Karen

March 20, 2026March 20, 2026

Let the Countdown Begin!

Have you booked your flights? Reserved your hotel? Made an appointment with your favorite Hoffman California Fabrics rep? It’s time to finalize your plans for the h+h americas show now!

The show itself runs May 6-8 (Wednesday through Friday), in Rosemont, Illinois (just outside of Chicago). This is THE event for the professional crafting industry, encompassing not just quilting, but also fiber arts such as knitting and crochet, and cosplay, garment and accessory sewing. There’s more, I promise, but you can learn all about the exhibitors and events on their website, hh-americas.com.

More importantly, why should you attend? Let me count the reasons!

Make in-person connections. You may even meet one of your idols (or me! Meet me!) Seriously, over the years I’ve met many designers who were willing to take the time to visit with me. Of course, you then have the opportunity to later tell a story or two about that designer’s personal approach to a new line that they designed, and what made it personal to them. Trust me, it makes it personal to your customers, too.

See the latest trends—in color, design and products. While you may have a favorite color palette, it can pale in comparison to the latest palettes that will be dominating collections in the future. Be in the know, and plan accordingly. Years ago, at a Quilt Market far away, I was told that the best way to spot industry color trends was to look through bridal magazines. While not a bad idea, I disagree. Go to the industry show. Walk the floor. Take lots of pictures and you’ll come up with a fresh new palette that works for you and your market.

Design trends and products are just as important as color palettes. One past piece of advice I do agree with is to come away from the show with at least one new product to take back to your shop. It doesn’t have to be showy, and it may only be new to your store. It’s just fun for you, and fun for your customers to see something new. A new notion, a bag, stuffed animal or clothing item (as in something you don’t normally sell) with the appropriate patterns, or something so new I can’t even imagine it to tell you about it (so be on the lookout) are just a few ideas.

McKenna Ryan’s Seasonal Fat Quarters from Hoffman California Fabric’s are a great go-to bundle

Compare products. Everything all at once pretty much sums up the show floor, so it is good to have a plan. I personally like to walk the whole show floor once over before I start ordering. It gives me a chance to spot trends (see above) and compare products. See which products you like the best, and decide which products will be compatible with each other. Don’t forget to mark down where you saw them! It’s frustrating to spend time later looking for that one perfect thing that you saw somewhere!

Take a class and learn something new. h+h is offering a plethora of classes. Don’t feel comfortable discerning new trends all by your lonesome? Attend the Craft Trends for 2026 lecture by Renee Froerer on Thursday, May 7, from 10:30 to 11:30. Yes, that’s a.m. (they’re not monsters!) The list of classes is amazing; I’d like to attend them all and I don’t even have a store anymore. From Integrating AI into your business to using Instagram to build community (on a personal note I’d really be happy to not have my daughter-in-law stand behind me and sigh whenever I try to make an “Insta” post), there really is a lot to choose from if you can break yourself away from the show floor.

Get refreshed and get inspired! This may be the most important reason of all. We all need a boost every now and then, and there’s no better way to get it than hob-knobbing with your own kind. I for one, can’t wait to be among fellow quilters and crafters. I’ll be spending part of my day in the Hoffman California Fabrics booth, so please stop by and prove there’s actually someone who reads this! I’d really like to meet you and hear your thoughts about the show, the industry, the trials of running a business, or anything else you’d like to share.

Until next time, Karen

March 13, 2026March 13, 2026

Espresso Yourself

Grab a cup of joe and get creative! There are prizes to be won, and awards to be garnered!

The 37^th Annual Hoffman Challenge fabric will be delivered to stores this month. Quilters, textile artists, accessory artists, artists of any kind, start your creative engines! Online entries are due by September 15, 2026. And while you may think that’s eons away, I can guarantee you it will be here in a flash!

It’s fitting (pun intended for the Clothing Category) that this week I had the immense pleasure of catching up with Jean Impey, the Curator (her title) and Woman in Charge (my title) of the Hoffman Challenge. And she fits it all in on top of her busy teaching, lecturing, and private commissions schedule. She is one very creative, inspiring lady!

For most of our conversation, I focused on her role in the Hoffman Challenge. I learned that if you name it, she does it. And IT is a huge job, with entries coming in from all over the globe. She starts with curating entries from digital submissions, and gets busier from there, from notifying contestants they’ve been accepted (pop the champagne!) to organizing accepted physical entries arriving daily for judging. Then there’s the actual judging, notifying, awarding…the list goes on. And that’s just for the latest Challenge. Past challenge entries need to be managed as well, from being packed up for various shows to being returned to their owners. It’s a massive task that requires a tremendous amount of organization and attention to detail. I immediately informed Jean I would never be interested in taking on her job.

**DANCE OF THE ‘WILD’ FLOWERS!**
by Sharon L. Schlotzhauer, Aurora, CO
Last year’s first place winner in the Appliquéd Quilts Category

I asked Jean if she had a favorite category. “That’s hard to say. Clothing is such an interesting category since entries range from wearable clothing to Shakespearean costumes, integrating theatrical textiles and multiple layers. But for my favorite category, I guess I’d say Mixed Techniques or Appliqué Quilts because that’s where I typically see the most creativity.”

She went on to add that the Mixed Techniques category gets the most entries, “But I sometimes think there’s a misunderstanding about which category the piece actually fits into. Sometimes I will change the classification of an entry, especially if I think it’s really good and would have a better chance of winning in a different category.”

By the way, Jean also said “The Modern Quilts category gets the fewest number of entries.” Now if that’s not a hint for the strategic entrant, I don’t know what is!

Jean Impey, the Curator of the Hoffman Challenge, is stylish as ever. I swear her outfit was not purposely coordinated with the Challenge fabrics!

This year’s Challenge is titled “Coffee Shop”, and the delectable fabric and color palette definitely supports the theme. However, Jean explained that while she and the panel of judges would love to see the use of only Hoffman fabrics, entries can contain fabric from any manufacturer in addition to the challenge fabrics. She dropped another subtle hint, “Don’t be afraid to add color!”

On that note, I asked Jean what is her best advice to someone who wants to enter the Challenge. “Have fun and be as creative as you can. You don’t have to be the best quilter or sewist; sometimes the best pieces win on creativity versus perfect techniques.”

For more information on how you can enter the Challenge, please visit https://www.thehoffmanchallenge.com. If you’d like to know a bit more about Jean Impey, visit https://sewjean.com. You’ll be glad you did! Until next time — Karen

March 7, 2026

Beach Bliss on a Snow Day

Three Breeze features three panels in an easy to stitch pattern.

I had a lovely snow day yesterday. I ironically used it to stitch up “Three Breeze,” a new quilt pattern I recently designed. The pattern features the new Seas & Greetings collection, by Hoffman California Fabrics, of course. The collection features a panel with a delightful vista of a sandy beach, complete with surf boards and palm trees. Ahh! I can almost feel the warm breeze. The prints that accompany the panel, featuring snowmen on the beach, seashells and more palm trees are just plain fun, and of course, well done. While it was super easy to stitch up, I’m always thinking of a few tips that might make you or your customers more successful.

The first tip is included in the pattern, complete with a little picture of how to use a triangle square up ruler to make those dreaded quarter-square triangles easy and perfect! It all comes down to using a tiny speck of water-soluble glue at the seam corners of your untrimmed half-square triangles before you sew the next step. See the arrow?

I like to use Quilt in a Day’s Triangle Square Up ruler (my favorite tool next to Elmer’s Clear School Glue–more on that later) to square up to the size you need. Place the base line of the ruler on the horizontal seam, and center the vertical line where the seams nest. Trim. TaDa! That tiny dot of glue will have kept the seams together and you’ll have perfect quarter-square triangles.

While I’m at it, allow me to share one more tip. If you know me, you know that I’m always harping about sewing an ⅛” around the outside of the quilt top with a longer stay stitch. But did you know it is also really helpful to do the same around the interior blocks of the quilt before you add the borders? Turn the quilt top over and stitch with the seam side up. Your quick little trip around the edge will keep all the seams in place, and also stabilize the outer edge, eliminating any stretching as you add the borders. And speaking of borders, you of course measured through the center of the quilt top to get the correct length, right?

I now have to fall on my sword and admit my shortcomings. In the pattern, I mistakenly said to make five “B” four-patch blocks. You only need to make three. I understand this error will put some into a tizzy, and I apologize. There is enough fabric to cut a few more squares for blocks you won’t need, but it does create a moment of panic. Or a sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach, which frankly put a damper on my beach bliss. Again, I’m sorry! The error is noted on the pattern corrections page of my Quilt Boss Design website.

If you need a little more inspiration, check out the Boardwalk pattern by Tourmaline & Thyme Quilts. What a great use of the border print to make a quick and fitting frame for the panel.

Seas & Greetings will begin shipping in June 2026.

Please leave a comment to let me know you’re here! I’d love to hear your thoughts.
Karen

February 26, 2026February 26, 2026

How Are You Coping?

I’m not asking you about your reaction to the State of the Union address, or the things that may be stressing you out in life. Nope, I’m talking about using those magnificent little borders or “placeholder” strips in your quilts that make everything fit together, perfectly.

Now while my basic motto has always been “If it’s too big, cut some off; If it’s too small, sew some on,” it is nice to have everything fit together perfectly. Plus, coping strips can make almost any panel pattern work with a panel that is close (0″ to 4″ in either direction) in size. Since we all love the stunning panels produced by Hoffman California Fabrics, it’s a good idea to know a bit about coping strips.

Grizzly Trail Quilt — Grizzly Trail pattern. Look closely, and you’ll see there are not one, but two! coping borders around the Eagle panel.

As a pattern designer, I’m often working with digital panel images—not the fabric panel. It’s not until I get the actual panel in my hands to make a sample that I may have an “Oh No!” moment. Hence coping strips and borders. You or your customers may have had a similar experience. Maybe the panel is just a tiny bit smaller than the pattern calls for, or it got pre-washed and shrunk a bit too much. As a shop owner, you’re supposed to know how to fix all the problems!

The basic premise is simple, but you do have to work backwards a bit. For example, if the panel is surrounded by 6″ finished blocks, you know (ok, use a calculator) that seven 6″ finished blocks can frame a 42″ finished size panel. That’s easy. But if you really want to use all 43″ of the finished panel height, you’re going to need to add some coping strips either between the blocks, or at the top and bottom to make up 1″ in height. That’s awkward. Go the other way and make eight blocks. Eight 6″ blocks mean you need the panel “hole” to be 48″ tall. Adding a 2 ½” finished size strip at the top and bottom of the panel (43″ + 2 ½” + 2 ½”) makes it the perfect size. Notice that I’m always working in finished sizes. It’s easier to calculate everything that way, but don’t forget to add ½” to the finished size for cutting. In this case, you’d cut 3″ strips.

White Pine Lane Quilt with Medallion Center. Note the coping border around the center stars. There’s a second coping border (the purple one) before the block borders were added. Fabrics are from the Whispering Ferns collection.

If you’re not so hot on the math, there’s an easier way. White Pine Lane, is a new pattern featuring Hoffman California Fabrics՚ Whispering Ferns collection. It has a pieced medallion center, and on point, no less. The center is framed by a coping border, and while I wish everyone, including me, sewed perfectly, the best instructions I could give were to measure the pieced center medallion and then cut the coping border strips wider (or narrower) than the specified width if necessary. The unit can be trimmed to the correct size after the borders are added. Problem solved, and on to the next step!

BTW, coping borders do not have to be from just one fabric, and they do not need to be the same width on all four sides. And last but not least, you don’t have to have a coping border, even if it is of different widths, on all four sides. Yes, I know, that last one is a bit paralyzing for those that like to play by the rules.

So go ahead, and cope with whatever comes your way! Until next time, Karen

February 17, 2026February 17, 2026

Welcome to the Re-Launch!

Hello! And welcome to the official re-launch of the Hoffman Happenings blog. After a bit of begging, pleading and maybe a little cajoling, the powers that be at Hoffman California Fabrics are allowing me to be your spiritual fabric advisor. Okay, so that may not have been their exact job description, but editor and chief contributor sounds so boring!

Please allow me to introduce myself. My name is Karen Hanson, and I am the main pattern creator, printer, folder, bagger and shipper at Quilt Boss Design. In other words, it’s just me. I’ve been lucky enough to have designed the past five Hoffman Palette of the Season projects, so you may have seen one or two of my designs. I am a bona-fide Hoffman California Fabrics fanatic; I love their batiks, hand-dyes and digital prints (more on that later), and am thankful I have the opportunity to design new patterns to show off their fabrics. After fifteen years of owning a brick-and-mortar quilt store, I’ve taught, lectured and written patterns for almost every aspect of quilting, and am a little bit more than excited to share my thoughts and experience.

Present Company, A Palette of the Season Pattern exclusively from Hoffman California Fabrics

Enough about me. Let’s talk about you. And this blog. Stop by or follow the blog to get a preview of the latest collections, learn a little bit about the designers you love, and of course get a few behind the scenes sneak peeks to learn a little about what goes in to creating, producing and delivering those delicious fabrics to your store. With a little arm twisting, and possibly a bit of bribery, I’m hoping to share this platform with my pattern design cohorts, so stay tuned. I’d really like to know what inspires them! Wouldn’t you like to know?

If you’re a quilt shop that carries Hoffman California Fabrics, I’d love to hear from you. If you have an opinion of what you’d like to see here, I’d love to hear from you. Heck, if you’re just feeling like you need a friend, I’d love to hear from you, too.

In the meantime, ICYMI (in case you missed it), Crown and Vine, Hoffman California Fabrics’ newest blender collection, will begin shipping May 2026. Did you get your order in?

This metallic blender is ideal for adding subtle shimmer and sophistication to any design. Just check out a few of the projects below!

Timber and Town, by Quilt Boss Design (aka, yours truly)

January 3, 2019January 3, 2019

Join Hoffman’s Bali Batik Club

What is the Hoffman Bali Batik Club?
We want to help you keep your customers inspired and coming back for more so we designed a Hoffman Bali Batik Club to do just that. Each month, we will send you 10 gorgeous bundles. You can always order more than 10 bundles, but they are sold in increments of 10. Each bundle contains 12 Hoffman Bali Batik Fat Quarters in a lovely seasonal color story. Each month, we will include a card in your shipment for a link to a free pattern that we think pairs well with the bundles.

Is it too late to start?
Don’t worry if you didn’t get started in January! You are welcome to join the club anytime, just let us know which month you would like to begin and we will make sure you get all 12 months in sequential order.

When do my bundles deliver?
Your bundles will deliver to your shop one month prior to the month they belong to. For example, February’s bundles will ship to you in January, while March’s bundles will ship to you in February.

Can I buy the bundles without being in the club?
Each month’s bundles can also be sold separately, without being in the club. If your store always carries a pink section of fabric in support of Breast Cancer, you are welcome to purchase our February bundles to fill up with pink. If your local high school’s color is green, you can purchase our March bundles in time for parents and grandparents to whip up graduation gifts for their high schooler. Just remember, you can buy any of these 12 bundles in increments of 10 at anytime.

Need some fun ideas to get you started?
Have your customers sign up for the year-long club in advance and get them committed to coming to the shop for a social time. Host a coffee party once a month to distribute the bundles to your club members and have them show off the projects made with the previous months’ bundles. Pair each bundle with a pattern and thread to enhance your customers’ experience and get them inspired to start a project.

Call us to join: 800-547-0100

June 27, 2018

We missed you in Portland…

But here’s everything you need to know!

Spring Quilt Market 2018 in Portland was a blast! We released Dream Bigger, Our 10th Anniversary Cappuccino Pop, McKenna Ryan’s new Seed to Blossom Hoffman Bali Batik Collection, Kari Carr’s new line, With a Twist and so much more!! We don’t want you to wait any longer to see it all. Below you’ll find links to our digital catalogs and project books. Take seat, have a look and get inspired!!

Click here to view the newest additions to the Hoffman line & get inspired with our Project Catalogs!

See something you can’t live without? Call your sales rep, place an order online, or call us directly at 800-547-0100 to get it ordered for you! Happy Quilting!

June 27, 2018June 27, 2018

Seed to Blossom by McKenna Ryan

Introducing a new line of freshly picked Hoffman Bali Batiks from McKenna Ryan:

McKenna has planted the seeds of inspiration in her stunning line of Hoffman Bali Batiks. Each color and pattern has been cultivated to work together for just the right combination of freshness and warmth. As always, McKenna has designed bushels of projects featuring these fabrics and will be available to view at Pine Needles!

Hoffman is also offering the Seed to Blossom collection as a BIG FAT 50! You get all 30 fabrics in the Seed to Blossom collection plus 20 hand picked Hoffman Bali Basic Blenders that McKenna Ryan chose just for you!

This bundle includes a total of 50, one-yard cuts, no repeats!

Click here to view the entire collection of Seed to Blossom Hoffman Bali Batiks. Explore the McKenna Ryan lookbook here.

Seed to Blossom will begin shipping to stores in November 2018!

March 2, 2018

2018 Hoffman Challenge Sees First Entry

The quilter/sewist who enters first wins! Well, not really, but we were delighted to see Sharon Morgan made the first submission in the 2018 Hoffman Challenge featuring Shine On!

Entering is “sew” easy! Just fill out the form, submit two photos of your artwork, and pay the entry fee at Hoffman Challenge 2018 Entry by the June 22 deadline.

2018 marks the 30th year of Hoffman Fabrics’ annual juried contest featuring original quilts, garments, and accessories. Makers of winning artwork receive cash and product prizes. Challenge co-sponsor Aurifil Thread presents awards for the Best Use of Aurifil category.

After reviewing all entries from the digital submission process, a panel of judges invites quilters and sewists to mail their artwork to Hoffman Fabrics for in-person judging. Get full details on the contest website.

We loved Sharon’s entry in the 2016 Challenge featuring the butterfly-themed Crystalia. Her mixed-technique quilt showed originality, good execution, and storytelling. Take a look. We think you’ll agree and find inspiration from it. And we look forward to seeing your entry soon!

February 28, 2018September 17, 2018

Bigger. Better. Hello, Hoffman Wide Backs!

Did you think that you would ever see a wide back fabric as lovely as Skylines? Or Hoffman’s Bali Sunflower? Or Mystic Meadow?

That’s right! We took some of our most popular designs in batiks and digital prints and blew them up BIG! As in 108 inches wide big. That means with our popular Skylines cityscape, the building reach nearly 9 feet. How cool is that?

Of course you can count on Hoffman wide back fabrics to offer the same premium quality as our regular-width goods.

We’re packaging our wide backs in user-friendly 3-yard cuts – the perfect size for quilt backs. Look for our beautiful fabrics folded in clear bags bearing our super-cute product name … wait for it … Hoffman 3-Sums!

They add just the right touch of elegance and beauty, and they’re so pretty you can also use them for seamless borders or bindings, whole-cloth quilts and duvets, pillows, dust ruffles, tablecloths, slipcovers, curtains and other chic DIY home décor.

Ask for a 3-Sum at your favorite Hoffman retailer!