Dear Friends,

Welcome to our new website and its first newsletter.   Thank you for all your feedback on the site and on the new brands.   

Spring holidays are fast approaching and the heirloom sewing season is upon us. 

In addition Spechler Vogel and Robert Kaufman favorites, we have welcomed new products from  Timeless Treasures, Hi Fashion Fabrics and Tanya Whelan Fabrics.  There are also hand-dyed silk ribbons from River Silks, and more French and Swiss laces.  We continue to add inventory monthly so check back often.  And there are new patterns from the brilliant designer Judith Marquis.

In February we are starting an interview series with designers we consistently rely on to give us the popular patterns we love to sew.  Our first featured designer is Judith Marquis, who has been dazzling us with her spectacular patterns for more than two decades.  

A short introduction to Judith Marquis:

Judith Marquis is probably Canada’s foremost smocking and heirloom sewing instructor.  Her design work has been featured in Chatelaine, Crafts Plus, Canadian Living, SAGANews, Sew Beautiful and A Needle Pulling Thread (needlework) magazine.  She has become a regular contributor to this last magazine, writing articles not only on smocking but embroidery as well.  Judith has authored two innovative books: “Interlace and Lace”, lace-shaped designs inspired by Celtic art, and “Monograms & Flowers” involving monograms worked in French Val lace and embellished with silk ribbon embroidered birth-month flowers.

As a Ryerson University Fashion grad, she has worked in many facets of the fashion industry.  She designed for the Grace L. Knott Company from 1991 - 2006, adding new smocking patterns and updating many of the original patterns.  In 1998 she began her own line of patterns, Amberlane Amberpetites, which now includes patterns for adults, children, and dolls.  While most of her patterns are for smocked garments, they also lend themselves to heirloom and regular sewers.

Over the years, Judith has delighted students at Bernina University, Elna Retreats, Husqvarna’s ‘Canada Sews’, The Pfaff Academy, the Canadian Home Sewing Association, and the CreativFestival in Canada.  She is well known at sewing stores in Canada and at American Sewing Guilds throughout the U.S.  Judith has been a SAGA (Smocking Arts Guild of America) member since 1984 and is one of their approved instructors.

Smocking is her passion. Colour, good design and accuracy are the focus of her work.

Happy Sewing,

The Emma Robb Company