They're Back!

Our friend and associate Kathy White loves and cares for horses at the Whites' farm nearby, and in the horse barn there are a lot of natural phenomena going on. One curious thing is the small "aviary" that they have there. The swallows build in the rafters and framework of the barn every year. I think that Kathy must know bird language by the way she refers to the birds and how they react to daily life in the barn. One really curious thing is the timing of the return of the swallows each year in the spring. Most years they come back about April 15, more or less. That must be to celebrate tax season, you think? Anyway, last year they came back about April 1, to celebrate April Fool's Day? Now this year they have already returned and we are not yet to April. They would be challenging most of us to remember, but not Kathy. She is the best I know for remembering when things usually happen. So, if the birds nest and lay eggs and hatch the babies early the little naked birdies could be at risk if we have a late frost and freeze. Can you imagine how cold they could get being without feathers and all alone while mother bird and daddy bird are out of the nest looking for worms? Maybe we should all think about what Mary Ellen Hopkins of Crazy Lady and Friends in California and author of several early quilting books used to do. When she was cutting out a quilt or trimming her blocks she would take the skinny strips of scraps and drape them over the railing of the balcony of her apartment. The birds would pick them off the rail and incorporate them in the nests they made in the trees along the city sidewalks outside her apartment building. She said she felt much better not putting the giblets in the trash and knowing the birdies had nice soft "quilts" to cuddle in until the could fly the nest! Now, there's a good thought!!

Sara

H&C Feature of the Week: Embroidery Software
At Heirlooms & Comforts this week we will feature 5D Embroidery Software at 20% off and you still can get a Manufacturer's Rebate of up to $400 if you qualify. Each major step in the software carries a different level of rebate depending on the depth of the software. For example 5D Embroidery Extra carries a $150 rebate; 5D Embroidery Software has a $50 rebate; and 5D Professional Software gets a $400 rebate. Come by the shop this week because the offer ends on Saturday, March 31. We don't want you to be disappointed!!

Butterflies
Have you seen butterflies out and about yet this spring? I have seen them and photographed them as they flit from one flower to another. At Heirlooms & Comforts we have a number of prints from the 3 Sisters designers for Moda Fabrics in the group called "Papillon", the nice French word for butterfly. These prints are soft and appealing just like butterflies. Ask us about them and download the free pattern from Moda.