Follow up on our Quilts for Equity Fundraiser

better world, design, inspiration, quilting

In mid-June we started a two-part fundraising campaign to raise money for the Thurgood Marshall College Fund that supports students and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). We auctioned our Outside the Box quilt on eBay and set up a charity GoFundMe for Thurgood Marshall College Fund. Our delay in reporting back the results of the fundraiser resulted from a hold that eBay put on the funds because the winning bid was considered a high-ticket item. However we can officially announce that together with you we have raised a total of $2,750 for Thurgood Marshall College Fund and the final payment will be made tomorrow. We are so appreciative of all of the donations that were raised for this worthy charity, which is highly ranked for its management on Charity Navigator.

We launched this fundraiser to draw attention to the chronic underfunding of education in Black communities and are grateful for your help in raising these funds for HBCUs, which have been especially hard-hit during Covid-19. The winning bid for our Outside the Box quilt was $1,300 by a bidder who purchased it in memory of a friend and has asked that it be donated to the International Quilt Museum where it will be kept with our Pick-Up Sticks quilt, which we donated last year as the first Modern quilt in their collection.

We will continue to look for ways to use our work and resources to improve equity for those whose voices have gone unheard for far too long. If you missed our fundraiser and would like to donate directly to Thurgood Marshall College Fund, click here.

20 Years and Counting

design, fabric, general crafts, inspiration, just a thought, needlework, quilting, sewing

Happy New Year friends. It’s going to be a big year for us as we celebrate our 20th anniversary in May. There will be special events, new products, new online tutorials, new classes, new publications and lots of new fabric throughout the year as we mark this important milestone. Many of you have cheered us on since the beginning and we’d love to hear what’s of interest to you.

Mostly we want to help you find time and space in your life to make things that bring joy to you and your loved ones. It doesn’t matter to us if it’s modern. It doesn’t matter if it’s made with our patterns. It doesn’t matter if it wins ribbons or gets accepted to prestigious shows. What we know for certain is that the art of making things is an inherently optimistic pursuit. Who couldn’t use a little optimism at the start of a new year? Regardless of how the rest of your day or year has gone, there’s a wonder in our eyes and minds when we’re making things. We need more of that.

So as we start this first day of 2019, join us in committing to a year of great making. Let’s clear space in our homes, our minds and our days to make whatever brings you joy for even 30 minutes per week. Even daydreaming about projects counts! Let’s make 2019 the year we take a cold, hard look at the barriers that get in our way of making and commit to removing those obstacles. We’ll do our best to share our tips throughout the year for everything from taming your stash to helping you figure out what to do with all of those UFOs. Let us know on our Instagram and Facebook pages as well as in the comments below, how we can help you to have a great year of sewing, quilting and making. Fresh starts. New possibilities. Ready, set, go!

#MyYearinQuilts

design, general crafts, inspiration, quilting

We wanted to start a new tradition that encourages quilters to reflect on their year of quilting, to celebrate each other’s successes and to encourage each other to try something new in the New Year. We envisioned an online holiday party of sorts (that you can attend in your pajamas!) in which quilters around the world would share what they’ve been working on and what they’ve learned in 2018.

So we launched #MyYearinQuilts on December 1 on Instagram and Facebook. If you haven’t joined us yet, all you have to do is to post a picture relating to the daily prompts above and share it on any social media platform using the hashtag #MyYearinQuilts. You can also follow the same hashtag to see what others are posting. If you miss a day or a week, no worries. Just post when you can.

We hope you’ve had a good year. Thanks to all of you for the encouragement and enthusiasm for our work this year. Next year marks 20 years for our business and we have a LOT of fun in store for you!