Market, Baby!–Part 2

Today’s Market report includes info from both Melissa and Tracy Mooney, GenQ’s associate editor. And can we just say right now that there’s no way to tell you everything? No. Way. At. All. But we will lead off the fun with this rare candid shot of four of modern fabric’s designing boys.  There they were, all in one spot, joking around. Snap!

From left, Kaffe Fassett and Brandon Mably of the Kaffe Fassett Collective; Joel Dewberry, and David Butler. All are designers for Westminster/Rowan.

Some of the Market color news we always enjoy comes from Michael Miller Fabrics’ Kathy Miller and her color forecast. She’s a wealth of information on how color travels throughout the marketplace, and here’s what she’s predicting for the near-term future:

Citron-Gray

Cream Puff

Jewel Tones

Lagoon

Urban Grit

Neon

Sorbet

Pastels

And here’s an overview of more Market news by category:

Trends

• More letters, text and type…gonna be huge!
• Hexagons
• Parallelograms
• Dots are still popping strong
• Mustaches
• Embroidery, cross stitch and “over-stitching”on fabric
• Solids, solids and more solids!
• Snails and raccoons join foxes, hedgehogs and owls as creatures in demand
• More panel prints, including Angela Walters’ panel in her new line for Art Gallery Fabrics. (It can be used for machine quilting practice and/or just plain sewing fun!)

This print in Timeless Treasure's Haberdasher combines two top trends: dots and 'staches.

New products or processes we thought were cool

• QTC by Lecien is a clear, sticky “paper” that can be drawn on or put through an inkjet printer, then stuck on fabric and stitched through, either by hand or machine. Then you simply rinse it away. Looks really cool!
• Amy Butler’s ribbon collection with Reannaissance, all coordinating with her various fabric collections
• Designer’s Gallery and AccuQuilt have partnered up. AccuQuilt’s die shapes can now be imported into Designer’s Gallery machine embroidery software and used to create stitching for so-easy machine appliqués, quilt labels and more.

Heard on the floor

Robert Kaufman will soon be selling die-cut hexies, and Michael Miller is reportedly looking at offering die-cut hexies and circles. Cool!

Many fabric houses have snagged new designers, some brand-new to the biz and others already with popular followings. Andover’s new roster includes Jesus Cruz, Weeks Ringle and Bill Kerr, Jamie Kalvestran and Jane Dixon. Windham has just picked up Carrie Bloomston, Heather Ross and Amy Sedaris. Carrie’s and Heather’s debut Windham lines are scheduled for release in April 2013. Moda debuted Stephanie Ryan and Mary Jane Butters, the latter of Mary Jane’s Farm magazine fame.

New Lines & Fabrications

• Salt Water by Tula Pink
• Asbury  by Thomas Knauer
• Oh, pretty much everything by Art Gallery Fabrics, including Rock ‘n Romance, Luxe in Bloom, Color Me Retro, Textures and Splendor 1920
• Amy Butler’s organic Alchemy line, including its decorator weight linen-rayon and the apparel weight rayon challis
• Bekko by Trenna Travis, a new designer with Michael Miller Fabrics, debuted a line of strong stripes and geometrics, all in a sensuous sateen

Tula Pink's new line, Salt Water

New Patterns (drop in the proverbial bucket, people)

• Hex On The Beach Kit by Tula Pink. It’s pre-cut fabric and paper hexagons. Fabulous!
• Needlepoint designs by Anna Maria Horner
• Zen Chic’s new patterns, including It’s a Plus and Dance With Me
• Lila Tueller’s clothing/coat patterns

Booth Fun

• Bari J’s totally ruffled bedspread…incredible!
• David Butler’s Parson Gray booth…defines “rustic modern!”
• The spider-studded, strippy mummies by Me and My Sister Designs

 People We Loved Seeing

Duh, everyone! So there’s really no way this section can be complete. But we did get a few fun snaps we’d like to share.

Heather Givans of Crimson Tate::Modern Quilter

Thomas Knauer and GenQ's Tracy Mooney

Julie Herman of Jaybird Quilts, at her book signing for Skip the Borders! And she's signing for Robin Cockrell of Quilts Ole in Corrales, NM...one of the shops in GenQ Editor-in-Chief Melissa's home town. Small, small world!

Valori Wells

Wellll, that’s all for now, Q-Bies. As we dig further into our Market treasure boxes, there’s bound to be more, and you’ll find it woven into the pages of GenQ and here on the blog.

(And we’re already looking forward to 2013 Spring Market in Portland!)