Behind the Seams: With Benartex & The Fat Quarterly!

Jen Wagner
Apr 11, 2025
2 min read

Updated: Apr 22, 2025

Today I had the absolute joy of going live on Swatch & Learn with the amazing Benartex team to talk about the Spring 2025 edition of The Fat Quarterly Magazine! This new subscriber-exclusive feature gives viewers a behind-the-scenes look at how each issue comes to life—from the spark of inspiration, to fabric design and production, to the beautiful projects that bring the collections to life. And the best part? Viewers get to ask questions live!

If you’re not familiar with The Fat Quarterly, it’s such a fun concept. Each issue features a new Benartex collection, inspiring projects to sew, and a curated set of 5" x 5" fabric squares from the line—perfect for sampling and stitching right away.

I was so honored to be featured on the cover of the 2025 spring edition of the magazine and to have the chance to talk about the table runner I designed using my Fenced In quilt pattern on the show. This spring edition showcases the whimsical and vibrant Blooming Color 2 fabric line by Nancy Wolff of Wolff Paper. These gorgeous florals are absolutely perfect for creating my signature Fenced In flowers. The collection comes in four stunning colorways—blue, teal, green, and yellow. I used those hues to create a playful mix with a teal flower and a blue flower with yellow accents in the centers and of course, lush green leaves. Since the magazine includes (28) 5" squares of Blooming Color 2, I used all of them to make the flowers, rail fence block, and the outside border. It all came together beautifully!

I loved reimagining Fenced In as a table runner. Scaling it down while still letting those floral blocks shine was a fun creative twist—and the Blooming Color 2 prints made it all come to life. I shared more behind-the-scenes stories and tips during the live, including how I approached color placement and layout—watch the full chat & get your copy here!

You can get the Spring Fat Quarterly, the link to the Swatch & Learn, the Fenced In table runner pattern, and the 5" squares of Blooming Color 2 here, it's all included in the magazine subscription. To get the original Fenced In quilt pattern and the free coloring page, use the links below.

UPDATE: This episode of Swatch & Learn is now available to watch on YouTube! Check it out here.

I had the best time chatting with the Benartex team, learning about their creative process, and sharing a bit about mine. Thanks again to the whole Benartex crew for including me in something so special. I hope you enjoy this peek behind the scenes as much as I did!