SSQS Journal
Issue 54 February, 2022
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Hello Everyone and Welcome February,
With the exception of Valentine's Day and my daughter's birthday it's kind of hard for me to get excited about the month of February. Around here that just means more cold, more snow and more grey days. We just need to make the best of it until Spring comes around again and for quilters that means more time in the sewing room, more time curled up on the couch or your favorite chair working on a binding or a handwork project. Quilting helps to pass the time as we wait out winter but we don't have to wait it out stuck at home. Get out and join a local Quilt group like our String-A-Long Quilt Guild. Meet other quilters who love the art of quilting, who share their quilting knowledge and encourage each other. Quilt Guilds share their quilting talents through charitable donations in our community too by making quilts for those in need.
String -A-Long Quilt Guild also has another branch called String-A-Long Stars & Stripes Quilt of Valor Group. This is another great quilting group that you can join that makes quilts to honor local veterans for their service. We are currently working with this group by handing out quilt block kits at the shop that our customers and friends are sewing up at home for National Sew Day for Quilts of Valor on February 5. We are trying to make as many blocks as we can to hand off to the String-A-Long Stars & Stripes Quilt of Valor group who will then sew them together into quilts for our local veterans. It's a wonderful organization and we have worked together to make these blocks for the past five years. Both the Quilt Guild and Quilt of Valor Group meet once a month and we have more information about both groups at the shop or you can click the link below.
Another great way to get out of the winter dull drums is to take a class with us or participate in a Sweet Retreat Day at the shop. You can meet other quilters, make a new project or just come in to add a little color to those grey winter days. Think of it as color therapy. We have a link to our class calendar for February in this newsletter so be sure to check it out and join us for a day out of quilting.
Before we know it, March will be here and we will be closer to warmer weather and Springtime color so until then make the best of February and Quilt!
May all your Stitches be sweet,
Joan
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2022 Pre-game Mystery Quilt Party
Sunday February 13, 2022
It will be a capacity crowd at Sweet Stitches for our Sixth Annual Pregame Mystery Quilt Party! The sold out event will kick-off at Noon and the game ends at 5:00 pm just in time to get home for the Super Bowl. Every half hour the players will receive a new clue to work towards the goal of building a mystery quilt in an afternoon.
We look forward to a fun afternoon of sewing, food and friendship and to see the quilts come together in many different colorways.
If you are signed up and have not begun your pregame workout, please be sure to stop in the shop to pick up your cutting instructions. Each player should be ready with their Clue Bags come kick off.
See you on Super Bowl Sunday!
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Joan's theme for February First Friday Demonstration Day is "Piece & Love"
Our theme for First Friday Demonstration Video is "Piece & Love". Valentine"s Day is just around the corner and we are sharing the love with pieced table runners, quilts and bags to make for yourself or those you love.
Be sure to check your inbox on Friday February 4 for a video link to our YouTube page and the video.
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National Sew Day for Quilts Of Valor will be a little different this year. We usually have the classroom set up with machines and we invite you all in to come in and sew a block or two for Quilts of Valor on that day. This year we are cutting block kits for you to sign out, take home, sew up and return to the shop for Quilts of Valor. For each block you finish and return by 4:00pm, Saturday, February 5 you will be entered into a drawing to win one of three gift cards to the shop. Block kits for you to take home will be available for pick up starting January 21 and must be returned by 4:00pm, February 5 to enter the drawing for the gift cards. The blocks will be donated to our local Quilt Of Valor Group, String-A-Long Stars & Stripes, they will take those donated blocks and turn them into beautiful quilts to present to local veterans to honor and thank them for their service to our country.
Stop in the shop to pick up your Quilts of Valor Block kits!
To be entered into the drawing your blocks must be returned to the shop by 4:00pm February 5th.
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We have a full list of classes on the calendar for January. Our Beginning Quilting Class will be on saturdays in February, we will again have two February sessions for our new Featherweight Club. It was nice to see both sessions full last month, we are excited about this club! Joan plans to offer her new Improv Quilting Class again in February. If you are looking for something fun relaxing and creative, this is the class for you. We have scheduled one more class session for the Yellowstone Beth Dutton Quilt.
If you are interested to explore our classes and schedule, click the link below that will take you to our calendar or you can find the calendar and a list of classes on our website by clicking 'Classes' in the top banner.
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Hello Accuquilters!
Valentines Day will be here before we know it and Darla has a wonky heart class with made with AccuQuilt and ANYONE can take the class whether you have AccuQuilt or not. We will use our shop Cutting System and die. You bring your fabric and sewing machine that's it. Come see how fast and easy quilting with AccuQuilt can be. You will cut out six blocks with one pass through the machine and Darla will guide you through the sewing steps to create a fun, quick table runner for your Valentine's Day Table.
Accuquilt Go! Play Days!
This year, Go! Play Days! will explore new borders! Each month throughout 2022, Darla will present a new idea for a pieced border to add zip to our quilts. This is a great way to become more comfortable with using an AccuQuilt cutter, improving your piecing skills, and be more creative (or daring!) with color and fabric choices. With every class we will learn a new trick, tip, or way to fool the eye. At the end of the year, all 12 monthly borders can be combined to complete a twin size quilt top!
An 8” Qube set is recommended for this series of classes, but any size Qube can perform with minor adjustments; Darla is here to help with that. No Qube? No problem! Many of the borders can be completed with basic shapes you may already have in your collection.
If you happen not to start with us in January, you may still join at any time during the year. Come to class expecting to try something new. Only $5 reserves your seat. Can't make every Go Play Day? Don't worry you can come into the shop and pick up a written pattern for the month you missed for $5.00.
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General Maintenance and proper technique are critical for optimum performance of your sewing machine and project outcome.
The dynamic duo of Stitch and Tension,
For those quilters that utilize fully computerized machines, you may have noticed that the default upper thread tension settings are different for various stitches. For example a straight stitch will have a higher, tighter tension verses a zig zag or decorative stitch.
A zig zag or decorative stitch will lay nicely when the tension is reduced allowing the the bobbin thread to pull the upper thread toward the back of the fabric. This tension adjustment also works with manual machines, however, its up to you to recognize the need and make the adjustment.
Many machines have an AUTO setting. For the vast majority of these machines there is nothing automatic about the setting. It is simply a middle position on the dial. Other manual machines will have markings on or around 3,4, and 5 on the tension dial indicating normal tension.
If you are running a tight zig zag, decorative or applique stitch, you will need some sort of stabilizer to support the stitch. If you still notice any puckering or poor stitches, you might adjust the tension to a slightly lower setting. It is not uncommon that a straight stitch will run just fine at a 4 but the zig zag works much better at a 3. Of course the exact number for this example is machine dependant. Your machine may be 5 and 4 or AUTO and 4.
We hear it all the time in the shop, "I never touch the tension dial" They make them dials for a reason, they are intended to be adjusted to allow the best combination of stitch and tension. Don't be afraid, give it a try, you can always put the dial back to where it was!
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Quilters of all skill levels can find encouragement, inspiration and creativity at Sweet Stitches Quilt Shop. Located in Chesterton, Indiana just a few miles from the natural beauty of the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, Sweet Stitches Quilt Shop is your destination for fabrics, notions and all things quilting. We carry a wide variety of brights and batik fabrics as well as notions, patterns, books and Elna/Janome sewing machines. Our large classroom offers students everything they need to learn and grow their quilting talents. From fabric selection to project advice to training on your new machine, our friendly, knowledgeable staff is ready to assist. Stop by the store or click the "Shop Online" link to view our wide variety of products ready to ship direct to your door.
Sweet Stitches Quilt Shop
1575 S Calumet Rd.
Chesterton, Indiana 46304
219.250.5942
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