Leah Duncan Fabrics Debut At Owl & Drum

Leah Duncan has many arrows to her creative bow.

And fabric - her latest artistic endeavor - is sure to hit the bulls-eye, too!

Already a successful greeting card and tea towel designer-illustrator-printer, her first-ever range of fabrics for Art Gallery Fabrics have just been released - and Owl & Drum is thrilled to have five different bolts of Duncan's debut designs.

"After seeing lots of bright colors in fabric collections, I was delighted to find these pastel hues in Leah Duncan's collection," said Bianca Howell, the co-owner of Owl & Drum.

"When I was living in Portland, I saw her cards in a little shop on Belmont Street and was inspired by her organic illustrations. The cards are beautifully illustrated and she uses a wonderful range of colors."

Duncan's collection of 100 percent premium cotton fabrics - titled "Tule" - feature interesting symmetrical and geometric shapes in distinctive colorways.

The five fabric bolts that have just been put on Owl & Drum's shelves are:

Terrain Cactus - featuring pale green spots on a white background, interspersed with orange and yellow dots;

Mojave Illuminated - featuring dark blue triangles on a white background, complemented by smaller green, orange and yellow triangles;

Windmarks Arid - featuring a chevron design of blue, peach, yellow and silver-gray dots on a white background;

Mojave Opaque - featuring white triangles on a peach background, plus random pea green, peach and silver-gray triangles;

and Native Fringe Solar - featuring geometric lines of orange, white and peach shapes in a Southwestern style.

Duncan is an Austin-based illustrator and textile designer who creates artwork inspired by nature, folk art and her love of children's illustrations. Each of her archival prints are created with pigment inks for long-lasting quality.

"Leah's collections are influenced by her Native American roots, mixing hand-drawn details with bright, eye-catching color combinations that will bring you to a world where folk meets modern," according to www.artgalleryfabrics.com.

Her wide range of greeting cards - depicting different types of flowers, as well as rabbits, buffalo, deer, whales, quails and other animals - are printed on entirely recycled paper.

Duncan also makes limited edition cotton tea towels that have proved popular with Owl & Drum customers since the store opened in midtown Tulsa a year ago.

"People just seem to love Leah's style," Howell said. "She's a very talented artist and designer."

For more details about Duncan and her creations, check out her website at www.leahduncan.com.

For more details about Hollywood, Fla.-based Art Gallery Fabrics, visit www.artgalleryfabrics.com.

For more details about Owl & Drum - which carries about 300 fabrics made by many different 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 wide variety of craft books.

Owl & Drum is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday. The store is closed on Sundays and Mondays, but it's open every day online at www.owlanddrum.etsy.com.

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.

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.

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.