Sew Inspired "Snips & Pieces"

Don't make us count it!

OK, we really mean weigh it. That's right, after New Year's Day, we'll disassemble the entire store so we can put every bolt on a scale and do that physical inventory thing to make the accountant happy. Because it doesn't make us happy - having to close for two days (Jan 2-3) and then put everything back together.

So here's your opportunity to make our load lighter! For 4 days after Christmas all the fabric is 20% off! That's right - we've never done this in our five-year history, but it's true. We're taking 20% off all fabric - minimum 1/2-yard cut - and 40% off the Christmas stuff that's left. See a NEW tag? Not on sale. We want to have something left on January 4th when we re-open after inventory!

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the Holidays are coming!  I know - it's a VERY scary thought!  Here it is, the end of September already!  Before you know it, it'll be Halloween, then Thanksgiving, then Christmas and Hanukkah and Kwanza.  Ack!  It's enough to make me want to crawl under the covers and not wake up until New Year's Day.  Well, not really, far from it actually, but you get the idea. 

So, what are we going to do about it?  Well, because I'm such a nice person, I'm going to help you by suggesting some simple, quick and fun home made gift ideas.  These should all take you less than an hour and before you know it, your gift list is half way finished - yippee hurray for all.

• Ca$h and Carry
• Baked Potato and/or Corn on the Cob Steamer
• Easy Striped Table Runner
• Two Halves apron
• Easy Mitered Placemat

Need some uninterupted sewing time to make these gifts? Join us in the studio! Every Tuesday beginning November 9th, we're opening our studio so you can use our design walls, tables, cutting stations... and get your projects finished! Need a more structured class? OK - the Cash & Carry is November's Totes & Techniques, and there are two other Sundays for aprons and placemats.

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...Anniversary parties!

Can you believe we are already 5-years-old?  In dog years that's like, well, old!  Thank goodness we aren't counting in dog years!

Well, Sew Inspired Quilt Shop and Studio has indeed been open for 5 years this summer.  We decided we needed to celebrate.  And what comes at once to our minds?  Food of course!  And what kind of food, seeing as it's now the third week of heat wave?  ICE CREAM!  I mean come on, what else would we have thought of, hot chocolate?  I think not.

So, we invite you to help us celebrate our 5th anniversary by coming to our Ice Cream Social - we'll have ice cream from Tina's Ice Cream in Granby, CT and I'm sure I can convince Viv and Sandy to have some special deals going on as well.

The party is planned for Saturday and Sunday, August 7 - 8.  And just between you and me (it's a secret now, so don't tell anyone!), there may be a free give-away.  I mean it - I swore not to tell...

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Now, kids, you may not know this, but Auntie Blog Writer is a HUGE fan of Christmas.  And when I say a HUGE fan, I mean a HUGELY GINORMOUS fan.  So, I have to say that I am ridiculously excited about this whole Christmas in July thing.  Here's the scoop:

You may have noticed that we haven't put out our holiday fabric yet.  This is no mere oversight on our part.  We're going to keep everything together, then come the wee hours of July 17th, we are going to wrap all the holiday fabric and put it under our pretend Christmas tree (pretend because no real tree would be big enough to put all the fabric under).  No kidding - we really are going to wrap the fabric.  Then, the first customers in the shop will experience Christmas morning 5 months early when they unwrap all the fabric.

This will be your chance to see all the fabric collections together and in one place, with no missing pieces because your friend from the guild bought the last of the signature piece from that line.  We'll also be unveiling new holiday patterns and kits.  Plus, picking out fabric in July ensures you'll have plenty of time to finish your projects before Christmas.  Well, maybe "ensures" is too strong of a word, but at least it'll give you a good head start!

So mark your calendars ladies and come on by for some cookies, punch, and most importantly, Christmas fabric!

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Spring is in the air, ladies and gentlemen!  And do you know what that means?  Well, here in Quilting Land it means show season!  We here at Sew Inspired are vending at several shows this season.

The first show of the season is the CT Piecemakers Quilt Guild show, in Trumbell, CT, and runs Saturday and Sunday, March 28 and 28.  For more information on the show and the Guild itself, click here.  It is sure to be a great show.

Another show Sew Inspired will be making a presence at is MQX (the Machine Quilters Exposition) in Providence, RI, from April 15 - April 17.  While we won't be vending, Sandy, our resident long-arm machine guru, is helping to man (or woman, as the case may be) the Handi-Quilter booth.  This basically means that Handi-Quilter thinks Sandy is so darn awesome at using their machines that they must have her at the show to answer any and all questions about the Handi-Quilter Sit Down, the HQ-16, the Avante, and the Fusion.  So, not only should you trek out to Rhode Island (and really, it's not that far of a drive) to see Sandy in action, but you will also get to see some of the most jaw-dropping, pick-yourself-up-off-the-floor quilts in the country.  Seriously ladies.  Bring your cameras and get ready to be inspired!  Oh, and for those of you who already own long-arm machines, this is an opportunity to wander around visiting the hundreds of vendors selling every long-arm gadget, gidget, and thingy known to quilters.  More information on MQX can be found here.

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Yeah, I know, Valentine's Day was yesterday, but I'm a sucker for things that go together, like Valentine's Day and chocolate, or peanut butter and jelly, or our Sew Sweet Shoppe event and the Fat Quarter Frenzy!  Our first Sew Sweet Shoppe event is in March, but now is the time to start gathering your fabric for the fun.  Get this: the pattern calls for twenty-four fat quarters (twelve light and twelve dark), and wow - look at this: tomorrow starts our Fat Quarter Frenzy sale, where you can purchase ten fat quarters and get ten free!  That means that you can get an awfully good start on collecting fat quarters for your quilt top and have everything pulled together by the time the middle of March rolls around.

Now, I know a lot of you are detail people (whereas sometimes I get lost in the big ideas), so here's the low down on both the Sew Sweet Shoppe and the Fat Quarter Frenzy.

Sew Sweet Shoppe:

• Sunday, March 14, 12:00-4:00pm
• Fee: $20
• Instructor: Heidi
• Pattern: Oh My Stars
• Use either our pre-bundled fabric (reds and creams), or bring your own collection of 24 fat quarters: 12 light and 12 dark

Fat Quarter Frenzy:

• Tuesday, February 16 - Saturday, Feb 20
• Buy 10 pre-cut fat quarters, get 10 free, no limit
• Wear your Mardi-Gras beads and get a free gift

Posted by sewinspired at 05:33 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

What does Super Bowl Sunday mean to you?  As a quilter who spent a few of her formative years in Pittsburgh, if Super Bowl Sunday doesn't include the Pittsburgh Steelers, it doesn't mean much.  As this is one of those years (sorry Steelers - we'll get 'em next year!) I'm looking for some other way to pass the day.  And I think I've found it.  Sew Inspired is hosting a Sew-perbowl Party!  This coming Sunday, February 7, we are hosting a sew-in.

American Patchwork & Quilting is doing a year-long challenge: can we as sewers create and donate 1,000,000 to local charities.  I certainly hope so.  The count is currently at 17,024.  You can see we as a community have a way to go.  The pillowcases will be donated to a local charity where it will give comfort and cheer to its recipient.  And we as the pillowcase creators get the pleasure of sewing a fun, quick project.  What could be better?  Here's the details:

• Date: Super Bowl Sunday, February 7th, 2010
• Time: 12:00 - 4:00
• Bring: your sewing maching, fabric (or purchase some when you get to the shop), some snacks to share, and some enthusiasm

Sew Inspired will provide drinks, some addtional snacks, and DOOR PRIZES!

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There's nothing I love more than the smell of fabric in the morning!  So, what's a better way to start off your year than getting in a full day of sewing?  I certainly can't think of anything, how about you?  It's been six months since we started the sixth series of the Thangles Buck-A-Block program, and we're extending you an invitation to come to our Catch Up Retreat.  Are you behind in making your blocks?  If so, come on down and start those sewing machines humming.  Are you caught up with your blocks, but want to get a jump on your finishing kits?  Well, bring those bags of fabric with you.  Here are the details:

• Date: Saturday, January 23rd
• Time: 10 - 5
• Admission: $10
• Yummies: Bring something tasty to share with your fellow quilters
• Beverages: Provided by your hosts
• Please RSVP to the shop: 860-651-8885

There will be someone from Sew Inspired on hand to answer any questions you might have, so bring any and all problems along with your fabric and sewing machines!

Also, we don't discriminate here at Sew Inspired, so if you're working on a different block of the month (Marie Antoinette, Greenpiece, Civil War Tribute) you are MORE than welcome to bring your blocks with you and sew along with us.  The more the merrier!

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Well, it's that time of year.  Inventory.  (Retail  business owners around the world are cringing as I type this!)  Ugh.  Who wants to count all those yard and yards of fabric, and fat quarter bundles, and kits, and, well, pretty much everything in the store?  We certainly don't, so we decided to put a bunch of it on sale.  Our upstairs classroom is full of hundreds of bolts of fabric discounted 30 - 50%.  What else is on sale?  Let's see: selected books, patterns, fat quarter bundles, and kits.  Wow!  And in addition to all that, take 25% off if you finish off any bolt of fabric on the floor (and we mean ANY!) that's three yards or less.  Think about that shoppers: if you have quilt tops that are waiting for backing, or quilt centers waiting for borders, wait no longer. 

 So, come into the shop - the sale has already started but there's tons of good stuff left.  The sale continues through closing on December 31st.  Remember, everything that's left after the sale needs to be counted, and people, I don't know if you know this or not, but I have a liberal arts degree (in writing no less), I'm not cut out for counting individual spools of thread!  So please, I'm begging you - don't make us count it all - stop by and at least check it out!  (And bonus: the more we sell now the more room for new fabric we'll have!)

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Okay ladies (and gents), step right up, step right up, don't be shy, we've got a new Sampler in town that's gonna make your hearts fly!  Starting in January, (which is just around the corner - crazy, I know!) we're starting a new program here at Sew Inspired.    It's a combination block-of-the-month/demo/club type of thing, and we're really excited about it.  Here's the deal.  On the second Saturday of each month, come to the shop (choose either the 9AM or 10:30AM session) and hang out while you find out what that month's block looks like, and any tips or tricks we might have for piecing it.  The first session is January 9th, and the fabric and pattern for the block costs just $6. 

Now, the fun part comes in.  Make sure to keep up the good work, and come to each successive gathering, bringing with you your completed block from the previous month, and your next month's fabric and pattern is FREE!  That's right, flat out FREE.   If you can manage to get yourselves and your finished baskets to the shop each month (and we truly hope you do), come December you'll have made twelve 10" blocks for just $6.  And, to make things even better, you can choose between two color ways: batiks and reproductions.  What's not to love?

Of course, you knew there was going to be some small print to this program, but since my eyes are probably just as bad as yours, I won't actually make the print any smaller.  Here are the rules:

• Come January 9th and pay $6 to receive your first block.
• Each successive month you must come in person to a scheduled session and bring the prior month's completed block to receive that month's block for free. 
  
• If you miss a month, you can "catch up" by purchasing that month's block for $6.
• Whew.  That's it.  No more rules!  I'm glad, aren't you?
  

Fabric packs will be available for the smaller basket blocks, as well as for sashing, setting triangles, and borders.  Both colorways will be super scrappy, so there's bound to be something for everyone.

So, now that we've settled that, I think it's time you signed up.  What do you think?

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Picture this: "'Twas the night before Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanza/Solstice, and all through the house, not a creature was stirring", except for, of course, our last minute quilters!  Does this ring a bell?  You start off the season with great intentions: getting those gifts completed with time to spare so there are no midnight sessions at the sewing machine, or sitting up to finish the last of the bindings.  However, as usual, life happens: the cat needs to go to the vet, the toilet starts leaking, you know - life.  And where does that leave you?  With tons of last minute sewing, that's where!

Enter the lifesaver: Homemade for the Holidays.  We at Sew Inspired are hosting two open sewing sessions in our spacious studio so you can come, sew, and forget about the cat and the toilet for a few hours.  We even have some easy gift ideas, all under $20, ready for you, just in case you are really behind: pillowcases, Snap Sacks, kitchen accessories, and stockings, just to name a few.  Bring yourself, your sewing machine, and some snacks to share (store-bought is okay, this isn't a cooking competion ladies!), and get those gifts finished.  Details are as follows:

• Sundays, December 13 & 20 (come to one or both!)
• Noon - 4pm
• $5 per session

We can't wait to see you there!

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Our new club for mid- and long-arm quilters is a hit! But don't just take our word for it. Here's what a few of our attendees had to say:

"The club offered many tips, inspirations and positive encouragement.  It was an enjoyable experience." - Gayle S

"I truly enjoyed meeting with the other quilters and learning of the things they do. As always, you are most helpful and informative and give us so many hints and ideas.  Next month's program sounds just great." - Dot G

"Enthusiastic problem-solving and information-sharing filled our class. I learned a lot that I'll put into practice immediately!" - Barbara S

"I really enjoyed the club - especially looking at how you and others have quilted their quilts and the tools you use to create some of the custom quilting.  It just gets me "itchy" to have one at my house to play on whenever the urge hits, meanwhile, planning my quilts and drawing in my "quilting" book will have to suffice until I have more time to spend on this "sport." - Vickie C

Join the fun. Next meeting on Sept. 19th. No membership or machine required!

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Hearts and Feathers in April!

Join Linda on the 4th Sundays for our new Die-of-the-Month demo and class. The class is free! Each month features a different die and project. In April, she'll show you a simple wall hanging using the feather dies. Grab your GO! or rent our Studio cutter and come sew with us.

This die cuts perfect straight and curved feathers that can be used as an applique design element. Apply fusible web to the wrong side of fabrics and cut for applique shapes that are ready to fuse and sew!

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September 12 -20

We're pleased to announce the next state wide shop hop happening this fall! The Connecticut Quilt Shop Hop will take place in September starting on Saturday, September 12th and running through Sunday, September 20th. Eighteen shops will be participating in the shop hop. For this year's shop hop, Seams Like A Dream Quilt Designs has designed a beautiful quilt pattern featuring2-1/2" strips. Visit all 18 shops and be eligible to win the grand prize of a $250 gift certificate to the shop of your choice or one of 10, $100 gift certificates, also to the shop of your choice. Each shop will have a featured item on sale,  in addition to a drawing for a raffle basket valued at $150. The registration fee is $5; registration will start in mid-May.

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Die-of-the-Month!

Monthly die demo and quilt project begins February 22. Join Linda as she guides you through getting the most out of your GO! fabric cutter system or your Studio cutter membership. Or, just get the kit and come sew with us! Call or visit for more info.

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It's tradition.

We love an event, and Mardi Gras is no exception. Every year, in the few weeks leading up to Fat Tuesday, we give out Mardi Gras beads. Why? So when you attend our annual Fat Tuesday, Fat Quarter Frenzy you can get a free gift. (Because buy 10, get 10 free isn't enough?!) The fat quarter frenzy lasts 4 days. The free gift may not... come early for the best selection. And wear your beads!

February 24-27. Bead there.

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Fabric Portrait Workshop with Marilyn Belford

Portrait Quilts with Marilyn Belford
Coming...October 4, 2008. Full day workshop with Marilyn Belford. A Workshop that guides you through the transference of design, applying fabric, and free-motion machine embroidery for embellishment of Portraits. Now accepting pre-emrollment by phone.

The new Timeless Treasures Complexion Collection is a 10-piece collection of beautifully shaded skin tones is perfect for doll making, photo quilts, and appliqued faces. The subtle shades transition from Alabaster to Java.

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It's that time again!

We had such fun with our Mardi Gras beads last year we're doing it again. Yes, you can choose your color. No, you don't have to actually wear them when you come in for the frenzy - but you do need to produce them for your free gift! What are we talking about? It's our third annual Fat Tuesday, Fat Quarter Frenzy and it starts Tuesday, February 5th. Buy 10, get ten. And we'll have thousands. But, only a few hundred beads so get 'em (starting this Saturday) while the color selection is still good!

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