Wow!  2018 is zooming right along!  I have a class note and new fabric to tell you about, then we will get to the Super Weekend Sale info.

First class note is for Cathryn’s Machine Quilting Class in November.  For this month she will be teaching RULER WORK ONLY.  Bring in your Machine Quilting Rulers and feet and learn how to do feathers, circles, curves and more.  Perfection is always just around the corner with the right tools and training!  Finish your projects with the look of a professional!

New fabric just in!  Chloe from Maywood Studios is a very sweet floral collection with Geranium blossoms, stripes and tonals.  Gradients from Moda is a collection of beautiful and unique Ombre Prints that will set your inner artist wild with ideas!  There are loads of new patterns and ideas for using Ombre prints – these fabrics can add a whole new twist to your projects.

Now!  On to the sale!  This first weekend in October you can choose any one regular priced merchandise item and take 40% off that item!  Do you need a new cutting mat?  Maybe a 5 pack of rotary blades?  How about yardage for a quilt back or background?  Is there a kit you’ve been lusting after?  Here is your chance!  This price is not valid on special orders or already discounted class supplies but otherwise if it’s in stock and you want it you get to pick your own sale!  There is a minimum 1 yard cut to receive the sale price on fabric please.  One cut equals one item (any amount of yardage from one bolt).

I’ll end on a quilting story.  I’m on vacation this week to celebrate Bill’s birthday and decided to bring home a kit from the shop called “Greenhouse” by Elizabeth Hartman.  I have a person in my life that will love this modern looking quilt populated by Cacti blocks and I have admired Elizabeth’s patterns but never made one.  WELL!  I didn’t really look at it before I brought it home and I didn’t realize that it is all Stitch and Flip – with 1” and 1 ½” “flips”.  I do not like stitch and flip.  It seems to be one of those quilting skills that defeats me.  I end up with wobbly corners, stretched fabric and missing points.  I try to oversize the then I have lots to trim and I often lose the correct diagonal.  BUT!  Creative Grids has come out with a new tool called the Folded Corner Ruler.  I had brought one of these home because it’s also designed to trim binding strips on the diagonal before sewing – eliminating the drawn lines and trimming after you sew – quickly and easily.  I am over the moon happy with this ruler!  My stitch and flip strips are actually straight and the right size!  I’m not stretching and pulling and losing the ¼” point when I sew the strips together.  It’s a little more work when cutting, but you use less fabric and don’t have to mark those diagonals or trim off the other half of the square or the seam allowance points.  I’m not in this weekend (duh, vacation!) but I will be in next week and I’ll be happy to demo this ruler..  I will be ordering more stock as soon as I’m back because I know that if you try it it will become one of your tabletop rulers and not live in a box.  It’s a game changer for my piecing.  As noted above, the right tool can make all the difference! 

One more thing on this project.  It uses linen for the plant pots and the background fabric.  This is the first time I have sewn with linen and I LOVE it.  It does fray a bit with handling but it cuts cleanly, presses incredibly well and stitches like a dream.  I’ve brought in a couple of bolts of 60” wide linen because I wanted to make some pillowcases but now I’m thinking I may use it for piecing and for hand embroidery as well.  With my infatuation I’ll be checking next week to see what other colors are available and no doubt ordering a variety so stay tuned!

I think that covers everything!  Happy October everyone!  We will see you soon I hope.

Deb