Windham Fabric Snip-its

Seek Peek at Spring 2010

We are working on 25 new lines for spring 2010!  We just can’t wait for you to take a look so here is a sneak peak at the first seven collections.

Delicate pastels and friendly faces are a delight in Flannel Bear by Foliage.  In its debut quilters flannel for baby Foliage once again proves that they are inspired by the word “adorable.”  They continue to find the balance between everyday cute and just enough modernity to attract quilters of all ages. 

Flamboyance, flair, style, élan, and elegance are all words that can easily describe Rosemarie Lavin’s newest collection; Paisley Panache.  An eclectic mix of color presents a dashing sense of spirited style.  With her use of intricate teardrop shapes and delicate line work Paisley Panache is a true modern classic.

 

The coming of the circus was an annual event awaited with great anticipation in 19th and early 20th century America.  Weeks before the circus was due, colorful posters appeared on barns and fences, announcing the dates and new performers.  Finally the circus arrived!  Excitement grew as wagons, elephants and clowns paraded through town and the big-top tent was raised. Traveling circuses are represented at Shelburne Museum and in a new collection by the same name. Vintage advertising posters from the museum's collection inspired this collection commerating the Golden Age of the American travelling circus (1870-1950).

 

     
    

   

Le Poulet is designed as an eclectic blend of traditional and graphic designs.  The bold icons of poulet and coq set off in bold black, cream and red offer a complex construction juxtaposed to the charming picotage and delicate traditional designs.  Elements of pattern design in Le Poulet allow additional opportunities for both piecing and appliqué techniques.  This unique mix of pattern is sure to offer the contrast that will make any quilt pop.

 

Natural graphic shapes and clean colors radiate with contemporary emotion that emanates from Rosemarie Lavin’s Spa Collection.  Larger scale trees, branches and bamboo are soothingly mixed with a free form stripe and organic shapes to create a relaxing esthetic. Colors play off of one another making a subtle statement using intense hues and color comparisons.  See how the spa quilt can be at home in both contemporary and humble surroundings.

 

Vintage hankies from the 1930’s through the 1950’s are the building blocks for Hankie Club by Whistler Studios.  Cut out the 12 full size hankies and then the fun begins.  Use them for appliqué, corner blocks or finish them off as hankies.   

 

Zoo Babies by Whistler Studios offers choices for a unique baby quilt with just a touch of retro, and a bit of whimsy.  In this new collection classic dots give way to spaced dots, and maze like straight pins yield to bold stripes.  Throw in some friendly animals and some kitch color combinations and you’ve got a project that is sure to please. 

 

Keep an eye out for the rest of the collections for spring including more from Anna Griffin, Jessica Levitt, Bari Ackerman, Paige Stanley Miller, Jeanne Horton and Allison Jane Smith. You will marvel at the upcoming classic reproductions from Williamsburg and Nancy Gere’s inspirational Washington’s Legacy. In commemoration of the Civil War sesquicentennial Windham is proud to offer Gettysburg – Civil War VIII ca 1865 a new collection including documents direct from the archives of the Gettysburg Museum.  

 

Finally, and with great anticipation we welcome home preeminent designer, collector and quilt historian Mary Koval!  Mary will premier her newest line with Windham Fabrics in May at Quilt Market in Minneapolis!  We are delighted to welcome Mary back and look forward to bringing you collections with her unique classic signature.

 

Check out http://windhamfabrics.com where will be posting the full collections beginning in January 2010.

 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

 

So Much to be Thankful for

When November rolls around we all feel the need to loosen our belts and prepare for the on slot of food that is coming for Thanksgiving. We all get caught up in making favorite foods and visiting family or friends. We realize we have so much to be thankful for that we get weepy and sentimental after a few glasses of wine.

Windham also has so much to be thankful for. Not only do we have incredible designers creating collections for us but we have museums and antique swatches that inspire us. We have artists that do magic. We have sales people that work hard presenting collections to the store owners. The store owners bring joy to the customer that can’t wait to get their rolling cutters into our fabrics.

This leads me to the point of this blog. I owe a big thank you to Joyce Yarling www.sewwow.com for creating this beautiful little girls dress from our Paper Dolls collection. It was given to me to display at the fall market in Houston and it got lost in the shuffle. Sorry Joyce as it was so worthy to be seen. It is a perfect example of how the paper dolls fabric turned into something so special and unexpected.

If you are reading this blog and are a quilter I encourage you to share your master piece made with Windham Fabrics and I will promise to post it in a blog. Send pictures to: laura@baumtextile.com

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks from Today's Top Designers

Windham Fabrics is delighted to be a part of the Quiltmaker's100 Blocks from Today's Top Designers, issue. It is such a thrill to look through all the designer blog entries and to learn more about each of the designers that submitted a block. I hope you are all enjoying what Quiltmaker has done to give exposure to so many diverse creators.

 

     
 Windham Fabrics is especially happy to note that 2 of our favorite designers Susan McDermott and Maria Tavy Umhey both used fabrics from Windham for the blocks that were selected by the magazine. Kudos ladies!!! Furthermore we are happy to be a voice for Susan and Maria since they are not bloggers themselves.

   
 

Susan McDermott’s block can be seen on  page 21, block #19. She just so happened to have Windham collections Clara Barton and Valley Forge on her work table at the time the request came from Quiltmaker looking for designers. This is what became her inspiration for her block.

“The 2 collections complement each other and are historical so that what was what inspired the patriotic slant. I thought of all kinds of images that could go on the ends of the pinwheels....stars, eagles, bells, drums, Uncle Sam's hat....but decided on the flag because of the nice red stripe in the line.  Someday I may get around to a making a quilt with all those images on the end of the pinwheels and call it Patriotic Spin!

Windham's historical lines can work very well together.  I have another quilt on the design wall mixing Clara Barton and the Williamsburg Clarissa line together, using the wonderful blue toile in Clarissa as the focal fabric.

I love designing quilts for Windham.  The fun begins when the Fed Ex box arrives.  I open up the box, stroke all the beautiful fabrics and begin mulling over ideas.  I always come up with the basic design first, perhaps making a rough pencil sketch and then I fine tune the design in EQ.  I always like to keep an open mind when placing the fabrics on the design wall because the way I think fabric will look (in my head or the way they look in EQ) is often not what really works best with the actual fabric.  I always ask "What if?" as I work.”

One special note: Susan is a master at appliqué so it is no surprise that she would do something out of the ordinary using appliqué for her block! 

  

Maria Tavy Umhey’s block is called "Easy 3-D" is block # 88 on page 55 , quite different from Susan McDermott's patriotic block making for a nice representation of the diversity of Windham Fabrics. Maria used fabric from Gathered Over Time to make her block and she really bring out the color contrasts in a collection.

It isn’t by chance that she came to be so talented and what she wrote about herself is very telling about her crafting abilities.

“When I was about nine years old I went with my grandmother to a Ladies Aid Society meeting to tie a quilt stretched on a big wooden frame. That was my first quilting experience.  I didn’t begin making quilts myself until my sons were grown and I had finished my work as a chemist, county legislator and business manager.

I enjoy designing colorful, cheerful quilts meant to keep people warm and make them happy.  Up to date tools and techniques enable me to make quilts with a traditional look in weeks rather than months.  I depend on careful use of color and contrast and the simple shapes passed down to us by our grandmothers to produce crisp, uncluttered designs.  No intricate blocks with lots of tiny pieces or fancy needle work here.  Whether on a bed, on a wall, or casually thrown over the back of a chair, quilts give a feeling of warmth and comfort to our homes.

   About the biggest kick I get is seeing my designs interpreted by others in the pages showing quilts made by subscribers.  I also have lots of fun designing and building play structures for my grandchildren; another activity which allows me to use scraps and left-overs to spread happiness.”

Windham fabrics is so proud to be a part of Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks from Today's Top Designers that will be on newsstands November 17^th. To follow the blog tour go to www.quiltmaker.com/quiltypleasures for inspiration, ideas, and giveaways galore! Look for 100 Blocks from Today's Top Designers in your local quilt shop, or purchase it at www.quiltmaker.com/100blocks. Each day, a different set of quiltmakers in 100 Blocks will be featured. Check out Quiltmaker's website and blog -- you can find some awesome things there and could win the fat quarter pack donated by Windham Fabrics!

You could win these fat quarters from Windham Fabrics!

Video of Windham Fabrics Booth on Quilter's TV

How exciting to be interviewed by Cindy Walters from Quilter's TV at the International Quilt Market in Houston this past October. Check out the interview, see our booth and meet designers Jessica Levitt and Paige Stanley Miller!

Enjoy, Laura

http://www.quilterstv.com

go to browse videos under the video screen - we are #7 in the line up!

Post Market Thanks Yous

Well, another International Quilt Market is over and the exhaustion has hit. It does not mitigate the hours of preparation and excitement that preceded it. "Two Schools of Thought" was the theme of the booth (penned by Anna Griffin). It was amazing how everything worked together having collections that span centuries of design from reproduction to contemporary.

The hands that cooperated to make it all happen are many. The thanks start at Windham - all my coworkers that got things ready to ship - the list is long but special thanks to Katie, Myiesha, Fallon, Pam and her team, Bernardo, Sylva and the guys in the warehouse. Big thanks to the hands that got it all set up, presented and broken down: Mickey, Sheri, Alex, Chris, Millie, Christine, Marie, Nayka, and Desiree.

Christine Cornell painted the Wonderful Windham signs. 
The quilted blackboards made from chalkboard fabric peaked a lot of interest. Irene Berry made them all at the last minute and had them waiting for us when we arrived at Houston. Yeah and Whew!  
There are the many quilt creators: Karen Witt Reproduction Quilts, Barbara Campbell, Jill Reid, Susan McDermott, Joanie Holton and Melanie Greseth (also the makers of all the curtains, table and chair covers), Maria Tavy Umhey, Bethany Fuller, Debby Kratovil, Karen Bennett Nellies Needle Quilt Patterns, Chloe Anderson and Colleen Reale toadUsew, Lynn Kraus, Larene Smith The Quilted Button, Carolyn Goins, Jean Ann Wright, Jan Crandall and Renelda Peldunas Harter.   

No thanks would be complete with out the designers that created amazing contemporary collections:

Bari Ackerman / Art Journal , Genevieve Gail / Gypsy Garden, Rosemarie Lavin / Feelin’ Groovy ,

Jessica Levitt / Timber , Paige Stanley Miller / Juliet  and Allison Jane Smith / Flutter

   
 
A special thanks has to go out to Anna Griffin who with associate Hollie set up her own booth on the corner. It should have won a prize for sheer beauty. Like icing on a cake! Her collections Georgette Christmas and Isabelle  were a hit. 

 

   

The culmination of all the hard work was winning the 2nd prize red ribbon for best multiple booth design! Kudos to the TEAM that made it happen!

The biggest thanks have to go to the Windham Fabrics Collections  the inspiration for it all. If you did not get a chance to view them at the market then please be sure to check them out online and place your orders soon.

Thank you, thank you and thank you. We rest for now but are already thinking about May 2010 when it all starts all over again!

Laura

My First Quilt...Again

I have always had a love and appreciation for quilting.  When I was in college I spent one of my winter sessions researching the different quilt patterns and designs across the United States and England. For my final presentation I actually made a quilt. I wanted to do it all by hand because that was what the original quilt makers used to do.

 

Now that  my job allows me to work with so many creative quilt makers I have been inspired to make a quilt for myself. I don’t think I will be able to master the art of quilt making or even impress most of you but will attempt my first quilt by machine. I hope my project will inspire the novices out there to take the plunge and make something for themselves.

 

I chose Windham’s Flower Bucket fabric collection by Genevieve Gail and decided to make a small quilt for a wall hanging. The colors are happy and playful and this will keep my mood upbeat. With advanced quilting tools, aka sewing machine, fabric bonding material and rotary cutter, the project started. Making the overall quilt top design was easy as the layout was created first on the computer. Free hand drawing of the shapes went well but always had to remember to add seam allowance. Assembling the blocks required concentration (no talking or TV) as you really have to pay attention to the direction you want to place the pattern. I ripped a few seams muttering to myself to be more careful. Why do I always manage to sew the longest seams with the fabrics facing the wrong direction so I have to rip them out? Checking each stage of progress by laying the pieces out on the floor was helpful but found it taken over by my cat and to get back with out some frisky play. Sigh

 

 

 

   

It is surprising how easy it was to do the appliqué work. With the Lite steam-a-seam 2 paper you can attach it to the fabric, cut out, peel the backing and stick to the top of the quilt. It will stay in place as you sew. AMAZING! OK I am not telling a veteran anything they don’t already know. I still remember the old days when you had to baste all the pieces down and hope they did not crawl when you sewed them on the machine - especially around curves. Thank you advanced technology!  I have to credit Beth Hayes at McCall's Quilting for inspiring my border design after seeing her beautiful quilt in the McCall’s Quilting ‘America Makes Fast Quilts’ Autumn 2009 issue. www.mccallsquilting.com  Thank you Beth!

A few minor mishaps and a few evenings later the top was assembled. I basted the top, batting and backing together. I admit I cheated by sending the top to my good friend Jean Ann Wright to long arm quilt it all together for me but I am not THAT skilled yet with drawing beautiful stitch work with my Bernina. When it was done she sent it back and I applied the binding.

Walla! Done! I had my first quilt in decades.

 

The Flower Bucket Quilt
 

Time spend on small project like this – a few evenings after work and all day Saturday

Hassles and cat interference - annoying

Looking at something that was accomplished by my own hands - priceless

 

Now I understand how the quilt lovers around the world feel when they finish that last bit of binding and stand back and admire their handiwork. But more importantly I have greater appreciation for all of you that are masters at the art of quilting. The work is beautiful and awe inspiring. The International Quilt Market is one of the best places to showcase all the creativity and talent. I can't wait to go. If you are there don’t forget to stop by the Windham Fabrics booth #900 - 905 and see all the new fabric collections we have to inspire you to create your next masterpiece.

 

If you cannot make the show, please be sure to visit our website: www.windhamfabrics.com

 

Laura

Quilting Merchandise Manager

The Lincoln Bicentennial Quilt

I think it is very appropriate that Windham Fabrics should release a fabric collection in honor of the Bicentennial celebration of the birth of our 16th president. After over 150 years, Abraham Lincoln remains one of our most respected and admired presidents. I had the pleasure of designing a new quilt for this collection, and I also had the opportunity this summer to consider again

Lincoln's Heritage to our nation

Upon entering the museum, the view on the left was of a young dark-haired barefoot boy sitting on a rail fence in front of a log cabin. In contrast, the view on the right is of Lincoln, his wife Mary and their sons standing in front of the White House. As is typical of museums, the rooms are full of memorabilia and artifacts from his life and times. However, few museums create the atmosphere of hushed reverence that permeates this space. As I wandered from room to room, I was struck again of Lincoln's determaination to learn, his desire to serve America.  and his perseverance in running for public office. No one today would call his life "happy" -- he was raised in poverty, he faced the deaths of loved ones throughout his life -- mother, first love, two of his sons. And, as every student knows, his presidency was marred with a war that divided the

Union

and killed over 600,000 Americans.

The fabric collection features a large decorative panel with portraits of Ulysses S. Grant  and Robert E. Lee, the two generals of the Civil War.

Lincoln

, as seems typical of the man, is showcased in a more reserved fabric -- a khaki background with mid-scale black motifs of him in a suit, a portrait with an eagle crest at the top of the frame, a battle scene, and more. The combination of these fabrics, and the coordinating prints, leads to the design of this quilt of a Civil War President.
--
Karen Witt
Reproduction Quilts
www.reproductionquilts.com
859-333-6232

 

 

  

We can't wait for Quilt Market!

Everyone at Windham has been busy busy getting ready for quilt market in October.  The new lines are finally finished and will total more than 23 in all.  Of course the new lines will include some favorite standbys like Civil War  and Old Glory  by Nancy Gere.  Both collections include classic traditional 19th century designs coupled with extraordinary large format patterns with flags, generals, maps and Civil War songs galore!

We have always admired Eillen Jahnke Trestain, the author of Dating Fabrics.  We've been using her books for years and it seemed only natural that she choose some of her favorite fabrics to create a new line.  This collaboration has resulted in her first fabric collection for Windham called Sally Rose  If you are familiar with Eileen's books you will know that she is all about color. In Sally Rose she has transformed designs taken from 19th century wool challis and created a quilting collection with incredibly rich colors and wonderful movement.  This collection truly offers boundless quilting possibilities.  Talk about color, and you will want to have a quilt made from the new Whistler Studios collection Folklore    Here paisleys and flowing florals of rich red, and yellow, with highlights of green and blue are all set off with a shot of black.  

Are you craving more Americana, but prefer to move up the timeline a bit?  We've gone fast forward from the 19th century to the fifties with American Vintage    This is another collection, now with a schoolhouse theme that makes you say, "oh yes, I remember when..."  Then Rosemarie Lavin helps us move ahead on the history timeline.  2009 marked the 40th anniversary of Woodstock so Rosemarie decided to dig deep into her closet.  There she found some of the designs from the 1960's which inspired Feelin' Groovy   Soon to be posted at www.windhamfabrics.com is the fantastic peace sign quilt that Rosemarie designed for this collection.  In fact free projects for all of our new collections will be posted on our web site, so please keep on the lookout for them.

Love Full Bloom by Bari Ackerman!

Hello Windham blog readers. This is Bari Ackerman. I’m the designer behind Bari J. I’m so proud to be presenting my first line of fabric, Full Bloom for Windham Fabrics. It really is a dream come true for me.

This line is based on perennial flowers and features a bit of whimsy with tea sets and sweet birds peppered in. Each of the twenty-two designs and colorways in the line were created to be mixed and matched. You can use cool color and mix it with a bright, a large scale print next to a smaller print. There’s not a piece in Full Bloom that can’t be mixed with another.

The free downloadable quilt I created, Garden Tea Party, does just that. Color and pattern mix together to create a fabric garden. This piece features a collaged edge finished in a satin stitch rather than your traditional binding giving the look of flowers popping of the edges of the quilt. All of the instructions to do this are included in the pattern. I hope you will give it a try! It’s absolutely my favorite technique and it’s easy and fun!

There are other free downloadable patterns and project ideas on my blog

www.BariJ.typepad.com

including an apron and a pincushion.

Thank you for sharing in the fun of Full Bloom. Happy Sewing!        -        Bari

   

Garden Tea Party quilt by Bari J.                                Garden Tea Party quilt border

The Clara Barton Collection Hits Home

We just received this wonderful email from one of our reproduction quilting enthusiasts:

     I just bought the July/August issue of Quiltmaker and on the back cover was an ad for your Clara Barton collection. I almost fell over!  I grew up in North Oxford, MA and the Clara Barton birthplace was right down the street. I remember it very well as a child, in fact it was rather scary because it was so dark and had that old smell. Funny how things come back to you when you think about it. The reason I remember it so well is my Dad was a carpenter and he did quite a bit of work in there repairing things.  He used to take me with him and I would sit on the grass outside and wait for him looking for four leaf clovers. That was quite a while ago and the funny part of this whole thing is I am now a quiltmaker using vintage fabric!  I did look at the fabric line and it is awesome.  I thought I would share this with you as it is not everyday that you see things in a magazine that bring back memories of your childhood.  I thank you for that.
Best regards,
Marsha
Putnam, CT

 

 

The Clara Barton Quilt by Jill Reid