It’s always exciting to see what’s new on the market, whether that’s fabric, notions or a new magazine. Here’s my take on some of what I saw at Quilt Market last week.

Color, color, color. We are still seeing lots of bold and bright colors. I didn’t see pastels. I did see lots of fabrics that were reminiscent of 1930s fabrics. I also saw more what a friend termed “street wearable” patterns and more embroidery patterns. Here are some more specifics.

1. I mentioned embroidery. This was celebrated to the max by Heather Bailey who introduced a line of embroidery patterns, some of which are quilt labels. Heather recreated one of her patterns stitched on a 6-foot by 10-foot wall. She was still stitching the wall during the show. Heather also won a best booth award for this creation. See a portion above.
2. New from Carolyn Friedlander is her Slow Sewing Studio line. This pattern group celebrates hand sewing and socializing. This is just another example with the trend that we are seeing of hand work.
3. Amy Barickman with Indygo Junction introduced Crossroads, a new line of softened denim. It’s 100% cotton, 54″ wide and available in white and 13 colors.
4. New from Pind Inc. is the Quilt Design System. This 72-inch “Butterfly” system was designed to be functional, space saving and aesthetically pleasing. It is easy to assemble and features options for up to four design walls. The system is also perfect for using as a stretcher frame on which to mount silk for painting, and it can accommodate a large canvas for painting.
5. Stkr.it is the perfect solution if you want to connect your digital memories to your quilts. You attach a sticker with a QR code to your quilt label. When someone scans the code, they are directed to a site online where you’ve uploaded a video or audio making your gift even more personal.

More next week.

Please share what you saw that was new on below in our Leave a Reply section.

For 27 years the International Association of Professional Quilters has recognized outstanding teachers. This year our award goes to Maryland appliqué artist Mimi Dietrich. Here is some insight into her teaching philosophy:

What standards of workmanship do you require of your students? What do you do if they don’t attain them?

I am an appliqué teacher. As far as standards of workmanship, all I ask is that my students try. Some students come to my class with preconceived ideas about applique. Some are very afraid of the “A” word when they come to my class, some are afraid they will not be able to make small stitches that they have read about. I just ask them to try. To try to make the stitches as small as possible on the top of their work, as consistent as possible, following steps that I give them for the traditional appliqué stitch. As they practice and keep stitching, the stitches will get smaller, more even and consistent on the top and bottom. I ask them to have fun stitching the appliqué to the background fabric, trusting that they will get better with each stitch. They usually get hooked!

How do you encourage creativity in your students?

I encourage creativity in my students by suggesting that they substitute elements in the applique patterns. They can substitute a gathered flower for a rose, folded buds for little flowers or clumps of berries, or even add their favorite butterfly to a floral design. Many students feel that they have to follow a pattern exactly. I love it when they change things and make the design their own. I also encourage them to make Baltimore Album quilts using their favorite colors and fabrics, rather than the traditional red and green. We discuss how the traditional quilts were made, but it’s exciting to see students make the quilt with their own style.

How do you encourage students’ further growth in quilting, beyond the formal class?

I encourage them to do “research,” which means searching for photos of appliquéd quilts and looking at quilts in shows. I give them names of books, magazines, quilt shows and web sites to inspire them. One of my favorite ways of helping students grow is a group I host once a month called my “Graduate School.” It is only for students that have taken my year-long class in Baltimore. I am not paid for it because I love it so much, and we are now in our 20th year! Right now there are 40 active participants. In the morning we have show and tell. In the afternoon, we choose a project for the year and work on different blocks each month. My favorite part of this is that I require each student to be a “presenter.” They are wonderful and this has encouraged some of them to “really” become appliqué teachers.

What do you feel is your greatest contribution to the field of quilting?

My greatest contribution to the field of quilting is the first book I wrote, Happy Endings: Finishing the Edges of your Quilt.  I wrote the book in 1988 and this year it is going to be re-released with its fourth edition and a new cover. That’s 25 years! That’s amazing in the world of quilt books. But the true importance of the book is that it taught thousands of quilters how to put binding on their quilts! That means quilts are getting finished!

Please share your thoughts or leave a reply in the section below.

Scrappy Firework Quilts – A Blast of Strips, Scraps & Triangles

by Edyta Sitar
Landauer Books; $27.95

Quilter and fabric designer Edyta Sitar of Laundry Basket Quilts is sharing 19 quilt designs that use half-square triangles, strip panels, 8-pointed stars and fusible appliqué. The resulting quilts really do have a firework quality, with light popping from the quilts. While most of the projects are quilts, she does include a fun sewing box. The instructions are clear and easy to follow, with lots of step-by-step photos. I love the way she blends traditional prints with batiks. A good stash busting book.

Look for the book at your favorite quilt or book retailer. Here’s a link to  Amazon if you would like to learn more about the book.

No Sewing Until You Quilt It
Ann R. Holmes
AQS Publishing; $24.95

Long-time stained glass artist Ann Holmes turned to quilting in 1999 when she wanted to recreate some of her original designs into fabric without incorporating the lead line. What resulted is her No Sewing Until You Quilt It technique that incorporates fusible interfacing and glue-basted turned down edges to her appliqué pieces prior to any quilting. What she ends up with is the nice smooth edge of a turned appliqué edge. The book includes complete instructions for learning the technique followed by seven projects of increasing complexity. The accompanying CD includes patterns, an additional gallery with one of Ann’s stained glass pieces, and a discussion on inspiration.

Look for the book at your favorite book retailer. Here’s a link to Amazon if you would like to learn more about the book.

Thread Magic Garden
Ellen Anne Eddy
C&T Publishing; $28.95

Award-winning quilter Ellen Anne Eddy is well known for her free-motion thread work. In this book, she teaches you how to thread paint your own beautiful garden of flowers and some surprise creatures. At first glance, it’s clear that Ellen is a teacher. Using simple step-by-step instructions, you’ll learn basic skills that build upon each other, for example, special stitch techniques, building edge-to-edge color and progressive shading. Then she offers more than 20 floral studies to understand the shapes of the flowers. She notes that you cannot create a flower through fabric without first seeing and studying a real one, so she includes close-up photographs for this purpose. She also includes a good discussion on color theory. If you are interested in learning or expanding your skills at machine embroidery, you’ll enjoy this book and appreciate Ellen’s attention to detail.

Look for the book at your favorite book retailer. Here’s a link to Amazon if you would like to learn more about the book.

Appliqué & Embroidery Fundamentals
Janice Vaine
Landauer Publishing; $27.95

With 45 years of sewing and needlework experience, Jan Vaine starts you in the classroom where she teaches you her Perfect Placement Appliqué method followed by lessons on the appliqué stitch, reverse appliqué and a variety of stitches. The instructions are complete and the illustrations are very large, a plus. The bulk of the book includes the letters of the alphabet each encircled by a floral wreath. Jan’s goal is for you to learn new embroidery and embellishment techniques as you work your way through the alphabet. She then offers 18 additional stitches and six additional projects for using the skills you’ve learned. I appreciated the supplies shopping list at the beginning of the book, too.

Look for the book at your favorite book retailer. Here’s a link to Amazon if you would like to learn more about the book.

Lynn Ann Majidimehr
That Patchwork Place; $27.99

I just loved the look of almost every quilt in this book, with the appliqué on pieced backgrounds. The colors were bright and the designs were out of the ordinary and realistic; the end result is a contemporary look. The book includes 10 projects in sizes ranging from a small wall hanging to lap-sized quilts and a table runner. I’ve never been a fan of paper piecing – it’s the tearing out of the foundation I don’t like. Lynn offers a twist on that with a freezer-paper foundation method that doesn’t require picking out the paper. As for the appliqué she offers two methods: fusible and freezer-paper, glue-basted appliqué. Instructions are clear and include lots of color photos to guide you. I also appreciated the specifics on machine quilting and the close-up shots of the quilting.

Look for the book at your favorite book retailer. Here’s a link to Amazon if you would like to learn more about the book.

Beautiful Botanicals
Deborah Kemball
C&T Publishing; $29.95

Are you looking for a way to add more beautiful flowers into your life this time of year? I know for many of us the only place we see fresh flowers this time of year is at the florist. Deborah Kemball offers a wonderful way to bring more beauty into your life. Her book offers 14 sophisticated floral appliqué projects, varying in size from pillows to quilts. She includes templates for 45 different appliqué flowers, two butterflies and five borders. The book is also filed with wonderful tips to make your work a success, e.g., fussy-cutting fabrics for some of the flowers. You’ll enjoy mixing the various flowers to create your own individual project.

Look for the book at your favorite book retailer. Here’s a link to Amazon if you would like to learn more about the book.

America’s Quilted Garden Blocks
Fay Labanaris
American Quilter’s Society; $24.95

I’ve always liked the books that linked quilt blocks to states. Having lived in close to a dozen states, I’ve thought about creating a sampler style quilt to include each. That still unstarted project got another push when I looked at Fay’s newest book. She designed 55 unique flower blocks, one for each of the 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia and four territories. The bordered blocks range in size from 20-24 inches and incorporate a variety of basic appliqué, embroidery and ribbon work. The patterns are included on a CD, which also includes additional information on each state or territory. I did look at the blocks for each of the states where I’ve lived and was partial to the wreath of black-eyed Susans on the Maryland block.

Look for the book at your favorite quilt shop or book retailer. Here’s a link to Amazon if you would like to learn more about the book.

Give & Take Fabric Appliqué

Daphne Greig and Susan Purney Mark

AQS: $24.95

I love the possibilities of this simple concept – using a patchwork block, tracing the design onto fusible web, fusing on fabric, cutting the shapes apart and using them in two blocks as a negative and positive. After explaining the concept, Daphne Greig and Susan Purney Mark get you started with the complex New York Beauty block. The book includes 12 different projects and templates and can be adapted to other patterns of your choosing. The authors note that the concept is great for fat quarters and guild challenges. This is a fun technique to add to your toolbox.

Look for the book at your favorite quilt shop or book retailer. Here’s a link to Amazon if you would like to learn more about the book.