If you have ever come in contact with Art Gallery products, you know you have stumbled upon something truly special and unique. Art Gallery has successfully branded themselves as what many of their customers call “Contemporary Elegant” and they continue to wow customers time after time with their originality and enticing color palettes and quilt fabrics.

Fabric Spotlight: Art Gallery Fabrics

1. The History of Art Gallery Fabrics

Art Gallery Fabrics was founded by husband and wife Walter and Pat Bravo. Pat’s passion for sewing began at the age of 9 when she first sat at her mother’s sewing machine and at age 13 she joined a sewing school in her native city of Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Pat studied sewing, fabrics, patterns, and dressmaking until she went off to college but college and her study of law quickly came to an end when she realized her true passion and talent for creating art.

Three years of painting class later Pat met the love of her life Walter and with this dynamic duo, the rest is now history.

The Bravo’s moved to America in 1989 and Pat’s love for sewing was reignited after Walter gifted her a sewing machine shortly following their move. She became a self-taught quilter whose taste quickly began to evolve and transition into a directed passion for art-quilts. As her talents and tastes changed, so did Pat’s appreciation for fabrics and her love for a variety of color, which she didn’t find in many fabrics. This eventually inspired her to start on the adventure of painting her own fabric which soon caught the eye of others.

Appreciation of Pat’s work with fabrics and colors spread quickly and shortly thereafter, in 2004, Art Gallery Fabrics was created. Today, Pat and Walter still tirelessly work side by side to bring originality and quality to the fabric scene.

2. Designers

Art Gallery has 18 talented and creative minds on staff that design the gorgeous collections we know and love. Every designer has captured the vision of modern and timeless, delivering, time after time with their thoughtful creativity and inspiring storytelling.

The wide variety of styles offered by Art Gallery designer’s range from novelty to contemporary, as well as artistic and their goal is to inspire YOU to think outside the box of conventionality and create something truly spectacular and memorable.

3. Fabric Collections

From seasonal collections, like the vibrant summer collection Floralish, designed by Katarina Roccella, which boldly combines clusters of summer-thriving flowers alongside citrus, as well as freshly sliced and picked fruits. This collection almost makes us forget about the blistering sun and humidity, as we recall the simple things about a summer day that make it unforgettable.

Besides the seasonal collections, there are the enchanting ones that make us want to hop on a plane, bus, or train such as the Maara fabric collection, designed by Alexandra Bordallo or The Open Road fabric collection, designed by Bonnie Christine.

Whether you are embarking on a safari across the African Savanna, or simply taking that memorable road trip that leads you down back roads, through fields full of wildflowers and to see sunsets that take your breath away, not only does this fabric tell the story of a remarkable journey, it takes you on one yourself.

Art Gallery also knows that it’s not just about having pretty fabric that catches your eye, it’s also about telling a story and creating a line that not only is pleasing to the eye but one that makes you reflect.

 

4. Products

When Pat and Walter founded Art Gallery Fabrics, beauty and story-telling wasn’t the only thing on their mind and from the conception of this remarkable company, quality has always been at the forefront of everything they produce.

Not only does Art Gallery produce top-notch 100% premium cotton fabric that is beloved in the quilting community, they also produce other substrates including knits, canvas, denim, and more! From cotton fabrics best suited to quilters, to knits that are praised by garment sewers, and canvas and denim whose uses are incredibly diverse, Art Gallery is diligent to cover all of their bases, providing any and every creative sewing or quilting mind a place to land with plenty of inspiration and options.

As we have already discussed, Art Gallery’s drive to inspire others is at the forefront of everything they do and in addition to inspiring directly through their fabrics, Art Gallery provides free, downloadable patterns with each of their collections. The patterns offered are truly a springboard of inspiration. Each pattern utilizes fabric from the corresponding fabric collection, and along with that free pattern download, you also have access to the swatch page, and clearly written directions along with high resolution images that make each step easy to understand.

Additionally, what would a fabric company be without a good pre-cut collection? Fortunately for you, Art Gallery’s pre-cut collection isn’t just good, it is EXCELLENT and totally unique. Art Gallery Fabrics calls their pre-cuts “Curated Fabric Bundles” and they have five different types of bundles to choose from.

The Color Master and Color Master Elements curated bundles are color specific bundles.

The Color Master bundle is made up of fabrics that are a different shade of the same color with diverse prints throughout and the Color Master Elements bundle is made up of fabrics of the same color but these fabrics act more as solids in a project. Finally, the Color Master Designer’s Palette is a bundle curated with intentionality, each bundle represents a different designer’s signature style.

The Bundle Up curated bundles are grouped to make up a certain theme. Not all fabrics are necessarily from one collection but they are so artfully chosen, every bundle is a fun and unique mashup you will instantly adore and the Pure Solids curated bundles are gorgeous ombre bundles that represent the four seasons.

Lastly, Art Gallery also has the traditional fabric collection themed pre-cuts. Created by AGF, Fabric Wonders, their fabric collection specific pre-cuts are available in fat quarters and 10” Stacks.

5. Projects

As previously mentioned, the free quilting patterns offered by Art Gallery, in each fabric collection are a tremendous gift to anyone who finds what they’re looking for in a fabric line but just doesn’t quite know where to start.

Not only do they have free quilting patterns, for all the sewists out there, Art Gallery offers a plethora of free sewing patterns that range from totes, to pillows, pincushions, and more!

Even garment sewers can find themselves at home browsing the Art Gallery website, to go along with all of those gorgeous knit fabrics, they offer garment patterns galore! From patterns for women, to children in a diverse range of styles, if you dive in to create clothing from the patterns they offer, you will never find yourself bored or lacking in wardrobe options!

Finally, for even more inspiration that is Art Gallery inspired. Check out the AGF Blog here at - The Creative Blog where you can keep up with a variety of blog contributors who create Art Gallery projects and take you along on their creative journey. Subscribe to their blog to stay in the know and also to be among the first to know about giveaways, new pattern downloads, and more!

6. Art Gallery at Stitchin’ Heaven

Whether this article was an introduction to you of Art Gallery Fabrics, or whether you are a dedicated Art Gallery fan looking for more resources, we hope you come away from this read inspired. Inspired to continue the legacy of Art Gallery Fabrics through creating art on fabric that tells a story.

We know that viewing fabric online is fun and talk about ADDICTIVE but do you know what is even more compelling than that? Getting to lay your own eyes on the fabric, feel the quality of it with your own two hands and mix and match your fabrics in-person to create the perfect story, unique to you, for everyone to admire and gain inspiration of their own from.

The best way to do that is to visit your local quilt shop! Here at Stitchin’ Heaven, we are proud to carry a large selection of Art Gallery Fabric Collections as well as a well fleshed-out variety of fabric collection pre-cuts such as the Her & History 10” Stack, the Mayfair Fat Quarter Bundle and 10” Stack, and more!

We hope to see you in-store with us soon, shopping the exceptional Art Gallery products, so until then, stay inspired!