Marcus Fabrics - Fun and Features, Trends

STROKES OF CREATIVITY
	High-fashion looks come to quilting for Fall '08 in the form of fun, oversized designs that are painted by hand. Hand-brushed, painterly strokes give these fabrics a one-of-a-kind quality. For fall, try this fusion of color and design with our new PAINTERLY PRINTS in deep jewel tones.

BLUE WITH BROWN

The market can't seem to get enough of this relaxing color combination, whether in light summery tones or deeper hues. From quilting to home décor to fashion, blues and browns together can create both classic and contemporary looks. Check out SACHET FLANNEL II by Faye Burgos and AL FRESCO by Michele D'Amore for two very different takes on the palette, which is sometimes accented with soft blush and cream, other times mixed with olive greens and teals. Choose your favorite and enjoy the color pairing of the season!

(Shown: Sachet Flannel II)

PURPLE as an accent color
	Take a look at the current home dec magazine covers and you'll find it in every imaginable shade, from pale lilac to deep aubergine. Check out flowers & coordinates of AUBERGINE GARDEN by Faye Burgos, pairing shades of purple with blendable tones of sage, coral and tan for season-spanning elegance.

NEUTRALS WITH GREY
Neutral doesn't have to mean boring this season, as seen in the sophisticated MOCHA MERINGUE by Michele D'Amore. Tan, ivory, mocha, brown and grey motifs are skillfully layered for a dimensional effect. It's a look you'll love for quilts, decor and artful clothing pieces.

GOING GREEN
	Environmentally responsible products continue to grow in popularity at every level of the market, making OASIS CANVAS a "natural" choice for the modern quilting, sewing and craft enthusiast. Try it for easy-to-sew, eco-savvy totes and much more.

BIG BLOOMS
Large-scale flowers lend themselves to lots of creative inspirations including applique, fussy cutting and more. And you'll find them in every color palette from neutral to bright to deep tones. Sew up dresses for girls of all ages, eye-popping pillows for the home, table settings for springtime entertaining and more!

Shades of Grey, Plus Color

From home décor to fashion, we're seeing grey in all of its many shades, echoing the popularity of metals and metallic finishes (but with a softer edge), as well as influences from the 1940's. Grey becomes the new neutral, mixing with everything from soft pinks to stronger shades like orange, sun yellow and kiwi, not to mention classic black and white with grey. Pat Yamin offers a glimpse of grey in COME QUILT WITH ME.

The Power of Prints

Liberty-style cotton prints are showing up all over, too, mixing blues with cool greens, along with cobalt blue with country red for an Americana theme and a range of spicy browns. Prints are smaller, but not miniature, so that each print stands out in patchwork combinations across all categories. In addition, bigger florals range in looks from sophisticated FROM THE GARDEN to les serious AUNT GRACE TIES ONE ON. Printed dots, stripes, even checks have their place in clothing, decorating and quilts alike.

Barely-There Colors
	Pales have become the new backdrop for a classic, casual look. With names like Nude, Blush, and Buff, the palette works beautifully with brights, earthtones, even metallics, as well as black, charcoal and brown for high-contrast effects. Also included are the lightest tints of sky, petal, lilac, ash and butter, as shown in the SAHARA TINTS collection.

Eco-Friendly Fabrics
"Going Green" has become more than a marketing buzzword, as manufacturers, retailers and consumers alike seek smarter, more earth-friendly products. Whether they use natural dyes or are woven of certified organic cotton like OASIS CANVAS, newer fabrics show that style and ecological harmony can peacefully coexist.

Time for Table Toppers!

Judging from the best selling book titles at some of our favorite project book resources, table toppers are among the hottest new project categories, combining the ease and speed of a mini quilt with the practicality of a useful home accent. And they're the perfect project for Marcus Lil' Bits 5" fabric squares, and our Ellery Spoonfuls, a generous assortment of 8½" squares. Read more about the popularity of table toppers on the Marcus blog.

Cottage Life

Mismatched florals give an eclectic look to casual living. A blend of colors, floral styles and scale add interest to quilts and other room accents from pillows to lightweight slipcovers to window treatments. Palettes are generally softer, evoking a feeling of carefree relaxation.

One especially popular decorative accent right now is the table runner, a perfect backdrop for mix-and-match “Cottage Life” looks. And pretty toppers aren’t just for the dining table anymore, showing up in living rooms and sitting areas, bedrooms and foyers, too. Take yoru pick from the many patterns available today.

Aprons
	The new fashion accessory of choice, moving beyond their humble utilitarian beginnings. They’re quick and easy to sew, giving aprons a kind of collectible quality. Beginner-friendly patterns provide a variety of options including piecing, contrast sections and more, making the most of quilt fabric coordinates. For starters, check out Mary Mulari’s styles.

Accessorize!

Tote bags and other fashion accessories continue to gain interest among busy quilters & sewers. Maybe you don’t have the time for a full-sized quilt project. Maybe you love the idea of showing off your handiwork in a way that’s functional for you, and portable for others to admire. Choose one of our many conversationals, florals or hand-dyes, plus one of our free project designs, and sew up some personal style!

Embellish It!

Quilting has gone multi-media, as we increasingly mix fabrics, textures and trims to create one-of-a-kind masterpieces! Wools are appliquéd and woven from strips, while flannels and velvets add a soft, luxurious feel to projects. Or, create your own fabric palette by dyeing PFD fabrics. Then rely on novelty threads and yarns, beads, braids, rickrack, stencils and sequins and more provide the finishing touches. Experiment with looks that go above and beyond the careful piecing cotton prints!