QKO Notebook

May 2, 2010

More Daiwabos Coming!

Our Customers Love Daiwabos!!!    And We Love them Too!!!  Just ask Marilyn!  We’re featuring a couple of her quilts in this post, more about them later.

Marilyns Daiwabo Quilt

Marilyn's Daiwabo Quilt

So, since we already have a large selection of Daiwabos, we decided to become the “Go-To” place for Serenity Daiwabo Taupes on the Interweb.   We currently have 68 or 69 print/color combinations in stock, and we’ve just ordered 45 more.  This will give our Daiwabo fans over 110 different fabrics to choose from, including pretty much every Daiwabo basic print and color, all the ombres. We’re also expecting our new 2010 fat quarter collections real soon, as well.

This will give you the ability to create to your hearts content, while not being limited by color or print, and not having to shop around to multiple stores to get the prints and colors you want.  We’ll have it all right here for you!

Well, I can feel that some of you are saying: “What the heck is a Daiwabo?”  The answer is, only the finest Japanese silk screens, in fantastic colors, some more muted and some brighter, on the highest quality quilter’s cotton.  These are all made by Daiwabo in Japan under contract to EESCO, owners of Maywood fabrics and Cara Collection, and the line name on these is Cara Collection Serenity.

These prints are the true Japanese aesthetic, extremely elegant prints and blenders, and each one has multiple shades so that you can literally mix and match at will across the entire line, old or new prints notwithstanding.  We really love them! Can you tell?  :-)

As an example of what you can do with them,  our friend Marilyn H. from

Marilyns Hubbys Quilt

Marilyn's Hubby's Daiwabo Quilt

Oklahoma, USA sent us some pictures of her latest Daiwabo creations.  The first is a quilt she made for herself, and the second, a more masculine quilt she made for her hubby.  Each of these quilts were made with just 3 or 4 Daiwabo prints.  In the first quilt, she used a leaf print in three different colors.  And in the second, she used  a beautiful fan-feather print in several colors.  These two quilts were both backed with one of the prints from the tops.

And we think they’re both fabulous!  Nice Work, Marilyn!

May 17, 2009

New Toy!

Filed under: Coming Soon!, What's New? — Don @ 8:32 pm

Cindy and I talked about this for a long time, and then finally decided to bite the bullet and get it.

We’re now the proud owners of a new fabric die cutter, and lots and lots of cool dies!

What the heck does this mean, you ask?

Well, it means our 5 inch sample packs will now be fashionably “pinked”  at least the new ones will.

We’ll also be offering “charm packs”  and strips you can’t get anywhere else, as well as layer cake 10 inch squares and lots of other special cuts.

AND, we’ll start offering pre-cut kits soon!

Stay tuned,  we’re having too much fun!  :-)

March 27, 2009

QKO is Reloading!

Wow, have we ever got a lot of fabrics coming in to the store in the next few weeks!  We’re like kids waiting for Christmas morning around here.    We’ve got shipping notices on over 70 new batiks from Hoffman,  the new Shakespeare’s Flowers line from Fabric Freedom, the new Eleanor Burns “True Blue” line, and our reps tell us a lot more new lines are shipping in the next couple of weeks.

We’ve been working hard to get the entries ready for the store so as soon as we unwrap the fabrics, we’ll be able to turn them on.  Stay tuned here for more news, because there are a lot more new lines coming, including a great new Celtic collection from Fabric Freedom!

We can’t wait!

December 6, 2008

The Inspiration Guild

As mentioned way back in the post about the Sacramento Show,  we visited the Blank Quilting rep and looked at and purchased several of their product lines.

One that we’re really excited about is their Inspiration project, which includes their Inspiration collections, “Bundles of Hope, and the Inspiration Guild.  This is a project started by Blank, dedicated to fighting ovarian cancer in several ways.

Butterflies from Inspiration III

Inspiration III White

First, there are the Inspiration fabric collections.  There are three collections, a new one comes out each year. These collections are all done in shades of teal and white, the official colors of the NOCC (National Ovarian Cancer Coalition).  For each yard of fabric from these collections that is purchased, Blank donates a portion of the proceeds to NOCC.

Next, there are the Bundles of Hope, which are fat quarter bundles from the Inspirations fabric lines. Each of these bundles also contains a teal NOCC awareness bracelet, and an entry form. You can put together a mini-quilt with the bundle and donate it, dedicating it to someone you know who has been touched by ovarian cancer.  The donated mini-quilts are auctioned, with the proceeds going to fight OC.   Again, for each of these bundles purchased, Blank donates proceeds to NOCC, so you’re giving two ways.  Your donation is permanently recorded on Blank’s website.

Finally, you can donate blocks made from any Blank fabrics to the cause.  These blocks are stiched together and professionally long-arm quilted, and the proceeds from the auctioned quilts are donated to NOCC.  Your dedications and donations are recorded in the virtual quilt gallery on Blank’s website.

Take some time to browse through the Inspiration Guild pages and look at the quilts and see how it works.  You can click here to go to the Inspiration Guild web pages.

Bundles of Hope fat quarter collection

Bundles of Hope FQ Collection

QKO is proud to be participating in this project.  We’ offering the Bundles of Hope and a couple of Inspiration III fabrics on our website. With purchase of a Bundles of Hope fat quarter pack you can also get the free project booklet.  We’ll be coming up with a kit soon too.  Help us help Blanks as they work to help fellow quilters and others afflicted by this disease.

October 22, 2008

Panda design being tested

Finally, I have a design for the new Panda fabric.

Currently it’s just an EQ6 design but hope to have the top completed and pattern tested soon.   Now, if I find time between painting the living room and riding horse, this actualy could be available by the end of next week.

A group of friends and I are going to Bridgeport, California for a day horseback riding tomorrow… I’ll post pictures next week.   The fall is such a beautiful time of the year to ride.  Hope you are enjoying your life as much as we are.

Here is a picture of our exclusive Panda quilt design.  Because this is an EQ6 picture, the corner blocks don’t show up like they will in the actual quilt.  The small panda pictures are really cute, and there are many scenes to choose from in the fabric for those blocks.  Click Here to see the actual fabric on our website. The kit will also contain two separate scenes you can choose for the large center block,  the solo panda shown here and a panda family scene.

October 5, 2008

Gipsy Glitter from Art Gallery Fabrics

Filed under: Coming Soon! — Tags: , , , — Don @ 7:54 pm

We’re excited!  We just got the word that our order of the entire Gipsy Glitter product line from Art Gallery Quilts is going to arrive about the 9th of October!    The design skills and the imagination of Patricia Bravo shine through in this exquisite blend of paisleys and florals from ancient gipsy lands in

eastern Europe.  Gipsy Glitter is an eclectic, fun, modern, fresh and colorful collection… Perfect for the new young generation of quilters or for a more conservative one that wants to have some fun!  All Art Gallery fabrics are printed on premium 100% cotton with a fantastic feel, using the unique color palettes rarely found elsewhere.   We love them!  So will you!   We’ll be offering a kit using a Patricia Bravo pattern specifically designed for this line,  and we’ll be carrying the fabrics in both colorways, which are a cool (blue/teal/purple/gold,)  and a warm (orange/rust/coral/pale green).  Both colorways have so many shades that it’s difficult to describe them.    Here’s an example of each colorway, just to whet your appetite.  (Note: Click on thumbnails for larger images)

September 30, 2008

Alhambra from Art Gallery Fabrics…

10/5/08 – UPDATE!  ALHAMBRA IS HERE AND AVAILABLE ON OUR WEBSITE! KIT COMING OUT NEXT WEEK!

See the Alhambra fabrics at: http://www.quilt-kits-online.com/products.php?cat=49

We’re anxiously awaiting arrival of Alhambra, a newer fabric line from Art Gallery Quilts.  Alhambra is another fantastic design by Patricia Bravo. Alhambra combines rich, diverse and exotic design elements

AH-126 from the Alhambra warm colorway

AH-126 - Art Gallery Alhambra

from the near east and around the world with today’s modern urbane color palette, creating an exciting blend that will inspire you to create your own fantastic creations.  We’ll also be kitting Alhambra along with Patricia’s exciting “Mosaic” pattern, which was created especially for this fabric line.  We’ll be carrying the warm colorway. (We like browns, bronzes, corals and pistachio)  :)     As always with Art Gallery, their fabrics are printed on premium 100% cotton with a very tight weave and rich dyes.  Art Gallery tests all their dry goods before purchase to make sure they are good for all types of quilting and sewing projects, including machine and hand-quilting, applique, and general sewing. Besides quilting, you could make some nifty, funky clothing from it too!    Oh, oh…  Getting another idea!    “Cindy, how about an Alhambra apron kit!”   :)

Alhambra will be available on our website about October 4.  Can’t wait!

Bali Pops Delayed…

Filed under: Coming Soon! — Don @ 7:25 am

After waiting for several months (since July) for our Hoffman Bali-pops shipment,  we got word that they’ve been delayed.   We were promised September delivery, and when September came close to ending without us seeing our shipment, I called Hoffman’s yesterday.

I was told they got “shorted” on their shipment,  so they naturally passed their problem on to us.  They promised we would be on “rush” status for the makeup shipment due in 2-3 weeks.

So, hang in there, we should have them soon!   I hope…   :)

September 23, 2008

New from Hoffman

Filed under: Coming Soon! — Tags: , , , , — Don @ 5:11 pm

We recently added several new 1895 Bali Batik colors to our growing selection of these blenders, and also added a few unique Bali handpaint batik prints, also from Hoffman.  We’re impatiently awaiting the arrival of the new Bali Pops, which should be in any day now (it is late September, isn’t it?)

Bali Pops - Butterscotch

What’s a Bali Pop?  Well, it’s Hoffman’s version of a jelly roll, i.e. a great selection of color-coordinated batik strips.  Each “pop” contains 40 – 2 1/2″ by 40″ strips of Hoffman Handpaint and 1895 batiks. There’s also a free pattern available for the pops at Hoffman’s website.  There are six different “pops” to choose from, and as usual now we have them at the lowest prices around.  Or will have, right now we’re taking pre-order reservations for them.  At right is a picture of the “Butterscotch” pop.  Click on the picture and it will open a new window into our webstore so you can see the full description as well as looking at the other pops.   These are a great value, get yours soon!

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