Books and their readers are celebrated in Literary, Heather Givans of Crimson Tate’s newest collection for Windham Fabrics. From the beautifully ornate papers found on the insides of classic novels like Moby Dick or The Boxcar Children, to the printed text of Anne of Green Gables, Heather has created a collection that will enthrall bookworms, bibliophiles, and sewers alike. Whether you’re someone who stacks books neatly or more of the shoveling books into every crevice of your home type, the joy of reading and sewing is found in Literary. To view the lookbook, click here or on the cover image below.
Heather’s debut Aurifil thread collection features a large box of 50wt threads in coordinating colors and a small box of our Aurifloss for perfectly accented details.
THE LOOKBOOK
THREAD COLLECTION DETAILS
Literary
12 Large Spools, 50wt (1422yds/spool), 100% Aurifil Cotton
1125 – 6730 – 6734 – 2785 – 2545 – 6724
6726 – 4140 – 2588 – 2606 – 1320 – 5004
10 Small Spools, Aurifloss (18yds/spool), 6-Strand, 100% Aurifil Cotton
1200 – 2220 – 1147 – 2735 – 4020
2535 – 4093 – 5005 – 2600 – 5011
THE INTERVIEW
Can you tell us a bit about yourself and how you first got started in the world of sewing and quilting?
I was teaching high school art (for nearly 10 years) when my mom revealed to me that she wanted to learn to quilt. I took her to a quilt camp for adults where I was a summer camp counselor. I loved the process and she has never finished a quilt!
Do you remember your first quilt and how you felt once it was complete?
I do remember my first quilt. It had nine blocks and each of the blocks had 40+ pieces in it. I was at that first quilt camp I’d ever been to and I stayed up all night to try to get to the finish. I still have it in alllll its wonky glory and I consider it quite an achievement.
Who or what has been your greatest creative inspiration?
Whoa. That’s a deep question. It’s hard to pinpoint one person. Having a degree in art, many of my college professors were great motivators and characters who inspired me and pushed me to develop my aesthetic. I would definitely say I’m influenced by fine art. Paintings by Marc Rothko, John Singer Sargent, and mixed media and social artists like Barbara Krueger have a warm place in my heart. I have a lot of heroes in the quilting industry, too. Denyse Schmidt and Amy Butler being in top ten.
How did you first connect with Windham Fabrics and what do you love most about working with them?
Seriously. The crew at Windham Fabrics couldn’t be more stellar. I feel incredibly supported and inspired by the whole gang. I knew them through my professional connections first as the proprietor of Crimson Tate :: Modern Quilter fabric store. I love that they give me freedom to do what I want but also lend a critical eye and ear to my process. I love them so much.
Tell us about your latest collection, Literary. What inspired the collection?
BOOOOOOOKSSSSS!!! This is my third collection and each one has been inspired by things I love. I love Succulents. I love Paper. I love Reading. Anne of Green Gables, The Boxcar Children, Moby Dick? All are some of my favorite books. I love discussing what I’m reading and I love to hear what other people are reading, too. The collection comes out of my book wormy-ness.
Do you have a favorite project made with the collection?
YES! I super love my Personal Library Quilt. When I was designing the collection, I knew I wanted to make a bookshelf quilt so some of the pieces were selfish so that I could use them in that project!
When did you first discover Aurifil threads and what do you love most about them?
One of my customers recommended that I try Aurifil thread. We bought a few boxes of basics and haven’t looked back since. At Crimson Tate we carry 50wt in oodles of colors as well as Aurifloss threads. I love the grandness of it and the specific weight. 1400+ yards on a spool? I’ll take it.
Do you have a favorite color/weight and why?
I’m a major 50wt fan and Moonshine is my favorite color right now. I chose it specifically for collection box because it is so universal! It’s so pretty and silvery without being too silver, you know?
Your Aurifil collections for Literary feature a large box of 50wt and a small box of floss. Why was it important to you to have both weights included?
I did a fair amount of embroidery both machine and hand for the quilt projects using Literary. I knew that I needed both. I love hand embroidery and quilting with thicker strands. I’m more of a 3-4 strand kind of girl.
What is your favorite type of hand-stitching project?
I’ve recently completed an EPP project called Reading Circle that I designed specifically for Literary. And while I did like the EPP part of it, I am much enjoying the hand quilting of the block. I have taken a few lessons with a friend of mine who is in her 90s. She has been teaching me to hand quilt. According to her, I’ve got a long way to go. 😉 I would agree.
How many strands of floss do you typically use in your embroidery projects?
If I’m feeling gluttonous, I go for all six. But typically, I use three strands.
What top thread tip would you want to share with our readers?
You can’t be afraid of failing. If you’ve got an idea, work through it. I have found so many times that my initial sketch or calculation is way off but I learn something in the process. If I worried about getting it right, having never done it before, I’d never begin. And be sure to give yourself room for imperfection while striving for precision (if precision is important to you). It’ll all come out in the wash.
Where can we find you this year?
I’m excited to share my official ‘where to find me’ calendar below (thank you Mary Whitaker!) Otherwise, you will always find me downtown Indianapolis hanging out with my buddies at Crimson Tate.
April 20: Carmel High School
April 26 – 29: AQS Spring Paducah Quilt Show – Paducah, KY
May 3: Columbus Star Quilters – Columbus, IN
May 5 – 6: Thimbles Quilt Shop – Chicago, IL
May 12 – 13: Happy Apple Quilts – Tampa, FL
May 19 – 21: Quilt Market – St Louis, MO
June 17 – 18: Detroit guild with Lish – Detroit, MI
July 27 – 29: One Stop Shop Hop – Kokomo, IN
Aug 11 – 12: Sew Yeah Quilting – Las Vegas, NV
Sept 14 – 16: Quilter’s Choice – Jupiter, FL
Sept 20 – Oct 1: OH Craft Sew-IN
Oct 28 – 30: International Quilt Market – Houston, TX
Nov 1: Pocket Square Event
THE GIVEAWAY
To enter-to-win 1 Large Literary Thread Collection and one FQ Bundle of Literary by Heather Givans for Windham Fabrics, click here to head to the Rafflecopter entry page, or simply click on the image above. You do not have to complete all the options to be entered but the more options you choose, the more entries you have! Entries will be accepted from now through 11:59pm Eastern Time on Saturday, April 8! Winner will be randomly selected and announced here on Sunday, April 9. Good luck!
UPDATE: This giveaway is now closed. Congratulations to Janice McLaren!
*Please note that FQ bundle may be a variety of Literary fabrics, not neccesarily all of the ones shown in the image.
FIND HEATHER ONLINE
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[All images courtesy of Heather Givans]