Hoffman Happenings

Want the scoop on Hoffman Fabrics? You've come to the right place! Here's the latest news and events involving Hoffman screenprints and Bali Batiks. You can also follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/HoffmanFabrics.

Tah-dah! The 2011 Hoffman Challenge Fabric

H8709 98G Moss Gold has been selected as our 2011 Hoffman Challenge Fabric. It features a 24" repeat, which offers plenty of opportunities for creativity in designing and making a quilt, garment, doll or accessory to enter in our 24th annual contest. Get a close-up look at Hoffman Challenge Fabric & Coordinates. For information on entering the contest, please visit the Hoffman Challenge website, which is maintained by contest curator Julie Breidt.

Catch the return of 'Tradewinds'

Daniela Stout of www.cozyquilt.com graciously allowed us to repost the Tradewinds quilt pattern created for Hoffman Bali Pops® in our Free Quilt Patterns Gallery. The pattern was a big hit when we introduced our "second generation" of Hoffman Bali Pops. Of course the pattern can be used with any color way of Bali Pops, including the new "3G" group.  See all the "delish" packs of our 2-1/2" batik strips in our Pre-cut Bali Fabrics category. Head to our Free Quilt Patterns page to download Cozy Quilt's Breaking Waves and Tradewinds patterns. For more ways to create with Bali Pops™, look for the many for-sale quilt patterns and/or books by designers such as Larene Smith of The Quilted Button, Stephanie Prescott of A Quilter's Dream, Brenda Henning of Bear Paw Productions (www.bearpawproductions.com), Suzanne McNeill of Design Originals (www.d-originals.com), and Trisha Stuart of Twisted Threads(www.twthreads.com).

McKenna Ryan's 'Sand In My Shoes'

Our signature designer presents another amazing screenprint collection with Sand In My Shoes by McKenna Ryan. Rich color washes, pearl-lacquer accents, photorealistic details and a luminescent look are what McKenna is known for, and she doesn't disappoint with this gorgeous group! Fabrics will be arriving in stores this October. Two jaw-dropping quilt patterns designed for SIMS are available from our Free Quilt Patterns Gallery. In addition, McKenna is finalizing a nine-block series of patterns called Beach Walk that celebrates the beach lifestyle. Check periodically on her Pine Needles Designs website for the addition of these patterns and order information.

Fresh takes on 'Willow' & 'Glacier Lights'

Enjoy two of our best-selling signature screenprint lines in an entirely new way. Glacier Lights by McKenna Ryan and Willow by McKenna Ryan show a different side of their gorgeous color ways and texture designs as part of three quilt designs: Glacier Moon, Willow Garden (shown left) and Springtime Willow. These patterns can be downloaded from our Free Quilt Patterns gallery. Consumers: Please ask for the Willow and Glacier Lights collections at your favorite independent quilt shop. Retailers: Please contact Customer Service or your regional sales reps if you need to restock these fabrics and At Home in the Woods by McKenna Ryan, a few of which are used in the quilt designs.

Sewing tip for Hoffman Bali Pops®

The brilliant quilt designer/pattern maker Brenda Henning of  Bear Paw Productions has come up with an effective and practical sewing technique for dealing with slight variations of strip width found on occasion in some packs of Bali Pops. (Being the strips are cut by hand without the use of a laser cutter, slight variations can occur.) Brenda explains the technique in her upcoming pattern book, Strip Therapy V. She has kindly offered the page from the book for us to share with our customers. Download her instructions by clicking on sewing strips.

Hoffman Bali Pops project designer's website

Carol McLeod of Aunties Two, designer of all those great handbag and home-dec patterns using Hoffman Bali Pops®, has launched a website. You can place orders for her patterns at Aunties Two. Carol and her colleague in Pops projects, Susan Pennoyer of Common Thread Designs, will present a Schoolhouse session on their new Spring 2010 designs using Hoffman 2-1/2" strips at the upcoming Minneapolis Quilt Market. The session will be held from 3:05-3:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 20, in Room 205D. If you're attending market, you don't want to miss their creative ideas and technique tips!

Keeping up with McKenna Ryan We just got hold of a YouTube video featuring Jodie Davis, who chatted up our prolific designer McKenna Ryan at last fall's Houston Quilt Market. Click on McKenna interview to listen as she talks about her new art-quilt series All Cooped Up and Lake Forest. See swatches of the fabrics used by clicking on Lake Forest, Back On The Farm and McKenna Ryan Signature Batiks. For help placing a fabric order, please speak to one of our customer service pros at (800) 547-0100. We have preprinted order forms that explain how much yardage is needed to create kits. And finally, to order McKenna's art-quilt patterns, visit her website at Pine Needles Designs Inc. or call her at (800) 728-2278. She offers an easy-to-teach-and-merchandise kit program to quilt shops owners.

Another great Hoffman custom batik for a shop hop!

Here's a close-up of a custom batik we did for a group of 11 Kansas City-area quilt shops holding a shop hop April 8-11. Kansas City is known as "the city of fountains," and of course is famous for its jazz history, so how apropos that the design motif combined musical notes and water splashes. To see a large swatch of the fabric, click on Kansas City Shop Hop.  To learn more about Hoffman California Fabrics' custom-batik and custom-screenprint program, please contact sales director Micheal Bourlard at (800) 547-0100, Ext. 221 or micheal@hoffmanfabrics.net.

 

Fresh, new fat quarters launch ... Yummy!

INTRODUCING NEW FAT-QUARTER BUNDLES! Take a look at the 9 fat-quarter bundles of Hoffman Series 1895 Handpaints and 10 fat-quarter bundles of Hoffman Bali Batiks. Lots of ceative possibilities packed in convenient bundles! View all the color ways at Pre-cut Bali Fabrics. We have two fat-quarter-friendly projects available to download from our Free Quilt Patterns gallery. They are the Go With The Flow quilt pattern by Stephanie Prescott of A Quilter's Dream and the Get Hip And Be Square pattern by Larene Smith of The Quilted Button.

Hoffman Challenge welcomes new curator

Julie Breidt, a quilter and apprentice to longtime Hoffman Challenge curator Kelly Gallagher-Abbott, takes the reins of the popular competition that is co-sponsored by Sulky Thread of America.   "What a thrill to work with such a multitude of beautiful garments and accessories and quilts and dolls that are entered. I look forward to working with the many guilds, shops and other exhibitors to increase the opportunity for people to see the Hoffman Challenge displayed near them," Julie said. Learn more by clicking on Julie Breidt bio.   Kelly made the difficult decision to step down as Hoffman Challenge curator in order to complete a master's degree in nursing and to organize a one-time quilt challenge sponsored by the Naval Aviation Foundation. Read more from Kelly on the home page of the Hoffman Challenge.    "We greatly appreciate all of Kelly's dedicated efforts in helping Hoffman California Fabrics encourage and educate quilters and sewists around the country and Canada, and indeed, around the world," said Tony Hoffman, president of Hoffman California Fabrics, International.

Hoffman presents 2010 'Best of Show' Grand Prize

The $3,000 grand prize offered by Hoffman Fabrics for the Best of Show Quilt at the 2010 Road to California Quilters Conference & Showcase went to "Seasonal Sisters," created by Annette Hendricks, Gail E. Thomas and Helen Godden.   According to the artists' description: "This international collaboration combines the efforts of an American, a Canadian and an Australian. It is hand-dyed, painted, fused, appliquéd, embellished, free-motion embroidered and free-motion quilted. It represents the beauty of the seasons (winter is on the back.)" To see a larger image of "Seasonal Sisters" and those of other winning entries, click on Road2CA for the annual quilters' conference website.

McKenna Ryan breaks new creative ground with a new art-quilt series using her specially designed signature Hoffman Bali Batiks. These batiks show wood grain, chicken wire, acorn branches and other wonderful textures. McKenna calls her new batik line The Daisy Mae Collection. View swatches by clicking McKenna Ryan Signature Batiks. McKenna's batiks were created for making her just released, farm-themed All Cooped Up pieced-quilt and art-block series. The fabrics are infinitely mix-and-matchable for fast-and-fun piecing and whipping up framed blocks for home-decor wall art. McKenna's signature batiks for Hoffman Fabrics also bring to life her beautiful, woodland-themed Lake Forest series that was issued over the summer. View McKenna's newest art-quilt designs by clicking on McKenna Ryan Designer Fabrics page. For more information about McKenna, her quilt art and her patterns, visit her website at Pine Needles.

By popular demand! Series 1895 fat quarters

Our wholesale customers can take advantage of purchasing our gorgeous Series 1895 watercolor handpaints as precut fat quarters. The complete set  includes 325 individual hues. Wowza!  Our beautifully colored Series 1895 watercolors are made by hand in Bali, Indonesia for your quilting pleasure. See our incredible variety of hues by clicking on Bali Hand-dyed Watercolors (Style #1895). Then check out one of our free patterns that uses all 1895s, the fun and fabulous Get Hip And Be Square pattern by Larene Smith of The Quilted Button.   Wholesale customers: you'll find info on purchasing this set under Pre-cut Bali Fabrics when you access your online account.

McKenna Ryan Arrives 'Back On The Farm'

Hoffman California Fabrics’ signature designer McKenna Ryan makes a glorious return visit to her popular Storybook Farm series by recasting its characters to take part in her new and delightful Back On The Farm. The nine-block series celebrates friendship with barnyard residents pictured in whimsical scenes.   Like McKenna’s other series projects, Back on the Farm can be made in its entirety or as separate blocks that stand alone beautifully and can be used as wall hangings and other home décor pieces. In its entirety, the completed project measures 61½ inches wide by 71½ inches tall. Featured are:   • Autumn Stroll – Horses, sheep and geese have the run of hilly farmland. • Swing Low – Kitty cat takes in the view from a tree swing. • Pigs in a Blanket – Thrice the fun! • Rub-a-dub-dub – Geese, pig and goat belly up to the washtub. • Piggyback Ride – Cow is the anchor for this acrobatic accomplishment! • Behind the Scenes – Horse, geese, pig and rooster congregate in the barn. • The Hills are Alive! – Sheep and horse relax in the fields. • Home to Roost - Roosters, chickens and chicks, of course! • Munch-a-Bunch! – Goat gets busy mowing down sunflowers.   To view swatches, click on Hoffman Bali Fabrics. To see all the blocks in the series and more of McKenna's work, go to her website by clicking on Pine Needles.

'Majestic Splendor' from Letitia Hutchings

Holiday magic doesn't come much prettier! Hoffman Fabrics’ signature designer Letitia Hutchings has just issued Majestic Splendor, a trio of Nature-inspired quilt patterns that celebrates the beauty of winter.   Letitia cherry-picked Hoffman Fabrics’ seasonal batiks in designing the three quilt projects that make up the Majestic Splendor group.  The projects capture gorgeous woodland scenes with Letitia’s clever combinations of Hoffman’s vivid and crisp batiks featuring swirl, diamond, star, berry, pinetree, snowflake and poinsettia motifs, as well as our richly textured handpaints. View our spirited collection at Seasonal Bali Handpaints and Batiks.   Majestic Splendor in its entirety is made up of three blocks: Christmas Carol featuring cardinals and holiday ornaments, Peaceful Enchantment featuring a pair of cardinals and a squirrel, and Winter Frolic showing a family of deer. To order Letitia's patterns and learn more about her design work and programs for independent quilt shops, please visit her website at  Mt. Redoubt Designs.

'Once Upon a Star' by McKenna Ryan

Like kids anticipating what they’ll find under the Christmas tree, quilters every fall look forward to starting on a new and amazing holiday art quilt by McKenna Ryan. Their high expectations are exceeded every year, as McKenna delivers delightful motifs and whimsical storylines in her art quilts. McKenna's Once Upon A Star is an art quilt that radiates with warm wishes for a bright and merry holiday season. The quilt brings together individual scenic blocks of creatures frolicking in a winter wonderland.  (Click on image for a large view of panel.)   Once Upon A Star can be made in its entirety or as separate blocks that stand alone beautifully and can be used as wall hangings and other home décor pieces. The blocks include:  "All Wrapped Up!" – A baby penguin pops from a tower of presents. “Puffer Up!” – Two beluga whales come in for a kiss under the mistletoe held aloft by a puffin. “Decked Out for the Holly-days” – A white seal shows off his wreath-as-neckwear look. “The More the Merrier” – Santa drives a boat carrying a polar bear, puffins, Christmas tree and presents. “Sealed with a Twist” – Scarf-wearing seals get in the circus act by balancing giant ornaments. “Land of the Midnight Fun” – A trio of polar bears indulge in a snowball fight. “Holy Mackerel!” – Puffins enjoy a Christmas stocking filled with fish. “Walrus You a Merry Christmas” – A tusky walrus is the driver of a sleigh powered by mama polar bear carrying her cub and five penguins.  To see all the blocks in the series, go to McKenna's website at Pine Needles.