Merry Christmas to All

From early elementary school days I recall the well-quoted poem 'Twas the Night Before Christmas. My mother read it to my brother and me every year as she did the Christmas story from the Bible. I remember having a skirt my mom sewed for me that was a complete circle with the poem printed around the bottom. I wore it to school in Fifth Grade class and all the girls were envious of my having such a fun garment. I had "umpteen" crinoline petticoats underneath to make it stand out full and fill the school desk seat when I was seated. Oh, the memories. And that was a long time ago. I always thought I would never be guilty of saying, "Forty years ago..." But, you know, I do it all the time now. Sorry! I'm compelled somehow to do that.

On a more serious note, we sadly report the loss of another of our long-time quilting friends, Penny Nichol. What a great quilter and good friend to many. She was one of the appliqué enthusiasts who would come into the shop on Wednesday mornings for all those years to sit and appliqué and exchange life's fun stories and charm us with their chatter. She will be missed. Thankfully we had the opportunity to know all of the lovely ladies who over the years frequented Heirlooms & Comforts regularly.

Sara

Important Calendar Notes
At Heirlooms & Comforts there are a number of early January sessions that you should note. The full class schedule is expected to be on our web site by New Years Eve. For now, be sure to mark your calendar for these:

January 5: First meeting of the Thimbleberries Reunion. If you were ever a part of the Thimbleberries Club at H&C you are invited to join us first Thursday of each month for "club". There will be no formal program, and anyone who wishes can bring a game or activity, just as Judy and Joan did all those years, for everyone to participate in. You are invited to bring your lunch or snack foods to share around and to sew, visit, shop, or "play' right through the day. There is no fee for this attendance. We will draw a discount percentage at each meeting for you to get special discounts on whatever you purchase that day. We will draw names for prizes, sing Happy Birthday, laugh at bad jokes, etc. Look for all the fun parts of previous Thimbleberries Club meetings without a pre-planned project. Bring the ones you already have, finished or unfinished, to get critique or aid in getting them completed. Margarett Boyer will be using Joan's email address list to send reminders to those on that list. If you wish to be added to the email list, reply to this letter with that request and we will pass your address on to Margarett. We are looking forward to seeing you Jan. 5 at 10:00 AM.

January 11: The Kaffe Club will meet in the shop at 10:00 AM. There is a challenge going on now and it is a voluntary adventure. Remember this is a fee-free event on second Thursday morning each month. You meet with fellow Kaffe Fassett fans to exchange ideas and challenges and to learn from each other new techniques and ideas. The members of this group have remarkable skills they are willing to share with their friends in this diverse group. Come for fellowship, sharing, learning, chillin', fun and maybe even a walk over to one of the lunch venues in Central. Mark your calendar. We want you to come for the fun.

January 16: Memories of Provence is the name of a sampler quilt pattern and group of fabrics that Kathy White has completed and has hanging in the shop classroom. This is gorgeous! Kathy is teaching this in a six-month format. You will get instruction in the techniques for two of the blocks each month and you know already how good Kathy's instructions are. The pattern is free and we have kits for this quilt that you can purchase at a 20% discount when you register for the class. You will need to make a choice of color for setting fabrics and borders. The tuition for six months is $108 and you have two options in paying this fee:

1. Pay in two installments.
2. Pay in full when you register and get 10% discount on the fee.

This starts soon, so we need to be talking about how you want to approach this. Come in very soon to see this quilt and to make your fabric choices. Register for one of the time slots that we offer: Friday mornings or late Monday afternoon. Don't delay; some people have already chosen.

January 21: Deadline for saving 20% on supplies listed by the instructor for classes for the winter. Complete registration with tuition payment by Jan. 21 and you will receive this great discount on the supplies. Don't delay.

January 18 and 31: These dates are reserved for Sew Days for persons who wish to sit and sew with friends for the day in the shop. No fees are attached. You bring your project, hand or machine done, and sew with friends. Bring your lunch or choose to order in or go out. Sew Day is your day.

February 4: Gathering of Quilters is a day set aside for District I members of Quilters of SC who will meet at First Baptist Church in Williamston, SC to enjoy a program that has been developed for the day and to learn from each other on several topics in the world of quilting. More information about this is coming later; for now mark your calendar for the day.

H&C Feature of the Week: Fat Quarters
At Heirlooms & Comforts this week we will continue to feature our special on Fat Quarters in 6-packs, 12-packs and 18-packs. The special prices apply to fat quarters that are already cut and on display. Great savings and a good way to augment your scrap quilt stash! 6PK for $12; 12PK for $22; and 18PK for $32 - a lot like a late Christmas present.





Fantastic Offers!

At Heirlooms and Comforts we can offer you 5-D Professional Embroidery Software at ½ price when purchased along with any H-V Designer sewing and embroidery machine. With this combination you can be well suited for creative machine work that puts others "in the shade."

As advertised on the Husqvarna Viking web site there is a finance plan for the purchase of a Husqvarna Viking Designer sewing and embroidery machine. You can get 36 months of financing with 0% interest right now. That is a really big opportunity to get sewing and embroidering. Any Designer jewel qualifies: Topaz 20 or 30, Ruby, Diamond, or Diamond Deluxe. See us soon for this screaming deal - software, Designer machine and no-interest financing. Happy New Year!