Those Naughty Elves Were At It Again!

When the Material Girlfriends created these Naughty Elves for the holidays, we had no idea just how naughty they were… .

They actually hid the free projects from us so we couldn’t post them earlier, but the projects have been recovered and the elves have been reprimanded! .Sooo, you can now find the FOUR free projects here on the Marcus Fabrics site. Choose from the Bedtime twin quilt, the panel with Border quilt, Pillowcases and Mug Rugs with Runner. .

And be sure to check out the Girlfriends’ Naughty Elves promo video. Happy Holidays to all!

DOWNLOAD these free projects

#MondaysWithMarcus: “April Flowers” from the Material Girlfriends!

For this MWM series, twin designers Lisa Norton and Lora Zmak of Material Girlfriends treat us to an adorable 18″ square mini quilt, done in their signature applique style with PRIMO BATIKS! It not only brings to mind the old saying “April showers bring may flowers” but their blogpost even includes some fun background on the origin of the phrase ; ) You’ll also find instructions to get the FREE project download and details on the optional kit – the April Showers kit even include the hanger as shown above!

Come back each Monday thru May 17 for another fun free project from your favorite Marcus designers. This time around, several 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. Join us!

#MondaysWithMarcus: UpClose with the Material Girlfriends!

Welcome to 2021, and welcome back to our #MondaysWithMarcus series! To keep the momentum going as we prepare for a new MWM 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.

We’re pleased to begin with Lisa Norton and Lora Zmak, the twin design duo behind the Material Girlfriends brand. Let’s see what they’re up to…

“When we make quilts for our family members we give them a guarantee. If it wears out, we will happily make them a new one. Our brother, Mike and his wife Sue, used one of our quilts on their bed for 20 years. When Sue asked if we could mend it, we said it was time for a new one. They selected our Double Bear Paw design. The pattern has various sizes in it. Of course, they have a California King bed. Oi!  That’s a lot of Half Square Triangles! They loved the new PRIMO BATIKS collection, so we set out to sew a new Cal King bed quilt for them. It has really been a pleasure to sew these gorgeous batiks into a gift for our brother and sister-in-law to enjoy for years to come.” 

Thanks for sharing, ladies! We love that idea of the “family guarantee”… But inquiring minds want to know — how often have you made good on the guarantee to replace a well-loved quilt so far?

Want to create your own? You’ll find their Double Bear Paw pattern and lots of other great stuff online at Material Girlfriends.

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

Trip Around the Sun BOM Inspires Hope

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!

Houston Highlights at Booth #1114

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…

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!

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
  • Somerset Patchwork & Quilting   /   Karen Styles       Booth #1015

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).

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.

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.