Announcing our 2010 Summer Challenge and Our EXCLUSIVE Batik!

Isn't it gorgeous???  This is our exclusive batik done with Hoffman Fabrics for our 14th birthday celebration!  I'm so excited about the whole thing, I can hardly stand it!

Last fall market I was at the Hoffman booth chatting with my Hoffman rep Barry.  (Yes Barry, I stole your picture off Facebook!)  He reminded me that Hoffman does exclusive prints for shops and I mumbled something to the effect of "Yes, I've been thinking about it".  And I really had, I just hadn't done anything more than give it a passing thought of something I'd like to do "someday". 

Turns out, that was the day.  Jane, the head designer at Hoffman, happened to be at the booth right then and Barry called her over.  A short time later, she walked away with my ideas of what I wanted.  Turns out I'd been giving it more thought that I'd thought!

I knew I wanted a batik.  I knew I wanted a lighthouse batik and I wanted it to be only NJ lighthouses.  I also had colors in mind but beyond that, I was clueless.  Jane rode to the rescue and sent a black and white copy of a "cap" (pronounced chop) about a month later.  A chop is a picture of what will be printed on the fabric.  I loved it but wanted the shells a bit further apart,  Once that was ok'd, they sent 5 strikeoffs - large rectangles of the printed fabrics - for me to choose colors.  Of course I wanted them all!  Well, until I sat down and figured out how much it would all cost - reality check!  I really wanted two colors but storing 1,000 yards of fabric was not practical so I chose one and sent my choice off to Hoffman in April.

Click here to read how batiks are made.

Barry, being the great rep that he is, kept on top of the whole process.  First emails kept going off into cyberspace somewhere and that caused delays.  Then the rainy season came to Bali - no printing of fabrics then.  We didn't think we'd get it in time for the birthday celebration, did I still want it?  YES!  YES! YES!
After being out of phone range in South Dakota for awhile, we picked up our messages one day last week and one was from Barry, the batik had arrived and SHIPPPED last week!  YAY!  It's here and I'm sure Barry is thrilled he doesn't have to think about it anymore.

I'm ABSOLUTELY thrilled to see something that was in my head printed on fabric! 

We're doing a challenge this summer using the NJ Lighthouse Batik!  Here's the details:

1. Challenges are due into the shop by August 29th.
2. One yard minimum purchase of the NJ Batik fabric is required to participate
3. Quilt entries must be a minimum of 24" x 24".  Wearables and purses/totes are also welcomed.
4. Entries must be finished.
5. The NJ Batik fabric must be recognizable on the front of the challenge entry.
6. Entries will hang in QP for viewer voting from September 4th - 26th.
7. Three viewer choice prizes will be awarded - first prize will be a $100 QP gift card, second prize will be a $50 QP gift card and third will be a $25 QP gift card.  We'll also have a special prize given out by a special judge - Barry Spingarn!

The fine print: - we will do our utmost to ensure your entry is taken care of but QP cannot be responsible for any theft or damage.  All prize decisions are final.  Prizes have no cash value.  Entries must be picked up by Oct 1st.

I'm hoping that you will all take part in our 2010 Challenge and I'm looking forward to seeing what you all come up with!  Click here to purchase that batik online.

Till next time.