Blog - Cotton & Flax

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More Balboa Fabric projects

So many amazing Balboa projects are being shared over on Instagram! Thought I’d share some of my favorites here today.

This charlie caftan dress is my dream summer outfit. So breezy, yet perfectly pulled together with some cute sandals. Love that Emmanuelle Prompt sewed up something so cute with my fabric!

Siamese Social Club created a whole collection of pet beds with Balboa fabrics! I am obsessed with how sweet these are. Her cat models are the cutest!

Local sewist Rachel Moore created a lovely Wiksten Shift dress with a chambray blue Balboa fabric. Loved meeting her in person when she stopped by the shop in San Diego!

This kids romper from Ashley Rose is beyond cute! Pickle is the perfect hue for kids clothing.

Meg McCarthy‘s matching mother + daughter pants are so cool! Love a twin wardrobe situation!! Even though this is technically Arroyo and not Balboa, I had to include it in the roundup.

A beautiful quilt made by Stay Little Sewing. A traditional design, made modern through the use of printed linen Balboa fabrics!

Love this Redwood Tote that Kathryn Schmidt made with rose colored Balboa fabric.

Sophie Zaugg made the coolest fabric bins with Balboa fabric. Perfect landing spot for mail or your keys when you come home.

I am absolutely in love with the Balboa espadrilles that Lisa sewed at her workshop at Butchers Sew Shop!

Have you been sewing with Balboa fabric? Don’t forget to tag #balboafabric over on Instagram!

Balboa fabric in Love Patchwork & Quilting

Modern quilt for Love Patchwork and Quilting Magazine

Thrilled to see Balboa fabric featured in Love Patchwork & Quilting Magazine this month! Modern quilt artisan Erin Kroker sewed up a gorgeous quilt using all Balboa fabric, which is prominently featured in issue 73 of Love Patchwork & Quilting.

The sewing pattern for this quilt, which is called “Take Flight,” is only available in this issue of the magazine — nowhere else! If you want to sew your own, you’ll have to grab a copy of the magazine.

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Sewn with Balboa Fabric

Handmade Evelyn overalls - made with Balboa fabricIt’s been a few months since Balboa, my second fabric collection for Robert Kaufman, started arriving in stores, and the projects that are popping up on Instagram are looking good! Thought I’d take a moment to share some of my favorites so far….

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Balboa Fabric Lookbook

Balboa Fabric Lookbook - Cotton & Flax

With my second fabric collection for Robert Kaufman, Balboa, arriving in stores in November, I’d like to share the lookbook of Balboa projects, which were created with lots of help from my favorite sewing mavens. I hope it inspires you to sew with Balboa once it arrives in a shop near you!

Balboa fabric by Erin Dollar

Featured Sewists + Projects in the lookbook:

Ready to sew with Balboa? Ask your favorite local fabric store if they have it in stock!

Introducing Balboa – New Linen Fabrics for Robert Kaufman

Balboa fabric fat quarter bundles

I’m thrilled to finally share Balboa, my second collection of 29 new patterned linen fabrics, created in collaboration with Robert Kaufman Fabrics in Los Angeles! This collection was inspired by my explorations into the world of textiles, featuring pattern motifs that echo Anni Albers’ weavings, Sashiko mending techniques, endless spools of cotton thread, and traditional woven baskets from around the world. The color palette is drawn from my life in my new city: San Diego. Lots of beautiful blues, sandy tans, and even a little green. I named my first fabric collection for the Arroyo Seco where I’d hike in LA, and Balboa is named for the park that’s just blocks from my new home — a beautiful place of inspiration in my daily life.

Meadowland Quilt made with Balboa fabricDouble Mountain Quilt made with Balboa fabric

I was excited to collaborate with a few of my favorite makers to create sample projects for this collection! I worked extensively with Meghan from Then Came June to mock up her gorgeous quilt patterns with Balboa fabric. The quilts above are called Meadowlands and Double Mountain.

Gemma Tank made with Balboa

My friend Kristyn sewed up this cute Gemma Tank from Made by Rae, and I’m in love! Gonna make so many tanks with Balboa for those late summer heat waves. She also sewed some Noodlehead wallets for me, which I’ll be sharing over on Instagram soon!

Balboa City Blocks - Quilt Designed by Erin Dollar for Robert Kaufman

I designed a special quilt for this release, which I called “City Blocks.” It will be available to download for free from the Robert Kaufman website once the fabric begins to ship to stores later in the Fall!

Cora Handbag made with Balboa fabric

The marketing team at Robert Kaufman created this beautiful Cora Bag from Sotak Handmade out of the Spools fabric in Chambray. Such a dreamy tote for all your crafty gear.

Balboa will begin shipping out to fabric stores later in the fall. If you’re excited to sew with Balboa, let your local fabric shop know, so they can order it! Sharing the love for this collection is the best way to make sure it ends up in more fabric stores near you.

I’m so excited to see what other makers will create with these new fabrics. The biggest thrill of releasing a new fabric collection is seeing my work take on new life as creative sewists make something new with my designs. If you create something with Balboa, tag me on Instagram, and use the hashtag #balboafabric!

Apparel + Bags Made with Arroyo

Ursa Minor Studio clothing - Made with Arroyo FabricOne of the best parts of being a textile designer is seeing the ways that makers use my fabric designs to create their own beautiful pieces. Contemporary pattern design for the fabric industry can sometimes skew towards a more cute, feminine aesthetic, so I think my fabric designs might be different than what you might expect to find in a fabric store. My pattern designs for Arroyo, my first fabric yardage collection for Robert Kaufman, are super modern, and I’ve been looking forward to seeing how contemporary fashion designers and savvy DIYers would use my fabric.

It’s been a while since my last roundup of amazing projects sewn with Arroyo. I have been particularly floored by the super-stylish outfits made with my fabric ⏤ there are so many talented sewists out there! I’m seeing tons of inspiration on Instagram, and thought I’d collect my favorites into a post to inspire you to sew with Arroyo fabric!…

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