Quilt Market 2013

We found lots of new fabrics, kits and patterns at the annual Quilt Market in Houston, Tx. I can hardly wait to show you these.

If you never been to the convention center - it is BIG: 

One of the 10 largest convention centers in America, the George R. Brown was recently expanded to nearly 2 million square feet and that's a lot! The first day we walked almost 10,000 steps!

Here's a view at the center looking down the row - it's only half of the convention floor:

I went up to the 2nd floor to get a birds eye view of it and could only see a quarter of the market:

Meet Marsha McCloskey fabric designer

Marsha McCloskey is one of the quilting world's best-known authors and teachers. She has written or co-authored over twenty-five books on quiltmaking since 1981. Specializing in the Feathered Star and other traditional pieced designs, she has taught drafting, rotary cutting and machine piecing to quilters all over the United States and in nine foreign countries. 

Each year she travels about once a month to teach and lecture. She has her own small publishing company, Feathered Star Productions, Inc., a website, and has designed fabric for quilters since 1996 when her first Staples line was introduced by Fabric Sales Company.

Her newest fabric line is Everything Blue from Clothworks

Sneak Peek coming in November: PERRYMINT

Perrymint from Dear Stella

"We’ve been loving mint this season, especially when paired with pretty pinks and corals, and our near-obsession is pretty evident if you’ve seen our previews of the upcoming Perrymint collection. Today we’re finally able to show you all of the images in the full collection, and we couldn’t be more excited!"

First, take a look at some of the inspiration behind the group:

Yum Yum - Slow Cooker Chicken

Sounds like my Mom's Chicken 'n Dumplings - can't wait to try it, bet the flour is the key!

***Slow Cooker Chicken and Dumplings***

Ingredients
2 Tablespoons Butter
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast (or 6 skinless chicken thighs)
1 Onion, finely diced
2 cans of Cream of Chicken Soup
2 small packages Grands Jr biscuits (10 biscuits)
flour

Directions
1. Place the chicken, butter, soup, and onion in a greased slow cooker, and fill with enough water to cover.

2. Secure lid and cook for 5 to 6 hours on High. About 30 minutes before serving, roll each torn biscuit piece in flour (to prevent them from sticking together), then drop into the slow cooker. Replace lid and cook remaining 30 minutes.

Quilt Kit: Jewel Blossoms - Wander Blossoms quilt fabric

Jewel Blossoms by Nancy Mahoney

 Finished size: 51" x 62"
Skill level: Advanced Beginner
Free Pattern here: Jewel Blossoms
This quilt showcases the 4 main fabrics from: Wander Blossoms
There are two blocks that connect the main 8 1/2 squares:

Approx 7 yards fabric for top, borders & binding

Retail Price: $82.60 per yard

Your Savings: $7.92

Price: $74.68

Purchase your kits here: Jewel Blossoms
Not included 3 1/2 yards for backing

Coming soon: Dear Stella fabrics!

Dear Stella is a unique fabric brand with modern style. The collection evokes an edgy freshness, combining the best of old traditions with modern influences. These beautiful fabrics will inspire both a traditional quilter and a contemporary “sewist” to reinvent their sewing style.

STELLA is an inspiring, independent spirit. She is creative, adventurous, and hopelessly romantic. She loves beautiful paper and a perfectly wrapped gift, and always sends handwritten thank you notes. Cookbooks sit pretty on her shelves for more than just cooking, and she always plates her dinner, even if it’s just for one. You may find her spending lazy days savoring coffee while poring over her favorite magazines and blogs, dreaming about the ultimate craft room. She has a strong work ethic, and feels so much pride in making things herself. She loves flip flops and painted toes, furry friends of all shapes and sizes, making a to-do list with her favorite pen, the smell of freshly cut flowers, and the sound of a crackling fire (especially when melting s’mores). She believes brunch makes Sunday the best day of the week, and is never too full for dessert.
And she always holds the door.

Wander Blossoms - Digital Printed Fabrics

Wander Blossoms by Danielle Donaldson


PB Textiles first digitally printed fabric collection has amazing detail in the finely rendered paintings by Danielle Donaldson. 

The fantasy floral collection has beautifully crafted artwork and nuanced colors in every piece.  

The main print, a whimsical flower garden,

is supported by three tossed-motif selections, a mosaic tile, a stripe, plaids, dots and an oh-so-subtle texture.  It is a marvel of printing capabilities! 

 Available here: Wander Blossoms

New from PB Textiles - Digital Printed Fabrics

Welcome to the digital age!  At P & B they are embracing the most cutting-edge printing technology and creating a new brand called NEXT GENERATION.

Digital printing has no boundaries - why? It is printed from a computer onto a wide format print bed. Traditional printing required the use of screens that were cut for each color; generally the maximum was 18 colors per print. Digital printing has no screens, and allows for more detail and endless colors. In addition, the screens had a maximum width for the repeat – generally 24.” Digital printing means there are no size restrictions – one bolt of fabric could potentially have an endless pattern with no repeat!; Whatever we can design can be printed digitally.

Other advantages to the process include:
 No color and quality change from print lot to print lot
 No running or bleeding

Will the fabric feel different? The hand of a fabric depends on the base (greige) goods, and the finish that is added after printing. All digitally printed fabrics are printed with the same dyes we print with traditionally, and finished through heat, steam or both. The type of printing will not affect how the fabric feels.

Is digital printing going to be used all the time in the future? Probably not. It is a more costly process, so it isn’t warranted for simple designs and patterns. The main advantages will impact complicated and detailed patterns, large repeats, and prints with dozens of colors. Traditional printing will most likely be around for a long time, but digital printing opens up a whole new creative world of possibilities.

WELCOME TO NEXT GENERATION! WELCOME TO THE DIGITAL AGE OF TEXTILES!

View PB Textiles first Digital Fabric Collection here: WANDER BLOSSOMS

It's a grey and rainy day - -

What's a girl to do...... sleep?

or she could quilt something......

As Seen In: Quilt Trend Summer 2013 - BREEZEWAY

As Seen In: Quilt Trends 2013 Summer pg 58

Breezeway
by Sue Harvey and Sandy Boobar

Breezeway is the perfect design for a simple summer project and an ideal quilt to wrap yourself up in on cool nights. The large block center highlights lavish Jacobean-style fabrics, which are surrounded by colors of nature—cool blue, lush green, and warm brown. 

 Although it’s a beginner-friendly quilt, the versatility and
simplicity of this design will appeal to all skill levels.

Finished size:  58" x 74 1/2"
Skill Level: EASY
Finished Block size: 15" sq

Included in kit:
Approx: 7 1/4 yards fabric for top, borders & binding
(Fabrics used in this quilt are as pictured (we made no substitutions).