#MondaysWithMarcus: “Spring Baskets” by Deirdre Bond Abel

As our Mondays with Marcus Series II winds down (with just one more week to go!), it seems that each project is better than the next! We love Deirdre Bond Abel’s appliqued baskets, done in her own collection, THE MIDLANDS. Download her FREE PROJECT here.

Deirdre drew inspiration from mid-19th century Colonial homes in The Midlands of Tasmania, in a group of florals and geometrics in a beautiful range of soft, smoky tones…the palette is subtle but striking, isn’t it?

Join us again next Monday for the finale project (by Laura Berringer). This time around, some projects will also be redone by other designers, in their own signature styles, for a wider variety of creative options… You’ll find the complete line-up of projects on the Mondays with Marcus page, and our Facebook page, along with details on how to enter our MWM2 Grand Prize giveaway — Join us!

#MondaysWithMarcus: UpClose with Deirdre Bond Abel!

To keep the MWM momentum going as we prepare for the next series, we decided to give a weekly glimpse into the lives of our designers each week. No kits or supplies are needed, just sit back and get to know them better by enjoying some of their most recent creative escapades…

This week, we catch up with Deirdre Bond Abel of Hat Creek Quilts. She’s juggling lots of great projects, and we’ll all benefit from her hard work…

“What I have been up to –

The first two weeks of January I was madly finishing patterns for a series of quilts that will be published later this year in Today’s Quilter magazine.

Since then it has been fun, fun, fun, playing with my gorgeous “The Midlands” fabric collection that have just been shipped to US stores and to other countries soon.

I have designed a free two block quilt called “Happy Trails”. The instructions can be found on my Instagram page @hatcreekquilts, So far I have only made one of each of the blocks but I am hoping to get back to them next week.

I have started an appliqué quilt that features each of the prints from The Midlands in one block on their own so they can shine.

I have never joined in on the hexagon movement but my Midlands fabrics are so gorgeous I had to see how they would look pieced in that format. I am totally loving the subtle flow of colours through the diamond setting.

I have just made a little table runner just using the gorgeous green for the collection and truly love how it turned out.

And of course there are so many designs in my head just waiting their turn to become a quilt.”

That’s quite an update, Deirdre, thanks!

The Midlands: Classics Reinvented, by Deirdre Bond-Abel

Deirdre Bond-Abel of Hat Creek Quilts returns to the Marcus design team with THE MIDLANDS, a wonderfully traditional group of florals and geometrics inspired by its namesake region in Tasmania. The prints were derived from an antique quilt that was made in England, then found its way to Houston, where Deirdre purchased it, bringing it home to The Midlands. Both the collection and the quilt are the embodiment of a design trend defined as the Classics Reinvented, a fresh take on time-honored traditions.

“Colonial homes of the same era as the fabrics, were my inspiration. Whether they were grand or simple workers cottages they had beautiful symmetry, lovely angled lines and could form patterns as they fit in together with other buildings. My design features four different blocks that are repeated in different quantities and arranged to flow out from the centre, like a village does,” Deirdre explained.

See the entire collection, plus free project links at MarcusFabrics.com

#MondayswithMarcus Week 2: Deirdre Bond-Abel

You’ll love this pretty wall hanging by our second MWM designer, Deirdre Bond-Abel! Entitled “Betty’s Blooms”, the look is shown here in 1930s prints, yet would translate equally well in your favorite Marcus collections, including prints and basic texture lines for a more contemporary look! It’s a fun mix of piecing and applique that will add charm to any room setting.

To get the FREE PATTERN, just email deirdre@hatcreekquilts.com.au. Then, check out (and be sure to bookmark!) her companion video of applique tips and techniques!

Next Up: Pam Buda – October 19!

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

Trending at Market: Butterflies!

DeirdreWoolButterflyIt looks like one of the top themes emerging from Spring Quilt Market was Butterflies!  So we had to share this gorgeous interpretation of the trend by Deirdre Bond-Abel of Hat Creek Quilts.  What sets her look apart from the rest?  The stunning mix of wool applique on cotton prints, more specifically the Marcus WOOL COLLECTION paired with INTRIGUE prints by Nancy Rink. Deirdre named the quilt pattern, “Borboleta,” the Portuguese word for “butterfly”.

“When I first saw the bright wools at Market last May (2015), I thought “butterfly sampler” so I have been waiting a while to have time to make it. The wools are just divine, the colours so beautiful and the quality of the fabric is first class. The wools combine so beautifully with the Intrigue prints “
Visit www.hatcreekquilts.com.au

www.hatcreekquilts.com.au

…and One More from Deirdre!

More gorgeous fabric mixing from Deirdre at Hat Creek Quilts!  “I have just finished this quilt that uses prints from Paula (Barnes’) HISTORICAL STRIPES and the Marcus WOOLS. It is 80” square and has reverse applique in the blocks.” Learn more at www.HatCreekQuilts.com.au

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Deirdre at Hat Creek Quilts Shares Her Brighter Side

In honor of QuiltCon this week – and all things contemporary – it’s the perfect time to share a few recent projects by Deirdre Bond-Abel of Hat Creek Quilts.

HatCreekQuilts.com.au Marcus Fabrics

“I have always been a Reproduction, “muddy” person, so people are fairly amazed at what I am doing with the brights but so far they all like it, we might turn some of them around to the bright side, it is nice to have a change after all.”  We love Deirdre’s cheery mix of RADIANT REFLECTIONS batiks by Sarah Maxwell and the solid Marcus WOOLS.

Tell us if you’ve been “turned around to the bright side” in your quilting, too, even if only to experiment.  You’ll find that traditional techniques you’re familiar with can often translate beautifully into more modern fabrics.  Want more inspiration?  Follow Deirdre on Instagram and Facebook @hatcreekquilts or visit www.hatcreekquilts.com.au

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Welcome, Hat Creek Quilts!

DeirdreBondAbel&QuiltWe’re thrilled to announce the addition of Deirdre Bond-Abel of Hat Creek Quilts to the Marcus designer family!  You might recognize Deirdre’s name as half of the Quilted Crows design duo, based in Australia (think Pomegranate Lane and coordinating wools).

She’s created an exciting new venture under the Hat Creek Quilts name, and we’ll continue our design relationship with her debut fabric collection called TIES THAT BIND.  Inspired by her husband’s collection of neckties, the prints work nicely together, or blended in with your other favorite Marcus collections. My guess is that she’ll also be mixing them with our wools!

**And don’t worry, I already asked her about the quilt she’s holding here, and yes, it’s one of the many beautiful patterns now available under the Hat Creek Quilts label. It’s called Oranges and Lemons –   It’s on my list already, and everyone in the office loves it!

Check out a sampling of the TIES THAT BIND prints below, and learn more about Deirdre online.  It’ll be shown online soon…

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