Favorite Finds from Quilt Market 2015

Today I just want to share a few favorite finds from Quilt Market.

 

I will start with a couple of products, and then talk mostly about what I love best, fabric!

 

First, I wanted to mention Hobbs batting.  I generally use the Hobbs unbleached 80/20. It has been what I have used for 20 years, but I still learned something new about it.  Did you know that it comes in bleached – and more importantly black?  Just the other day I was wishing for a black cotton batting and a week later I find that my favorite batting comes in black!  I also scored one of their wool battings, which I have been wanting to try for a long time.

Another thing that I wanted to learn about at market was using a double of batting.  I had heard about machine quilters using 2 batts in a quilt and I got to feel a couple of them at market.  I will say that two battings really does show off the machine quilting, but I do not like how it feels.  It’s quite stiff and I imagine that it would be hard to sufficiently cuddle with.  If you were hanging the quilt on the wall only, and were a fabulous machine quilter, I can see why it’s done.  But for myself, I like to use the quilts and I don’t have fancy quilting to show off, therefore I will continue to do what I have been doing – 1 layer of the Hobbs 80/20 (or sometimes their Polydown).  Does anyone else have anything to add about batting?  I would love to hear what your favorite type is!

 

Here’s another little fun thing that I found.  Have you noticed that cross stich is making a comeback?  I did it in the 80’s and haven’t been tempted to try it since.  But look at these cute things from Red Gate Stitchery –

I think it would be great fun to make one of these bracelets, or the necklace below.  You can find them here.  I thought they were even cuter in person.

 

One of the books that I found was this one by Indygo Junction.  I like how they show one pattern, six different ways by changing up the sleeve, adding an accent fabric, etc.

I also loved their tunic pattern.  It was also cuter in person

 

I plan to make mine out of the aqua fabric in the photo below.  It is made by Art Gallery and is such a fun print.  The other two fabrics are the new rayons that I saw at market that I wanted to try.  These two are designed by Heather Bailey, but I also liked Cotton+Steel’s rayons.  (All three were purchased at Hawthorne Threads.  If you haven’t ordered from them before, they have a great selections of quilt fabric, knits – even rayons and denim.)

The coral below is some of the double gauze that I saw at market.  It has beautiful texture, but my first impression is that it will be wrinkly.  I will let you know how my top turns out.

Speaking of tops, here are two that I finished last Friday.  Both are knits from Hawthorne threads.  I will tell you more about them when I get some better photos.

 

And lastly, my favorite quilt fabrics from market.

 

I loved these shot cottons from Studio E.  Studio E is owned by the same company as Henry Glass (who I design for).   They also are much more beautiful in person.

You can see the beautiful texture a little better in the photo below.  I would love to use the darker ones for some sort of block sampler quilt, with a grey background.  (Hint – If you like these fabrics too, you should read all the way to the bottom of this post)

 

And – my favorite part about market – Sample Spree at the Moda table.  You can have more fun there in 10 minutes than should be allowed.  And as a bonus, what you purchase in that 10 minutes can keep you having fun all year long.  How great is that?   Below are 3 of the bundles that I liked.  Listed from left to right – Canyon by Kate Spain, Hello Darling by Bonnie and Camille, and Tucker Prairie by OneCanoeTwo.

My three favorite bundles are: (again listed from left to right)

Farmhouse by Fig Tree Quilts, Gooseberry by Vanessa Goertzman, and Prairie by Corey Yoder.

Prairie was my favorite of all the lines.  I love the cheddar yellow – which I haven’t seen a lot of lately, but loved in this combination of colors.  It’s fresh and bright without being too bright.  I’m also a little tired of so many pastels, and this is a little darker than that.

 

And here they are all together.  I have never in my life bought so much fabric at once, but this will keep me supplied for my work projects for the next 6 months!  Is really fun to know that the perfect fabric is waiting for me in the studio, whenever I have time to sew or a new idea comes to me.

 

If you would like to share in a little of the fun, I am giving away a fat quarter pack of those beautiful shot cottons – courtesy of Studio E.  If you would like to be entered to win, just leave a comment in the comment section.

Stop back in next week to see if you won!