March 2008

Winter Hours:
Mon-Fri  10-5
Sat: 10-2
or by appointment anytime – not a problem to open earlier or stay later-just call and let me know when.

It’s March—I can’t believe how fast February disappeared on me!   From the people I have seen the last month, it sounds as if you are really going to town on some projects.  I know that with the economy suffering a bit, we tend to stay a little closer to home and become more creative with how we use things.  One thing I do more of during these times is to make more of my gifts—besides being a good pastime, I also get a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment and my recipient is so appreciative that I would spend time making a gift for him/her.  In keeping with the economy, I try every creative way I can to keep costs at a minimum and to pass savings I might get from companies on to you as a “thank you” for being loyal customers.  Together, we will all make it through this tougher time.

Directions to the Country School House Quilt Shop 
(1) Coming N or Hwy 2/53.  See McDonald’s & Culver’s—turn left, 3 blocks to stop sign.  That is E. 5^th St.  Look diagonally across street.  I’m in the DeSmet Insurance building—has a big insurance sign in the parking lot.  My sign is on the building next to the door. 
(2) From Mn—take Blatnik Bridge.  Follow the Hwy 53 South markers which goes under the bridge.  Going along the lake, past Perkins, Fairlawn Museum.  At Culver’s turn right.  Go 3 blocks to stop sign which is E. 5^th St.  Look diagonally across street.  I’m in the De Smet Insurance building – has a big insurance sign in the parking lot.  My sign is on building next to door.
(3) Coming N on Hwy 35 (Tower Ave).  Turn right on N. 28^th St (Mall Drive)—go past mall and over railroad tracks.  Turn right at the stop lights on E. 5th St.  Go 3 blocks and I am on the right side at 21^st Ave E in the DeSmet Insurance Building.  It has a big sign in the parking lot.  Remember, I am only 3 blocks from Lake Superior.  So if you find the lake, turn 3 blocks away from it and that is E. 5^th Street.  I am on the corner of 21^st Ave E and E. 5^th Street.

Special Offer: 

I am selling the rest of the frames I have for making the runners from “Rugs from Rags” book at below my cost.  They are well made by a local woodworker, but did not sell as well as I thought they would so now I need to make more room.  They are $20 each—the materials to make it cost more than I’m selling them for.  I only have 1 out and it is behind the closeout trunk in my 3^rd room.  I have about 10 of these to sell.  You can’t go wrong on this offer.  Making the table runners is a great way to use up all your old fabric.  It makes a nice runner that will never wear out.

Club Notes: 

Nickel Club meets the 2^nd Monday of the month at 5 p.m and will meet for 6 months.  Moda Madness meets the 4^th Monday at 5:30 p.m. and will meet every other month starting in Jan.  Thangles Buck-A-Block started in Sept. and is in the 7th month.  Remember to pick up on time or you pay!  Thimbleberries 2008 –2^nd Thursday of month at 1:00 p.m.  

If there are people who didn’t get to sign up for Thimbleberries, but would like to purchase the quarterly kits—you can do that as I have both the Lake and the Lodge.  See me if you want to reserve a certain one ahead of time. 
 

Spring Fling 2008 -  Reserve the dates of April 11 and 12 to attend the Quilt Show the “Northwoods Shop Hop Group” will be sponsoring at Marshall School for the 2^nd year.  This year we would like to feature quilts from our customers.  Each shop is allowed to bring 10 quilts.  I would love to have you volunteer one of your quilts that we could display—they will be hanging and we promise to take very good care of them and will have signs to not touch them.  People attending the show will be given a ballot to vote for their favorite quilt.  That person will win a nice prize from us.  Please see me for more details….I’d love to see one of my customers win!!!  I will need the quilt by April 8^th and will return it to you by the 14^th.   This should be a really fun show and the shops will have a special display of their own along with demos going on during the day.  The shops will also be set up to vendor (6 of them) and we will have coffee and donuts, etc. available during the day.  We won’t be having a lunch this year.  There will be lots of great door prizes with a drawing nearly every hour.  We will also have a little gift for each person when they register.  Cost is only $3.  If you are out of town, plan a little get away for you and your friends for that weekend.

New Products

Embroidery Floss - we now carry DMC embroidery floss—I will have more coming each month.  Right now I have black and some of the basic colors. 

Embroidery Thread – I have Robison-Anton thread in a nice selection of bright colors.  These threads are in our classroom on the shelf along with stabilizers and wool roving.

New Fabric – lots of spring lines are in—some new batiks which are brighter and have various colored dots on them.  Also Hoffman has tubes of 7 x 7 squares and has them categorized by colors!  These go great with the mini-jelly rolls of Hoffman.  Also Judie R. from Marcus Bros. has done another civil war reproduction line and I got fat quarter bundles in these gorgeous fabrics.  The new flannels from Moda called Giggles came along with the 5” squares to go with them -- so soft and cuddly looking.  New samples-Tales and Tidings is a cute kids quilt and I also did a 30’s from the pattern “Crazy Eights” which only uses 8 fat quarters and then I added 2 borders to show you how to enlarge it if you wish.  I’m in the process of working on 2 more quilts which should be done within the week.  Every day I have new things coming in.  This is the time of year that all the companies are sending our orders from fall.  You’ll have to help me out as I really over ordered this time! 

If you are interested in trying out any of our new Baby Locks, just give me a call and I will set up the machine(s) you would like to try out with small samples to sew on or quilt on.  You can always try one when you are at the shop too—it’s just that we tend to get interrupted by customers.  They’re all up on display and can be plugged in very quickly for you to try – the new Quest has come and I also have a new mid-line computerized machine coming in this week that is a great beginning or extra machine with a lot of convenience for a reasonable price.  Stop and see it.

Classes:  

If you know of any people who would like a “Learn to Sew” class, have them give us a call.  We are thinking of offering one for people who have not sewn before or did, but can’t remember how.  They do not need to own a machine for this, as we will let them use one of ours.  If you have children or grandchildren over the age of 8 who would like to learn this summer, let us know that too and we will do some classes for them also.  Remember that all of us at the shop were teachers first!

Here are a couple “quick” classes we are going to offer:  Come in and see the samples on our Bulletin Board.  We need 4-6 to offer a class.

It’s A Wrap – Learn the method for using clothesline, fabric strips, and your sewing machine to make a bowl.  Then see all the other things you can do after that.  Linda will be teaching this class and you should see the samples she dropped off!  We already filled 3 classes and are offering 2 more.  April 10^th (Thursday) at 5:30 and April 17^th (Thursday) at 5:30.  The March ones are filled up already.  Cost is $18 and includes a kit with the clothesline, fabric strips, and needle you need to make the bowl.  You need to provide your sewing machine with neutral thread and you must know how to do the zig-zag stitch on your machine.  Also bring the usual sewing kit with scissors, pins, etc.  It will take a couple hours to make the bowl.  Then you will be an expert.  I also have copies of the book It’s A Wrap for any of you who will want to go on further with making vases, covered bowls, baskets, purses, etc.

Quilted Vest for Kids – You will learn to make this darling vest and Mo will help you put in the metal snaps.  Skills needed are to be able to quilt a piece of fabric for your vest before class and be skilled at putting on binding.  This pattern goes together very quickly.  There is no kit for this class, but we can help you pick out fabric if you would like or bring your own from home.  Pattern and snaps are included and we will tell you what yardage is needed.  Sizes 2-6 can be made.  $22.  March 18 (Tues) 5:00 p.m.

Beginning Quilting – This class is for someone who has sewing experience and would like to learn the basics of quilting and piecing.  We will be making a candle mat that will take you through piecing, layering, straight line quilting, and a mitered binding.  This will give you an idea if you like doing this and want to do more.  March 13 5:00 p.m.  Limited to 4. 

In April we will do an Apron—any requests for a certain pattern?  We’re also looking at doing a cut/slash quilt pattern too.  Watch for samples coming up on the board and info in the newsletter.