Weekly How-To Project: Fabric Trees and Wreath

Do holiday cheer a little different this year with these fabric decor accents!

Tired of sweeping up after pine needles, glitter, and faux snow? Try something a little different this year by crafting your Christmas decor accents out of fabric! You'll get all the seasonal motifs without the troublesome clean-up, and they're reusable year after year. All you need to do is find a few of your favorite Christmas fabrics, visit your sewing accessory drawer, and get to work!

Learn how to make this wonderful Christmas craft by clicking here, then feel free to share it with your friends on Facebook or Pinterest!

Cynthia Coulter Wants You to Wine A Little!

Packed Bottles Print from Wine A Little!

There’s nothing more relaxing at the end of a long day than a glass of wine and good company! The Wine A Little, You’ll Feel Better! Collection from Cynthia Coulter and Wilmington Prints is devoted to vino culture and all of the warmth and comfort it brings with it.

Collage Print from Wine A Little!

Wine A Little features a palette of warm, natural colors such as deep purple, burnt orange, natural beige and olive green, making it an ideal collection for the kitchen or other interior décor uses. The collection also features an apron panel print, allowing you to create a unique gift for the wine-loving chef of the family or your circle of friends! 

Repeating Stripe from Wine A Little!

Grapevines from Wine A Little!

Aside from kitchen décor, we can see this unique collection working in a variety of practical fabric projects. A grocery satchel, protective wine bottle sleeve, or set of hand towels are possible ideas. Several of the packed prints, such as the bottle corks and wine bottle collage, would work perfectly as lining materials for the inside of a handbag.

Weekly How-To Project: Our Famous Candy Cane Wreath!

A peek at our Candy Cane Wreath infographic!

We know, we know: Christmas crafts already?! But this infographic for our classic Candy Cane Wreath was too good not to share a little early. This craft is one of our most popular how-to articles, so we decided to whip up a little visual aid to accompany it. View the full-size version of the how-to here on Pinterest, then re-pin to your Christmas craft board once you've skimmed it!

The wreath makes a beautifully simply holiday decor accent, but it can also double as a gift! Try stringing it up from a doorway with ribbon, or adorn it with evergreen branches, holly or mistletoe to create a more robust version. No matter how you choose to customize this wreath, we know you'll have a sweet time doing it!

Are You Ready? The 2014 Hoffman Challenge is Here!

The 2014 Challenge fabric, from the "Anisa" collection.

A staple of the American textile industry for over 25 years, the Hoffman Challenge has ballooned to a national sensation! It all began with a grouping of 94 die-hard quilters, each of whom submitted a quilt that made use of a preselected "Challenge fabric". This special fabric, selected by the fine folks at Hoffman Fabrics, must make up the bulk of the submission piece, whether it be a quilt, clothing, fabric accessories or dolls. Each Challenge fabric has a grouping of coordinates that can be used alongside it to emphasize color and pattern!

Our favorite aspect of the Hoffman Challenge is that it doubles as a touring exhibition. After 25 years of amazing, jaw-dropping submissions from talented quilters all over the USA, Hoffman has curated twelve separate collections of work that can be seen across the United States and Canada. If you would like to have your 2014 submission displayed at your local exhibition, Hoffman invites you to consult the current exhibition schedule prior to filling our your application and shipping your piece.

We here at Beverly's wish you the very best of luck with the 2014 Hoffman Challenge! To purchase the Challenge fabric and the rest of the Anisa collection, simply click here. Any additional questions about the Challenge, or this specific collection? Drop us a line on Facebook!

Customer Compassion: Veteran Wheelchair Bags by Jean Mitchell Kinnison

Jean (left) and Maria Almes, Chief of Voluntary Services at Mather Air Base Hospital  

To all of us here at Beverly's, there's no greater joy than seeing our customers put time, love and devotion into their creative work. Just a few days ago, we had the pleasure of chatting with Jean Mitchell Kinnison, a local California customer.

Jean's beautiful wheelchair bags on display!

Jean specializes in creating wheelchair storage bags for wounded and recovering veterans at Mather Air Base Hospital and the Martinez County Hospital. We were very humbled to learn that Jean selects her fabrics and materials from her local Beverly's retail store in Rocklin, California!

A second look at Jean's work.

To date, Jean has created at least 208 of these special bags. We're not sure if Jean has plans to craft more of these beautiful bags, but we sure hope she does! In addition to her wheelchair bags, Jean also crochets lap robes to help keep our rehabilitating veterans warm and cozy.

We would like to extend gratitude to Jean and Kim, manager of the Rocklin Beverly's, for reaching out and sharing these images with us. We love seeing what our customers are doing with the products they purchase from our retail stores and online, so please remember to keep in touch via Facebook and in the comments section below!

An Abundance of Snaps, Crackers and Pops!

Beautiful bundles of Batik flair: Snaps, Crackers and Pops!

Our warehouse is bursting with Bali Snaps, Crackers and Pops, the beautiful bundles of hand-dyed Batik fabric that you've come to know and love! Each bundle from Hoffman Fabrics features small fabric cuts in a variety of different colors, making them an ideal choice for quilters or seamstresses who just want to add a bit of painterly flair to their next project.

Have you created something that you're proud of using these great Bali bundles? Feel free to connect with us on Facebook and share!

Find a Little Coastal Comfort with Seaside Escape

"Repeating Stripe" from the Seaside Escape collection

The Seaside Escape collection, designed by David Carter Brown and produced by Wilmington Prints, is one of the best coastal themed collections we’ve ever seen! It channels a look that is uniquely New England: all striped lighthouses, beautiful sailboats and tranquil sun-drenched shores. If you’re a fan of nautical fabrics, Seaside Escape will fit comfortably in your growing fabric stash.

"Packed Lighthouses" from the Seaside Escape collection

Use this free project from Wilmington to create a beautiful throw quilt that will drape over a sofa beautifully or make a wonderful gift for a shore-loving family member or friend. Our favorite aspect of this quilt pattern is the way the triangle corners echo the shape of the sails!

"Packed Motifs" from the Seaside Escape collection

"Scenic" from the Seaside Escape collection

Even if you won’t be using this pattern with Seaside Escape, there are many other options for you to choose from: interior décor accents, apparel, kitchen materials and much more. Because of the sunniness of this collection, we think that it will make a perfect seasonal selection come spring or summer!

Faster Than A Spinning Bobbin...It's Quilt Girl!

Quilt Girl Portfolio Tote Pattern from Windham Fabrics

Looking for an adventurous way to tote your fabric portfolio around? Or have an itch for an oversized bag to store your craft supplies in? This portfolio tote, featuring one of our recent favorite collections, Quilt Girl, is for you! Features two sturdy supporting straps which wrap around either side, and edging which helps keep your contents stable while in transit.

Take a peek at a few of the other Quilt Girl prints we offer, then proceed to the project pattern from Windham. The pattern is free, so print it out and keep it close as you work! We'd love to see your finished product...feel free to post it on our Facebook Wall once you're all done.

How-To Project of the Week: Customized Trick-r-Treat Bag

A spooky-sweet candy bag that doubles as a Halloween keepsake.

A pillowcase just doesn't do the job in enough style! Make your kid the coolest on the block come October 31st with this customized trick-or-treat bag. Just big enough for a sizable haul, and sturdy enough to carry it home safely. With a canvas bag, Halloween scraps, some hot glue and a few more items, you can surprise your favorite little ghoul with this practical keepsake.

Click through to see more detailed instructions for this how-to. As the seasons begin to change, remember to check out our Christmas how-to section for a TON of fresh gift and decor ideas.

How-To Project of the Week: Spooky Wall Pockets!

These Halloween hangings are perfect for indoor/outdoor decor!

Halloween decorations need not be hokey! Add a little elegance and seasonal floral flair to your collection of Hallow's Eve decor with these wall pockets. Each pocket is crafted from a lightweight metal that is durable and long-lasting, allowing you to reuse them year after year--and for occasions other than Halloween, too. Once the pockets have been decorated, simply fill them with a floral arrangement of your choice and hang where you please!

View the rest of our informative how-to projects on our homepage. With the holidays quickly approaching, you'll want to start formulating your seasonal craft ideas ASAP! Beverly's online fabric store wishes you happy, productive crafting this Halloween season.