Win your own copy... see end of post
... and exhale! Phew, I feel like I've been holding my breath for months! I'm so excited to finally be able to tell you about this exciting project I am honored to be a part of. Sew Red is finally out in the world, just in time for American Heart Month, and I couldn't be prouder!
I met Laura Zander, creator of Sew Red, a follow-up book to Knit Red, at Spring Quilt Market 2012 in Kansas City. I have to thank the amazing Nancy Jewell, of Westminster Fibers, for making the introduction. I'll never forget it... she said, "Do you like the color red?" I chuckled because anyone who knows me knows that red is my favorite color. I said, "Like it? I love it! As a matter of fact, my company logo is red and so are all of our marketing materials!" I pulled out a red Modkid pen from my purse and handed it to her. After she was convinced that I was indeed a fan of the color red, she proceeded to explain the project, a book filled with sewing and quilting projects in honor of women's heart health. She had me at "women's heart health", which has always been a personal cause for me, having had a grandmother fall victim to heart disease many years ago.
As if I wasn't already convinced, Laura then started rattling off a list of the other designers who would be involved. This list sounded like a who's who in the fabric and sewing world! Amy Butler, Nancy Zieman, Denyse Schmidt, Kaffe Fasset, Ty Pennington, Aneela Hoey, Tula Pink, Kaari Meng... and the list goes on and on. I thought to myself, "Am I worthy?"
Laura asked me to design a project using mostly red fabrics (that wouldn't be a problem for me) and add a blurb about how women's heart health is important to me. I knew I had to tell my grandma's story!
My maternal grandmother, known as Mama Alicia to all
who loved her, died of a heart attack in 1979. We all lived in Costa Rica at
the time and there was no easy way to “call 911” like we do here in the States.
She collapsed on the street while walking back from church. A neighbor called
the local hospital but they didn’t have a driver for the ambulance at the time.
Then they called a taxi cab but the driver did not want to be responsible for
her. Finally, they reached a family member but by the time they got there it
was too late. The story was incredibly sad and made my mother rethink the way
she eats and lives. My mother is now in her late 60s and goes to the gym every
day and follows a gluten-free and dairy-free diet. She is healthier than most
young people I know. To this day, my mother has been quite an inspiration to her children and grand children.
The project I designed is called Sonoma Purse and it's an easy-to-sew pleated bag made from just three fat quarters of fabric:
You can add extra details like the Grand Bazaar ribbon we added to the handle...
Sonoma Purse by Patty Young from Sew Red by Laura Zander, published by Sixth&Spring Books. Photo by Rose Callahan copyright © 2012 by Sixth&Spring Books/Soho Publishing. Used by permission.
Do check out the book. It has 27 projects that range from quilts to garments to accessories designed by the industry's top talent. The book's design is top notch and the photography is outstanding, plus it includes heart-healthy recipes and personal stories from all the designers involved.
And as if that wasn't reason enough to run out and get this book: Jimmy Beans Wool has agreed to contribute a minimum of 5% of their gross profits from the sale of this Stitch Red product to the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health in support of The Heart Truth® and women's heart health education and research.
Win your own copy of SEW RED! Leave us a comment below and let us know if and how heart disease has affected your life and what you are doing to live a heart-healthy life. We will pick a winner next Friday, Feb. 22nd, 2013. Please leave a way to contact you if you are the lucky winner. Best of luck to you all!!
