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Urban Spools Sewing Lounge
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Greetings!
It is definitely summer here in Texas. While we have had some fairly pleasant days this past week, as I write this it is predicted to reach 96 degrees today. Sigh....I think that summers in Texas are for me like winters in Minnesota were for my husband. I hibernate. I move from air-conditioned building to air conditioned building. These days, that means moving back and forth between my sewing studio at home and Urban Spools Sewing Lounge. I have been busy creating new class samples, meeting with the Urban Spools teachers and quilting. I have a couple of fun trips planned this summer and I will be attending the Machine Quilter's Exposition in Portland in the fall. I am so excited about that! I have never been to Portland and I'm really looking forward to the trip. How about you? What are your summer plans? Relaxing at home? Vacation with the family? Stop by the blog and post a comment, I would love to hear from you. I hope you enjoy this issue of the newsletter. I have added a Tips & Solutions column and there are several new classes on the schedule. If there is an issue you need to solve, or a class you would love to see on the schedule, send me an email to sew@urbanspools.com, I would LOVE to hear from you. Sincerely, Michelle Kitto
Urban Spools Sewing Lounge |
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Grand Opening Celebration
 We have had a change in the schedule and the new date for the Grand Opening Celebration will be Saturday, August 4. We will be smack in the middle of summer by then and it will be the perfect time to come visit us at the Lounge! We have a big day planned for the celebration. The teachers will all be there so you can meet them in person. We will have door prize drawings, lots of yummy snacks, crafting stations and you can even take the long arm for a little test drive if you want! |
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Tips & Solutions
Picking the Right Sewing Machine  The choices in sewing machines today can be overwhelming. There are so many options and the prices range from $99 at the big box stores to $10,000. Yes, I said $10,000 for a sewing machine....not a car.....a sewing machine. Most of us don't need that much machine for every day sewing. I will tell you that in my experience, there is great value in buying a machine from your local dealer. I see too many people that aren't sure they are going to enjoy sewing, but want to give it a try, so they buy the cheapest machine they can find. Then, when it doesn't sew well, and they get no training on how to use it, they decide that sewing isn't for them and give up. There are lots of great machines in very affordable price ranges and it is worth investing a bit more to guarantee your success. This is one of the reasons that I wanted to open up Urban Spools. So that people interested in learning to sew could have a place to build a good foundation. It is also the reason that I decided to have all the tools necessary available so you could try out the craft before investing a lot of money on equipment if you weren't going to enjoy it. Now...I believe that once you try out sewing, whether it be home dec, garment sewing or quilting, you will fall in love with it!
So, back to this question of what type of machine to buy. I suggest that you make a list of the type of sewing you want to do, and the features that are important to you and start with that. By features, I mean automatic threader, button hole foot, thread cutter, etc. Then, you can ask friends who sew what brands they love and why and while you are at it, ask them if they love their dealer. A good dealer can make all of the different in the world. They should be willing to answer questions when you call, offer a bit of training on your new machine and have a good service department. Your next step is to head off to some dealers and test drive machines. Bring some fabric with you and ask to sit down and sew on the machines you are interested in. Take notes and try machines at a couple of different dealers. Once you have it narrowed down to a couple of choices, query the internet for reviews of those models. Your machine is a personal choice and you will spend many hours with it. Lots of us even name our machines...I know, but what can I say?
It is very important, once you purchase the machine to take steps to protect your investment. You will need to oil the machine on a regular basis. Check your manual for the recommended schedule for your machine. It will also be important to take it in for regular service. It is usually recommended that you have the machine serviced once a year by a trained technician. And lastly, it is very important to protect the machine from dust and lint. One great way to do this is with a customized cover that you make yourself! We have a Saturday workshop coming up on July 7th and you will learn how to do jus that! And you should leave class that day with your cover completed. If you are like me, this is sometimes the only way I get these types of projects done. I have to commit to a block of time and show up and get it done. You can sign up for the workshop here. Sarah will be teaching this class and you will be able to read all about the class on our website. |
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Improv Piecing
What the Heck is That?
We have all heard a lot of buzz about the "Modern Quilting Movement" and Improv Quilting, but what does it all really mean? I wondered this myself and did a little "googling" on the subject. I found a very wide variety of opinions on the topic. As I read, I noticed there were some very strong opinions from some. There is a very nice article on the Modern Quilt Guild's website discussing this idea. You can read it here. My thoughts on modern quilting are varied. On one hand, I think there is nothing new under the sun. When I look at a lot of quilts today, I see patterns that were used since before the civil war, but they are in brighter colors with lots more solids and "negative space". But, I also see lots of improvisation. And I love that freedom that you get with this style of quilting. What I have discovered is that since I was taught quilting by very traditional quilters with lots of rules, Improv is hard for me. Lisa Calle, the instructor of our Improv Piecing class series is a self taught quilter and she is very good at Improv. I am very excited about her class and I know you will enjoy it! It is so fun to learn a technique that will make a quilt truly your very own, from the design to the finished product. You can sign up for this two-session class on the website
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Friday Night Stitching Club
A Mini Getaway
The Stitching Club is on the schedule! Come join us in the Lounge for a relaxing Friday Night Getaway. Bring your projects, machines (or use one of ours), your favorite beverage and come hang out with your "peeps". Urban Spools will provide the snacks, music and a little instruction if you need it. The cost is just $10 for the evening. We have this scheduled for one Friday night a month through the end of the year. We can wait for you to join us!
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Special Offer
Bundle Classes and Save
In honor of our Grand Opening, we have a special going on. Through August 31, when you sign up for one class, the second class will be offered at $10 off. With the great list of classes that we are offering, we know you will want to sign up for more than one and we want to make it easy for you to do that! Or grab a friend and save. Call Urban Spools at 214-810-1176 or send an email to sew@urbanspools.com to take advantage of this offer.
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Class List Updated!
Lots of New Classes
We have added several new classes to the list and have plans to add a few more. You can check it out here
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Beginner Classes
Sewing or Quilting
We have added two new series that we are very excited about! One is a Beginner Sewing Series. This series will be the next step beyond our Intro to Sewing class. It will be a four week series and each week you will learn a new aspect of garment sewing, creating progressively advancing projects each week. This series will give you a firm foundation for your sewing adventures. The Beginning Quilting series is also a four week course and you will learn all aspects of quilting. At the end of this course, you will have a completed small quilt that can be used as a baby quilt or wall hanging. Find out more here |
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About Us
Urban Spools Sewing Lounge is committed to teaching you to sew! Come hang out with us in the Lounge, we can't wait to meet you!
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Contact Us
Urban Spools Sewing Lounge
sew@urbanspools.com
214-810-1176
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