Sunday, September 30, 2012

Clean Off the Bolt

It is always amazing to me the difference in the landscape in various areas of our great nation! Cheryl, Bobby, and I are in Tucson, AZ for Husqvarna Viking Convention this week. Oh, my goodness, how different the landscape is: beautiful, but so opposite from the lush green terrain of home. The cacti are fascinating in shape and color. The flower colors are brilliant. The homes and other structures are so near the color of the ground that sometimes you have to look very carefully to see the homes nestled into the surroundings. We have just arrived here for the week of meetings and learning about new products and software. We found already a place to go to see "investment quality" quilts with a southwest theme in many of them. We are hoping to get Bobby to be quiet long enough for us to see this gallery. We'll let you know later how that turns out. Stay tuned!
Sara

H&C Feature of the Week: Clean Off the Bolt
At Heirlooms & Comforts this week we will feature Clean Off the Bolt for all week. We have lately noticed that there are "many skinny" bolts that you can purchase at a skinny price. Take a 25% discount when you take everything left on a regular price fabric bolt. If you choose a sale priced fabric and take all that is remaining on the bolt you can get an extra 10% off the discount. Come and get it!

Great Class
Sienna Harvest Quilt taught by Kathy White is quite a great project. It is made from one feature fabric and one accent fabric, using special cutting instructions. The feature fabric is a fall stripe design with fruits, berries and fall flowers and leaves. The class is Oct. 9 and 23 from 10:00 to 1:00 and the tuition is $36. Come in to see the sample hanging in the shop and to sign up for the class. You will love this one and we have plenty of the fabric just now.

New Items in Stock
There are several new fabric groups that have arrived lately. Among them is Chateau Rouge from French General and Moda. Also there is a group of Kaffe and friends fabrics that are new to the racks. Independence Trail is from Minick and Simpson and Moda. We have three beautiful neutrals from Windham Fabrics and the Orchard House collection.

Sunday, September 23, 2012

Apple Picking Time

For a long time I have been saying that I found out life is a series of stages. I believe it. One of the early stages of my life was just-out-of-college teacher of English and French to high school Juniors and Seniors. A favorite unit for me was American Literature and Robert Frost, poet extraordinaire. I could go on and on here, but this is enough of a preface to my point here.

The cooler mornings and the cover of Southern Living Magazine set me off on this tangent. There are beautiful photos in the magazine of decadent looking desserts made with apples as a central ingredient. Apples equal Fall, right? Robert Frost, a New Englander, grew apples in the beautiful New England countryside and sometimes his very conversational poetry included reference to the apple-picking time of year and the process of harvest. Look up his poem "After Apple-Picking" to see how he felt at the end of the harvest. He saw the serious side of life as well as the humorous side of some situations. Enjoy this one of his not-so-long poems that reflects and everyday event:

The Cow in Apple Time
Something inspires the only cow of late
To make no more of a wall than an open gate,
And think no more of wall-builders than fools.
Her face is flecked with pomace and she drools
A cider syrup. Having tasted fruit,
She scorns a pasture withering to the root.
She runs from tree to tree where lie and sweeten
The windfalls spiked with stubble and worm-eaten.
She leaves them bitten when she has to fly.
She bellows on a knoll against the sky.
Her udder shrivels and the milk goes dry.*


Having included this poem in a newsletter doesn't necessarily mean that I will never do that again, especially if I think of another Robert Frost poem that suits the situation. Thanks for indulging me.
Sara 
*You Come Too, Favorite Poems for Readers of All Ages, Robert Frost; Owl Books,
Henry Holt and Company; New York

H&C Feature of the Week: One Notion
At Heirlooms & Comforts this week we will feature one notions item of your choice at 25% off. You can choose which item you wish to purchase from the notions wall and racks in the notions area of the store. There are rulers, scissors, pins, hand needles, marking tools, cutters, replacement blades, etc. This is for you to decide what you wish to save money on. In stock items only are included in this feature.




Quilts to Sell
Many of you know about our friend Ann Willis. She is our elderly friend who quilts to supplement her disability income and to be able to "work every day for her living." This lady has a work ethic that is classic. She has recovered enough from recently illnesses and surgeries to be able to quilt again and to finish several quilts. Last week she "hauled" these five quilts in for us to hang and to sell for her to help her pay her living expenses. So, whoever purchases one of these quilts is buying several things: first of all a beautiful product of usefulness; an art object; a means of financial relief for someone who wishes to be self-sufficient; and not least of all sense of having participated in a mission project right here at home for a deserving recipient. Look at the photos and descriptions of these quilts to see if one of them fits a purpose for you. Enjoy the experience of viewing these on line and in person in the shop.

Notable New Item
At Heirlooms & Comforts we have an item that is new to our inventory: 18" Request weight Quilters Dream Batting that is perfect for items like table runners. It is sold by-the-yard making it convenient to purchase just the length you need without waste. Check it out!

Last Week for Specials
This is the last week for taking advantage of several offers from Husqvarna Viking. If you were waiting until the last minute to act on these, the time has come.

Sunday, September 16, 2012

Simple Pleasures

Simple pleasures are amazing! Bobby and I were talking this week (like senior citizens do) about how his Granddaddy loved raisin bread. From there we went to "how far I had to walk to school", etc. Growing up in the South we had many simple pleasures and unbelievable treats. Remember Nehi Grape Sodas? Or 6oz Coca Colas? Or Orange Crush? And when Pepsi was the new big rival? Remember a small bag of salted peanuts, and you poured them into your cola for a fun treat? My Granddaddy called those Cokes "a dope" because the original formula was thought to have an opiate in it. Simple pleasures: local women processing foods together like canning beans and tomatoes or preserving peaches and blackberries that had been picked on the side of the creek or the road. Women making fruit cakes in the fall and early winter so that they could "cure" until holiday time - never cut the fruit cake the day you make it! Those were gatherings to make chores more bearable. Women visiting over a quilting frame set up in the dinning room or spare bedroom (if you had one) made more pleasurable a time which could have been very solitary without the benefit of TV or iPods. That's when they shared happy times and sad times and became a community. People helped people and became neighbors and friends. Simple pleasures.

We can get some of that "community" again by trusting our "neighbors" and by becoming participants in guilds and bees and other organizations of those with common interests and goals. Do you know your neighbors? Have you found a "community of similar interests" with whom you can share ideas and situations? That is part of what Heirlooms & Comforts offers you with our classes and the Free Sew Days that are scheduled for the shop. Do you know the saying "Joy shared is doubled; sorrow shared is halved"? Try it.
Sara

H&C Feature of the Week: Batiks
At Heirlooms & Comforts this week we will feature double punches on the Fabric Club Cards for the purchase of Batik fabrics with a ½ yd minimum cut. We have recently received a number of great batik fabrics from several companies. The batiks are brilliant - gorgeous! This week get double punches for the purchase of batiks!





Save and Save...
Right now at Heirlooms & Comforts you can save $600 off the price of a new Designer Topaz 30 or a Designer Topaz 20 AND get a free 5D Embroidery suite. Wow and Wow! The number of units available at this special is limited; so don't wait too long to make your move. Also, there is one only Designer Ruby remaining that qualifies for the big savings of $1250 off and then get a rebate of $250 from Husqvarna Viking. These are super prices and the offer holds only until September 30. At these prices you can get high end machines for prices near what is being paid for machines of lesser value. Come in now! Time flies.

Sunday, September 9, 2012

Got a Mac?

This week is ending with mid-September! Next week brings Autumn Equinox! Then 2012 is 3/4 gone! Also the holidays are upon us again! Are you ready? We have all the supplies and some classes that can assist you in your fabric manipulations and sewing for the holidays whether it is for decorating or gift-giving.

We are still receiving new fabric groups from companies like Moda and RJR Fabrics. There are new books galore. In the mode of pre-cut fabrics there are Sushi Rolls, Jelly rolls, Bali Pops, Layer Cakes, and Charm Squares that save you time and effort. No procrastinating allowed. Come in this week to get the supplies you need for your projects.
Sara 

H&C Feature of the Week: Christmas Fabric
At Heirlooms and Comforts this week we will feature Christmas motif fabrics at 25% off regular price with 1/2 yard minimum cut. The selections are at their best just now with several collections from Moda and other vendors of great quilting fabrics. Put together wonderful celebratory items for friends and family while the time is right.

Got a Mac?
That refers to Macintosh by Apple computer. Well, now Husqvarna Viking has an embroidery software suite just for Mac called TruEmbroidery! This suite is designed for those users of Mac who have been patiently waiting for this innovation. This suite has the great features of 5D Embroidery and will output the designs in formats that work for most top embroidery machines including Babylock, Bernina, Brother, Husqvarna Viking, Janome, Pfaff and Singer. Pre-sale of this product is available from now until October 18. When you make a deposit and commit to the purchase you become eligible for several gifts and opportunities. A visit to www.truembroidery.com gives you all the details and answers various questions you might have. At Heirlooms & Comforts we will be offering instruction on the use of TruEmbroidery when shipment of the program comes available in October and after Cheryl gets certification in October. So, save money with pre-sale purchase, get free gifts, get Webex, and get instruction on the use of TruEmbroidery!


Fall Game-Day Hours
Saturday, September 15, 2012 - Close at 1:30 PM

Sunday, September 2, 2012

Surprise!

It could sound like I do nothing but sit in my chair and look out the window. Not true! However, there is a lot that I see from my vantage point in the sunroom/office of my home. For example, I come here each morning to read emails and drink my coffee. There is a squirrel that crosses the roof (I can actually hear him coming) at the same time every morning and jumps from the roof to a limb of the Maple tree just outside my window. You think he is reporting to the boss for work each day? I watched one squirrel the other day dig a hole in the yard and try to lie down in it. Since he didn't fit, he dug out more soil and tried again and repeated that until he could lie in it and roll around. Why? Scratching fleas? Pretending to float in a lake?

Now on Bobby's morning walk he has sent me a text with a photo of a leaf and stem suspended over the street in our neighborhood held only by a spider's web that spans the street and several feet of the two yards either side of the street. The web goes from tree to tree for about 25 feet and the leaf is hanging over the yellow line in the middle of the street. How can a spider get a web that far without support along the stretch? How can a web hold a leaf and stem high enough to walk under for that distance? How can the spider get the leaf attached to the web? Could the leaf have just fallen into place? Nature's mysteries are so fascinating.

I read in the newspaper today about a Black Lab dog that traveled on foot for 500 miles from Maryland to Myrtle Beach to reunite with his owner after having been left with "Grandpa" in Maryland. That is for sure a mystery as to how the dog can know how to go that far back to where he had been at home! All of this is not totally unlike the fascinating process of taking compatible fabrics, cutting them into pieces that are then fit back together in patterned assembly to make a beautiful mosaic that is comfortable and can be passed on to future generations for their comfort and pleasure fulfilling some of the need for artful beauty - Heirlooms & Comforts. A mystery from natural bent?
Sara 

H&C Feature of the Week: Clean Off the Bolt 
At Heirlooms & Comforts this week we will feature Clean Off the Bolt all week long. We have lately noticed that there are many skinny bolts in the shelves. One of them could be a favorite of yours. This week get 25% off when you buy all the yardage left on a regular price bolt and an extra 10% off when you buy all the yardage left on a sale price bolt. Several fabrics made their way to the sale table this past week. You should come to see if the one you have been watching is there. Clean Off the Bolt all week long!



Save $1500
At Heirlooms & Comforts right now you can save $1500 on the purchase of a Designer Ruby sewing and embroidery machine from Husqvarna Viking. Unheard of savings! Come in early to see how this happens so easily. No hoops to jump through-just fall in love with Designer Ruby and right away there can be a huge savings of $1500 like magic!

Fall Game-Day Hours
  • Saturday, September 8, 2012 - Closed 
  • Saturday, September 15, 2012 - Close at 1:30 PM

Previously Owned Machines
  • Designer Topaz 30 - 2 only - $1699
  • Designer Diamond - 1 only - $4199
These sewing and embroidery machines have very little usage on them and can be called like-new machines. Great buys!