Sushi Rolls from Lecien Fabrics

If you haven't seen or tried them yet, we've got some fun stuff to show you today! We mentioned them briefly during our last stint at Fall Market, but they've been lurking discreetly in the shadows of Fat Quarter Shop until today. We're showing them off to the whole quilting world -- with giveaways to boot!

Sushi Rolls are the cutest pre-cut additions to the Lecien Fabrics family, and out of this variety of six, every quilter is sure to find a necessary addition to her fabric stash. Whether it be a basic, floral, or cutesy (kawaii) print, think Sushi Rolls! (Did I just make you hungry? Sorry!) What's more, you can click to view different sides of the roll, so you'll know exactly what's included!

These Sushi Rolls contain 100% cotton fabric strips 2 7/8" wide, great for smaller-pieced quilt and sewing projects. Blue and Red Minny Muu Sushi Rolls feature itty bitty children's prints -- think sailors, teddy bears, polka dots, daisies -- baby quilts worldwide rejoice!

Le Petit Jardin Sushi Roll features a wide range of little floral prints in yellows, browns, blues, pinks, and creams, as well as dots and checks. It's sophisticated vintage in bright, fun hues! (See that top image up there!) If you've got a fetish for Lecien floral collections, like Mrs. March Antique Rose and Antique Flower Collection, this is the roll for you!

And finally, Lecien gives us three "Quilter's Basic" Sushi Rolls -- Primitive Quilter's Basic, Bright Quilter's Basic, and Prairie Quilter's Basic. They all use the same ditsy flowers, checks, and dotted swirl prints, but in three different colorways. Simply look around to find the one that suits your taste.

Now for the fun part -- we've got some lovely personal news at Fat Quarter Shop to share! Comment with a guess as to what it is, and we'll pick three random winners on Monday, March 2, to receive a Sushi Roll of their choice! Good luck, and happy Friday!

(P.S. I don't know why they are that size, Chooky Blue -- you'd have to ask them! LOL)

Redwork Bluework Revival by RJR Fabrics

Redwork Bluework Revival by RJR Fabrics is one of the newest collections at Fat Quarter Shop! Not only is Redwork revived, but also enhanced with traditional florals, fun dots and swirls, and two redwork-ed panels. The line comes in two monochromatic colorways, a stark red and bright bright blue against clean white. I was completely unaware of the history of redwork, so I did some research to learn about the background of redwork and hopefully provide some new, interesting information in the process! (And of course, it turned out to be the one topic Wikipedia doesn't have yet.)

Redwork first became popular in the late 19th century and remained a mainstay in interior decoration into the 1930s. This self-titled method of decoration used red cotton floss (Turkey Red being the most widely used) to stitch various image and illustration outlines onto a material, usually muslin. Redwork allowed women to embroider fashion onto functional pieces, such as chair covers, napkins, cushions, laundry bags -- whatever! The affordability of the thread and fabric helped popularize it as well, and all one had to be able to do was trace an image.

Later on, cotton fabric squares already pre-printed with trendy designs and ready to embroider were developed and sold as "penny squares", referring to their penny a piece price, which led to bigger redwork pieces, such as quilts. Other colors, like bluework, became more common once manufacturers found ways to better produce those threads.

How neat that we get to bring it back into the new century! Hope you enjoy the line and mini-vacation into an older America!

Juliana by Sue Zipkin

Sue Zipkin returns to the Jolly Jabber once again! Her first two go-rounds here, she told us about Bliss and Jumpin' Java. Jumpin' Java was a energetic flow of saturated Autumn tones, with a pop of aqua, but for this season Sue shows us a softer, but still bright and colorful, side with Juliana. Warm purples, pinks, yellows, teals, limes, and a touch of cobalt blue color this line happy. Budding vines and round blooms swirl about in rich watercolor, complemented by a cute paisley stripe and daisy-covered checks. Make a sweet little table topper or a colorful lap quilt! The little prints make it ideal for smaller pieces. If you're craving sophisticated and playful fun, you'll find it in Juliana! PS, there's a free pattern for this collection on our Free Quilt Patterns section!

Thanks for letting me Jabber again. Spring is in the air!

I’m really excited that the Fat Quarter Shop is carrying the Juliana line. When my samples came in from Clothworks, I knew spring was just around the corner.

The interesting thing about Juliana is that the color palette was originally planned out to be in deep tones, similar to the Mulberry group I created for Clothworks for fall. As the Clothworks team and I were developing the collection, we started to experiment with other colorways, and it seemed that everyone really enjoyed the bright/pastel palette the most. I always enjoy painting organic stylized florals, and they come very naturally to me, so it was a happy marriage for me.

This floral collection is warm and inviting; it combines a touch of French elegance with everyday fun. A whimsical mix of swirls, plaids and flower motifs, with the zing of bright pastels.

I hope you have as much fun quilting with the fabric as I did creating the collection!

Sue Zipkin
Sue Zipkin's website
Sue Zipkin's Blog

Debbie's Recipe Box: Cheryl's Chicken Spaghetti

Next in our Cheryl series is this basic recipe with a Texan twist. You can certainly omit the chilis if that isn't your favorite or try other types of cheese. Let us know if you find a variation you love!

Click on the recipe for a printable version!

Little Man and Me, Too by Jackie Clark

Hello hello, and happy Friday! Today, we wanted to bring to your attention a little line that brings one word to mind. A-dor-able! It's especially perfect for boys, no less!

The collection is called Little Man and Me, Too, and it is brought to us by Jackie Clark. Yep, the same Jackie Clark who designs those fabulous sewing patterns for little ones! She has her second fabric collection for Windham Fabrics out now, and it also has their newest specialty cut, a Fat Roll (5" x 44" strips)!

Here's what Jackie told us about her newest line...
The inspiration for Little Man came from a vintage quilt made entirely from men's shirting. I have always thought that little baby boys look like little men, and that is how the line got named. Add a little pink and you have a line that works for little sis, too!

This line is so irresistible with tiny owls and chicks running amok on white, baby blue, soft pink, sweet yellow, and spring green. The coordinating prints are quite neat, with a cable knit print, stripes, checks, and itty bitty tonal specks. Little Man and Me, Too + your child/grandchild = ultimate cuteness :)

Which brings me to my next point, that Jackie has a contest going on at her blog right now! As if you needed more incentive, it's The Cute Kid contest -- send her a photo of your cutie in one of her patterns OR outfitted in her fabric, and tell her Fat Quarter Shop sent ya! Go to Jackie's blog for more details! She's got some great prizes!

Try some of her sewing patterns or baby quilt patterns with the line, and let us know what you think!


Jackie Clark
Jackie Clark Designs
Jackie Clark Designs Blog

Flag Day Farm by Minick & Simpson

It's always a treat to have Polly Minick & Laurie Simpson on our blog! These two sisters have got Olde Americana down to a T, and yet each collection they come out with is somehow new and fresh and just what we want to see. Flag Day Farm is no exception, and it is fringed with personal inspiration and thoughts. Read on -- you won't want to miss this story! We've got some great kits, bundles, and all the cuts ready for you. Also, American P&Q will feature this line in an upcoming issue!

POLLY...
It is always exciting for us when the fabrics are being shipped to the shops! As you can imagine – it is always a "great" day when they arrive at your door – and I doubt the excitement will ever wane no matter what collection it is. Laurie and I work closely on each and every collection and they come from the heart. This collection is special as we were inspired by our grandparents and our great-grandparents farm in Michigan. This was a very typical looking farm of livestock and crops, but their real love was raising horses. We grew up hearing the stories of fun, love, and laughter of that farmhouse. We heard stories of Aunt Babe making their outfits for the coming year of school. So, in gathering our "stash" to pull this together we reminisced over all the stories we had heard.

We heard of the farm and the three houses on the property. The animals, gardens, and yes, the making of the clothing for the school year, and how exciting it was for them to actually go to the village mercantile and pick out the fabrics. We listened how they gathered on the wagon and headed off to the town picnic. It is with these family stories in our minds that we came to this collection and its name. We hope it gives you a trip back in time to rural life in America at the time of our mother's childhood.


LAURIE...
This collection is our interpretation of a summer day on a farm, long ago. As Polly and I talked about this and bounced ideas off of each other - this specific idea was the starting point of this grouping of fabrics. Once narrowed down to this concept, we thought of a particular summer day and what came back to me is pictures and stories of the farm our mother grew up on. The era was right - early 20th century - and the place seemed right.

What I thought of is all the vintage quilts I have seen that were made in the early 20th century (1900-1920). There were a lot of blue and white quilts; red and white quilts; red, white, and blue quilts; all made from simple calicoes and shirtings. We thought of what might occur on that specific summer day and thought of laundry hung on a line, tending to livestock, aprons worn for housework, making clothes for the upcoming school year, etc. Flag Day Farm in our homage to all of that.

In addition to pretty floral prints, shirting stripes, and reproduction tickings, we have a couple of neat "cheater cloth" prints. One is a bandanna print that would be great for pillows, aprons, skirts, and more. The second is a copy of an antique quilt of Polly's. This was an antique top that Polly had collected years ago and that I hand quilted about 10 years ago. We love this print and see it as curtains, bed skirts, pillow cases, and table clothes. We hope you love it too.

Polly Minick & Laurie Simpson
Minick & Simpson
Minick & Simpson Blog

Rebel Roses by Heather M. Peterson

Happy Monday & President's Day! Heather Mulder Peterson, pattern pro and now a seasoned fabric designer to boot, from Anka's Treasures is here with us today to share about her newest fabric line, Rebel Roses. If you enjoyed her first collection, Cottage Charm, this is your lucky day! Heather brings back the soft, pretty feel of home and comfort, in a wider variety of prints with quilting necessities in mind. Painted roses and other blooms rest on red, a soft aqua, buttery yellow, chocolate brown, and spring leaf green. Multicolored stripes and plaids round out the group for a little contrast and variety! Rebel Roses will bring "home" to your home :) We've got the full line and two mini-bundles for your convenience!

Hello Jolly Jabberers,

Just in case we haven't met before, I'm Heather from Anka's Treasures. You can read about me at my website or my blog. Please stop by so we can get to know each other better!

I always look forward to doing anything with Fat Quarter Shop -- shopping on their website, reading their blog, or sharing some of my new ideas on their blog, which is why I'm here today! I have a new fabric line that has just arrived and I'd like to share some of the things I've been making from it. The name of the line is Rebel Roses, and I must confess I didn't put this all together myself. First of all, the fabric is printed by Henry Glass, and my helper in designing this line was my mom, Deb. For those of you who are familiar with me and my work, you may not know that my mom helps me with my business quite a bit. She helps sew a lot of my models, tests my patterns, assists in designing, and helped design this fabric line. It's always been fun to work together, and this line was no exception.

Our inspiration for this line came from many things. We started by listing out our favorite types of prints, what we're always looking for when we're making a quilt. That usually starts with a large floral, and then we pick several prints to go with that -- a tonal, a plaid, a smaller floral, an even smaller floral, and of course a stripe to cut into bias binding. (To read more about how I cut my bias binding, see the Tutorials tab on my blog.) The large floral prints and colors come at the perfect time to brighten up some of the dreary winter days. The colors are fresh, cheerful and homey.

The name for this line has a little story behind it. When I was growing up, Mom and I loved to sew and watch movies together. One of my favorite movies was Anne of Green Gables. There is a scene where Mrs. Harris is greeted by a group of Anne's rambunctious students. She is so appalled that she proclaims, "Who are these Rebel Roses?" Or, at least that's what I thought she said. I later learned that she meant "rabble rousers". Mom and I had a good laugh over my misunderstanding, and that name came up when we were working on this line together. It stuck and now I will forever be reminded of the old days, growing up in Mom's sewing room.

We've also designed a free pattern to go with the line. You can download the pattern here!

Please stop by our blog for a chance to win a fat quarter pack of Rebel Roses!

Heather Mulder Peterson
Anka's Treasures
Trends and Traditions

Debbie's Recipe Box: Kathy's Quicker Chocolate Fudge

Happy Valentine's Day!

These pink cupcakes Debbie brought in were so pretty...we had to make a card! Click on the image for a printable V-day card. And for the recipe, before you ask what it's quicker than... I don't know. But it's great all the same! Kathy brought this in this week, all cutely wrapped for Valentine's, and it is the best and richest I've tasted. And it's quick enough to make today ;)Click on the recipe for a printable version!

Soirée by Lila Tueller

** Edit: The outfit in the photo below is a Pink Fig Pattern!

Remember Lila Tueller? The new lover-of-color designer in Moda's arsenal? She debuted last year with Woodland Bloom, a gorgeous explosion of happy hues and blooms, and her newest line is keeping that tradition strong! Soirée is vibrant with bright teals, spring greens, golden yellow and lively pinks to herald the season. As assortment of buds, leaves, and flowers decorate the collection, and it just brings out that fun-in-the-sun mood! Liven your stash with a little Soirée! We've got plenty of bundles and mini-bundles to go around!

Hi everyone!

I’m really excited that Fat Quarter Shop has received their shipment of Soirée, just in time for spring!

This fabric line was inspired by a beautiful outdoor wedding I went to a couple of years ago. It was in the early summer, and the setting was breathtaking. There were fresh flowers growing all around a rustic fountain and pool, a beautiful gazebo where the cake was displayed, and an arbor overgrown with vines where the couple stood to take their vows. The colors were so fresh and pretty!

I wanted to capture that feel in this fabric collection, in the colors and the excitement. Hopefully you will be inspired by it to create something that makes you feel like a fresh, warm summer day.

I’d love to see what you create, too! Please feel free to send me pictures that I can then add to my photo stream!
Happy sewing!

Lila Tueller
E-mail Lila
Lila Tueller Designs Blog

Sweet and Sultry

They sound so good together, yet they could not be more different. Sweet by Urban Chiks and Sultry by BasicGrey have just arrived from Moda!

Sweet, for all you Urban Chiks gals, is a candy-colored carnival of retro-modern prints, a great follow-up to Swell, a previous Urban Chiks line! In fact, Carnival is the name of one of the prints, so there you go :). With colors like Popsicle, Bubble Gum, Creamsicle, Lollipop and Icing, you can't not have fun. The prints feature big blooming roses, wandering paisleys, retro-y dots, stripes, and checks, and cute "peep" birdies! Use the large red rose prints to make a statement, or the coordinating stripes and dots for just a hint of Sweet-ness.

It makes for great accessories, for Baby Girl and Big Girl alike. And if you've got a Boy in mind, there's plenty of "Icing" to go around :). Try some of these ideas with Sweet...


Sultry, on the other hand, whispers of mystery and a place where flowers still grow wild. Fandago pink, Friar brown, and Citron lime fill this line of urban-grunge peonies and posies, an interesting combo of pizzazz and demure. Shadowy petals frame the silhouettes of other florals every which way, and other coordinating prints include tiny dots, an updated houndstooth, textured pinstripes, and grunge solids. If you couldn't get enough of Urban Couture, this is your line for spring!

This is the pink collection for the modern urbanite. GREAT for any home decor project (I can see some gorgeous throw pillows and tabletoppers!), quilt patterns that will let those huge blooms sparkle, and it begs to hang in your closet or sprawl out on your bed. Some ideas for Sultry...

Wildflower Serenade II by Kansas Troubles Quilters

Lynne Hagmeier, lady of Kansas Troubles Quilters, gives us a few tidbits about her newest line, Wildflower Serenade II, the follow-up to her wonderful Wildflower Serenade collection from last year! You don't have to be a longtime reader to know how much we love this line -- just as far back as last Monday's entry will tell you that much. A lively collection of contrast, she plays rich reds against golden tans and soft blacks, with pops of dark blue, green, and purple. We've got the whole line, the specialty cuts, and the KT Quilts patterns ready for you to sing about! If you want to get in on Heartland Heritage, sign up today, as we're down to our last spots are going fast!

Hello All!

Are you ready for a little spring inspiration? Get your stash ready for the Wildflower Serenade II collection!

It's the perfect complement to last year's Wildflower Serenade with a vintage French floral feature fabric. Plus, there are more great prints and florals in all the basic KTQ colors, with a brighter blue and lighter tans for variety.

New to this line are even more specialty cuts -- Honey Buns™ (1 1/2" x WOF strips) and Turnovers™ (6" squares cut diagonally into triangles) -- all new from the creative minds at Moda.

We've had a good time working with the new colorways for spring and have put together several patterns using the specialty cuts. Turnover Twice uses 2 Turnovers, Circa 1840 uses a Honey Bun and Turnovers, Furrows uses a Layer Cake and Honey Buns, and Petit Fours/Grande Fours uses variations of Charm Packs, Honey Buns, Layer Cakes and Jelly Rolls.

Specialty cuts are only made once, with the first printing of the fabric line, so don't hesitate. Get yours now while the selection is best!

Happy Quilting,
Lynne Hagmeier
Kansas Troubles Quilters

Debbie's Recipe Box: Cheryl's Swiss Chicken

Cheryl brought us a few of her household staple never-fails-to-please recipes, starting with this one. I like that these are all ingredients you probably already have in the pantry and refrigerator, so you won't be making any extra treks to the store. Thanks, and enjoy!

Click on the recipe for a printable version!

Oodles of bundles Giveaway Winner

The Oodles of bundles Giveaway is now closed!!

I counted up the votes, and minus the duplicate entries and such....

Objects of Desire was the grand winner here with 105 votes!
Aviary came in second with 84 votes, and the rest trailed in...
Beach House with a very close 70,
Berry Delicious with 40,
and Northern Solitude with 31.
And a whopping 7 of you asked us to decide for you, LOL!

One thing everyone shares, at least, is that they are so ready for Spring!

Thanks for participating! And our winner iiiiiiiiiiiiiissssss.....

Auntie Pami

"I would love to win Aviary. I have a double wedding ring to make...and 3 Sisters is one of my favs! Thanks ahead of time!"

Please e-mail Jocelyn for your prize!

Have a lovely weekend!

Oodles of new bundles -- and a giveaway

Happy Wednesday! Our spirits are a bit more uplifted this week thanks to the lovely sunny weather we've been having.

Lovelier still are the oodles of bundles and specialty cuts we received today, in more variety than we could describe in one paltry post. But we'll try anyway :P

The long-anticipated Aviary has flown in from Moda, with Bundles, Mini-bundles, Jelly Rolls, Honey Buns, Layer Cakes, Turnovers, Charm Packs, and Charming Jelly Cakes (pastry overload??)... all the light happiness you'd expect from 3 Sisters!



On the sweeter side, Berry Delicious by Sew Treasured is also here in Bundles, Charm Packs, Layer Cakes, and Jelly Rolls. This collection abounds with cute little cherries and blueberries in all sorts of swirls and paisleys. Yum!


Way on the other side of the spectrum, Northern Solitude by Holly Taylor for Moda is also here. Calm, muted, yet colorful, this line explores the great outdoors in an especially comforting way. Smoky greens, browns, and mauves are lit with curling tendrils and solitary critters. You can find it in Jelly Rolls, Charm Packs, Bundles, Honey Buns and Layer Cakes.


On to the next hot locale -- Beach House by Blackbird Designs is ready to invite you in! These pretty florals are for the Sophisticate, complete with those trademark sampler prints. This one we have in Bundles, Jelly Rolls, Honey Buns, Layer Cakes, and Charming Jelly Cakes. Can you hear the crashing waves outside your door yet?


Last but not least -- Objects of Desire is full of juicy colors that'll just about make your mouth pucker! Sandy Gervais brings us the fabric of the Material Girl. Sassy, chic, and cutesy -- and I really want those shoes! But if we can't have the real thing, at least we've got these in Jelly Rolls, Layer Cakes, Honey Buns, Charm Packs and Bundles...

And now the giveaway -- one person will get a Fat Quarter Bundle of their choice. Comment and tell us which Bundle you'd like to win out of these new arrivals, and we'll announce the winner on Friday! Good luck!

Getting Ready for Heartland Heritage

Last November, we blogged about this Heartland Heritage Sampler Mystery BOM that has us incredibly excited. We are very grateful and honored that Pam Buda of Heartspun Quilts agreed to design it for us, and pairing her designs with the new fabric from Kansas Troubles Quilters, Wildflower Serenade II, created a spectacularly gorgeous (say that ten times fast!) sampler quilt. This beauty sparkles with a rich dark red, almost burgundy, against a gold-tinged cream flecked with forest green, denim blue, soft black, and a dusky purple.

Absolutely breathtaking.

So thank you both, Pam and Lynne!

The reason we're bringing it up again is because..............it's almost time to start!!!

Response has been overwhelming (has anyone perchance seen the ad in McCall's or American P&Q??) and due to the popularity of the BOM, we've opened up more spots! If you've been eyeing this sparkling little gem, we've still got room.

Details, details...this 12-month BOM runs from late March 2009 to February 2010 and includes the pattern and fabric for the quilt top and binding. Backing is available separately. You'll get super-clear and well-tested instructions for blocks that require NO applique, only traditional piecing. You will want some experience with half-square triangles, quarter-square triangles, flying geese and square-in-a-square construction. If you've got those basics down, you'll love this program! There is a $4.99 sign-up fee and $16.99 monthly fee.

We are so, so ecstatic to offer this program. Please comment and let us know if you've signed up!