First Look at the Stitch Summer Issue!

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Sewing in Color

For all you fabric junkies like me, no doubt you are drawn to color like bees to honey. It's the first thing you notice about a fabric before you get the pleasure of touching it. And as the fall/winter sewing season winds down, I'm starting to put away my dark wools, corduroys, and velvets to make way for bright cotton prints, flowering silks, rich linens, and saturated jersey-knit hues.

Projects from the Summer 2011 issue of Stitch. Clockwise from top, left: Color Block Quilted Duvet by Malka Dubrawsky, Checkerboard Bag by Ayumi Takahashi, Cat House by Penny Layman, and Log Cabin Slippers by Ayumi Takahashi.

So to celebrate the launch of the summer sewing season that will soon be upon us, we have dedicated our next issue to COLOR! I want to empower you to experiment with color in your sewing projects like never before. Have fun with unexpected color combinations, play with prints, go bold and bright or go subtle and sophisticated, but most of all make a personal style statement with your color choices. The beauty of sewing is that you can make something exactly how you want it, so take the opportunity to explore and push your color sensibility.

Need some ideas? For color inspiration and a whole lot more, here are some issue highlights:

– Take our tour of the online sewing revolution that has evolved over the last few years in our feature story, Connected! Sewing and the Web. Here you'll see how the Internet has changed the face of sewing, from blogs, online video tutorials, and pattern review online forums to virtual mood boards, apps, digital magazines, downloadable sewing patterns, and more.

– Get outside and sew with our guide to handsewing in our illustrated technique article, Sewn by Hand. You'll learn valuable finishing and decorative handstitches step by step.

– In Forever Blue, learn the history and technique of indigo-dyed fabric plus get resources for creating and using these fabrics in your own projects.

– Get inspired by projects showcasing bold color with strong graphic appeal in Opposites Attract. You'll find projects with striking color contrasts, color blocking, and bright color accents. Push out of your comfort zone and fearlessly put vivid colors together that seem wrong but look so right.

Rainy Day Slicker and Hat by Carol Zentgraf.

– In Garden Party, revel in project designs featuring painterly colors, floral brights, and sweet pastels. These projects are sure to bring the outside in for romantic summer looks to dress you and your home.

– Get in the groove with warm neutrals, nude hues, earthy colors, and rich metallics in our project story, The Good Earth. Subtle and sophisticated, these projects combine fabrics with woven textures to great effect.

– Enjoy our ode to the color blue, one of the most versatile and popular colors on the color wheel, in our project story, True Blue. From classic navy to soft baby blues, Mediterranean turquoise to icy periwinkle, blue can evoke a wide range of moods. Get inspired by projects that each offers a unique take on our favorite color.

– Go traveling for design inspiration from India, Morocco, and Southeast Asia and explore their rich color traditions and beautiful use of decoration in Spice Road. These projects use ethnic inspired prints, saturated colors, and embellishment techniques for projects to brighten the home.

With 40 colorful projects in this issue plus so much more, you'll find plenty to jump-start your summer sewing. So grab a copy of this issue, start thinking warm thoughts and let your sewing creativity bloom!

Happy sewing,