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Sunday and Holidays closed
 
Thursday - 15% Senior Citizen Discount
2858 Airline Blvd
Portsmouth, VA 23701
Phone:  757-488-9449
Email:  info@sewe-z.com
 
Mondays -  15% Military Discount
10% Guild Members Discount
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Holiday Coupon

Wet Weather Week

Ida sure left her mark on Hampton Roads this past week with strong wind, relentless rain and coastal flooding. I hope everyone made it through this unbelievable storm okay.

 

You may recall; this was our Norfolk Sewing Retreat Weekend. Nine of us ladies were all set to sit and sew for four days that is until Mother Nature paid us an extended visit.  Five of us braved the wind, the rain and avoided the flooded areas, arriving Thursday with high hopes that our 4 days of sewing would not be interrupted.  Things went remarkably well Thursday until we lost power shortly after 8:30pm.  No fear, Linda had brought some tapered candles, which when combined with a little imagination and some empty soda bottles; we created the neatest candle holders! Then we sat around a table, eating junk food and telling tales.  Okay, it was Linda told us tales about her life years ago in Indonesia while her husband was in the military.  What a hoot!  When all was said and done, we all set off to bed, hoping there would be power when we woke up, but no such luck.  It took the usual amount of coffee to clear our heads, but the decision was made to pack up and headed home.  However, two of us, me and my girlfriend from Pennsylvania, who came down for the retreat went to the store where we spread out all our junk and sewed until 9:30pm Friday night.  Saturday a few of the other ladies joined us at the store where we continued our sewing retreat.  It was a great time despite the nasty weather.

 

The other major news is my surgery has been changed to November 30, 2009.  So, what does that mean for you and any unfinished projects or missed classes? It means I’m available for an additional week.  Bring your unfinished projects, or come take the class you missed and let’s sew.

 

We are still working on our class schedule for the New Year and we hope to have it finished soon.  I did make a really neat sweatshirt jacket this weekend.  This will definitely be a class in January.  The jacket is on display at the store.  Check it out next time you come by.

 

Black Friday/Saturday Sale

We have moved our Black Friday & Saturday Sale to Friday, November 20 and Saturday, November 21, 2009, due to my upcoming surgery and Melissa's leaving.  We will be open Friday from 9:00am to 5:00pm and Saturday 9:00am to 4:00pm.  So, what is on sale?  Everything!  Machines and furniture will be an additional 10% off the already listed sale price!  Everything else will be 40% off.  Yes, that's right 40% off!  We want to clear out as much of the existing inventory so we can have room for all the new and interesting items we are sure you will love.  Mark your calendars, bring your friends, and let's clear out the shelves!

 

New Arrivals

·        Janome’s new Ribbon foot

·         Packaged Quilter’s Dream Batting

 

Priced to Go

We are offering a brand new Martelli quilt frame & machine with full warranty for an astounding $2749.00, which also includes leader cloths, zippers, start stop control on front of machine, delivery and set-up to your home, and an in-home guide classes, all for $2749.00.

 

Toys for Tots and Food Bank

We are collecting toys and food to help brighten the holidays for those less fortunate.  Bring in a new toy or nonperishable food and receive a 15% discount on your purchase of fabric or notions. 

 

The Christmas Count Down is at 40 shopping days remaining! 

View our Holiday Coupon page for valuable savings to help make the holiday shopping a little brighter:  

 

Family Shopping Week

Each year we dedicate a special week for holiday shopping, which includes special hours and discounts.  This year our special week will be Monday, December 14 through Saturday, December 19, 2009.  We will be open each day until 6:00pm and Saturday until 4:00pm.  Family and friends will receive a 15% discount, plus their purchases can be gift wrapped upon request.  Mark your calendars and make sure to tell your family and friends about this special week. Remember to complete and submit your wish list form, which is at the register.

 

November Classes

I will be at the store everyday from now until November 28, 2009.  You can take any class that has been previously offered.  I will also teach a Christmas Placemat for anyone.  The Fabric Box that was previously scheduled for November 19, 2009 has been canceled for now.  It will be offered again at a later date.  Some of the classes that you may have missed could be:

·        Santa Tissue Box

·         Christmas Tree Napkins

·        Reversible Napkins

·         Christmas table runner

 

Strip Bingo

Remember, Strip Bingo on Friday, November 20, 2009, at 6:30pm.  Win fabric strips along with bonus prizes.  It’s loads of fun, laughs, and a great way to relax and have fun.

 

Cuddles Corner

Embroidery Thread Tip

It is never fun to run out of thread in the middle of embroidering a design.  Here is a thread estimation guide:

 

Spool/Cone Size
Amount of Stitches
5000 meter/5500 yard cone
1,000,000 stitches
1005 meter/1100 yard spool
200,000 stitches
201 meter/220 yard spool
88,000 stitches

 

Machine embroidery thread generally comes in three sizes:  50wt., 40wt. and 30wt.  The lower the wt. number, the heavier the thread.  Most digitized embroidery designs found on CDs, cards, and so on are designed to be used with 40wt. thread, unless specifically stated otherwise.  A 30wt. thread may result in a design that is too dense.  Conversely a 50wt. would leave a sparse design.  That said, don’t be afraid to experiment; many people use different thread weights to give their designs a unique look.

 

Machine Tension

Important!  Important! Important!  Perform a machine tension test every day when you first turn on your machine.  Stitch three satin stitch columns, such as the letter "I".  The underside should be 1/3 bobbin thread down the middle, with top thread showing on the outer 1/3. You shouldn't need to adjust your bobbin tension once it's set, so always adjust the top tension and only change the bobbin tension as a last resort.  If upper thread lies straight along the top of the fabric, then the needle tension is too tight, or the bobbin tension is too loose.  If the lower thread lies straight along the fabric, then the upper tension is too loose, or the bobbin tension is too tight.  If the bobbin thread suddenly shows on top in the middle of stitching out the design, you may have a buildup of lint and dust in the bobbin case.

Upper thread breaks are caused by:

·         Incorrect upper threading

·         Upper thread tangled or knotted (such as metallic thread on wrong spool)

·         Spool set incorrectly

·         Wrong needle

·         Damaged shuttle

·         Lint in the bobbin case

·         Upper tension too tight

·        Needle set incorrectly

·         Needle blunt or bent

·        Thread too coarse for needle

·         Roughened hole in throat plate

 

Bobbin thread breaks are caused by:

·         Tangled upper thread

·        Bobbin threaded wrong in shuttle

·         Bobbin tension too tight

·        Bobbin wound unevenly

 

Broken Needles

Broken needles cause the hook to get burrs.  Use a crocus cloth to lightly sand out the scratch.  Broken needles are caused by:

·         Wrong size needle for thread and material

·         Bent needle

·         Hitting a loose presser foot

·         Hitting edge of hoop

·        Embroidery too dense

·         Fabric too thick for size of needle, such as over seams

 

Skipped stitches are caused by:

·         Needle inserted incorrectly

·        Wrong type of needle (too small for thread)

·         Wrong combination of fabric, thread, and needle

·         Dust and lint under the needle plate

·        Incorrect upper threading

·         Blunt or bent needle

·        Needle rubbing presser foot

·         Long satin stitches will skip, because it doesn’t always catch the bobbin thread.

 

Recipe Corner

Orange Coconut Balls, submitted by Fran Hauser

1 1/8 cups vanilla wafers, crushed

¾ cup flaked coconut

¾ cup confectioner’s sugar

½ (6 ounce) can frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed

1/3 cup confectioner’s sugar for rolling

 

Mixvanilla wafers, coconut, 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar, and frozen orange juice.  Mold into 1-inch balls and roll in confectioners' sugar. Store, covered, in the refrigerator.

 

Hawaiian Bon-Bons

 

8 ounces white chocolate, cut up

1 cup unsalted macadamia nuts

1/2 cup flaked coconut

1 teaspoon grated orange zest (optional)

 

In a 1-quart glass bowl, heat white chocolate in a microwave oven on medium for 2 minutes; stir. Return to microwave and heat on medium 1 1/2 to 2 minutes longer, or until melted and smooth when stirred. Stir in nuts, coconut, and orange zest. Carefully spoon into 25 (1 1/2 inch) paper bon-bon cups, filling to top. Let stand at room temperature, or refrigerate 1 hour or longer, until firm.  Store, well wrapped, in refrigerator.

Read It All

Wet Weather Week

Strip Bingo

New Arrivals

Family Shopping Week

November Classes

Black Friday Sale

Priced To Go

Toys For Tots

Cuddles' Corner

Recipe Corner

Surgery Changed

Holiday Count Down