The Fabric Maverick: November 2008 Archives

Note from the Fabric Maverick: Nancy has left early to go across country for her turkey dinner, but she left me instructions to print this for her.

The holiday season is upon us and I am inspired!  I owe all my thanks to Amy Butler's free holiday pattern downloads.  Her holiday designs are featured in the December issue of Mary Engelbreit's Home Companion magazine. I am not a snowman or Santa Claus collector.  I prefer décor that reflects current design trends.  When I saw these new designs from Amy, I immediately knew these were perfect for my holiday  style.  All of her ideas are cool and fresh and play with traditional themes. The napkins, gift wrap sashes and tree forest are going to be shining stars at my house this year.  Amy Butler is also offering free patterns for a great snow mum pillow, a tree skirt, gift tags and art.    

 Grab your free patterns and holiday inspiration at AmyButlerdesign.com.   You will see my tree forest interpretation in a few weeks.

Pick up great deals on all of her fabrics at Fabric.com and don't forget free shipping on order of $35 or more!

So Go Sew!!!!!

Nancy

Soon we will be surrounded by the smells of roasting turkey or ham, wonderful vegetables and mouth watering desserts. This is the time to remember the great planners of this feast- the moms.

This year I have been invited to my daughter's in-laws for Thanksgiving. I do not know them well so this leaves me wondering what a suitable hostess gift would be. Traditionally, a bottle of wine, flowers or a dessert might be appropriate. My daughter says that they do not care for wine or flowers and her cooking is better than mine. I am not sure about this last one. I have thought and thought about this problem and I have decided napkins are the way to go. I know someone is probably thinking dumb idea! Well, let's think about it. Cloth napkins add a touch of elegance to the table. It shows that you have gone the extra step for your guests comfort. Cloth napkins are recyclable. You can make them from many different fabrics. Linen is a classic for an elegant table. Do you want a touch of whimsy? Make your napkins from Christmas fabric. You can make them two-sided for a different look. When you make your own napkins, you can pick the size.  I like large napkins. A 1 1/2 yard of fabric will make six napkins. Cut six 18'' squares. You may finish by serging or do a 1/4'' hem. Voila! You are done.

Napkins can be folded many different ways. Check out napkin folding.

 Try doing that with a paper napkin. Bon Appetit! Happy Thanksgiving from Fabric. com.

  Well, boys and girls, it is book review time! I like books! I love to look at the pictures, I love to study the instructions and I love to read the anecdotes the author usually includes with the project. If I am really lucky, the author may have included a recipe. Why do quilters love recipes? I don't know. Do you?

A Laurel Burch Christmas is fast becoming a collector's item with the passing of this designer icon. No one has ever duplicated her style. I am sure someone has tried and failed.  What do I love about this book? For me, a book must have a timeless quality. In other words, it should not be tied to using a certain collection of fabrics. Laurel Burch does feature her fabric collection "Bountiful Blessings", but you could easily make the projects from different fabrics.  Another important feature is the instructions. Instructions should be detailed and clear. I do not like to read instructions a hundred times. These instructions are quite clear. There should be projects from quick and easy to intermediate. Like most Americans, I like instant gratification. These projects range from easy ornaments to more detailed projects such as a Surprise-a-Day Christmas calendar. Even Fido has a special Christmas bandana. No one is left out in this book.  None of the projects are beyond a beginners reach. The materials required range from felt to tissue lame. This book is all about embellishment. Don't want to sew, there are even paint projects!

Whether you have a little time or a lot of time, you will find a project that suits you.  This is a book that you will use year after year.  Get ready to sew! Add your own personal touch to this Christmas!

I am sitting here enjoying a cup of coffee. The leaves on the trees have turned glorious colors of gold, red, orange, burgundy and yellow. The leaves are slowing falling to earth as nature prepares her blanket for the long, cold winter ahead. South Dakota already has four feet of snow on the ground. I am afraid that is not for me! It is hard to think that Thanksgiving will be here in a few weeks and Christmas not far behind. A sure sign of Christmas (besides all the Christmas decorations in all the department stores) is when you see all the magazines with their Christmas covers and tips on decorating for the holidays.

You may not have noticed but this year there were two collections called "The 12 Days of Christmas". I have taken this as a sign that Fabric.com should have a 12 Days of Christmas, too!  From Dec. 1 to Dec 12th, we will have a project for you to make if you wish. On the 13th day of Christmas, it will be Bah! Humbug Day because some of you will have lost the spirit. I believe that Chef Bubba will then arrive with his own special recipes for Christmas. I have tasted his Black Bottom Pecan Pie Cheesecake. To die for, ladies! If this does not restore your spirit, it will be time to break out the cinnamon cookies. Who can smell cinnamon and not get all cozy in their heart?

Get ready to have some fun! There will be some projects for the young also. Victoria will have her now 7-year old consultant available to test her projects. Now would be a good time to check your craft supplies. Make sure you have some of the following:

1. Glue (several kinds including Fabri-Tac, Water soluble glue pen)

2. Straight pens

3. An assortment of threads

4. Christmas fabrics

5. Flannel

6. Scissors

7. Rotary cutter and mat

8. Felt

This is a great time to bust your stash and use up odds and ends. Of course, supplies will be listed for each project. I know Nancy has a great project from Amy Butler so you will need different sizes of Styrofoam cones. Nancy is known as the queen of glue and clip rings so I am willing to bet that there is not much sewing!

Now that I have teased you with what is to come, I must leave just like Santa or as Daniel, our very own Prints Charming with these words:

"Get your Moda running, Christmas is coming!"

Before Mark saw the light, he was the Senior Producer for The View and Ricki Lake. He has also worked on The Joan Rivers Show and The Richard Bey Show. He has made a transition to the world of quilting and brought along a sense of humor.

He believes in preserving quilting, but he is not a member of the Quilt Police. He believes that you should have fun and learn to break some rules. You do not need to commit suicide if your points are not always sharp. I read his magazine, Quilter's Home, for the humor that it brings me. His magazine is a giggle wrapped in paper! You can get too serious in life and miss smelling the roses. After all, if you live on Pickle Road how serious can you be?  Set aside some time, grab a cup of coffee, put up your feet and prepare to laugh out loud when you read his magazine.

Califon is Mark's newest line of fabric from Northcott. Califon is the name of the town in New Jersey in which he currently lives. There are two color ways- blue and yellow, black and white. He says he was inspired by the flowers and gardens in his area. I, personally, see a spirograph gone wild. I love the bold graphic designs. For some free downloads go to Mark Lipinski's website. 

Have fun with this beautiful fabric. Mark has a new collection, Krakow, which will be available in early 2009. This is inspired by Polish pottery. You can see a preview at Mark's website.

Ladies,

The sale goes off at midnight Eastern Standard Time. Someone just brought me another quilting magazine which just came out with new projects! Why do these magazines wait until the last minute! Don' they know I need a lot of time. I imaged several pictures for you. This magazine has a lot of ideas from table decor, Christmas stockings and how to turn your bedroom into a Christmas treat!

Here are some stockings made from Williamsburg Christmas Traditions.

Here is an adorable quilt from Snow Show:

Here is a fabulous quilt from Laurel Burch's Bountiful Blessings:  McCall's Quilting magazine is also featuring a Bountiful Blessing quilt. In the American Quilting and Patchwork, there is a quilt featuring Fabri-Quilt 12 Days of Christmas.  All of these panels are going fast! You still have time for one of these great projects!