Whats New at The Cotton Patch

Fabric Palettes 2008 has arrived

2008-03-31T13:14:00.000-07:00

Our new Fabric Palettes Catalogue for 2008 has now been printed and is being sent out. There are lots of new fabrics showcased and Nik has ben working hard to get all the fabrics and packs ready. We have lots of new ranges such as Textures, Leaves and Country Store as well as many more fat quarter packs including over 20 twenty Kaffe Fassett packs.

Strip rolls have been very popular recently and we have a number of new books which highlight projects that you can make with them. We also have a new Strip Roll template set from Marti Michell which can help you easily turn your strips into finshed quilts. Finally we have eight new Strip Rolls which focus on a number of our fabric ranges.

Tonga Batiks Strip Roll

Brief details on the fabrics and where to find them on our online store can be found here.

Kaffe Fassett Paperweight Fat Quarter Pack (Q1237, £19.20)

We hope that you enjoy our new Fabrics

Happy Easter Holidays

2008-03-20T11:13:00.000-07:00

Well it looks as if it may be a cold and damp Easter break here in the UK, so best be surrounded by as many Easter Eggs as possible, and if that fails some of your favourite needlework projects.

Today I have put up two new fabric ranges, Lotus Hana and Passion Fruit. Both of them feature a palette of purples and lavenders but they are very different prints. Personally I think the Lotus Hana (also see the Hana range which will be one of our Fabric Palettes for 2008) is a lovely range of fabrics.

Lotus Hana 1

Passion Fruit 3 by Hoffman Fabrics

I have added a number of new Kaffe Fassett Fat Quarter Packs to the Kaffe Fassett area. If you have a favourite design from Kaffe then you can now sample his fabrics as fat quarters.

Kimino Fat Quarter Pack

Finally we have an offer for 2008 for fabrics purchased through the Bargain Basics Club. Members receive each quarter a pack of 25, 100% cotton fabrics. Further quantities of these fabrics can be purchased at the reduced price of £5.40/m from £6/m for 2008. Full details can be found on our Bargain Basics Club Page.

Country Store Fabrics - Patchwork Fabrics

2008-03-07T10:36:00.000-08:00

Another completely new range we have just launched is our Country Store range. These are small scale designs such as dots, stars, small flowers and checks in warm, country colours. There are 30 fabrics available by the metre or as fat quarter packs, a charm pack and special collection pack or as one of our new strip rolls with 30 fabrics cut to 2 1/2" strips.

Oriental Fabrics

2008-03-07T04:14:00.000-08:00

We have a new range of Oriental-inspired patchwork fabrics called Hana. Groups of the fabric are available as four fat quarter packs or as a Special Collection pack, or you can buy them individually by the metre. A lovely fabric range with a fine metallic overprint.

Strip Rolls and Books for fast and easy quilts

2008-02-29T08:13:00.000-08:00

We have a number of new pattern books for Strip Rolls, the pre-cut 2 1/2" fabric strips which have grown in popularity over the last year. There is now a new section in our book store devoted to strip roll pattern books, and there are a number of new books, inculding Strip Delight by Suzanne McNeil. An example of one of the quilts that can be made is shown above.

We also have started to produce our own Strip Rolls, and the first five are now available. These Strip Rolls contain 30 fabrics from a variety of our ranges. Shown below is our Florals Strip Roll ref J1950 at £16.95. Full details on our Strip Rolls can be found here.

We also continue to sell Moda 'Jelly' Rolls and we now have in the Natural Garden Strip Roll (shown below) which has 40 fabrics, J2006, £24.95.

We also have a new 2 1/2" Strippers template set from Marti Michell to help with cutting seven shapes, such as hexagon, 45 degree diamond and conehead from your 2 1/2" strips. These can then be used to make blocks such as Grandmother's Flower Garden, Six Pointed Star and Tumbling Blocks.

New Daylight Lamps for Crafters

2008-02-27T07:57:00.000-08:00

We have two new Daylight Light Company lamps to help you with great colour matching for your craft projects. Shown above is the new rechargeable Freedom battery lamp allowing you to take a Daylight quality lamp with you to classes and around your home. The Twin Fluorescent Lamps versatile arm allows you to position the Daylight light just where you need it.

Sidewinder Bobbin Winder

2008-02-14T02:04:00.000-08:00

We have a new neat little gadget from Wrights called the Side Winder - Portable Bobbin Winder. This little portable machine allows you to wind and fill sewing machine bobbins quickly and easily without having to un-thread the sewing machine. In the UK, the Sidewinder will work off two AA batteries.

For sewing, quilting or crafting, let the SideWinder keep your creativity flowing!
1. Put the thread on the spindle.
2. Wind the thread to bobbin.
3. Push button to start.

Hoffman Challenge 2008 Fabrics

2008-02-12T01:30:00.000-08:00

The fabrics for the popular Hoffman Challenge for 2008 have now arrived and are available. There are four fabrics and they can be purchased as a fat quarter pack or as individual fabrics. I have put the rules of entry for the Challenge on the bottom of the fabric page. Further details can be obtained from Grosvenor Exhibitions who organise the Hoffman Challenge on 01775 712100

Christmas Project Books for Patchwork & Quilting

2008-01-15T09:23:00.000-08:00

I know Christmas has just finished but we have had a number of new Christmas Project Books in recently. What better way to ensure that you actually finish those Christmas projects than by starting the planning phase early.!!!

Christmas Street... Countdown to Christmas (ref: 4532) is a Thimbleberries book with projects such as Mitten 9-Patch, Snow Flurries Stocking, Village Square Tree Skirt, Christmas Snowmen Wall Quilt, Snow Neighbours Runner, and the Window Wreath Wall Quilt.

Other new Christmas Books include More Joy to the World (4525), Star of Wonder (4527), Christmas with Artful Offerings (4522) and Comfort and Joy, 14 Quilts for Christmas (4520).

Wasabi Fabrics

2008-01-15T01:54:00.000-08:00

We have eight new fabrics in our Far East section. Delicate coordinated Japanese-style fabrics in purples and limes.

January Sale

2008-01-04T10:58:00.001-08:00

The Cotton Patch Sale starts on January 4th and there are some great deals on patchwork and quilting fabric as we clear our shelves for new fabric ranges. There are also notions and books on sale and our discounted prices on a range of Daylight lamps continues.

We have also relaunched our Bargain Fabrics section with over hundred new fabrics and we will be adding a further 400 fabrics over the course of January. These are quality fabrics at the great Introductory price of just £5.40 per metre.

Extra Wide Quilt Backs

2007-12-17T05:58:00.000-08:00

We have expanded our range of extra wide quilt back fabrics to help you finish off your quilts. They come in a range of styles, including subtle batiks. There is also a new Quilt Backs sample pack, C1400, so that you can sample our range.

New Stencils and Books

2007-12-13T04:35:00.000-08:00

Well it has been a few weeks since I have had a chance to update the What's New Blog. I was down in London for a week and since then we have all been very busy here dealing with the Christmas rush. But we had a delivery on Tuesday with some new products so I have put them up now.

There is a new range of quilting stencils from Lynette Jensen's Thimbleberries. The stencils come in a range of sizes to fit different blocks and there are a number of designs, many with a floral theme. Illustrated is a 7" Burr Oak design.

We also have a number of new books, including two that focus on combining photographic images with fabrics. Innovative Fabric Imagery for Quilts by Rymer and Koolish, is a must-have guide to transforming and printing your favourite images on fabric. Ref: 4544. £16.95.

Altered Photo Artistry by Wheeler and Marquette. Looks at how to step outside the frame and make fabulous fabric art from photos and scans. Ref: 4543 £15.95

They'll never believe you started with a snapshot! This comprehensive guide shows you everything you need to know about creating awesome art with a computer, printer, scanner, and sewing machine. Beth and Lori guide you from choosing the right fabrics and equipment, to enhancing your images with the artistic filters in Photoshop Elements® and other computer software, printing in large and small sizes, and free-motion quilting your creation. The result: art that will take your breath away.

Hessian wrapping for overwintering your delicate plants

2007-11-25T06:17:00.000-08:00

Last year on Gardeners' World, Monty Don mentioned using Hessian as a way of keeping your plants wrapped up warm over the winter. Well it has definitely been a bit cold of late and I had quite hard frosts during the week. This weekend I finished off wrapping my plants in hessian and taking the pots away from exposed places. The photo shows a variegated fuchsia, pruned back and wrapped up for winter.

The great thing about hessian is that it feels so much more of a natural product than artificial fleece. You can also put in the bottom of pots and then add crock to improve drainage, or use it as a protection when you are working on lawn areas.

I do have an advantage as I can pick hessian up from the shop, but it is available to order online and we now sell hessian by the bolt, so you can pick up 25m at a time if you have a large garden!

Hessian can also be used to protect tree ferns and in this article Dan Booth explains his method for using hessian and straw to protect the tree ferns at Brodswroth Hall

New Fabric Clubs

2007-11-16T10:46:00.000-08:00

We have three new exciting Fabric Clubs launched in our new Newsletter. Free Spirit, Far East and Hoffman are all intended to keep you up to date with a number of fabric ranges. They provide you with fat quarter packs quarterly through the year with different styles depending upon the club. Free Spirit concentrates on bold and contemporary fabrics from Free Spirit in America. Far East fat quarter packs will reflect Oriental - Chinese and Japanese fabric imagery. Whilst Hoffman will provide you with a selection of fat quarters from the Hoffman company. Further fabrics can be purchased by the metre.

Mother Earth and other New Books

2007-11-13T03:23:00.000-08:00

There are a number of new books on the website, with new works on Christmas quilts, using Strip Rolls, and Japanese Bags.

There is one book though that stands out as being slightly different to most of our books, a lovely illustrated tale called Mother Earth and Her Children. A Quilted Fairy Tale. Ref: 4528. £9.95

Written over 100 years ago and newly illustrated with an award-winning handmade quilt, this enchanting story celebrates nature's changing seasons.
Deep below the ground, Mother Earth rouses her sleepy children. The little ones ready themselves for spring, then join a jubilant procession of bugs and beetles up into the summer meadows. With each colorful turn of the page, the children discover new surprises waiting just for them.

In rhyming verse and vibrant illustrations, this enchanting story captivates the imagination of the youngest readers, gently leading them to make their own discoveries outdoors.
"Young children will delight in this playful romp through nature's seasons. Sieglinde Schoen Smith's wonderful quilt makes the story shine!" Jinny Beyer, quilting expert and author

Sibylle von Olfers is the author of the original German folk tale, "Etwas von den Wurzelkindern," which sold more than 800,000 copies when it was first published in 1906. Exactly a century later, Sieglinde Schoen Smith's quilted interpretation, Mother Earth and Her Children, won the top prize at America's most prestigious quilt show, inspiring this new translation. Jack Zipes (University of Minnesota) is the foremost expert on folklore in the United States. His works include the definitive English-language translation of The Complete Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm.

Cloth with jacket, 32 pages, 9" x 10"
Mother Earth and her Children: A Quilted Fairy Tale Ref: 4528

Thimbleberries Quilt Club 2008

2007-11-09T04:45:00.000-08:00

We are delighted to announce the 2008 Block of the Month program from Thimbleberries. The 2007 programme attracted our largest ever number of subscribers and was fully subscribed so book early to avoid disappointment!

2008 marks the ninth year we have run this popular and successful Block-of-the-Month program. This year there is even more choice with the option of making the Big Club Quilt in one of two colourways - Lodge or Lakeside - or to complete four quarterly projects instead. Or you could do both!

For further details visit the Thimbleberries Quilt Club 2008 page

Zen Japanese "Taupe" fabrics

2007-11-08T04:40:00.001-08:00

Japanese "Taupe" fabrics are one of my favourite ranges, I love the combinations of subtle, complimentary cream, fawn and brown designs. This new range of Zen fabrics may not offer the finer finish of fabrics printed in Japan, but they are still great designs and are at a fantastic price of £7.40/metre. There are thirty six fabrics in all, available as a Charm or Special Collection pack, as six fat quarter packs or individually by the metre.

Nancy Halvorsen Panels

2007-11-07T06:31:00.000-08:00

We have two new panels from Nancy Halvorsen. The panels, both approximately 60cm x 112cm, are in her classic whimsical style.

Ref 1848-1, £5.50 and 1848-2, £5.50

Nancy Halvorsen Panels

New Mighty Bright Xtraflex2 Colours

2007-11-07T02:00:00.000-08:00

We have expanded the range of colours of the great little clip on light the Xtraflex2 from Mighty Bright. We now have the Xtraflex2 in Blue, Purple, Pink and Black as well as Silver. You can clip these lights on hoops and frames, or on to your sewing machine to provide extra light. They are very versatile and you can clip them on to a book and use it as a book light in bed without disturbing your partner as you thumb through the latest quilt book.

At the weekend I was doing some plumbing, and it was great for clipping on to a pipe and giving light on those hard to reach places. We keep one in the car and use it for map reading without disturbing the driver.

Quilt Pink II from Moda

2007-11-06T02:48:00.000-08:00

Moda has produced a new range of fabrics for its successful Quilt Pink initiative, which ran last year. Quilt Pink is a US sponsored event to benefit breast cancer research, so for our part The Cotton Patch made a donation from our Quilt Pink sales to St. Mary's Hospice, which is a local Birmingham-based charity.

We have a Charm Pack of 25 fabrics as well as a fat quarter pack and 13 pink fabrics by the metre. The fabrics are priced £9/m and we will donate 50p for every metre sold.
Moda Quilt Pink fabrics

New Batik Fabrics

2007-11-05T02:30:00.000-08:00

Our extensive Batik fabric range has been further enhanced with eight new Batiks (refs 1697 1-8). From burnt orange to deep blues, these Benartex fabrics are deep and vibrant colours.

Shown is Batik 1697-1, available by the quarter metre.

Kaffe Fassett 5-for-4 Fat Quarter Packs

2007-11-04T07:57:00.000-08:00

We have some great offers on Fat Quarter Packs featuring Kaffe Fassett designed fabrics. Buy five fat quarters for the price of four, saving you £2.40 on the pack.

There are five Kaffe Fassett packs. There are also deals on other Rowan Designers with six fat quarter packs from Martha Negley, Philip Jacobs and Carla Miller.