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.