From now thru September 25, 2009, you can bid on this gorgeous quilt through the New England Quilt Museum. The quilt features Marcus Fabrics’ American Pastimes fabric collection, which was designed in conjunction with the museum. This spring, 24 members of this year’s Boston Red Sox team autographed blocks of muslin for the museum, acting through the Red Sox Foundation, the charitable arm of the team. The signers include favorite players Kevin Youkilis, Tim Wakefield, Jonathan Papelbon, and Jason Varitek. When nationally-acclaimed quilt artist Rosemary Bawn agreed to transform the signed muslin blocks into a quilt, it became evident that a truly wonderful piece was in the works – not only significant as baseball memorabilia, but also as a special creation by a well-known fiber artist.

The result is this stunning work, with a diorama of Fenway Park, and a central panel of the signed muslin. The quilt is being auctioned on eBay now! To view the quilt, and to place your bid, visit http://bit.ly/4CVHI. But hurry; the auction ends on the evening of September 25, 2009!

Kansas City Star Quilts is pleased to announce the completion of its book, Women of Influence: 12 Leaders of the Suffrage Movement, written by Homestead Hearth to accompany the popular BOM program. Homestead Hearth has chosen a variety of Marcus collections for its 2009 block-of-the month program to create its “Women of Influence” quilt. The release of the book has renewed interest in the already popular BOM program, which features exclusively Marcus Fabrics.

Designed by Sarah Maxwell of Homestead Hearth, the reproduction version of the quilt commemorates the 90th anniversary of women securing the right to vote in America. In addition, an Aunt Grace 1930’s version of the quilt, designed by Homestead Hearth’s Dolores Smith, features various Aunt Grace collections for a very different but equally appealing effect.

The project began in January 2009, with each block highlighting one of twelve women who influenced the history of women’s rights. Look for the fabrics, patterns, book and complete program details in your favorite quilt shop!

It’s time to start thinking about your entry for the 2009 National Sewing Month Contest! This year’s theme is one that we creative quilters & sewers can easily relate to, “Reuse, Remake, Restyle“.

Co-sponsored by the American Sewing Guild and the Sewing & Craft Alliance, the contest encourages sewing enthusiasts to “innovate while they recreate”, in the areas of home decor, fashion, quilts & accessories. Three lucky winners will receive prize packages of equipment, tools, notions, fabric and more, including a selection of Marcus Fabrics. Contest ends September 30, 2009.

For extra inspiration, check out our feature on furoshiki, a creative way to use some of your favorite stash fabrics!

Recently we sponsored two fun fabric giveaways on The Fabric Shopper blog.  Jen in CT won a fat quarter pack of AMERICAN PASTIMES by Faye Burgos, and Sue from WA won a pack of Michele D’Amore’s HIPPIE CHICKS fat quarters.   Congratulatulations, ladies, and happy stitching!

When Vicki Bellino of Bloom Creek recently shared her latest obsession with us (quilt labels), we just had to pass them on! Have you ever been as excited about the design of your labels as you are about the quilt itself? Take a look at the beautiful detail on the labels she created for two of her recent quilt designs, featuring Aunt Grace Classics and Indigo, Pewter & Honey.

For “Diamond Delight” Vicki cleverly uses the Aunt Grace selveges to identify the quilt fabric, then in “Indigo Stars”, notice how her label appliques mirror motifs from the quilt, which makes labels a great way to use up a good practice block or other small remnants. Thanks for sharing, Vicki! Don’t great labels like these make you want to pare down that pile of UFO’s??

We just returned from Pittsburgh, PA, the site of this year’s spring Quilt Market, where recurring design themes included neutrals & softer palettes, interest in quilts as historical reference, big, bold motifs, and anything in keeping with the “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” mantra. Photos show off the Marcus booth, as well as the Bonnie Blue Quilts and Bloom Creek booths.  Watch for these gorgeous collections and more to appear in your quilt shops this season!

It was fun to see how Jill Mead, editor of Quilts & More magazine, recently used the Rainbow Garden fabrics by Prints Charming, in a quilt for her grandson. We love her use of the big bold paisley (shown) as the backing, making the quilt reversible.

It’s also a great reminder of how to use those large design fabrics you might think are “too pretty (or too wild!) to cut”. Check out the front of Jill’s quilt and more details on her project at www.AllPeopleQuilt.com

This month at MarcusFabrics.com, we introduce you to furoshiki, the ancient Japanese preactice of using pretty cloth to wrap and transport all kinds of items, from gifts to groceries!  Read more about this creative, earth-friendly alternative to plastic bags and wasteful paper gift wraps! And put it into practice using your favorite Marcus fabrics, just in time for Earth Day (April 22), and all those great Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and graduation gifts to come!

At the recent Road to California show, we were thrilled to come across the owners of the Calico Horse quilt shop in Redlands, California, and to see their stunning quilt featuring QUAKER QUILTS.  Their design beautifully showcases the collection, which was designed by Judie Rothermel and The Heritage Center.  Precise piecing and gorgeous quilting complete the look.  Not surprisingly, their kits sold out at the show, but they are now available online through The Calico Horse.  We loved the quilt, and thought you’d enjoy it, too!

National Quilting Association are again providing the inspiration we need to celebrate our favorite pastime, with this year’s theme: “Welcome Home”.  With the rising number of displaced families losing their homes, NQA suggests quilters use their free “Welcome Home” pattern and instructions to create quilts of comfort.  Read more about the project and ways you and your quilting group might get involved in National Quilting Day ’09!  With Marcus Fabrics’ wide variety of  from reproduction to contemporary, you’re sure to find a look that will bring comfort to any family in need.