Peacock Pavilions...... oh my....

January 27, 2016

Hello...

I have been working on my newest collection of fabric for fall...the designing phase and got so caught up yesterday that I forgot to post... good grief. At least it was because I was on a really good roll....Anyhow....

One of the things I loved about the way that Maryam from Peacock Pavilions decorated was her ability to put all of us (12) at a table and it felt seamless...she layered her table cloths. Love the idea. (I am sure that for some of you this is old news :-) ) I don't have one long enough tablecloth for our table when the entire family is over so now I just layer three different cloths. I took two - 2 yard pieces of Mystic and stitched them around the edges like you would a pillow. Turned them right side out and pressed. Whipped stitched the opening and took my walking foot and ran some stitching to secure the two pieces of fabric. So easy... they wash well and they are two sided! Bonus!

Part of why I want to share this place with you is for the design that is incorporated into every aspect of this place....

The dining tent...

The stenciling on the tent... amazing.... the floor is covered in soft Berber rugs (no shoes allowed).

This is the main living area of the house we stayed in. There are two houses apart from the main house. These two houses are were the guest stay. The main house is the families living quarters, the kitchen and the main living communal area...

Artifacts from all over Africa adorn the houses....as well as kitties!

view from the roof top...

The main house....

The property they own has a olive grove on it...the small batches of olive oil produced from their grove is really yummy.

And yes they do have peacocks....they used to roam free but they found that they had no disregard for interiors....and that is hard to get out of a Berber rug!!

Scout the resident lab!

The pool....

The path from my house through the olive grove to the main house. They are called meditation paths because the stones are either a little too close together or a little too far apart in turn making you conscious of each and every step. I loved starting my morning walking this path being in the moment noticing the small delicate details of the ground cover and the olive trees.

Our crew....

Mystic Blue blog winner is Sarah M. (you have been emailed).... Thank you all for you wonderful comments.....I am so in love with blue, glad to know I am not alone!

This trip through the inspiration of Mystic is winding down... The last post will be on Monday.... I have some bundles of the entire collection to give away... Three to be exact! Leave a comment....See you then!

Valori

Mystic Blue

January 22, 2016

Happy Friday!!!

It is a beautiful blue sky day here in Sisters...perfect day to share with you my Mystic Blue quilt that is made out of the blue palette in the Mystic collection and Kona Cottons.

This quilt is a mixture of design elements seen in the rugs and the variety of blues you experience while visiting Morocco.

I already love blue... and now I am completely enamored by blue....

I really enjoyed quilting this quilt... embracing the solid areas for Moroccan elements of design.

Mystic Blue will be a Sewing Card available late January.

And now for Moroccan blue inspiration....

The Riad Idra in Marrakesh.

The doors...

Amy and I....

Jardins Majorelle - this garden was incredible with the marjorelle blue everywhere.

How could you not fall in love with blue!??

The winner of the last blog post is Ann (you have been emailed)...

A bundle of blue Mystic up for a giveaway... Just leave a comment and the winner will be picked on Tuesday....

XOXO

Valori

A little embroidery...

January 20, 2016

Hello Friends....

I love embroidery. Over the years I have embroidered bits and pieces of my fabric designs. Adding stitching to quilts, bags, and pillows whatever I can think of that will add a little more texture and color to a project. My flora design in Mystic is perfect for embroidery.

I like to make something for my mom at Christmas and this year at the last minute I decided to embroidery on the grey canvas Flora to make into a pillow for her. It is perfect colors for her house. This is the modern canvas from Robert Kaufman so it is light weight compared to traditional canvas. It is perfect for pillows and bags...

I added some gold piping which worked really well at accenting the gold in the embroidery. The great thing about taking a printed fabric and adding embroidery is that you don't have to embroider the entire pillow. Just add to the design of the fabric. My mom loved it...

She has now started one for a friend of hers.... it is in progress so I thought I would show you how easy it is to embroider a little fabric and make something...

Here we go in progress. I use three strands of the Aurifil embroidery floss. Tie a knot in one end and use the design printed on the fabric as your guide.

It is that simple.... I like to use a couple of colors in the flower. But it is up to you... maybe an variegated thread. There are so many great fabrics out there that would be perfect for this technique.

I have to share a few photos of Morocco that inspired this new design Flora, from Mystic. It is not a specific flower but the essence of the flora in Morocco...created into a stencil like design....something simple but dramatic.

The roses at Peacock Pavilions were amazing...

The stenciled door in our house at Peacock Pavilions....

And a little henna to round it out.....

The winner of the Gypsum blog bundle giveaway is..... Robin (you have been emailed).

I have more fabric to give away... and with this bundle I am going to include some of the canvas.. just leave a comment to be entered to win. Winner announced on the next blog post this Friday....

Have a great day!!!

xoxox

Valori

Just in case you would like to come to Morocco and do a little creating and exploring... YA SALAM

Amy Butler’s Ya Salam Exotic Getaway! Marrakesh Morocco
November 5 - 12 2016

Join Amy and David Butler and creative guru Val Wells for an exciting inspiration expedition exploring Marrakesh and all of it’s exotic inspirations!
Our week together will be filled with creative workshops mixed with day trips that take us to fascinating, colorful locals! We’ll scour the souks, visit
historic sites in Marrakesh and have a full day in the Atlas Mountains taking in the natural beauty and tour the rural Berber villages. Our home base
is the gorgeous Peacock Pavilions. Many of our meals and events will take place at the Pavilions including our creative
workshop sessions. You are in for a treat!

Gypsum

January 15, 2016

Happy Friday!!!

I wanted to share with you my Gypsum Quilt made out of the black and white palette of Mystic, for Robert Kaufman.

Gypsum was inspired by the Berber Rugs in Morocco and the gep carvings throughout the architecture in Marrakesh. Geps are the carved plasterwork used for upper wall, ceilings, tops of pillars, arches, or peaks... they can be ribbons framing windows and doors. I first saw geps in the Riad Idra in Marrakesh.

I love the Berber rugs... and what is surprising to me is how few photos I have of them. They are very simple and usually geometric, two color designs. The rug designs mixed with the stenciling at the Peacock Pavilions, I was bound to be inspired to do a black and white color way of Mystic and a quilt.

My room at Peacock Pavilions was even neutral....

Once this quilt was done I decided to quilt the Hand of Fatima mixed with designs reminiscent of the geps.

Mayram has an amazing collection of Hands of Fatima at Peacock Pavilions.

I love how the quilting turned out....

So does Ollie....

I have to share a few more images from Morocco that inspired the black and white palette in Mystic.

I hope you enjoyed the inspirational journey of Gypsum. The pattern for Gypsum will be available through The Stitchin' Post this month. I will keep you updated.

The winner from the Kantha Stitching blog post is... Solange (you have been emailed).

As with each quilt and project I share of Mystic there will be a bundle of fabric to win. Leave a comment to be entered... I will announce winner on Tuesday.

Hope you have an Awesome weekend....

XOXO

Valori

OH... One more really important thing. My good friend Amy has her newest Blossom Magazine Live... If you want to be inspired...find some love....some meaning... go check it out. Our trip to Morocco is in there and the exciting announcement that there is a new Morocco Artist Retreat in November 2016... and I am going to be teaching with Amy.....

Interrupting the silence...

November 12, 2015

I am interrupting the recent silence on my blog (haha) to talk about a friend of mine’s new book. I am very lucky to be friends with some amazing people in our industry and Sarah Filke is one of them. Sarah is a resident of Australia. She came and taught at Quilter’s Affair last summer and was given rave reviews from her students.

I am excited to share with you her new book… Old Quilts, New Life

In this book Sarah selected 9 quilts from the American Folk Art Museum in New York and used them as the inspiration for her 18 quilts. She asked me if I had a favorite antique quilt that I would like to share…. Why yes I do!

I love this quilt! The contrasting fabric used in the chevrons intrigued me. I loved the varying widths of the rows and how the fabrics were all over the place but the way they are arranged made the quilt work. (I was privileged to see it in person at the Houston International Quilt Show in the Kaffe Fassett showcase.) I was so inspired by this quilt and my recent collection of fabric Mystic, inspired by Morocco, that I had to make something.

My something is this….

The Souks

The souks are the market place in the center of Marrakesh that I enjoyed winding through, finding treasures and seeing the craftsmen at work. The colors are vivid and the smell at times intense but so full of life I found myself sucked into a magical place.

The antique chevron quilt was a maze of color but yet felt organized…. That is the Souks!

Stay tuned for more about the Souks of Marrakesh and the new Mystic fabric!

Valori

Color of the Week... Celestial

April 2, 2015

Celestial

Celestial is a luscious deep teal...rich and vibrant.

I love to knit with this color!

The last Color of the Week. This has been an adventure for me. Finding photographs that I have taken over the years that fit (sometimes I have stretched this notion) the Color of the Week has been challenging but very rewarding. I am more aware of color and the variety of colors.

Thank you for following this journey that started with an idea for a collection of fabric and turned into a year of seeing color. Love it....so much!

I plan on continuing a weekly blog of inspiration. Leaving my options of images open to fit a variety of creative subjects...texture, line, emotion, color, etc. I love the challenge of seeing something new in my everyday.

XOXO

Valori

PS.... I totally forgot to put this in last weeks post...

Color of the Week... Stone

March 19, 2015

Stone

Stone is a beautiful grey....It leans towards the warmer side. I have a love for grey...all shades of it. It is a beautiful neutral that can make any color sing.

Only two weeks until the final Color of the Week.... so many fabulous giveaways...stay tuned!

Have a great day!

Valori

Color of the Week... Ice

March 7, 2015

Ice

So sorry that this is two days late... I just sent out my fall collection of fabric to Robert Kaufman and was so consumed Ice fell by the wayside....

Ice is almost a sky blue...a little deeper and more on the purple side of blue.

Enjoy your day!

XOXO

Valori

Color of the Week... Orange Spice

February 19, 2015

Orange Spice

Orange Spice...

There is something about this orange that makes me think of winter... warm fires and hot cider.

I think I am finally on the up side of the flu...This time of year is so hard with the kids and the germs...

Hope you have a great day!!

XOXO

Valori

Color of the Week... Steel

February 12, 2015

Steel

Steel... soft greys.. beautiful sun aged wood.

Even though the name implies metal...

This time of year is very grey in Central Oregon...so I love to try and find some simple beauty within Winter. The sage brush stalks on a wet morning hike stood out beautifully along the side of the trail. My husband and dog patiently waited for me to snap some photos.

Have a great day!

Valori

Color of the Week.... Purple

February 5, 2015

Purple

Purple...Kona Solid... a very royal color. (Not one I take a lot of photos of.....) It is very dark and rich leaning to the blue side of the color spectrum.

Finishing Purple with a little words of wisdom with a purple push pin!

Have a great day!

Valori

Color of the Week... Chinese Blue

January 30, 2015

Chinese Blue

One of my biggest challenges is naming colors and designs... I named all of the Blueprint Basics a couple of years ago and I have no idea why I came up with Chinese Blue for this Stacked Books design. I love the color....I saw a lot of it in Morocco. So, so, many blues in Morocco, which is one of the colors I struggle to find in my library of photographs. I now look for blues all the time...

I normally only use my photography in the Color of the Week but this painting really spoke to me and I thought it was a perfect example of Chinese Blue....

Have a great day!!!

Valori

Color of the Week... Walnut

January 23, 2015

Walnut

Walnut...soft cool brown with hints of yellow. The color of shells, walls, & wood.

Marrakech...

Have a great day!

I will be spending the day cuddled on the couch recovering from the flu...

Valori

Color of the Week... Sangria

January 8, 2015

Sangria

Sangria makes me think of hot summer afternoon bbq...especially on these cold winter days.

Sangria made up of layers of red...deep and complex, light and sweet.

Hope you are staying warm this January day...

Have a great day!

Valori

Color of the Week... Moss

December 3, 2014

Moss

Deep in the forest under the canopy of trees you will find moss...It has a luxurious quality within the texture and color.

Have a great day!!

Valori

Color of the Week... Coastal Fog

November 20, 2014

Coastal Fog

I am running late on Color of the Week this week.... Jet lag has taken over my life the past two days... But my adventure to Morocco was a trip of a lifetime and I would do it again tomorrow.

Coastal Fog reminds me of a overexposed, old black and white photograph...I am excited to share a few images that I took in Morocco that make me think of Coastal fog...as far as a fabric goes this subtle beauty is a great neutral.

When you accidently push a button on your phone and take a photo... love a happy accident!

I am editing my photos from Morocco and can't wait to share this beautiful place and people with you.

Have a great day!

Valori

Color of the Week... Bamboo

November 6, 2014

Bamboo

I truly have come to LOVE this color... Yellow has come a long way from "sunshine" and "lemon"....a nice bold gold with a hint of green...the new yellow!

I am off to Morocco today for an Artist Retreat. My stomach is filled with butterflies of excitment and nerves.... it will be a trip of a life time for me.

Have a great week!!!

Valori

Color of the Week... Turkish Sea

October 23, 2014

Turkish Sea

This blue has a slight green tint too it when you look next to a true blue. I love that feel. It is refreshing and calming...

At market this week... lots of fun and inspiration to be shared after the trip. Have a great day!!

Valori

Ashton Road Candy Picnic...

October 14, 2014

Ashton Road was released the end of July....for my collections to release complete I like to do a "look book" for the salesmen and women to show to shop owners when they show the fabric for the first time. The look book is full of inspirational photographs and projects. Some of the projects are free pattern downloads and others are recreated Sewing Cards. I try to come up with a theme for the photo-shoot that reflects what the fabric means to me. To get the look book to Robert Kaufman in time I receive sample yardage about 4 to 6 weeks before my deadline. That being said I try to be really prepared for the projects that need to be made and the photo-shoot. I received Ashton Road in the beginning of June. In the images below you will see all the work that goes into getting ready for a release. I have some of the most wonderful staff at the Stitchin' Post and friends that help me with all the sewing and pattern writing as well as the photo-shoots. I could not do it without them!

For Ashton Road the photos-hoot had to be with the kids....it had to be outside on a summer day. The colors in the fabric remind me of candy so we created a "candy picnic" for the kiddos. Two of my good friends helped me with the shoot. We each had cameras - perfect for three kids! It was the best day and one of the funnest photo-shoots I have ever done. The images are priceless and really express the happiness and love that created Ashton Road.