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The Brochure for the 2012 Sew Expo is Available Now!

Tuesday, December 20th, 2011

Sew Expo LogoThe 2012 Sewing & Stitchery Expo (or “Sew Expo”) is coming to the Puyallup Fairgrounds March 1st through 4th 2012. If you’re not familiar with Sew Expo, it’s a massive annual event with over 400 vendor booths, in-depth workshops, hands-on seminars, daily free stage shows and more!

The Sewing & Stitchery Expo has just released on their website their entire Seminar Brochure that you can download and read or print off. Online Registration is set to open January 5th on their website, so it’s a good idea to take a look at the brochure beforehand so you can figure out all of the great seminars you’ll want to take.

In addition to vendor booths and seminars, there are also many amazing special events:
• Friday Night Live, sponsored by Baby Lock, features Nancy Zieman, “Sewing with Nancy Celebrates 28 Years,” and it’s a show you won’t want to miss.
• The Saturday night headliner “A Quilted Musical Extravaganza with Ricky Tims,” sponsored
by Bernina, will be fun and entertaining.
• Sunday, the charity event will include the “Coats and Clarks Pro-Am Sewing Exhibition” with proceeds going to Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital. If you have made pillowcases for the children, bring them to this event.

Thursday through Saturday beginning at 9:30 AM there will be free style shows upstairs in the Pavilion all day long with professional models. It is all about garment sewing and you have the chance to sit down and be entertained at the same time. So be sure you check your schedule and work in the style shows!

There are also generous daily door prizes. This is the only show in the country where about $35,000 in door prizes are given away each year!

And of course be sure to stop by our Quality Sewing & Vacuum booth! We’ll have more information on the Sew Expo and our role there soon. Be sure to check this blog and the Sew Expo Website to keep up-to-date with any developments. This event is not to be missed and it only happens once a year!

Happy Sewing,
Chris


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Make it With Wool Contest

Wednesday, September 14th, 2011

This October the Puyallup Quality Sewing store will host Washington’s Make It With Wool (MIWW) Contest  (formally held at Pacific Fabrics).

What is Make It With Wool?

MIWW is the longest, continuous promotional entity of the American lamb and wool industry. It began to help promote wool and generate new interest in sewing with wool among young sewers.  Sponsorship of the program has remained strong with support from the lamb and wool industry – producers, feeders and woolen mills – as well as the sewing and fashion industry – sewing machine, thread and fabric companies and fashion magazines – as well as individuals and organizations interested in agriculture and youth.

Currently the Contest offers divisions for entrants from pre-teen (under 12) through adult.  It is a very economical contest to enter, at only $10 for a National entrance fee.  There are several cash prizes given to the winners of the different categories with a top prize of $2000.

If you are interested in entering this contest, check out their MIWW website.  This is such a great opportunity get involved with a great program and to show your creativity. Who knows, you may win a prize!

Reva


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2011 APWQ Show

Friday, September 9th, 2011

The APWQ Show a few weeks ago at the Tacoma Convention Center was so inspiring!  I sure hope you were able to attend.  If you missed it, I will try to give you a brief recap.

The APWQ (Association of Pacific West Quilters) hosted what will now be an annual show in Tacoma.  There were so many beautiful quilts to see with such a broad spectrum of techniques shown. This year I seemed to be captivated by all the vivid and rich colors and reaffirmed my love for Batik fabrics.  I saw some of the most beautiful appliquéd, intricately pieced, and stunningly quilted works of art (there were even miniature blocks that were only about and inch in size and were perfectly pieced).  The colors of the fabrics of the individual quilts worked together in such a way that I was enticed to stop and linger as the quilt told it’s story.

One of the highlights of the show was seeing the winners of the various judging categories, how beautiful! Additionally,the winner of the “Viewer’s Choice Award” was ‎”Northwest Passage,” by Diane Johnson of Pahrump, NV.  The prize for this award was a Babylock Eclipse dx serger (Donated by Quality Sewing & Baby Lock) — this particular model of serger had been on Diane’s wish list for ages!  Who wouldn’t just love to have such a wonderful machine that threads the loopers for you?

It always amazes me how much talent quilters possess to be able to transform bits of fabric and thread into pieces of art.  What a privilege it is to see these beautiful works of art in person.

We had a local winner of a BabyLock Esante.  This machine was given to Sandy from Tacoma who won the APWQ Raffle sponsored by Quality Sewing and our own Paul LaPonte.  Wouldn’t you just love going to a quilt show and going home with a new machine?

Now, if shopping is your thing – you surely had fun visiting all of the vendors that were at the show.  There was a nice variety of the types of products offered at the show.  Beautiful fabrics were a-plenty, new and fun patterns called out to be brought to make a new creation, and several of the  newest machines with the amazing features to try.

Next year you will just have to be sure to attend the Show and see all of these great things for yourself.  I encourage you to  ”Save the Date” and plan on attending the APWQ show next August from the 24th to the 26th, 2012 at the Tacoma Convention Center.

See you there!

Reva


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Do You Dream of Designing? Project Runway Starts Thursday

Sunday, July 24th, 2011

Don’t you just love the feeling of using your creativity to make something spectacular?  This time of the year I sure can used ajump start to my creative process.  Well just in time, it’s Project Runway to the rescue.

I just love the thought of being given a random challenge and seeing what one will come up with.   Not that I my sense of style always agrees with what the designers on Project Runway comes up with, but the show does hold a full pallet of inspiration and ideas for projects that I am planning and working on.  It sure has me looking at life around me with a whole different perspective.

The challenges remind me of the classes that we have in our stores. Have you ever noticed how each person in a class can make the same project but they all look so different when they add their own fabric choices and personality.  I just love seeing what is created in a class!

This years season looks promising with a group of contestants that have such a wide variety of personalities and styles.  We will also get to see designers who’s ages range from 21 to 57, one is even Snohomish and two are from Portland.

I have found a ton of information about the designers and have gotten a glimpse into what they are like by going to the Project Runway info page on LifeTime. Here you can even see what their work spaces look like.  If you have Comcast, I did find that all of the video clips are “OnDemand” under “Tv Series”.

The new season of Project Runway starts this  Thursday, July 28th @ 9pm on Life Time.

If you are not able to watch the series at the scheduled time, it is usually re-aired during the following week.  Also in the past, LifeTime has posted the current episode on it’s website within a couple of days and is available for a short time period.

This is a great way to share an experience with the younger ones in your life and may even ignite a spark of interest in sewing.  Even though my family does not share the same interest in sewing and design that I have, it has been fun to interact with my husband and two teenagers through this show while listening to their opinions on what each show presents.  Also, my best girlfriend lives in California and this show can always give us something fun to talk about!  So consider “watching” the show with your friends, kids, grandkids, or nieces/nephews. If you are not able to watch it together in the same room, compare thoughts with each other via texting, email, or Facebook.  You just might be amazed at how much a simple TV show and Social Media may open up dialog and actually give you one more thing in common with someone you care about.

Join me in watching!  We can all watch it together and chat about it on the Quality Sewing Facebook page.

I will meet you there!

Reva


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Pacific West Quilt Show is Coming Soon!

Tuesday, July 19th, 2011

Are you ready to be inspired?  This may be just what you are looking for!  The Pacific West Quilt Show (formally known as the APNQ Quilt Show) is coming to the Tacoma Convention Center August 26-28, 2011.

The Show is presented by Pacific West Quilters and offers a Juried & Judged Quilt show & Contest with prizes equaling $25,000 and more than 500 quilts on display.  There will also be many other events of interest to quilters and sewing enthusiasts including a  Quilt Auction, Merchant Mall, Fashion Show, and Lectures.

The centerpiece of the quilt show will be the 227 finalists in this year’s contest from the 18 US states and Canadian provinces of the Pacific West region: Alaska, Alberta, Arizona, British Columbia, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, The Northwest Territories, Oregon, Saskatchewan, Utah, Washington, Wyoming, and Yukon.

In addition to the contest quilts, there will be hundreds of quilts in several Special Exhibits. These Exhibits encompass various themes, Living Colour, Spice of Life, Wish You were Here, Telling Secrets, Basic Necessities, Invoking Spirits, and the Elements: Earth, Wind, Fire & Chocolate.

Love to shop? There’s also will be a Merchant Mall featuring over 100 vendors where you will find beautiful fabrics and all types of sewing items as well as see the latest in sewing and quilting technology.  Make sure to come see  us at the Quality Sewing booth!

Reva


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Sewing with Betty Cotton

Tuesday, June 14th, 2011

This past weekend I was at the Puyallup Store and Audrey was giving a class on Cotton Theory by nationally sought after Author and Designer Betty Cotton. It has been a bit since I have made a project using the Cotton Theory. After seeing how much fun everyone was having, it has encouraged me to start another one. I think that I might make one that is fall on one side and Christmas on the other. I love 2 for 1 projects!

In a nut shell, how the process work is that you complete one section or block at a time: top, batting, backing and quilting. All of the pieces of fabric and batting are small enough to be very easy to handle.

There are several things that make this system so great to work with.

Some of these include:

  • It is fast! When the sections are stitched together, then that part is complete. Just move on to the next section.
  • It is easy to handle! Since each section is small in size, it is just as easy to make a queen sized quilt as it is a table runner
  • It is reversible! Since all the seams are finished as the sections are assembled, a completely different back fabric can be used so that you will have 2 projects in one.
  • It is dimensional! The texture that is created by the unique and easy seam finishing technique adds so much more personality to the project than traditional quilting can give.
  • It is fun! Such a fun way to explore working with reversible embroidery, decorative stitching, and beautiful threads.
  • Hey, did I mention fast? I know I did, but it is sure worth repeating! :) Those of us who are into more of an “Instant Gratification” type of project, this is right up our alley!

I encourage you to give this a try. I started with a table runner and many others have started by making place mats. Betty Cotton has several books and patterns available, check one of our stores to see what they have in stock and try this today! If you are near the Puyallup Store, go in and take a look at Audrey’s great samples (She is a Certified Betty Cotton Instructor) and while you are there sign up for one of her classes.

If you have made a project using the Cotton Theory by Betty Cotton, send us a picture or post it on our Facebook page. We would love to see what you have made.

Hope to see your pictures soon!

Reva


Posted in Crafting, Events, Fast Projects & Gifts, Home Decor, How To Guides, Machine Embroidery, Projects and Techniques, Quilting, Sewing, Sewing Celebrities, Show and Tell, Tips & Tricks | No Comments »

New Viking Diamond Deluxe and new Deluxe Stitch System

Friday, June 3rd, 2011


Have you ever heard of Thread Portioning?

Until recently, I had never heard of this technology either. Thread portioning is a patented thread delivery system just introduced on the brand-new Viking Designer Diamond Deluxe. What is it? It’s a very clever system for delivering exactly the right amount of thread – the correct portion – for every stitch, embroidery design, and fabric. The engineers at Viking have been working on this technology for almost ten years and introduced it to the world at the Viking Dealer Convention last week. I had the opportunity to attend the convention and spend an afternoon hands-on with this incredible new machine.

We started by sewing a wide satin stitch and admired the uniform, slightly pulled underside… a perfect satin stitch. We got to test various stitch combinations and learned that the portioning system spools the perfect amount of thread for each stitch and varies automatically with changes to width and length of stitch. What if the fabric is extra thick, sheer or has a deep pile like velvet? The thread portioning system compensates by monitoring the thickness of the fabric from the sensor foot along with the exact location of the thread knot making a perfectly formed stitch no matter which fabric we chose.

For the next project we embroidered a flower motif onto a sheer scarf. During embroidery you really see the positive stitching performance of the thread portioning system. We used matching metallic threads on both top and bottom. Even though the thread was extremely fragile, we did not experience the thread breakages I would have expected. The most impressive thing however was the beautiful embroidery stitches that were uniform top and bottom. If it weren’t for the wash-away stabilizer on the bottom it would have been difficult to determine which side was top and which side was bottom!

-Paul LaPonte
Owner of Quality Sewing & Vacuum


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News from the Viking Convention!

Thursday, June 2nd, 2011

Guest post from Lana L Jones

As we traveled to Reno for the Husqvarna Viking Convention the excitement of seeing the new Diamond Deluxe was on our minds. What features could they add that no one else has thought of yet? If you have a top-of-the-line machine, you know it has lots of the most technically-advanced features that make sewing and embroidery effortless, enjoyable, and extraordinary. What could they have added?

After we arrived at the Grand Sierra Resort, we were immediately directed into the Grand Theater for our dinner and the unveiling of the most marvelous machine on the market today, the Husqvarna Viking Diamond Deluxe.

Picture this: a Boeing 747 lands on the stage of the Grand Theatre, executives and educators deplane, each carrying a brand new Husqvarna Viking Diamond Deluxe. Marilyn Monroe starts singing “Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend.” Then, who should do the official introduction… the educator extraordinaire deplanes to a standing ovation… Sue Hausmann!!

airplane

As Sue goes over the incredible features the new Husqvarna Viking Diamond Deluxe and all the exciting products that have been created to ignite your sewing and embroidery projects, you can’t help but wish everyone could experience this very moment. As we feast on delicious desserts, Sue continues to dazzle us with more designs, new machines and fabulous software. We couldn’t wait for the next day so we could start playing with it all.

Tuesday finds us in front of the Husqvarna Viking Diamond Deluxe. What are the new features… what is all the excitement about… WOW! Thread Portioning and Thread Tension, design shaping, 1222 decorative stitches, 205 built in embroidery designs, on-screen embroidery customizing, undo!!!! There’s more… but I will just talk about the features that wowed me. For the rest, you will have to stop by to see them for yourself.

What are Thread Portioning and Thread Tension? We already know about thread tension. Thread Portioning is available for sewing and embroidery. It continually measures the thickness of the fabric to deliver the perfect amount of thread while stitching so both the front and back look superb. You can select thread tension or Thread Portioning, or set it on auto and let the beautiful Husqvarna Viking Diamond Deluxe take care of everything for you.

Design shaping uses decorative stitches or designs to build creative embroideries right on the beautiful Ultimate Interactive Screen. Made a mistake? Not a problem; you now have Undo! Yeah! The new Ultimate Interactive Screen is easier to navigate and the extremely high resolution allows you to see stitches in striking 3D precision.

Everything you love about Husqvarna Viking sewing machines is still there, just better and more! Stop by Quality Sewing and experience this amazing machine.

What’s in the new 5D Embroidery Suite Upgrade to 9.3? New Fonts, Super Fonts and mini designs, modify frames and lettering even after your right-click to set. And my favorites: create or modify designs for Cutwork Needles, and the Wave Fill. Amazing, fun, and super exciting changes that you have to see for yourself. If you want to take your embroidery to the next level you need software like this!

Our last night there was a hoot. The Viking Educators were split into three teams and given one hour, two machines, one with embroidery, and a bag of “stuff.” Their mission: to create a wearable outfit and use everything in the bag. This was so much fun to watch! Some of the effort, commotion, activity, merriment, hilarity… whatever you call it, was enjoyed by all attending.

Enjoy whatever sewing adventures you embark upon and stop by and show us the results.

Lana L Jones
Educational Consultant
Quality Sewing


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Who are the “Stitching Sisters” you ask . .

Tuesday, May 24th, 2011

They are only one of the most talented and fun Sister teams around!  This dynamic duo is made up of Eileen Roche (embroidery innovator & Editor of Designs in Machine Embroidery Magazine) and Marie Zinno (sewing sensation & Eileen’s real life sister).

Eileen and Marie, both, became infected with the love for sewing as young adults and have a fresh perspective on the craft.

Here are some fun facts about the Stitching Sisters:

  • Middle sisters of 6 girls – no boys.
  • They grew up playing on the beach of the Atlantic Ocean – in the small resort town of Wildwood Crest, NJ
  • Marie drinks coffee; Eileen drinks tea (which Marie thinks is nothing but a big hassle).
  • Eileen is older (by a lot of years); Marie is funnier than Eileen.
  • Eileen coaxed Marie into doing these types of events after Eileen’s appearance at Nancy Zieman’s Sewing Weekend.  Eileen fell in front of 200 people and broke a tooth off 10 minutes before presenting a seminar. After a few minutes of recovery, Eileen convinced Marie to go on stage and go through the seminar while Eileen narrated from the back of the auditorium.  Marie survived and Eileen had a root canal right after the seminar (there is a dentist for the stars in Beaver Dam, WI).
  • Since their first experience as a team, Marie and Eileen have taught over 3,000 people across the United States.
  • To find out more about Eileen, check out her blog here!

If you love learning and love embroidery, you will LOVE the Stitching Sisters. Don’t miss the fun this June 4th & 5th at the Puyallup Fairgrounds where Quality Sewing is hosting the Stitching Sisters phenomenal 2 day event! You can sign up here.

Can’t wait to see you there!

Reva


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Anita Goodesign Embroidery Party

Thursday, May 5th, 2011

Have you ever been to an Anita Goodesign Embroidery Party? If you haven’t you are missing out on tons of fun! What better place can you imagine than a room filled with beautiful top of the line embroidery machines surrounded with happy and excited sewing & embroidery enthusiasts? All gathered together in one place to learn and be inspired by one of embroidery’s best, Steve Wilson from Anita Goodesign!

In Everett, this past week the Anita Goodesign Embroidery Party was two days of total fun. There were seven projects to enjoy and everyone left with a CD of all the designs used so we can make as many as we like. Of course, all of the projects were great, but a couple of my favorite techniques that we learned were Three-Dimensional Flowers, a Christmas Stocking completely in the hoop, and Shaped Edge Tea Towels.

Steve brings so many wonderful samples for us to see, touch, and be inspired by, every where you look there is something beautiful. He also gave us a sneak peak of the designs that will be coming out in the next few months—they are really neat!

One of my most favorite things about this Party was getting to meet wonderful folks who love to sew just as much as I do. I came away so energized and inspired. Check out the fun we had in the video below:

Everett Anita Goodesign Embroidery Party April 2011

If you love embroidery or are even just curious about what it is all about. Don’t miss our other upcoming special events!

Looking forward to seeing many of you this week in Puyallup.
Reva


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