It’s always exciting to see what’s new on the market, whether that’s fabric, notions or a new magazine. Here’s my take on some of what I saw at Quilt Market last week.

1. You’ve been catching it online and now it’s live … in print. With its tagline “Quilt. Sew. Live. Breathe.,” Generation Q magazine, or as it’s known GenQ, is a reality. Shared first at Quilt Market, the publication blends the interests and design aesthetics of today’s modern stitcher with that of the  contemporary quilter/sewists. It’s all about creativity regardless of where you fit in the picture. I love the size of the book – it’s 7″ by 9″ – and it’s filled with profiles, tips, patterns, product reviews. You’ll definitely find something to engage you.

2. Ever head to your local quilt shop and pick up the perfect fabric, get home and find out it’s perfect only not for the project you had in mind? Swatch Buddies™ to the rescue. The system features 1″ by 2.25″ plastic cards with an adhesive that lets you attach a swatch to one side and a label to the other. The label lets you track where you purchased the original fabric, the designer/collection and the quantity. The individual cards are stored on a wire ring or a chain ring. You can also use you Swatch Buddies to identify those fabrics you’ve got stored in plastic bins without having to open the bins and sort through them.

3. New from Kona Bay is Shadowland, a 33-piece tonal collection inspired by vintage Kona Bay fabric and designed by Jason Yenter, president of In The Beginning Fabrics. The collaborative collection features subtle elements with lots of depth in five designs in a variety of colors. It’s a great addition to Kona Bay’s line. An accompanying pattern book with six projects will be available in September.

4. Pat Sloan has a new collection with Moda Fabrics. Her 51-piece Eat Your Fruits & Veggies collection features an array of prints with fruits, veggies, leaves, dots and textures. My favorites are the batiks, especially the carrots! Also new to Moda is German designer Brigitte Heitland with Zen Chic with its 33-piece Jugging Summer line featuring overlaying laces, dancing balls, juggling circles and nesting labyrinths. The colors range from rich jewel tones to classic, decadent neutrals. I love the variety, texture and fun in these prints. Vanessa Christenson of V & Co. was Moda’s third new designer with her 40-piece Simply Color collection. The seven ombre solids are the focal point and will be perfect for adding more depth to your quilts. They are complemented by textures, fun florals, dots, and chevron stripes. I loved the colorways – mustard, lime green, tangerine, aquatic blue, to note just a few.

5. New Castle Fabrics introduced Style Mod, a 15-piece slightly retro, 1950’s look collection. I loved the avocado green prints. Also new from New Castle are two reproduction lines, the 22-piece Civil War Album Two designed by Pamela Weeks and the 20-piece Charleston 11840 collection designed by Jean Ann Wright.

6. New from Sew Very Smooth is its Ideal Seam Guide. This repositionable guide sticks to your sewing machine table. It’s 1.25″ wide, .25″ thick and comes in four lengths. It has a beveled end to make it easier to lift up and it’s been tested to last for hundreds, even thousands of placements. Also battled tested by the owner’s grandchild and black lab!

If you saw something new that you loved at Quilt Market or your local show, please share it below.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, May 23rd, 2012 at 11:10 am and is filed under Quilt Market, Quilt Show, Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.