In The News
Introducing: The New Among Brenda's Quilts September 5, 2009
Once again we are making a major change to the web site. The new site will be more automated on my end, freeing up some of my time so that I can concentrate on quilt design. It should also be more user friendly: we have been told that the recent changes have been fine for Firefox Browser users, and those using Mac's Safari browser, but the menus fail to work properly for users with Explorer. Since most people use Explorer - many people do not even know that there are better alternatives - this has been a serious shortcoming and has prompted the change.
A New Olympic Quilt Design September 4, 2009
Northcott fabrics will be releasing a new line of flannel this fall to celebrate the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver, B.C. Several great Canadian designers (my humble self included) have designed quilts using this vibrant new fabric line. My pattern, Winter 2010 will be released this September and will be available though Northcott fabrics, QuiltSource, Quilt Craft Distributors and in the US through Checker Distributors. Contact your local quilting store to order your single bed sized pattern!
Winter Sports, the fabric, has been designed by Laurie Godin.
Visit Northcott's Website to see all of the designs.
Mark Lipinski Features my Table Runner September 3, 2009
I was pleased to have Mark Lipinski visit my booth at Quilt Market this spring. Mark gets a real charge out of these events – who wouldn’t with a trail of women admirers following his every step and word!
Mark is the driving force behind the new Quilter’s Home magazine which touts itself as ‘The only magazine for quilters that’s fun to read’. I can vouch for that claim having much enjoyed my copy at camp this summer. Mark’s article on table runners, in the Aug/Sept issue, featured my Spin Off Table Runner along with a number of other interesting runner patterns. Get your copy of the magazine to have a look.
My new pattern The Home Cooking Casserole Cover features Mark’s harvest inspired line of fabric called Oakdale printed by Northcott. Where does this creative guy find the time to produce a magazine and design fabric?
Thanks for the recognition Mark!
New: Teacher's Notes XOXO November 7, 2009
Three simple blocks are twisted and turned to make up the X's and O's in this fun quilt.
Hugs & Kisses has been designed to be made with two-and-a-half-inch strips and 2 coordinates. It's perfect for Jelly Rolls ®, Bali Pops ® and Roll Ups ® or just use up stash fabrics! Make it in lap, single, double, queen or king size. It's fast, fun and easy to make and designed with beginner quilters in mind with full color instructions.
Shop owners will be happy to hear that starting with the Hugs & Kisses pattern I will offer Teaching Notes for all of my designs. Follow the link below to make teaching this quilt in your shop a breeze.
Sally Forth Marco! March 3, 2010
A man of rapier wit, piercing intuition and killer design instinct returns to the forefront of the quilting and crafting world.
Mark Lipinski, lately of Mark Lipinski’s Quilter’s Home Magazine, has just announced a new appointment. He will serve as Creative Director of All American Crafts with a debut magazine edition coming up in the fall of this year called Mark Lipinski’s Create (…when one craft just isn’t enough). This is a quarterly magazine devoted to the crafter and crafting lifestyle and will be written in the first person by Mark – a guarantee of exciting and provocative things to come. This new magazine should be of special interest to quilters who draw from the ideas of other crafts for the embellishment and enlivening of their quilts.
Mark will also be taking over the All American Crafts title magazine Fabric Trends. It will be revitalized beginning with the fall 2010 issue bearing the name Mark Lipinski’s Fabric Trends. Fabric Trends has always been a font of inspiration for Among Brenda’s Quilts, and combined with Mark’s keen design eye we are looking forward to its exciting new content. Way to go Mark!
Free Pattern Download March 18, 2010
This spring I was visiting Hoffman California fabrics in Mission Viejo and they asked if I would design a pattern for them using a new retro fabric line called Full Spectrum. If you click on the quilt pictured it will take you to the free pattern download at their site.
Hoffman California is famous in quilting circles for their gorgeous batik fabrics. Every season they release dozens and dozens of new batiks to the quilting marketplace. Like other fabric houses they also produce lines of screen print fabrics like the Full Spectrum Collection used in the California Rain Quilt.
The Hoffman warehouse is unique. Inside there are numerous colorful surfboards displayed along the walls. These surfboards are part of a collection belonging to the owners who discovered the beauty of batiks while surfing in the tropics.
Look Who's Coming to Dinner! June 7, 2010
Spring Quilt Market just wrapped up in Minneapolis at the end of May. There are always lots of quilting celebrities in attendance like Mark Lipinski who stopped at my booth. He was kind enough to pose for a photo with yours truly.
Here he is with the Home Cooking Casserole Cover in his Oakdale fabric. The casserole cover pattern includes instructions to make either an 8" x 8" or a 9" x 13" casserole cover that turns into a table runner when opened.
Nancy's Notions Offers ABQ Patterns June 16, 2010
I first met Nancy Zieman at Quilt Market 3 years ago when my friend Shirley stopped her in the aisle and asked to rub her arm for good luck. This must be some sort of odd Irish or Scottish way of passing on luck - rubbing it off! At any rate since then a fair number of my patterns have been carried by Nancy's catalog so I think some of that luck rubbed off on me too.
You'll find several of my patterns are currently carried by Nancy's Notions. The Yoga Girl Bag, The 2B Bag and somewhere on the site you will find The Bevy Bag. Nancy's crew has also kitted the Yoga Girl Bag for a great price so take advantage if you have not made it yet for yourself!
Click on the picture to go to Nancy's Notions.
Discovering the Designer In You September 3, 2010
I'll be giving my lecture and trunk show entitled 'Discovering the Designer in You' at the following locations this fall. I hope to see you there! The picture at right is Lisa Hill and me at Quilt Market. We are not sure who was in that chicken costume!
Oxford Quilter's Guild, Sept. 8th at 7 p.m. and Sept. 9th at 9:30 a.m. at the Creative Arts Center, Ingersoll.
North Lambton Quilter's Guild. A workshop for the Highland Fling Quilt at the Port Franks Community Centre, Oct. 9th from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The Sunshine Coast Quilters Guild, Oct. 19th at 1 p.m. at St. Andrew's United Church, Bayfield.
The Oakville Quilters' Guild, Oct. 21st at 7:30 p.m. at The Central Baptist Church, Oakville
The Rainbow Country Quilters, Oct. 28th at 7 p.m., Lundys Lane United Church, Niagara Falls.
The Blue Water Quilters Guild, Nov. 15th at 8 p.m. at The Bayshore Community Center, Owen Sound.
The Blue Water Quilters Guild, workshop on 'Making Waves', Nov. 16th at 9 a.m. at The Knights of Columbus Center, Owen Sound.
It's been wonderful to meet you! November 18, 2010
In the course of the year I do some traveling, visiting local guilds to lecture and to teach. This fall has been particularly busy with such trips. I've just finished my last visit for the year and now it's time to knuckle down and fire off a couple of patterns before year's end. Before I do that though, I'd like to say 'thank you' to all of the guilds who had me come and to the many guild members who were so very welcoming. A special thanks to those ladies who 'took in the weary travelers'. It's a great comfort to know that there is going to be someone at our destination who is going to mother us, who'll provided us with a bed and some breakfast. If any of you are reading this post know that we am giving you a big hug!
Brenda & Lisa
NEW! Snow Angels Pillow NEW! February 21, 2011
'All night, all day angels watching over me my Lord". Serene angels hold hands and float down in snowflake form to watch over you and yours.
Stitch this gorgeous pillow using one color of embroidery floss. Easy piecing and a cross over back without zipper make this a happy project.#@*&* WHERE"S THE REMOTE! March 14, 2011
Has hubby been complaining that he has not seen the top of the coffee table in months? Are the rugs in your home and your clothing covered in loose threads from your latest sewing project? Have the appliqué scissors ever fallen and speared you in the foot? When looking for that embroidery panel you just put down are you horrified to find it under the cat?
If the answer is yes to any of these questions then the Sofa Saddlebag is for you! Here’s a great little organizer that SNAPS SHUT and will hang next to your favorite sofa or chair. Pop your embroidery hoop in the catch-all and your scissors and floss in one of the pockets. It’s easy to make!
Stitches in Time January 3, 2012
As a year closes and dawn breaks on 2012 I’d like to thank you for your patronage in 2011. This year brought significant changes to Among Brenda’s Quilts with a line of embroidery patterns, the exciting new Everything Goes Bag and lots of Bali Pop patterns. The last several months of the year found us "under construction" as a brand new office and studio was built to accommodate our growing business. You may have also noticed that through much of the month of December our web site was down while we struggled with technical difficulties and moved our domain to a new, faster server. Your patience during this period has been much appreciated. We know that you have lots of options in the quilting world when buying patterns and we thank you for your support. Thanks also to go out to those companies that sponsor us notably Hoffman California Fabric, American Efrid Inc., Pellon and Ackfeld Mfg.
From our family to yours, Happy New Year!
Brenda Miller
Beautiful British Columbia January 18, 2012
This past week found my husband and I visiting Victoria and Vancouver. The trip was a combination of work, play and visiting. Along with my good friend and B.C resident Ursula Riegel and her husband Walter, we did some sightseeing, visited wholesalers, did demos and visited a whole bunch of quilt shops.
I've never been to Canada's West Coast in the depths of winter and was very surprised to find some roses still in bloom and other flowers just about ready to start the season all over again. Back home it's still very cold or very wet or very dim depending on the day so it was nice to get away just for a bit and say hello to folks on the other end of the country.