“On March 22, 2010 we visited Florida United Methodist Children’s Home in Enterprise, Florida.  We delivered 31 quilts to Pastor Denny McCullough.  Along with the pictures of the quilts, I’m sending a picture of Pastor McCullough, our circle members and the quilts. As I mentioned before, we have quite a bit of fabric left, so we’ll be making quilts for the Betty Griffin Rape Crisis Center in St. Augustine, Florida…”     (Photos by Marilyn Elston)

Marcus Fabrics is happy to help groups like this to accomplish their wonderful goals of community service.  For details on how to receive a donation box of fabric remnants for your quilt guild’s charitable projects, see the Guild Connection FAQ’s.

 Our friends at NQA (National Quilting Association) have posted this year’s free project for National Quilting Day, which takes place this year on March 20.  Its theme is “Let’s Tie One On…FOR THE TROOPS”, and the site offers plenty of suggestions for creating and donating the quilts.  It’s a great project for guilds and individual quilters alike, and it’s a wonderful way to use up all those scraps we’ve collected while snowed in during the brutal winter months!

 Visit the NQA site for more details on how you can get involved…and Happy Nat’l Quilting Day!!

Or course, we’re especially proud to have our fabrics featured prominently in this issue, starting with Vicki Bellino’s quilt using the American Patriot Collection by Faye Burgos.  If you’ve never thought of using our Strip It designs for hexagon quilts, be sure to see this project!  

In the printed magazine, you’ll also find Homestead Hearth’s patriotic offering, utilizing our American Pastimes & Gallery in Red together.  We love their use of the Gallery in Red Strip-It pattern.  Two great reasons to quilt your way into the new year with patriotic flair!

The Marcus Fabrics Civil War Tribute quilt was designed by Homestead Hearth.  It highlights a variety of sawtooth and star blocks, the perfect showcase for 48 of the collection’s 50 prints. Each of the quilt blocks represents a major battle fought during the war.   Read more…

As an added touch of authenticity, you’ll also want to sew up a few of our Civil War-inspired Buckshot Pincushions, designed by Ellen Highsmith Silver.

Check out the Quick Quilts magazine website for a free project featuring Teresa Kogut’s HALLOWEEN DANCE collection.  It’s a witch motif goodie bag designed by Charlotte O’Leary, perfect for collecting lots of treats on Halloween night!  You might even want to stitch up a few more bags in different fabrics for year-long enjoyment!