Sew in the Know Newsletter!

It has been an eventful summer so far! Sun and rain, flowers and trees - all these things have kept me busy!

I have begun to wonder though if I am living in tornado alley! (fitting for someone who moves as fast as I do some days lol). Several micro-bursts and heavy rainfalls have brought down trees and limbs that have kept us busy cleaning up. Add that to several large custom quilt jobs and you will find me barefoot - running between the garden and the studio - several times a day!

In other NEWS - on July 25th I received word from the Supreme Court of Canada that the decision of an ongoing lawsuit that I have had the unfortunate experience to be involved in - upheld the decision of the Judge's rule in my favour. It has been a long 7 years and changed the course of my life dramatically. In the end I am grateful for all I have learned. (But I do know more processes in law than I care to admit)

This journey however, brought me to quilting and much of the joy I have in doing what I love as a business. I have decided to mark the occasion by making a memory quilt - and sooooo.... I need your HELP!

CONTEST

I want to design a quilt that have blocks that represent experiences of my last 7 years.

I have searched and searched but cannot find blocks that represent the following:

• Long journey
• Justice
• Truth
• Integrity

If you have or can design a block that represents any of the above - please send it to me. For each block that I receive - I will send the finished pattern to you. For each block that I choose I will give the sender/designer free batting on their next quilt. It's not lotto max (lol) but it's better than a free play! Send your entry here.

Finally - for those who are members of the PDQ club - your memberships will come due in September. PDQ club is limited to 15 members and if you send more than 2 quillts a year for longarming - you save up to 30% on batting and backings and 1/2 cent per square inch on quilting services. On a lap quilt 60 x 72 you save $21.50 on quilting alone. (purchasing batting saves you even more) Several PDQ customers have saved over $300 this year alone on batting, backing and quilting services. Another perk is the free pick up and delivery services. Renew or join now here.

Much more below - sit and sew info, 30 minute cushions and deconstruction blog - so read on!

And as I have said before and will say again......keep on quilting!

Mandie (the quilter)

Located in Limerick (Near Bancroft) Ontario, she travels hither, thither and yon to spread quilting merriment!

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Join me for some quilting merriment in October!

Region of York Quilter's Guild - October 19th

Other resources:

Longarm Quilting Services

Backings and Battings

Videos and tutorials

Kits and Patterns

PDQ club info

Other resources

Summer Edition 2024

From deconstruction

to re-invention!

Keep your sewing machine close - and your seam ripper closer!

My very first large quilt was a log cabin kit called "A Week-end in Canmore". It took me 8 years of picking it up and putting it away to get it finished. It was an OK job - but as I got better at the quilting craft - I realized I could "DO BETTER". And sew out came my electric stitch ripper. Let the deconstruction begin... read more here. (Videos included)

Pick up and Delivery Notice

DID YOU KNOW?

I pick up and deliver your quilts everywhere between Bancroft, Kngston and Woodstock and everywhere in between! You always know where your quilts are and when they will be returned.

You can read more and request a free pick up here

Next pick up and delivery:

Thursday August 15th:

• 12:00 noon Newmarket, King, Aurora area
• 2:00 pm Burlington, Hamilton area

Friday August 16th:

• 11:00 am Woodstock area
• 12:30 pm Toronto area
• 2:00 pm Peterborough, Apsley areas

ANYTIME: Bancroft to Belleville!

Have a quilt ready for me? Go ahead and let me know!

A little bragging....

Here are a couple of the custom projects I have been working on:

If you have a quilt you would like custom quilted - request a quote here.

It's hard to relax on outdoor furniture when all you see is faded and torn cushions!

Replacing lawn furniture cushions can be costly. I just checked and a set of four ( for 2 chairs and 1 love seat) can cost between $350 - $750.

Recovering lawn furniture is not my favourite thing to do - in fact I avoid it at all costs. But the price tag of these motivated me to find outdoor fabric on sale - which I loathingly purchased at $10 a meter.

30 minute cushions!

My friend, Suzanne, passed along this great resource for making new cushions. Sailrite has an awesome fabric calculator for cushions - AND two great cushion tutorials for 30 minute cushions. I have watched both and am in the process of making 4 new seat cushions and 4 new back cushions. ANd yes - it takes about 30 minutes each. They also have a great learning section - so check it out!

PDQ Club (preferred discount quilter) is limited to 15 members.

I sold out last year in 30 days so if you are interested in becoming a member or renewing your membership - the cost is $50. However if you send 2 or more quits a year - you more than pay for your membership.

To the right are benefits of membership.

In addition - I often send out or give away freebies to members. (Patterns - free batting etc)

Click here for the application form.

Payment is made through a secure gateway. If you prefer to send an e-transfer please send $50 to info@janestreetquilts.com and I will complete your membership form for you.

PS - If you purchased a membership last year and did not use it - I will honour it this year - so no need to renew.

Since moving here last July - I have had several sit and sews (unscripted) and two individualized workshops.

Sew in the spirit of continuing with these unscripted workhop days - I will start them on a regular basis in September.

Workshop costs will be $50 (or less) and you have access to cutting tablle, iron, design wall and rulers. (Bring your own machine) Coffee and tea and small snacks will be available at no cost.

Sit and sew will be on Tuesdays starting in September. The cost will be $10 a day. Bring a project or problem and have accessto tools and teachin/support.

Each class is limited to four (4) people.

At the end of each session or at lunch - take a wander along the trails or around the gardens or just sit outdide and enjoy the day!

More to come next newsletter!

When I was 5 years old, my Grandmother knitted a beautiful cable cardigan for me in a lovely shade of rose. But like all little hooligans, I grew out of it - likely within 18 months! Oh how I loved that sweater - both the cables and the colour. 

Several years later when we moved from Calgary to Montreal - a resourceful retired neighbour offered to pull the sweater apart and made a granny square afghan for my bed. Deconstructed and re-created - it was just as well loved as the rose cable sweater. I still have that afghan - and the many memories from those childhood days. I am sure it took a lot of work to pull apart and re-invent but what a wonderful repurposing of a childhood treasure.

In the last several years I have had the honour of re-purposing well loved quilts of friends and customers into repaired, restored and sometimes newer quilts with older pieces in them. When "Nanna" makes a quilt and it gets dragged around by a two year old until grade school, you can bet there is sentimental value - even if it looks a little tattered or the batting has all but disappeared from multiple washings. 

Which brings me to my most recent story......

In 2008 when I was living in Canmore Alberta - I visited Pine Tree Quilt Company on a regular basis. Not yet a "real" quilter - I drooled over the quilts and projects that they had on display. One day I broke down and purchased fabric and pattern for the quilt called "A Weekend in Canmore". It was a log cabin style quilt in reds and creams and I was so excited to get started. A little at a time I got half of the quilt squares completed and then the project got put away for several years.

Fast forward to 2017, I decided to finish that UFO. - read more here

Occasionally life gets in the way of our hobbies, addictions and compulsions! If quilting is your therapy and life has gotten in the way of your ability to pay immediately - please let me know!

SHORT ON FUNDS?

Please do not let a temporary 'shortage of funds' delay you from getting your quilt longarmed! Contact me - and we can work out a payment plan. (yes - we can!) And I can also offer Visa and Mastercard options. Contact me here to learn more.

Thanks for reading to the end!

Do you know someone who would like to read it - have them sign up here.

Have questions or comments - please be sure to let me know. Email me at info@janestreetquilts.com