Dear Sleep-Deprived Quilting Ninjas,

The pressure is on! We're down to the last few days of sewing and other preparations before the Holidays. We're here for you. There is another Open Sew session this Saturday if you need to run away; we usually have candy at the register if you need a little sugar; and we have colorful fabric if you just want to pet it; and we are ALWAYS willing to listen.

Thanks to all of you who have already brought in food donations! Manna will really appreciate your efforts. If you haven't donated yet, please bring us an unexpired, non-perishable food donation, and we'll give you a 15% off coupon!  This offer runs through this Saturday, 12/20/25.

Try to stay warm and (mostly) happy, so we can all stay sane.

 Happy Sewing!  

-Marianne

 PS: Please make note of our Holiday Hours:

       Christmas Eve, Wednesday, 12/24, 11-3

       Christmas Day, Thursday, 12/25, CLOSED

       New Year's Eve, Wednesday, 12/31, 11-3

       New Year's Day, Thursday, 1/1, CLOSED

Gleaned by Whistler Studios for Windham Fabrics captures the essence of mid-century design with bold, retro-inspired prints in a warm palette of amber, sienna, loden, and cream. 

Next up is Sketchbook 21, also from Windham. Designer Marcia Derse says, "Sketchbook 21 was inspired by pages in one of my small handmade books and a magical little circus that comes to Whidbey Island each summer. This small book is a time capsule, a collection of memories told through color and form. The patchwork pattern of Picnic Grounds reminds me of the way families and friends throw a kaleidoscope of blankets on the field where we picnic and watch the performers dazzling show."

And yes, I ordered a bolt of canvas, too! (This photo does NOT do it justice! It's much prettier in person.)

If you like blenders like Kat likes blenders, you'll love the new installment of Fresh Blends from Benartex.

Tired of the same old patterns for your jelly rolls?  Not-Your-Typical Jelly Roll Quilts by Michelle Lander Cain features 14 creative quilt projects designed to maximize 2.5 inch strips. The book includes patterns for various sizes, from table runners to bed-sized quilts, with projects like "Meow Mates" (a cat quilt) and "Myriad" (a star quilt). It offers a fresh take on jelly roll quilting, moving beyond basic strip piecing to create unique designs, and provides templates for projects.

These Tutto Organizer bags are perfect to give as a gift (or keep for yourself!) The set comes with bags in four sizes: 14.9" x 15.9", 12.5" x 11.6", 10.75" x 9.25", and 5.5" x 8.5". These are great as project bags or notions bags, and we're sure that you can come up with more amazing uses for them, too. Available in pink or red.

Classes

We are currently working on scheduling classes for the new year. Please be patient! And, let me know of any classes you'd like to see.  I'll do my best!

Sew Together has been scheduled for all of 2026. This is a virtual bee (via Zoom) where quilters gather to discuss techniques, designers, tools, and the like. Challenges are sometimes issued: mug rugs, disappearing blocks, and others. Why not join in the fun? The first session will be on January 2nd.

Registration is now open for the Hand-Piecing Club, and it will start meeting on January 5th. If you enjoy the peace and tranquility of hand sewing, come join the Capital Quilts Hand-Piecing Club. The group will meet once a month. Bring what you're currently working on or start something new. 

Registration for 2026 Second Saturday is now open, and the project has been revealed: Dancing Dresdens! It will be co-taught by Jan and Betsy.

Dresden plates are such happy blocks! Not only are they fun to stitch, but they can be made into so many useful items, from full-size quilts to throws to table runners to pillows to totes. We’ll be working from Candyce Copp Grisham’s book, Dresden Quilt Blocks Reimagined, to make Dresdens with different edge finishes, plain and pieced wedges, and different sizes. These Dresdens have turned edges, so they are super-easy to machine-stitch into place. Each Dresden can stand alone or be layered for a fun, dancing effect.

To make a sampler quilt (like the example), we’ll show you how to pre-quilt a sandwich with your walking foot, appliqué the Dresden into place, and assemble the quilted blocks using the quilt-as-you-go gusset & cover strip method.

Second Saturday for 2026 starts on January 10th.

The Longarm and Prostitcher Clubs have been combined, and the first meeting will be on Sunday, 1/11. The Longarmers Club is open to all long- arm quilters, regardless of the brand of machine you own.  Enjoy a lecture each month, with either a guest speaker or a club member with expertise in the particular skill being demonstrated, Show & Tell, and a Q&A period.

We have TWO Complete Course sessions on the calendar. Choose from Sundays starting 1/11 from 2:30-4:30, or Wednesdays starting 1/28 from 3:30-5:30. This quilting course teaches everything you need to know to start making your own quilts: getting to know your sewing machine, rotary cutting, fabric selection, and a variety of techniques for machine-piecing quilt blocks. You make a sampler quilt and learn to sandwich, quilt, and bind your masterpiece. It's great for those new to quilting, as well as those who want to brush up on their basic skills.

The first CQ Cares: Quilt of Valor workshop is being held on the 12th. Seats are available in the afternoon session. Please come help make a Quilt of Valor to be awarded to a veteran. These quilts mean so much to those who receive them!

Sandwiching Service appointments are available starting January 13th. Let us baste your quilt for you! 

Please drop off your top, backing, batting, and spray baste or pins no later than the day before your "appointment".  (You will not be present for the actual basting.) Quilt top and backing MUST be well pressed and "square".  Capital Quilts will not iron for you. Your quilt backing and batting should both be AT LEAST 3" larger than your quilt top on all sides. We will notify you when your quilt sandwich is ready to be picked up.

The Bodobo Pucker Up Project Tote is a great bag! If you've been in one of our charitable workshops, you may have seen Linda Henson's bag. Now, she'll show you how to make it yourself!! It's a perfect bag for quilting, knitting, shopping, the pool, and more. Learn how on the 17th.

The English Paper Piecing Club has expanded! It is now the English Paper Piecing & Handwork Club, and their first meeting is on January 18th. Bring your EPP, applique, hand-piecing, embroidery, knitting, crochet, etc. to the group and spend 2 hours stitching, sharing, and learning from each other.

Betsy is again teaching her popular Walking Foot 101 on January 31st! 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.

Do you need a little extra motivation to get your UFOs (UnFinshed Objects) done? The Area 51 Club is for you! Between February and December, make progress on 10 of your UFO projects (one each month), and report in by the deadline. Each milestone earns a discount coupon and a chance at the grand prize drawing (10 projects done = 10 discount coupons and 10 chances to win the grand prize). Register and submit your list of UFOs by 2/1.

CQ Cares (Community Sewing)

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. To quilters, 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