The outpouring of support for our new Hawthorne Threads designed collections has overwhelmed us. It's been thrilling to put ourselves out there artistically and I for one never dared to hope that we'd receive such a great response. Thank you. I know you all have been eager to know more about all of the projects we sewed up for Bengal so I'm here to tell you how we tamed the tiger! First let's start with the pretty kitty herself.
Bengal centers around a striking panel which includes our tiger face in 3 sizes. Seen here is the large 14" face, the perfect centerpiece for a throw cushion. Surrounded by a row of some simple 3.5" half square triangles and you've got yourself a beautiful 24" pillow cover! The block itself is a variation of this Love in a Mist pillow tutorial. If you've not tried this piecing technique here's a half square triangle tutorial from Diary of a Quilter. She's got a great shortcut that will save time as well! For the bottom cushion we used the center part of our Cascading Double Border design, contrasted with Hide and Seek underneath. Tying it all together is a hint of gold metallic bias tape for a little warmth. Next, let's head into my living room, shall we? It's starting to look like a jungle in here...
Every good console table needs a runner, and the dimensions of mine just so happened to call for a 44" long topper, which I realized is another gorgeous way to use our Double Border Cascading Design. I love the movement, balance, and use of space in this one.
Contrary to convention, the design for the front came afterward. Our Meaghan and I simultaneously came up with the idea of building it around the smaller sized feather bouquet from the Bengal Panel, and we both love how it came out!
Flying geese point outward in parting flocks, alternating in high and low volume designs.
For the binding, we used Fountainhead in Indigo and the solid is our own Hawthorne Hues in White.
Of course, I had to hide the tiger in there somewhere and here she is, watching over the room with her real-life counterpart. Even though this one is a no-sew project, it's one of my favorites.
As I was brainstorming for ideas of what to name the collection, I [pitrf over pictures of tigers, studying their habitats and behaviors and it suddenly dawned on me - we needed to design a fabric that showed our tiger slinking through the mangrove forest, in a game of Hide and Seek, as it were. That fabric was our last addition to the mix, and it wound up being our favorite! I decided to frame a swatch alongside its inspirational counterpart and I can't help the childlike grin that erupts on my face each time I pass her by.
On the other side of the wall our tiger is looking out of this fun decoupaged vase. A little mod podge and some fabric remnants and you've got another great no-sew project! Also seen in this trio is a framed piece of our Tiger Mosaic, a fun extension of the hexagon shelves themselves.
If you're seeing a trend here, you might have gathered that we're pretty hooked on polygons lately. This time around, we used a great Piece by Number Circle of Geese patterm available from The Sometimes Crafter as a Free PDF Download! It's the perfect centerpiece for my round coffee table; though, I think this is the kind of collection that calls for tea, no?
Our Hawthorne Hues Solid in Navy really makes these triangles pop! For the binding, I wanted to see how the Tiger Mosaic would look and really love the effect. I can see that one becoming our go-to choice.
Here we have another display of Bengal inspired designs. A monotone stash of yarn certainly calls for coordinating storage bin, and we found a great one that comes together quickly. We highly recommend the simple Round Bottomed Storage Bucket Tutorial from Film in the Fridge. You can make them in an assorment of sizes, also great for stashing fabric, towels, and kids toys! Mine features the lovely Mangrove Flower and Fountainhead designs.
Speaking of storage, here's another way to keep your small stashes organized! These Open Wide Zippered Pouches offer a great opportunity to fussy cut some of the various motifs in the collection. The largest pouch shows off the medium tiger face from our Bengal Panel, and the smallest showcases a nice strip from the Cascading Double Border. Head over to Noodlehead for the Tutorial!
Now for some clothes! As you can see, Bengal is also very wearable, both in coloration and design. The high thread count and soft hand of our fabric lends it beautifully to apparel. If when you first receive it you find the fabric a bit stiff, have no fear; you'll be happy to see that the drape improves with just one wash. Im' wearing the fancy and flouncy Harlow Peplum Top from Violette Fields.
Here's a peek at the full length exposed zipper in the back. I've worn it out a few times already and more than a couple onlookers asked if I bought it at Anthropologie. That's the kind of compliment a girl likes to hear!
For Anya's skirt, we used this Butterick Pencil Skirt Pattern. I knew I wanted to find a pattern with a panel in the front and a contrasting pattern for the sides and back, and this one fit the bill! No tigers spotted yet - unless of course you count the ones playing Hide and Seek on our tea party throw (more on that in an upcoming post!)
If you look closely, you'll notice some gold piping framing the panel in front. It's a simple addition but it really gives the piece a more polished feel. For some visual contrast, I chose our Fans in White alongside Peaks and Valleys in Indigo. As she looks so stunning in it, Anya's keeping this sample for herself!
Here's a close up of the accessories. The foldover purse is this Fashionista Clutch Tutorial from Blueberry Ash. We paired our smallest tiger head with some Quilter's Metallic Linen from Robert Kaufman. The hints of gold in the clutch and skirt are really lovely in their subtlety. For the wrapped bangles we picked up some unfinished wooden ones at a local craft store, but you could certainly get the same effect with shower curtain rings for another no-sew project.
And finally, here's a peek at my new bag! I wanted to show off the feathered bouquet from the Bengal Panel and looked no further than our Sweet and Simple Tote Pattern. I super-sized the bag a bit, modifying it so that fabric for the back was wider than the front panel. This way, the back fabric wraps around to the front in one long piece. It's yet another great way to use our Cascading Double Border! For added support, I used some interfacing as well. And finally, I opted for our Fans in Indigo. I also placed the straps on either of the sides as opposed to front to back, with some store bought handles for a more upscale look. I love it!
That's it for now but catch up with us in the coming weeks for more ways to tame the tiger! And in the meantime, you can find these projects and more inspiration on our Pinterest Page. And now I'm very excited to officially announce our blog hop for Bengal! We can't wait to see what these talented ladies have in store for us!
Monday, November 3rd - Sew Charleston
Tuesday, November 4th - Oh, She Dabbles
Wednesday, November 5th - Everyday Fray
Thursday, November 6th - Noodlehead
Friday, November 7th - Red Pepper Quilts
Finally, I'd just like to say thank you to our incredibly talented and enthusiastic staff. All of the projects shown above were sewn in house. We shared this milestone release together on what turned out to be exactly 5 years since we launched Hawthorne Threads. Happy Anninversary!
