One of the best things about International Quilt Market is the ability to meet the designers in their booths and put a personality to what is usually left to the images in brochures or a computer screen.
We took the time to meet up with all of the Aurifil Art Gallery Designers ( that were available) and asked them a few questions so you would be able to get to know them better too.
The first in this series is Katarina Roccella. Katarina is a fantastic designer with Art Gallery Fabrics and has a very diverse background in the art world. There is nothing this stunning lady cannot do! She has a wonderful and charming husband with a fabulous sense of humor and three lovely children that keep her on her toes.
“I found I could say things with color and shapes that I couldn’t say any other way – things I had no words for.” – Georgia O´Keeffe
Being “crafty”and creative is something that consorted me since the early childhood. I was raised in an artistic family: my father is a painter, my mother ceramic-pottery artist, sister is a production designer and growing in such an environment rich with artistic events and creating daily definitely determinate my life and creations. So, since my father was working even as a graphic designer when I was just a little girl (no computer was used in that period), I often had the opportunities to create some smaller parts for some designs when it was something in correspondence with or for children.
Well, sewing for children came much later, after getting my first daughter 13 years ago…..when I found myself in the role of the mother and therefore had very limited time to dedicate to art. So, being mainly in home with a need to create, I have discovered the world of fabric, were the options were almost unlimited and very challenging. I always loved fabrics and funky patterns, giving them the important roles in my graphic compositions and assemblages, but now I really wanted to learn to sew. I have repaired my mother’s vintage sewing machine, bought some pattern magazines and the first results were very encouraging, pushing me always more, giving me the goal to try more complicated techniques and garment pieces. I have always been more visual sewer, as the sewing explanations were sometimes like another unkown language for me, so with a lot of practice, after a few years, I have achieved good sewing skills.
If you could paint a room an #auricolor color, what would it be?
1148 2BH – this teal is and will be one of my favourite colors ever since…I think it’s one of those colors that you may never be tired of and I have been dreaming about painting the main wall of my dining room in this color for a long time now (one of the walls in my booth was covered with this color that correspond perfectly to the AGF’s conzumel blue – pure element color)
Do you participate in your local quilt guild or another sewing group?
No, unfortunately, in my country quilting is not that popular and common as in the US. Once I started sewing more intensively (like 9 years ago), I joined a few on-line forums and sewing groups(mainly US people) that helped me a lot not only with sharing my craft passions, projects and ideas, but with learning and gaining more advanced sewing skills, techniques and making some wonderful relationships, that now, thanks to attending the Quilt Market became a real life relationships as well. People in this industry will never cease to amaze me with theirs wonderful spirit, energy and creations.
If you were not sewing/designing, what profession would you choose?
Well, as an artist, it would always have to deal with some form of art. Until now, through my education and experience, I was so blessed to deal with many forms of art: collages, drawings, illustrations, calligraphy, graphic design, prints-mainly linocuts, photography, sewing….. I am very passionate about my work, wether it’s painting, drawing or sewing. Now I am so happy to be living my dream of being the textile designer, where I have the chance to apply a bit of every creative discipline I mentioned before.
Actually I am currently working toward my PhD in Applied Arts and Design and my goal is to implement printmaking, painting with the textile and quilt design, so I am dreaming about making a huge exhibition at the end of it, with many installations that would gather these three fields of art and design.
Katarina’s Aurifil collection Indelible is available in 40wt. This weight is perfect for long arm quilting, hand stitching, makes a beautiful topstitch and quilting on any domestic home machine. The 40wt is also a go to choice for garment sewing and bag making. This thread is perfect on any machine including your serger.
The Indelible fabric collection for Art Gallery Fabrics are a high quality cotton with so many of the colors and inspirations taken from nature, books and Katarina’s travels.
These collections are so wonderful, Aurifil ,in cooperation with our friends at Art Gallery Fabrics, have put together a fabulous bundled giveaway that includes a Lagre spool collection for one lucky winner to win!
To make this giveaway even easier we will use Rafflecopter! There is more than one way to enter for your chance to win this incredible bundle!
To enter for your chance to win this fabulous bundle please visit:
http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/7154652/