Friends and Companions

Are you ready to try something new with us?  Paula and I would like to invite you to participate in the first Marcus Fabrics designer sew-along. "Friends and Companions" will feature nine original blocks from some of the very talented Marcus designers, both in the New York office and across the country.

The "Friends and Companions" Sew-Along begins Friday, August 1st and will run for 10 consecutive weeks.  Each Friday you will visit one of the designer blogs and receive the instructions for their block.  Rumor has it there are going to be prizes throughout the program and something extra special at the end!!

                                     

                                 

The quilt features selected prints from Paula Barnes' Companions.  If you would like your quilt to look just like ours, then you are in luck.  We will have a limited number of kits available for ordering from now until July 7th or until we are sold out!!  You can order you kit with backing (click here) or without backing, (click here) and it will take you directly to our website.  Kits will ship beginning July 21st, so you will have them in hand to begin on August 1st.

Feel free to choose your own fabrics.  Here's the yardage requirements for the whole program, so that you may begin gathering you fabrics:

 

    For Blocks:

     ¼ yard cheddar print

    ½ yard light print #1

    1/6 yard red print #1

    1/4 yd black print

    1/6 yard blue print

    ⅓ yard olive green print

   For Quilt Setting and Borders:

    1¾ yards red print #2 for outside border

    1¼ yards black print for alternate block, inside border and binding.

    1⅛ yards light print #2 for alternate block

    1 yard olive green print for setting corners and triangles.

   4 yards for backing

   Quilt size:  60" x 60"

   Block size: 8" finished

The "Friends and Companions" sew-along kicks off on Friday, August 1st with a visit to Pam Buda of Heartspun Quilts.  Here's the designer and blog schedule.  Be sure to save the dates and please pass this news along to all of your friends:

8/1     Pam Buda - Heartspun Quilts                           www.HeartspunQuilts.Blogspot.com

8/8     Paula Barnes - Red Crinoline Quilts                www.RedCrinolineQuilts.Blogspot.com 

8/15  Sarah Maxwell - Homestead Hearth                 www.HomesteadHearth.Blogspot.com

8/22  Pati Violick - Marcus Fabrics                            www.MarcusMentions.com

8/29  Gloria Parsons - Olde Green Cupboard          www.OldeGreenCupboard.Blogspot.com   

9/5    Nancy Rink - Nancy Rink Designs                    www.NancyRinkDesigns.com/blog

9/12  Mary Ellen Robison - Red Crinoline Quilts      www.RedCrinolineQuilts.Blogspot.com

9/19  Dolores Smith - Homestead Hearth                 www.HomesteadHearth.Blogspot.com

9/26  Lisa Shepard - Marcus Fabrics                        www.MarcusMentions.com

10/3  Red Crinoline Quilts - Quilt Revealed               www.RedCrinolineQuilts.Blogspot.com

It's not too early to get started!!  Visit each blog now, enter your email address in the "Follow by Email" icon and get your sewing machines ready (when was the last time you cleaned the lint of that machine)!!!  We hope you will join us in our first ever Sew-Along.  We're excited and we hope you are too.

Until next time, happy quilting,

Mary Ellen

PS - To "Follow by Email", you will receive an email from each designer to verify your blog subscription.  You must click the link given in the email to complete the process.