Thursday, October 30, 2008

November Newsletter

A Bit About Life

It has been a beautiful fall with only ONE snow storm here in Idaho. I am certain there are more to come. I hope everyone is registered to vote and will vote for the candidate that would do the best for our country. It is hard this year, for me anyway, to know which is the best candidate. Speaking of candidates, you may enjoy this picture. My mother in law and father in law were in Durango on Friday when John McCain was there. She got her picture taken by the press. She said she stood in line from 1:00 pm to 7:00 pm. She is 82 and was very tired! She didn't particulary like the sign they gave her to hold up. Anyway, she got a little write up and her picture in the Rocky Mountain News!

Ideas For Christmas Giving

Here are a few ideas that you may enjoy for Christmas Gifts this year. CLICK HERE for more ideas to make.

New Quilting Patterns

I have been working on the elements for the Month After Month Wall Hanging. The December one is available. When my daughter saw the REAL one, she said, "Mom, the real ones are so much cuter!" The little Santa is Watching turned out so cute! This pattern is available just in time to get it done to hang for December.

Order Christmas Stockings In Time for Christmas

It is getting down to the wire to get your Christmas Stocking delivered in time for Christmas. I make each one as the order comes in because they are personalized with what you want. Choose from the many stocking designs that I have and add a personal name. Santa won't be able to miss his good little boys and girls if their stocking with their name is hanging in plain sight!
Personalize a Clock for Christmas

Browse through the many clock designs to find a perfect gift for those people on your Christmas list who are so hard to buy for. Any of these designs can be personalized with a name or saying of your choice. You can email your own photos and have them made into a personalized clock. Grandma and Grandpa would love a family photo made into a clock with the date of the photo.


Mystery Thanksgiving Table Runner

Tuesday is the day when the next clue will be available for the Mystery Thanksgiving Table Runner. I hope you noticed that I slipped in an extra "treat", just for Halloween!


November BOM available

If you have signed my guestbook, you receive the November BOM pattern as an attachment in your email. These patterns come automatically each month. If you haven't signed my guestbook, you may want to do that so you won't miss a single BOM patterns. CLICK HERE to view previous BOM patterns.

Quilting Tips

I use an electric personal shaver as an electric seam ripper. Just gently pull the two pieces of fabric apart so that you can see the threads, and touch the shaver to the threads. It really comes apart quickly and easily and what a time saver! - Cassie in Louisiana

When you need to rip out a seam, use your seam ripper and cut a stitch about every half inch or so. Then pull the thread from the other side, and it will pull out easily without distorting your fabric. You will have to pick out the small pieces of thread, but that's easier than trying to rip out a seam that will distort your block. - Marie in Mississippi

Getting small block pieces from the cutting table to the machine can cause arrangements to be out of order sometimes. I had my husband cut a piece of paneling about 16" square. I used a thin piece of batting and put this on top of the piece of paneling. Then I covered the batting with 100% cotton about 2" bigger than the paneling. I then wrapped about 1" of fabric all the way around to the back side and hot glued it down on the back. Makes a mini design board portable. Used it when I was teaching some quilt classes so the ladies could pass it around and see how the blocks were laid out.
I hope you are enjoying your preparations for the holidays. Until November 15th, have a "pieceful" day!
Susan