New Quilt Patterns from Crazy Old Ladies

So it turns out that the Crazy Old Ladies, who design such interesting quilt patterns, are not crazy or old at all. In fact, they are quite young and pretty. I know, talk about misleading! We can forgive that bit, though, because we love their unique patterns, like Nana's Attic that we kitted with Moda's Beach House fabric. Emily Herrick, half of the Crazy Old Ladies duo, introduces us today to their newest set of patterns!

For those of you who have yet to learn about "Crazy Old Ladies", let me give you a little background on us. I've been designing quilts as long as I've been quilting. If I saw a quilt I liked, I went home and figured it out. Most of the time it would turn out completely different from the way I first saw it because I would add my little spin on it. Pretty soon I was designing quilts all the time.

One day a friend asked me why I didn't sell my patterns, and I didn't have a good answer. The only thing I could think of was "because I don't buy patterns" but I knew that wasn't a good enough excuse. So, I began designing and marketing my original designs.

I'm lucky to have a great friend, Margie, who also designs under the Crazy Old Ladies label. Our main focus when it comes to designing patterns is - what would we like? I love to sew and quilt, but I like when I can finish a project rather quickly. When I design, I keep this in mind. I try to make quilts with a lot of interest, that aren't as difficult to piece as they look. Most of the quilts we sew are finished within a week - that is from fabric purchase to binding. (I have to admit though, I'm a quiltaholic, and when I have a project on board nothing can stand in my way.)

Margie and I are opposite when it comes to designing. I LOVE fabric! Almost all of my designs come when I see a new line of fabric. If I fall in love with the fabric, then I know I better design a pattern for it. Margie works the other way. She comes up with an amazing pattern, works out all the measurements and yardage, then goes shopping.

Two of our newest patterns are my favorites!

'In Bloom' came to me in an instant. Literally 10 minutes after I thought of it I was cutting, sewing, and writing. I could not put it together fast enough. It uses those wonderful Layer Cakes and sews together so quickly!

'Hope' was a little different. For years I have wanted to make a pink ribbon quilt to honor those that battle their way through breast cancer. I am very proud of this quilt. I have seen crazy pieced quilts before, but never made one. Maybe that's why it took me a long time to get the design just right. But I am thrilled with the way it turned out!

Check out more designs by Crazy Old Ladies on our, Crazy Old Ladies Blog!

Emily Herrick
Crazy Old Ladies Blog

Debbie's Recipe Box: Crock Pot Trio

Easy, hearty slow-cooker combinations, with all sorts of tantalizing flavors, from Kathy Watt. It cooled down quite a bit down here, so this sounds great right now!

The Very Hungry Caterpillar at Fat Quarter Shop

The 40th anniversary of the beloved and world-renown children's book, The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle, just passed, and for the first time Fat Quarter Shop is happy to revel in that caterpillar-y goodness. Andover Fabrics has reproduced Carle's fun and colorful illustrations in numbers, dots, paint squiggles, and of course caterpillars and a beautiful panel of the caterpillar and butterfly.

To go along with the collection, Andover's offered a free pattern! It's the perfect bedtime-story companion quilt! Just click on the quilt image to the left or right here for the pattern, print it out, and get going!

Mmm, and can you see little bootie slippers, toys, or pillowcases made up in this? Cute cute! And pajamas!!

But I digress...

Happy Friday, and enjoy the weekend!

Sewline Fabric Pencil Winners

Thanks for all the comments in the previous post about the new Sewline notions we're carrying! If you haven't visited our Quilting and Sewing Notions section yet, you can find it on our left link bar, the last item under "Projects and Patterns". We now have yo-yo makers, Sewline marking pencils & glue, pins, rulers, rotary cutters, seam rippers, embroidery scissors, fabric flags, and templates! But please let us know -- what else would you like to see in our store? Your feedback is hugely important!

Now on to the winners of a Sewline fabric pencil --

1) Quilt Hollow said...
I'm skeptical about fabric pencils and have never ever been happy with them. I'd love to give this one a try and perhaps become a believer.
I hope this pencil does the trick for you!

2) Dandelion Quilts said...
I am going to have to try a pencil.
Please let us know how you like it!

3) Lilly said...
A new sewing tool
I'm starting to drool
I do hope I win it
I'd be nuts if I didn't
Those pencils are totally cool.
Nice rhyme!

Please e-mail Jocelyn with your name, shipping info, and Sewline fabric pencil color choice (black, green, white, yellow, or pink). And maybe you can post a review of your own when you get it!

New Sewing and Quilting Notions

We are so glad to introduce the newest “section” of Fat Quarter Shop to you – Quilting and Sewing Notions! We’ve got your basics – pins, scissors, rotary cutters – and some exciting products we love, like yo-yo makers and an excellent array of Sewline fabric pencils and glue pens! These Sewline products were new to us, but we tried ‘em and loved ‘em, as did Jan Vaine of The Graham Cracker Collection. We’ve asked her to share her experience with the Sewline notions, and of course we got her rave reviews. Now that we’ve got our Notions in place, what other types of sewing/quilting aids would you be interested in seeing there? And if you've tried any of these Sewline fabric pencils before, please share your thoughts! We're giving away pencils to three commenters in the color of their choice, so check back Wednesday to see if you've won!

Hi! My name is Jan Vaine, the designer of The Graham Cracker Collection. I enjoy teaching, designing, and sharing my absolute love of vintage appliqué, hand work, and small pieced quilts.

If you’re like me, and I think there are a lot of us out there, we just love adding new tools to our sewing baskets that will make our stitching easier and more fun! Well, here are two of those "must have" NEW tools!

Have you tried the new Sewline fabric pencils? OMG...talk about the perfect fine line fabric marker! As quilters, appliquérs, sewers, or embroiderers, who doesn’t need a fabric marker? This is the perfect pencil! As an appliquér, I love the precise, perfect fine line that glides smoothly onto the fabric. It comes in white, black, green, yellow, pink, every color we would possibly need to mark on our beautiful array of fabrics! The color coding on the top of each pencil makes them easy to find in your sewing caddy or basket. They are refillable (original package also includes). Markings stay put until you need them to disappear, then remove the lines with the top eraser or by dabbing with a damp cloth! Have I said what a perfect marking pencil this is? So in an effort to "declutter" my sewing basket and caddies, I have done away with all other markers. I've found everything I need in a marking pencil in the Sewline Fabric pencil! Thank you United Notions!

I brought the Sewline Fabric Markers and Glue Sticks home from Moda University last July to share with my appliqué class. Since then, our quilt shop has a hard time keeping them in stock!

Last month, I taught at the Elly Sienkiewicz Applique Academy, in historic Williamsburg, VA. Each of the gals' class kits included a black and white Sewline fabric pencil to work on their block (Thank You Moda!). Let's just say word travels fast around the Academy, and by lunchtime of the first day, ladies throughout the Academy wanted to know, "Where can I get one of those fabric pencils everyone is talking about?" They have even been the topic of conversation on the Yahoo! Baltimore Quilts Group! A definite must try and must have!

The Sewline glue stick is just as wonderful! It's streamlined, not as bulky as the office supply/craft store variety, and it too just glides on smoothly.

Hope you all give these new tools a try!

Jan Vaine
The Graham Cracker Collection

Debbie's Recipe Box: Biba's Tiramisu

We had this at a Fat Quarter Shop birthday luncheon. So classic and good! Click on the recipe for a printable card.

Moda Bake Shop Box -- so sweet!!

Apple isn't the only thing making things mini -- have you seen these yet?? If you're signed up for the Fat Quarter Shop newsletter, then most likely yes LOL!

To see these new Bake Shop Boxes from Moda Fabrics is to love them. Each box contains a random assortment of two mini-Honey Buns with (10) 1.5" x WOF strips from their best collections, so each box is a surprise! So far we've seen Aviary by 3 Sisters, Patisserie by Fig Tree Quilts, Spring Magic by April Cornell, and Objects of Desire by Sandy Gervais in some of these boxes...who knows what else is hiding in there!

And the icing on the....Honey Bun...is, there's a pattern included with each box to make a simple little foldover bag with each mini-Honey Bun, perfectly sized for your notions or cosmetics. So you get 2 bags out of one little box. Or, you can get the pattern here if you'd like to make it with a Honey Bun you already have! Pretty super, right? :)

Miss Camille of Thimble Blossoms happens to agree too -- check out her guide to Moda's precuts (with giveaways!), including Honey Buns!

And finally, we had a sweet surprise visit today from a very important lady :)

Bubblegum Basics by Quilt Soup

Bubblegum Basics by Barbara Jones of Quilt Soup is finally here! It's the ultimate fabric for lifting your spirits with bright spring and truly Bubblegum colors -- pink, green, red, blue, and yellow...just in time for Easter!! The prints, easy matched to anything, include variations of basic dots, flowers, diagonal checks, and squiggly stripes. Barbara tops off the line with a pretty panel, begging to be fussy cut for all the cute messages. "L8r G8r", "Hug your sis", "Oh my gosh", "Email your Gram" ;) Hope you have as much fun with Bubblegum Basics for Henry Glass Fabrics as we do! There are also free quilt patterns to go along with it. AND, she's having a Fat Quarter giveaway at her blog, so enter now!

Thanks for the opportunity to tell you about my fun new fabric line "Bubblegum Basics" designed for Henry Glass & Co. I must say that I am absolutely thrilled with how it turned out and the great response we are enjoying. You asked me about my inspiration for this line and here's the scoop! My design director, Karen Junquet at Henry Glass, asked me to design a line of fabrics that were "basics" and things I use frequently. I have a list of staples that I look for when I pull fabrics for a quilt and the prints in Bubblegum Basics represent those staples to me...simple prints and clear colors.

The second part of my inspiration was one of my granddaughters. She is in the ninth grade and she is a texting master. She keeps me up to date with all the texting shorthand. I thought it might be fun to have the texting shorthand translated for mothers and grandmothers everywhere so I created a panel to accompany this line with some of those sayings in each block of the panel. I also thought about how today's girls are different and the same as the girls their mothers and grandmothers were...they just have better electronics and more disposable income!

We designed two free patterns to support this fabric line, one with a little bit of appliqué and one that employs quick piecing and uses those cute blocks I was telling you about.

We are working on a couple of quilts from this line for our new book which will be published by Kansas City Star sometime this summer. I can tell you that I love, love, love this line and can see many new quilts, pillows, bags, skirts, etc being made from it. I can see a really fun version of our Doll Babies pattern made in this line as well. You know how it goes, one thing always leads to another.....

Barbara Jones
Quilt Soup
Quilt Soup Blog

Twitter Giveaway Winner

Thanks for joining us on our Twitter adventure! I think you guys will love being able to stay on top of everything new and fresh at Fat Quarter Shop in such an easy way!

And if you want to communicate with us via Twitter, it's simple -- in your "What are you doing?" box, type in "@FatQuarterShop" and then your message or question...try it out. We'll try to respond as soon as we can. And no worries, we're still learning too...

But you came here to see who the winner of the Spring Magic Fat Quarter Bundle is...

Congratulations to debbieoz!
E-mail your name and shipping info to Mindy and we'll get your lovely Fat Quarter Bundle right out to you.

Thanks for playing, and keep checking back because we've got some more exciting things to share with you!

Our Twitter Giveaway...to be continued!

Hoorah!

We're so excited that so many of guys have joined Twitter with us!!

For you weekend Jolly Jabber readers, we're extending the giveaway until Monday, March 16. Follow Fat Quarter Shop on Twitter for all our newest updates and additions in real time, and be entered to win a Spring Magic Fat Quarter Bundle by April Cornell for Moda Fabrics! Winner will be announced next Monday!

Tweet Tweet, Fat Quarter Shop's on Twitter Giveaway

Hello all!

We always have so much new stuff coming into the store each day that we can't possibly blog about it all. Thanks to one of our lovely customer suggestions, we've hopped onto the Twitter bandwagon in an effort to keep everyone updated in real time to new items on our site! (Hope no one's thinking "uh oh!" right now...) ;)

If you look to the right, right over there ------>
you'll see our Twitter bar with all our newest updates! Yay!!

So now you can follow our updates, chat with us, and be the first to know everything going on at Fat Quarter Shop. To celebrate our Twitter launch, become one of our Twitter followers by clicking on the "Follow me on Twitter" link and be entered to win a brand new Spring Magic Fat Quarter Bundle, by April Cornell! Giveaway ends Friday, March 15!

** P.S. We're not losing the blog -- we're just "enhancing" with Twitter!" **

Neptune by Tula Pink for Moda Fabrics

Neptune, Neptune! Here the siren song calling you to this new fabric line by Tula Pink? (I had to get a little sea-related comment in there that wasn't all "arggghhh matey" :P) Her newest collection is pure fun and complexity! You'll find all sorts of ocean life hiding in the depths of Neptune. Navy and cerulean blue, coral pink, and algae green are the backdrops for anchors, ships, tortoise shells, waves, fish, seahorses and much much much more...you'll be poring over each print to find every last detail! We've got it in Jelly Rolls, Layer Cakes, Honey Buns, and a cute little bag kit!

Hey Jolly Jabberers!

So Neptune has rolled in, and I am peeing my pants I am so excited about it! Do I dare say this is my favorite collection so far? Well, I think it is -- then of course I say that every time so take it for what it's worth.

Some of you may know that I originally hail from Southern California, where I have spent all but the last three years of my life. Being away so long has made me a little homesick and so I decided to pay homage to my "roots" so to speak. The beach and the ocean are a way of life there. Whether you surf or not, everything revolves around the water.

My favorite time of day at the beach is early, early morning. We used to trek down to the water before school (I'm talking high school here). I would sit on the sand and draw while my friends were out in the water. It was completely quiet and deserted except for the dedicated athletes and early morning dog walkers (and me). The deep saturated navy in this collection reminds me of that time of day. I tried to harness as much of the early morning atmosphere in the color palette as I could.

Neptune is a little bit Moby Dick, a little bit pirate and little bit of salt water splashy fun. I have buried all kinds of treasure in this one from sea turtles, sea horses and seals to shells and sunken ships, and a few things that don't start with "s" but I can't think of them at the moment. I think there is a little somthin' somethin' for everyone. I really hope you like it. My mom says it's lovely and she is never wrong as far as I know.

Have fun and make lots of stuff!!

Yours forever and ever,
Tula Pink
Tula Pink

Debbie's Recipe Box: Kathy's Steak Marinade

Vegetarians, look away, and ye steak lovers, pay close attention!
Kathy gives us a wonderful steak recipe today. Time to bust out those grills!

Click on the recipe for a printable version!

Patisserie by Joanna Figueroa for Moda Fabrics

Ah, Paris, Paris...the inspiration of Joanna Figueroa's luscious new line for Moda Fabrics! Named Patisserie, from her memories of those incredible bakeries,this fabric collection is addicting! Sweet rose cameos, fabulous antique florals, lovely ticking stripes, bold damasks and really neat maps of Paris decorate this line in light and sophisticated pinks, creams, and greens. How perfect for those Moda pastry cuts ;) Join Joanna in her reminiscing, get out your cake knife, and cut into some of that Patisserie! Bon apetit!

Thanks for joining me once again Jolly Jabber readers.

This week, my newest collection, Patisserie has started to ship and it is easily my favorite collection to date! Of course you have probably heard me say that before haven’t you? I guess I feel that way about most of the groups that have come before this one, but there is something special about this grouping, so we are doing something special with it for you (see the end of this post). Even writing about it takes me back...

I have had the wonderful privilege to go to Paris the last two years to work and just ramble around that enchanting, intoxicating city by myself for a few days. One of my favorite things to gaze at while there were the bakeries, the Patisseries... the shapes, the patterns, the colors in those bakeries are just entirely wonderful. Not to mention the smell when you walked in or the flavor when you actually tasted one of those little yummies!

Everything in this collection was first somehow inspired by one of those bakeries. The color names like angel food, butterscotch, buttercream, frangelico, pear tart, marzipan; the print names like St. Honore Bouquet, Gateaux Blooms, Paris Ticking, Bisous Roses, Chantilly, Petit Fours; and our quilt patterns like Sweet Sugar Swirls, Jelly Girl, Butterscotch Tart and The Pastry Shoppe.

I can’t even begin to adequately describe the experience of those colors, patterns and experiences in words, but somehow it was so much easier to describe in fabric. Whereas some collections take a lot of work to come together, this one just flowed from the first moment I sat down with the color swatches. The colors created a wonderful and complete palette and informed the patterns, and the collection was whole before I knew it. It seems to work for everything- for quilts, for clothes, for the home, for girls, for moms, for bags.... the list continues. I have made quilts, pillows, bags, purses, slippers, duffel bags (in fact I think Kimberly has a wonderful kit for the duffel bag pattern). New patterns coming with this line in the upcoming months include diamonds, fans, patchwork, applique, garment bags, purses and laptop bags... and the list continues again!

Some of the prints are already starting to sell out, so be sure to get what you love now because there will be many more wonderful things to make with this collection... I promise!

I surely hope you have enjoyed some of my Patisserie stories. Oh I almost forgot, we are having a fabulous giveaway and name contest over here on my blog Fresh Figs so be sure to stop by & leave a comment.

Joanna Figueroa
Fig Tree Quilts
Fresh Figs

Chelsea Manor by Anne Sutton for Henry Glass Fabrics

Chelsea Manor is the sweetest bunny invasion to hit Fat Quarter Shop! Anne Sutton has designed a new collection for Henry Glass Fabrics featuring adorable illustrated rabbits and flowers, dots, script letters, and a neat spiraling stripe. The monochromatic colorways of red and brown against cream give it a reproduction appeal. We've got the full fabric collection, along with two color bundles and an upcoming kit you can reserve now using the first of the Bunny Hill Design patterns for Chelsea Manor!

Hi everyone! I’m excited to be on the Fat Quarter Shop’s blog, talking about my newest fabric line Chelsea Manor! I’m in love with this fabric and hope you’ll love it too! It’s perfect for so many things. My wish is that you’ll be inspired to decorate, piece, appliqué and embroider with this fabric!

My sweet little Chelsea dog is excited to have a fabric named after her! She was by my side while I was designing this line and I couldn’t have done it without her!

For decorating or quilting, red and brown are colors I love, and a fabric line with both is so much fun! I added the softest cream as a contrast, and I’m delighted with the results.

These colors work so well for home decorating. Imagine what you can do with this fabric! Think of a room painted the softest pink, with brown and cream as a contrast. Or, paint the walls a creamy white, bring in the dark woods and then accent with the brown or the red. Chelsea Manor is “sweet” enough for a baby’s room and sophisticated enough for a cottage look.

My first pattern using this line is available now. Rabbits Prefer Embroidery was so much fun to design! I guarantee you’ll have fun with these bunnies. Perfect for Easter decorating or a special baby, it’s easy to embroider, and just the right size for any wall. I’ll be adding more Chelsea Manor patterns soon that I hope will inspire you. In the meantime, make some easy little gifts for Easter. I found this cute 3” x 3” pink frame at Home Goods. It was perfect to showcase the bunny print!

Chelsea and I hope you love this fabric!

Anne Sutton
Bunny Hill Designs
Bunny Hill Designs Blog

Sushi Roll Giveaway Winner

Finally time to announce the winners of the Lecien Fabric Sushi Roll Giveaway!

1) Amanda said...

I think that it might be addition to the family...

2) Kim said...

I see so many have commented before me and are guessing what first came to mind.. a new baby. BUT, personal could mean more.. an engagement, a special birthday, anniversary, or even a relocation..Can't wait to hear the news.. I love jelly rolls, I am sure there will be place to stack a few pieces of sushi!!

3) rachel griffith said...

emma's gonna be a big sister?!?
awww.
:D

*here's hoping it's a baby*

Congratulations! E-mail Jocelynwith your Sushi Roll preference and shipping information.

And finally -- there is indeed a new baby on the way. And then another baby to go with it. Twins!!

Debbie's Recipe Box: Cheryl's Lazy Daisy Cake

Yummmm, today is Cheryl's Lazy Daisy Cake recipe. Classically flavored with unadulterated chocolate and vanilla!

Click on the recipe for a printable version!