Let’s Meet at QUILTCON! — Part II

We’re happy to have the newest member of the Studio 37 design team joining us at QuiltCon! Meet Kim Eichler-Messmer, whose debut collection of gorgeous artisan batiks, IMBUE is hitting quilt shops this month! 

FREE DEMO: Kim will share her techniques for reverse applique on Thursday from 2-4pm in our booth (911).  She’s also giving two lectures (at this time, they’re both still available, unlike her reverse applique workshop that’s already sold out!)  Her lectures include:

Fine Art to Functional Quilts – Thursday 2/22 10:30 – 11:15am.  Kim studied painting and printmaking in college (among many, many other things) and pursued a career in fine art. She never intended to make a quilt until, one day in graduate school, it seemed like a good idea. Armed with a sewing machine, scissors, some precious hand dyed fabric, and no idea what she was doing, she embarked on a quilt adventure. Essentially, she learned how to quilt by doing everything wrong. Hear about her path from Fine Art to Functional Quilts and how inspiration can be found all around us.

Dyeing Fabric for Modern Quilts, Saturday 2/24 1:45 – 2:30pm Dyeing your own fabric is a great way to customize your quilts and is much easier than you might think. Kim will discuss different dyes and methods including natural and synthetic dye, indigo, removing dye, and shibori. If you’ve been wanting to add dyeing to your quilt tool box but aren’t sure how, this lecture will provide the resources and inspiration you need to create dyed fabrics to mix in with your favorite Studio 37 fabrics!

Expand your creativity with free demos and lectures like these, plus booth displays, classes, exhibits, vendors, and the general joyful interaction that quilting brings, all at QuiltCon — there’s still time to register!!

Let’s Meet at QUILTCON!! — Part I

We’re thrilled to return this year as a sponsor and exhibitor at QuiltCon, the premiere event of the Modern Quilt Guild!  It takes place in Pasadena, CA from February 22-25, and we’re busy putting the finishing touches on the booth and some special events. We’ll again sponsor the award in the category of Modern Traditionalism, and we’re also the proud sponsor of the MQG Leadership Breakfast meeting for chapter leaders, so we’ll see you there, bright and early on Saturday ; )

During the show, you’ll find us in BOOTH 911, where you can pick up your postcard for our Booth Hop – there’s a $1500 Quilter’s Prize Pack at stake — just visit our participating sponsor booths at QuiltCon and follow the easy instructions to enter…just pick up this postcard at our booth to get started!  Sponsors include our own Studio 37 designers, along with Aurifil, Olfa, Sizzix, and Private Source Quilting – thanks to all of you!

When you hop over to Booth 530, you’ll see what’s new with Studio 37 designers Nancy Rink and Sarah J Maxwell. They’ll be previewing a fun new #designerduo Quilt-Along (it begins in April!) and Sarah will demo chenille techniques using her Primo Plaid Flannels and the Olfa Chenille cutter.

There’s too much QuiltCon activity to share in just one blog post… stay tuned for Part II!

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:

Introducing… IMBUE by Kim Eichler-Messmer

This month we’re excited to welcome Kim Eichler-Messmer to the Studio 37 design team, with her gorgeous debut collection of batiks, entitled IMBUE.

To imbue means to inspire or permeate with a feeling or quality; permeate, infuse, tincture, soak. This is how Kim  likes to think about hand dyed fabrics. “They are infused not only with color and pattern, but with the intentions of the maker as well. These modern batiks were printed and dyed by hand in Indonesia and the designs came from my own hand dyed fabrics. The colors are rich and saturated and the slight imperfections in the print add character, movement, and a glimpse into the process of their creation” she explains.

We love Kim’s creative philosophy, and the richness of her palettes. See all 22 designs online at Studio 37 Fabrics.  Visit Kim online and follow her on Instagram @kimemquilts.  If you’re attending, QuiltCon in Pasadena, CA, February 22-25, 2018, you’ll also have a chance to take her lectures and workshops and meet her in the Studio 37 Booth # 911.

QuiltCon Recap – “Modern Traditionalism” Winners…

This year, we were excited to return to QuiltCon as exhibitors, and as sponsors of this year’s “Modern Traditionalism” category.  We’re proud to share with you the winners of the group, representing the perfect balance of traditional influence with a contemporary twist. Congratulations to the winners and the makers of all of the beautiful entries…

1st Place

Modern Waves Quilt
Pieced and quilted by Kristi Schroeder
Quilted by Lee Jenkins of Dallas, Texas
Austin Modern Quilt Guild
@initialkstudio
85 x 91 inches

 

 

 

 

2nd Place:

Fireworks
Pieced and quilted by Jeannie Jenkins
Willowdale, Ontario, Canada
Toronto Modern Quilt Guild
@itchn2stitch
50 x 76 inches
SecondCU

3rd Place:

Autumn Hours
Pieced and quilted by Daisy Aschehoug
Baton Rouge, LA,
Baton Rouge Modern Quilt Guild
@antstosugar
45 x 60 inches

 

 

 

 

JudgesJudge’s Choice:

Waiting for Sanity
Pieced and quilted by Kristin Shields
Bend, OR
Central Oregon Modern Quilt Guild
@kristinshields
49 x 48 inches
Modern Traditionalism
JudgesCU

The simple, linear quilting shown here on the Judges’ Choice was a recurring style throughout the show.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The category had lots of entries that went on for rows… and rows…

QuiltConRows

Finally, Best inShow honors went to this beauty…

bling
Pieced and quilted by Katherine Jones
Chigwell, Tasmania, Australia
Tasmanian Modern Quilt Guild
@twocatsquilts
98 x 98 inches

Enter Your #MarcusMugshot…You Might Win One of These…

MugPrizeThe Mugrug Challenge is in full effect, and this is just one of the prizes you could win in our weekly drawings!  We’ve got a limited quantity of the Marcus mugs, but no shortage of great fabrics to award to Challenge participants!

Winners will be chosen at random every Tuesday now through April 30, so read these few simple guidelines, enter often, and post regularly using #MarcusMugshot.

Mugrugs are great little stashbusters, thoughtful gifts, and the perfect way to try out new techniques. Choose at least one Marcus and/or Studio 37 print from your stash, or visit your local quilt shop to choose from the latest designer collections.  Participating shops will also offer tips, events and more, so check back with them often throughout the Challenge.

Shows2017And catch us in Savannah, GA at QuiltCon in just a couple of weeks, where you can have your #MarcusMugshot taken, pick up a few fabric freebies and more!

A Fresh Start Leads Down Memory Lane…

With the start of a new year comes the opportunity to reorganize and re-energize, so we’ve been clearing out lots of fabrics and swatch cards that have accumulated over the years as we renovate and relocate (no, there’s no need to change your contact info; we’re only moving down the hall!)  If you’ve ever relocated your office space, you know the task we’ve been facing for the past few weeks (Note that I’m sparing you the evidence of the messiest areas, but you get the idea…

OfficeRenoCOMP

Yet, amidst the disruption, we’re also enjoying our “Trip Down Fabric Memory Lane” in the process!  Stephanie in particular was excited to uncover some of our earliest calico swatch cards, circa 1987, when Marcus first entered the quilting industry.  Stay tuned for more on these classics in a future post…

OldSwatchCardsCOMP

And of course, a change like this can be subject to some type of outside reaction:  We happily shared some of the surplus fabric sample cuts that had accumulated over the years with friends from a couple of local quilt guilds.  No sooner had the fabric been picked up than we began to hear whispered rumors that “Marcus was closing its doors??!!!”  Well, be assured that nothing is further from the truth, and we’ll continue our long-standing tradition of bringing you the very best in quilting and craft fabrics for many years to come.  In fact, even in the midst of our office relocation, we’re busily prepping for upcoming events including QuiltCon next month in Savannah, and Ouilt Market in St. Louis this Spring!  See you soon!  ; )

Shows2017

Come Stitch with Us in Booth 630…

Our first charity quilt block was completed and submitted by Kayla, showing off her handiwork here with Victoria.  If you’re in Pasadena, stop by and sew up an easy block by hand, to be combined with others into Marcus charity quilts for ALS!  We’ve got fully stocked sewing stations, and by stitching and submitting a block, you’ll be entered into a FREE DRAWING for one of three Studio 37 Gift Baskets!!  Come join us…

QCBlocks

 

The QuiltCon “Judge’s Choice” Award Goes to…

VictoriaHeadshotGreyCongratulations to our own Victoria Findlay Wolfe, whose gorgeous “Mr. Swirl E. Bones” took the Judge’s Choice award at QuiltCon this morning!  Judge Scott Murkin chose Victoria’s 94″ x 94″ design, which was entered into the Modern Traditional category.

Congratulations, Victoria!!  ; )  We’re proud to have you as part of our Studio 37 Fabrics design community!

Mr. Swirl E. Bones, Victoria Findlay Wolfe, Quilted by Shelly Pagliai, 2015
Modern Traditional category

VictoriaWinnerQuilt