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.

Love Quilts?

How much do you love quilts? Quilts are very important to members of our family and extended family. My grandmother Nalley told her daughters that if they made a new quilt each year, they would never be cold. That seems to be a truth - you generally cannot wear out a quilt in one year's time. So every year my mom would make at least one quilt. As we got older and my brother and I married and started families, she began to make more than one quilt a year to pass on to us and our children. She shared quilts with friends and their children and with relatives who began to reach milestones in their lives such as graduations and marriages. That is why Mema made so many Double Wedding Ring quilts across the years - 30 we counted at one point when she and I could remember where they had gone.

Actually, the name of the shop came from the love of quilts: quilts are heirlooms that can be handed from one generation to another and cherished as a handiwork made with love. Quilts are also a comfort in many ways. They are comforting to your body when you are not feeling well (body or spirit) and to make a quilt is a comforting exercise that can produce a sense of accomplishment or achievement even in a time of grief. Did you ever think of quilting as therapy? Try that when you are "low" - you can get so lost in the quiltmaking process that your pain abates.

Recently I completed the quilt that I started for my five-year-old grandson before he was born. When I handed it off to him a few weeks ago, he immediately began wrapping himself in it every night for sleeping, covered head and ears in "love from Grandma". Now that is a proud thought for Grandma.

How much do you love a quilt?

Sara

H&C Feature of the Week: 25% off any one Notion
At Heirlooms & Comforts this week we will feature 25% off any one item you choose from our stock of notions. You may choose from scissors, rulers, needle for hand sewing or machine sewing, pins, pens, etc. You choose one item you wish to purchase that is in our notions inventory and you can get 25% off.

Pre-Owned Machines
Recently we have traded machines so that we now have at least five great machines to sell at unbelievably low prices. Some are embroidery machines and some are not embroidery machines. All are with the longer sewing space from the needle to the motor area. This long bed allows for larger embroidery or for accommodating a large quilt for machine quilting. Come in soon to review what is available and to see which one will fit your needs. Sew on your choice and be ready for long days of fun in the sewing room.

Me, Too!

All the other boys have had their chance at writing Grandma's letter to you; so, I said, "Me, too!" My name is Miles and I am Finn's twin brother. One great thing is that Finn and I do not "look like twins." I am just different and I love it. Grandma says that that is the way things get to be in the world of sewing and quilting too. Everybody's project does not look the same even if they are made in the same class. My daddy likes to be different, too. He even plays soccer still and he is getting closer to 40 years old. Grandma thinks that is pretty brave of him to tempt bodily injury that way, especially with the three of us to get grown and educated.

You know, Grandma and Grandpa were here in Texas recently to visit and help get our house ready to live in. I heard Grandma ask Mama some questions about our Christmas stockings so I guess that means she is trying to remember how she made those for the family last year so that she can make mine and Finn's match the others. Have you ever made quilted Christmas stockings? Grandma quilts them, she said, on her Husqvarna Viking Designer Diamond sewing and embroidery machine. That sounds like fun to us. My Nana has one of those H-V machines, too, and she gets things made much faster than Grandma does. But, everybody is different - like Finn and me. You really should see Grandma and the ladies at H&C if you don't have one of those H-V machines. They can show you how they work and you can buy one to make your Christmas stuff. They even have some previously owned Designer Diamonds that are priced very nicely for bargain buys.

Well, I need to go practice rocking on my hands and knees getting ready to crawl. I'm going to surprise Mama and Daddy one day and before Finn thinks of it I am going to crawl away from the quilt they put us on down on the floor. Then I will get away from them all and find some kind of mischief to get into. My big brother Naaman probably will help me get into something. I can count on that, don't you think? Go see Grandma and the ladies soon.

Miles Ballentine

H&C Feature of the Week: Notions
At Heirlooms & Comforts this week we will feature 30% off any one notions item of your choice. That means you can choose scissors or needles or thread or ruler, etc. at 30% off during this week October 10-15. In stock items only qualify for this promotion.

Streetscape
Pretty much the construction work has been completed except for some tweaking of the area just at the front door of Heirlooms & Comforts. The grass is growing in the "green spaces" and we have some of the flowers planted at the front of the shop. The stop sign is in place so that the intersection is safer for drivers and pedestrians as well. The crosswalk looks great and is designed to aid those who park on Banks Street or in the Handicap Space just directly across from our front door. There are numerous parallel parking spaces down Madden Bridge Rd. on both sides of the street all the way to the front of the Roller Mill. Bobby has placed steppingstones in the "green space" to help you get onto the sidewalk without getting your feet dirty. Hopefully, you will find these great safety improvements beneficial as you come and go at Heirlooms & Comforts.

Meet Newest Associate
At Heirlooms & Comforts we are happy to introduce you to our newest associate on the sales floor. Carolyn Harris is a resident of nearby Fair Play in Oconee County. She and John live on a working farm where they raised a daughter and a son. Carolyn worked for a number of years with the Clemson University Extension Service in Oconee County, which gave her experience in a diverse group of specialties. One of those specialties is the discipline of sewing, both clothing and home décor. Carolyn possesses great expertise in handling fabrics and in quilting. She produces wonderful projects and is especially talented as an instructor. She can teach any skill she has developed over the years, as many of you have experienced in the classes she has taught at Heirlooms & Comforts. We are extremely pleased that Carolyn is spending some of her retirement time with us at Heirlooms & Comforts. Come by to welcome her.

Classes
Fall classes at Heirlooms & Comforts are now on the web site in several formats and are easy for you to print out if you wish to have reminders of the schedule. To hold your seat in class you must complete registration with tuition payment. We will give you a copy of the instructor's class supply list and you can receive a 10% discount on those items when you purchase them at Heirlooms & Comforts. Call soon to register.

Class Listing

Wow! My Head is Spinning

My head is spinning from all I have seen at Husqvarna Viking International Convention. Wow! The Designer Diamond deluxe is a beauty - Diamonds are a girl's best friend. This beauty has a hidden treasure even. That treasure will give you the best looking double-sided embroidery you could imagine. Then there is the update to 5D embroidery software. Cheryl is chomping at the bit ready to share the innovations with you. Clear your calendar if you love software for embroidery - did I say free update? Well, I should have. How about that?

And Embroidery Design packages - oh, my! I think there are five or six. Imagine Decorative Cutwork, a new collection of quilting designs, I can't even remember them all just now. Also there are two new feet: Clear Invisible Zipper foot (easy as pie) and a Twin Gimping foot and guide. What fun!!

Read on in the email to see what else is happening.

Sara

H&C Feature of the Week: Notions
At Heirlooms & Comforts this week we will feature notions from the back wall. Buy one notions item at regular price and get a second one of equal or lesser value at half price. So you could buy a blue marking pen at regular price and get a package of hand sewing needles at 50% off. You choose; you win. We're happy for you.

Mark your Calendar
We have spoken to Barbara Moore and she is coming to town on June 8 to show you even more great stuff about the innovations from Husqvarna Viking. Remember what fun we had the last time she was here? Well, she's on the way back to Central again. $15 gets a day of fun and information and lunch. Barbara will have fresh samples and more Mississippi madness just for us. She will be working on the new Designer Diamond deLuxe and will give us such good inspiration and skill and you can make all of what you will see for yourself. Call to complete your registration and payment soon so you can for sure have a great seat.

First Time EVER for Heirlooms & Comforts
For the first time ever at Heirlooms & Comforts there is a pre-owned Designer Diamond to sell!! Now that the new Designer Diamond deLuxe is out, we have the first ever traded in Designer Diamond and it could be yours if you make the deal before someone else gets it. Call! 864-639-9507.

Commemorate Memorial Day
At Heirlooms & Comforts we want to encourage you to remember those who lost their lives for our freedom by commemorating Memorial Day, a national holiday. We will be closed that day so that our family of employees will have an opportunity to spend the day with their close friends and families remembering those who fought for our freedoms. Enjoy those freedoms and never forget!