November Block of the Month:  Flying Geese
Congratulations! You're coming down the home stretch: Your quilt top is almost complete. This month, BOM designer Sue Garman teaches you how to make and add a "flock of geese" to the outer edges of your quilt. Flying Geese borders make a nice addition to any quilt, and what is even nicer is that they are easy to make and easy to adjust to fit any necessary length. To find the pattern and directions for our Flying Geese border, click here.

Hot Off the Press:  Series 4 DVD
Don't miss any of the learning and laughter available to you in Series 4 of The Quilt Show. With over 10 hours of video, this boxed DVD set makes a great addition to any quilter's library. Have fun and improve your quilting skills with today's most respected quilt artists, teachers, and authors, including: 

• Margaret Miller
• Sue Nickels
• Ricky Tims
• Elly Sienkiewicz
• Valori Wells
• David Taylor
• Elsie Campbell
• Alex Anderson
• John Flynn
• Elise Roberts
• Sandra Dallas
• Susan Schrempf
• Rose Hughes
• Clare O'Donohue 

Don't wait! Get your own set of Series 4 DVDs at the Shoppe here

Hugs and Kisses (71"x 87")

Star Crazy (84" x 84")

Get Ready: Not One, But Two BOMs in 2010!

In 2010, TQS will treat you to not one, but two Sue Garman Block-of-the-Month quilts! Both quilts--one applique and one pieced--are bright and cheery, sure to be showstoppers on a bed or wall. Once again, Sue will offer lots of instruction and tips along with the patterns. Be ready: This is "the year of quilting" as Sue helps you enliven your quilts with many quilting options. 

Don't miss out on the fun and learning available to you through the TQS BOM quilting community. Click here for the fabric requirements so you can be ready when we launch both patterns on January 1, 2010.  (Word to the wise: We sold out our 2009 BOM quilts quickly, so be sure to get your 2010 kit(s) early by visiting the TQS Shoppe.) We are very excited to offer you this opportunity and look forward to you seeing your work as the year progresses.

Broderie Perse detail of "Fais de beaux rêves" (Sweet Dreams) by Joanie Zeier Poole

What Comes Around Goes Around?
It's been said that all things in needlework are cyclical.  What is in vogue one year can be out of fashion the next...but, if you wait long enough, the trend eventually comes back again.  How true!  Remember candle wicking from the 70s?  It went out of fashion for a while; however, we spotted several winning quilts in Houston this year that included this rejuvenated technique. (We will share more about candle wicking in a future article). The same can be said for broderie perse. 

What is broderie perse anyway...and how did it apply to quilting in the past as well as quilting today?

Broderie perse, meaning Persian embroidery in French, is the art of appliqueing colorfully printed cotton chintz motifs onto a solid fabric by hand. During the 1700s, cotton chintz imported from India was extremely popular for use in making draperies and bedhangings for the fashionable home.

Many times, these prints included design elements that mixed "East and West" in a style that appealed to the European tastes of that time. Produced in India, these fabrics became known as "Persian prints". The fabrics were so popular that the English and French worried that these importated goods would harm their domestic wool and silk textile industries.

In response to the perceived threat, a ban was imposed that set prices intended to challenge the pockets of even the wealthiest potential customers.  As a result, women began searching for "economical" ways to include the highly valued fabric in their homes.  By cutting isolated motifs from the exotic chintz and hand sewing them to less expensive fabrics, these resourceful women were able to extend what little of the prized textiel they were able to purchase.  Within a short period of time, this practice, which sprang from frugality, led to a popular technique that allowed quilters and other needlewomen to show off their creativity and stitching skills to full advantage.

Detail of "Love Letters" by Joanie Zeier Poole

Taking A Closer Look
Joanie Zeier Poole is a machine quilter extraordinaire, and she has given us a wonderful selection of her beautiful quilts to enjoy and to inspire.  Join us for a closer look at the masterful quilting by  this atounding artist.  To watch the show click here.

Get Your BOM Kit(s) Early!
Brighten any room with these new 2010 BOM quilt sensations by Sue Garman.  The fabric kits are ready now through the Shoppe, and are being offered at 5% off for Star Members.  Each kit includes all the fabrics necessary to complete your quilt top.  Avoid the hassle of collecting the fabrics one by one; let the Shoppe do the work for you.  Better yet, why not give your family a hint and put a BOM kit on your holiday wish list? To order either Star Crazy or Hugs and Kisses kits Click Here.