Introducing Harmony: My very first fabric collection!

I’m beyond thrilled to introduce Harmony, my first fabric collection with Riley Blake Designs!

This collection is, first and foremost, inspired by my love of honeybees! My name, Melissa, comes from the Greek words for "honey" and "bee", so I’ve always had something of an affinity for them. They’re hardworking, cute, and most importantly, essential to the health of much of our planet, so I wanted to honor that in my work. The collection is also inspired by the forrest, plant life, and animals that populate my home at the bottom of the Sierra Nevada Mountains in Northern California.

In a more broad sense, Harmony represents the careful balance of nature; how plants, animals, and sometimes even humans, work together to keep everything thriving. Where bees buzz, deer wander, and seedlings are carried along the breeze. Without the harmonious processes of nature, our planet would look a lot different. My hope is that this collection brings you a sense of peace, happiness, and appreciation for the beauty of nature.

Deer Dolls by Jennifer Long of Bee Sew Inspired

Deer dolls by Bee Sew Inspired & Painted Tiles Quilt by Taren Studios

Since I started pursuing surface design in 2015, my number one career goal has been to get my work on bolt fabric. I love the versatility of what people can make with fabric, and since it is essentially a crafting product, it inherently encourages creativity in a way I find so inspiring. I daydreamed for years about seeing peoples’ sewing projects using my fabrics, walking into fabric stores and spotting my collections, and about finally feeling motivated to relearn how to sew. It’s a craft I’ve been wanting to try again for a while and just haven’t made the time for, but this has given me the boost I needed to get back into it (not to mention, more than enough fabric to use, haha).

Screen Shot 2021-10-20 at 4.23.00 PM.png

Lund dress pattern by Little Lizard King; Photography by Rachel Hill Photography

Harmony is available now at your favorite local and online quilt shops. Pick up yours today and share your makes with me on Instagram using #harmonyfabric #rileyblakedesigns #iloverileyblake and tag @melissaleedesign and @rileyblakedesigns.

I have been promising my family and friends a list of where Harmony is available to purchase, so below you’ll find all of the online and brick-and-mortar shops that are carrying it as of October 20th, 2021. If your local quilt shop isn’t on this list, let them know you’d like for them to carry it! (That said, this is most likely not a complete list, as we don’t know which shops have bought from the various distributors that RBD sells to.)