Despite the summer sizzle, the winter months are not that far away.  If July and August are too hot for you, you can evoke your own cooling trend.  Snow Day conjures the calm and delightful feelings that only freshly fallen snow gives you.  This collection can be utilized for table runners, placemats, napkins and aprons to all sorts of holiday wall hangings, tree skirts and stockings.  The beauty of it is that it can call forth the holidays, or just whisper of wintertime.

Click on the image to see the full collection.

Either way, it's time to start creating that warm and cozy feeling that those snowy nights try to take away.  We have two great projects for you to try, or you can take the fabric and ski off in your own direction.

Click on the quilts to download the free patterns!

Be merry with holiday decor, or warm yourself by the fire when night falls as this amiable New England town slowly goes to sleep. 
You'll never want winter to end!   

Summer is here, and what better way to decorate and design than to use a contemporary, rich colored collection that pays homage to the beautiful spring flowers?

Fleur Graphique  is a sophisticated collection with a graphic quality and detail that gives the feeling of multiple floral arrangements being melded together.  The cohesive unit, offered  in three colorways of purple, pink and gold, is perfect for mixing pieces to form your desired patterns.  A great way to bring that summer feeling into your home is to create a delightful pillowcase, or even a handbag to match your sundress. 

Click on the picture below  to check out quilter Larene Smith's flowery quilt. 

Also, be on the lookout for Fleur Graphique to be featured in the November 2010 issue of The Quilter, where Susan Schwarting has done an impeccable job of bringing this collection to life. 

We recently returned from the Quilt Market in Minneapolis and it was an incredibly successful show.

Click here  to catch a glimpse of some Market photos on our Facebook page,
(here if you don't have a Facebook account)  including the new Bear Essentials basics line (above).  Two of the collections that were unveiled are on their way to the shops as we speak.

The first, The Fine Print, is a repro shirting collection that was produced due to popular demand and it will certainly never go out of style.  Available in black, tan, brown, red and navy, the deep colors and flowing patterns can be utilized in a variety of different ways, from creating a traditional quilt to being a supporting piece in a more vibrant, contemporary design. Click on the image below to see what the full collection entails:

The second collection, Pen & Ink, is almost equivocal to optical illusions with the black, white and gray contrasting colors forming patterns of pure fluidity.  This collection is perfect on its own for a vivacious and attractive quilt, or it can easily be paired with other colorful solids or small textures like the upcoming Bear Essentials for a visually pleasing result.  Click on the image below to view the full collection: 

Sneak a peek at Sing A Song by Sue Garman, an extremely bright and youthful collection and Nellie's Garden by Nancy Mahoney, a very clean and clear 30's themed print. 
   

It is never too early to begin planning and creating your Halloween projects, and we here at P&B can't wait to help you get started.

One of our latest collections that is being shipped out to stores this month is specifically designed to fit your Halloween decorating and costume designing needs.

Entitled The Boo Crew , this collection entails a slightly terrifying yet playful cast of characters ranging from boisterous bats to pumpkin patches.  Spiders entangle the fabric in their webbing while friendly monsters watch ghosts and witches fly through the night.  These featured creatures each include their own individual all-over print, perfect for a themed costume or haunted house decor.  Utilizing an array of traditional Halloween colors (black, orange, green and white) along with a delightful purple, this fabric creates a great opportunity to design a head turning candy bag for your little trick or treaters.

A surefire way to attract candy seekers to your home, The Boo Crew does the work for you by evoking the fun feelings that are sometimes left behind on Halloween.

This will be our free upcoming pattern available on the website! 

(Click on the quilt to download our free pattern!)

Rachel Pellman is a multi-talented woman.  She owns her own company, Rachel's of Greenfield (OK, her husband Kenny helps a lot) which sells kits she has designed and created herself.  She is also a fabric designer, and her latest collection, Homecoming, will start hitting the quilt shops at the end of May or early June.  Rachel's look is a combination of traditional, folk and Americana, and her latest collection has a new twist – printed appliqué !

Each block measures 16" square when finished, and each comes in three colors.  The "appliqué" is made from lots of smaller calico-type prints, and each of those make up the supporting pieces for the collection. Click on the image below to see  what the full collection looks like:

So what can you do with this?  The easy answer is that you can make a big, beautiful complicated-looking quilt REALLY FAST, and the block panel even has printed instructions for quilts in two sizes.  Just a little sashing, some cornerstones (which are printed and included right with the panels) and – voila!  A quilt!

Beyond that, there's a world of things you can do with this group.  One block makes a great pillow.    But look what else you can do with one block –

Check out this clever 2-block project

Three blocks make a fabulous table runner.  Four blocks – or nine blocks -  make a wonderful wall hanging.  Look what 13 blocks can do!

You can also make a quilt with all the background pieces – scrappy, classic and magnificent.  Look for Rachel's collection at your local quilt shop – and if you don't see it – ask for it!!

If it's July, it must be time for Christmas!  OK, not really, but it's not too soon to think about sewing up some holiday projects – and you can make a terrific start with Mimi Dietrich's new Christmas in Baltimore collection.  Baltimore album appliqué is gorgeous, but not many quilters have time or patience for it.  You can get that fabulous look with Mimi's printed appliqué blocks and border vines.

Nine blocks, four borders, maybe some sashing – what could be easier?  And it looks great!  There's also a wonderful miniature block print that could be used for stockings, placemats, tree skirts – the ecru colorway makes a dynamite background for fused appliqué projects! 

Here's the whole collection!

Mimi made some wonderful projects with her fabrics. You can download this one for free on our web site.

She also has a quilt project in the July issue of The Quilter, and a triple-project kit in an upcoming Keepsake catalog.  Here's a sneak preview of one of those projects:

So turn up the AC, pour the iced tea and get to work on those holiday projects!

Bonus Project!
Nancy Lindblom was inspired to make these gorgeous fabric flowers, and she shares her pattern with you!

Click here to see it!

Such beautiful projects! Such a great collection!
 Grandma would be proud!