We're so excited to announce our 2020 Peek Into Batiks Monthly Quilt Along. Starting in January 2020, there will be 1 new block for all 12 months featuring our beautiful batiks. Stay tuned for more details. We can't wait to sew along with you!
Tuesday, October 15, 2019
Become a Michael Miller Fabrics Brand Ambassador. Apply now!
ATTENTION QUILTING INDUSTRY DESIGNERS & BLOGGERS
Want to gain exposure while sewing with the best fabric?
APPLY TO BECOME A BRAND AMBASSADOR!
Michael Miller Fabrics provides bold design, inspires creativity and offers exceptional customer service, all while “Making it Fun!”. Now is your opportunity to join the team as a Brand Ambassador!
What it means to be a Brand Ambassador:
1. Share your love for Michael Miller Fabrics
2. Participation in our online quilt along/block of the month by designing a block to be included in a quilt.
3. Broaden your skill set and explore new techniques in group challenges.
4. Create buzz around new product launches by featuring Michael Miller fabrics on your blogs and social media platforms.
5. Include our “I Like Mike” promo badge on your website and social media.
6. Tagging @michaelmillerfabrics on posts and using the hashtags #ilikemike, #michaelmillerfabrics #makingitfun.
7. Provide feedback to our marketing team.
Perks of being a Brand Ambassador:
1. Free fabric and goodies.
2. Promotion of you and your brand by sharing your content on our social media channels.
3. Opportunities for you to be featured on our blog and marketing channels.
4. Sharing our “I Like Mike” promo badge and other graphics and images for your posts.
5. Opportunities for your patterns/projects to be included in our catalogs and marketing materials.
6. Connections to magazine publications for your projects using Michael Miller fabric.
What we looking for:
This program is targeted at QUILTERS. This is the perfect opportunity for those actively building a brand in the quilting industry. We are looking for enthusiastic designers and bloggers to promote our brand and fabric through social media, online or in-person events and social media channels. Our Brand Ambassadors must have active social media outlets, be experienced quilters and engaged in the quilting community. This year we are specifically looking for 1-2 Brand Ambassadors to work exclusively with our Minky products. Minky is super-soft, 100% polyester fabric - great for baby blankets, quilts, scarves, stuffed animals and more! In your application, please indicate interest in Cotton or Minky.
What is required:
Projects will vary from group challenges to monthly events. We will provide all fabric required for program-related projects, plus other goodies. We will promote two campaigns per quarter (8 per year). Ambassadors will make projects and post about them. You may offer free patterns or patterns that you sell commercially. We are looking for posts from the opening reveal of what’s in the box to the final project. Facebook live, Instagram Live, videos and product demos are encouraged.
Ambassadors may be asked to provide projects for our sales reps, Quilt Market and magazine outlets. Ambassadors are expected to actively participate in a private, ambassadors-only, Facebook group and respond to emails. MEETING DEADLINES IS A MUST!
This ambassadorship runs January 1, 2020-December 31, 2020.
If you have questions, please email: susan@michaelmillerfabrics.com or visit the Michael Miller Fabrics booths (414 & 415) at Houston Quilt Market and speak with our marketing team.
How to apply:
Click link below and fill out the application. Applicants will be assessed by the marketing team at Michael Miller Fabrics based on your blog content, posting regularity, social media content and photography. Thank you in advance for your application!
Tuesday, June 11, 2019
Quilts for the Cure Recap and Behind the Seams with Director, Holly Anne Knight!
Thank you to all who participated in this year's Quilts for Cure Program!
I am so happy to announce Michael Miller Fabrics received over 703 Quilt blocks submissions. This led to 13 quilts, pieced and sashed by 10 amazing quilters all located around the United States.
A huge shout out and thank you goes out to our quilters (listed below) and our generous partners, Aurifil Threads and Hobbs batting for supplying the quilting materials!
Stella M.
Denise G.
Beryl R.
Jennie T.
Winifred W.
Elizabeth C.
Lorie B.
Lacey S.
Lisa P.
Lydia M.
Stella M.
Cheryl Schuh
Here are some behind the scene images provided by our lovely volunteers.......
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| Sashing Process Provided by Lydia M. |
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| Blocks organized and displayed on Lydia M's design Wall |
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| Completed Quilt by Beryl R. |
It's never too late to help the cause by donating at https://quiltsforcure.givingfuel.com/donate
Stay tuned for future programs like these with Michael Miller Fabrics.
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| Sashed and Binded by Lisa P. |
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| Blocks Pieced by Lisa P. |
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| Blocks pieced by Denise G. |
Quilts for Cure started two years ago (2017) in memory of Smiley Kylie Myers. We are a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit committed to providing quilts for children in the United States who have been diagnosed with cancer.
"I had the privilege of
being teacher’s assistant to Kylie in 2008 when she was just starting
elementary school. She was bright, vivacious, encouraging, and so, so creative.
Kylie especially loved theatre, but she loved arts and crafts, too. When Kylie
was in 4th grade, her best friend Bailey was diagnosed with a type
of bone cancer. Bailey fought hard and had a rotation plasty amputation of her right
leg but her cancer responded to treatment, and today she is healthy and
strong. Unfortunately, three years later, Kylie was also diagnosed with bone
cancer. Her cancer did not respond to the treatment. Less
than a year after diagnosis, days before her thirteenth birthday, Kylie’s
battled to survived and just like that her life ended.
This beautiful, bright, burning force of
energy and creativity and joy was cut short.
Cancer, especially childhood cancer, is one of
those things it’s hard to look at straight on. Often the best we can really do
is give it a resentful side eye before we’re so horrified and overwhelmed that
we look away again and try to forget that a school bus full of children will
receive a life-altering, and life threatening, diagnosis TODAY. And some of
those children, ones diagnosed with cancers like DIPG which have no treatment
nor cure, will effectively be handed a death sentence.
Kylie’s dying wish was for cancer to die
instead. For a cure to be found.
I’m not a scientist, just a quilter looking to
wage a little war on this beast called cancer, so I invite every quilter I can
to join me in shining some creative, loving, Kylie-like light into hospital
rooms and making quilts for kiddos to snuggle in (and maybe sometimes hide
under) while they endure treatment. While Kylie’s dad, Mark Myers, and the team
at CURE Childhood Cancer fundraise for research and a pharmaceutical cure, we
quilters do what we do best—we fight evil with love through needle and thread.
In the last couple of years, hundreds of
quilters have made blocks, tops, and finished quilts for our cause. We have
donated over 60 quilts to date to individuals and through several pediatric
oncology hospitals. We hope to donate another 40+ quilts this year (2019).
Almost half that number will be through our amazing relationship with Michael Miller
Fabrics.
When I was first starting Quilts for Cure, I was connected to Kathy Miller through a friend of a friend and had the opportunity to meet her at QuiltCon 2017. Michael Miller is known for its generous charity quilting projects, and Quilts for Cure was selected to help finish and receive the quilts made from the QuiltCon 2017 block drive. At QuiltCon 2018, Michael Miller used its booth to broadcast the mission of Quilts for Cure to everyone who attended. As a result, we will be completing over 15 quilts from the QuiltCon2018 block drive. Michael Miller’s voice and support has made a huge difference in the reach of our message. As a result, more families will be comforted and encouraged!
When I was first starting Quilts for Cure, I was connected to Kathy Miller through a friend of a friend and had the opportunity to meet her at QuiltCon 2017. Michael Miller is known for its generous charity quilting projects, and Quilts for Cure was selected to help finish and receive the quilts made from the QuiltCon 2017 block drive. At QuiltCon 2018, Michael Miller used its booth to broadcast the mission of Quilts for Cure to everyone who attended. As a result, we will be completing over 15 quilts from the QuiltCon2018 block drive. Michael Miller’s voice and support has made a huge difference in the reach of our message. As a result, more families will be comforted and encouraged!
Our biggest event each year is called
Operation Smiley which is an online quilt drive running from February to April
in honor of Kylie’s birthday on February 24th. Quilters are
encouraged to make throw sized quilts featuring heart blocks in yellow, white,
and navy to celebrate Kylie’s life and memory. One of Kylie’s greatest joys was
bringing joy to others, so we remember her by making quilts to make kids smile.
These quilts are a wonderful opportunity for guilds and groups to work together
to make a quilt. All working together, a top could easily be made in just a few
hours—talk about a well-spent afternoon!
We accept quilt donations (baby to twin sized,
though throw sized is best)) year round, and we encourage you to donate
financially as well to cover the cost of shipping quilts across the country.
You can find information about donating quilts and finances as well as more
about us at www.quiltsforcure.org "
-HollyAnne Knight, Founder & Chair of the
Board
Wednesday, April 10, 2019
April "Making it Fun" Blog hop by our Michael Miller Fabrics Brand Ambassadors!
Our Brand Ambassadors are "Making it Fun!" this month! Check out our fun filled schedule below and learn more about our latest collections and the fantastic projects you can create with them!
"I LIKE MIKE" Michael Miller Fabrics Brand Ambassadors Blog Schedule
April 9th, 2019 - Angie of Gnome Angel
April 11th, 2019 - Melanie T. of Southern Charm Quilts
April 16th, 2019 - Erica Jackman of Kitchen Table Quilting
April 18th, 2019 - Jennifer of Sweet Tea Pattern Co
April 23rd, 2019 - Kris of Poorhouse Quilts
April 25th, 2019 - Karly of Paisley Roots
April 30th, 2019 - Elizabeth of Just Wanna Quilt
Be sure to follow along!
Happy hopping!
Tuesday, April 2, 2019
Introducing Michael Miller Fabrics Brand Ambassador - Elizabeth Townsend Gard
We are so pleased to introduce Elizabeth Townsen Gard as our ninth Michael Miller Fabrics Brand Ambassador!
Dr. Elizabeth Townsend Gard is the host and director of Just Wanna Quilt podcast, which now boasts over 200 interviews in its
first year. Some special guests include Marianne Fons, Tula Pink, Jenny Doan, and Rob Appell,
among others, and interviews industry leaders and regular quilters.
Elizabeth is also a copyright law professor at Tulane Law
School, and Lepage Entrepreneur Fellow at the A.B. Freeman School of Business
at Tulane. She has been quilting since age 13, and quilts every night as
part of this project.
The Just Wanna Quilt project has grown into a movement
(called the Quilting Army) -- of conversations about quilting on our lives,
entrepreneurship, charity quilting, and intellectual property, among other
topics. Elizabeth, along with her law students, are working on the Copyright Workbook, which will include Chapters with Patterns to learn copyright and other aspects of intellectual property. The first Chapter, Basic Training, was debuted at QuiltCon 2019. The Just Wanna Quilt project was featured in Quiltfolk magazine for Louisiana in July 2018. We had an interactive booth for the first time at Houston.
1. What was your first sewing project?
My first sewing project was an embroidery and cross-stitch project
on burlap when I was about 5. I've always sewed, mostly hand sewing, with
my mom. But we also dabbled in quilting, beginning at age 13, which was
in 1979. It was a pink basic block quilt that we tied. We went to a
quilt shop and I remember picking out the fabric. We powered through that
first quilt in a weekend.
2. What other hobbies do you enjoy?
Hmmmm....binging just about anything on Netflix.
3. What is your favorite color?
Hot pink. But I wear mostly black.
4. Where is your dream vacation?
A quilting cruise to Cuba. I've never been on a cruise and
I've never been to Cuba. But that sounds pretty awesome. Especially
if the cruise left from New Orleans, where I live.
5. Who taught you how to sew?
My mom. She passed away about ten years ago. So, I
always feel really connected to her when I sew. Mom-time. She made
elaborate Danish cross-stitch masterpieces, and also knitted.
6. What food could you eat everyday?
Dark chocolate, French fries and pot stickers. That's what I
had for breakfast this morning. Just kidding. Well, not the
chocolate and fries.
7. What do you want to be doing in five years?
Well, that's interesting. My kid will be in college. I
hope that we've turned our house into the Just Wanna Quilt clubhouse (a New
Orleans duplex) for hanging out and sleepovers, which we are in the process of
doing right now. I'm still teaching law, but maybe visiting as a
professor at wherever the kid is in college. We have the Law and
Entrepreneurship Center up and running to help others with their dreams, which
again we are working on now. And the Quilting Army really has become a movement
of kindness and community.
Thank you Elizabeth!
Check out her podcasts and content on:
Thursday, March 28, 2019
Introducing Michael Miller Fabrics Brand Ambassador - Karly Nelson
We are so pleased to introduce Karly Nelson as our eighth Michael Miller Fabrics Brand Ambassador!
1. What was your first sewing project?
My first sewing project was a simple and the super basic of baby quilts. Yarn ties and all!
2. What other hobbies do you enjoy?
Travelling, reading, watching documentaries,
doodling, knitting, astrology, eating chocolate....
3. What is your favorite color?
A myriad of teals.
4. Where is your dream vacation?
All around the world!
5. Who taught you how to sew?
Trial and error, pattern tests and YouTube.
Although my mother (who has never sewn) says I got my sewing talent from her! 😂
6. What food could you eat everyday?
Brownies...maybe topped with some strawberries
and raspberries but mostly the brownie.
7. What do you want to be doing in five years?
I want to be sitting on the beach in front of my
beach house, eating brownies while planning my girls prom dresses while I'm
also neck deep in a dozen other projects! A book and fabric line may be part of
those projects.
Thank you Karly and welcome to the brand ambassador team!
To see what she is currently working on, check and follow her main channels:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/paisleyroots
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/paisleyroots
Thursday, March 21, 2019
Introducing Michael Miller Fabrics Brand Ambassador -
We are so pleased to introduce Jennifer McClanahan as our seventh Michael Miller Fabrics Brand Ambassador!
Jennifer
McClanahan is a pattern designer, a mother of three amazing children, a soon to
be grandma and a loving wife.
Jennifer
spent the majority of her childhood in beautiful southern Indiana, learning
many crafts, including sewing, from her mother, aunts, cousins and grandmother.
A couple of years after graduating, she married her high school sweetheart and
embarked on a 22-year journey of traveling the world with her Navy husband and
kiddos. Jennifer credits these world travels and variety of cultures for
expanding her creativity and influencing her modern, artistic and bold style of
design.
Once
Jennifer’s husband retired from the Navy and her children began spreading their
own wings, she decided to share her passion for quilting and unique design with
others. Thus—Sweet Tea Pattern Co. was born!
Jennifer feels blessed and
fortunate that she can spend her days in her studio doing what she
loves—creating, designing, sewing and quilting. When she is not in her studio,
you can find Jennifer binge watching reality TV, cooking and enjoying time with
family and friends.
Here are some questions we asked her and responses:
1. What was your first sewing project?
Its been a long time, I learned to sew when I was around 5 years
old, so I believe it was a blanket for my doll.
2. What other hobbies do you enjoy?
All types of sewing, but I enjoy drawing, reading –
fiction and nonfiction and cooking.
3. What is your favorite color?
Its so hard to pick a favorite color I love all brite
colors. I guess if I have to choose one
I tend to lean towards Blue.
4. Where is your dream vacation? Ireland
5. Who taught you how to sew?
I come from a large family that all sews. I’ve learned different
things (crocheting, cross-stitch etc) from different family members but I would
say sewing/quilting ultimately came from my Grandmother.
6. What food could you eat everyday?
Anything Mexican
7. What do you want to be doing in five years?
I want to still be sewing everyday and playing with my
future grandkids.
Thank you Jennifer! We look forward to working with you and are excited to see what you create for Michael Miller Fabrics.
To see what she is up to follow her social media accounts and pages below:
Instagram: http://instagram.com/sweetteapatternco/
Facebook: facebook.com/sweetteapatternco.com
Monday, March 18, 2019
Introducing Michael Miller Fabrics Brand Ambassador - Angie Wilson
We are so pleased to introduce Angie Wilson as our sixth Michael Miller Fabrics Brand Ambassador!
Hello!
Hello! My name is Angie Wilson and I am the voice behind GnomeAngel.com. I’m a
40-something half of a smug married couple who lives in the Capital of
Australia, Canberra, with the apple of their eye, their adorable son. I am the
custodian of 2 cats; Sonic and Llink (don’t worry, it’s not a typo – he’s named
after both Lloyd from Lego Ninjago
and Link from the Adventures of Zelda). We live in an exceptionally brown 1980’s home
in suburbia.
I’ve been
sewing since 2011 and it’s been an adventure in horribly crooked seams,
miss-cut fabrics and broken needles. I’m not a “natural sewist”. It’s a lot of
practice, practice, practice. I am the creator of the #100Days100Blocks
challenge. It’s been one of the best things I’ve ever had a hand in. It’s an
annual challenge where participants are asked to sew 1 block a day for 100 days
from a specific pattern. (The pattern for 2019 is Kinship: 100 Block Fusion Sampler which I co-designed with a friend
and self-published, it’ll be available for purchase 23 March 2019 and
#100Days100Blocks2019 kicks off 1 July 2019.)
I’m the
author of the book, Fussy Cutters Club,
and a self-proclaimed fabric addict. I’m addicted to both sugar and saturated
fats; it’s a lethal combination. I’ve never had coffee, tea or wine (with the
exception of Champagne). I’ve also never seen The Sound of Music. My go-to colour palette is rainbow or black,
white + another colour. I have a bit of a thing for gnomes, anchors and the
history of the British Monarchy
.
1.
What was your first sewing project?
A
pillowcase in my High School economics class. I totally botched it and my
teacher decided that from that point on the world would be a lot safer if I
didn’t have a sharp implement in my hand.
I’m
proud to say that I proved her (and my first quilt teacher) wrong by persisting
through the horrible cluster that was my sewing technique to now dominate with
a sewing machine, rotary cutter and a stack of fabric.
2.
What other hobbies do you enjoy?
Who
has time for a hobby outside of a full-time creative career and a family?
*wink* When I find myself with down time or I’m actively avoiding (i.e.
procrastinating) I love to play video games and read. I’m am the poster child
of a healthy lifestyle.
3.
What is your favorite color?
That’s
like asking who’s my favourite Winchester brother! I go through phases but I
always come back to black, white and rainbow.
4.
Where is your dream vacation?
I
really want to go to Hawaii. But right now, I’d settle for a comfy bed, someone
else to cook dinner and a few hours uninterrupted to get some sleep or read a
book (or both).
5.
Who taught you how to sew?
A
really patient and understanding lady who was running a beginner’s quilt class.
She was able to see past my bull-in-a-china-shop approach and encourage my love
of colour and pattern.
6.
What food could you eat everyday?
Hot
chips (fries). All.day.every.day.
7.
What do you want to be doing in five years?
On
the personal front: being a good parent and spouse.
On
the work front: encouraging and supporting people to pursue their creative
dreams and passions. The world needs people who make with their hands and their
hearts. It’s not about being the best or the most popular, it’s about using
your own unique and special brand of creativity to express who you are.
Thanks so much Angie Wilson!
Be sure to follow her platforms below to see what she is up to and what she will create for Michael Miller Fabrics!
Website: https://www.gnomeangel.com
Instagram:
Online Shop: https://shop.gnomeangel.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gnomeangel/