A Year’s Worth of Creative Excitement!

A fresh year means a fresh start for our creative projects…check out just a few of the exciting things coming your way in the coming months from Marcus and Studio 37!

Sneak Peeks!  Watch for these collections online beginning February 1:

And get caught up with our most recent releases, online now:

TWO New BOMs for Summer Fun!

Do you ever take a look at your fabric stash, and discover fresh, new inspiration for something you acquired a while back?  If so, you’ll appreciate our two “second-glance”  BOM programs, just introduced at Marcus Fabrics In each case, the designers revisited the already-released collections, and came up with these exciting designs!

First, Living in the Moment features the cool blues and touches of Greenery from Laura Berringer’s IN THE MOMENT collection.  The quilt design is by our friends at the Material Girlfriends.  The little house blocks are an office favorite  ; )

And you’ll also love Laura’s  NIGHT STONES neutrals, especially in Vicki Bellino’s trio of projects, including a sampler-style BOM row quilt, appliqued 12″ decorative block. Then, there’s her gorgeous table runner – be sure to position the prints as Vicki did for that gorgeous mirrored  ombre-effect!  Visit Vicki at Bloom Creek.

Look for these programs in your local quilt shops – the Night Stones BOM is available now, and the Living in the Moment BOM appears in shops beginning July.

We (Heart) Batik Valentine’s Mugrugs!

If you LOVE mugrugs AND batiks like we do, then you’re sure to also LOVE our easy Valentine’s Day Mugrug design!  Not only can you make these by the dozen for all the loves of your life – you can also enter each and every one of them in our new Mugrug Challenge, for a chance to win one of our weekly prizes!  Check out the Challenge details, then read the how-to below make this design… it’s the perfect complement for a cup of tea made from fresh sage leaves and a couple of tea biscuits, as shown

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First, I cut out a paper heart shape pattern to the desired size, plus about 1/4″ seam allowance all around.  (If you’d rather not hand-cut your pattern, you’ll find about a zillion of them online, print out your favorite ; ).

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Using three tonal RADIANT REFLECTIONS batiks, I started stitching up a crazy quilt block directly onto the batting (I used Fairfield Soft & Toasty cotton batting), for an easy quilt-as-you-go construction method. I added fabrics randomly until the block was just larger than the heart pattern.  I cut both the pieced block and a backing fabric from the heart pattern, and stitched them right sides together all around with a 1/4″ seam, leaving an opening to turn. Next, just turn and press, closing the opening with hand stitches or a narrow strip of fusible tape.  Add a coordinating mug or teacup, a packet of cappuccino mix or some gourmet teabags, and a love note.  Maybe a matching batik napkin for extra credit?

Now, just take a picture, enter the Challenge on Instagram with #MarcusMugshot, and your Valentine is now ready to give!          —   lisa

“Show Us YOUR Mugshots!”

ShowMugShotGRAFHey Quilting Friends!  Ready for a FUN and EASY quilt challenge?  Well, whether you’re already a fan of the Mugrug, or aren’t even sure what one is, you’ll want to enter the Marcus Makers MUGRUG CHALLENGE!  Help us to achieve our lofty goal of “A Marcus Rug for Every Mug,”  now thru April 30, 2017 — here’s how…

Follow the various inspirations we’ve gathered from our own Marcus Makers (instructions for these mugrugs are available online!), or create your own look using at least ONE fabric print from Marcus or Studio 37, and feel free to add any solids of your choice.  In fact, it’s a great opportunity to go thru your Marcus stash for a few great coordinates to get started, then visit your local quilt shops for the newest collections, and more great mugrug ideas, patterns, tips and related activities…

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Then, post your entry on Instagram using #MarcusMugshot, and remember to tag @marcusfabrics and/or @studio37fabrics for greater exposure! 

If you’re new to mugrugs, be warned:  mugrug making can be addictive, which is really not a problem, because they make great gifts, AND you can enter as many times as you like (one mugrug per photo, please).  Each Tuesday during the Challenge, we’ll choose random winners from the hashtagged entries to receive exciting fabric prizes and more — Join us!!

Laura’s New Sewing Space

Laura's New Sewing SpaceAs a fitting finale to our recent “Summer Highlights” blog post, we’re peeking at Laura’s new sewing space, courtesy of her college-bound daughter  ; )

“One of my favorite summer moments (albeit, a bittersweet one) was taking my youngest daughter to college – she was so excited and happy.  But coming back to her empty room was not easy…..until a few days later, when I set up my little Singer sewing machine on her desk!      I wonder what I’ll make…”

Laura, our talented design director, is also a new quilter. My guess is that she’ll be whipping up more new quilts and accessories from her upcoming Studio 37 collections. There was also talk of a skirt in one of her HIGH CONTRAST prints. If you missed it, Laura will be donating her GIRLY-O-SAURUS baby quilt to Project Linus.  Follow her on Instagram @laurasewmodern for her next creation…and future fabric giveaways!

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BHG’s Colors to “Love Right Now”

Taking color cues from Better Homes & Gardens, you’ll want to include warm, inviting greys like these into your decorating scheme not just for spring, but all year long…

Contemporary quilt projects and room accessories done in NIGHT STONES by Laura Berringer capture the look perfectly for Studio 37 Fabrics with an exciting mix of textures and light-to-dark tones.  NightStonesGallery

Looking for the MarcusFabrics.com OCTOBER Update ?

It’s coming in just a few days!  We had sooo much great stuff to share (in the midst of last-minute Quilt Market prep), that we’re just taking a few extra days to complete it. We’re relaunching our Studio 37 website, with contemporary looks from Victoria Findlay Wolfe, Nancy Rink, Sarah Maxwell, Susan Cousineau, Irene Chan and Laura Berringer for starters! And on the Marcus side, we’ve got new looks from Pam Buda, flannel sewing tips, and a preview from Rachel Pellman, the newest addition to our design team.  It’ll all be unveiled in just a few days, but for now, enjoy this little sneak peek…

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More from QuiltCon – Laura’s Picks

Marcus design director Laura Berringer also snapped a few favorites from her visit to QuiltCon.  Even better, back here in arctic NYC, she shows off the result of her workshop with the Gee’s Bend quilters, who were this year’s keynote speakers at QuiltCon as well as instructors.  Laura was happy to share what was left of her Marcus charm pack with the legendary quilters that put Gee’s Bend, Alabama on the map!  You can clearly see the influence of these African American fiber artists in the quilts that caught Laura’s eye, one of the roots of the Modern Quilt movement.

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  •  1 – Heather Jones
  •  2 – Leslie Schmidt
  • 3 & 4 – Laura’s workshop result

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

Superstorm Sandy – The Aftermath Continues…

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As a New York City-based company, Marcus Fabrics, and its employees living throughout the tri-state area, experienced the devastation of Superstorm “Sandy” first-hand in 2012.   Still now, nearly a year after the storm, many of the residents along the New Jersey shore are still struggling with the aftermath…

This includes our Guild Connection member, the Pieceful Shores Quilt Guild in Manahawkin, NJ. Months after the storm, guild member Judy Kronmeyer contacted us about “Sandy’s Scraps,” a tribute quilt they were planning. Their local quilt shop, Quilting Possibilities in Forked River, donated some of the fabric for the guild project, including BARNEGAT BAY by Laura Berringer for Marcus Fabrics. Judy wrote:

“In the past you have been very helpful to our Pieceful Shores QG in Manahawkin and I thank you. I’m sure you are aware of the damage Sandy did and how so many homes were damaged or lost.

Our guild is having a show in October and I’m collecting blocks from the 22 ladies that were affected by the storm and putting them together for a Sandy’s Scraps quilt.

I’ve gotten 10 blocks so far and can’t wait to see the others…such talented ladies we have. We’re unable to use our regular meeting place, and the one on LBI (Long Beach Island) is being utilized by the health department. so we have scrambled for new meeting places over the last several months, meeting at our local libraries mostly. But we are strong and quilters and will find a permanent place no matter what. 

Well, that’s the story.  It’s been a trying time for so many so I hope this tribute will help.”    —-    Judy Kronmeyer, Waretown, NJ

Soon after, Judy sent us an update on Millie, one of the guild’s members who was most affected by the storm:

Millie is going to help with Sandy’s scrap quilt, even though she is still in the process of recovering from Sandy. She spent several months in various temporary quarters until May where she moved back to her house but has only been living on the second floor with a makeshift kitchenette. She had no hot water but had electricity so she alternately shared tasks with her son, who lives across the lagoon. Her electric box was above the water line in the garage. She had to replace everything on the bottom floor; appliances, flooring, paneling, walls, cabinets, furniture, all the bathroom fixtures, hot water heater. The telephone company provided a new third generation land line phone. She says she was lucky to have had insurance as many of her neighbors didn’t.  Nine months later, she says she’s way ahead of her son and neighbors in getting ‘back to normal’. Out of 4300 homes in Beach Haven West, she thinks maybe 300 were not devastated by Sandy.  Her sewing machine was on the top floor but she still hasn’t sewn anything in all this time. She said she is now motivated to help with the quilt”.

View the information contained on the quilt label:

SandyQuiltLabel-JudyKronThank you to the Pieceful Shores Quilt Guild for sharing their quilt and their story with us, and for proving again the strength, resilience and creativity of quilters in times of hardship.  The tribute quilt is beautiful, and we wish Millie and everyone else affected a full return to normalcy.

NOTEWith all of its many challenges in the past year, still “the show must go on”.  We’re happy to announce that the guild’s show, “Setting Sails,” takes place on October 4th and 5th, 2013, Manahawkin, NJ.  For details visit www.piecefulshoresquiltguild.org