New for Fall 2021!

If you haven’t seen our new website yet, this is the perfect time! We hope you’ll enjoy its streamlined design, and for quilt shop owners, the simplified online ordering process. We’ve also just unveiled TEN gorgeous designer collections this month, including:

(Click upper right corner of the photo if the slideshow doesn’t not begin automatically, or simply click thru the images at your own pace.)

Many of these new collections also feature free projects and/or patterns available through the fabric designers (you’ll find these under the MAKE IT tab on the site), so get ready for a full season of creative inspiration!

Three Gorgeous New BOMs – Which is YOUR Favorite?

Quilting friends, you’ll want to take a minute NOW to review what we’ve got coming for Fall 2021! Just launched: three beautiful new Block-of-the-Month programs, designed to appeal to a variety of tastes…let’s take a look:

“My inspiration for this quilt came from the collection itself, A RETURN TO ELEGANCE and what could be more elegant than a ribbon running through the blocks, tying them together in a sophisticated on-point composition,” Lynn Wilder says of her new BOM for Marcus Fabrics READ MORE

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Next comes a complete color departure in FANTASY, Sarah Maxwell’s new collection of dimensional blenders with a unique abstract motif, which she imagines as “a magic carpet to design adventures”. Fantasy Flights is a unique approach to a block-of-the-month quilt design, featuring a sampler-style variety of blocks. Choose the dramatic dark ground, the airy light ground, or both! READ MORE

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And Nancy Rink transforms her new MARCELLA group into a stunning quilt of the same name! It’s a new Marchives collection, inspired by an earlier Marcus line called Cotillion. In this design, Nancy alternating star blocks with a block that showcases the lush Hydrangea floral. Her rich yet gentle palette works all year long. READ MORE

Be sure to add one, two, or all three of these wonderful designs to your quilting plans. All programs begin January 2022. To view the full collections and further BOM info, click on the collection links above.

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.

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.)

 

“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.

   

Vicki McCarty Brings Us PATCHES of JOY

HOLIDAY 2019 – We officially welcomed Vicki McCarty to our designer family at Quilt Market in Houston, and her debut collection PATCHES OF JOY is already a hit!  It features her “Patch-It” panel (27″ x 44″) of classic Christmas motifs perfect for all types of embellishment, or used just as they are. The patchwork layout designed to be cut apart as well so you can create a variety of projects from just one panel, also plain or embellished. Vicki’s four coordinating creative strips are comprised of 5″ wide printed across the width. The collection was inspired by her popular Calico Christmas Stitch-A-Long.

Need some great ideas for making the most of these unique layouts? Quilt design inspiration for the line includes two designs by Vicki – one free project for the Marcus website (coming soon!)

…and “Basket of Joy” (below), a pattern that will soon be available for purchase at Calico Patch Designs It also features our AGED MUSLIN:

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!

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!