Speaking of the MUSLINS, Check Out Rob Appell!

Quilting expert Rob Appell has just launched a new site called Mansewing.com, in conjunction with our friends at Missouri Star Quilt Company.  Well, we were thrilled to learn that his premiere episode features our own NEW AGED MUSLINS, in a curved piecing tutorial.

If you’ve never done cured piecing, trust me, it’s sooo much AgedMuslinsFQ-Missourieasier without pins, as Rob demonstrates.  So be sure to check out his site for some great mid-winter inspiration  ; )

To mark the occasion of the launch, MSQC is offering a special FQ Bundle on these beauties.

Speaking of, stay tuned as we pick the winner of our New Aged Muslins swatch card giveaway, later today.  Yes, there’s still a little time to get your comments in for a chance to win  ; )  Enjoy!    — lisa

A Month for Creative Women Everywhere!

GroupQuilterscanstock8696560Here we are, in the midst of National CRAFT Month, with National QUILTING Day just ahead on March 15, and thanks to the National Quilting Association, it seems even that has been extended into National Quilting Month!  Why not?  That just gives us 30 additional excuses to indulge our passion for beautiful fabrics, patterns, gadgets and embellishments! Check out NQA’s free pattern in honor of the the month-long event, Stash Attack.  

 

Taking a good thing a step further, March 15 has also been designated Worldwide Quilting Month, with a list of participating shops that grows each year, offering shopping sprees and events galore!

To top it off, March is also Women’s History Month, so no matter how or what you choose to celebrate, you’ve still got time   ; )  Visit your local quilt shops, craft retailers and fabric stores for some great inspiration…Enjoy!

Spring ’14 TrendWatch – Butterflies!

Clearly, with another storm now in progress along the east coast here in the US, we’re all on “snow-verload”, so for just a minute, let’s enjoy some spring inspiration, courtesy of our design director, Laura Berringer…she’s seeing lots of butterflies in the forecast, from Vanessa Bruno runway, Paris Fashion Week, and from House Beautiful magazine, butterflies mix with botanicals… I wonder if we’ll see the trend reflected in any of Laura’s upcoming collections…vanessa-bruno-ss-2014-runway Celebrities-Paris-Haute-Couture-Fashion-Week-Spring-2014 patternprintsjournal01AlexisMabillephoto 3

Super Bowl Week in NJ / NYC!

Whether you’re a pro football fan or not, you can’t help but notice the Super Bowl frenzy, and it’s magnified for us here in NYC.  In fact, from the weather forecast to the NJ-NY “rivalry” to the game itself, you almost feel left out if you’re NOT talking about it on some level!  This is a view of Broadway, just steps from our offices:

What about you, quilting friends?  Are you into the Big Game?  Will you spend February 2  around the big screen with friends and food, or will you use the day as a creative getaway and quilt the day away?  Maybe you’re just now finishing up some PRIMO PLAID quilts (or scarves!) to stay cozy no matter where you are…let us know how you’ll spend the day!

Think Spring with the SUBTLE SKIES Collection

Looking for the perfect project to welcome Spring?  Consider this pretty quilt designed by Homestead Hearth, featuring Faye Burgos’ beautiful SUBTLE SKIES collection.  “Gentle Dawn” is fully patterned in the McCall’s Quilting March/April 2014 issue.  It’s beginner friendly, and a kit is available.  We love it for a guest bedroom, but once you sew it up, you’ll want to treat yourself!

Start Your Quilting Year with a Touch of Italy…

Have you seen the latest edition of McCall’s Quilting magazine (Jan/Feb 2014)?  Among its beautiful featured quilts is this design by Homestead Hearth.  They’ve transformed our Molly B’s Harvest Palette and Primo Batiks collections into a richly colored quilt inspired by Italian mosaic tilework. A kit is available.

It’s TIme to Quilt-Along with Nancy Rink!

Then get started now, as she shares her expertise in creating this pretty project using her own TWEET FOR TWO collection!  It’s a sophisticated folk influence you’ll love to live with all year long whether your style is traditional or contemporary, or mixed. Get all of the details on Nancy’s blog!

Visit your local quilt shop for the fabrics and pattern.

Welcome to Spring…Almost!

Brrrr…It’s still barely hovering around 40 degrees here in New York, not quite spring yet, but on the bright side, that only gives us more time to snuggle under our PRIMO PLAID flannel quilts.  Still, the calendar moves forward, as does the April edition of MarcusFabrics.com!  Be sure to check out our latest from MOLLY B’s STYLE SERIES, including the prints and coordinating WOVEN YARN DYES and Indonesian BATIKS!

 

Were You at QuiltCon?

We were there, and we had a blast! We loved meeting old and new friends over the weekend at QuiltCon in Austin, TX — the creative energy was contagious, and the mood was “joyous”, as described by our president, Stephanie Dell’Olio (that’s her on the right, dwarfed by the towering QuiltCon entry sign – Pic 2)  Here are some pix from our booth…

  • Our QuiltCon booth (Pic 1) featured OMBRE HAND DYES (Pic 6) and STRIP-IT fabrics (Pic 4)
  • Visitors loved our circle garland, made of coordinating CENTENNIAL SOLIDS circles fused together, then joined by a single running straight stitch to create the desired length. (Pic 3)
  • And thanks to Paper Pieces for supplying English paper piecing sampler kits for our attendees – everyone enjoyed this fun technique! (Pic 5)
  • Download these free projects by Nancy Rink, using the Ombre Hand Dye pre-cut Strip-It bundles. (Pic 6)

Fabric Giveaway! Comment on Our New Website Look

We thought it would be fun to start the year with a fabric giveaway, and it’s easy to enter!  Just check out the new look of MarcusFabrics.com, and leave a blog comment below telling us what you think of it.  We’ll choose a winner at random from all comments posted by next Wednesday, January 16, 2013!  The lucky winner will receive a sampler pack from our FUN DAY IN THE JUNGLE collection by Studio 37!

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