Fabric Designer Spotlight: Ruby Star Society
One of our shop’s most popular fabric designers is the Ruby Star Society brand. There is so much to love about this woman owned business. Their mission to stand together, learn, grow, and create fearlessly is reflected in the beautiful fabrics they bring to our sewing community. Let’s get to know the designers and the fabrics we carry in our shop.
Ruby Star Society Designers
Melody Miller
As the founder and creative director of Ruby Star Society, Melody Miller is goal-focused in developing what is now the Ruby Star Society brand. With a background in industrial design, she began her fabric journey in selling handmade decor on Etsy and then moved on to designing fabric for Japanese designer Kokka. This led her, with five designers, to create the brand Cotton + Steel. In 2018, she along with her team created the Ruby Star Society brand and the rest is history!
Alexia Marcelle Abegg
With a background in photography and sewing pattern design, Alexia Marcelle Abegg entered the fabric design world with the creation of Green Bee Patterns that she and her mom founded. Inspired by her sewing passion and love of illustrations, her fabric designs are a favorite amongst the sewing community.
Rashida Coleman-Hale
Beginning her career in fashion and graphic design, Rashida Coleman-Hale moved into the fabric design world after she became a mother. Sewing and blogging led to the creation of sewing books, magazine articles, and eventually into fabric design. Rashida Coleman-Hale draws inspiration from all walks of her life including the beauty of the San Francisco Bay Area where she lives with her family.
Jen Hewett
As a printmaker, surface designer, and textile artist, Jen Hewett engages in many different types of professional artist projects. She has an online shop, writes books, licenses her illustrations to both small and large manufacturers and retailers. Her fabric collections are filled with stunning design and beauty.
Kimberly Knight
Known for her fabric blog, “True Up”, Kimberly Knight began sewing in 2001. Fabric thrifting and eBay shopping led to her vintage fabric passion. Writing and sharing her love of the fabric, manufacturing, and pattern design led her to create her own fabric designs. Her fabrics incorporate timeless illustrations to create beautiful quilting and sewing fabric.
Sarah Watts
With a childhood filled with drawing, creating, and imagination, Sarah Watts entered with world of art and design. Beginning in baby clothes pattern development, she moved onto fabric design quickly. She created collections for both Blend Fabrics and Cotton + Steel Fabrics. Her fabric illustrations reflect her passions – cats, knitting, sewing, and joyful designs.
Ruby Star Society Fabrics in the Shop
Little Fabric Shop carries over 200 Ruby Star Society fabrics. These fabrics are made with the softest cotton. While quilting is the most popular use of the fabrics, they are also wonderful for creating home décor, garments, and bags. Below are all the fabrics we currently stock – and a little sneak peek at what is arriving in the future.
Sugar – Sarah Watts
Sugar is designed by Sarah Watts and our newest Ruby Star Society fabric line in the shop. This line is a basics and blender fabric collection. The bright colors and simple design will add another beautiful element to any sewing project.
Darlings 2 – Collaborative
The Darlings 2 collection is a collaboration of all the Ruby Star designers. This fabric line is like a classic mixed tape – oldies and goodies – from previous collections that have been recolored, resized, and reimagined. These fabrics have us excited for summer sewing projects.
Camellia – Melody Miller
A cup of tea warms the soul and the heart. The Camellia fabric line brings us all the goodness of tea. Melody Miller, with her signature lush colors and joyful designs, has created beautiful illustrations for the lovely fabric. Check-out this stunning wide back fabric that is perfect for quilting!
Unruly Nature – Jen Hewett
Jen Hewett was inspired by long walks through a park in San Francisco during the early days of the pandemic. Seeing nature bursting while the world was in such an uncertain place, brought wonder and happiness during this difficult period. The Unruly Nature line features rich colors and nature inspired elements to comfort and heal.
Stay Gold – Melody Miller
Melody Miller has designed the most joyful fabric collection. Stay Gold features flowers, metallic elements, rich colors, and fun illustrations. This line is a favorite in the shop and one of our most requested fabrics.
Toweling – Alexia Marcelle Abegg
There is so much to love about toweling fabric. We have an entire blog dedicated to creating with this versatile fabric. From making curtains, tea towels, aprons, bags, and so much more, the Alexia Marcelle Abegg toweling offers a world of project creativity.
First Light – Collaborative
The First Light fabric collection is a morning sunrise. Deep oranges, golds, yellows and creams fill this line with the most beautiful harmony of colors. As collaborative designer fabric collection from Ruby Star Society, you will enjoy the work of all the artists.
Purl – Sarah Watts
Knitting with a cup of tea inspired the Purl line. Sarah Watts illustrations along with cream, green, turquoise and pink colors weave throughout this collection. We also have a beautiful canvas fabric that is perfect for making a knitting bag or even an apron.
Speckled – Rashida Coleman-Hale
The Speckled fabric line is another blender collection. Rashida Coleman-Hale combines splatters of colors and metallic to add a little something special to quilting, home décor and garment making.
Jolly Basics & Jolly Darlings Sneak Peak
The Jolly Basics and Jolly Darlings line is a collaborative collection from Ruby Star Society. These fabrics get us in the mood for Christmas holiday and winter sewing. Creating handmade holiday gifts and decorations will be perfect with these fabrics. We expect them in the shop this June 2022.
Projects Created with Ruby Star Society Fabric
We have truly enjoyed sewing with these designer fabrics from Ruby Star Society. Here are some of our favorites from past and present lines. There are so many sewing options to explore and try-out!
Folk Blooms Quilt Along
We joined the Folk Blooms Quilt Along and used six prints from the Purl fabric line. This pattern is designed by Pen + Paper Patterns and is beginner friendly. Sewing with friends is always fun and really kept us motivated to finish. Here are a few quilt blocks from the event.
Easter Eggs
We used fabrics from Melody Miller to create these bright and cheerful eggs. There is a great Fabric Easter Egg sewing tutorial from Hello Sewing. This is a quick and beginner friendly sewing project. If you are looking for more spring sewing inspiration, check out our 12 Spring Sewing Projects blog.
Lined Drawstring Bag
The Lined Drawstring Bag pattern is one we visit time and time again. It is so easy to make and there are eight different size options. Jeni Baker has created this pattern and we love how beautiful the toweling fabric Alexia Marcelle Abegg looks with it!
Sophia Pouch
This adorable bag is designed by Sotak Handmade. Her bag engineering is unbelievable. All of her patterns are unique and very easy to follow. A vintage Melody Miller fabric was used to create the Sophia Pouch.
Travel Jewelry Organizer
The Travel Jewelry Organizer was designed for getaways. This bag offers quick storage and access to all your jewelry while you are on the road. Erica Loomis designed this pouch to easily store in a carry-on or your luggage. Another vintage fabric from Jen Hewett was used to create this useful bag.
Sew Together Bag
Sarah Watts designed this cute mushroom fabric while still with Cotton + Steel. We love this pairing with the Sew Together Bag. There are so many pockets and zippers inside this useful pouch. This intermediate pattern is loved by sewists.
