"You are responsible for the energy that you create for yourself, and you're responsible for the energy that you bring to others." Oprah Winfrey
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Dear Marvelous Makers,
CAPITAL QUILTS CARES: Thanks to those who have donated kennel quilts in the last few weeks! Keep them coming. We have been getting a lot of requests from animal shelters out west and down south for kennel quilts, and now there is another major hurricane bearing down on the Louisiana coast. We have sent out over 320 of them in the last few weeks and our supply is woefully low (but growing!). If you are willing to help, please make more for us! Find the directions here. Please be careful of the dimensions of the little quilts; too big or too small and we can’t send them. Drop them off “curbside” at the shop; no need to make an appointment (unless you want to shop, of course!).
If you are interested in participating in a Quilts of Valor sew-in here in the shop, please reply to this newsletter and I will let Sue Moats know. We are tentatively scheduling events once a month with a maximum of 6 people in each meeting. Mask-wearing and social distancing are required.
Please give us a call at 301-527-0598 if you’d like to make an appointment to come shop in the store. At the moment, you can usually get in the same day. We are no longer making appointments online, only by phone.
We really and truly appreciate your patronage and your patience through this pandemic. Your support has been, and continues to be, awesome. You are truly the best customers ever! Keep wearing those masks! Do your part to help stop the spread of COVID-19.
Go ‘n’ Piece, Alison
TIPS FOR NEWBIES AND NOT SO NEWBIES Customers sometimes lament that they are not good at picking colors. It doesn’t come naturally for many people. Interestingly, each person sees color differently; many men have fewer cones in their eyes and therefore see very differently from most women.
You can develop skill in selecting colors. The best approach is to become familiar with Color Theory. There are many books and tools on the market, and every so often we offer a class on Color Theory. Becoming familiar with and using Color Theory will make your quilts and other projects more pleasing to the eye and more fun to sew. We have a Color Theory panel that I have quilted and hung near the cutting table at the front of the shop; I refer to it while talking about color with a customer and have found it quite useful. The kit from Michael Miller, called “Sew Colorful”, comes with the panel, pre-cut applique shapes to fuse to the panel, and information about Color Theory.
How does one begin to select fabrics for a quilt? I always recommend choosing the color family first. Do you want a quilt that “reads” blue? Green? Red? Consider the pattern you are using and the person for whom you are making the quilt. If it is for yourself, what room will the quilt be in? What color will look nice in that room?
Once you’ve decided the main color, look for a fabric that you love in that color. It is really hard to work on a project if you don’t like the fabric! With that fabric in hand, look for the coordinating fabrics. This is where knowing color theory comes in handy. Look at the Sew Colorful panel in the shop or carry your own color wheel with you. The Ultimate 3-in-1 Color Tool can also be useful. In addition to color, look for a variety of what we call textures, or different designs, in the prints. Select different sizes of images on the fabrics. If you are making a quilt of solid fabrics, you won’t be considering texture and size of image, but it will be all about the colors you choose. With a little practice, you will find yourself consistently selecting fabrics that look wonderful together.
Use color theory when pulling fabrics for a scrap quilt, too. It will give your quilt more unity and visual appeal.
Tip: if you are trying to find fabrics to go with one or more you already have at home, bring a piece of that fabric with you to the shop. You won’t be able to remember the color and pattern accurately.
CLASSES We are having some classes in the shop and some on Zoom. We will make the virtual classes as easy as we can for you, sending you a link to the Zoom class. All you have to do is add the Zoom app to your computer, IPad, or other device so that you can open the link and participate in the class.
Class size will be limited. As before COVID, you can sign up online, by phone, or in the shop if you are here on a shopping appointment. Class descriptions are found below and on our website. Each class will have a supply list; look for this on our website: click on “Class Calendar in the blue bar at the top of the home page. Find the class on the calendar and click on that, then scroll down to the bottom left of the page to find “Supply List” and click on that.
For classes in the shop, we require that you wear a mask during the class and social distance as much as possible. Each person will have their own table. We will also take your temperature when you enter the shop and ask that you use hand sanitizer or wash your hands with soap and water.
Side Braid: Use 20 Fat Quarters (or ¼-yard cuts) to make this twist on a traditional friendship braid design. There are no seams or corners that require matching up. This beginner-friendly class will include instruction on cutting, piecing, sandwiching, machine quilting with a walking foot, and binding. See picture at top of email.
This class will be held on the Zoom platform. Please download the supply list to be sure you can meet the technological requirements and have materials on hand for the class. Skill level: beginner Instructor: Janine Boyce Class size: max. 10 Cost: $60 Date and Time: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 7-8pm, on October 13, 15 20, and 22.
T-Shirt Quilt: Does your spouse have favorite t-shirts that are more hole than shirt? Do your children have stacks of beloved t-shirts they no longer wear but that have happy memories. Use them to make the perfect gift for the upcoming holidays. Turn them into a quilt to love. Learn how to cut and stabilize the knit fabric, create blocks, and sew them into a unified quilt top.
This class will be held in the shop. Masks are required. Skill Level: intermediate Instructor: Debra Ball Class Size: max. 5 Cost: $45 Date and Time: Wednesdays, October 21 & 28, 10:30-12:30. There will be work to do at home between the two sessions.
Alaska Specialty Ruler: This class was originally scheduled to happen back in the spring and was a victim of the pandemic. It is a class for members of the 1st Saturday Club who want to learn how to use the specialty ruler used to create the “Alaska” quilt. Preference will be given to those who were scheduled to take the class back in April. Pat will teach the class twice in order to allow us to have socially distant seating. If more people than we can accommodate in two sessions want to take the class, we will schedule another. Skill Level: intermediate Instuctor: Pat Vasaio Class Size: max. 5 Cost: $35 Date and Time: Session A: November 1, 12:30-3:30 Session B: November 15, 12:30-3:30
ACCUQUILT The English Paper Piecing Qube is now available. The Qube includes 8 dies, 4 for fabric and 4 for papers. The shapes are the hexie, half hexie, diamond, and equilateral triangle, with 1” finished sides. Get a free book, “English Paper Piecing Made Easy” by Katja Marek when you purchase the Qube. Order yours today!
JANOME Meet the Janome 5300QDC. This mid-priced computerized free arm machine offers many of the functions and features you would expect in machines at triple the cost. It has 300 stitches, 100 alphabet characters, and 7 one-step buttonholes. Its features include the Superior Plus Feed System, a top-loading bobbin, Superior Needle Threader with Thread Guide 7, wide-angle LED lighting, an LCD screen with fast navigation, and a detachable stitch chart. The function buttons include needle up/down, locking stitch, reverse, speed control, and start/stop. Also included is the Quilting Attachment Kit (1/4” seam foot, open toe F2 foot, walking foot with quilt guide, B2 foot, and seam guide), an optic magnifier set of 3 (20x, 40x, and 60x), a knee lifter, and a hard cover. At only 13 lbs., it is easy to take to classes and retreats and guild meetings! Call the shop at 301-527-0598 for pricing. Also in stock: the MC 9450 QCP. This machine is particularly delightful for quilters, with an 11” throat space, built-in quilting stitches, and automatic foot lift. Check out all the features on the Janome website. It is a fabulous machine! Ask me how I know. HANDI QUILTER Tune in to the Handi Quilter Facebook page every Tuesday at 2pm EDT for Handi Quilter’s Watch and Learn Quilting Show, which features tips, tricks, and tutorials on Handi Quilter products with limited-time special pricing and a give-away to a random live attendee. They announce a special on a different machine or accessory each week. If you can’t watch the Tuesday show, go to the HQ website and enjoy the “And I Quilt” series of videos. You can still get the special pricing on the week’s product through Sunday.
This week, save $1500 on the purchase of a Handi Quilter Capri. The Capri is a stationary, sit-down 18” longarm machine with built-in stitch regulation. Offer ends Oct. 11.
In addition, Handi Quilter is offering $0 down + 0% interest on the purchase of a new Simply Sixteen, Amara, Forte, Infinity, and/or Pro-Stitcher machine October 7-13, 2020. Terms are 36 or 48 months with approved credit.
October 9-19 are Handi Quilter Demo Days! Purchase a demo machine from Capital Quilts during these 10 days for great savings.
Delivery on all machines generally takes a week to 10 days. Call the shop for more information on all these great programs!
NEW AND NOTEWORTHY
We have restocked Essex Linen! Essex is a beautiful fabric made from a cotton and linen blend, making a beautiful drape and softness perfect for apparel, sewing, quilting, embroidery, upholstery, and more. Standard Essex is created by weaving the yarns and then dyeing them after. Yarn Dyed Essex is created by dyeing the yarns first and then weaving a combination of white and colored yarns together. $11.50 per yard. Batty and Lil' Batty are here, and you've plenty of time to finish them in time for Halloween! Batty is designed as a generous 56" x 70" throw, and Lil' Batty finishes at just 18" x 23". $4.00 each.
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