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Inside This Issue —
 Winter 2007
Stock up for Winter
Are you prepared for winter? I’m not talking about stocking up on
bottles of antifreeze and digging your favorite mittens out of the closet. How’s your fabric stash and supply of new patterns? As the gray winter months approach, make sure you’ve got enough quilt projects lined up to make it through to spring. Of course, we at Fabric Trends are here to help.
Inside this issue you’ll find sixteen great projects designed specifically for you, our readers. Each features the latest fabrics available in your local quilt shop, including florals, vegetable dyes, reproduction prints, batiks, soft pastels, and fun brights. The variety of fabrics showcased are matched only by the number of quilt making techniques used in the patterns. Appliqué? Paper piecing? Strip piecing? Templates? You’ll find them all in this issue. |
As always, you’ll find stories and information on the designers who created the fabrics you see. Read about Mimi Dietrich’s lifelong love of Baltimore Album quilts and how she used a nineteenth century album quilt to design a line bursting with reproduction blocks and glorious coordinating prints (page 26). Turn to page 56 to learn about the color palette selections and easy-to-sew quilt patterns created by Heather Mulder Peterson.
Fiber lovers, you’ll find plenty to hold your interest as well. Whether you regularly use fibers in your work or have only admired them from afar, our two articles will spark your imagination and send you scrambling to find some to play with. Cathryn Tallman-Evans, one of the magazine’s regular designers, sets aside an afternoon for a Play Date with Angelina, exploring how to use these sparkling beauties. Making Fabric with Fibers previews the new Janome machine, the Xpression, and demonstrates how to use it to make unique fabrics and wall art.
And finally, thanks to all who returned the survey from the spring issue of Fabric Trends. You’ll see changes in the coming issues that reflect what our readers have told us they’re looking to find in the magazine. Congratulations to Robin Burnell, Madeline Miller, and Joanne DiStefano, our first-, second-, and third-place drawing winners, who have received five-, two-, and one-year subscriptions, respectively, to Fabric Trends.
Lisa Swenson Ruble
Editor
P.S. Keep an eye out for the spring issue of Fabric Trends, on sale February 20, 2007. In it, we'll be examining ways to help introduce the next generation to quilting. Please help us to share this meaningful art form with a younger audience and keep quilting's rich traditions moving forward.
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| Patterns |
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Warm Chocolate Decadence
by Debbie Stojanik for Quakertown Quilts
It was love at first sight for 3 Sisters’ newest Moda Fabrics
collection, Chocolat, both the fabric collection and the food group! What’s not to love about wonderful French florals named Chocolate Chips, Truffles, Bon Bons and Bittersweet? Enjoy the warmth that these fabrics will add to your next project. Chocolate remains one of the world’s favorite flavors; this collection will become one of your favorites, as well!
INTERMEDIATE
Finished Quilt Size: 63" x 72"
Finished Block Size: 9" square
Number of Blocks: 30 |
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Nature's Windows
by Patti Carey for Northcott
Since home furnishing shows are offering simple designs and stylized
florals, Laurie Godin designed Northcott's Nature's Whimsey collection from a sophisticated home décor viewpoint. The panel, inspired by fabric she bought from a European art studio, is ideally suited for yellows and grays. Also available in a turquoise and brown colorway, contemporary quilters have great options with Nature’s Whimsey.
BEGINNER
Finished Quilt Size: 66-1/2" x 82-1/2"
Finished Block Size: 8" x 9"
Number of Blocks: 30 |
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Mojave Palette
by Luana Rubin for eQuilter.com
This quilt is inspired by the colors of the Mojave Desert in Southeast California. It evokes the sandstone and red rocks, the joshua trees and cacti, the deep purple shadows and the brilliant desert light. It is made with the Nature’s Palette collection of organic vegetable, hand-dyed cottons from AvLyn, and the quilt was designed by Luana Rubin. Organic dyes such as vegetables, berries and minerals are used to produce these lovely soft desert colors.
INTERMEDIATE
Finished Quilt Size: 60-1/2" square
Finished Block Size: 15" square
Number of Blocks: 9 |
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Baltimore Stars
by Mimi Dietrich for P&B Textiles
Mimi Dietrich worked with P&B Textiles and the Baltimore Museum of Art (BMA) to adapt Baltimore Album reproduction blocks, borders, and companion fabrics from the original 1846 Samuel Williams quilt in the textile collection at the BMA. The blocks and border fabrics are printed reproductions of those in the actual quilt and the coordinating fabrics are reproduced directly from selected prints in the quilt’s appliquéd blocks.
BEGINNER
Finished Quilt Size: 64-1/2" square
Finished Block Size: 7-1/2" square
Number of Blocks: 36
Finished Wallhanging Size: 20-1/2" square |
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Baby Talk
by Catherine Purifoy for Benartex
Mary Lou Weidman’s Grandma’s House collection for Benartex
features soft pastels and sweet prints. Mary Lou chose shades of pink, green, yellow, and her favorite, soft aqua, to create a beautiful mix babies (and adults) will love! The alphabet panels are perfect for personalizing a quilt with a baby name or a “grandma saying.”
BEGINNER
Finished Quilt Size: 41-3/4 x 61-3/4
Finished Block Size: 93/4 squares
Number of Blocks: 15 |
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Fab Four Frames
by Margie Hankins for Textile Creations
Batiks such as the main print featured here, Coral Reef, offer quilters an opportunity to create many looks using only one fabric. Textile Creations’ batiks are always created with a variety of colors to make this possible. Choose your favorite part of any batik print, and you have instant wall art in a unique design format. All four pieces shown here are defined with a multicolor stripe and finished with a shimmer from Echo, the endlessly useable cotton lamé.
BEGINNER
Finished size: 20" square (each quilt) |
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Cocoa Bars and Squares
by Deborah Hearn for Blank Quilting
Blank Quilting’s Tribeca Collection by Diana Mancini was inspired by pop art geometric motifs and funky contemporary colors to create a stunning visual effect of vibrant, pulsating motion.
INTERMEDIATE
Finished Quilt Size: 85" square
Finished Block Size: 11" square
Number of Blocks: 25 |
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Bluestone Folk Art
by Kelley Walton Hearn for Windham Fabrics
A quilt from the 1880s with brown prints on blue backgrounds found in the attic of a Pennsylvania farmhouse inspired designer Deborah Hearn to create Windham’s Pennsylvania Bluestone line. The Palmer farm was also the site of a stone quarry which extracted bluestone, which has a cast of blue with brown staining. Deb’s fabrics evoke the same warmth of this era of close-knit families and self-sufficiency.
INTERMEDIATE
Finished Quilt Size: 72-1/2" square
Finished Block Size: 17-1/2" square
Number of Blocks: 9 |
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Tropical Reef
by Larisa Key for Classic Cottons
Inspired by a vacation to the Caribbean, this vibrant set of fabrics designed by Deborah Mosa for Classic Cottons is reminiscent of the clear blue water and sparkling colors of the ocean floor. Coordinating patterns of coral, bubbles, and seashells bring the tropical fish to life.
INTERMEDIATE
Finished Quilt Size: 72" x 87"
Finished Block Size: 10-1/2" square Large Square-in-a-Square
5-1/2" square Small Square-in-a-Square
Number of Blocks: 12 Large Square-in-a-Square
20 Small Square-in-a-Square |
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Cat’s Meow Trio
by Mimi Shimp for Loralie Designs
Loralie Harris of Loralie Designs is
admittedly a cat person. It was natural that she would want to take her kitties from cool to fancy to sophisticated. She loves to work in black and white, and thought this would make her beloved kitties so sophisticated and refined. However, the only thing “sophisticated” about her kitties is the color—they’re still warm, friendly, and approachable.
BEGINNER
Finished Quilt Size: 46-1/2" x 31-1/2
Finished Pillow Size: 18" square
Finished Purse Size: 5-1/2" x 7" |
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Winter Games
by Cathryn Tallman-Evans for Henry Glass & Co.
Starting with her love of the colors blue and chocolate brown, Heather Mulder Peterson designed the Winter Spice collection for Henry Glass, adding an orangey red to make it "tastier." Admiring the elegance of wallpaper florals, Heather decided this line would be more sophisticated than her former, primitive designs.
INTERMEDIATE
Finished Quilt Size: 97-1/2" square
Finished Block Size: 14" square
Number of Blocks: 16 Bear Paw, 9 Checkerboard |
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Stars in the Wind
by Dolores Smith and Sarah Maxwell for Telegraph Road Studio
On a hot summer day in a field of wild roses and floating butterflies lies a garden, wild and untamed. This image inspired designer Beth Bruske’s Wild Is the Wind collection for Telegraph Road Studio. Her 21-piece collection is
dedicated to tonal grounds and painterly florals, bursting with a melody of clean, intense colors.
INTERMEDIATE
Finished Quilt Size: 58" x 68"
Finished Block Size: 10" square
Number of Blocks: 30 |
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Fire & Ice
by Heidi and Matthew Pridemore for Bali Fabrics
There is no fabric quite like Princess Mirah’s handmade Balinese batik for Bali Fabrics. Even though its ancient origins can be traced back centuries, there continues to be an exciting resurgence of batik in today’s arts and crafts world. Her goal was to combine her love of fabric and design with a revitalization of Balinese batik art. Featured in Fire and Ice are Foliage, Meadow, Symphony, Trellis Garden, and Outer Space collections.
INTERMEDIATE
Finished Quilt Size: 36" square
Finished Block Size: 8-1/2" square
Number of Blocks: 16 |
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Victorian Vignettes
by Sharon Yenter for In The Beginning Fabrics
Sharon Yenter designed the Victorian Blends
collection for In The Beginning Fabrics to celebrate the late Victorian era with nostalgic charm. Era-appropriate ephemera, including florals and advertising cards, mix with soft colors to create an elegant story.
BEGINNER
Finished quilt size: 73" square
Finished block size: 16" square
Number of blocks: 9 |
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Holiday Goodies
by Linda Miller for RJR Fabrics
With the holidays fast approaching, every quilter will have time to revel in the piles of candy canes and jumbles of cookies and gingerbread in this quick and easy star quilt. RJR’s Kyle’s Marketplace IV line offers sweet treats inspired by the season to reward all the healthy veggie eaters (and the rest of us). The realistic
renderings of holiday treats replicate the colors of the actual foods and incorporate background design elements for great dimension.
BEGINNER
Finished Quilt Size: 52" square
Finished Block Size: 16" square Four Patch; 8" square Square-in-a-Square
Number of Blocks: 4 Four Patch; 4 Square-in-a-Square |
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Road to Nowhere
by Jodi Barrows for Sullivans
Jodi Barrows designed the Blacks & Tans fabric line for Sullivans to create fabrics in fashionable
colors that would go well with antique décor. Pairing black and tan was a natural choice because their timeless combination complements almost any style.
BEGINNER
Finished Quilt Size: 54-1/2" x 63-1/2"
Finished Block Size: 4-1/2" square
Number of Blocks: 99 |
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| Special Features |
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Issue Basics |
Exploring the Baltimore Album Phenomenon
a Fabric Trends staff report
Heather Mulder Peterson
Designing for Creative—
and Busy—Stitchers
by Chris McGowan
Making Fabric with Fibers
Play Date with Angelina
by Cathryn Tallman-Evans
Trendwatch
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Editorial
The Book Stop
Rave Reviews
Parting Shot
Advertising Index
General Directions
Pattern Tear-out |
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