Many great new fabrics are arriving at Owl & Drum on a
weekly (and, often, daily!) basis from numerous different companies – including
some great new looks from FreeSpirit Fabrics.
The company, a division of Westminster Fibers, based in
Charlotte, N.C., features dozens upon dozens of fabrics designed by many
popular artisans in the fabric field.
Among the new fabrics by FreeSpirit that are now in stock at
Owl & Drum are licensed designs by Erin McMorris, Valori Wells, Joel Dewberry and Jenean
Morrison.
The latest group to hit the shelves are McMorris' new fabrics called “Trixie In Blue,” “Buttercup in Bubble Gum” and “Talk Talk In Bubble Gum” from her collection called Moxie.
“Erin's fabrics feature great designs and use great colors,” said Bianca Howell, the co-owner of Owl & Drum. "They're very unique."
McMorris studied graphic design at the University of Cincinnati and then textile design at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City.
On her website, erinmc.com, she said she's since “doodled, drawn and designed” in London, San Francisco and New York, while "currently resting her laptop" in Portland, Oregon.
McMorris' designs and patterns have been used in a wide variety of products, including bedding, women's and children's apparel, paper products, and towels. She has sold or licensed her designs to 11 different companies, including Michael Miller Fabrics.
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| Trixie in Black |
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| Buttercup in Bubble Gum |
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| Talk Talk in Bubble Gum |
Morrison has created a collection named “In My Room,” four
different styles of which recently arrived at Owl & Drum’s midtown Tulsa
store.
The designs – “Happy Place,” “Nook,” “Sunday Paper” and
“Shade Tree” – are all made from 100 percent cotton.
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| Happy Place |
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| Nook |
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| Sunday Paper |
“Jenean’s designs feature interesting geocentric shapes,
mixed with modern florals,” Howell said.
“The color palettes of oranges, browns, greens and pinky reds give a really
nice feel for the season.”
She has also created new fabrics called “Grand Hotel,”
“Powerpop” and “Silent Cinema” for FreeSpirit’s fall season. Her debut
collection for FreeSpirit was called “Moondance.”
Morrison, who lives in Memphis with her husband, writes on
her blog that she’s been “a creative free spirit” since early childhood.
“I always found it easiest to express myself through a
drawing or a craft project,” she said.
“I describe my style as eclectic modern. I’m drawn to modern
design, but love the randomness of eclecticism and intricate design. I’m
inspired by classic design form, which I strive to modernize – with a unique
and interesting twist!”
In addition to creating cool fabrics, Morrison was thrilled
recently to be commissioned to create two exclusive paintings for the Mirage
Hotel in Las Vegas.
“Prints of the paintings will hang in over 700 rooms - Viva
Las Vegas!”
To appeal to as broad an audience as possible, she has also
created a design brand called Posh Pattern by Jenean.
“The program has been successful beyond my wildest dreams
and we now license design collections for use on giftwrap, stationery,
partyware, scrapbooking kits and much more,” she said.
For more details, visit www.poshpattern.com or
jeneanmorrison.typepad.com.
Another new FreeSpirit fabric collection in stock at
owlanddrum.com is called “Notting Hill” by Joel Dewberry, a prolific designer,
artist and craftsman.
The second oldest of seven children, Dewberry grew up in a
home where he said he was “introduced early on to the excitement of expressing
his creativity through a variety of artistic mediums.”
His father and mother, a renowned artist herself, nurtured
his natural inclination toward the arts and “encouraged developing it into my
life's work,” Dewberry writes on his blog.
The graphic design graduate of Brigham Young University in Utah worked in brand development and corporate identity (including the home and
textiles markets) in the Pacific Northwest before “realizing his ultimate
reward” by launching his own textiles brand – Joel Dewberry Eclectic Modern – in May 2007.
“Joel's superb sense of harmonizing an eclectic mix of
design styles into a cohesive fabric collection has drawn him respect and
attention as it delivers a modern, yet timeless, style,” according to
freespiritfabric.com.
Valori Wells’ newly-created fabric collection for FreeSpirit is titled “Novella.”
Owl & Drum is also happy to have the collection lines
called “Zigzag Indigo,” “Rain” and “Finnelopy” in stock.
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| Zig Zag Indigo |
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| Rain |
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| Finnelopy |
Zigzag Indigo features four shades of blue and white in a
chevron pattern; Rain has medium- and dark-orange raindrops on a light-blue
background; and Finnelopy, which details white birch trees, with green-and-pink
ivy, blue-petaled flowers and little orange butterflies.
Wells (who, additionally, created the “Wrenly Christmas”
collection for the fall season) has been designing fabric patterns in her rural
hometown of Sisters in central Oregon for the last six years.
“People really like chevron patterns at the moment; they’re
very popular,” said Howell, who runs Owl & Drum with her business partner,
Dani Weaver. “So, I think our customers will very much like Valori’s new
designs.”
Wells draws her inspiration from nature and the Oregon
landscape, using photography to capture the images and scenes she wants to
re-create in her quilting and fabric designs.
“A designer at heart, she sees ideas and is able to capture
them in her artistic endeavors,” according to freespiritfabric.com.
A graduate of the Pacific Northwest College of Art – where
she earned the school's “Outstanding Photographer of the Year” award in 1997 -
she creates patterns and book covers, while also running her family’s store,
The Stitchin’ Post, in Sisters.
Wells is the author of two books, titled “Stitch ‘n’ Flip”
and “Radiant New York Beauties,” and has co-authored four books on gardening
and quilting with her mother, Jean.
“Valori finds that working in a quilt shop gives her a view
into what customers want in fabric,” FreeSpirit’s website states. “She takes
what she learns from her customers and her own desires for fabric to create
original designs.”
For more information about the new collections, visit
freespiritfabric.com, which includes photos and details about hundreds of
fabrics, patterns, accessories, supplies and finished products.
For more details about Owl & Drum – Tulsa’s one-stop
shop for fabrics, homemade gifts and craft supplies – call Bianca at
918-742-1404, visit owlanddrum.com, or follow the store on Facebook, Twitter,
Blogger.com, Pinterest and Instagram.
