Catching up with Sara Trail

Getting to know fabric designer Sara...10 questions, 10 answers! 

Most recent place you've found design inspiration: Goodwill and Salvation Army. I love to refashion old denim and army jackets into fabulous, edgy statement pieces. The Disney Channel is showing a 90 second show where I demonstrate upcycling denim. Making this small program was lots of fun! :)

Latest book you've read: "I'll Walk Alone" by Mary Higgins Clark. I love to read but I don't like reading text books! College requires so much reading. When I can read for pleasure it is a well-enjoyed treat.

What you're working on now: I am currently working on an art quilt that will express my concern regarding the wave of violence against women in other countries. 

Favorite color: Red. I love to use reds with black or whites. I like to wear "contrasty" bold colors in my wardrobe to stand out and look unique amongst the students at UC Berkeley.

A recent great meal: The Texas Roadhouse. I am not a big red meat eater but I LOVE BBQ ribs from this restaurant. My parents will sometimes bring me a rack of ribs to my dorm room and by the time all of my friends get a taste, I only have a small portion left to eat myself. I have yet to convince my folks to bring me two slabs. I love salads, and if it weren't for Texas Roadhouse , I honestly would be a vegetarian.

How you get through winter: Sewing! Sewing!! Since I am now a college student, I don't have as much free time anymore. I enjoyed a long winter break and made Christmas gifts, including a full-sized quilt for my 84-year-old grandma Emma in Alabama (complete with pillow shams). I used Folk Heart fabric and left the selvege edges visible because she wanted it that way. Grandma is proud of my fabrics and shows my work to all of her friends. :)

Coffee or tea? Neither. I like the way coffee smells but I don't drink it, or tea. I LOVE hot chocolate with marshmallows or whipped cream. Whenever I can, I make it at my dorm room and I have a small fridge that keeps a can of real whipped cream fresh for me.

Favorite Friday night activity: I love to go to slam poetry readings in cafes and small restaurants. I am too self-conscious to present poems, but I love to watch my friends. 

What you are excited about right now: MY BIRTHDAY! I will be 18 yrs old on February 19^th! I hope my folks will spring for a nice party with lots of good food for me and my buddies! (Dad and mom if you're reading this please consider this :)

Which fabric line is your favorite? I love Folk Heart but Biology 101 is special too. I designed an art quilt and bedding with Biology 101. The art quilt I named "The Mermaid A Nubian Treasure." It was part of a mermaid themed art quilt show in North Carolina last fall and is now hanging in my parents' bedroom!

Sara Trail's Sweet Potato Pie

We asked our designers to share some of their favorite holiday traditions with you.



For Sara Trail, it's all about the food!

"I would say my favorite holiday tradition is cooking ! My mom bakes pumpkin pie, cookies, sweet potato pie and many other treats that I enjoy eating. Since I'm an only child I usually help, and I always eat the batter of whatever tastes the best!"  

Photo: landolakes.com

Here is the recipe Sara's mom uses for sweet potato pie. It sounds delicious!

Sweet Potato Pie Recipe
1 1lb sweet potato 
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup milk
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 9" unbaked pie crust

1. Boil sweet potato whole in skin for 40 to 50 minutes, or until done. Run cold water over the sweet potato, and remove the skin.
2. Break apart sweet potato in a bowl. Add butter, and mix well with mixer. Stir in sugar, milk, eggs, nutmeg, cinnamon and vanilla. Beat on medium speed until mixture is smooth. Pour filling into an unbaked pie crust.
3. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 55 to 60 minutes, or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Pie will puff up like a souffle, and then will sink down as it cools.


Of course, the holidays aren't just about food...they're also about sewing!

"My favorite holiday sewing projects are creating elaborate table decorations for Christmas dinner, and  the fun holiday socks I enjoy making for all members of my family."

Homemade socks, sweet potato pie, and elegant decor; Sara might need to invite some of us over this year! What about you? Have you sewed any holiday decorations this year? What is your favorite recipe? 

Sara Trail on TV!

Check it out--Fabri-Quilt designer Sara Trail was featured upcycling clothes in a Disney Channel "Make Your Mark" segment, which focuses on young people doing extraordinary things. Way to go, Sara!

Behind the Scenes: Sara Trail's Folk Heart

We're back with Sara Trail, talking about inspiration, the design process, and her new line, Folk Heart. 

Q. Where do you get your inspiration from for your fabric lines and patterns?

Sara: I get inspiration from fashion magazines, nature, rug catalogs, Christmas cards, dreams, beautiful California public gardens and parks, antique scrapbooks, random photos I take…pretty much just anything around me. 

Q. Describe the fabric design process.

Sara: I start the design process by leafing through my random cell phone photo prints, magazine tear-outs and colorful antique scrapbooks. I have a cool plastic Pantone color set which allows me to figure out exactly what color palette my inspiration piece is in "fabric designer's language."  I start by making photos of my ideas, and then I work with the art department at Fabri-Quilt to settle upon a design that is appealing not only to me but most importantly the customer! 

Q. What was the inspiration behind Folk Heart?

Sara:  I wanted a folk-art type design that had a homemade, unique type of feel. I love the artwork embedded within the theme fabrics and the animals are very cute.

Q. Which print in the collection is your favorite?

Sara: I definitely love the theme fabric, with the large scale of the animals- along with the cream flower print.

Q. What do you envision this collection being used for?

Sara: I could see it being used in a kitchen décor set, including place mats, curtains, and pot holders, or gifts—really cute purses, tote bags and quilts.

I would love to see what other people use the fabrics for. Please send me a picture of your creations! (Sara can be reached through her website, Sew Sara Sew.)

Do you know Sara?

Today, we'd like to introduce you to Sara Trail, our youngest fabric designer. Sara's fabric lines include Biology 101 and her newest collection, in stores now, Folk Heart.

Sara and Maddie

Q. Tell us a bit about yourself.

Sara: I am 17 years old and a freshman at UC Berkeley. I have not decided on a major yet, but am thinking about business, public policy or psychology. I was born in Chicago, but mostly raised in California. I love to sew and collect fabrics!

Q. When did you start sewing?

Sara: My mom introduced me to sewing at the young age of four, and I have enjoyed the hobby ever since. My grandma would constantly get upset with my mom for letting me on a sewing machine at such a young age, in fear of piercing my hand with the needle. However, I didn't run my hand underneath the machine shaft until I was 12, as a result of talking on the phone and sewing with one hand… lesson learned. I have an 86 year old great aunt who used to babysit me as a child, who used to sew all of my aunt’s clothes when they were younger! One time, I remember cutting all the fabric up from her sewing box into unusable pieces, and wondering why she was so upset. However thank goodness she loved me a bit more than her fabric stash!

Anyways, I have always loved fabrics of all kinds, based off texture, color, material or anything- I love the diversity in fabric. By the time I was 9 years old, I had, with the help of my mom, started an after school sewing program at my church with the support of my quilting mentor Mrs. Eleanor O’ Donnell. As I got older, I learned dressmaking from my other mentor, Prof. Laverne Edwards who taught me everything about drafting patterns, and creating garments from scratch.

Teaching kids how to sew

Q. How did you get into fabric design?

Sara: My opportunity to design fabrics for Fabri-Quilt came from John and Sue Linam of Fabri-Quilt.  They flew to my home and introduced me to the creative world of fabric design! I have always enjoyed designing, sketching, and color theory so fabric designing was something I really enjoyed doing.

Q. You also have a line of sewing patterns through Simplicity. How did that start?

Sara: I contacted Mrs. Judy Raymond (now retired ) of Simplicity Patterns and asked for a chance to patterns design for Simplicity, and they licensed me to design for them using some of my sketches and prototype clothing that I had sewn.

 Some of Sara's sewing patterns

Q. What do you like best about designing fabric?

Sara: I like being able to choose trendy colors for my fabric designs.  I enjoy taking pictures of colors found in nature, furniture or anywhere else that catches my eye.  My cell phone is full of random photos of objects that have beautiful colors, or texture or patterns and I tend to print out the random photos I take and use them for inspiration for new fabric ideas, or just to hang on my college dorm wall.

Q. How would you describe your style? How has your style changed as you've gotten older?

Sara: I would describe my style as eccentric, creative and different. When I was younger, I loved contrast and bright primary colors that were bold and stark against plainer backgrounds. However, now I am starting to appreciate blended colors now and "handmade" designs with imperfect edges rather than crisp perfect lines.

It's great getting to know you, Sara! We'll be back with a look at Sara's fabric collections and quilts. In the meantime, you can visit her website, Sew Sara Sew.