Find that Fabric! Day 3

We're back with the last round of our Quilt Market game, Find that Fabric! 

Here are today's swatches; if you need a quick recap of how this works, scroll to the bottom of the post or click here for the full instructions. 

Remember, to enter: 
Find the fabric on our website and identify the collection name, the actual fabric name, and the fabric SKU. Email us at socialmedia23 (at) gmail.com by 10 a.m. Sunday, October 30 with the correct information for each swatch. Our Find that Fabric game is over! Watch for the answers and winners on the blog this week. 

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Find that Fabric! Day 2

We're back with another round of our Quilt Market game, Find that Fabric! 

Here are today's swatches; if you need a quick recap of how this works, scroll to the bottom of the post or click here for the full instructions. 

Remember, to enter: 
Find the fabric on our website and identify the collection name, the actual fabric name, and the fabric SKU. Email us at socialmedia23 (at) gmail.com by 10 a.m. Saturday, October 29 with the correct information for each swatch. The Day 2 contest is now closed. Find the Day 3 contest here. 

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Find that Fabric!

We're headed to Houston for Fall Quilt Market, where we'll be sharing our newest fabric collections with quilt shop owners. While we're gone, we're holding the "Find that Fabric!" game here on the blog to introduce you to some of these new fabric lines. 

Each day, we'll post a fabric swatch from each of three different brand new fabric lines from Benartex, Kanvas, or Contempo. 

Your mission: Find the fabric on our website and identify the collection name, the actual fabric name, and the fabric SKU.
How to win: Don't leave the answers as a comment. Instead, email us at socialmedia23 (at) gmail.com with the correct information the day's swatches and you'll be entered for a chance to win a FQ bundle of one of the fabric lines we'll be featuring. We'll be giving away one bundle each day. Each correct answer each day is an entry, so if you correctly identify all nine fabric lines we show, you'll have nine chances to win! One email per day per person, please.
Timing: We'll be showing three swatches a day for three days, beginning today. You'll have 24 hours to find the fabric and email us; then that day's contest ends and we move onto the next one.

Here's an example:

Find this fabric:

After browsing the website, we found this fun print in the Glass House collection by Rose Ann Cook. The specific fabric name is Glass Bubble Red, SKU #600-10

You'd send us an email with "Find that Fabric" in the subject line. In your email, you'd write:
Swatch #1: Glass House - Glass Bubble Red #600-10

Caution...browsing our website may introduce you to many new "must-have" fabrics!
Have fun!

Find that Fabric: Day 1

Remember, to enter: 
Find the fabric on our website and identify the collection name, the actual fabric name, and the fabric SKU. Email us at socialmedia23 (at) gmail.com by 10 a.m. Friday, October 28 with the correct information for each swatch. The Day 1 contest is now closed. Find the Day 2 contest here. 

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Free Pattern Alert!

Heidi Pridemore of The Whimsical Workshop designed this sweet "Dragonflies and Daisies" table topper using the Dance of the Dragonfly fabric collection from Kanvas. We love how it turned out--from the appliques in the center block through all six borders! The downloadable pattern comes with directions for both traditional cutting methods and using an Accuquilt die cutter. The quilt measures 32" square.

"Dragonflies and Daisies" by Heidi Pridemore

Click here to find Heidi's free quilt pattern. 
Click here to see the entire Dance of the Dragonfly fabric collection.

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Fabricadabra! (+ hop winners)

Looking at Paula Nadelstern's fabrics is like looking at works of art. And that's before you even use them in a quilt! Quilters everywhere will be thrilled with her new book from C&T Publishing called "Fabricadabra." It's tagline: Simple Quilts, Complex Fabric. Yes! 

Shortly before leaving for Market, Paula shared a bit about her newest work:

What inspired your book, Fabricadabra? 

This book is the result of one of my internalized eurekas. I realized I could, in a word (rare for me), simplify. Take the complex quilts I’ve made and pare them down to their essential bones. Take traditional quilts and gift wrap their simple shapes with intricate fabric.

Why does your fabric, including the similarly named Fabracadabra collection, work so well for this concept? 

Along with design strategies and unique piecing techniques, the book is about exploring the possibilities offered by intricate, charismatic textiles.

What is your favorite thing about the book? 

One of my favorite things about this book is the Introduction titled: Me, Myself and My Process.

It's not until you write about something that you understand it really well. Breaking down your own creative act, first by identifying your personal strategies and then by dividing them into so-called concepts, forces you to reflect on what things aren't as well as what they are. This exploration steers you in lots of valuable directions. In particular, it leads you to the vocabulary needed to articulate your private visual language.

Favorite quilt in the book?

 One of my favorite quilts is An Agreement of Butterflies.

I was waiting to give my lecture to the Prairie Quilt Guild in Wichita, Kansas, when a traditional Butterfly quilt held up during show-and-tell captured my attention. In a flash, I recognized a kindred pattern capable of showcasing a gazillion symmetrical prints all at once. Choosing the fabrics bewitched me into a flow state—my name for those glorious moments when you’re so energized by the task at hand that time seems immaterial. I made many more 5˝ × 5˝ squares than needed.

The collective nouns for various groups of animals and birds amuse me. A shrewdness of apes. A murder of crows. I assumed there’d be one for butterflies, but when I could not find it I made one up. Assembled from 49 different fabrics (plus a common butterfly belly and black background, for a total of 51) from my first thirteen fabric collections for Benartex, these diverse colors and prints seem to be in accord. So color me speechless when I recently searched again, six months after the initial rummage through the Internet, and finally found labels for a multitude of butterflies: a rabble of butterflies, a flutter of butterflies, or (an equally appealing quilt title) a rainbow of butterflies. But the perfect coincidence, the goose bump– laden karmic moment was the phrase “a kaleidoscope of butterflies.” It must be true; I found it on Google!

Click here to order Paula's book or ask for it at your local quilt shop.

Click here to read more of what Paula has to say about the book.  

Click here to see more of Paula's work. 
Click here to read a recent article about Paula's work.

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Congratulations to our winners from last week's Mug Rug Blog Hop:

Day 1 

Sewing Room bundle

Wordy Girl

Day 2 

Wings bundle

Cheri S.

Day 3

Nature's Pearl bundle

Lori S. 

Day 4 

Kitchen Love bundle

Margaret

We'll be contacting you for your mailing addresses! 

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Mug Rug Blog Hop: Day 4

This week we're hosting the Mug Rug Blog Hop!
In celebration of fall, a season filled with mugs of apple cider, tea, and even hot cocoa, we have four different bloggers sharing a mug rug design they've created with one of our new fabric lines. 

BYOM (bring your own mug), but we'll provide the mug rug inspiration, as well as fabric giveaways! 

Today Alison from Little Bunny Quilts is sharing a cute mug rug made using Cherry Guidry's Kitchen Love collection. If you haven't seen these prints, you'll love them! Alison drew inspiration from the fabric and her kitchen, even using a common utensil as her applique template. Have fun with this mug rug, and then head over to Alison's blog to enter for a chance to win a bundle of Kitchen Love!

Hello! I'm Alison from Little Bunny Quilts, and I am happy to be back here at Sew In Love With Fabric sharing a quick and easy tutorial for a mug rug today!

I decided to use the Kitchen Love line, because I love to cook and bake. The prints are just darling in this collection! And as a little twist, this mug rug could also be used as a washable spoon rest!

You will need:

Some sort of fusible web -- I use Wonder Under

Fat quarters of your fabrics -- I used four different fabrics

Using your favorite kitchen utensil, lay on your fusible web and trace. I used a wooden spoon.

Iron your fusible web template to your chosen fabric and trim to the correct shape.

Cut a rectangle for the front 4" x 8", cut a backing rectangle 5" x 9".

Remove the backing paper from the fusible web and iron onto your 4" x 8" rectangle.

Use a satin stitch to sew around the edges of your utensil. I used orange!

Layer your backing rectangle, a batting scrap (mine was 4.5" x 8.5") and quilt as desired. I did diagonal lines across my piece.

Trim your mug rug and bind as desired. I cut my binding strips at 2.25" wide.

Enjoy your new spoon rest/mug rug!

Perfect with a muffin and a mug too! 

Head over to Alison's blog to be entered for a chance to win a fat quarter bundle of Kitchen Love. 

Make sure to catch all of the tutorials in our Mug Rug Blog Hop!

Tuesday: Chris from made by ChrissieD featuring Sewing Room

Wednesday: Debby from Debby Kratovil Quilts featuring Wings

Thursday: Benartex blog design team featuring Nature's Pearl

Friday: Alison from Little Bunny Quilts featuring Kitchen Love

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Mug Rug Blog Hop: Day 3

This week we're hosting the Mug Rug Blog Hop!
In celebration of fall, a season filled with mugs of apple cider, tea, and even hot cocoa, we have four different bloggers sharing a mug rug design they've created with one of our new fabric lines. 

BYOM (bring your own mug), but we'll provide the mug rug inspiration, as well as fabric giveaways! 

Today we're featuring the intriguing Nature's Pearl collection from Kanvas. These fabrics have pearlescent accents that create an almost luminous effect. They're gorgeous, and the prints are so fun to work with--dotted spirals, dandelion puffs, leaves and a wavy stripe. We're showing two different methods (fusible and topstitch) to make a similar looking mug rug that plays off of the soft, wavy designs that appear in the fabric. Enjoy the tutorial and at the bottom find out how you can enter to win a fat quarter bundle of Nature's Pearl. 

A look at the fabrics we're working with--a nice variety of values and prints

You'll need: 
2-5 fat quarters
12" square of black solid (for the fusible technique only)
Two 2-1/4" x 42" strips for binding
12" square of backing fabric
12" square of batting
Fusible web (for the fusible technique only)

Making Mug Rug #1 (fusible technique)
1. From each fat quarter, cut a 6" x 12" piece. Cut an equal number of 6" x 12" fusible web pieces. Apply the fusible web to the back side of each piece. 

2. Trim the black square to measure approximately 9-1/2" x 11-1/2" (our finished mug rug is 8-1/2" x 10-1/2"; if you'd like yours to be smaller, start with a smaller black piece that is approximately 1" larger than your desired finished size).

3. With your rotary cutter, freehand cut gentle curved strips from the fused fabric pieces. Try to vary the shape of the curves and the width of the strips. You'll want between 8-12 strips total. Cut one strip with a straight edge to position at the bottom of the mug rug. 

4. Lay the first strip on the black background. 

5. Begin adding additional strips, experimenting with placement. Don't fuse anything in place yet. 

6. Notice how we let the black background show through in places. 

7. When you are satisfied with your strip placement, fuse the strips in place. 

8. Layer the fused top, batting, and backing piece. Quilt as desired (we free motion quilted wavy lines). Try to stitch close to each raw edge to help secure. Trim to desired finished size.

9. Use the binding strips to find the mug rug. Enjoy!

Making Mug Rug #2: (topstitch technique)
1. Choose a fabric for the background and cut a 12" square. Cut 4" x 12" strips from the remaining fabrics. 
2. Layer a 6" x 12" strip under the bottom edge of the background fabric so the two overlap slightly. With your rotary cutter, freehand cut a gentle curve. Remove the two scrap pieces. 

3. Turn one of the cut pieces over and press the curved edge 1/4" to the wrong side. 

4. Pin in place on the background fabric, just above the cut curved line. Topstitch to secure. 

 5. In the same way, lay another strip on the background fabric, leaving a gap so the background shows through. Cut a wavy line, remove the scraps, and then press and stitch the new strip in place. 

6. Continue adding pieces in the same manner until you are satisfied with how it looks. 

7. Layer with backing and batting and quilt as desired. We quilted in wavy lines again. Trim to desired finished size. 

8. Bind and enjoy!

Both of these techniques are fun and easy and create a similar looking result. We made the first mug rug using a greater variety of fabrics so it has a scrappier appearance. For the second mug rug, we used only three fabrics. 

To be entered for a chance to win a fat quarter bundle of Nature's Pearl, leave a comment below telling us if you've ever sewn with curves before. Contest ends Sunday, October 23rd at 11:59 pm EST. 

Make sure to catch all of the tutorials in our Mug Rug Blog Hop!

Tuesday: Chris from made by ChrissieD featuring Sewing Room

Wednesday: Debby from Debby Kratovil Quilts featuring Wings

Thursday: Benartex blog design team featuring Nature's Pearl

Friday: Alison from Little Bunny Quilts featuring Kitchen Love

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Piece for Shelter Pets

We're excited to be part of the Piece for Shelter Pets blog hop today! This worthwhile cause has extra meaning to us this year because of a small dog named Joey. Below you'll find information about the Piece for Shelter Pets partners and their efforts to help the Petfinder Foundation, and you'll also find the story behind Joey the shop dog and how he inspired a fabric line. Enjoy! 

October is national Adopt-A-Shelter-Dog Month and some quilt industry professionals are partnering with the Petfinder Foundation to create awareness of Shelter Dogs (and Cats) that need “furrever” homes. It is an unusual combination but one that is working beautifully to help our furry friends.  

These quilt industry professionals are animal lovers and have partnered together to help shelter animals in ways that are new and unique.  So join us in the Piece for Shelter Pets Blog Hop and see how we are helping and how you can help. 

The Quilt Pattern Magazine (TQPM) -  an international online only publication - partnered with the Petfinder Foundation to form the TQPM Small Kennel Quilt Team after Hurricane Sandy. The two organizations help animal shelters affected by disasters by sending Kennel Quilts for the displaced animals. 

Sewing essentials are needed for Kennel Quilts and Aurifil Threads, Bernina USA, Island Batik Fabrics, Quilty Box and Benartex Fabrics have joined the TQPM Kennel Quilt effort to help the Petfinder Foundation. 

Aurifil Threads created a Small Kennel Quilt Thread Kit last year and will be introducing two more Thread Collections at the International Quilt Market in Houston this month. A portion of sales goes to the Petfinder Foundation.

Bernina of America created a special edition Best Friends sewing machine this year featuring paw prints. They donated $30,000 to the Petfinder Foundation from the sales of the machine.

Island Batik is introducing two new animal fabric lines at International Quilt Market. A portion of sales will go to the Petfinder Foundation.

Quilty Box will offer special TQPM Kennel Quilt boxes and the Petfinder Foundation will be the recipient of a portion of their sales.

Benartex will introduce new fabrics at International Quilt Market which will benefit the Petfinder Foundation. 

These quilt industry professionals are animal lovers and have partnered together to help shelter animals in ways that are new and unique.  It is a way to join a larger effort to help our animal friends in times of need by doing what we love. We are reaching out to our quilting friends to ask for support and help for our furry friends.

There are so many shelter animals that want a home.  This is a great time to check with your local shelter for your “furrever” friend or you can check out Petfinder.com. However if you can’t adopt at this time, there are numerous other ways to help and that will be shared on all our blogs. Please join us in this effort and Remember to Adopt –don’t shop! 

Blog Hop Schedule:

10/5 – The Quilt Pattern Magazine/Nan Baker of Purrfect Spots

10/7 – Aurifil 

10/12 – Island Batik

10/14 – Quilty Box (instagram)

10/19 – Benartex 

10/21 – Petfinder Foundation

Petfinder 20th Anniversary Celebration

For the past 20 years, Petfinder has helped 25 million pets find their families through adoption. They wanted to use this moment to celebrate their incredible legacy with their shelter and rescue members while inspiring a new generation of pet lovers, just like you. They created a video and pledged to donate $200,000 to the Petfinder Foundation if the video reached 1 million views by October 24, 2016. Thanks to dedication and inspired help of the masses, they have already reached their goal! The donated funds will reward 20 shelter and rescue members with $10,000 grants, allowing them to keep doing the amazing work that they do! 

This blog hop features two prizes. The giveaway runs from Wednesday, October 5 – 11:59pm on Tuesday October 25. Winner will be announced on Wednesday, October 26.

Prize #1:

1 Fat Quarter Bundle of Island Batik’s Fifi & Fido

1 LG Fifi & Fido Aurifil Thread Collection 

1 Subscription to Quilt Pattern Magazine

One 3-month Subscription to Quilty Box

One Petfinder Foundation Bundle (Petfinder Foundation t-shirt, car cling and wristband)

One Joey the Shop Dog Bundle (fabric, a wristband, a button, and a window decal)

Prize #2:

1 Fat Quarter Bundle of Island Batik’s Happy Hounds

1 LG Happy Hounds Aurifil Thread Collection 

1 Subscription to Quilt Pattern Magazine

One Petfinder Foundation Bundle (Petfinder Foundation t-shirt, car cling and wristband)

One Joey the Shop Dog Bundle (fabric, a wristband, a button, and a window decal)

**Enter the giveaway here** 



Meet Joey, the Shop Dog:

Joey was adopted by Rose Ann Cook and her husband almost six years ago. With only one eye and some health issues, he was not a likely choice for adoption, but he’s made his home both with the Cooks and in Rose Ann’s quilt shop, the Quilter's Emporium.

We asked Rose Ann to tell us more about Joey and his new claim to fame, the fabric line!

Meet Joey the Shop Dog

Joey was adopted by Rose Ann Cook and her husband almost six years ago. With only one eye and some health issues, he was not a likely choice for adoption, but he’s made his home both with the Cooks and in Rose Ann’s quilt shop, the Quilt Emporium.

We asked Rose Ann to tell us more about Joey and his new claim to fame, the fabric line!

Why did Joey catch your eye?

What I can say? We haven’t been afraid to adopt dogs that have health or physical issues. That doesn’t mean that they can’t be loving, wonderful pets. As a matter of fact, I think they become the most grateful pets. We have no children—this is our calling to take care of dogs that otherwise would be put down.  I love the phrase on the Joey the Shop Dog poster…”You don’t have to be perfect to be loved.”  That says it all.

How did Joey start coming to the quilt shop?

I go to the shop every day, and I felt I needed to take him along to look after him. I tell our guests, Joey’s story and they start to feel protective over him… and they all fall in love. He’s a little fixture around the shop. Joey has such a fan club. Some customers only come in on “Joey” days.  Joey even gets birthday cards from national and international customers in early November, which is when we celebrate his birthday!

How has Joey’s fame spread?

He “tells” me what to write for an article in each of our newsletters. If there isn’t something from Joey in the newsletter, we actually get phone calls or emails from customers checking on him. He recently came in 6^th place in the Houston SPCA calendar contest, so he’ll be featured in the 2017 calendar as well.  This is very fitting because this is where we adopted Joey.

And of course the Joey the Shop Dog fabric collection?

My staff has been pestering me about this. I always felt that Joey would be the perfect subject for a fabric line. Not only is he popular in our little world, but everyone who sees him from out of town thinks that he’s such a cute little dog. When Benartex suggested that the line could have a charitable tie-in, I almost flipped with joy. It was more than I could ever have dreamed of, that they’d be so invested in this that they’d contribute money to a non-kill shelter. Not only do we get to share Joey with other quilters, we also get to help other animals.

The panel to make a stuffed Joey (shown above with the actual Joey)

How else has Joey helped the cause of strays?

From time to time, a customer will tell us that they found a stray animal.  We encourage them to send me a pic and their details, and then Joey will include a story about his new “friend” in the weekly email.  He has been pretty successful in that he has been able to find homes for almost a dozen dogs through the years. Joey does so much good.

How did the fabric line come to be?

I chose photos for inspiration, and many of the blocks in the panel are based on those photos. For example, Joey on the box moving cart. When we’re moving boxes in the shop, he’ll jump on and we’ll give him a little ride.  

The block panel:

You can follow Joey by liking his Facebook page and/or by subscribing to Rose Ann’s newsletter.

Watch for the Joey the Shop Dog collection at your local quilt shop and see all the prints here. Don't forget, 10% of sales for Joey’s fabrics will be donated to The Petfinder Foundation!

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