Dear Friends,

Happy September! It's Dress A Girl month, and our workshop on the 7th is full, but you can still participate! Simply use a pattern that meets the Dress A Girl requirements, make a dress, and turn it in to us before September 30. Each dress received earns you a discount coupon. Win-win!

I've made a couple of Fat Quarter Origami bags, and they are on display in the shop. They're great for gift giving, and if I don't get started now... you know how it goes. This free little pattern uses up those fat quarters that you love, but just don't have a project in mind. (Do you have some "extra" fat quarters you picked up on the Shop Hop?) You can find tutorials all over the internet, but click on the pic to see one from The Crafty Quilter.

Happy Sewing!  

-Marianne

On the evening of September 5th, why not relax with fellow quilters for a virtual quilting bee? Settle into your favorite sewing space with your favorite Zoom-compatible technology for 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.

Debra will be teaching Sew Kind of Wonderful's Metro Hoops starting on September 9th. This dynamic quilt is fun and easy to piece, thanks to the Quick Curve Ruler. 

We are pleased to be offering TWO sessions of our Complete Course of Quilting. The first session is Thursday evenings starting 9/11, and the Sunday session starts 9/21. This course covers the basics: getting to know your sewing machine, rotary cutting, fabric selection, and a variety of techniques for machine-piecing quilt blocks. You will make a sampler quilt and learn to sandwich, quilt, and bind your masterpiece, with lots of fun along the way.

 The Notorious Quilt^TM is a dramatic one block quilt that finishes at 60” square. Its design is based on half rectangle triangles made easy using Latifah Saafir’s HuRTy^TM  1 Ruler. Class starts September 13th, with Jan teaching.

On September 14th, join Betsy to learn all about using your walking foot for quilting. In this class, you will: Install your walking foot, test thread tension, learn to start and stop; learn several methods for marking a design on your quilt sandwich; and fill six squares with different walking foot designs: straight lines, regular grids, irregular grids, triangles, curves, and spirals.

Our next Quilt of Valor workshop will be held on 9/15. Seats in the afternoon session are available. These quilts are tremendously important to the men and women who receive them. All fabric is provided, and usually precut on Linda's AccuQuilt.

Make a Naked Rope Bowl with Ray Hill.  In this 5-hour class on September 20th, you will be making a basic “naked” bowl; that is, a rope bowl without fabric wrapping.  Additionally, you will learn how to make several types of handles for the top of the bowl including the use of large wooden beads that hide the rope end, coiled circle endings, and several other finishing techniques. Finally, Ray will briefly discuss the use of different weights of cotton rope, the use of paracord and other synthetics, fabric techniques, the use of variegated threads, buttons, and other embellishments.

Gather up all your unfinished sewing and bring it to Capital Quilts on 9/20 for four uninterrupted hours of sewing.  Enjoy time you can dedicate to getting those projects DONE! Although there is no formal instruction, Kat will be here to offer suggestions, guidance, and support.

Got a big quilt and a small machine? In this class on September 26, you’ll learn three techniques for quilting a large quilt on your domestic sewing machine. With these techniques, you can quilt manageable areas of your quilt and then assemble the sections  into a complete whole: Gusset Method, Low-Fat Method, and Large Sections Method. You'll be finishing your own large quilts in no time!

If you want to learn to use our longarms (and then rent them to finish your own quilts), you must first take the classes that teach you about the machines.  Getting Started: Long Arm Rental Class and Getting Started: Prostitcher Premium (the computer program) are scheduled for the rest of the year: 9/30, 11/3, and 12/8.

Laurie is teaching another hand-piecing class. In this class you will make a 40" Mariner's Compass Medallion, suitable for a wall hanging. If you are interested in expanding your piece into a larger quilt, Laurie can make suggestions for borders! Class starts November 7th.

CQ Cares (Community Sewing Projects)

We have free pillowcase kits available! We donate all pillowcases to Ryan's Case for Smiles, who in turn distributes them to children battling serious illness. Pick one up next time you're in the shop, then complete it and return on your schedule. Alternately, use your stash and any of the Million Pillowcase Project patterns.

We have placemat kits available at the shop; please stop by to pick up one (or two). For those who want to sew from their stash, click on the picture for the beginner-friendly Charm Square Placemats pattern, or you can use your own pattern.

Please return all completed placemats to Capital Quilts.
Thank you for your continued support of the Capital Quilts Cares program. 

We have free small kennel quilts kits available. These little quilts are sent to shelters who take in pets displaced by natural disasters. They are a great beginner project, a use for leftover fabric, and a place to practice free motion skills. To use your stash, visit www.kennelquilts.com