Time Flies (whether you’re having fun or not!)

I can’t believe how quickly the summer has flown by…it seems like just the other day my husband tore the brick off of our family room fireplace.  And, through a series of unfortunate events, the summer project has now turned into a fall project.  Our original time frame of having it done by Memorial Day (and, then, by the Fourth of July and then by Labor Day) has now been transformed into a hopeful Thanksgiving deadline!  Sometimes this is how a sewing project goes, too.  The block of the month quilt from 2008 is not yet pieced together, and there is a sweet jungle inspired quilt on the frame now at the store with a hopeful completion of “yet this week”.

The good news is that it’s really busy here at the store!  Lots of new products have arrived and continue to arrive, and the fabric, well, it’s ever-expanding.  So, I’ve put together a little picture show of what’s new!

It was an exciting day when the new Koala Studio cabinet came in!  I was so grateful that it was not raining because this box is enormous and I needed to call for reinforcements to get the cabinet inside the store.  Thankfully, Roy miraculously appeared and we rolled that bad boy into the back door.  These custom designed, by YOU, studios are made right outside Chicago, so with every purchase you can proudly say, it was “Made in the USA!”  Available in 8 colors and many sizes and custom heights, there is home delivery available for these beauties.  Because the cabinets weight over 400 pounds, I highly recommend the Top-Drawer Delivery, because the delivery men will move the studio up/down a flight of stairs and set it completely up for you.

We stocked up on machines and that’s a good thing, because we already have to reorder.  Baby Lock’s fall serger promotion is simply great, and if you ever wanted a Baby Lock serger, now is the time…our package includes the serger trolley, 6-foot kit, Inspiration Guide AND the exclusive Baby Lock Gold Standard!

As far as events go, we hosted Baby Lock educator, Emily Carter in September with a terrific turnout of standing-room-only!  Emily showed the features in the new upgrade for the Ellisimo, as well as some of the great things you can do with your Evolution serger!  Janet and Pam are going to Sew Special this weekend, in Peoria, to teach a class on Trims & Tassels on your Baby Lock Serger.  You should see what Janet has created.  I’m hopeful she’ll do a demo for us this fall!  Kid’s Club keeps going strong.  The girls created a handy cover for a treat jar and used machine embroidery on Sofia.  The projects were really cute and the spider web embroidery glows in the dark!

As far as sewing goes, check out the serger quilt Brenda made.  She used the Wave stitch (wow!) and the new Metroflock serger yarns for the ruffles.  Brenda also made a sample using the Kaffe & Brandon Mably fabrics we carry in the store.  Her first try at stippling on the Jewel was a huge success, don’t you agree?

And, we didn’t forget the dolls either!  Check out the adaptation of Mini-Kyoko as a witch costume.  It is so sweet and perfect in the new print from Dan Bennett.  Mini-Kyoko also shines in Patty Young’s new line of fabrics, Sanctuary (you know I got to sew samples, so I’m sneaking a peek to you!)

Come by sometime soon to see the newest Baby Lock sewing machines like Symphony, Melody, Tempo, Elizabeth and the rest!  You’ll see why the pros like Nancy Zieman, Eleanor Burns and Fons & Porter CHOOSE Baby Lock!  Shouldn’t you?

 

 

Change is Good.

After 4 years at this location, our store has really expanded.  And, well, we’ve suffered some growing pains, too.  One of our primary objectives when we started with fabric was to keep it neat and tidy.  This is no small feat for a sewing machine/fabric shop, and your home sewing room is an example of how hard it is to keep on top of things.  We have over 50 bolts of fabric scheduled to arrive in the next 3 weeks alone, so the pressure to make better use of our space was on.  About a week ago, Pam, her husband Roy, my husband, and I stayed late on 2 nights to re-vamp the shop.  With the advice of a friend, Brian, we were able to step back and take a second look at the place.  It didn’t take but some re-arranging and some re-routing of electrical cords and the place has taken on a new and fresh face as we head into the fall season.  With all the new Baby Lock products arriving this fall (& we’re going to showcase some of the fabulous Koala cabinets, too), we had to create some space and I think we did.  Come by to take a look in person…you already know my photography leaves a bit to be desired.

We had Kids’ Club in August and the girls re-fashioned a t-shirt.  By adding some decorative lettuce edging to the bottom of the cut sleeves and hem, in a cute variegated thread, and carefully adjusting the fit by adding pleats and tucks, everyone’s project was adorable!

Lots of new patterns and projects actually got completed in the past weeks, too.  I’m always thrilled when you bring in the completed bag or quilt.  We just love show & tell.

Oliver + S pattern + Dena Designs fabric + Dakota Collectibles embroidery = 2 cute!

Dena Design's McKenzie makes the perfect baby quilt.

Foldover Bag from Liberty Star in Halo fabrics

Mommy & Me bag (Liberty Star) in Brandon Mably

Out & About bag (This & That) in Paula Prass' Woodland Delight

Jen's Sun & Surf tote (Modkid) is terrific color-blocked! The back is equally cute!

A simply amazing bag -- Bon Vivant! (Ellen Medlock) is even more spectacular in this black print from Dena Designs (McKenzie).

A cutie from Kari Mecca's book, Sewing with Whimsy.

Long Time Coming

I’ve been meaning to make a blog entry for weeks.  It’s been busy at the store, and at home.  I’ve been helping my friend, Patty Young, get busy for quilt market, sewing samples of my Mini-Modkid outfits out of her new Playdate fabric.  I just love playing with the dollies, and some of my customers brought over their American Girl dolls this week for a special photo shoot for a quilt market 4′ x 8′ poster.  It is simply marvelous, and I think you’ll eventually be able to download a jpg as a desktop wallpaper from Patty’s site (right before market, so you’re still in suspense!)  As soon as I get a chance, I’ll be posting a tutorial on how to add shirring to our newest mini pattern, Mini-Nina, to give it another look!

It’s been 2 weeks since our April Kid’s Club and the girls made a “surprise” for their moms.  The groups were small this month, and each girl did a terrific job stitching up a special gift for the special mom in their life.  As a bonus, they took home a second kit so they could make another for someone else who’s special to them!

Embroidery Club was this past Sunday and, as always, there were lots of things to share.  We’ll be starting a new block of the month, made especially for embroidery machines.  This Hoopsisters  Textures and Techniques Quilt is pieced and quilted entirely on an embroidery machine.  Everyone is looking forward to completing this clever project.  We’ll organize and pick fabrics at our Tuesday, May 18th meeting (5:30 pm) and then meet monthly, the third Tuesday from 5:30-7:30 beginning in June.  Please call the store for details if you are interested.

We’re in the final weeks of Baby Lock’s Spring Savings Event.  Until May 31st, get 6 free accessory feet with the purchase of one of Baby Lock’s patented sergers, and free gifts galore can be yours with the purchase of an embroidery machine.  Betty’s popular Bag-tastic series will resume in June, with guest teacher Janet teaching her now-famous (& very much coveted) Scottsdale Satchel.  Betty will be back in July for Lisa’s Bag and the bag for August is yet to be determined.  With quilt market coming, so are skads of new and exciting patterns, so we’ll have plenty from which to choose.

Sewing to Make Us Smile!

The girls were here for “Kid’s Club” on Saturday, and their project was a “go green” shopping bag.  We used the Timber fabrics (Windham) by Jessica Levitt, to keep our ecology theme intact.  This simple tote was improved upon with the use of a tab that hooks onto the bag dispenser of your local grocery–great idea, Janet!  To give their bags a professional finish, all of our seams were edged with a Baby Lock serger!  Everybody’s bag was great, and the topstitching is really improving, girls!  Super job!

Brenda got her Anita Goodesign Baby Giraffes quilt back from the quilter, and wow, didn’t Betty do a great job enhancing the pattern on the background fabric (Eden by Lila Tueller for Moda Fabrics)?  These giraffes always make me smile and the purple girly giraffes are especially sweet!

I’ve had my eye on the roses from Philip Jacobs (Westminster) since they first came in, and when the great new cantaloupe colored print arrived last week, I knew I had met the match!  The new bag pattern, Vicki’s Bag from Quilts Illustrated, shows off the fabrics beautifully, and what’s best–I finished it in one afternoon!  What a simple and good looking bag!

I don’t want you to miss the sneak peek of the upcoming Stella handbag pattern from Modkid and be sure to check out the topstitching done on the exclusive Baby Lock Sashiko machine!

March On

Can you believe it’s already March?   February just flew by and we’ve been so busy at the store, I haven’t even had time to fill you in on the happenings.  New fabrics keep arriving.  We’re running out of room again.  We’ve had to reorder all of the new Modkid patterns, too.  Everybody is having a great time sewing for their dollies!

What else is new?  Kid’s Club met this past Saturday and the girls get better every month.  They put together a lined wristlet, including a zipper.  I was totally impressed and the girls were pleased with their completed projects.  Later this month, they’ll be making a “go green” grocery/tote bag.  Call the store for more details!

Betty’s “Bag-Tastic” class series has been a hit.  The Serenity Handbag has been a favorite, and everybody has been inspired by the Texture Magic.  The “secret ingredient” headliner foam has also been a stand-out feature of this bag.  Adding a big button (or two) is something everybody has done.  Vianne even picked her buttons before she picked her fabrics!  Diane used Patty Young’s Flora & Fauna collection for her Serenity bag and you should have seen the impressive texturizing.  She outdid herself!  I love it!

The group in the Beginning Quilting series class, session 2, made a great pieced laptop carrier.  For beginners, they learned piecing, quilting and binding in just one complete project!  The Baby Giraffe embroidery design CD from Anita Goodesign is so sweet.  I just love the happy giraffes, and the Mezzanine fabric pairs beautifully with the turquoise ta-dot fabric!  Did you know that turquoise is the color of the year for 2010?

We’re having a big sale on machines in mid-March.  You won’t want to miss it.  Our floor models are specially priced, too, with some of the lowest prices of the year!  If there is a machine you’ve been longing for, be sure to come in during our sale, March 11-20.

How Straight is Straight?

Our Kids Club is gearing up this year with high expectations.  Miss Janet has high expectations for completed projects this year, and it all comes down to one simple task–sewing a straight seam!  So, this month’s project was simple.  By sewing a series of straight seams, the girls constructed a cover for a notebook.  And, it only fit the book if you sewed straight!  Our girls were successful, and there was just a tad of room for creativity, by using some of the fabulous Baby Lock machines and their decorative stitches!  The morning was hectic:  we DID have to use a seam ripper; we had to get a band-aid; we burned a finger with an iron; we lost a contact lens and well, I hope nothing else.  That was enough excitement for our morning.  But, everybody left with smiles and ideas for some jazzy covers for their notebooks at home.  I suspect that books, notebooks, photo albums (maybe even the yellow pages) will be decked out in some fashionable covers at everyone’s home in the coming weeks.  Job well done, girls.  And, yes, they really can sew REALLY straight!

A Great Weekend!

We started our Saturday with the Kid’s Club.  The girls made an ornament that doubled as a gift card holder.  Janet suggested to them that they make their own gift card and suggested some ideas like unloading the dishwasher, walking the dog, or a coupon for making dinner one night.  The girls learned a couple of new tips and it’s really measurable the amount of progress they’ve made this year.  Their stitching is so straight!  It was Madison’s birthday, and she shared some gooey brownie treats with the gang.

I couldn’t wait to do something with the new Meadowsweet fabric from Sandi Henderson.  I made a cute taggie blankie, using the new product, Texture Magic!  This was so much fun to do, trying out the various patterns I could make with my sewing machine.  I love how the steam iron just made the fabric shrink up, like shrinky-dinks!  The cute patterns, Little Charmers and Bubbly Babies, are perfect to combine that soft, plush fabric with textured fabrics (pssst…the perfect, matching color is “ivory”).  There’s enough Texture Magic in a package to make several of these projects!  I am going to make a matching bib and the block from the pattern for a baby gift ensemble!  Too cute!

You probably already know I love the houndstooth fabric from Paula Prass’ Summer Soiree Collection.  I made the new pattern, Gadget Girl from Whistlepig Creek.  You should see the pockets inside this bag, gals.  I love the shape and the houndstooth is eye-catching, isn’t it?  I made the button on my embroidery machine using the great Button-Up design CD from Hope Yoder.  Janet used the Whimsy fabric to make up the Texture Magic Totes pattern.  Check out the closeup of the gridded texturizing on the base of the bag!

Remember the birthday sale, and stop in to see us!

Happy Jacks!

Our young sewers were here on Saturday and what fun we had making the door hanger.  The girls pieced together strips of orange fabrics to make a pumpkin shaped quilted piece and then, with the heat of an iron, transformed their little pumpkins into cute jack-o-lanterns!  Don’t you just love Steam-a-Seam?!  Claire always knows how to make us laugh;  this time she turned her jack’s smile into a frown.  But, don’t let that fool you.  Claire’s sweet disposition might get that jack to turn his frown into a smile before too long!  Our late afternoon group was full of brand new sewers, but you’d never know…their sweet jacks were as happy as all the rest.  Somehow I missed my photo session with that middle group of sewers — busy with customers.  Sorry, girls…Another fun project is planned for October;  hope to see everyone back on October 24th!

Zip it Up!

The project for the Kids’ Club last weekend was a cute bag with a zipper!  Can you believe it?!  The girls did a terrific job and some thought the bag would be perfect for makeup, pencils, jewelry or whatever.  It’s the perfect gift to make for friends, too.

Summer Sew-In Finale

We sewed like crazy this week and every project turned out beautifully.  It’s amazing to see how far these girls came in 4 days time.  Karen led them through the construction of a sewing basket, a game cartridge (or jewelry) holder, a pocketed bucket (perfect for stowing “stuff”!) and a quilted pencil bag.  We had a few snafus, but what sewer doesn’t?  I’m impressed that every project was completed and looked great, too.  I think it was a fun week for everyone, including us!