|
"Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything." George Bernard Shaw
|
 |
Dear Sewing Phenoms,
I hope you are all remaining well and have had a lovely week. It is nice that the county is beginning to open a bit. Please continue to wear your masks and social distance so that we don’t have to go back to being under lockdown! I see what is happening in the West and the South and it is not good.
Thank you for your responses to my Black Lives Matter email last week. Most were very positive and supportive. One comment that came through a few times was that ALL lives matter. Of course they do. However, at this moment in history, our attention is being focused on the black community. It is my sincerest hope that whatever changes are made now as a result of this focus will have a positive effect on all members of our society, be they black, brown, red, yellow, or white. The goal is a society in which all are respected, have dignity, and are treated equally. Society will never be perfect, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t keep trying to make it better for all.
Our shopping-by-appointment scheme seems to be working. We think that 45 minutes might be too long for most folks, so beginning July 1 we will switch to 20-minute appointments. If you need the longer time, sign up for two (or more) consecutive appointments. You are still welcome to bring 1 or 2 fellow shoppers with you. Make your appointment online; you’ll find the button on our home page. Don’t forget to check out, even though there is no charge for the appointment. Checking out confirms your appointment and enters your name in the calendar.
Please note that we are not accepting walk-in customers yet! You must have an appointment to enter the shop. I encourage you to continue shopping in our website store, open 24-7! Both curbside pickup and shipping are still options.
I have been thinking ahead to when we can offer classes in the shop again. There are some things that have to happen: the teacher has to feel comfortable being in the classroom with students, and the students have to feel comfortable as well. We have six 6’ tables in the room, and I can arrange them so that there are 3 along each wall, with one person to a table, and all facing the wall with the television on it. Mask and social distancing protocols would be in place if still necessary. I would like to know how you, as a potential student or teacher, feel about this. Would you consider taking/giving a class at Capital Quilts this summer if the number of COVID cases in the county remains low? What restrictions, if any, would you want to see in place? Please reply to this email. Thanks!
We really and truly appreciate your patronage and your patience through this pandemic. I am blessed with wonderful customers. Thank you.
Go ‘n’ Piece,
Alison
CAPITAL QUILTS CARES
If you are interested in helping to sew PPE gowns for the staff at Holy Cross Hospital, please let me know. They like ours better than the commercially available ones!
A local ICU doctor has requested scrub caps for the ICU staff. She says that her mother made her one, and she loves it! She made a few more for herself, and knowing what a lift it gives her, is hoping to share the love. There is no restriction on the pattern to use, but she likes Milly's Tie Scrub Hat Pattern from Brimming with Love. It's a woman's hat with enough room to tuck long hair up into. Twelve Bees has a great video and pattern for making a men's scrub hat. (Not necessarily men, but for people with short hair.) 2 hats from just a hair over a 1/3 of a yard. (12.5 inches)
We also have free pillowcase kits available that you can sew at home. They are a wonderful beginner project to do with children. The kiddos will learn some sewing skills and stay busy, too! We can mail them to you or you can pick them up curbside. Return the finished pillowcases to the shop (when you can; there is no rush), and we will donate them to Ryan’s Case for Smiles when the appropriate time comes.
Small Kennel Quilts are always accepted for donation. These small quilts are sent to shelters and rescues all over the country, and are a great beginner project, or a way to practice your free motion quilting skills.
NAVIGATING THE ONLINE STORE
For those of you who are computer-challenged, click here for a quick tutorial on getting to and through our online shop using a laptop or desktop computer. (Smart phones and tablet screens may vary.)
We have had a few people call to say that they are having trouble getting PayPal to work or to make a selection or are having other issues when they use the Capital Quilts online store. If this happens to you, try refreshing your browser. That often solves the problem. Don’t forget to click on “I am not a robot”, too. If you continue to have a problem, please contact the shop at 301-527-0598.
CORONA CHALLENGE DEADLINE
We have received several of the Corona Challenge entries already, and they are gorgeous! As a reminder, quilts are due here not later than June 30th.
MAKING MASKS
We have all made a mask or two (or 50, or 200, or…), and would like to share our favorite patterns, and some tips and tricks we’ve discovered along the way. Click here for all the details! (By the way, some of our customers are now offering completed masks for sale on our website, if you aren't interested in sewing one yourself.)
Mask Kits for personal use:
Kits are currently available! They contain all the materials (pre-cut fabric, twist ties for nose wires, cotton twill tape for fabric ties, and pattern with tips and tricks) required to make either 5 or 10 at a time. These kits are not intended to be used to make masks for donating to medical facilities, but are perfect for the “shoppers’ masks” now required to be worn in public in our area. Click here to order.
NEW AND NOTEWORTHY
Henry Glass has sent us A Haunting We Will "Glow", a 14 piece Halloween collection featuring friendly ghosts, skeletons, pumpkins, bats, and eyes that glow in the dark! $12.50 per yard.
Blue Bayou from Blank Quilting is a classic blue and white collection with a fresh, modern feel. There are 17 bolts in total, and the hexie print features the motifs from all the other fabrics in the line. $11.99 per yard.
We've restocked some Peppered Cottons from Studio E. We love these "almost solid" fabrics! The differently colored warp and weft threads give a rich texture to your projects. $10.50 per yard.
We've also gotten in a reorder of Australian Aboriginal prints. Aboriginal Art is one of the more ancient traditional arts in the world, going back approximately 50,000 years. In early days, Aboriginals did cave painting, rock painting, and sand or ground painting. The newer generations use acrylic paints on canvas to portray their Dreamtime. By translating these works of art into quality fabrics, M&S Textiles is able to immortalize their stories and allow the stories that come from the land down under to be appreciated and used by quilters all over the world. $12.50-$13.50 per yard.
FLATTEN-THE-CURVE KITS AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE
ACCUQUILT
June 1-30 Save $100 via mail-in rebate when you purchase either the GO! Big or the Ready. Set. GO! fabric cutters!
HANDI QUILTER
Have you been following the “And I Quilt” series on the Handi Quilter website? These are life stories by women who have careers such as pilot, hockey player, school principal and more and they are also quilters. They are very interesting and easy and fun to watch. Check them out at www.handiquilter.com/andiquilt
Handi Quilter ProStitcher owners: Handi Quilter is replacing the Art & Stitch software with their own Pro-Stitcher Designer software. If you are already a Pro-Stitcher owner, you can take advantage of a limited-time offer and save almost $400. Until June 30, 2020, purchase your digital copy of Pro-Stitcher Designer for just $199.95. Visit the new www.ProStitcher.com to learn more. While Art & Stitch is still in existence, Handi Quilter will no longer support it.
JANOME
Welcome Spring! Janome is offering a free Home Depot Gift Card with the purchase of selected models. Click here to see the flyer.
We are able to accept your sewing machines for cleaning and tune-ups. Go to our website and sign up for machine repair. Bring your machine to the shop. Our technicians are working as quickly as they can, but both have essential day jobs. Machine servicing wait time is currently estimated at about 10 business days.
Meet the Janome MC9450 QCP! This is your sewing and quilting Dream Machine! I love sewing on mine. The easily-navigated large LED screen puts 350 stitches (for quilting and sewing as well as decorative stitching), 4 alphabets, 11 buttonholes, and a myriad of functions at your fingertips. 11” of space to the right of the needle gives you lots of space for quilting and sewing larger pieces. My favorite feature is the automatic presser foot lift: when I take my foot off the pedal, the machine stops and lifts the presser foot so that I can pivot the fabric. The lighting is fantastic; it includes a high light that pulls out over the needle area and is really bright. It has a powerful motor; I’ve had no problem at all sewing over the folds in masks. Click on the Janome button in our online shop to find a listing of the key features.
If you would like to buy a different model that we do not have in stock, Janome will ship the new machine directly to your home so you don’t have to come out to pick it up. The shipping fee varies according to which machine you buy.
|
|
|
