Dear Friends of Fabric,
I was in Salem, MA last weekend for a baby shower for my daughter-in-law. Other than fancier monitors, baby stuff isn’t much different today than it was when I was a new mom, way back in the mists of time. A lot of the books she received are the same ones I read to my children, classics like Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel and Where’s Spot and Make Way for Ducklings.
We can’t say that the quilting industry is still the same as it was many years ago, or even one year ago. We experiment with new blocks and designs and genres all the time. We use ever-improving sewing machines and quilting machines. Fabric is being printed more and more using digital technology, and the quality of digitally printed fabric is improving as the companies who use the technology become more familiar with it. There is much that is new and exciting in the fiber arts!
If you take classes on Craftsy, did you know that you can support Capital Quilts when you register for a Craftsy class? Go to www.capitalquilts.com and look underneath the big red JANOME box; you will see “Try a Craftsy Class!”. Click on that to get to the Craftsy site. Craftsy will send CQ a small commission when you do that.
We still have room on our Quilters’ Quest shop hop buses. We have two buses: October 19 & 20 and October 22 & 23. Bus riders have a fun and relaxing time visiting all 10 quilt shops. At the end of the trip, you’ll receive a special tote bag with goodies in it as well as a card that gets you a 15% discount at all 10 shops until just before the Quilters’ Quest 2019. Sign up today!
QUILTING IS A STITCH Handi Quilter Event with National Educator, Susan Manry Friday and Saturday, September 14 & 15 SIGN UP TODAY! $30 per class
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Friday 10-1 “The New Kids on the Block” is a look at how to use rulers on a longarm machine. We’ll focus on Handi Quilter’s newest rulers, how to use them safely and creatively. |
Saturday 10-1 HQ ProStitcher is software that guides your machine as it quilts. People come from near and far to attend Susan’s classes about the ProStitcher. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn from the best! |
Friday 2-5 “The 3 B’s” explores quilting backgrounds, borders, and blocks. Consider your quilt as a whole and plan how to quilt each area. Use what you learned about rulers in the morning! |
Saturday 2-5 You can do more than just quilt on a longarm, as you will find in our final class, “You Can Do That On A Longarm, Too?”. Piecing, couching, and binding are among the possibilities. Make a small project to take home! |
Don’t forget to make an appointment with Phyllis Hatcher on Saturday, September 8 to have your quilt appraised. Phyllis has been trained and tested as a certified appraiser by the American Quilter’s Society Appraiser Certification Program in Paducah, KY. She is a member of the Professional Association of Appraisers-Quilted Textiles. She will appraise antique and new quilts, tops, blocks, and quilted wearable art in all traditional, contemporary, and innovative styles. She also appraises woven coverlets. Appraisals are done for many reasons, including for insurance, to establish a record for future generations, and as part of entering a competition. Call the shop at 301-527-0598 or go online to make your appointment.
Phyllis is also giving a lecture on Australian Aboriginal Fabric Dot Art. See how the current indigenous outback artists are the creators of fabric designs now used by quilters, sewers, and decorators everywhere. Phyllis will explain the meaning of the fabric designs as they relate to Aboriginal culture and real life in the desert outback where she has recently visited several times. This will also take place on September 8th, at 10:45am.
Row by Row ends on September 4. Nobody has brought us a finished quilt yet! Be the first to bring in a quilt that uses at least 8 2018 R x R rows and win 25 fat quarters. The quilt must be quilted, bound, and have a label. If one of the blocks in your winning quilt is the Capital Quilts block, we’ll give you a $25 Capital Quilts Gift Card.
Go ‘n’ Piece, Alison
FOR SALE: Handi Quilter Amara, regularly $11,995, now $8,995. Includes machine head, frame, bobbin winder, free lesson, free 1-year membership in the Capital Quilts Longarm Club, oil, tools for maintaining your longarm, bobbins, thread and needle samples, and a digital manual. Financing available. New machine, full warranty.
Amara with ProStitcher, regularly $21,495, now $20,995. Includes all of the above plus a 1-year membership in the Capital Quilts ProStitcher Club.
VENDOR SPECIALS
AccuQuilt GO!: Buy any GO! die and get a second die of equal or lesser value 25% off. Exclusions apply. Offer valid through August 29, 2018. GO! Qube Specialty Set “Serendipity” $199.99 (regularly $249.99). Offer valid through August 29, 2018.
Janome: The Employee Pricing Event has been extended through August 26! Just 3 days left to buy a 15000, MC9400, or MC700P at the same discount – up to 25% off – that our employees get! Stop by or give us a call at 301-527-0598.
NEW AND NOTEWORTHY
We've just gotten in a shipment of pressing mats from Wooly Felted Wonders! They are available in three sizes, are 1/2" thick and Made in America!. The dense wool absorbs the heat so it's like pressing your blocks from both sides. And the ironing mats are so thick, the heat doesn't transfer through to the surface underneath. We've got one open in the classroom for you to try! We've also gotten in their Seam Pressing Bar & Clapper to assist you in pressing your seams open, and making sure they stay that way! Pressing Bar/Clapper, $29.99; 13" square mat, $39.99 each; 17" square mat, $59.99 each; 17" x 24" mat, $79.99 each.
From Hoffman California Fabrics, we have 3-yard pieces of 108" backing batiks -- perfect for your bed quilts! We currently have four different colors/patterns. $74.99 each.
From Lewis & Irene we have 18 bolts of Bumbleberries, a delightful and versatile new blender. $12.50 per yard.
CLASSES
Register online, in person at the shop, or by phone at 301-527-0598.
CAPITAL QUILTS CARES: DAYS FOR GIRLS We need more people to help make the bags for the girls and women who must stay home from school and work because they don’t have the necessary sanitary items. Please join us on Saturday, August 25, 1:30-3:30 for this important event. FREE, but please register so we know how many to expect. All fabric is provided. Please bring your sewing machine, thread, and basic sewing supplies. Skill level: easy
CAPITAL QUILTS CARES: INTERFAITH WORKS WOMEN’S CENTER QUILTS Only two people have signed up to help Billye and "Because Quilts" make quilts for the Women’s Center! These blocks are easy enough for even beginners to make. Get a friend and come sew with us on Sunday, August 26, 12-4. FREE, but please register so we know how many to expect. All fabric is provided. Please bring your sewing machine, thread, and basic sewing supplies. Skill level: easy
The new AccuQuilt GO! Club has also had low enrollment, so we are pushing the opening meeting to September 25. Please consider joining this club to get the most out of your AccuQuilt GO! machine. We will learn new techniques and share patterns and projects.
The humble needle is the most essential, and most ancient, tool of sewing. Do you know which needle is the best one to use for your project, and what thread will work the best with both the needle and the fabric? Attend Barbara Kascic’s lecture, Needles & Thread, on Wednesday, August 29, 10:30-11:30, to find out these things and more.
Our next Sit ‘n’ Sew meeting is Friday, August 31, 5-9. Bring your own project and supplies and some food to share with the group. Capital Quilts provides the beverages.
Learn how to make the Bailey Island Hobo Bag with me on Wednesday, September 5, 1-3. The first session will be devoted to making the tubes and sewing them together. In the second session, we will assemble the bag.
Annette is teaching Embroider Me on Thursday, September 6, 6:30-8:30. She will show you how to take a piece of fabric and embellish it with embroidery, then make something with the fabric. This first session is a handwork class, sooo relaxing!
Need a new Backpack Yoga Mat Bag for your yoga mat? Make one with Marla on Friday, September 7, 1-4.
SAVE THE DATE:
• September 8: Aboriginal Fabric Dot Art Lecture & Trunk Show with Phyliss Twigg Hatcher • September 8: Quilt Appraisals with Phyliss Twigg Hatcher • September 8: Northcott Lecture and Trunk Show, featuring the new FIGO line • September 14 & 15: Handi Quilter Education Event, "Quilting is a Stitch" • October 5 & 6: "Around the Block" NeedleChasers Quilt Show, Kensington, MD • October 19-28: Quilters' Quest • October 19-20: Capital Quilts' Quilters' Quest Bus I Be among the first to see the shops! • October 22-23: Capital Quilts' Quilters' Quest Bus II
COMMUNITY CORNER:
On September 14th, Capital Quilts Cares will be participating in National Million Pillowcase Day. To meet our goal of 100 cases, we have Pillowcase Kits available for you to take home and complete. All the fabric needed for three pillowcases is in each kit. Each completed pillowcase will count toward reaching our goal of 100 cases. Just ask at the front desk for a kit. We are in need of more yardage for these kits, as most of our already donated "kid fabric" is in FQs, which are inappropriate for pillowcase sewing.
Our supply of Small Kennel Quilts has been greatly depleted by recent requests for them! These 12" x 18" quilts are quick and easy to sew. Please consider picking up one of our free kits, or making some using fabric you have on hand, but no longer love. Instructions can be found here: TQPM Small Kennel Quilts.
BLUE BAG BONANZA: The August prize is a collection of charm squares from Northcott's Gradations.
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. The more you shop, the more chances you have to win. 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 Gold Tag for $10 and be able to participate in special sales on each of the four 5th Saturdays on 2018. The next one is at the end of September. The Golden Tickets will not be available for purchase on the day of the 5th Saturday Sale.
Our thanks to everybody who shops at Capital Quilts and who participates in the Blue Bag Bonanza.
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