More Pix from Pati, and from Lynn!

It seems a great time was truly had by all at the Tea Party in Livermore this weekend!  We’ve got a few more pix to share — check them out below, then head over to Lynn Wilder’s Sewn Wild Oaks blog post for even more highlights of the day!

Here’s Pati (center) with Lisa and Lora of The Material Girlfriends.  (You probably recognize them as the designers of our “Bird Walk” BOM.)

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Thanks to everyone who attended this fun and successful event!  We hope you’ve all been inspired to create gorgeous, easy English paper pieced designs.

Have You Seen the New BloomCreek.com?

Be sure to check out the new Bloom Creek VickiBellino-headshotwebsite, the online home of quilt designer, EPP aficionado and our resident Strip-It expert,Vicki Bellino!  Iin addition to her many quit designs featuring Marcus fabrics, she’s even dedicated a part of her website to all things Strip-It!

“One of my newest kits, “Dynamic Duo”, features the VINTAGE ONYX Strip-It.  The kit is for two projects – a 12″ x 12″ and a 6 1/2″ x 6 1/2″ project; both are designed for table-top quilt stands,” she explains.  And they’re gorgeous:

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FullSizeRender You’ll love how Vicki transforms Strip-It pre-printed stripes by Faye Burgos into beautiful, intricate-looking blocks like this one.

On the new BloomCreek.com you’ll also find resources, video links, product updates and more.  Enjoy your visit  ; )

Recreate Pam Buda’s “Love Worn” Quilt

Don’t you love to hear what inspired a designer to create a particular quilt?  Using her own ANTIQUE COTTON collection, Pam Buda of Heartspun Quilts has designed this gorgeous quilt, “Love Worn”, and in her recent blog post she not only gives you some of the creative backstory, but you can even pre-order the kit for a limited time – visit her blog for special offer details…Pam Buda - Love Worn Quilt

Road to California – Who’s Going?

We’re pleased to once again sponsor Road to California  Quilters’ Conference and Showcase, taking place January 22-25, 2015 in Ontario, CA.   This year, in addition to our usual showcase sponsorship of one of the quilt prizes, we’ll be exhibiting as well!

Be sure to stop by the Marcus booth for demos on fussy cutting, English paper piecing (EPP) and more, all featuring our specialty stripe fabrics like PAULA’S BORDER COMPANIONS. Plus giveaways & handouts while supplies last!Pati-EPPsamplesIf you’ve never tried English paper piecing, Lucy Boston blocks and similar techniques, you’ll want to visit with Pati Violick as she demos her techniques using Paper Pieces, as shown in the beginnings of this gorgeous block above.  And if you have tried it, learn how Marcus specialty fabrics can give you rich and intricate results every time.  BTW, Pati is our Director of Marketing — you might remember her love for EPP from last summer’s Designer Sew-Along.

Looking forward to seeing everyone there!

Like English Paper Piecing? You’ll Love This…

Attention, EPP fans: Vicki Bellino’s new book comes out on May 6! English paper piecing dates back to at least the early 1700s, but no worries—just like Vicki Bellino’s first book about EPP, her latest collection of vintage-vibe quilts relies on 21st-century techniques. Pre-cut papers, rotary cutters, glue pens, and sizing spray take this time-honored handcraft to a new level of ease and speed.Vicki turns hexagons, diamonds, Dresdens, and more into happy handwork. (Martingale, 2014)    Challenge yourself with the quilt on the cover, made with a mind-boggling 2,031 hexies! Congratulations, Vicki!

Here’s a quilt by Susan Gilbert (Click on Comments for info)

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