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What's New at CQ 03/19/17


"Local quilt shops are an active and productive part of our quilting community that possess a wealth of information." Alex Veronelli


Dear Users of Thread,

Are you, or would you like to be, an Aurifil lover?  Or maybe you are just into hot Italian men.  Either way, you don’t want to miss “Inside Aurifil and Aurifil Inside” with Alex Veronelli on July 17th.  Alex will talk about what’s new at Aurifil, tips on the best uses for each weight of thread, and show us a trunk show of quilts made by popular designers using Aurifil threads.  He’ll be doing two sessions, one at 11 and one at 2; sign up for either one.  They are FREE and there will be goodies and giveaways!  Attendance is limited to 35 at each session, so don’t wait too long to sign up!  Call us at 301-527-0598 or come to the shop to register.

The next time you are in the shop, test drive the new sewing chairs!  We are now a dealer for Heavenly Seating.  These chairs adjust six ways to Sunday, including lumbar support.  You will be able to sew longer and more comfortably because your posture will be better and your body will have support in all the right places.  Each chair is custom-made: you can choose from over 150 different fabrics, different kinds of wheels depending on your floor surface, different heights and widths of cushions, different styles of seat, arms or no arms, and more.  They offer an excellent warranty.  The foam is guaranteed never to break down or compress.  Visit www.heavenlyseating.com to learn more and get a $50 discount voucher.

There are still some cards left in our CUT THE DECK challenge! Come to the shop and pick a card from a standard deck of cards, or call us and we will pick one for you, then use that card as inspiration for a small quilt.  Turn your quilt in to us not later than April 19; we will hang them in the Gallery and ask viewers to vote for their favorites.  Awards will be given at the Card Party on April 30.  I’d love to have all 54 cards (including the two jokers) taken so that I can have them photographed and printed as a real deck of cards! You can look at images online of card quilts that other groups have made to get some ideas for your own (but no copying!). 

Mark your calendar: we having Demo Day at Capital Quilts on Saturday, March 25, from 1-5ish.  We’ll start with a one-hour lecture on collage quilt-making, given by Susan McLaughlin and illustrated by Lulu the Elephant, then move on to a Stripology tool lesson, an English paper piecing demonstration, a discussion about some of the newest products from Clover, how to make a mitered-corner baby blanket, and a review of Sew Steady tables and the Westalee templates you can use to quilt your quilts on your domestic sewing machine and give them the professional look of a longarm quilter. In addition to Susan, Jenny Trussell, Annette Burns, Kim Jalette, and Annie Jeffrey will be making presentations.  Make-and-take a greeting card that uses a flower made on an embroidery machine. View Gundrun Erla’s trunk show of quilts she designed and made using the Stripology rulers.  Win a door prize!  It’s free, but please register for Demo Day so we know how many to expect.  Call 301-27-0598 or visit the shop to register.

Do you own a Capital Quilts Blue Bag?  I hope so!  Announcing the Capital Quilts Blue Bag Bonanza 5th Saturday Club!  There are four months in 2017 that have 5 Saturdays: April, July, September, and December.  On each 5th Saturday, we will have a different event or promotion for you to enjoy.  On April 29, bring your Capital Quilts Blue Bag and load it up with goodies; I’ll give you a 20% discount on whatever you can cram in there.  It has to be in the bag; no handholding anything!  How do you become a member of the 5th Saturday Club, you ask?  If you already have a Capital Quilts Blue Bag, you just need to purchase a 5th Saturday Club green ticket, which we will affix to your Blue Bag.  The ticket costs $10 and will gain you entry to all four of the 5th Saturday events.  If you don’t have a Blue Bag, buy one for $14.99, which includes the green ticket.  If you don’t want to participate in the 5th Saturday Club, you can still purchase a Blue Bag for just $4.99.

If your 8-12 year old children are home on Wednesday mornings in May, you might want to enroll them in our Kids: Sew a Quilt class.  Shelby will be teaching the children how to make an easy quilt.  Along the way, they’ll learn all about their sewing machine and the fundamentals of sewing.  And, quilting reinforces math skills! There will be 6 classes, Wednesday mornings from 10:30-12:30, on May 3, 10, 17, 24, 31, and June 7.

It's nearly Spring – time for a change – not just your smoke alarm battery and your clocks, but your rotary cutter blade, too! And time for Spring Cleaning--oil your machine and get the lint out, and clean the sole plate on your iron. CQ has the products that will get your sewing season off to a clean start.

Go ‘n’ piece,

Alison Zacharkiw

 

CAPITAL QUILTS’ SPECIALS: 

HANDI QUILTER FLOOR MODELS:  It’s time to sell our floor models again!  Contact Alison or Annie for details: 301-527-0598. At no extra cost to you, we install the machine in your home and give you a lesson on using and maintaining it. (If you live more than 50 miles away from the shop, we will charge standard mileage). You’ll receive the full support of Handi Quilter and Capital Quilts should you have questions or difficulties during your quilting career.  The machine will be serviced by our certified Handi Quilter technician prior to installation in your home.  The machine’s warranty will transfer to you. 


Sweet Sixteen
: Our package includes the TruStitch stitch regulation system and the table overlay. Regularly priced at $5995, you can buy our floor model for $5,295. Save $205 in shipping, for a total savings of $905.

Simply Sixteen: This small stand-up quilting machine, with its 5’ hoop-style frame, has an MSRP of $5,995. Our floor model is now available for $5,295. You save an additional $225 in shipping costs, for a total savings of $925. This machine has built-in stitch regulation. Because of the hooping system, you can quilt even a king-sized quilt on it. It is a mighty machine for a small space!

Avante: MSRP is $10,995. Our floor model is on sale for $8,495. The frame can be set up at 6’, 8’, 10’, or 12’. You save $345 in shipping, for a total savings of $2,845.

Avante with ProStitcher: Regularly $20,995, buy our floor model for $16,995. Same frame set up possibilities as above. Save $415 in shipping, for a total savings of $4,415.

Fusion: regularly priced $13,995, our floor model is on sale for $11,495. You save $395 in shipping, for a total savings of $2,895. The frame can be set up at 8’ or 12’.

Fusion with ProStitcher: MSRP is $23,995; buy our floor model for $19,995. You save $465 in shipping, for a total savings of $4,465. The frame can be set up at 8’ or 12’.

Infinity: This machine regularly sells for $17,995. The floor model sale price is $15,495. You save $450 in shipping, for a total savings of $2,950. The frame is 12’. This is a top-of-the-line machine, with special features like a camera for viewing the underside of your quilt, a laser pointer for pinpoint accuracy in placing your needle, lighting in the bobbin area, and programmable handlebar controls.

Infinity with ProStitcher: MSRP is $27,995. Buy ours for $23,995. You’ll save $520 in shipping, for a total savings of $4,520. This package combines the top-of-the-line machine with the state-of-the-art computer software. It doesn’t get any better than this! The ProStitcher was recently redesigned to make it even easier to use.


All of the machines come with a package from Handi Quilter that includes the bobbin winder, tools for maintaining the machine such as an oil pen and a brush, wrenches of several sizes for making adjustments, a screw driver for adjusting the bobbin tension, bobbins, thread samples, needles, and a “getting started” disk.  Manuals are available online.  You automatically become a member of our Longarmers’ Club, free for one year.  Our technician makes housecalls within a reasonable distance of the shop, so any servicing and maintenance your machine needs is done in your own home (you can haul it into the shop if you prefer!).  We offer lots of classes and books on machine quilting and will do our best to give you all the support you need. 

HORN OF AMERICA FLOOR MODEL SALE:  All of our Horn of America floor model sewing cabinets and tables are on sale at a 30% discount.  Check with Annie or Barbara for the particulars! 

 

VENDOR SPECIALS:

SEW STEADY is offering  Wish Table + Free Light Stick 22-1/2" x 25-1/2" Circle Sewing & Drawer Table for only $199, a $29 savings.  This package includes several features as requested by quilters and sewers alike: 22-1/2" x 25-1/2". Includes: 3 beveled edges, 9" x 14" blue compartmentalized notions tray, Circles Sewing Tool, Universal Table Grid, and Table Lock.  And Get a free Light Stick with purchase thru 3/31/2017!

       

NEW & NOTEWORTHY: 


We have a new shipment of cork in, including different colors. 

Clothworks’ “Flutter” sings Spring!  Butterflies and flowers in soft pinks and yellows are heart-lifting and smile-inducing.  $12.50/yd.

“Huggable and Loveable” is a children’s book panel from Studio E.  Barbara K. is working on making a model for you to enjoy.  $11.99/panel

Two new Connector Playmats are now available from Northcott.  One is the “Raceway” and the other is a “Construction” site.  Mix and match them with the original four mats.  They are designed so that when the mats are made as individuals, no matter how the child arranges his or her ‘town’, the roads match up.  We have coordinating bolts of fabric to use on the backs or as borders.  Each playmat panel is $8.50.  The bolt fabric is $12.50/yd.

Annie is loving her new 6-in-1 Stick n Stitch Guide from Clover!  Come to Demo Day on March 25 to see it in action.  $11.25

The Magic Pressing Mat is made of dense natural fibers that hold the heat; it’s like pressing your project on both sides at the same time. It is a perfect size to take to classes or to put next to your sewing machine to save trips to the ironing board. Made in the USA! $55.

We have three 10” square layer cakes from V and Co.’s Simply Colorful and Simply Colorful 2 lines. There are 20 squares in each package. $21.99 each.

Looking for some inspiration?  We have new patterns in the shop:

“Honey Bunny” is a round quilt, 42” in diameter, perfect for an Easter or Spring table topper.  $15

“Calypso” uses a log cabin construction method.  Seams don’t have to match, so it is a good pattern for a confident beginner.  From Black Cat Creations, $10

“Soup of the Day” was originally published in Fons & Porter’s Easy Quilts magazine in 2009.  The trick is to pick a two-color combination that has good contrast.  From Blue Nickel Studios, $10


CLASSES:


You can sign up for classes online, by phone at 301-527-0598, or in person at the shop.

Don’t break your back trying to sandwich on your kitchen floor! Make an appointment, bring in your quilt and supplies, and we’ll help! Sandwich Night is scheduled for March 10th. Appointments are currently available at 6, 7, and 8.  Sandwich Day is on March 18, with appointments available at 2, 3, 4, and 5.

Make a delightful girl’s dress on Friday, March 10, 10-1.  Laurie will guide you through the “Mary De” pattern.  It is a classic wrap-in-the-back jumper with an optional smocked bodice.  Or do what Laurie did and add a fabric flower on the front!  The dress can be worn as a sundress or layered with a top for cooler days.  The pattern is for sizes 4-8 and includes directions for the smocking.

Want to finish your own quilts on a longarm but don’t have the room for one at home?  Rent one of ours!  If you like the idea of sitting down to quilt, take Getting Started: the HQ Sweet Sixteen.  Annette will teach you how to use and maintain the machine, including some easy quilting designs.  This is a great class for would-be renters or for someone who is thinking about buying a machine for her home and wants to know more about it. The Simply Sixteen class is Tuesday, March 14, from 7-9.

If you are more interested in renting or knowing more about the stand-up Handi Quilter longarm machines, take Getting Started: the HQ Longarm Machine on Wednesday, March 15 from 6 to 9.  Barbara Bean is the instructor. 

If you already know the basics of the longarm machine, either stand-up or sit-down, and want to learn how to use rulers and templates to quilt, take Barbara Bean’s Rulers for the Longarm: an Introduction course on Thursday, March 16, 2-4. She will teach you how to set up the machine for ruler work, how to hold a ruler safely, use the markings on the ruler, and how to mark your quilt.  You will get a chance to try a basic straight edge ruler and the Handi VersaTool, which incorporates several different shapes. 

Go a little wild!  Take Strip & Play on Thursday, March 16, 10:30-1:30.  Cathy Sullivan will show you how to make half square triangles out of 10” square strip sets and a background fabric, then arrange your blocks on a design wall to create an amazing number of designs.  Pick your favorite and sew the blocks together to make a fun and fabulous quilt.

You can use Zentangle designs to create lovely free-motion blocks.  Use the blocks in a quilt, frame one like a picture and hang it on the wall, or use them to decorate journal covers, pillows, and other projects.  You can also use the Zentangle technique to create your own quilting designs.  Join Pat Dee, CZT, for a 2-hour lecture/demo on Saturday, March 18, beginning at 3:30.  The possibilities are infinite!

The Capital Quilts Cares: Pet Beds event is scheduled for Thursday, March 23, 1-3.  We are now accepting scraps!  Both fabric and batting should be not more than roughly 2” square – in other words, please cut them up into small pieces.  You should also ensure that your scraps are free from paper, pins, needles, and other dangerous/uncomfortable items.  

Annette’s Getting Started: the HQ Simply Sixteen class has been rescheduled from March 18 to March 25, 10:30-12:30.  Her Problem Solving with Annette class, scheduled for March 16, has been cancelled.

 


SAVE THE DATES

  • March 25: Demo Day 
  • April 28-30: Friendship Star’s “Sunshine and Moon Glow” Quilt Show at the Gaithersburg Fairgrounds
  • June 2-4: Quilters Unlimited “Wing It” Quilt Show at the Dulles Expo Center in Chantilly, VA
  • June 5: Quilting on a Domestic Sewing Machine with Donelle McAdams
  • June 10 & 11: Annapolis Quilt Guild “Quilts by the Bay” Quilt Show in Annapolis
  • July 17: "Inside Aurifil and Aurifil Inside" with Alex Veronelli
  • July 23-25: It’s Christmas in July!
  • August 11-13: Four County Quilters Guild Quilt Show at the Frederick County Fairgrounds
  • September 22 & 23: Quilting is a Stitch – a Handi Quilter education event    
  • September 23 & 24: Friendship & Eternal Quilts Guilds Show in Linthicum Heights  
  • October 6-8:  Everybody’s Quilt Guild Quilt Show in Westminster
  • November 9-18: Quilters’ Quest Shop Hop

 

CAPITAL QUILTS BLUE BAG BONANZA

For March, we are giving away a strip set of Robert Kaufman’s Artisan Batiks from their Portofino fabric line and Elizabeth Hartman’s pattern called “Frances Firefly”. To be entered in each month’s drawing, bring your Capital Quilts Blue Bag with you when you shop. Make sure you show it to the staffer at the register! Upon completion of your sales transaction, your name will be put in the jar for the drawing at the end of the month. Don’t have a Blue Bag? Purchase one at the shop, by phone, or online for just $4.99.  We save all of the entries for the year, and at the end of the year we draw a Grand Prize Winner from all the entries.

Sign up for our 5th Saturday Club!  Purchase your Green Tag for $10 and come to our special events on the four 5th Saturdays of 2017.  The first one is April 29th.  You’ll get 20% off everything you can stuff in your Blue Bag!  Things have to be in the bag: no handholding the overflow!  Each event will be different.  The discount applies to regularly priced items and may not be combined with other discounts, offers, or promotions. 

Our thanks to everybody who shops at Capital Quilts and participates in the Blue Bag Bonanza.  

 

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Sunday 12-5

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  • Tel: 301-527-0598
  • 15926 Luanne Drive
  • Gaithersburg, MD 20877

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