Evolve: A Fabric Collection by Suzy Quilts for Art Gallery Fabrics
Friends, today is my birthday! December 20, 2023 — I'm 38 and thriving-ish. I don't think it's possible for me to be fully thriving while 6 months pregnant because I'm one of those special people who stays nauseous for the whole 9 months... yay!
It's not all bad, though. I treat myself to a lot of bagels and just last week the whole Quilts family took a trip to Puerto Rico. It was a first for us and all things considered it went pretty well. No one got swept out to sea and only one person needed stitches. If you're not impressed, you should be!
But as a birthday present to myself, and maybe to you too, I'm introducing my latest fabric collection with Art Gallery Fabrics here on the blog. It's fresh, it's lively, and it's everything I love about Spring. Evolve pulls a few motifs from my first print collection, Duval, and coordinates perfectly with my Signature Solids collection.
So there's no guesswork about what solids pair with what prints — they all work together! Not only that, I tried to make it really easy on you and named the prints with the coordinating Signature Solid name. For example Meadow Matcha uses the exact same shade of light vintage green as the PURE solid Matcha.
In fact, all of the colors used in the Evolve collection are pulled from the Signature Solids except for one new addition. Can you guess? It's an eye-poppin' one...
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Seen above is the Oxbow Tote in Meadow Matcha and Diamond Stripe Key Lime.
If you said Key Lime, you're right! I actually wanted Key Lime in the original Signature Solids collection, but sadly it got lost on the chopping block. Some very fun colors didn't make it because there could only be 20.
Take a look at Evolve next to Duval and you can see how well the two play together...
If you look at the digital swatches and then at the actual fabric, you'll notice there are some differences in color. One thing I learned when designing my first two collections is that inevitably the printed fabric from the mill will look different than what you designed on a screen.
Textile designers use these tiny 1" x 1" Pantone swatches to pick our colors. Here's a pic of the process for my visual people...
Once we pick the fabric swatch, we then transfer that to a digital swatch on the computer. The computer is where I create the fabric designs. So as much as I like to think I know what the fabric will look like when I get it, I'm always a bit surprised when it arrives.
Sometimes colors are brighter than I anticipated, or sometimes I just need to sit with the fabric for a while and get used to it. You know, kind of like when you get highlights in the summer and the entire first day you look in the mirror and think, "Did I go too light?" But by the end of the week, you're used to it and realize it's fabulous. Know what I mean? 😉
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Evolve Fabric by Suzy Quilts
The Evolve collection includes 20 fabrics total:
- 16 prints on luxuriously soft oeko-tex certified poplin cotton
- One print on double brushed flannel (the double brushing is what makes Art Gallery Fabrics flannel softer than most others)
- One print on rayon
- One large-scale print on 108" poplin cotton wideback
- One binding fabric print on poplin cotton
That large-scale Evolve Queen Bee fabric below is the flannel. Y'all it is so dang soft! I will be using this for A LOT of quilt backings. These days I almost exclusively use flannel or 108" wideback for the back of my quilts. I love the scale of them and you can't beat the sweet softness of this double-brushed flannel.
The rayon is perfect for all of your summer and spring tops, dresses, and swimsuit covers! It's flowy and light. I also think scraps of it would make darling scarves. I'm wearing it as the Tate Romper 32 weeks pregnant! This fabric and garment pattern is perfect for a changing body because of its fit. Nancy Rossman, who made this for me, add shirring on the back top panel so it would fit even better with my shifting size.
In this picture you can see the scale of it compared to the cotton prints. It uses the same colors as the Evolve Pistachio print, but is larger in scale.
Next up is the 108" wideback print called Full Moon Matcha. I have always loved the timelessness of polk dots, so I pulled the organic round shapes from Duval's Boho Birds, enlarged them A LOT, and made this! Just to give it a twist from traditional polka dots, I also added some leaves too.
The background of this print is Pearl and the dots/leaves are Matcha, Honeymoon, Pistachio, Cerulean, Glacier, and Key Lime. In this photo the Key Lime is looking a touch yellow, but don't be fooled. It's the same chartreuse-green from the other prints.
Last, but definitely not least, (because this might be my favorite print out of the whole bunch??) is the Bound to Evolve binding fabric! There are two sides to choose.
The longarm quilting pantograph used is called Boho Birds and was designed as a collaboration between myself and Sew Shabby Quilting. It is perfect with the Duval and Evolve fabric collections.
Seen above is the Planetarium quilt pattern.
To see the Duval binding fabric in action, check out this post.
The Inspiration Behind Evolve Fabric
Even though Evolve is a continuation of Duval, there was a shift in my inspiration. I still wanted to pull from the 1960s New York meets Key West fashion vibes, but I also played with the concept of how things evolve. Art, colors, places, nature, even myself — it's ALL evolving.
I took the birds from Boho Birds and from their wings created flowers. From the same Boho Birds print I started with the circular stones (or blob) shapes and grew them into flowers. I still wanted a reminder of the original shapes, but seen in a new evolved way. Old, but new. Same, but different.
Evolving as quilters and designers is so exciting because it means our creativity has no bounds! During the process of making Evolve I hit ugly stages and "OMG this isn't working at all" stages and all of the in-between parts from concept to completion. It wasn't pretty!
But from experience I know that working and reworking, stepping away and coming back, no matter how hard I have to pull an idea into existence, eventually I make something. And this fabric collection is not the end of that something. It's the middle. There's more to come! How amazingly wonderful is that?!
And that, my friends, is the cornerstone of Evolve. What we make now is just part of the journey and there's more creativity and beauty to come!
Where to Get Evolve Fabric
Fabric shops can pre-order Evolve from Art Gallery Fabrics now and it will ship in January 2024. Wahoo!! Many of our same fabric shop friends who carried Duval will carry Evolve. Check out a list of those shops in the post Where to Buy Suzy Quilts Fabric.
The Art Gallery Website also has a directory of shops who carry their fabric. If you live in the USA you can filter by state. If you don't see Evolve listed on your local quilt shop's website or in their store, I suggest you ask them to order it!
You will be hard pressed to find a fabric shop who doesn't want to give their customers what they want. If you know they already have an account with Art Gallery Fabrics, then it's easy for them to get this Evolve collection. All you have to do is let them know you want it. 😉
What Do You Think of Evolve?
I'm dying to hear what you think?? Do you like the new Key Lime color? Are you digging the wideback polk dots? What prints and colors are you loving? Do you think you'll mix these with Duval? I can't wait for you to get your hands on this fabric and make all the things!!
Over the next couple months I will show you different projects using Evolve so you can grab ideas for projects and make your own beautiful things. Stay tuned!
These pics show the collection mixed with a few coordinating solids. Above are Queen Bee and Shrimpy. Below are Honeymoon, Glacier, and Pistachio.
Love this color story!
Thank you! I’m so happy to hear that 🙂
I love the new prints, but wish you would show us some quilt samples! Your quilt designs all feature solids.
I’m so glad you’re excited for this collection! I just got this fabric straight from the mill in South Korea a few days ago, but thankfully I have lots of talented makers who are currently working on whipping up samples!
Evolve looks so versatile. And, love the wideback print! Can’t wait to buy some soon!
I think so too! And who doesn’t love a big polka dot? 😉
Love both Duval and Evolve! Completely different yet one family. Key lime for the win. Happy birthday Suzy!
You already know how I feel about Key Lime💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚
I love this collection and how it coordinates with Duval & Solids. I just purchased your Mod Mountains and Adventureland patterns to make quilts for my new twin grandsons. I hope 🤞 you will do some sample projects with these patterns or some kits because I struggle in picking fabrics 😬
Oh and Happy Birthday!!
I love Evolve so much and can’t wait to use it with Duval. I hope to try the flannel as the back, I’ve never tried that before. Thank you for this post and your fabric, it’s beautiful!
I love it! Even though blue and green aren’t my style, it still looks great! Wait…blue and green…does that mean it’s a boy? Because these fabrics would make an adorable quilt for a baby boy…just saying… 😉
I love it! Key Lime is a great addition!!
Happy Birthday Suzy! Few Etsy stores that I checked no longer have poppy and pearl solids. I just emailed a shop owner if she will have them soon. So I’ll grab Evolve when it comes out so it wouldn’t be sold out.
I loved Duvall, but this collection even more. Such a rich colors. I can t wait to get them . Thank you so much. ☺️
That’s so wonderful to hear! Thank you!!
Your color choices are wonderful. I look forward to ordering some in 2024.
Happy birthday and Merry Christmas.
Thank you, Kathy!
I love it!!
Key lime is one of my favorites – so I am all in!
Your fabrics are beautiful.
Is it possible to get your fabrics in the uk?
Some fabric sites will not sell to the uk .
I hope more fabric shops in the UK start selling Suzy Quilts fabric! For now, check out the bottom of this list – https://suzyquilts.com/where-to-buy-suzy-quilts-fabric/
Some US-based shops will ship to the UK.
Wow, wow, wow!
👍Congratulations on your recent trip around the sun and best wishes on the next one!
👍Best wishes to you and your expanding family!
👍Kudos on this new collection and thank you for bringing it to us! There is a lot of inspiration shouting out there!
Happy Holidays! I do hope you can take some time off for yourself now, mother of (almost) three and create that ultimate quilt that envelops all your loved ones.
Peace & Warmth to you!
I have never been a peach fan. I see this often in collections that I really like. I will have to do a work around as peach is not my color. The other fabrics I will likely use in a quilt.
Beautiful! 🤩
Happy birthday! 🎂
Merry Christmas! 🎄
Love the lime! ❤️
Lovely!🤩
Happy birthday! 🎂
Merry Christmas! 🎄
Love the lime! ❤️
The fabrics work all together and form a great pallet. I hope it is possible to have it send to Europe.
Thank you! There are a few places in Europe that do carry Suzy Quilts fabric. Scroll to the bottom of this post for some shop names – https://suzyquilts.com/where-to-buy-suzy-quilts-fabric/
Somehow reading this blog and listening to the music from the movie Chocolat went perfect together. Well done on your collection! A baby in your later 30’s is not easy but it looks like you might have a lot of support- at home and in community. Happy Birthday, Dear!
I LOVE LOVE LOVE this new collection. Well done! Both the colors and the designs are perfection. I live in the coastal south, and the cool tones remind me of home.
On the latest Aurifil post (featuring you!) it shows your bird and flowers in a rainbow color way. Does that still exist? I would love to find some of it, but I don’t know what to call it to look. Can you help? Thanks!
Hi Linda! I believe what you’re referring to is actually one of the boxes that houses the thread collection. It is a beautiful box with the Suzy bird/flower motif in an array of colors. Hope this helps! 🙂