a content life

Giveaway Time

I'm sponsoring a giveaway over at Ellison Lane Quilts. While you're there check out Jennifer's wonderful blog. She's very creative and such a sweet gal!

Birch Mod Basics are here

Birch Fabrics are produced from 100% GOTS certified organic cotton and printed with low impact dyes.      What I love about Birch Fabrics is the mix of retro style with modern elements that creates fun & unique prints. Look at the new abacus prints and who doesn't love dots!            Now, a little surprise . . . You may have noticed that I haven't had the spectrum panel from a stitch in color in the shop, until now! I just received more of this amazing print so here's your chance (maybe your last) to grab some.  If that's not a big enough surprise then stick around because Flea Market Fancy will be here SOON! I expect a whole load of it to arrive the second week of March.

a stitch in color GIVEAWAY!

I'm sponsoring a giveaway for Malka at a stitch in dye so zip over and check it out!

Modern Minimal arrived in the mail

I pre-ordered Alissa Haight Carlton's book from Amazon sometime before Christmas. It arrived in the mail and wow, was it ever worth the wait!

All I want to do is curl up with this book and admire and dream and plan! The quilts are stunning and the directions for "20 Bold & Graphic Quilts" are clear and consice.

Alissa is one of the founders of the Modern Quilt Guild and blogs about her quilting at handmadebyalissa.com. You must check out the Modern Quilt Guild's site for 100 days of modern quilting as well as Alissa's blog. Both are must-reads!

Go now! Read. Browse. Enjoy. You'll thank me later.

Curious Nature is here!

David Butler, the designer behind studio Art of the Midwest, introduces his latest brand directive "Parson Gray." The new brand guise will focus on print & design for fashion and home with a modern, natural, fine art approach. Richly muted palettes and organic, geometric prints with a loose, hand-drawn sophistication are anchored in modernist simplicity reminiscent of mid-century studio design.

Being the husband of fabric designer Amy Butler, David has many years behind the scenes of print & fabric design.

"I am profoundly inspired by watching Amy's artistic process, and being so tied to this creative industry through her for many years, with so many friends, I finally couldn't help myself. I only had to wait for the ideas and inspiration for what I felt I could offer the textile industry that I couldn't already find. That's how Amy started - by creating print collections that she wanted to see in the world. So I've taken my fine art approach to design, my own voice, and applied it to pattern."

Curious Nature is a folk modern interpretation of natural elements. It weaves together a balance of hand-drawn patterns inspired by Japanese indigo and mid-century fine art. The palette is grounded in richly muted nature tones evoking deep forest and dark ocean balanced by bone ivory and oyster grays.

- Information obtained from Free Spirit

Did you get my hint on Friday? I felt pretty sneaky!

I'll have my own beauty shots of this fabric very soon. The more I study it, the more I like it and I think you'll like it too!

Check out the prints available at Marmalade Fabrics and stay tuned for some fun custom bundles with Curious Nature coming soon.

And by the way, you can find a free pattern for David's quilt (shown above) on Free Spirit's website.

Happy Monday!

So excited to sponsor FITF & giveaway!

I've been a big fan of Ashley of Film in the Fridge (FITF) for a very long time, so it's really exciting to announce that Marmalade Fabrics is now sponsoring FITF!

If you love a stitch in color, hop over and mention your current favorite fabric line, or a fabric line you’re most looking forward to this spring.

Happy Friday! Please visit again on Monday for a big announcement regarding the arrival of a much anticipated fabric line. How's that for building suspense? Are you curious?

Sponsoring The Basic Charity Challenge

For the second year in a row, Cara Wilson from Cara Quilts has issued a challenge to the quilting community. Cara is asking us to help those less fortunate in our communities and, in return, she’s offering up some fantastic prizes. Here’s more from Cara’s post on the 2012 challenge:

In our daily lives we have a lot of things we think of as basics.

This morning you brushed your teeth with a toothbrush and tooth paste.

You used toilet paper.

Had soap to wash your hands.

Put on some deodorant.

Ran a brush through your hair.

Maybe took a shower with shampoo, conditioner, body wash and a razor.

Put some make-up on.

You were able to put on clean underwear and socks, that no one else has ever worn.

In the kitchen did you grab some paper towels to clean up a little spill?

At some point during the day you probably grabbed a coffee or tea.

Used some tissue to blow your nose. Maybe sanitized your hands after.

I could go on but you probably have the point by now. We have a LOT of things that we consider basics.

In each of our communities there are places that people don’t have the very basic things we all take for granted. Shelters — for abused women/children, homeless, men’s missions — exist in virtual every community. They are a necessary safety net for people in our communities who for an array of reasons need help. But these shelters are almost always in need of the basic items. Many of the people have had to leave everything behind, or don’t have anything to begin with.

So here’s Cara’s challenge: identify a local shelter or charitable organization in your local community. Contact them and find out what they need, then drop it off and upload a picture of your donation to the Flickr group.  That’s all there is to it!  By donating basic supplies, you’ll be eligible to win some great prizes from Cara’s sponsors - yes, Marmalade is sponsoring this challenge.

It's so easy to forget how simple basic supplies like shampoo, toothpaste or a pair of new PJs can make a difference.

For those of you here in the Kansas City area, I've listed a few women's shelters in the area.
Safehome-ks.org, RoseBrooks.org, NewHouseShelter.org, HopeHouse.net

Let's all join Cara's Basic Charity Challenge!