Lora and I have been so fortunate to have met Pati Violick, Director of Advertising & Marketing of Marcus Fabrics. We had been designing patterns for Pati using lines of Marcus batiks for a few years now. Last year Pati invited us to create our very first Material Girlfriends fabric line. We were a little overwhelmed to say the least. I’m a graphic designer by trade and my BS degree in Graphic Design has an emphasis in illustration. Designing patterns? A piece of cake. Designing fabric? Hmm…we decided to go for it. Our first line has hit the quilt shops and is now available for sale! Wow. I’m still pinching myself. I’d pinch Lora too but she pinches back.

This is Marcus Fabric’s advertising line for Innuendos by Material Girlfriends:

“These fresh, light batiks by the Material Girlfriends feature a rainbow of soft, whispery pale of pales, just right for backgrounds and low-volume projects. Each color is named for a virtue: Joyful, Kindness, Compassion, Temperance, Hope, Growth, Love, Wisdom, Mercy, Valor, Peace, and Contentment. Virtues are subtle but critical for a noble character. The collection is understated, bringing integrity and contrast to your textile art. Lisa and Lora explain: “As pattern designers, we love designing with a variety of intensely colorful batiks, but were continually challenged by the short supply of light background choices. We set out to fill this void in the market by designing a colorful variety of light batiks for backgrounds and/or low-volume quilts.”

We set out to design fabrics that we would buy for our own personal use. I truly love them all. And I bought a bolt of each, lol. I guess Marcus is pleased too because we are already planning the next Material Girlfriend fabric line!

Lora and I wanted to celebrate Innuendos by giving you a pattern. A’Peeling Innuendos has three layout options. It is an easy-peasy pattern. The Peels are fusible appliqué. Download by clicking below.

We plan to have a party too and you’re invited. Bolts have arrived at my local quilt shop, In Between Stitches, in Livermore. Melissa and Leslie just moved the shop so things are a little crazy (but I LOVE their new space, 167 North Livermore Ave). When we get a date for the Grand Re-Opening Celebration, we’ll have kits available and give the pattern away at their new location. Party Party Party!

Plus, we have another pattern made with the Innuendo line called the Allusive Goose. We’re still proofing and printing this one but we’ll have it ready by party time. I just couldn’t resist sharing Lora’s awesome quilting.

We’ve got a Kolidescope Kalidescope Kaleidoscope class scheduled at In Between Stitches in Livermore. It’s a hard word to spell but easy to sew. It is a paper piecing class on June 5 from 6-9pm, $30. Make it small or make it big. Sign up here. We will have A’Peeling Innuendos and Allusive Goose classes schedule in the next quarter.

I hope to see you sewn!

Absewlutely,

Lisa Norton