Monday, Thursday & Friday, 10:00am – 5:00pm
Tuesday and Wednesday, 10:00am – 6:00pm
Saturday, 9:30am – 3:00pm
Copyright © 2005 – 2009 Sew E-Z. All rights reserved.
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
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.