Not long to the retreat now and I am sure all of you who are coming cannot wait to sign up for classes and get together all the bits and pieces you will need. We have been working hard behind the scenes to offer a mix of different classes whilst still trying to make sure that we all have time to chat and just hang out over the retreat weekend.

Over the next couple of weeks we will be posting more information about each of the classes. Keep your eyes peeled since once we have posted all the class details we will send out a link to every retreat attendee to sign up for classes.

So without furthermore ado let us begin!

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Lynne Goldsworthy http://lilysquilts.blogspot.com/ www.fatquarterly.com Lynne @ Lilys Quilts on Flickr @LilysQuilts

Touchdraw for iPad by Lynne Goldsworthy (Table Top session)

Learn how to use Touchdraw (a very reasonably priced vector graphics app for iPad) to make buttons, design quilts and blocks, calculate block measurements, re-size blocks and draw up quilt block templates.

Precision Piecing by Lynne Goldsworthy (3 hour Workshop with machines)

Learn how to improve the precision of your piecing. We will be making two class sample blocks and covering cutting, accurate seam allowances, 4-patches, 9-patches, half square triangles, quarter square triangles and economy patches as well as piecing this all together into the 2 sample blocks.

Hello and Happy Easter, everyone!  Thanks for your patience as we’ve wrapped up voting on the first round of this year’s Modern Madness tournament.  After 483 votes, round 1 saw some close races … including the elimination of former tournament champion Jay McCarroll and the early exit of a frontrunner to take it all (Notting Hill) BY THREE VOTES.  But we’re now ready to move on to Round 2.  Have your favorites advanced?  Let’s see below!

Cuzco (271 votes, 56%) def. Textures (212 votes, 44%)

Pearl Bracelets (314 votes, 65%) def. Lucy’s Crab Shack (169 votes, 35%)

Bella (329 votes, 68%) def. Alchemy (154 votes, 32%)

Comma (386 votes, 80%) def. La Dee Dah (97 votes, 20%)

2wenty Thr3e (353 votes, 73%) def. In My Room (130 votes, 27%)

Simpatico (269 votes, 56%) def. Center City (214 votes, 44%)

Simply Color (243 votes, 50%) def. Notting Hill (240 votes, 50%)

Salt Water (354 votes, 73%) def. Frippery (129 votes, 27%)

–

Shelburne Falls (266 votes, 55%) def. Camp Modern (217 votes, 45%)

Noteworthy (327 votes, 68%) def. LilyBelle (156 votes, 32%)

Constellations (290 votes, 60%) def. Heaven & Helsinki (193 votes, 40%)

Sew Stitchy (279 votes, 58%) def. Micro Mod (204 votes, 42%)

Field Study (361 votes, 75%) def. Pam Kitty Morning (122 votes, 25%)

Mama Said Sew (284 votes, 59%) def. Ruby Star Sparkle (199 votes, 41%)

Oh Deer! (352 votes, 73%) def. Seven Wonders (131 votes, 27%)

Bloomsbury Gardens (298 votes, 62%) def. Juggling Summer (185 votes, 38%)

–

Lucky Penny (270 votes, 56%) def. Rock & Romance (213 votes, 44%)

PB&J (334 votes, 69%) def. Wish (149 votes, 31%)

Curious Nature (258 votes, 53%) def. Timber & Leaf (225 votes, 47%)

Marmalade (260 votes, 54%) def. Type (223 votes, 46%)

Chicopee (340 votes, 70%) def. Splendour 1920 (143 votes, 30%)

Color Me Retro (346 votes, 72%) def. Simple Marks (137 votes, 28%)

Honey Honey (286 votes, 59%) def. Mod Squad (197 votes, 41%)

Architextures (385 votes, 80%) def. Luxe in Bloom (98 votes, 20%)

–

Glimma (300 votes, 62%) def. Little Black Dress (183 votes, 38%)

Stamped (286 votes, 59%) def. Happy Drawing / Happy Drawing Too (197 votes, 41%)

Indie (277 votes, 57%) def. Asbury (206 votes, 43%)

Madrona Road (380 votes, 79%) def. Mixteca (103 votes, 21%)

Summersville Spring (328 votes, 68%) def. Freshcut (155 votes, 32%)

Tsuru (298 votes, 62%) def. Urban Cowgirl (185 votes, 32%)

The Birds and the Bees (247 votes, 51%) def. Posy (236 votes, 49%)

Les Amis (261 votes, 54%) def. Winterkist (222 votes, 46%)

–

Congratulations to all winners!  Now here are the match-ups for our second round …

Cuzco by Kate Spain (Moda Fabrics)
vs.
Pearl Bracelets by Lizzy House (Andover Fabrics)

Bella by Lotta Jansdotter (Windham Fabrics)
vs.
Comma by Zen Chic (Moda Fabrics)

2wenty Thr3e by Eric & Julie Comstock (Moda Fabrics)
vs.
Simpatico by Michelle Engel Bencsko (Cloud 9 Fabrics)

Simply Color by V and Co. (Moda Fabrics)
vs.
Salt Water by Tula Pink (FreeSpirit Fabrics)

–

Shelburne Falls by Denyse Schmidt (FreeSpirit Fabrics)
vs.
Noteworthy by Sweetwater (Moda Fabrics)

Constellations by Lizzy House (Andover Fabrics)
vs.
Sew Stitchy by Aneela Hoey (Moda Fabrics)

Field Study by Anna Maria Horner (FreeSpirit Fabrics)
vs.
Mama Said Sew by Sweetwater (Moda Fabrics)

Oh Deer! by Momo (Moda Fabrics)
vs.
Bloomsbury Gardens by Liberty Art Fabrics Lifestyle Collection

–

Lucky Penny by Alison Glass (Andover Fabrics)
vs.
PB&J by BasicGrey (Moda Fabrics)

Curious Nature by Parson Gray (FreeSpirit Fabrics)
vs.
Marmalade by Bonnie & Camille (Moda Fabrics)

Chicopee by Denyse Schmidt (FreeSpirit Fabrics)
vs.
Color Me Retro by Jeni Baker (Art Gallery Fabrics)

Honey Honey by Kate Spain (Moda Fabrics)
vs.
Architextures by Carolyn Friedlander (Robert Kaufman Fabrics)

–

Glimma by Lotta Jansdotter (Windham Fabrics)
vs.
Stamped by Ellen Luckett Baker (Kokka Fabrics)

Indie by Pat Bravo (Art Gallery Fabrics)
vs.
Madrona Road by Violet Craft (Michael Miller Fabrics)

Summersville Spring by Lucie Summers (Moda Fabrics)
vs.
Tsuru by Rashida Coleman-Hale (Cloud 9 Fabrics)

The Birds & the Bees by Tula Pink (FreeSpirit Fabrics)
vs.
Les Amis by Patty Sloniger (Michael Miller Fabrics)

–

Updated brackets can be found here.  Please enter your votes below.  Good luck to ALL!

** NOTE: Voting is now closed. Stay tuned for our next round! **

We hope that you’re enjoying some of the NCAA March Madness basketball action in your home.  It’s been a crazy weekend of upsets already!  To complement the hoops action, we’re ready to open up our Round 1 voting for Modern Madness.

Let the action begin, and don’t forget to vote below for your favorites!

–

Textures by Angela Walters (Art Gallery Fabrics)
vs.
Cuzco by Kate Spain (Moda Fabrics)

Lucy’s Crab Shack by Sweetwater (Moda Fabrics)
vs.
Pearl Bracelets by Lizzy House (Andover Fabrics)

Bella by Lotta Jansdotter (Windham Fabrics)
vs.
Alchemy by Amy Butler (Westminster Fibers)

Comma by Zen Chic (Moda Fabrics)
vs.
La Dee Dah by Erin McMorris (FreeSpirit Fabrics)

2wenty Thr3e by Eric & Julie Comstock (Moda Fabrics)
vs.
In My Room by Jenean Morrison (FreeSpirit Fabrics)

Center City by Jay McCarroll (FreeSpirit Fabrics)
vs.
Simpatico by Michelle Engel Bencsko (Cloud 9 Fabrics)

Notting Hill by Joel Dewberry (FreeSpirit Fabrics)
vs.
Simply Color by V and Co. (Moda Fabrics)

Salt Water by Tula Pink (FreeSpirit Fabrics)
vs.
Frippery by Thomas Knauer (Andover Fabrics)

–

Shelburne Falls by Denyse Schmidt (FreeSpirit Fabrics)
vs.
Camp Modern by Birch Fabrics

LilyBelle by Bari J (Art Gallery Fabrics)
vs.
Noteworthy by Sweetwater (Moda Fabrics)

Constellations by Lizzy House (Andover Fabrics)
vs.
Heaven & Helsinki by Patty Young (Michael Miller Fabrics)

Micro Mod by Rob Bancroft (Cloud 9 Fabrics)
vs.
Sew Stitchy by Aneela Hoey (Moda Fabrics)

Field Study by Anna Maria Horner (FreeSpirit Fabrics)
vs.
Pam Kitty Morning by Pam Vieira-McGinnis (Lakehouse Dry Goods)

Mama Said Sew by Sweetwater (Moda Fabrics)
vs.
Ruby Star Sparkle by Melody Miller (Kokka Fabrics)

Oh Deer! by Momo (Moda Fabrics)
vs.
Seven Wonders by Parson Gray (FreeSpirit Fabrics)

Bloomsbury Gardens by Liberty Art Fabrics Lifestyle Collection
vs.
Juggling Summer by Zen Chic (Moda Fabrics)

–

Rock & Romance by Pat Bravo (Art Gallery Fabrics)
vs.
Lucky Penny by Alison Glass (Andover Fabrics)

PB&J by BasicGrey (Moda Fabrics)
vs.
Wish by Valori Wells (FreeSpirit Fabrics)

Curious Nature by Parson Gray (FreeSpirit Fabrics)
vs.
Timber & Leaf by Sarah Watts (Blend Fabrics)

Type by Julia Rothman (Windham Fabrics)
vs.
Marmalade by Bonnie & Camille (Moda Fabrics)

Splendor 1920 by Bari J (Art Gallery Fabrics)
vs.
Chicopee by Denyse Schmidt (FreeSpirit Fabrics)

Color Me Retro by Jeni Baker (Art Gallery Fabrics)
vs.
Simple Marks by Malka Dubrawsky (Moda Fabrics)

Mod Squad by Dan Stiles (Birch Fabrics)
vs.
Honey Honey by Kate Spain (Moda Fabrics)

Luxe in Bloom by Sarah Watson (Art Gallery Fabrics)
vs.
Architextures by Carolyn Friedlander (Robert Kaufman Fabrics)

–

Little Black Dress by BasicGrey (Moda Fabrics)
vs.
Glimma by Lotta Jansdotter (Windham Fabrics)

Happy Drawing / Happy Drawing Too by Ed Emberley (Cloud 9 Fabrics)
vs.
Stamped by Ellen Luckett Baker (Kokka Fabrics)

Asbury by Thomas Knauer (Andover Fabrics)
vs.
Indie by Pat Bravo (Art Gallery Fabrics)

Madrona Road by Violet Craft (Michael Miller Fabrics)
vs.
Mixteca by Eleanor Grosch (Cloud 9 Fabrics)

Freshcut (reprint) by Heather Bailey (FreeSpirit Fabrics)
vs.
Summersville Spring by Lucie Summers (Moda Fabrics)

Tsuru by Rashida Coleman-Hale (Cloud 9 Fabrics)
vs.
Urban Cowgirl by Urban Chiks (Moda Fabrics)

The Birds & the Bees by Tula Pink (FreeSpirit Fabrics)
vs.
Posy by Aneela Hoey (Moda Fabrics)

Winterkist by Monica Solorio-Snow (Lecien Fabrics)
vs.
Les Amis by Patty Sloniger (Michael Miller Fabrics)

–

Good luck to all 64 of these fantastic fabric lines!

** NOTE: Voting is now closed. Stay tuned for our next round! **

Note: Too small to read, so be sure to download the full-size document below!

They’re here, Modern Madness fans! The 2013 Modern Madness brackets are hot off the presses, featuring a combination of our favorite fabric lines as well as many that you submitted in our last post. There are sure to be some epic battles and the match-ups start SOON, so be sure to print out your brackets and fill them in before the action begins.

Let’s make some early predictions: who do you think will be the 2013 champion?

Edited to add: see some names you don’t recognize?  Don’t worry!  As always, when we post each round’s match-ups, we’ll include designer names and link to the collections.

Download your 2013 Fat Quarterly Modern Madness brackets (PDF).

It’s March, and our longtime readers know what that means. It’s time for Modern Madness, our annual showdown between the year’s favorite fabric lines as determined by Fat Quarterly’s amazingly awesome readership!

Don’t know what Fat Quarterly’s Modern Madness is?  Well, it’s a friendly race to the end for 64 of the past year’s hottest modern fabric lines, facing off in a bracket-style tournament until only one remains.  It’s based on the NCAA college basketball tournament that’s so popular here in the U.S., and you can read more about it here (and catch up on all of our prior years’ action here).

Now before you get too upset, let’s remember that this is all in FUN.  We run Modern Madness with only the best of intentions — to celebrate all of the wonderful designs that we’ve been working with for the past 12 months and, more importantly, to expose our readers to some fabulous fabric lines of which they may have been previously unaware.  And while we like to celebrate the sole survivor, there are no winners or losers in Modern Madness — we’re highlighting ALL of the designers and lines that we love so much.

Who will succeed Ruby and Habitat as 2013′s champion?  The field is still being finalized, but we need your input.  What was your favorite fabric line of the year?  Maybe you have several lines you’d like to see included in the field.  Submit your entries below, and feel free to submit several times.  The highest vote-getters will be assured a spot in the tournament!

** NOTE: Submissions now closed. Thanks for all of the great suggestions! ***

Issue 12 of Fat Quarterly – Pre-Cuts - is out now.

Ever wondered what to make with those layer cakes, jelly rolls, charm packs, F8 and FQ packs you couldn’t resist?

Well this issue will give you lots of ideas from the more complex.

To the very simple, quick and easy.

So go and grab yourself a copy and make sure to add any projects you make from any of our issues to the Fat Quarterly Flickr group or tweet them to us on twitter.

Would you like a challenge?  In the next issue of Fat Quarterly, we thought we would celebrate the way modern quilters love to dig out traditional blocks and give them a fresh, new twist.  Like this Friendship Block pillow made by  Kerry.

So here’s the challenge:  go and find a traditional block, maybe design a variation on a traditional block or even design a brand new block that has a traditional feel.  Like this pillow made by Katy from the Spring Carnival Block.

Let us know which block you have in mind and give us a rough idea of the fabrics you would make it up in.  We will then pick 10 of those to be featured in the next issue of Fat Quarterly.  Another example is the Schoenrock Cross block made by Leila.

What we will need from you, by end March, is a photo of the finished block or project (if you make, for example a pillow from the block) and a short “how-to” of how to make it.  That could include step by step photos or graphic diagrams but should not be longer than about half a page so not too much detail.  And finally how about this pillow made by Tacha.