Houston Highlights at Booth #1114

It’s Quilt Market Time, and as always, we look forward to seeing all of you in Houston — You’ll find Marcus Fabrics and Studio 37 Fabrics in Booth #1114 with the best in traditional and trendy fabric collections, top-notch BOM programs, basics, must-haves and more! Let’s start with a sneak-peek of our newest Block-of-the-Month programs…

Then, be sure to stock up on these popular must-haves, including premium quality 108″ quilt backs in contemporary designs, new trending cheddars and browns, and an array of artful textures for piecing, applique and handwork backgrounds!

Once you’ve brought in all of this fabulous fabric, learn how to protect it! SCHOOLHOUSE happens on Oct 25 – and you won’t want to miss our session entitled “Loss Prevention for the Quilt Shop”. Join Vicki McCarty of Calico Patch Designs, and her husband Tom, a police detective with over 17 years in retail, as they share loss prevention tips, from theft deterrence to dealing with shoplifters. Prepare yourself for the critical but less glamorous area of retail life.  4:55pm-5:25pm  / Room 371E

and visit our exhibiting designers at Market:

  • Calico Patch Designs  /   Vicky McCarty                      Booth #1108
  • Designs by Sarah J   /  Sarah Maxwell                         Booth #1119
  • Material Girlfriends   /   Lisa Norton & Lora Zmak        Booth #1003
  • Nancy Rink Designs   /   Nancy Rink                            Booth #1117
  • Red Crinoline  /  Paula Barnes & Mary Ellen Robison  Booth #1115
  • Somerset Patchwork & Quilting   /   Karen Styles       Booth #1015

You’ll notice that our designers are all close to the Marcus booth, making it easy for you to take in all of the inspiration at once! We look forward to seeing you and serving you at Market… if you’re not attending, we’re sorry to miss you, but be sure to follow us on Instagram @marcusfabrics and @studio37fabrics, and on Facebook (Make It with Marcus Fabrics).

A Sophisticated Take on Pinktober Quilts…

Photo: Material Girlfriends Patterns

Since its inception in 1985, Breast Cancer Awareness Month has served to increase attention and support for awareness, early detection and treatment as well as palliative care of this disease.  This campaign starts on October 1 and ends on October 31 every year, and is marked in countries around the world and has come to be known as “Pinktober.”

As we all know, our quilting community has always engaged its passion for the benefit and support of others in times of need, and projects aligned with the worthy cause of breast cancer awareness are among the most rewarding for creative stitchers, incorporating the familiar “pink ribbon” fabrics and embellishments. 

Now, as the movement matures, fabric offerings are keeping pace, as illustrated by the SOULFUL SHADES OF PINK collection by Laura Berringer for Studio 37 Fabrics.  Most notably, the palette takes a more refined tone, with updated, more sophisticated shades of pink, blended with shades of grey and white. 

By refreshing the color scheme and mixing prints with both ribbon and non-ribbon motifs, Laura takes the collection beyond the October theme, creating a year-long expression of love and hope.

Seeing the fabrics, the design duo at Material Girlfriends Patterns created the Soulful Shades of Pink BOM, using their Bona Fide quilt pattern.   Twin-sisters Lisa Norton and Lora Zmak took Laura’s inspiration a step further, explaining the significance of the colors:

“One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime, which means we all know someone fighting this disease. We are complex emotional individuals, and as textile artists, we use color to express and process our involvement with breast cancer. So why use pink to promote the awareness of Breast Cancer? In the psychology of color, Pink represents a gentle and caring love, such as a love for a girlfriend, mother, sister, or daughter.   While the Grey represents sorrow, the White represents hope and healing.”  Their combination of the Bona Fide pattern with these fabrics “helps us be true to the emotional roller coaster of love, sorrow, hope, and healing. This project encourages us to feel and express through color and quilting.”

For quilt makers and recipients alike, we know that this very special quilt will accomplish its mission of hope and healing. A portion of all sales of Soulful Shades of Pink fabric will be donated to support breast cancer research.

Ready for the New Designer Duo Quilt-Along?

Nancy Rink and Sarah Maxwell are all set to bring you “Mix It Up”, another exciting quilt-along project, and this one begins on May 17!

The designers “mix it up” by adding different 12″ blocks to the core combination of 18″ and 6″ blocks, and of course each uses her own fabric collections – Nancy uses DO THE MATH and GETTING TO KNOW HUE while Sarah uses her SEW SWEET BATIKS and PRETTIFUL POSIES.

And, not only can you choose to recreate one (or both!) of their quilts shown above…But you’ll also benefit from the creative input of several of the duo’s quilting buddies, including Dolores Smith of Timeworn Toolbox Designs, Elisabeth Hardy of Elisabew Quilts, Tiffany Hayes of Needle in a Hayes Stack, and Karen O’Connor of Lady K Quilts.

Happy Stitching!!

Coming Soon to Quilt Shops Near You…

We know…spring weather is “thisclose” and we can’t wait!  And our upcoming collections prove that there’s fresh inspiration to be found everywhere, from traditional prints and palettes to silk neckties, from a tranquil garden to a coastal paradise, from an elegant manor to America’s Favorite Pastime  If you’re in need of a creative boost, check out what’s coming to quilt shops near you in the coming months:

Share Your CIRCA 1880 CLUB Picture, Like Karen Did!

Pam Buda, and all of us at Marcus, are thrilled to see the Circa 1880 Club in full swing in quilt shops across the country and beyond!  Pam just shared this photo from Karen, a friend Pam traded blocks with when creating her own Circa quilt.  Karen is one of the 70 Circa participants stitching at Pieceful Gatherings in Fox River Grove, IL:

An impressive sight!  Many of the shop’s members sent them in by mail for trading.

How is your club progressing?  Remember that your participating quilt shop can enter our video contest, to complete for the grand prize — a trunk show visit from Pam Buda, or one of two other great quilt shop prizes — have your shop look into the details!

And just for fun, club members can email club pictures for possible inclusion here on our blog!!  (Please be sure you have the permission of anyone visible in your photos before you send them.)

 

For Our PEEPS Superfans!

Sweet news for fans of PEEPS, the iconic chick and bunny candies…

We just learned that Kellogg’s is introducing PEEPS cereal!  It’s available for a limited time, likely thru the Easter season (the holiday falls on April 21 this year).  So of course, our thoughts shifted to perfectly themed springtime table settings featuring the latest PEEPS fabric collection, arriving in your local quilt shops now!

Stitch up quick and easy table runners, placemats, mugrugs, napkins, even Easter basket liners and more ; ) for a fun and colorful season! It’s beginning to feel like Springtime already…About Just Born Quality Confections

 Just Born Quality Confections is a third generation family-owned company founded in 1923, headquartered in Bethlehem,PA, and the makers of PEEPS®, HOT TAMALES®, MIKE AND IKE® and GOLDENBERG’S PEANUT CHEWS® Brand Candies.  All Just Born candies are made in the U.S.A.

The PEEPS® brand and PEEPS® shapes are trademarks of Just Born, Inc., Bethlehem, PA, USA, and are used under license. © 2018-2019

 

 

“Step Back in Time” with Paula and Mary Ellen

Congratulations to Paula Barnes and Mary Ellen Robison on the release of their latest book, Step Back in Time (Martingale).  Reproduction-fabric collectors and antique quilt lovers alike will love this the much-anticipated follow-up to Tributes and Treasures!  The Red Crinoline Quilts design duo presents an all-new, jaw-dropping collection of 13 of their vintage-inspiredquilt patterns. Each quilt design is paired with a fascinating historical account from the 1800s. More than 70 beautiful photos capture the style and sentiment of this unique era in American quilting history.

You’ll enjoy recreating their designs with your favorite Paula Barnes collections, including BALTIMORE HOUSE and her newest line (stay tuned for that one – it’s coming soon!!)

Look for the book at your local quilt shop, or visit Martingale.

   

New PEEPS Are Coming in January!

Yes, we know it’s barely Thanksgiving, much less Christmas, but at Marcus we’ve already turned our holiday sights on Spring 2019, and all of the great Easter holiday crafting and quilting to be done, so join us in the early planning  ; )   First, a little preview of the all-new PEEPS® prints coming to your favorite quilt shops in January:

PEEPS’ iconic Bunny and Chick motifs are back, and ready to become Easter basket liners, quilts, wall hangings, table linens, decorations and sew much more — the pre-printed panel design is ready for creative cutting as appliques and smaller crafts. Mix these with your favorite Marcus CENTENNIAL SOLIDS or PRIMO PLAID FLANNELS: Sew Sweet to expand your creative options!

The PEEPS® brand and PEEPS® shapes are trademarks of Just Born, Inc., Bethlehem, PA, USA, and are used under license. © 2018-2019

Quilt Market Happens Just DAYS From Now!

…and if you’re attending, we look forward to seeing you in the Marcus Brothers/Studio 37 Fabrics Booth #1801! These are just a few of the featured collections you can see up close and personal:

And there’s more…

SCHOOLHOUSE “CREATIVE BLOCK EXCHANGE with Pam Buda’s Circa 1880 Club”  Friday, Nov. 2,  Room 362F, 3:45-4:15pm

NEW BOM and CLUB PROGRAMS from your favorite designers, including Pam Buda, Sheryl Johnson, Krisann Watkins, Nancy Rink and Sarah Maxwell.

BOOK SIGNINGS with Sheryl Johnson (Sat, Nov 3 at 2pm) and Pam Buda (Sun, Nov 4 at 11am)

CREATIVE DEMOS by Sarah Maxwell, PLUS… Sarah and Nancy Rink will discuss and SNEAK-PEEK their upcoming Quilt-along, “Mix It Up”!

Safe travels, everyone — We’ll see you soon!

(Boards by Miriam Rawson)

…And the Winner Is —

Annette Fecteau of Temecula, CA!!   Annette commented:  “I mainly make mini/doll size quilts that I incorporate into vignettes around the house. Haven’t used too many layer cakes, but using one to make that many projects is inspiring. Like the options.”

We’ll be shipping Annette’s copy of the book and Pam’s Prairie Basics & Shirtings precuts immediately after Quilt Market.

Thanks sew much to everyone who commented on our Pam Buda blog post!  You shared some great ideas for using Marcus Fabrics 10″ precuts, and of course, your love for Pam is stronger than ever!  Just wait until you see her next project – it’s a 12-month Club concept that begins in January. Stay tuned for updates, and until then, keep creating!