February Cotton Club Issue

The February, 2012 Cotton Club mailing went out to our members the middle of January. It does that 10 times a year. It includes a 4 page newlsetters along with 8 - 4" useable squares. We have been sending this mailing to our members, since 1986. In February, we featured the Smitten Fabric Collection by Barb Tourtillotte for Clothworks. We thought this line was more about love than Valentine's Day and that the free pattern they designed was a really fun one and would be fast to make.

We do have all 11 fabrics in the quilt so a kit is available. To see the issue and the kit, Click here.


Then, a new Quiltmaker Magazine arrived in the mail and with it, another quilt made from the line. This time it was Hearts Afloat on the front cover. We are able to kit it too, but you will need the magazine for the pattern. A neat thing about the magazine is that it does not matter where you are, you can download the magazine right to your computer for the same price you could buy it on a magazine stand. That is what we did to get our pattern so we would know the amount of fabric required for the kit.


Though it is rare for us to feature one fabric line in The Cotton Club, once in a while we are motivated to do so.


In the newsletter, we also introduce new books, patterns, tools and supplies. In the February Issue, with Valentines still about a month away we featured the EcoluxLighting after market sewing machine light. We have been raving about it for nearly a year now and not a day goes by without us hearing from soneone who made the purchase and loved it. So, if someone loves you or if you love you, it is the ideal gift! We saywe are lighting up the sewing world one light at a time and it is the truth.


We also featured 4 Sewing Card patterns. They are only $3.00 each, fun and fast to make and would perfect gifts for your favorite Valentine. There a funl Little Wallet, Placemats & Napkins, Journal Covers and Pillow Cases. To see the whole issue just, Click here.

Four Seasons BOM - Free Pattern

The Four Seasons Block of the Month features the Rock Candy Collection designed by Mark Hordyszynski for Blank Quilting. Like us, you may already be familiar with his name as he was the designer of the very popular Fairy Frost fabric for Michael Miller Fabrics. This collection is similar but a larger scale and we find it more interesting. It is also softer, so whatever gives it texture, there is less of it.

There are over 40 different colors of the Rock Candy in the 54" x 69" finished quilt.

The day we were looking at the fabrics and pattern, 2 co-workers and 3 customers wanted to make it, so, we thought we better offer it. It is more reasonable than most BOMs, because the pattern is FREE with the Block of the Month.

Whether done by hand or machine the result is gorgeous. Definitely an heirloom piece. About hand-applique, if you fear it, all it takes is emmersing oneself in a project like this to become totally comfortable. On the other hand, if you fear machine applique, the same can be said. We have two really good DVD's to learn either or both. The first is Hand and Machne Applique the Karen Kay Buckley Way and the second, by Sharon Pederson is Machine Applique for the Terrified Quilter.

Here at The Cotton Club, Kate studied with Karen and then watched the video and she said the DVD was as good as taking the class.

To see the BOM Online, Click Here.

To see the DVDs mentioned above, Click Here.

This next week I will be taking a Machine Quilting class. I, Cheryl, am a wannabe machine quilter, so I am going to emmerse myself for a week and see what I can do. I will post again when I return!

Serenity Garden Quilt Collaboration

When we saw the Primitive Garden wool quilt & pattern, we thought it would be beautiful in the neutral prints and woven fabrics produced by Diawabo & others today. All we planned to do was make one block to promote the kit in our wide range of Serenity print and woven fabrics. Patty Henry made that block. Then, our quilt guild needed a raffle quilt for their 2010 quilt show - Love to Quilt - June 26 & 27 and we thought, why not work with Boise Basin Quilters to complete the quilt. Now, in a short period of time, we have a photo of the finished quilt and they have a beautiful raffle quilt. It has been shown in Portland at the Northwest Quilting Expo and the Pacific International Quilt Festival in Santa Clara, so you might have seen it. If you want to buy tickets, go to Boise Basin Quilters. Click Here.

If you want to make it, we have a kit and are working on a BOM, Click Here.

If you want to see the enitre collection of Serenity prints, Click Here.

Nuance Fabric Collection by Paula Nadelstern

It has been so long since we have had time to post it is hard to know where to start. We have so much to share from Spring Quilt Market in Pittsburgh (fabulous city), but, since Paula Nadelstern's new fabric arrived yesterday, we decided to start with it. The Nuance Collection is incredibly gorgeous!!! Since 1998, when her first line was introduced, each one has brought the artist and printer closer to capturing her blocks right on the surface of the quilt and this time it has actually happened. It is something to see, so like her quilts.

Which, by the way, if you are in New York between April 21st and September 6th, you can do just that. Kaleidoscope Quilts - The Art of Paula Nadelstern is the exhibit at the American Folk Art Museum between those dates. This is not only the first one-person exhibition highlighting the work of a contemporary quilt artist, it is the first time they have featured in a one-person exhibit a living artist - male or female. Since Paula is a native New York City artist, it must be quite something to see her very own exhibit flag flying outside the museum on 53rd street. We happen to know this is a dream she had when she first started making kaleidoscope quilts. Imagine the thrill of reaching such a goal. We know she how hard she has worked.

And, with great timing too. Her new book is out - Kaleidoscope Quilts and is meant to be a catalog for the exhibit along with note cards and a tote featuring one of her gorgeous quilts. The note cards are blocks which were photographed before they were framed so they put the back of the block on the back of the card. Paula has always claimed that she doesn't sew that well, which we know is hard to believe, but when you see the reverse of her blocks, you will know one thing for sure, she presses well. The method she uses for construction gives her accurate seam allowances all the same size and it makes for a dizzy display on the reverse. Alone worth the cost of the cards.

If you want to see her new line, the note cards, book and all, just Click Here.

Cheryl