Dear Quiltastic Friends, Capital Quilts has teamed up with Sew Steady and Westalee Rulers to bring you virtual quilting classes! These classes are designed to teach you how to quilt on your home machines, using rulers and templates to give your project a professional finish. Our first class is a FREEBIE! It is on Tuesday, March 2, 2-4pm. Participate from home: no masks, no social distancing. The Ruler Work for Beginners class is given on YouTube; you don’t even have to worry about zooming! The class is recorded and you can access it for 30 days following the class. This means you can watch the instructor live, then use the recording to practice the skills and techniques on your sewing machine for the rest of the month. This is a beginning class. More advanced classes will follow. Click here to register for Ruler Work for Beginners!
Rae Cumbie of Fit for Art Patterns is offering an online class, through The Original Sewing and Quilt Expo, called “Get Ready to Sew Garments”. It is a class for new garment sewers. Learn how to make clothes that match your masks! Click here to read more about this informative series taught by our favorite garment teacher. Classes begin on February 10, so don’t delay!
Our Sew Together Zoom group is growing in size and popularity. Led by Betsy Kulamer, this is a great bunch of people who get together each month to chat and sew. Betsy invites a “Guest of Honor” to talk about a particular subject each month. On February 5, Kathy Barden will share her joy in making useful three-dimensional projects, especially By Annie bags. Reserve your space before they are gone! Go to the calendar on our website, find February 5, and click on the class to sign up. You can also, of course, sign up in person in the shop or by phone.
Speaking of By Annie, it is time once again to let the world know what your favorite quilt shop is! By Annie is running their annual Local Quilt Shop Contest, this year sponsored by 4 fabric companies, Blank, FreeSpirit, Studio E, and Henry Glass. The winning quilt shop, based on number of votes cast, will win a $2400 store credit at those four companies (all of which we carry) and from By Annie. This is a lovely prize, and I hope you will all cast a vote for Capital Quilts and help make us a winner. Click here to vote. Thank you!!!
Our Quilts of Valor chapter is participating in the National Quilts of Valor Sew-in this weekend, on Saturday, Feb. 6. This is a FREE in-store event, and we have set up 3 2-hour sewing sessions. The 11:00 is full, the 1:00 has 1 seat open, and the 3:00 has 5 seats open. If you’d like to help us make blocks for QOV quilts, please sign up soon! You can do it online, in the shop, or by phone 301-527-0598.
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Dia De Los Muertos Challenge! |
It seems I have inadvertently ordered 2 bolts of Day of the Dead Dog fabric. Day of the Dead (Dia de los Meurtos) is celebrated on November 1-2. Google tells us “Assured that the dead would be insulted by mourning or sadness, the day celebrates the lives of the deceased with food, drink, parties, and activities the dead enjoyed in life.” I am issuing a Challenge to all you quilters out there: $8 gets you a yard of Day of the Dead Dog fabric. Make a quilt that is at least 20” square that speaks to the Day of the Dead holiday. How do you honor the lives of deceased loved ones? Perhaps you would remember a deceased pet. Quilts are due October 15. Please be sure to put a hanging sleeve on the back, either sewn on or pinned on with safety pins. The sleeve should be at least 4” wide and one inch shorter than the width of the quilt. |
Shopping at Capital Quilts: Please give us a call at 301-527-0598 if you’d like to make an appointment to come shop in the store. You can usually get in the same day. We are no longer making appointments online, only by phone. I’d like to be able to open the shop entirely, but I still feel the need to control the number of people in it in order to protect both you and us. The virus numbers are rising again, there seem to be new, more transmissible mutations around, and we want to reduce the odds anybody in our quilting and sewing community gets COVID-19. Remember that if anybody on the CQ Staff comes down with the virus, we will have to completely close the shop for at least 10 days, as we will all have been exposed.
If you are exposed to the virus and/or get a positive COVID-19 test result, please do not come to the shop, and if you have been to the shop while you may have been infectious, please call the shop so that we may let others know. There is nothing political about this, and there is no judgment from us. We just want to do our best to help stop the virus from spreading and protect our friends and families and community.
We really and truly appreciate your continued patronage and your patience through this pandemic. Your support has been, and continues to be, awesome. You are truly loyal friends! Keep wearing those masks! When your number comes up, get that vaccine! Stay safe.
Go ‘n’ Piece,
Alison
CLASSES and CLUBS We are having classes via 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 we may have 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 may also take your temperature when you enter the shop and ask that you use hand sanitizer or wash your hands with soap and water.
CLUBS: The Longarm and Pro-Stitcher Clubs will meet on the first Saturday of each month in 2021. We will continue to meet via Zoom, until such time as we can once again meet in the shop. Barbara Bean and Elyse Turkeltaub have done a great job of continuing the clubs during the COVID crisis. Thank you, ladies! Members of the clubs enjoy a 10% discount on Handi Quilter items purchased in the shop on the first weekend of each month. If you can’t make it into the shop, please call us at 301-527-0598 to make your purchase.
QUILTING CLASSES: Currently all classes are ZOOM classes. You must download the Zoom app/client, and you will need a camera/webcam, microphone, and speakers as well as an internet connection. On the day of the class, you’ll receive an email with a link to the Zoom meeting. Please confirm that Capital Quilts has your current email address and phone number.
Sew Together: Ask an Expert Tired of sewing alone? Join fellow quilters for a virtual quilting bee. Settle into your favorite sewing space with your favorite Zoom-compatible technology for 2-1/2 hours of stitching and chatting. Everyone will have a chance to talk about what they’ve been working on and pose questions to the other quilters. No masks required! Each month, we are inviting a guest who is expert in some aspect of quilting and needlework to join us to answer questions about his or her specialty.
February 5: Kathy Barden shares her joy in making useful three-dimensional projects, especially ByAnnie bags.
March 5: our very own Kat Martinez loves improv quilting and shares her knowledge and experience with you.
April 2: Sue Fierston, president of the Nature Printing Society, talks about leaf and fish printing on fabric.
May 14: SherriJoyce King immerses us in the world of Dear Jane quilts, where blocks from an 1863 sampler inspire classic and modern expression.
June 4: Beth Morningstar, an accomplished longarm quilter, answers questions about sending quilt tops to be quilted on a longarm machine.
July 2: Marianne Losey, one of Capital Quilts’ sewing machine technicians, provides tips to help you be your sewing machine’s best friend. Skill Level: any Instructor/Moderator: Betsy Kulamer Class Size: max. 18 Cost: $8 Time and Date: 6:30-9 on Dec. 4, Jan. 15, February 5, March 5, and April 2.
Lots of Dots This lovely quilt provides a good study in color and value. There are four small blocks that make up each larger block. Each ring is made using four different values of a color. The center is made using two lighter values of the ring color. You will also learn how to create the pieced ring. The original pattern has you piecing each part of the arches that make up the circles by sewing blocks together. Julie will show you how to paper piece the arch, a technique she finds easier than sewing blocks together. Finished quilt: about 70” square. Skill Level: Intermediate Instructor: Julie Taylor Class Size: max. 20 Cost: $65 Time and Dates: 2 sessions, 1-4, Saturday, February 20 & 27
Ruler Work For Beginners Virtual Class Get excited to quilt with templates at home on your domestic sewing machine and learn the Basics and Feathers galore in this 2hr online class with Westalee Design Educator Shanna Rendon. Win Prizes, Get Event Special Pricing, and Learn! Please note that you MUST register for this FREE event using the following link: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/EFbRsfi/CapitalQuiltsRWFB rather than registering through the Capital Quilts website.
SOFTWARE CLASSES: Demystifying EQ8 Learn how to design your own quilts using computer software. Import existing fabrics, make or modify blocks, resize, add borders, play with color…there is so much you can do! In this class, meant for beginners, you’ll learn the basics of how the program works and what the various buttons and functions are.
This is a ZOOM class. You must be comfortable using a computer, and you must have the EQ8 program loaded on your computer. Please contact the shop to purchase EQ8, as I do not stock them and must order one for you. Allow a couple of weeks at least. Thanks! Skill Level: beginner Instructor: Elyse Turkletaub Class Size: max. 6 Cost: $45 Time and Dates: the class will be taught multiple times; sign up for one. 12-3 Feb. 9, March 20
Pro-Stitcher Premium: Getting Started Pro-Stitcher Premium is computer software from Handi Quilter that allows you to design quilting patterns and then stitch them out on your longarm quilting machine. This class goes over the basic functions and structure of the software. Learn how to find pre-loaded designs or import a new design, how to fit the design to your quilt, and how to stitch out the design.
This is a ZOOM class. You must be comfortable using a computer. The instructor will give directions for loading the training software on your computer. Skill Level: beginner Instructor: Elyse Turkletaub Class Size: max. 6 Cost: $45 Time and Dates: the class will be taught multiple times; sign up for one. 12-3 on Feb. 16, March 27
NEW AND NOTEWORTHY
From Blank Quilting, we have five wonderful new, modern patriotic fabrics. $12.50 per yard.
Sandra uses her creativity and spirit to design gifts, books and collections that help people express themselves and connect with one another. Sandra reminds us and teaches us to explore and experience each day with more heart, meaning, purpose and joy. We have five new "Huggable and Loveable" soft book patterns for you to choose from. $12.50 each.
As new quilting techniques are created newer products are needed to help make the job easier. Mary Ellen's The Other Best Press is one of those products. It solves many of the challenges faced when quilting in layers. Appliques and tiny stamp like fabric pieces are easier to handle. Fabric will not shift or stretch while sewing. Adds body to flimsy, thin fabrics, too. This does not replace the original Best Press. You'll find both are necessary to make the perfect quilt. The Other Best Press 2 isn't a starch. It is an organic starch alternative formulated to eliminate all the problems associated with spray starch products. $9.99 per 16.9oz bottle.
Teach yourself Sashiko! Sashiko is a Japanese traditional stitching technique, which is very easy to learn. Its stitching lines make simple and beautiful patterns on the cloth. This dragonfly project finishes 13-1/2in x 13-1/2in. $11.49 each.
Treat yourself to a new, cheerful, polka-dotted tape measure! Retractable, measures up to 60". $1.99 each.
JANOME
Janome is having a RED TAG SALE from Monday, January 7 – Sunday, February 28! Score one of these great deals:
MC 15000: Save $2,000. Includes the following gifts: Horizon Rolling Cart, Hilos Iris 100 best polyester thread, and the Janome Artistic Digitizer.
Continental M7 Professional: Save $1,000. Includes the gift of an M7 table, a $699 value.
MC 9450: Save $1,500. Includes the gift of a Universal table, a $599 value.
AirThread 2000D: Save $300. This is the newest Janome serger, with a built-in one-push air threading system an 8-piece feed dog, and a built-in needle threader. We have these in stock.
Contact the shop to purchase any of these machines.
Artistic Digitizer: Are you the proud owner of an Artistic Digitizer? Janome has announced an update, to version 1.6. You can download the update from the Artistic Digitizer page on the Janome website.
Meet the Continental M7. We had a Continental M7 sewing machine in the shop for a couple of days this week. I haven’t ordered one as a shop model, as they are rather expensive, buy my goodness, what a gorgeous machine. It absolutely purrs as it is stitching. The throat space is huge, 13.5” from needle to post, compared to 11” for the 9450 or 8” for the Skyline 7. It is perfect for quilting with rulers and templates. The Touch Screen is large and easy to read and access. At the bottom right of the screen is a QR code; scan the code with your smart phone and it will provide details on how to proceed with a particular stitch or function, easier than hunting for it in the manual! It has new functions, such as computerized needle plate removal and advanced feed systems, and the newly designed motor provides plenty of power to make sewing easier and faster.
MSRP is $7,999; the RED TAG SALE price is $6,499 and you get a free Universal Table with it. If you are in the market for the ultimate domestic sewing machine, this is it! Take a look at more features at here.
HANDI QUILTER Coming up: From February 10-16, Handi Quilter is having a $0 down, 0% interest promotion. 48-month terms and conditions apply. It will be a great week to buy a longarm quilting machine or a Pro-Stitcher!
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.
Longarm quilters: there is a new website you should check out! It’s www.quiltable.com and it is all quilting designs to view and purchase. The digital products include several file types and are intended for robotic quilting systems (not just Handi Quilter). There is an option to join a club and automatically receive new designs every month plus get a discount on other designs throughout the site.
Handi Quilter is launching a new program called Pro-Stitcher Catalog. Get it through the Handi Quilter website. The program will store, organize, and give you a quick way to find your designs. Heaven on Earth! Use the code HQ1498 to get a $10 discount. You’ll also be supporting Capital Quilts, as we will then get a commission from Handi Quilter. See the flyer here.
Our Handi Quilter Moxie is now fully functional and ready for you to come try. I’ve sold one to a quilter who already owns a Fusion. She said she wants to use it for free motion quilting while the ProStitcher on her Fusion is working on another project. The Moxie is very light compared to the bigger machines and is easy to move around, with less stress to your joints. You can also put a Simply Sixteen on a Loft frame (the one the Moxie uses). You’ll get a little more quilting space and a more sophisticated machine on the smaller frame. If you already have a Simply Sixteen and want to move up to the Loft frame, you can do that. Call me if this is something you’d like to order.
Also on display is the Handi Quilter Capri, a stationary, sit-down quilting machine. It is right next to the registers. This machine has the smallest footprint of the longarm machines and is most like your sewing machine in terms of feel. Rather than move the machine over the fabric as you do on the machines that have a frame, you move the fabric under the needle on the Capri. Have a seat and give it a try!
SEW STEADY Wish Table Sale: Buy a Wish Table and get the Grid Glider for just $1! The table is 22.5” x 25.5”, with beveled edges, a blue drawer for notions, holes and a tool for circle sewing, and a table lock. The Grid Glider, valued at $25, offers all the right markings to make sewing easier and adds a slick sewing surface, especially good for free motion quilting. MSRP: $200. Capital Quilts price: $149 plus $1 for the Grid Glider.
CAPITAL QUILTS CARES Saturday, February 6 is Quilts of Valor National Sew-in Day. Sue Moats is hosting an in-store workshop on that day. We have set up 3 quilting sessions, and we can take up to 5 people in one session. Please go to our website, find “Calendar”, find “February”, and click on the session you would like to attend. (The 11am session is full.) You can register for the session from that point. These are free sessions. You will need to bring your sewing machine, thread, and general sewing supplies.
Thanks to those who have donated kennel quilts in the last few weeks! Keep them coming. 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!). We have both pillowcase and kennel quilt kits available, free. Make them at home and return the completed project to us for distribution.
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