Windham Fabric Snip-its

McCall's

Gone are those opaque and often frustrating winter colors and here just in time for spring is Windham Fabrics McCall’s collection.  McCall’s is both intricate and playful, dazzling us in a crescendo of pinks and blues to warm up even the darkest days of winter. Have fun making all sorts of projects using patterns full of tools of the trade such as buttons, scissors and spools of thread.

McCall’s hits store March 1^st so forget to get in touch with your favorite fabric stores or your local sales rep!

Use the McCall’s collection to make this charming everyday tote bag.

McCall’s Sewing M5599

Spruce up your kitchen accessories using some of McCall’s scrumptious patterns and enjoy make this darling oven mitt!

McCall’s Sewing Pattern M5825

Check out My Mother Sews, the McCall’s Free Project on the Windham Fabrics website!!

 Enjoy and Happy Quilting!

 

Cabana Blooms

Winter always seems like a never ending season with its cold days and long nights! Cabana Blooms by Melissa Ybarra of Iza Pearl Design is the type of beachy collection you have been dreaming about all winter! This bright and luminous group will in seconds make you feel as if you are in a tropical wonderland tucked away on a far off island.

I personally love Cabana Blooms sunny color scheme of yellow, hot pink and turquoise blue! I can envision so many uses for this colorful, bright fabrics collection. Take a look at just some of the ways we put Cabana Blooms to good use!

Kick back with Cabana Blooms on a sunny day and rock the most stylish accessories on the beach!

Strut your stuff on the shore with a gorgeous bag made out of Cabana Blooms!!

Use Cabana Blooms to make your newest everyday bag!

Make some fresh, hip pouches of all sizes for all sorts of situations!

Cabana Blooms is a great collection for making cute colorful softies. I love this adorable elephant!

Cabana Blooms is the ideal collection for all sorts of home décor projects!

 

FREE PROJECT

Cabana Blooms is in stores March 1st, 2012. Don't forget to get hold of your favorite fabric stores or local Sales Rep to order this fabulous collection.

Enjoy and Happy Quilting!!

Happy Valentine's Day

Coming up with Valentine’s Day gifts and activities can sometime be a challenge,so I decided to share my plans for the holiday!

This year I am making the most perfect vanilla Valentine’s Day cupcakes for all the special people in my life. 

♥Perfect Vanilla Cupcakes♥

Recipe by Glorious Treats

Yields- 15-16 cupcakes

 ♥

♥Ingredients♥

1 1/4 cups cake flour

1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

3/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup oil (vegetable, canola or extra light olive oil)

1/2 cup buttermilk

 ♥

 

♥Directions♥ 

♥ Preheat oven to 350*F

♥In a medium bowl, add cake flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

Stir together with whisk.

♥Add eggs and beat 10-20 seconds. 

Add sugar and continue to beat on medium speed about 30 seconds.

Add vanilla and oil, beat.

♥ Reduce mixer speed to low. Add the buttermilk. Beat until combined.

♥The batter will be thin.  

Pour batter into a muffin pan prepared with paper liners. 

Fill liners about 2/3 full. 

♥Bake cupcakes in pre-heated oven for 12-14 minutes.

♥Cool in pan 1-2 minutes, then remove cupcakes from pan (carefully) and finish cooling.

♥Frost as desired when fully cooled and give to loved one!

♥Present your Valentine Day cupcakes in the perfect setting!!

♥Make the ideal Valentine’s Day placemats and napkins with Windham Fabrics Basic Brights heart fabric. Set the right scene for your loved ones and throw in a rose to finesse your table setting!!

I asked some of our very own Windham Fabrics designers what their plans are for the special day!  Here is what they came up with:

♥Jeanne Horton- Designer of American Spirit, Simpler Tymes ,Worn and Loved

This year I will be doing something fun.  My grandchildren will be coming over the weekend and we will be making Sugar Heart Valentine shaped cookies.  They range in age from 2 -16 and all get along with each other.  I got the idea from a dear friend of mine Alma Allen who is fabric designer too.  This idea is shared on her blog spot along with the recipe.  Here is the twist; you know how when you bake cookies in a particular shape and many times when they come out of the oven they really aren't the shape you started with.  Take your cutter and re-cut the baked cookie and now you have "Cookie Fries", genius idea!  You frost them put them in a glassine bag and big and little kids have a really fun Valentine Treat.  Now go back to your original cookie and frost, here is the other twist.  Cut a template of the cutter out of quilter’s templastic punch holes in the template frosts with the frosting you paint on with a little paint brush and make your design with your colored sugars or other neat decorative pariels available in stores.  I think it is worth exploring and I know you will all enjoy this great treat.

♥Lotta Jansdotter- Designer of The Premier Collection by Lotta Jansdotter

I plan to make a real good dinner for my 2 favorite boys: my husband and my boy August.I do not plan to make a thing...I will make an experience that we can share together..and we all love yummy food.

♥Melissa Strader of Iza Pearl Designs- Designer of Cabana Blooms

Matt, my husband, and I are both the most UN-romantic people on this planet and hardly acknowledge Valentine's Day...don't get me wrong I do love chocolate and flowers, but totally happy with just a hug. He feels the same way...so just one of the bazillion reasons we're a good match!  We did feel sorry for our lonely Cabana Bloom blue floral hippo on our shelf and thought that he could use a Valentine in his life.  So, yesterday, we made him a girlfriend out of the Cabana Bloom pink floral.  Let me tell ya, she's a hottie!  :)

♥Paul Meisel- Designer of The Three Bears

I usually just buy my wife a box of chocolates as her birthday is the next day- that's the day I need to take a little more seriously!

♥Rosemarie Lavin of Rosemarie Lavin Designs –Berkshire Flannels, Breeze, Divine, Fleur Noir, Mistletoe, Tis the Season

For Valentine’s Day my family and I make a home cooked meal together. I'm thinking shrimp cocktail and herb crusted salmon. Sweet wishes to everyone.

♥Colonial Williamsburg- Chesapeake, Heart of a Nation

Celebrate with food and wine and a romantic dinner with flickering candlelight. Stay on site at the Williamsburg Lodge where you can sweeten your weekend with special programs and pairings of chocolate, coffee and cognac or surprise someone with one of our signature spa treatments. http://www.colonialwilliamsburg.com/visit/eventsAndExhibits/specialEvents/valentinesDay.cfm

♥Brian Haggard – New designer at Windham, collection coming soon!!

I think a love letter printed on a sheet of 8 ½ by 11 fabric on the computer would mean more than a hallmark card from the corner store, and on the reverse side a picture of my one and only with my hand embroidery. I hope this helps, it sure made me think now I must go make mine. Heartfelt thanks to you for making me give it some thought.

♥

 

Leave a comment and tell us what your plans are this year for Valentine’s Day!!

The Things You Don’t Know About Rosemarie Lavin Designs

Today I am pleased to present to you an interview with Rosemarie Lavin talking about her newest fabric collection Breeze.

Q: What was your main inspiration for Breeze?

A: The inspiration came from my garden. I grow all types of hydrangeas and lilacs. All summer I pick huge bouquets of flowers and put them in every room in my house (I've included a photo). They come in such a wide variety of colors. Creamy whites, soft grassy greens, deep rich blues and all the beautiful purples in between. And that is the colors of Breeze.

The patterns are inspired by the flower and the colors. I tried to mix the colors in a way to achieve dark and light tones throughout the collection. Sewers can play them off each other for their unique creations.  I can’t wait to see all the projects people will make and do hope they will send me photos at rosemarielavin@gmail.com.

Q: What pattern from the Breeze collection is your favorite?

A:   It’s hard for me to pick one favorite pattern from the group, but I am a little partial to the lilac ground floral.

Q: What advice would you give an aspiring fabric designer?

A: As for advice to aspiring designers I would tell them what I tell my sons. Do what you love and hopefully good things will follow. I have had an art studio for many years and never get tired of it. I feel bad for people that have to get up every day and go work at something they don’t like.

Q: If you were asked to describe your personality as any color, what color would it be?

A: Color is such an integral part of my life that I am not always the same color. I think my color changes with the seasons and with the projects that I’m working on.  I'm bright happy orange in the summer and soft cool blue in the winter.

Q: Besides designing beautiful fabric, what are some of your favorite things to do in your spare time?

A: In the summer we spend a lot of time outdoors, at the beach or on our boat in the Great South Bay. I have to admit to spending way too much time at tag and yard sales on the east end of Long Island.  I think I'm addicted, as are a few members of my family (I won’t mention names but they know who they are).  My other addiction is WORDS WITH FRIENDS (like Alec Baldwin) I am currently involved in 5 or 6 games.  If anyone wants to play you've got my email.

Win a Breeze Fat Quarter!!!

Starting Thursday, February 2^nd until Friday, March 2nd three lucky contestants will have a chance to win a Fat Quarter from the Breeze collection by Rosemarie Lavin.

Here’s how it works:

Go to http://twitter.com/windhamgirl and click follow.  Next send an email to Jennifer@baumtextile.com telling me what you like most about the Breeze collection.  Three prize winners will be selected by a random drawing.  Entries received after March 2^nd will be disqualified.  All winners will be notified the first week of March. 

Good Luck and Happy Quilting!!