It’s time to experience Quilt Market in a brand new way…
Attention, quilt shop owners and industry professionals: Due to the ongoing pandemic, Quilt Market as we know it, like practically everything else, was cancelled for Spring 2020. It its place is Virtual Quilt Market. It all begins TODAY, June 2! Registration is open now, with various registration levels available offering exhibitor presentations, Schoolhouse sessions, business seminars and more…
We’re pleased to be a part of this new format. When you register, be sure to visit Marcus Fabrics to review our current designer collections, and details on our upcoming Trip Around the Sun BOM program by Material Girlfriends, featuring PRIMO BATIKS!
At this point, we all need something to look forward to, and fear not, quilting friends, we’ve got you covered! Our new BOM combines vivid batiks, themes of seasonal change, hope and renewal, and fun techniques you’ll love to recreate, all in TRIP AROUND THE SUN.
“This year, 2020, has been especially challenging and will not likely be a Trip Around the Sun we will forget. Remember to count your blessings. There is so much beauty within each season. Let go of fear and worry and hold tight to what is good and beautiful,” says Lisa Norton of Material Girlfriends.
The Material Girlfriends
Lisa and her twin sister / design partner Lora Zmak have found strength and optimism in this year’s events, resulting in a beautiful, colorful, and inspiring BOM quilt called Trip Around the Sun. It features colorful new PRIMO BATIKS in a quilt design created with piecing, applique and paper piecing, representing some of Lisa’s favorite elements of the four seasons. Shops can begin the program with any season, and the design duo will also support the program with online video tutorials!
The colors of the beautiful batik designs are enough to inspire – in a range of medium brights that span the seasons, these new PRIMO BATIKS provide the right palette for the theme of the quilt.
The program begins in September, and we can’t wait to bring it to you through your favorite local quilt shops and online resources! Until then, #staysafeandcreate!
Hey, sewing & quilting friends! How are you doing? We know many of you have been working tirelessly, sewing masks for local medical staffers, first-responders, friends and family, and beyond. At the same time, you’re stitching to express yourselves, occupy some newly-found free time, and reap the therapeutic benefits of needle and thread. And so, we invite you to join us as we Thank the World with a new and equally meaningful project — the Heroic Hearts Tote…
Sarah Maxwell of Designs by Sarah J, in conjunction with Marcus Fabrics, has designed a 6” pieced heart block, incorporated into a 17” tote bag, to pay tribute and give thanks to these very special people in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Ideally, a quilter would stitch up the bag, then add a “Thank You” gift, which could be baked goods, fruit, self-care items, a gift of fiber art, etc.
“We’re challenging all of our quilting friends to Thank the World along with us, by making Heroic Hearts Totes and presenting them to any heroes they choose — hospital staff, teachers, neighbors, first responders and others” Sarah explained.
Marcus designers are also joining Sarah in the program by designing their own versions of the tote, with the 6” Heroic Heart block as the common design element. Each will provide instructions for her own variation, allowing quilters to recreate their favorites.
Designers and quilt shops will be sure to offer kits, and we also invite you to dig into your fabric stashes for this challenge. Use your own choice of fabrics and customize the bag as you like. It’s a fun and practical way to build community, show appreciation, and connect with other stitchers both near and far!
“The focus here is on showing encouragement and support to the manythousands of people who are getting us through this unprecedented crisis,” said Stephanie Dell ’Olio of Marcus Fabrics.
And while competition isn’t the goal of this challenge, we can’t wait to share everyone’s inspiring photos of the totes and their makers, to be considered for fun fabric prizes throughout the challenge, rewarding creativity in both the tote design and the tote bag contents! Makers should include any or all of these hashtags when posting:
And be sure to follow us on Instagram and Facebook for updates, shared photos from our designers and friends, and more. Thank you for everything you do! Stay Safe, and Create…
With schools closed indefinitely and an increasing number of work-from-home parents and guardians due to the COVID -19 situation, planning daily activities for your favorite little people will obviously be key for the well-being of all involved!
Once their online schoolwork is complete, try using your own
interest in sewing and quilting to keep them occupied. Depending on the age
group, they could be happy gluing colorful scraps to cardstock to create
collage artwork. Older kids might want to
stitch together fabrics in their favorite color (by hand or machine) to make a
simple pillow or tote bag.
Whether they’ve expressed an interest in learning more about the
needle arts, or the suggestion is yours, we’ve gathered a few tips for quilting
with children to make the process both fun and successful!
Keep it simple – begin with a single block that can be made into a decorative pillow, a bed pillowcase, tote bag front, or accent block for a denim jacket back or a T-shirt. It can also become a simple art piece suitable for framing.
Mending is Trendy! Show them how to creatively mend their clothes and/or add decorative patches with hand stitching and easy embroidery stitches.
Take into account the child’s personality when planning your quilting session. For younger kids, keep it fun (and safe) by avoiding projects that require precise measuring and cutting. Instead, pull out some precuts from your stash, focusing on the fun of design and the creativity of blending colors and patterns.
For older kids, or those who are naturally inclined to math and geometry might be open to the more precision-based aspects of quilting, where templates & rulers are used.
Remember that children’s taste levels are more sophisticated than ever; have a variety of fabrics and embellishments available for experimentation. Provide the opportunity to work with batiks and other cool “adult” fabrics that aren’t strictly juvenile in design and coloration.
Let the child work with scraps of one of your own current projects, to create a small “featured block” you can use as the back label for your quilt. The label can include both of your signatures.
Remember, creative expression can help to relieve some of the stress of the situation for people of any age – with any luck, you might also create a budding new fiber artist in the process! Have a follow-up project in mind to keep up the momentum and encourage their efforts as they work. The follow-ups can introduce new techniques to gradually increase their quilting skills.
We know you’re gonna love Vicki McCarty’s expert tips for creating with her Patch-It fabrics! These pre-printed 5″ stripe designs are designed for fussy cutting and creative piecing. Watch above to see how she creates a modified (and simplified!) Joseph’s Coat design.
You’ll find three of Vicki’s Patch-It collections in quilt shops now: Patches of Autumn, Patches of Joy, and Patches of Americana. Each includes a coordinating panel along with the 5″ stripe fabrics, for more easy project options.
Enjoy, and be sure to visit Vicki online atCalico Patch Designs for her patterns, rulers, kits and more…
In Case You Missed It, we’ve got some highlights from The Marcus / Studio 37 Fabrics booth at Quilt Market in Houston! Enjoy the slideshow below —
“Autumn Breeze” pattern by Material Grilfriends, featuring SCRAP HEAP by Laura Berringer and Marcus AGED MUSLINS
RACHEL’S TRIBUTE – Fabric and BOM by Pam Buda
SONGBOOK: PRAISE & REJOICE in Material Girlfriends “Ensemble” pattern; and their “Bona Fide” pattern done in SOULFUL SHADES OF PINK. All fabrics by Laura Berringer
HILL COUNTRY HERITAGE BOM and mini quilts by Red Crinoline Quilts
Artful raw-edge applique by Miriam Rawson, using SCRAP HEAP textures by Laura Berringer
“Village Square” quilt done in NEW CIRCA ESSENTIALS and NEW CIRCA SHIRTINGS, all by Pam Buda
SEMI SOLID Collection by Laura Berringer; Quilt Pattern by Krisanne Watkins
SEMI SOLID Collection by Laura Berringer; Quilt Pattern by Krisanne Watkins
BRICK – Fabric and quilts by Dolores Smith
BRICK quilts by Dolores Smith and REUNION BOM by Sarah Maxwell
Mending and Patching themes continue…
What were your favorite looks at Market? Did you spot any interesting trends? Comment below and let us know!
It’s Quilt Market Time, and as always, we look forward to seeing all of you in Houston — You’ll find Marcus Fabrics and Studio 37 Fabrics in Booth #1114 with the best in traditional and trendy fabric collections, top-notch BOM programs, basics, must-haves and more! Let’s start with a sneak-peek of our newest Block-of-the-Month programs…
RACHEL’S TRIBUTE BOM by Pam Buda
WOODLAND GETAWAY BOM by Cindy Staub
BLUE RIBBON BOM by Cindy Staub
SOULFUL SHADES OF PINK BOM by Material Girlfriends
Then, be sure to stock up on these popular must-haves, including premium quality 108″ quilt backs in contemporary designs, new trending cheddars and browns, and an array of artful textures for piecing, applique and handwork backgrounds!
NEW 108″ Wide BACKINGS!
CHEDDAR & CHOCOLATE by Pam Buda
FADED & STITCHED by Laura Berringer
TOOLBOX BASICS by Dolores Smith
SCRAP HEAP by Laura Berringer
Once you’ve brought in all of this fabulous fabric, learn how to protect it! SCHOOLHOUSE happens on Oct 25 – and you won’t want to miss our session entitled “Loss Prevention for the Quilt Shop”. Join Vicki McCarty of Calico Patch Designs, and her husband Tom, a police detective with over 17 years in retail, as they share loss prevention tips, from theft deterrence to dealing with shoplifters. Prepare yourself for the critical but less glamorous area of retail life. 4:55pm-5:25pm / Room 371E
…and visit our exhibiting designers at Market:
Calico Patch Designs / Vicky McCarty Booth #1108
Designs by Sarah J / Sarah Maxwell Booth #1119
Material Girlfriends / Lisa Norton & Lora Zmak Booth #1003
Nancy Rink Designs / Nancy Rink Booth #1117
Red Crinoline / Paula Barnes & Mary Ellen Robison Booth #1115
You’ll notice that our designers are all close to the Marcus booth, making it easy for you to take in all of the inspiration at once! We look forward to seeing you and serving you at Market… if you’re not attending, we’re sorry to miss you, but be sure to follow us on Instagram @marcusfabrics and @studio37fabrics, and on Facebook (Make It with Marcus Fabrics).
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 atMaterial 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.
Always popular among the reproduction crowd, cheddars have always been popular, often in combination with rich warm browns and other accents! These days, you’ll also find it in flannel prints and plaids, reproductions, even contemporary textures, as shown below. Even better, you’ll find it all year long, not only limited to autumn / harvest projects. So, choose your favorites and spice up your quilting with a few cheddars ; )
Visit the Marcus fabric gallery to view Cheddar & Chocolate, Tarrington, Semi Solid, Paula’s, Patches of Autumn, Maple Lake Flannels, Primo Flannels: Maple Lake and Harvest, Scrap Heap, Temecula Treasures, Companions, Songbook: Harvest, Special Scraps.
It’s August, and at Marcus Fabrics & Studio 37, that means it’s time for one of our biggest and best introductions of the year! Whether your creativity leans more toward traditional/ reproduction style, or you prefer a more trendy, contemporary feel (or maybe BOTH??) we’re pleased to present you with a plethora of exciting options from your favorite Marcus designers! To get more fully acquainted with these beautiful collections, visit MarcusFabrics.com
First, let’s get started with Marcus…
Golden cheddars, rich blues, traditional prints and shirtings, and the building blocks of a great quilt!
You’ll also love these designs from Studio 37:
Bold colors, florals, dots, stripes and textures!!
Fun stuff, right? And not only for quilts, but also for crafts, home decorating — from pillows to table settings — to handwork, applique, mending, embroidery, artful clothing and sew much more. Enjoy!
