#MondaysWithMarcus: Laura Berringer’s “Spice Bazaar” Coasters!

It’s May 17 already, and with today’s reveal, we complete the second series of Mondays with Marcus! Laura Berringer mixes strips of her own SPICE BAZAAR collection to create easy quilt-as-you-go coasters! You can even apply this technique to a matching table runner or placemats. DOWNLOAD the FREE PROJECT HERE.

The warm, inviting tones of this collection were inspired by Laura’s pre-pandemic travels to Singapore. In addition to the many decorative and ornate batik fabrics there, she discovered wonderful markets with rich colors and spices to excite the senses.

We hope you’ve enjoyed this latest series of free projects from the Marcus designers! Which were your favorites? If you missed any of the debuts since March 8, you can browse and find the links to download each of them here. And watch for details on how to enter to win our second Grand Prize gift basket, filled with Marcus fabrics and designer goodies!

Mondays with Marcus!

While the real MONDAYS WITH MARCUS fun begins on October 5, we invite you to explore the various Marcus and Studio 37 Fabrics designers taking part in this very special FREE program! Get familiar with the projects and plan ahead…

Grab a sneak peek of the project slideshow here:

LIKE, FOLLOW and SHARE your favorite designers on their social media outlets now in preparation for the series (you’ll find their links on our main MWM page), and be sure to join the Mondays with Marcus Facebook page and share directly with the designers and other participants during the series, which runs through December 14. And wherever you share, be sure to use #MondaysWithMarcus!

Who’s Participating??

#MondaysWithMarcus

Get Ready for #MondaysWithMarcus!

Beginning Monday, October 5, set your calendar to receive FREE PROJECTS from your favorite Marcus & Studio 37 designers. Some will also offer optional kits for their designs, while for others, you can just dig into your stash. Along the way, you’ll get to know our designers better as you Like, Follow and Share them on social media, and learn valuable, inspiring tips and tricks along the way. And did we mention that we’ll be sponsoring FREE FABRIC DRAWINGS throughout?

Be sure to join the fun, and tell your friends!

All-Star Designer Line-Up — October 5 thru December 14, 2020:

October 5 — Vicki McCarty, Calico Patch Designs
October 12 — Deirdre Bond-Abel, Hat Creek Quilts
October 19 — Pam Buda, Heartspun Quilts
October 26 — Nancy Rink, Nancy Rink Designs
November 2 — Dolores Smith, Timeworn Toolbox Designs
November 9 — Lisa Norton & Lora Zmak, Material Girlfriends
November 16 — Paula Barnes & Mary Ellen Robison, Red Crinoline Quilts
November 23 — Sarah Maxwell, Designs by Sarah J
November 30 — Cindy Staub, Quilt Doodle Designs
December 7 — Tracy Souza, Plumcute Designs
December 14 — Laura Berringer, Marcus Fabrics

#MondaysWithMarcus

Beautiful New BOM Quilts for You!

Whether traditional or contemporary, we have your BOM for 2021! We’re thrilled to introduce three beautiful new programs: FOREVERMORE, a new collection and BOM program by Pam Buda; calming RIVERSIDE by Krisanne Watkins featuring our favorite AGED MUSLINS, and GALACTIC EXPLOSION, Nancy Rink’s star-studded BOM design mixing COLOR BOMB, SEMI SOLID and SCRAP HEAP, all by Laura Berringer.  Plan now, and look forward to January for the fresh, creative jump-start we all need!

FOREVERMORE (Fabric and BOM by Pam Buda). Pam chooses a classic palette of deep cranberry, slate and sage, blended with neutrals for lasting appeal. She brings them together in a rich and varied sampler style BOM quilt. The result is a statement project any quilter would be proud to claim as a part of their creative legacy.
GALACTIC EXPLOSION (BOM by Nancy Rink, featuring COLOR BOMB, SEMI SOLID and SCRAP HEAP, all by Laura Berringer. The Best of the Basics! Nancy combines various colors and textures from your favorite Marcus contemporary basics to create a multitude of stars, in “Venus” (Bright) and “Mars” (Muted) versions.
BOM by Krisanne Watkins, featuring AGED MUSLINS by Marcus. (Photo by Aaron Leimkuehler)
Krisanne describes her inspiration for the quilt: Family vacations often found us just outside of Yellowstone, with extended family joining us in Island Park. While we also spent time inside Yellowstone, we fished and fly fished, floated down the Snake River, and enjoyed many family barbecues creek side. Rivers course across the country with life-giving (and occasionally life-taking) water.”

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.

Fifty-Two Gorgeous KI-COO GARDENS Quilts!

Well, the Electric Quilt Design Challenge for October has come to a close, resulting in a total of 52 great entries from quilters using Electric Quilt to design quilts using Laura Berringer’s KI-COO GARDENS collection.  You can view all of the creative designs here, but for now we’d like to highlight the two entries chosen as winners in EQ’s random drawing!

Holly Wilson describes her creation as “A Little applique wall (hanging), with Ki-Coo Gardens, which provided a spin on the colors I would have normally used. The color palette can be used with a multitude of designs.”

Debbie Langendorf said of her winning entry (below): “I’ve been making small quilts and thought this might be very nice for Spring. I love the colors of these fabrics. They are bright and happy. Because my block has small triangles I wanted the Points Out border to highlight more of the fabrics. This was fun.”

Both Holly and Debbie Will receive fabric packs of Ki-Coo Gardens prints.  Well done, ladies, enjoy the real fabrics this time ; )  And thanks to everyone who participated, as well as our friends at EQ.

Happy World Embroidery Day!

Yes, today is World Embroidery Day!

In 2011 a local group belonging to Broderiakademin, the Swedish Embroiderers’ Guild, took the initiative to plan and create a special day to celebrate embroidery. World Embroidery Day was born. It’s now celebrated yearly on July 30.

So we thought we’d celebrate with a sneak peek at some of the embroidery work in our office, both finished and in-progress:

A while back, Brandy added lush embroidery stitches over the floral motifs of Laura Berringer’s INDIGO INFLUENCE, all raw-edge appliqued onto a background of Laura’s hot pink COLOR INFLUENCE texture print!  We loved the results ; )

Pati just started a yet-to-be-identified project, using our all-cotton BASECLOTH as the foundation.  I think she actually started this on her bus commute  ; )  The Basecloth’s slightly pebbled texture and medium weight make it the perfect support for all types of embellishments.  It’s also great for clothing, which you can then embellish as you like.Look for all eight colors at your favorite quilt shops.

       

Next, in the showroom we came across this gorgeous pillow, a contemporary design by Miriam Gourley. She adds hand stitching over a mix of FADE OUT neutral tonals by Laura Berringer, with appliques of Kim Eichler-Messmer’s IMBUE BATIKS.

We could all probably use little “embroidery break”, a minute to slow down end enjoy some creative, tech-free handiwork, so why not today? As mentioned on the World Embroidery Day website, “Make 30th July a day filled with creativity for the sake of Peace, Freedom and Equality”. Check out the manifesto in English, and find links to other languages on the site, too — Happy Stitching!

KI-COO GARDENS Giveaway from OkanArts

Have you seen the gorgeous KI-COO GARDENS collection by Laura Berringer? It’s arriving in quilt shops now, and you might even be lucky enough to WIN a free FQ bundle of these pretty Asian -influenced motifs from our friend Patricia Belyea of Okan Arts.  You’ll find all of the July giveaway details on her recent blog post – just follow the simple instructions for your chance to win. 

(Photos: Okan Arts)

When the giveaway closes on July 31, whether you win or not, we’ve got two great free projects you’ll want to get started on right away… So, be sure to visit the Okan Arts blog post now to enter.  And follow us all on Instagram:  @okanarts, @laurasewmodern, @studio37fabrics, @marcusfabrics

Good Luck to all!

              

It’s Baby Season – Let’s Get Sewing!

So, is it just us, or does it seem like every quilter we know is working on projects for the newest additions in their lives? (Just yesterday one of our designers announced that she’s expecting a grandchild, and it goes on from there!)  Blankets, bibs, stuffed toys, seat covers, changing pads and of course, cute outfits all make the list, and we just happen to have the perfect collection – SONGBOOK: Little Star is Laura Berringer’s (@laurasewmodern) lovely little flannel collection and it’s hitting quilt shops now!

Inspired by the time-honored lullaby, “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star,” the group features musical motifs and lyrics, along with stars, baby footprints, feathers and sweet messages. Laura’s gentle color palette goes beyond the classic pink-or-blue option to include yellow, green and aqua, with neutral tones of tan and grey added for a bit of “Modern Baby” sophistication  ; )

And since many of our quilting friends love to make their baby gifts extra special, we know you’ll appreciate the Little Star quilt free project – it’s available on the website. Mix and match the coordinates as you like. Congrats to all, and happy sewing!

What’s In Store Now (Literally), from Studio 37…plus a Giveaway!

While some of our staffers and designers are recovering from QuiltCon mania in Pasadena this past weekend, we thought we’d review three can’t-miss collections you’ll find in your favorite quilt shops now…plus, following the show, we’re still in Giveaway mode, so read on for details on how to enter and WIN a Studio 37 fabric bundle!

IMBUE – Kim Eichler-Messmer’s debut collection for Studio 37 is a beautiful blend of artisan batiks. You’ll love her color sense, whether you use them all together, or combine just a few of the colors in a project, like Kim did in her “Robie” quilt design below.

COLOR MOOD – Inspired by contemporary rainbow themes across various design categories, coupled with the vast technological capabilities of digital fabrics, Laura Berringer brings us a fun and exciting group, to be used as it is, or thoughtfully cut and re-pieced for limitless creative options…or, you could always just wrap yourself up in it until the right inspiration strikes  ; )PRIMO PLAID FLANNELS — At the same time, we love how well Laura’s COLOR MOOD plays with our best-selling yarn-dyed plaid flannels, now in Nancy Rink’s TWILIGHT TONES palette (we told you these Color Moods were fun!!)  These bright and beautiful flannels are also in your local quilt shops now, so you can sew and enjoy them now through the spring season, and have a colorful headstart into next autumn, too…

Now, about the GIVEAWAY:  Just subscribe to our blog, then comment below on your favorite contemporary quilt trends, whether or not you attended Quilt Con.  What color palettes, techniques or quilt styles draw you to the modern side? Comments received by Monday, March 6 will be entered into our random drawing for a bundle of contemporary inspiration!