BOGO 50%

For the next few days the "detail man" in the life of Heirlooms & Comforts will be at work on the front of the shop. You may have to walk around his ladder and bucket, but I guarantee that when he is finished with his project we will have a prettier face. Bobby's motto seems to be "never hire a job done that you can possibly do yourself without harm to the object or the craftsman." Several of the ladies in the shop thought that if you all hadn't seen Bobby suited-up for the job at hand that you just might get a chuckle out of this photo. Bottom line - excuse our clutter while Bobby paints the front of the shop.

Sara

H&C Feature of the Week: BOGO 50%
At Heirlooms & Comforts this week we will feature BOGO 50% which means that you can buy one item at regular price and get one "same kind" item at 50% off. That means that one yard of fabric qualifies you to buy another yard of equal or lesser value at 50% off; or one pack of machine needles at regular price and another pack of machine needles at 50% off; or one ruler at regular price and another ruler of equal or lesser value at 50% off; etc. The rules are that you purchase one item at regular price and qualify for a second item of equal or lesser value of like classification for half off the original price. No limit to the number of items you may purchase in pairs. Exemptions include sewing machines and sergers, cabinets, and embroidery software suites (Dept 975).

Sewing Camp for Kids
Grandmother, are you expecting a grandchild to spend time with you this summer and you don't know how you will keep her busy for a few days? We have the solution at Heirlooms & Comforts. Every summer we offer Kids Sewing Camp during the last week of July on Monday-Thursday. For 2012 those dates are July 22-26. There is a morning session for beginners and an afternoon session for kids who have previously attended our Sewing Camp. The morning class is available for eight kids at this time; the afternoon class is closed already. Look at the Classes page on our web site to see details for dates, times and cost.

Holiday Hours

At Heirlooms & Comforts our special hours are as follows:

• Closed: Independence Day Holiday July 4,5,6,7
• Reopen July 9 for regular hours
• Carolina Shop Hop: July 13-21 9:30 AM to 6:00 PM with the exception of Saturdays (14th and 21st) close at 5:00 PM.
• Monday, July 23 resume regular shop hours 10:00-5:00 M-F and 10:00-3:00 Sat.

Prepare for Shop Hop
We encourage you to prepare for Carolina Shop Hop 2012 now. You become more eligible for larger prizes when you visit more of the 14 shops participating in the shop hop. This year there are four Grand Prizes - sewing machines for quilters - to be given away. In addition there are 14 baskets of merchandise for quilters and sewers that are valued from $400 to $600. Young people aged 16 and under can qualify for one of three baskets of prizes suitable for youths. All in all the 14 shops participating in the shop hop will give away in excess of $20,000 worth of prizes and you can be among those who qualify for those prizes. Go to www.carolinashophop.com to review the rules, the prizes, and the passport that you can print from that site. We at Heirlooms & Comforts look forward to seeing you during hop time and renewing old acquaintances! If you are in Central about lunch time, Main Street Deli will have a special for you - dine in or take out. Drive carefully.

A Woman's World?

Sometimes we refer explicitly or incidentally to the genre of quilters and quilting as a woman's world. That is not necessarily the case. Celebrating Father's Day this weekend causes me to think about the men who have touched the quilting world with great positive influence. There are male designers of quilting fabrics and designs. There are especially good sewers and quilters who are male. One of the funny things is that men even design floral fabrics and patterns while most of us refrain from using flowers in quilts for men. Go figure. Men are quite often Master Gardeners who love flowers as much as women. There is, you know, a male designer of fabrics who is now popular in the quilting world who felt there is not enough "masculine" fabric available so he has designed a line with men in mind. (See the fabric from Parson Gray at Heirlooms & Comforts.)

When I think of Father's Day and quilting I instantly think of my dear father. He was quite an example of a man who knew his responsibility to his family and community and who loved beautiful nature and art. He was, in his youth, a physical worker who was strong of body and mind. The timeline of his life put him in a place when formal education was difficult for a farm boy in this part of the country. However, he sought learning and knowledge and made all efforts to see his offspring educated. In the process and in his compromised health the last 22 years of his life he began to appreciate the process and art of quilting. He precisely marked and cut the pieces for Mom to sew into quilts. He never intended to use a needle and thread and made jokes about wearing a skirt if ever he began to use them. He did, however, have a great deal of input into the choices of fabrics for many of the quilts and the patterns for those quilts. We in the family especially appreciate those quilts that we know he participated in making. One winter when it was cold in Florida and he couldn't get out to walk on the beach he cut out eight quilts in six weeks time. Mom couldn't keep up with the sewing that winter.

All quilters need "appreciate-ers" and quite often those are the men in our lives. Mom used to say she had never seen a man who didn't love a quilt. Thank you, guys, for being inspiration and appreciators of our art and craft and for your contributions to our processes. Happy Father's Day.

Sara

H&C Feature of the Week: Pattern & Fabrics
This week at Heirlooms & Comforts we will feature a free pattern available from Timeless Treasures Fabrics that will help you get ready for the winter holidays -
Tonga Poinsettia. Print the pattern out at home. Bring it in and we will help you select beautiful batiks to construct this design at 20% off regular price. You can get a jump on preparations for celebration or for gift giving. The newly arrived styles will be great in this pattern.

 


Diamonds are Best Friend
Was it Marilyn who sang it? Diamonds are a girl's best friend, especially Designer Diamond sewing and embroidery machines. Right now we have a pristine DD just traded in for a DDD-Designer Diamond DeLuxe. Bobby has had another "moment" and this machine is priced very reasonably! It will not remain on the Previously Owned list for very long. If you don't have a Diamond, you'd better check on this one.

Remembering, Again!

Why is it that sometimes you just get "flashbacks" of former times and the ease of living then? That happened to me in the process of thinking about what I would write this week.

When my brother and I were kids, not a hundred years ago, we had such freedom to be curious about what lies beyond the rise in the hillside. We lived "downtown" Clemson with undisturbed woodlands in our backyard where our Uncle Paul took us squirrel and rabbit hunting sometimes. Mom grew a garden there and had flowers blooming all around the house. We played with the six other kids in the neighborhood making towns and houses by sweeping up the pine needles into walls for our structures. Chairs were rocks; sticks created other structures. We played barefoot and had to extract stickers and briars, etc. Life was good and fun. And to top off summer there was the Clemson A&M College Farm and Home Week on Bowman Field. Oh, my! There was a huge tent on the edge of Hwy 93 in front of the Holtzendorf YMCA building (which held Clemson's only swimming pool). The field was littered with tractors and other big farming equipment. Families came from all over the state to see what innovations were available to make farming and farm living more efficient and easier for the family or business operation. We were allowed to walk from home through town to the field to see all the exhibits not totally unlike a state fair. There were animals in pens that were being fed by new methods of presenting the food; chickens being hatched by new kinds of incubators (I can almost smell the fuzzy baby chicks and feel their softness now); new canning and freezing information for the homemaker; newly developed varieties of okra seeds that produced pods without spiny barbs! We collected brochures and samples and balloons and went home and had a "show" of our own in the "pine needle village" in the backyard.

Oh, my. One of the things that has triggered these memories is a web site www.tigerpregameshow.blogspot.com which includes historic photographs of old Clemson. It is fun to go to that site and look at the sidebar on the right of the screen. You can look at a series of pictures each day with regard to former times in Clemson. Granted, many of them have to do with sports, but there are some really fun photos of the town as it was long ago.

Thanks for indulging my reminiscence!

Sara

H&C Feature of the Week: Books
At Heirlooms & Comforts this week we will feature 25% off books. Whoa! That is a great savings for you, our special customers. Choose your favorites or the ones that you have been watching for a while. The discount is on in-stock books only and does not apply to special orders. For this week, get 25% off your choice of books, no limit to number that you can buy.

Pre-Owned Machines
At Heirlooms and Comforts we have several previously owned and well-loved machines available for purchase. There is the Topaz 30 which have all the Exclusive Sensor System features that one hopes for and is a sewing and embroidery machine. We can sell this machine for less than $2000.00. That is a great buy for a machine that is less than a year old with few sewing hours logged. Check this out for a primary or second machine for someone who loves ease in sewing!

Hard Times

Sometimes it seems life just hands you hard times. Those can vary from day to day, thank goodness. Here at the quilt shop, though, hard times are those when you can't think which project you want to start next. There are so many points of inspiration that you hardly know which to pay attention to this time. We get intriguing patterns and books about new and innovative methods of cutting and sewing geometric shapes together. We get new fabric lines and designs. We get renewed methods of making a project in an old technique (for example, English paper piecing). There are so many ways to look now that it's a good thing to have the great staff that we have at H&C to help you chart your course toward the next project. You haven't challenged us lately to help you find a project? Hey, come on in and give us the opportunity. We are ready and willing.

Sara

H&C Feature of the Week: HV Inspira Stabilizers
At Heirlooms & Comforts this week we will feature Husqvarna Viking's Inspira stabilizers. These are the nicest stabilizers we know about and at a 20% discount this week you can stock up on the ones that you have neglected to add to your collection of stabilizing products. No limit. No restrictions. Inspira stabilizers at 20% off.


 

English Paper Piecing
The technique called English Paper Piecing is a handwork technique using a stiff paper as a form for the shape that you are using to make a pattern. Grandmother's Flower Garden is probably the first pattern that comes to mind for this technique because it is solely made of hexes sewn together with color being the defining factor in how the design looks. You can achieve a pattern with a "path" around the flowers of the design. There are other settings that can be achieved with the hexes of Grandmother's Flower Garden as well. Another fun design with a slightly more difficult assembly because of the curves of the shape is the Apple Core. Kathy White is experimenting with this shape just now and is finding this portable project to be an enjoyable challenge. She is in the shop regularly on Tuesdays and Fridays, so check in to see how she is progressing. Also check out the books we have recently received about this technique. There are also several "shapes" of English Paper Piecing pieces to entice you.

A Rare Opportunity
It is rare for us at Heirlooms and Comforts these days to get a Designer SE traded in; most owners just keep them when they are ready for a Designer Diamond Deluxe or a Designer Ruby. There is now one Designer SE that has been traded in and it is ready for a new, appreciative home. It has been well-treated during its lifetime and has been cared for by our own super technician, Bobby. Check this out if you have been wishing for a previously owned Designer SE!

Remembering

The time of our childhood influences our attitudes so much!

That time of parental and cultural input really makes us what we are, I think. My brother and I were greatly influenced in our attitudes by the experiences of our youth and the leadership of our parents. We were taught to honor and respect those who fought for the rights and freedoms of our nation and what a patriotic commitment required of the individual who made that commitment, even to the sacrifice of one's life for the sake of the nation. We were fortunate that our father was just old enough, I guess, to not be drafted in the time of World War II. However, some extended family members were active in the Great War and some even gave their lives. For that reason I am more aware of that war that our country participated in than others. The impact of that war came closer to my family than did others. It is natural for me to be reverent and be grateful for those who sacrificed for the nation because of my up-bringing. Hopefully I have inspired that awe in my children and that they can pass that respectful attitude on to the grandchildren.

Give thanks and remember the fallen ones. Express your gratitude and celebrate your freedom!

Sara 

H&C Feature of the Week: Clean off the Bolt
At Heirlooms & Comforts this week we will feature Clean Off the Bolt Week. In celebration of Memorial Day this week we will also punch your Fab Card for fabric purchases including the Clean Off the Bolt purchases. That means that when you buy all that remains on a bolt you can also get your card punched for the purchase amount. Whoo-hoo! We have never done that before as I can remember. Only this week and only to help you be aware of Memorial Day. It is like this: regular Clean Off the Bolt discounts of 25% on regular price fabric when you take all on the bolt or another 10% off a sale price fabric when you take all on the bolt PLUS we will punch your Fab Card. Take advantage of our craziness now. It may never happen again.

Schedule Reminders
Summer schedule reminders:

• Memorial Day, May 28 - Closed
• Independence Day, July 4 - Closed July 4, 5, 6, and 7.
• Carolina Shop Hop - July 13-21.
• Sewing Camp for Kids - July 23-26

It's a Wonderful World

Who was it - Louis Armstrong? - who had a hit recording "What a Wonderful World"? You know, no matter who sang that tune, it is a wonderful world. When you observe the beauties of nature right in your own backyard it is pretty amazing from the plants and flowers that you love to the pesky vegetation that you hate. It is amazing how English Ivy can invade everywhere and be lush green and be so pesky. Well, Bobby and I cut (not easy) the vines at the roots near the trees that it has invaded and we pulled (not easy) it from the bark, and then it was like the trees said, "Thank you for the fresh air and sunlight!" The yard seems to breathe again. This is only one example of the wonder of nature; just think about Kudzu. Now there is a pesky plant, but did you know there are beautiful artifacts made with the parts of that stuff.

So what about animal life? I planted beautiful Dahlias, so lush and colorful and happy. Along came the slugs and now I only have a few bare stems with no hope of recovery. Slugs! Creepy, slimy, oozy creatures created by the Almighty. Have you ever tried to squash one to death, hating the varmint that ate your flowers? I couldn't squeeze it to death between my gloved fingers! Finally, I asked Bobby to stomp it and with that broad foot he was able to accomplish the deadly deed: two fewer slugs to eat my flowers.

I do believe that it is a wonderful world. I do believe that all God's creatures and creation have purpose, even if I only see the pesky side of some parts of it. Thank God for life in all forms.

Sara 

H&C Feature of the Week: Quilt Backing Fabrics
At Heirlooms & Comforts this week we will feature wide fabrics for quilt backings at 20% off. We have a new stock of goods that are 108" or more in some cases. These make backings that usually do not need to be pieced to become large enough to serve as the back of a quilt. This is an infrequent opportunity to get these fabrics at a discount. Measure your quilt tops and come in this week for the quilt backs!




Look at This

If you will notice on Husqvarna Viking's web site there is an announcement of a contest to win a Tribute 140C sewing machine by entering a contest with some item that you have sewn on a Husqvarna Viking sewing machine or sewing/embroidery machine. At least one of our customers has entered the contest and her project looks GREAT alongside the other entries. You can enter the same way that Carole Corn has entered. The rules are listed on the web site and entry is not difficult if you have a camera that you can use to email a photo. Carole made her entry piece on the Husqvarna Viking Lily 555, not even her newest machine. So no matter which model you used to construct your project, you can enter it in the hopes of beating Carole out for the Tribute 140C and its accompanying stuff. Entry time is up May 31.

By the way, if you don't win you can still purchase the Tribute 140C machine that commemorates the 140 years of Husqvarna machines. There is a remarkable price for the machine and a free $250 anniversary kit that comes with it. See us soon; this is a limited edition machine!

Not So Sappy, Girl

Let's see if I can say what I wish to express without getting too sappy here. Mother's Day. This is a good time to reflect on the mothers who have preceded us and how they sacrificed and made do for themselves so that they could provide their families with the best possible situation for growing up. They worked at home and away from home for long hours to make life easier for their offspring. They nurtured their little one (and big ones) with TLC and with discipline in order to raise good citizens. We are forever grateful to them for all they did for us. We love to recall the stories of their life's works that made all possible. Some stories are funny, some are sad, some are just nostalgic, but all are dear.

So how are those mothers and their stories different from the ones we can see around us today? Not very. Mothers have different situations now than they did 20, 30, 40 years ago. Home appliances are different. Interruptions and obligations for work and for recreation are different. Opportunities for achievement and for failure are different. I see young mothers who work long hours and still provide the opportunities that the youngsters need for social development and physical development. It just is not the same world that our mothers dealt with in many, many ways.

I give "hat's off" to mothers of all ages! For the physical pain and sacrifice, for the emotional expenditure, and for the love that is shown in so many ways, I salute those who choose to raise a family!! Happy Mother's Day.

Sara

H&C Feature of the Week: Double Punches for Batiks
At Heirlooms & Comforts this week we will feature double punches on your H&C Fabric Card for every $5 increment of Batik fabrics that you purchase. If you buy $15 worth of batik regular price fabric you will have your card punched for 30 points. Think how fast your card will fill this week with the purchase of the beautiful batiks that we have in stock and how fast you can qualify for a $20 redemption using your Fabric Card.

Reminders
Summer schedule reminders:

• Memorial Day, May 28 - Closed
• Independence Day, July 4 - Closed July 4, 5, 6, and 7.
• Carolina Shop Hop - July 13-21.
• Sewing Camp for Kids - July 23-26