Merry Christmas

Everyone at I love Sewing wish you a Very Merry Christmas. We are closed on December 24th and December 25th but reopen on December 26th with a Winter Blast Sale.

Enjoy!!!

Make and Take

“Make and Take” was great fun with many completed Christmas gifts. All that is needed is the wrapping. You know, it’s very easy to be so busy with family plans, cooking, and gift planning that the little things of this season are missed. Dee and I turned off the TV last night and replaced it with the Christmas CD’s of Tony Bennett, Rosemary Clooney, Elvis Presley, and Harry Connick, Jr. And suddenly the Christmas cards and notes were easier to write, the menu for Christmas dinner started to gel, and sleep seemed more restful. This season is full of sensory overload so it’s imperative that each of us reclaim time for what is important to us. Maybe it’s to reflect on Christmas’ past and rekindle their memories and traditions. Why have we stopped making Oyster Stew on Christmas Eve and what happened to our card games with our cousins? Maybe it’s time to wander to the piano and play Christmas hymns and songs with fingers that haven’t touched the piano keyboard in years. A Christmas Eve church service really doesn’t sound so implausible. The dishes can wait. Poor Penny, my Airedale, is patiently waiting for the walk that hasn’t happened since before Thanksgiving. Cold fresh air with hats, gloves, and boots actually sounds nice. So everyone, dig down deep and find what brings Joy to you in this Christmas season. And make it a priority.


Marcia and Dee

Well, the Huskers went down in defeat but Husker football is like quilting…it’s the journey and it continues next fall in the Big Ten!!!  I hope you can join us this weekend for Take and Make projects.  Maybe we can solve some of your Christmas dilemmas with a jewelry bag, cowl scarf, or pillowcase.  Nancy is busy.  Finals week is next week at UNL.  She is excited for a break, not to shop or socialize (well maybe a little), but to sew.  What is she sewing…I have no idea.  She says a handbag…and a quilt… and some placemats… and a cuddle blanket…and the list goes on and on.  For Nancy, these three weeks of break will be full of cutting, piecing, ripping, squaring, and hopefully binding.  But you know she is just looking forward to an outlet for her creative energy.  There are really no mandates in sewing…no required dates to turn into projects…no worries of A’s, B’s C’s…  Instead there are as many do over’s as you want, as many deviations from the patterns to make something your own, and infinite number of color, contrast, texture, size of fabrics to explore outside any rules or instructions.  And what Nancy doesn’t get done in these three weeks will be waiting patiently for her whether this winter, spring, summer, or next fall.  When she picks up an unfinished project new ideas will spring up and those creative juices will flow again!!!  That is really what it is all about!!!

Hi everyone. Yes, the Huskers (and Dee, Nancy, and I) are off to Dallas for the Big XII Championship game. Mendi and Courtney will be able to help you with any sewing and quilting needs this week. New fabrics are arriving so visit our online store for a preview or better yet, come on in and see and feel the new arrivals.

An update on classes… We had three Begin Sew classes this fall and all of the students completed their strip pillows. Gail and Dee are awesome Teachers!!! New Begin Sew classes will be forming this January. If you know anyone interested in reconnecting with their sewing machine or any non sewists interested in sewing please have them give us a call. That’s our mission.

We have also been busy with Shannon Cuddle Strip Classes, TGIF Sew, and Sunday Runners. TGIF Sew meets the second Friday of the month. Past project s include, Jesse bag, schlep bag, PJ bottoms, Four Corner Aprons, and the Atkinson Design Cash and Carry Purse (with a zipper). The Sunday Runners club meets the fourth Sunday of the month. Ready to Sew projects for the club are from “Let’s Do Lunch” book. Our goal for both TGIF and Sunday Runners is to complete the project at class time. But don’t despair; “Stitchin’ Sundays” (the third Sunday of the month) is an overflow time to finish any incomplete project. We know a non hurried journey is as important as the completed project!!!

Please join us in our classroom this January. Gail is a great teacher. Besides coaching us through the projects, she has a wealth of information and talent she willingly shares with each student!!!

Visit our store December 11-12 for Make and Take. Machines will be set to go to make Jewelry Bags, Pillow Case, and Cuddle Cowl. More information will follow on our web site.

GO HUSKERS!!!

Dee and I are huge Husker fans. It runs in the family with parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, siblings, and children alumni of University of Nebraska. And our love for the Huskers isn’t limited to athletics. Academics rock as far as we are concerned. To stay on top in athletics and academics the university system is constantly evolving, implementing new technology and programs. Nebraskans benefit. University of Nebraska Medical Center is recognized as one of the top educational, research, and patient care centers in the country. Our agricultural, geological, and engineering programs have benefited the world. And of course we are home of the International Quilt Studies Center.

Quilting and sewing are also in constant change. We no longer just sew from Simplicity and McCall’s patterns, pinning the pattern pieces to the fabric and using our “good” fabric shears to carefully cut the fabric. Patterns are packaged in all sizes and shapes and are easily found on the Internet, DVD, TV, and You-Tube. Rotary cutters, rotary rulers, and plastic templates clutter our sewing areas. Remember your first sewing machine with the zig zag stitch and now look at your machine, 700 + stitches computer generated and a stitch regulator. Machine appliqué and embroidery can be done on your sewing machine in a matter of minutes.

Have you checked the notions we carry at I Love Sewing, LLC? Dee looks for notions to increase accuracy and save time. Our newest ruler from Creative Grids is a 3 ½ x 12 inch Quick Trim Ruler with easily readable 1/8 inch and ¼ inch incremental markings. It draws circles up to 22 inches and trims points from half-square triangle and flying geese unit.

We all love our quilts, embroidered towels, crocheted scarves, and knitted blankets our mothers and grandmothers lovingly handmade for us. I know our children and grandchildren will feel the same way about our machine made quilts and embroidery as they share them with their children.

Threadology

At the end of September Dee and I ventured to St. George, Utah to go back to school.
Oh, No….Homework, Projects, Exams…can we do it??? Fortunately Superior thread’s Certified School of Threadology focused on creativity, instruction with a lot of fun, and open book exams using a manual, thread, fabric, and sewing machine. We both mastered our projects and received our Doctorate in Threadology.

So what do you learn at a Threadology course??? Never be afraid to adjust your top tension!!!! How many times have we heard the tension is “automatically set” so don’t touch it. Do you really believe your machine knows exactly what fabric you are using? Finally, we let go of this myth after several sewing exercises involving adjusting the top tension. What did we learn?...different tensions for different threads…Metallic’s, Glitters, Razzle Dazzle, 40 weight cottons, 50 weight polys, 12 weight variegated, etc…and variations from the different thread companies…Also, not all Egyptian cottons threads are the same. In fact Egyptian does not necessarily mean the cotton is grown in Egypt. Needle selection affects the outcome of the stitch. Choose the right needle for the thread type. How the tread comes off the spool plays a role in being successful with specialty thread. And we learn so much more…So quiz us when you stop at the store. We really do like thread!!! That’s why we have a spool in our name!

Marcia

P.S. St. George, Utah is beautiful. It reminded us of Sedona, Arizona. Zion National park is within one hour drive. They have no winter. And best of all it is a town of 80,000 with 8 quilt shops. Lunch breaks included visits to the quilt shops. By the way, Superior Thread is the home of Texture Magic. We had a great time playing with that product.

October

October has been a beautiful month…sunny days with moderate temperatures, cool evenings, bountiful leaves turning brilliant colors, corn and bean crops being harvested unimpeded by rain, and a heart Husker football team (let’s not talk about Texas).

Nebraska’s quilt guilds are busy with meetings, shows, and retreats. Recently a quilt guild spent their weekend at Calvin Crest where they sewed and quilted into the wee hours of the night working on individual projects. There was no formalized instruction. Instead the retreaters shared their projects, techniques, and sewing secrets with each other. I know my best ideas have come from my sewing friends. I am thankful sewists believe in sharing ideas. These ideas can become big timesavers. And that’s why I Love Sewing’s classroom becomes “Stitchin’s Sundays” the fourth Sunday of the month from 12-5pm. Bring your sewing machine and enjoy the afternoon. Let’s share some ideas and techniques.

Or join Jude on the fourth Saturday morning of the month for individualized instruction on any project you have in mind. Jude is an awesome teacher with a wealth of knowledge and creativity. She helped Dee and me upholster formal dining room table chairs and then we moved onto bar stools.

Speaking of new ideas, we are carrying patterns for new designer, Jerrilyn. We met Jerrilyn at the Superior School of Threadology. Jerri has sewn all of her life and has been busy with family and careers. Finally, she is able to devote most of her time to her passion, creating with fabric. Follower her blog at http://jerisew.blogspot.com/ .

Take a moment to enjoy the fall. Try a new technique. Share ideas with friends. And keep on sewing.

 
 

 

 Oops.  It happened again.  Dee is off to the football game and Zac says “I suppose we are going early so we can check out a quilt store.”  She can’t help it.  A magnet draws her to quilt stores when on road trips.  In fact I’m pretty certain some of her trips are designed around quilt stores.  She’ll say “Let’s go to KC to look at furniture” but invariably no furniture Is bought and instead she has visited every quilt store between home and KC.  Or maybe “We should go to a Broncos” football game but it’s really code for seeking out quilt stores west of Lincoln.  Dee reminds me of my trips to quilt stores disguised as outings to enjoy the beautiful weather.  You are not alone when family members doubt your reason for some road trips.  You know, I really don’t think Zac minds going to quilt stores.  He knows the quilts will end up at his house and he really does love and cherish them.  After all, his Mom made them!!!

The tale of the poor spider…

The tale of the poor spider…Okay, not as original as Charlotte’s Web but the story is as follows: Nancy says she is collecting a spider, dead or alive, for her Biology 103 lab Class at UNL.  So I ask what type of spider…just a spider…and so we are in search of the perfect spider.  Right now we are surrounded with spiders made out of pipe cleaners, beads, plastics, and imprinted in fabric.  Should it be large, small, black, brown, and please don’t tell me what happens to the poor spider once it makes it to your lab.  Dee is carefully placing a small black spider (about 3/8 inch diameter excluding its legs) into a paper cup.  But no, she will not suffocate the spider with saran wrap.  Instead, she is gently covering the paper cup with a light weight interfacing… And Wonder Tape to hold the interfacing in place.  And now Dee is placing another spider into another paper cup with the light weight interfacing and wonder Tape.  Why, another spider…Dee suggests Nancy provides spiders for the entire lab group.  How will these poor spiders be transported to Lincoln?  Of course, the cups will be placed into a standard size muffin tin so the ride won’t be bumpy.  Is it a full moon….or is Halloween just a little bit overdone?