The following article was written by Kathy Echter on her True Creations Kathy blog. We are reprinting it here with her permission. Thanks Kathy!
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This past weekend in Spencerport, NY at Betty’s Quilting Etc. Dolores Joshua the Blank Fabric representative paid a visit. Dolores was nice enough to spend her Sunday afternoon showing us all of the latest and greatest that Blank Fabric has to offer. Nancy Dill, the owner of Betty’s Quilting Etc. wanted her customers to help decide what we (the customers) would like Betty’s to carry. I thought this was a great idea. It’s lots of fun for the customers, Nancy gets a better idea what her customers like and Dolores get to hear feedback from quilters who buy Blank Fabric.
Dolores said that for the first time in quilt history, designers today are dedicated to designing for quilters in mind. Quilters are not needing to use the scraps from dresses, shirts or other clothing, as they did in the 30’s, to make and design quilts.
Dolores introduced the “KISS” quilt concept to the group. Keep It Simple Sewing quilts. These are Opportunity quilts. Quilts that we all need and want to make for charity, for someone who we may work with whose daughter’s friend had a baby and we feel the need to make a quilt for them as a gift. She also suggested to listen to the fabric, let the fabric speak to you.
Here are a couple of great quilt tops with this concept in mind:
This Coverlet fabric line designed by Mary Koval, for Blank Fabric makes a great looking Opportunity quilt. The entire center of this quilt is one piece of fabric. Can you imagine how impressive this top will be once it is quilted? Wouldn’t you be pleased to give this top away?
This next Opportunity quilt uses the Shade Cascade line from Blank Fabric. What a stunning two or three hour to piece baby quilt for that co-worker’s daughter’s friend; don’t you think?
How about using a black and white print, some Pentel Fabric Fun crayons that you heat set, to make this exquisite Opportunity quilt?
Or maybe you want to create a quilt with a little more piecing for someone using some black and white fabrics from Blank. Here is a really striking quilt that has had a few select blocks colored again using those Pentel Fabric Fun crayons.
What about creating a patch posies/kaleidoscope quilt without all the extra work by using Blank’s Iris Fantasy fabric line.
Here Dolores shows us the fabric board for Mirabella in a beautiful blue and yellow combo.
This quilt made from the Mirabella fabric line from Blank Fabric, is called Irish Reel and can be found at QuiltWoman.com. You will notice that Nancy is pointing to the points; or should I say lack of points on this quilt next to the inner border. The construction of this quilt is all made in straight square rows – not on point. So if you are not real fussy about cutting points off near the border, and you want an easy pattern to make then this may be just the one.
Here are just two more fabric boards, out of the dozens that we saw on Sunday.
Garden Party fabric line:
Deco Rose fabric line would make a really fantastic Stack-n-Whack quilt:
I just thought this bag that Dolores showed from Cheryl Burgess called Show and Tell was a neat bag to carry all your quilts to a guild meeting. There is an open ended zipper on the top.
Dolores Joshua from Blank Fabric gave an informative and thought provoking presentation. I encourage all of you who happen to be lucky enough to have Dolores for your Blank Fabric representative to have her give a presentation in your shop for your customers. If you are a customer, why not ask your shop to have Dolores for an afternoon; so you too can learn all about how to listen to what the fabric is saying.
Tags: Blank Quilting