April 11, 2016
Lost in the Storm
Late last year Robert Kaufman Fabrics asked me to make this quilt using their Artisan Batik line of fabrics featuring their Floriculture 2 and Prisma Dyed Batiks.
It’s a Cathedral Window Storm at Sea based on a quilt I designed and made that was featured in Joen Wolfrom book “Color Play”. http://joenwolfrom.com/books/
I was thrilled to get the opportunity. Well, the Free Pattern is available on their website. i hope you enjoy working with the line as much as i did!
The link is here: http://www.robertkaufman.com/quilting/quilts_patterns/lost_in_the_storm/
April 30, 2015
Post Card Art, A Vintage Bird and Flowers…..Ah Spring!
It’s already over 90 here in beautiful Southern California, so it’s a good day to stay inside
Here are two new digital designs that I have created. The beautiful lady came from an 1800’s issue of Harper’s Bazaar Magazine. Half Pence postage and an old Post card back were used in this collage.
The Pink collage uses a Cedar Waxwing image that I got over at http://www.olddesignshop.com. . An old image of a postcard back and trellis were used in the collage as well as a photo of lovely pink flowers that I took a while back.
They are both available in my Etsy shop as fabric prints.
April 20, 2015
Vintage Art Fabric Prints on Etsy
It’s taken me a while but I finally got my Etsy shop up and going again. Right now I have 10 of the prints used with the Neat and Nifty Notebook pattern as well as 6 of my Vintage Envelope Prints. They are all available in different layouts as well as with or without the patterns. All of the prints would be great in Crazy Quilting projects. Etsy is a fun and easy way to shop for gifts and supplies. I hope you can visit and have some fun. You can find my Etsy shop here:https://www.etsy.com/shop/ShelleysDesignWorks 
April 15, 2015
Vintage Postage Digital Art
These are six new digital designs using vintage postcards, postage and card art I put together using my collection of vintage images. I love to dig through Antique stores and Thrift shops looking for vintage postage, old letters, post cards and writing samples. I then scan the images into my computer and using Photoshop combine them into Digitally collaged designs.
Printed on 100% cotton, I’ve used them in the Neat and Nifty Notebooks. The prints are available as a set of one large and two small to fit regular and mini composition books and come with a pattern to make the Neat and Nifty Composition Books for $9.50.
To read more about the Composition books go here.
Fabric Prints are now or soon will be available in my Etsy shop Shelley’s Design Works.
The prints could also be used in Crazy quilting. I love combining digital art with fabric.
Contact me if you are interested in more information about purchasing the books or the prints and pattern.
March 18, 2015
Embellished Organdy Hearts
My latest embellished project, “Organdy Hearts” features cotton organdy hearts appliqued to five of the blocks before the embroidery, silk ribbon and beading was applied. The stitch used to applique the cotton organdy is called the Pin Stitch. I learned this stitch from Elyn Mosbarger a while back.I’ve wanted to revisit the stitch for some time, once I began doing handwork again. 
I’ve already tempted and taught the stitch to my Crazy Quilt group.
Click on the images to see the high res pictures on Flickr.
I’ve created a pattern for this project and if you are interested contact me through my email found in the contact section of the Blog.
March 13, 2015
Elegant Asian Fans
An easy introduction to the Machine Stitched Cathedral Window technique, Elegant Asian Fans uses the simplest element, a simple square folded diagonally. The base of each block is a foundation paper square with just thee pieces. Two folded squares are then basted on top. The curves happen during the quilting process.
I love Asian prints and have quite a few. This was a perfect opportunity for me to use some of them.
I just added this pattern on Crafty for those of you that like to download your own patterns. Of course you can contact me directly if you would like to buy the paper pattern.
http://www.craftsy.com/pattern/quilting/home-decor/elegant-asian-fans/135687
November 4, 2013
Composition Book Covers with Vintage Art
It’s been a busy month and I am glad to have some down time. My Composition Books with reusable covers have been very popular and I wanted to share a few of them. I used Vintage images that I collaged in Photoshop then printed on fabric to decorate the covers. When combined with Batik fabric and coordinating felt they came out quite lovely.
Some of the graphics used in the collage process come from online sources. The Cherries and Butterfly came from The Graphics Fairy. The Roses image is from The Old Design Shop and the background writing on the roses came from Mudbay Images. It is a contract from 1792. All other art came from my own collection. One of my favorite sources is a copy of Ben Hur that I picked up at a little book store in Lake Gregory, CA for $20.00. It was published in the 1880’s and was called the General’s Edition. There are illustrations on nearly every page. The wreath is one of them.
It is a favorite pastime of mine to search Antique stores, Old book stores and swap meets for the treasures that I can scan and use in my digital artwork.
The pattern for the Neat & Nifty notebooks is available at my Etsy store as well as a number of prints and when available the finished notebooks. https://www.etsy.com/shop/ShelleysDesignWorks
August 26, 2013
Shelley Swanland has Patterns on Craftsy
Romantic Reflection
I have started to put my patterns on http://www.Craftsy.com . Berries Jubilee, Romantic Reflection, Parchment & Black Lacquer and Sparkling Stars are now available for purchase and download as PDFs at my Craftsy store. I appreciate all the support I have had through the years for my technique and hopefully this will make the technique available to more quilters all over the world. I will be adding more patterns as time goes on so if you have a favorite you’re waiting for just let me know.
January 6, 2013
Cathedral Window Quilt – Layers of Lavender
Woo Hoo!! I just finished this quilt on consignment. I think it looks pretty nice. I used my pattern, Layers of Lavender. It’s a variation of the traditional Cathedral Window in that it is stitched with a diagonal grid and where there would be a singe curve there are two curves. That forms a chain design between the windows. It took 100 hours to make and will be sent off to it’s new owner next week.
October 13, 2012
Vintage Envelope Needle Cases
I have been working on the Vintage Envelope Needle Case project for a while and wrapped it up a couple of weeks ago. In my Vintage Art collecting I have found a number of very cool Vintage Envelopes. I scan them into my computer, clean them up, add some digital art if they are plain, add a background and then print them on cotton. When they are out flat they fill approximately half of a regular sheet of paper. They are sandwiched with fusible batting and a back and stitched around the edges.
Embroidery, buttons, silk ribbon and all sorts of embellishments can be added. Add flannel or wool pages for the needles and you are ready to go.
This is one of my favorites. It’s a happy New Year card from Argentina, from one family to another wishing them Happy New Year in 1900.
I have created sixteen different Vintage Envelopes. Each Vintage Envelope design is printed on cotton and includes a pattern with instructions on how to assemble the needle case. You add your own embellishments. The price is $9.50 each plus postage. Email me if you are interested in purchasing one or more. They make great gifts.
Click on images to see them in high resolution.
Some of these prints are available on Etsy. Here
Snips and Bits from Shelley's Studio 
