Each year I’m always amazed at the numbers of new fabrics, notions, tools, etc., that are introduced at Quilt Market. Here is some of what I saw.

1. Gammill Quilting Systems introduced a new tracking system. The Breeze Track System features 16 stainless steel wheels on a vertical track. Customers found the Breeze Track System offered less vibration and was quicker moving than the horizontal 8-track rubber wheel system. You can have your machine retrofitted for $1,000.

2. I saw more laminates and oil cloth. Several designers, including Tula Pink with Westminster Lifestyle Fabrics, did a line that featured some of her designs in both fabrics. Also from Westminster’s FreeSpirit division is the new Designers Basics Program featuring solids, dapples, houndstooth, twine, instincts, pinwheels, beads and frescos that combine with the prints from Westminster.

3. Hoffman Fabrics has terrific new Bali batiks that feature seahorses and shells. The lines have been popular with buyers along the coastal areas.

4.  Also in the batik area, I saw a wonderful 1/2 inch batik stripe in the Elementals line from Lunn Studios and Robert Kaufman Fabrics. Also from Kaufman is the bright, fun and cheery Daisies & Dots by Piece O’ Cake Designs.

5. Shelly Stokes with Cedar Canyon Textiles introduced her new book Design Magic for Paintstiks on fabric as well as new DesignMagic(TM) stencils and new Sorbet Paintstik colors.

6. Joan Hawley with Lazy Girl Designs was in the Checker booth showing off her newest patterns, including the “Suzi Purse Insert and More” designed to be used as an organizer for your purse or a desk caddy. The pattern includes two sizes and is perfect fit for any of bags made from Joan’s patterns or bags you already own.

Stay tuned for more next week.

The Fall issue of The Professional Quilter includes a profile of Shelly Stokes, owner of Cedar Canyon Textiles, distributor of Shiva Paintstiks and related products. Here’s an excerpt from the profile in Shelly’s own words:

The Shiva paint company attempted to bring the paintstiks into the quilting world in the 1980s. However, the rotary cutter hit the market at the same time, and everyone wanted to strip-piece quilts rather than paint fabric, at least here in the United States; the fiber artists in the United Kingdom started working with paintstiks around that time and so have more years of experience with them.

After working with paintstiks for a while, I decided to write a book – the right product at the right time. I think it’s fair to say that I have done much of the work to make the product visible in the quilting market in the last few years, particularly here in the United States, but I am certainly not the first one to “discover” the product and its wonderful application on fabric.

Before I started working on the book in earnest, I went to visit Jack Richeson and Company to make sure that their wonderful paintstiks would be readily available to my customers. The Richesons supported my idea, and in 2004, Cedar Canyon Textiles became an official distributor for the paintstik products.

It took almost nine months of hard work, but my book was ready in May of 2005. Once a good set of instructions was available, the market for paint expanded dramatically. As it became clear that the paint was going to dominate our business, I had a hard choice to make: grow a business or continue to teach and create art. Because I had been away from the day-to-day job market for ten years, the business was very appealing. I’ll get back to more of my own quilting in my next round of “retirement.” We did the last of our retail shows in 2005 and made the transition to our new identity as the Paintstik Place.

In life and in business, one thing leads to another. As the fiber art and quilting world embraced the paintstiks, we saw the opportunity to venture into accessory products. In 2006, we manufactured four sets of rubbing plates for use with the paintstiks and started a pattern line in 2007.

To read more of Shelly’s story along with her business tips in Issue 109 of The Professional Quilter, your subscription or membership in the IAPQ must be current. Learn about all the benefits of IAPQ membership here