Ties that Bind
Volume One, Issue 2
Volume One, Issue 3
Volume One, Issue 4
Volume One, Issue 5
Volume One, Issue 6
Volume Two, Issue 1
Volume Two, Issue 2
Volume Two, Issue 3
Volume Two, Issue 4
Volume Three, Issue 1
Volume Three, Issue 2
Volume Three, Issue 3
Volume Three, Issue 4
Volume Three, Issue 5
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TIES THAT BIND
Volume 2, Issue 3, August 2001
This is a great time of year. All of ya'll that paid attention to Ties last month knew to come in on Independence Day. Because as we all should know, (all together now) "Holidays are sale days". Not only was everything not previously discounted on sale for 40% off, but I cooked gourmet hamburgers to order on the grill for all customers. A fun time was had by all. While Rita cut fabric and rang the sales, I cooked the food. All of the help had the day off, but most came in to shop, so the lovely and talented Rita and I worked hard to make the day a success for QuiltSmiths and multitudes of our loyal customers. It amazes me how fast you can cook and serve 20 pounds of ground chuck, and cut, fold, and bag just over 180 yards of fabric (most in _ to 1 _ yard pieces). What a day! By the way, our next national holiday is Labor Day.
Some of the new fabrics are Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn by Moda, Alphabet Clown by Free Spirit, new brights by South Seas, RJR, and Hoffman, and a continuing flow of new essentials in a rainbow of colors by Kona Bay. New Moda Marbles and Marble Dots continue to come in. "Vintage Floral Garden" by Maywood is sure to please all you 1930s fans. New fabrics are coming in every week. You won't want to miss any of them.
The Cool Gadget of the Month is another of those must haves. If you haven't tried the new Clover Mini Iron you really should. It looks sort of like a curling iron with a small triangle-shaped pressing area. It is great for pressing at the sewing machine, wonderful for paper piecing, and super for getting into very small areas. You'll want to pick one up or put it on your wish list. Tell Hubby that it's just the thing for getting monokote properly applied to model aircraft wings too. But don't let Rita know I tried out her new mini iron on one of my projects.
New classes include Basic Label Making. You've put so much heart and soul into that special quilt, now give it a special label. Debi Kucsmas will show you how. It's really not as difficult as you think. Your ancestors and future quilt historians will love you for it.
A new six-session class combining piecing and applique is called Country Hearts. It is from the new book from Possibilities entitled "Hearts Aplenty". Nancy Murray is very excited about this class and I'm sure it will fill up fast and we'll have to repeat it soon. This is a very special quilt, and I know the lucky students will have a lot of fun, and be rewarded with this heirloom quilt.
Aileen Anderson is teaching wool rug hooking again. This time it's a wonderful little wall hanging of baby chicks. If you've ever wanted to learn rug hooking, this is the time. Aileen makes it fun and easy. She provides the kit with almost everything you need. You'll love the finished project, and have a great time of fellowship while learning the skills to put it together.
Rita is still teaching the Square In A Square technique. I have been assured that this is the only way to put together traditional looking square in a square blocks as well as stars, flying geese, and some new blocks you have seen and said to yourself, "Hey, Yourself, how DID she do that?"
Vicki Person is teaching Beginning Paper Piecing. Many of you have asked for this class. The pattern is a sailboat which could easily be expanded from the wallhanging size to crib size. What a great baby quilt.
Please check the class schedule here on QuiltSmiths.com for dates, times, and costs.
Remember , five months to complete those Christmas gift quilt projects. And if you are thinking of having it machine quilted, subtract six weeks for us to get it done for you in time to get it bound. We even have some Christmas fabrics on sale.
On a special note, we had two very young quilters come in with their mom. Each brought their first quilt, and the ribbons won at a recent show and competition. One was a very nice three rail fence, while her brother had made a four rail fence. Good work kids! Coincidentally, another mom and daughter duo was purchasing materials for the daughter's first quilt, a nine patch. This is why we are here. Let us all find a young person to pass this art skill down to. If you are 13 and under, and bring in your first completed quilt for show-and-tell, I'll reward you with a FQ when you purchase materials for your second quilt. (A note to Moms and other adult helpers - I'm serious, we really want to see those first quilts, and second quilts too. But the work must be that of the young person to receive the FQ, and should be labeled as such).
May the Lord bless you all this summer, and keep you safe in your travels.
Michael
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