Sweet Stitches Quilt Shop December 2022 Newsletter

SSQS Journal

Issue 64 December 2022

December 2022

Hello Everyone,

Welcome December, we have been waiting for your magic all year long. I just love the Christmas season. The decorating, the music, the baking and gathering with friends and family. I enjoy all of it! Decorations are up at the shop and she looks so pretty in her finest greenery, red bows and twinkling lights. It’s taking me a little longer at the new house. I decorated our house the same way for 15 years, a piece of cake, done in three days. A new house, a new layout, a new way to deck the halls and it is taking much longer but I am really enjoying it. It will get done when it's done, no need to stress myself out.

While I am on the subject of the Christmas season, I want to thank everyone who came out to support Small Business Saturday. We had a wonderful turn out of friends and customers who help us kick off the holiday season and we are so grateful for your support! We had a Leftovers Samples Sale in the Classroom packed with Shop samples. By the middle of the day, the room was almost empty. You helped us clean out our drawers and shelves that were full of projects be they finished or unfinished. Just like Thanksgiving leftovers they were gobbled up! Thank you!

This cold weather is perfect for sitting on the couch with a cup of hot chocolate binding a Quilt for someone special. I hope you get your Christmas projects done for the holiday gifting season. If you need to work on your projects, we have added several Sweet Retreat Days to the calendar for December. Even if your projects are done there is always the next one you can start and spend the day with other quilters sewing to your heart's content.

We hope everyone has a wonderful holiday season. Do the things that bring you joy this season! Bring kindness to someone's day! Make memories to hold on to!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year Friends!

May all your Stitches be Sweet,

Joan

Joan's theme for First Friday Demonstration Day is

"True Blue".

Joan will showcase Blue themed quilt projects and of course she will share her tips & techniques to help you complete your projects too.

Check your inbox on Friday December 2 for a video link to our YouTube page. Or Subscribe to our YouTube channel and be notified as soon as the video is uploaded!

Don't forget to "Like" and Subscribe to our YouTube Channel!

Congratulations!

On November 12, Sweet Stitches hosted the Quilts of Valor String-A-Long Stars and Stripes of NW Indiana group as they presented Quilts of Valor to three local veterans.

The Mission of Quilts of Valor is to cover Service Members and Veterans touched by war with comforting and healing Quilts of Valor.

Congratulations to Larry Hamilton. The quilt awarded to Larry was pieced and quilted by his wife Beverly.

Congratulations to Bernie Diveley. The quilt awarded to Bernie was pieced and quilted by Joan Crookston

Congratulations to Wanda Everly. The quilt awarded to Wanda was pieced by Joan Crookston and Quilted by Judy Holden.

Lakeside Block of the Month

Block #6 is Ready. You can stop in the shop at any time as of December 1 to pick up your fabric kit.

Do you have a question with your Block of the Month? You can stop in, call or email the shop for help. (219.250.5942) or info@sweetstitchesquiltshop.com

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December Class Calendar

With the holiday season upon us, our class calendar for December will be a little sparse as compared to typical months. Knowing that we all need to complete projects for the holidays, Joan has added several Sweet Retreat Days for December.

The December calendar does include Hyde Park, along with two new classes, Double Cross and Jelly Squares. We do have several of our routine classes such as Better at Binding and ABC's of Free Motion. If you are a quilter that might still be working, December might be a good time to take a class as you take some time away from the office!

Check the calendar for the upcoming dates for our Sweet Stitches Featherweight Club or enjoy a day of sewing on one of our Sweet Retreat Days .

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.

Click Here for the December Class Calendar

Are you Interested in Accuquilt?

If you haven’t tried AccuQuilt, our Project of the Month Series is your opportunity to try AccuQuilt for yourself. Our dies and cutters are available to every class attendee to use in class. AccuQuilt owners are welcome, too, and you don’t even have to bring your cutter to class.

For December's AccuQuilt Project of the Month (Dec 8) we will use the brand new Penguin die and a variety of snowflake dies to make an adorable little quilted placemat or table topper. It is not bound, but rather turned and top stitched to make a fun and easy craft that will add a spot of cheer wherever it lands.

This Class is Open to everyone, you need not have an Accuquilt Cutting System

Click here to learn more!

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Accuquilt Go! Play Days!

This Month Go! Play Day! is on December 15

Throughout 2022, Darla's Go! Play Days! have included creative ideas for using your Accuquilt to add boarders to your quilts. Each month Darla presented a new trick, tip, or way to fool the eye. Now that we have reached the end of the year it is time to pull all of those borders together to create a unique twin size quilt top!

For those of you that have followed along this year, be sure to sign up for the December Go! Play Day! to build your boarder quilt by clicking here.

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Go! Play Days! will be back in 2023 with "Seasonal Skinnies". Each month Darla will present a new Skinny Quilt to add to your decor or gift giving list. Stay tuned!

Click here for Go! Play Day!

Happy Holidays

Merry Christmas

and

Happy New Year!

On behalf of all of us at Sweet Stitches Quilt Shop, we would like to wish you joy and happiness through this holiday season and a very happy and healthy New Year.

Your Sweet Stitches Team:

Joan Rob Darla Michelle Claire Terry Linda

Sweet Stitches Holiday Schedule

Machine Minute

General Maintenance and proper technique are critical for optimum performance of your sewing machine and project outcome.

It's Snow Joke - the Repair Shop was Hoppin' in '22

It's the end of the year and we will soon see many reports of the "Year in Review". We thought it might be interesting to review our last 12 months in the Sewing Machine Shop so here goes...

655 machines formally logged in and given a work order number

21 Different manufacturers serviced

100's of different machine models serviced (too many to count)

12,000 yards of thread used while testing machines.

2 Quarts of Sewing machine oil consumed

48oz of grease consumed

Only 7 Machines declared too far gone or too expensive to repair. <1%

Most frequent machine serviced in 2022? Singer. 35% of all machines that went through the shop were Singers.

Click Here to Learn More about Machine Repair Services

Have a question about Machine Maintenance? Feel free to stop in and ask, we are happy to assist with helpful advice to keep you sewing.

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 Park, 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