CR Gibson

I am so ecstatic about working with CR Gibson. They are such a great group of professional people. The spring 2008 collection debuted in New York at the National Stationery Show. It looked marvelous. I have to say, when I design for other companies, as well as my own, I am a stickler for quality in all areas. And what is so lovely, is working with people who allow me to be a control freak. Haha, isn't that a laugh! It sounds so contrived but it's so vital since I am going to have my name on the end product - should I not have the right to be stubborn on it's final presentation? Working with companies who allow me to see the final vision through are the ones I like to work with, and apparently I do a good job because they return. For all of you contemplating me to design your wall paper, rugs, paper products or home decor projects, don't be fooled I am no vigilante, I am as sweet as can be. I meet deadlines and I surprise going over and beyond the scope of what's expected? Don't I sound delicious to work with? So modest too!
See an example of the fabulous CR Gibson social stationery collection, which includes a large number of skus in organizational desk stationery and accessories. To see the entire collection go to their site www.cr.gibson and look for Tina Givens.
All for now! However, stay 'posted' for more design news!

A few images to share!

Front & Center

Patterns will be available on tinagivens.com





The show ended a few days ago. we had a great show in that I got to show off Chloe's Imagination and the new color palettes for Annabella. Both sold well. So stores in your neighborhood will be showing them off late May and into June! I am thrilled with the response. And I launched a new series of sewing patterns for kids, adults including accessories. Super creative and very energetic. I think you'll like them. Patterns will be available on www.tinagivens.com soon so stay tuned. Any questions you may have please feel free to email me or place your comments here. I'd be glad to respond. And thanks to all of you who have emailed me within the last few weeks. Your support and kindness is invaluable to me.
T

New & Old Friends

I can't tell you how wonderful it was this show to meet new people who I completely connected with on so many levels. I also had the chance to see my oldest friend in the whole world. Her name is Lola and I grew up with her in Zimbabwe Africa. We are so completely soul mates and I adore her. Now living in Eugene, Oregon, just a few hours from Portland... and wow, we got to see

eachother after 6 years....

Luella Doss, a beautiful person and new friend. Luella is a designer and artist and well known in the quilt and sewing world. What a super human being she is. Thanks Luella for everything.
How about Amy Butler? What a wonderful person? I adore this girl. Not only is she an incredibly talented artist and business woman, I can call her my friend. Amy, you are the coolest! We shared many laughs and many hugs!
Someone new in my life is Adina Klein. Known in the knitting world and once editor for Vogue Knitting Magazine... this is a super creative human being who I loved spending time with. Direct, funny, and maniacal... she struck me as a truly real person.
Heather Ross! Oh my goodness, instantly adored this person. Heather is just plain herself, and designs with a special eye. Her new collection is from her life in Mendocino California... a story so interesting and fun I had to get to know her and hope to get to know her better. She's got a new sewing book coming out, so watch for it, it's a treat.
That's just who's photographed here! Heather Bailey and Anna Maria Horner both had new collections out. Both truly talented women with enormous futures ahead of them.
Denyse Schmidt came for a few days... yes, the incredible Denyse Schmidt. Her fabric collections are incredible and her quilts are amazing. Loved seeing her. Not enough time with D.
And thanks to Joyce, Kaffe, Brandon, Liza, John, Stephen, Max and Ken who were all gracious and loving and kind. And of course a special lovely thanks to my very own Kevin Givens, who worked so hard and so long on the booth, the details of everything, and, well, managing me.

The Booth

More to come I promise! 2nd day of set up was long long long. We skipped out for flowers and returned to finish up and fluff! Then ran out to change and run off to our cocktail partay.... I had to stand in front of sales reps, fabric execs and all other designers and explain myself... well describe my inspiration for Chloe's Imagination.... I did it.... lots of laughs! And fell into bed for a great nights sleep before the start of market.
Yesterday was first day of the show. The doors opened at 9:30am and a flood of wonderful people came through the doors! Great first day and here's a sneek peek at the booth! And me of course hehe!
More pics to follow... and news of patterns, fabrics and ideas....
thanks for reading!
T

Booth set-up begins

Today was the first day of actual booth 'set-up' at the International Quilt Market here in Portland Oregon. We started our day with a lovely breakfast back at Milo's City Cafe... wonderful eggs benedict... wow! so once that was done we ran a few errands and made our way to the convention center to check in and start setting up the booth. We found our empty space and waited for the crate to arrive via forklift... And it finally arrived.... so sitting right in the middle of the isle Kevin promptly begins to unload the carpet and walls to create the booth.
Once the walls start to go up the lighting is next and I am in the way. I am also doing some last minute stitching.... so I am sitting right in the crate. I was out of the way.... I look so leisurely don't I? well I will tell you I also passed several screws up to Kevin on the ladder. But being the perfectionist he is, he manages just fine on his own! The walls are precise and perfectly placed, carpet is neatly covered in plastic while he uses his drill and nails and climbs on his ladder.... Across the way is the fabulous crew from Westminster Fibers / Free Spirit Fabric, the 3 lovely ladies here are from customer service. Very important people who make sure our customers are taken care of... Here is Jeff (sales) who is very funny and makes me laugh. well, the name is right!



Tomorrow is day 2 of set-up. And by the end of the day the booth will be completed, fluffed and pluffed with perfect walls and shelves, accessories and furniture and props in place and the oh so lovely finished sewn samples and quilts and clothing all in the new fabric collections for our lovely fabric and quilt stores to see and select so you can purchase the fabrics , to make and create some lovely things. stay tuned for finished booth. The transformation is truly something!
PS We went to the Mexican restaurant mentioned in my last post, and let me tell you the food , margaritas were fabulous. The company was enlightening, funny and superb - thanks Amy, David and Chris!

Restaurants in Portland Oregon

All are recommendations, and sadly we will not have time to visit all, but the ones we go to I will tell you all about....

Milo City Cafe - Broadway
The best eggs benedict we have ever had. A must! We also had lunch there the first day, and again delish food. I had a simple but tasty Mediterranean Chicken Linguini dish, Kev had Snapper on cous cous. A fab bloody Mary by the way. It was a late lunch! Very reasonably priced.

WILDWOOD (NW)

LAURO KITCHEN (SE HAWTHORNE)

POK POK

MOTHER'S CAFE - Great for breakfast.

NUESTRA COCINA - 2135 SE Division Street.
A lovely little place, I highly recommend. Rustic and elegant, dining outside or in, the staff were wonderful and filled with locals. First come first serve, casual and reasonably priced. The margaritas were wonderful, pomegranate, blood orange, apple, traditional lime to mention but a few, I had pomegranate and it was so very luscious! We had wonderful starters of mint meatballs and a cheesy chiles and more. At our table we had fish served on a sea of beans, lamb shoulder served in a roasted wrapped banana leaf with a warm coleslaw, Chile dish, and super cool Enchiladas. You know how cool Mexican food tries too hard so it moves away from its perfect original magic? Well Nuestra Cocina doesn't. Flavors are fresh, distinct and perfectly Mexican. I highly recommend!

NOBLE ROT

CASTANGNE CAFE

LE PIGEON

PAZZO (downtown)

PAPA HAYDEN (Desert Place)

PARK KITCHEN (we have resos Friday)

Anyone know of any of these plse comment....

Portland Oregon

First let me start with a little peek at one of the new quilts debuting at the International Quilt Market in Portland in just a few days. And oh, Henry sitting on the quilt, as usual... "Where's your ball, Henry?"

Ok, so we left lovely weather in Raleigh North Carolina on a 6:15am flight, and arrived in Portland Oregon this afternoon... rainy and a little cool, but pleasant! The perfect crate of goodies, walls, furniture and props left Raleigh last week.... I have suitcases of finished sewn items in the lastest fabrics, and of course boxes too are expected to arrive at the hotel tomorrow and Thursday. So a little quiet before the storm, Kevin and I checked in to the hotel, answered email and a few calls, and wondered out for a late lunch. 2:30pm here in Portland. And we found MILO'S CITY CAFE (on Broadway and 14th) Oh what a wonderful lunch we had. It's a local joint, a place I can see my lovely friend Susan Walters in. Casual, relaxed, local patrons and fabulous food.
Then we wondered off and found, yes, two of my most favorite types of stores.... are you ready? Stationery/Papery and a Shoe shop. Oh joy! What more can I ask for....

THE PAPER GARDEN
On NE 15th street
sweet tiny little shop with the usual 'good' suspects, but sadly no Cid Pear stationery.... sweet little gifts of stationery, gift wrap, soaps, journals, stamps, paper accessories, desk necessities; and in the back a little corner dedicated to kids stuff including those lovely little dish sets you see in high-end stores... I had a set for each of the twins. Bibs etc; and some soft kimonos and cotton pyjamas for us grown up girls.... very cute place.

and

HALO SHOES
Fantastic little rustic shop filled chocolablock with unusual and fabulous shoes shoes shoes for both men and women, a few belts and bags. I made a purchase OF COURSE I did! spoke with lovely Jean who recommended a few restaurants (listed below)...
Anyway this super shoe shop offers online service so check out WWW.HALOSHOES.COM

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And to top of off all this glory, we stopped by PEETS COFFEE & TEA on NE Broadway & 15th for Kevin's coffee and my tea.... and a fresh oatmeal raisin cookie.... G l o r i o u s. Great place and I highly recommend....
and back to the hotel for a nap. Oh lovely stuff. We also received a call from the kids, and the baseball went well. They won and apparently Junior who can't even swing the bat actually hit the ball (without the T). Jonty was so delighted for him. Amelia was discussing what a 'caper' was, Alex was studying, and Grammy managed to get them all the places they needed to get to today! What would we do without the woman?

A great first day, thank goodness we didn't have to set up the booth today. We made an extensive to-do list for tomorrow, which is the start of set-up. stay tuned for more on Portland, restaurant list to follow, and have a fab week.

Happy birthday Lola! (More on my childhood friend, Lola who I may actually get to see on Friday!)

T

Pre-show prep.... update

Quilt show debuting new collection CHLOE'S IMAGINATION and new colors or ANNABELLA is next week. I have been working together with Nancy and her daughters from QUILTS LIKE CRAZY right here in North Carolina. These ladies are talented quilters, seamstresses and knitters. Nancy's shop is half quilting and half knitting and the stuff they do is truly amazing.
Anyway, they called today and said "Your quilts are almost done!" I can't wait to see them and show them off at Market. For those of you who don't see my booth and display at the trade show it's quite an amazing event. Again, we're all making many arrangements to have items sewn and created for display all in our new fabrics. I am in the middle of all that chaos. Fabrics come in in bolt-loads... haha... and surrounded with them always alters the production 'plans' slightly. Once I have them and see them I make the adjustments, last minute revisions and of course I get productive myself. I design all the clothes I show for both kids and adults. I am one of those designers who designs as I cut the fabric. The patterns then get cut from my fabric cuttings believe it or not. Adjustments to those patterns are made as I create the garments. It's a crazy method but works well for me. I have the perfect clothing collection for little ones... We'll share loads of pics when they're available. And they show well in the new collections. I can't wait for you to see.
We slipcovered a few items for the booth this year. One of my favorites is a tiny arm chair belonging to my twins... actually Amelia now has the chair in her room. When she gets it back I am going to have to redo her whole room to fit the chair. It's that cute!
Well, tired me is off to relax. Kids are in bed, and I am tired, tomorrow is a new day and more preparations to attend to.
Thanks to all who read my blog.
Best
Tina

WWW.QUILTHOME.COM

Oh my goodness...
I just received the lastest email newsletter from quilthome.com and I just can't believe how wonderful these folks are. This is the greatest website... I have ordered from them a few times myself.... yes I do buy things to sew with.... they have awesome customer service, and best news... they carry ALL my fabrics, and yes will carry my patterns too... coming soon. Anyway, check them out HERE, and you can see every collection I have done! WOW.
Shown left is BUTTERFLY TG13 in coral... I love this one!

And for all you guys who are looking for ANNABELLA, guess what QUILTHOME.COM carries the first released color. New ones are coming, but the orginal acqua one is lovely.

All for now, TINA