“The response to Monaluna has been great. It is refreshing that our customers are actually asking for organic cottons. And people love Monaluna’s whimsical designs. ”

Moore began licensing her artwork for fabric four years ago. After designing several successful collections for Robert Kaufman Fabrics, she decided to launch her own collection of prints in 2010.

Monaluna has been well-received within the industry, garnering press and accolades, and proving popular at trade shows and events.

“I really enjoyed meeting Jennifer for the first time at the Spring Quilt Market last May in Kansas City,” Howell added. “And people will really like the new designs she debuted at the Fall Quilt Market last week in Houston. We’re looking forward to having them in our store in Tulsa.” 

Monaluna’s fabric is made from medium-weight poplin weave, which is ideal for quilting, apparel and baby and childrens’ items, plus home accessories, too. The firm’s fabric is made in India from 100 percent organic cotton.

“Starting in 2011, all of our collections meet the Global Organic Textile Standard, or GOTS, which ensures that production is both ecologically and socially responsible,” Moore says on her website’s blog at monaluna.com.

“Our older collections  - Monaco, Marin and Anika - are made from organic cotton, but printed conventionally with AZO-free dyes.”

A graduate of the University of Minnesota, where she earned a degree in cultural anthropology and design, Moore has enjoyed an interesting and varied career in many aspects of product design.

She has worked in toy design for Manhattan Toy,  childrens' apparel for Target and decorative accessory design for Pottery Barn Kids.

But with the creation of Monaluna two years ago, Moore decided to follow her own creative path in textile and surface design.

Monaluna and its fabrics have been featured in numerous publications, including Stitch, Modern Patchwork, Modern Quilting, Sew News, Mary Jane’s Farm, American Quilt Retailer, Making, Handmade Living, Living Crafts and Do It Yourself.

Moore says on her website that her  “creative inspiration infuses both her business and personal life.”

She also says she “strives to create a life that is in balance, where her work and home are both informed by her love of beauty, nature, art and creative projects.”

Owl & Drum stocks dozens of fabric bolts made by seven designers and manufacturers. More fabrics are added on a regular basis, and they can be bought in the Tulsa store or on its website at www.owlanddrum.com.

The 2810 E. 15th St. store also sells unique jewelry and other items made by Tulsans, Oklahomans and artisans from Portland, Oregon, plus a variety of craft books, equipment and supplies.

Owl & Drum is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday, and from 12-4 p.m. Sundays. It is closed on Mondays.

For more information, call Bianca at 918-742-1404, visit www.owlanddrum.com, send an email to owlanddrum@gmail.com or follow us on Facebook, Blogger.com, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram.

Birch Fabrics Evoke Style From Iconic Era

For Cynthia Mann, it all started with a love of style from a distinctive era.

“My own home was built in the 1950s,” she told Sew Hip, a UK crafts magazine, in an article titled ‘Devoted To Fabric.’

“It’s a design style that I completely connect with – simplistic and colorful – and seemed a perfect fit.”

She established Birch Fabrics in 2009 with the aim of creating 100 percent organic cottons in colorful, adventurous palates to appeal to the quilting and crafting community.

Ellie Fam in Grey

And the company’s first collection debuted in January 2010. 

“Circa 50,” which was designed by Jennifer Moore of Monaluna, was described by Mann as having an “(Charles and Ray) Eames-era appeal with whimsical juvenile accents that lend themselves perfectly to nursery bedding, while still being sophisticated enough for pillows on your sofa or curtains in your craft room.”

The fabrics evoke colorful 1950s themes including iconic automobiles, houses, chairs and woodland creatures.

Birch Fabrics, based in Paso Robles, California, makes vibrant organic, environmentally-friendly fabrics for today’s crafters and quilters.

Mann started with an interest in sewing and developed an “obsession” with fabric a few years after graduating from college, as her friends and siblings began having babies.

The company recently announced its two Spring 2013 collections that will be debuted at the Fall Quilt Market in Houston, Texas, in late October.

Birch Fabrics' newest designer, Emily Isabella, is a talented artist and a country girl at heart.

“She's passionate about organic fabric - just like us,” Mann writes on the company’s website, www.birchfabrics.com.

“We are so excited that Emily has joined our team … Her debut collection, Yay! Day!, is her first quilt fabric collection, but Emily has been designing textiles, among other things, for years.”

Birch Fabrics has also launched a new line of baby and toddler bedding called Birch Organic.

The California company’s collections also include Robotic, Set Sail, Safari Soiree, Commute , Storyboek Two and Mod Squad.

Currently, Owl & Drum carries 4 blue-and-green and coral-and-teal fabrics from the fun Mod Squad range.

Rally in Green/Cream

Stem Floral in Coral

Mod Squad in Green

Rally in Cream/Coral

The fabrics incorporate iconic images from the London of the “Swinging ‘60s” era, namely the scooters and mopeds, the logo for the Underground trains (or “Tube”), jangling guitars, raindrops, taxi cabs, the Big Ben clocktower and the Royal Air Force “target” logo that was so beloved of the Mods.

Owl & Drum stocks about 100 additional fabrics made by seven designers and manufacturers. More fabrics are being added each week, and they can be bought in the Tulsa store or on its website at www.owlanddrum.com.

The 2810 E. 15th St. store also sells unique jewelry and other items made by Tulsans, Oklahomans and artisans from Portland, Oregon. It also sells a variety of craft books, equipment and supplies.

Owl & Drum is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday, and from 12-4 p.m. Sundays. It is closed on Mondays.

For more information, call Bianca at 918-742-1404, visit www.owlanddrum.com, send an email to owlanddrum@gmail.com or follow us on Facebook, Blogger.com, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram. 

Morgan Wins Gift Certificate!

A big shout out goes to our blog follower Morgan Phillips!

She's the lucky recipient of a $25 gift certificate to Owl & Drum after having her name selected at random. Thanks for signing up for our blog postings, Morgan!

We would like to thank all the people who entered our blog drawing. It was a huge success and we look forward to doing more contests in the future.

To learn more about Owl & Drum, visit our online store at owlanddrum.com and check out our pages on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, Etsy and Twitter.

We regularly post items about fun events happening in our store and about new products and classes.

All the best,
Bianca and Dani

"Beila's Bunch" Walk For Juvenile Diabetes Cure

Owl & Drum is excited to participate in the upcoming Tulsa 2012 Walk For The Cure, an important fund-raiser for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

And we are hoping our friends and customers will help us raise some much-needed money – or join our team on the 1.25-mile walk – to help find a cure for this debilitating disease. 

This year’s Walk For The Cure will begin with registration at 9 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 3, at the OU Tulsa Schusterman Center, 4502 E. 41st St. The walk starts at 10 a.m. For those of you who are into something a little more challenging there will be a 5K run. The run begins at 9 a.m. Click here for the run registration.

The annual event generates funds for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, whose research goals are patient-focused on finding a cure for Type 1 diabetes and removing the disease from the lives of sufferers. The nonprofit also develops better ways to treat the disease and improve people’s lives, and to prevent Type 1 occurring in those most susceptible.

Owl & Drum’s “special little friend,” Beila, has Type 1 juvenile diabetes and has to go through a daily routine to deal with the disease.

Her family found out she had diabetes in the summer of 2011 and Beila, now age 6, began receiving an insulin shot as little as four times a day. Recently, she began using an insulin pump that feeds her insulin through a little tube.

Her mother, Sacha, and sisters Juniper and Kalliope will be supporting Beila on next month’s walk, plus many family and friends, as team "Beila's Bunch."

We hope you can join us on Nov. 3 or sponsor our walkers. "We look forward to a fun walk that means a lot to our family" says Beila's mother Sacha.

For more details on Beila's Bunch, call Bianca at 918-742-1404 or send an email to owlanddrum@gmail.com.

We also have a JDRF donation jar on the counter of our store at 2810 E. 15^th St. in Tulsa. Owl & Drum will be matching the donations given in the store.

Here's a little video about a day in the life of Beila.

For more information about the 2012 Walk For The Cure, contact Shelbe Adams of the Tulsa Green Country Chapter at sadams@jdrf.org or 918-481-5807.

Grooving To Melody Miller's Vinyl Fabrics

Writer, painter and fabric designer Melody Miller is a hard-working renaissance woman with a heightened sense of style and a love of cool retro designs.

Her newest fabrics feature “Old School” vinyl records, a range of very colorful throwbacks to the era of 33RPMs and 45RPMs that are made of a 60-inch-wide lightweight cotton/linen blend.

Miller debuted the fabrics at her booth at the Spring 2012 International Quilt Market in Kansas City, Missouri, last May, which was where Owl & Drum co-owners Bianca Howell and Dani Weaver placed orders for two varieties of the distinctive fabrics.

The 12-inch vinyl-inspired fabrics are now at Owl & Drum at 2810 E. 15^th St. in Tulsa.

The Kansas City event was the first time she had hosted quilt market booth, and she said it was a “fantastic experience” to meet customers in person, as well as other designers and vendors. She said having her husband, Greg, along for the event was “super fun . . . and he loved everyone he met.”

Her other fabrics include: Ruby Star Shining, which feature deep-orange electric typewriters on a blue background; Ruby Star Spring, which use dragonflies as the motif; and Ruby Star Rising, which focus on old viewfinder reels from the 1970s.

Miller has also designed a range of Gelaskins, which are coverings for smartphones, laptops, e-readers, iPads and gaming systems, based on the vinyl prints in her new spring fabric line.

There’s definitely no moss on this fashion rolling stone: Miller also has a new book coming out – it’s due in stores in late October on the Roost Books imprint.

“Ruby Star Wrapping: Creative Packaging to Reuse, Regive and Relove,” which she wrote with her friend Allison Tannery, is a testament  to fun, but frugal, wrapping ideas and minimizing unnecessary waste during the holidays and for birthday gifts.

The duo decided to organize the book based upon the different types of gifts being given – be it fragile, bulky, thin or flat – and created several packaging projects for readers  choose from.

Miller said the business-minded Tannery helped her hone the focus of her work had that they had talked for quite awhile about collaborating on a book.

“We always talked about writing a book together - she loves to write and I love to make stuff - so it seemed like a perfect combination,” she said on her website, melodymiller.typepad.com.

And then Miller had her literary epiphany prior to Christmas 2010.

“I had been thinking for several months about a gift wrap concept for a book, and then I saw the ‘Green Grocery Bag Challenge’ on (the popular website) Sew, Mama, Sew!,” she said.

“The idea is to wrap your holiday gifts in handmade, reusable grocery bags to cut down on the millions of tons of wrapping paper and plastic bag waste that end up in landfills every year.

“Suddenly, I was inspired! I could write an entire book about handmade reusable gift packaging. I thought grocery bags were a fantastic starting point, and I wanted to explore packaging options for gifts of all different shapes and sizes. 

“Allison found this statistic from the Sierra Club: if every American family wrapped just three gifts this year in something that could be reused, we would save enough paper to fill 45,000 football fields. That seemed like all the incentive we needed to start our book.”

And the book was very much a family affair: Miller’s husband, Greg, took the photographs for the book; while Tannery’s husband, Blake, undertook layout, design and art direction duties.

The photo shoot for the book was staged at their “dream location” – Elsie Larson's Red Velvet Shop, a “dreamy” old downtown building full of architectural details , vintage objects and huge windows in Springfield, Missouri.

“I'm so pleased with this book, and hope you will be, too,” Miller said. “This fall, at Quilt Market, I'll be devoting my booth to my new fall line for Kokka, as well as this book.”

For more information about Melody Miller’s fabrics, book, paintings and gelaskins, visit www.melodymiller.typepad.com.

For more details about Owl & Drum, which carries more than 100 fabrics made by several designers, crafts supplies and tools, plus numerous unique gifts, visit www.owlanddrum.com.

The 2810 E. 15th St. store also sells many other items made by Tulsans, Oklahomans and artisans from Portland, Oregon, plus a variety of craft books.

Owl & Drum is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday, and from 12-4 p.m. Sundays. The store is closed on Mondays, but it's open every day online.

For more information, call Bianca at 918-742-1404, send an email to owlanddrum@gmail.com, or follow us on Facebook, Blogger.com, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram.

Q&A with Casey from OSO Handmade

    Casey Maute is the artist behind the unique designs of OSO Handmade, based in Stillwater, OK. She has been creating and selling jewelry since 2008, and she loves using bright colors and geometric shapes in her creations.

    Casey lives in Stillwater with her husband, Ross, who creates prints and T-shirts under the company name Pop Prints, and her cat named Cupcake.

    She works in communications for Oklahoma State University, where she does a lot of writing and designing for OSU. And Casey loves food trucks, all things Disney, social media and bears!

Do you come from a craft-making family? 

Growing up, I was always really creative and loved doing all kinds of arts and crafts, but I didn't remember my mom being that way. My sister definitely wasn't! Now that I'm grown, when I visit my mom, she always shows me the projects she is working on. She's big into mixed media art pieces, so I knew my crafty sense came from somewhere!

Describe your workspace/studio and describe your work habits? 

I am thankful to have a house where I have a room dedicated just for crafts! It can kind of be a mess at times because there are usually five projects going on at one time, but I love having the extra space. I usually have a table set up for trying new craft show displays and I always have the TV on. 

I work full time, so I usually craft a couple nights a week. When I have shows coming up, I will make sure to get in at least 2-3 productive hours of work in a night. I usually have to close the door whenever I am stringing necklaces, though, because my cat hears them from a mile away and thinks it's play time. She loves swatting at them while they are dangling from my fingers.

If you could pick up a new craft tomorrow which one would it be?

I love stuffed animals and plushies, so if I could sew better - that is what I'd make! It'd be so fun to create my own characters.

Do you participate in craft fairs or bazaars? 

Yes, it's my favorite thing! Some shows that I have done and hope to continue doing for years to come are Deluxe Indie Craft Bazaar in OKC, The Alliday Show in Tulsa and Dustbowl Arts Market in Norman. I've met so many amazing artists through these and never leave without spending a good chunk of my profit at other booths.

Who is your favorite fashion designer? And why?
To be honest, I admire and love what fashion designers do, but I don't really have a favorite. I could never do what they do, so I just sit back and enjoy what they put out. I'm a T-shirt kind of girl when I'm not at work. I will say, my closet is full of amazing indie shirt designers like Bombs Away, Seibei, Dowdy Studio, RainbowSwirlz and I have to say. . . Pop Prints! I like knowing that the shirt I am wearing is supporting an independent artist. Plus, the stuff they put out is really awesome.

Come and see OSO Handmade jewelry and other artisans at Owl & Drum, now open in Tulsa, Oklahoma, at 2810 E. 15th St. For more details, visit www.owlanddrum.com or call Bianca at 918-742-1404