Thimbleberries Trunk Show: During our birthday celebration we will have models from the Thimbleberries collection on display. This show features easy or beginner level projects. Come and be inspired.

Fall Foliage Fabric Tour: People liked our month long hop that we tried last year, so we will repeat it Oct 1-31, 2008. Passports may be purchased for $2.00 at any of the participating shops: Fiberworks and Moose Patch in Waverly, Crazy to Quilt and Lulijune’s in Cedar Falls, Jen’s Needleworks in Aplington, Dralles in Greene, and Conrad General Store in Conrad. Minimum $5.00 purchases at each store will enter you for a lovely gift basket worth $50+ and earn a punch on your passport. Get a punch from every shop and you will be entered into the grand prize drawing of a Pfaff Classic Quilt sewing machine – retail $899. WOW! Each store’s regular business hours will be in effect and you have the whole month to make the rounds. Valuable coupons that may be used during October will be included with your passport.

Market Time: Rachel and I will be attending a market in St. Charles, MO the middle of September. If there is anything you want us to look for please give me a call. This is the first cash and carry market that we have attended so we are sure to come home with lots of neat stuff as we are driving and will have my mobster trunk and maybe even part of the back seat to transport new things.

Classes: School has started in Waverly already. You’re never too old to learn something new. If there is any specific technique you would like to learn or improve, let me know. I just try to schedule pieces that I think would be fun. If your schedule doesn’t fit into the one I have made here, but you would still like to take a class, let me know and we can fit a time into your life. Get two or three friends together and we will make a class especially for you on whatever stitching technique you would like. Remember you are welcome to come in and stitch on Thursdays when we don’t have a class taking place.

Free patterns courtesy of Black Star Designs and Hand Blessings Peek a Boo – this one is for Sydney.

Free Canvas: If you are a needlepointer and lost your projects in any of the natural disasters from this summer, there is a shop that has some painted canvases that she is willing to donate to you. Let me know and I will give you her name and number.

TECHNIQUE TIP: How Long?

Do you like to use your threads down to the last little bit? If you are using cotton thread, do they look not as shiny as the previous ones? This may be because your needle has worn a spot where the eye sat as it went up and down through your ground fabric. Cotton fibers are 1 ½ to 4 inches long before they are spun into thread. You can see the difference in a tight twist as in cordonnet and a looser twist as in pearl cotton. The harder the twist, the longer thread you can use at a time. Needle movement wears fuzzy spots in pearl cotton. When I used to hem a skirt, I started with a thread twice as long as my arm and put the needle in the middle. Then I slid it down the thread as I used it up. Not so with counted thread or needlepoint stitching. Use a shorter length and don’t keep moving the needle down the thread as you use it. Keep as short a tail as will not keep coming unthreaded. Just before you get to that section of the thread end off so you don’t have any of the fuzzy on the top of your work. About 15” is a good working length unless you are doing a stitch that uses thread up more quickly, like the satin blocks of hardanger or some of the specialty stitches like an Amadeus. If you look at cotton floss as it comes from the skein, you will see six lightly twisted strands together, which you take apart to use the number you need. If you look at one of these strands, you will see it is actually made up of two plies. All of the short cotton fibers are twisted into a ply in one direction and then two plies are twisted together in the opposite direction so they hold their twists, making one strand. For wool, look at the difference between a tightly twisted DMC Medicis and Paternayan wool, which is more loosely twisted. The thread with the fewer twist is fuzzier because the ends are escaping from the twist. This makes them wear more easily when traveling through canvas. Remember when you do start and stop threads, be sure to run underneath 5 or 6 previous stitches on the back so these thread ends are secure and do not just leave them hanging on the back of your piece. They may show through the background in places you don’t want them to or pop out to the front when stretched in the framing process.

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Class Schedule: One half of the class fee is required at the time of registration to hold your place. Please register at least two weeks in advance of scheduled dates to allow for ordering of supplies in time for class. Fees include supplies and instruction unless otherwise noted. Please add 7% tax to fee if you mail it in. There are no refunds for class fees once I have ordered supplies, but you may reschedule a makeup time at your convenience.

Biscornu of the Month for August = From Sampler Cove – Rhapsody in Red Part Two. This one is a little higher price but includes patterns for matching biscornu, huswif and thread winders and the designer is from Thailand. The model is shown on 36 ct Magnolia linen from Lakeside Linens and would be about 5” square. You could also choose 32 ct for a 5 ¾” square. The thread shown is Gloriana silk but DMC substitutes could be 321 and 814. Price is pattern only – let me know if you want fabric or thread. $28.50

Biscornu for September = From Whispered by the Wind – School Days design with 123 and ABC is just right for back to school. Pattern also has a matching needle roll and bookmark. Kit includes pattern, 2 pieces of 28 count antique ivory linen and two ¼” blue buttons. Let me know if you need the DMC (317, 815, 3750, 3821) Finished size 4” square. $12.25.

Thurs. Sept. 18th & 25th 5:30-8:30 – Whiskers the Beaded Santa Ornament: Designed by Lettie Eckberg this charted needlepoint Santa is 8” tall when finished. The threads used are silk floss and metallic and the beard is done in seed beads. Ground fabric is 18 count mono canvas. The arms will swivel when attached by buttons on the triangular body. You will use some fun stitches besides the tent stitch. Class Fee = $52.00 (You will also need 10’ x 12” stretcher bars.) This is a two session class.

Sat. Sept. 20th, 27th, Oct 4th 9:00-12:00 Butterfly Lace Sampler: Designed by Thea Dueck, this lovely mixed technique piece can be framed or will fit in a 5” square box top. It is worked on 32 count antique white linen and includes pearl cotton, silk floss and ribbon and metallic threads accented with seed beads. It uses a little hardanger, pulled thread and has a stumpwork butterfly. What a great piece to learn some new stitches or review what you know. Color choice is pink daisies with a multi-colored butterfly or blue hydrangeas with a yellow butterfly. Class Fee = $58.50 for pink. $64.50 for blue. Please note this is a three session class.

Thurs. Oct. 2nd 9:00-12:00 or 5:30-8:30 – 12 Days of Christmas: Start with an Art to Heart panel, make a sandwich, turn inside out, quilt around the squares and embellish to your hearts content. Christmas theme with alternatative 12 days from the song, for example, the lords a leaping is Santa jumping over a chimney. Class fee includes panel, batting and backing fabric. You may bring bells, buttons, charms, etc., or purchase in the store for 10% off during class. Don’t forget your sewing machine. Class Fee = $23.00

Thurs. Oct. 9th 5:30-8:30 Crystal Pink Pincushion: I only have 3 kits left for this Lorri Birmingham design so sign up early. Delicate mauve hearts surround your initials on this square pincushion. Ground fabric is 28 count even weave in antique white and threads are over dyed floss. Accents include seed beads and Swarovski crystal hearts and bicones with a sparkle of gold metallic. This project would be a good one to try working over two threads if you haven’t done that before. Class Fee = $27.50

Sat. Oct. 11th 9:-00-12:00 – Crocheted Bag – Using a size N crochet hook make a 12” tote bag with a handle out of fabric strips. Choose two contrasting fabrics and I will strip it for you. The only crochet stitches you need to know how to do are a chain and single crochet. Class fee includes fabric, your choice, hook and instruction. Class Fee = $$46.50.

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WHAT’S NEW! –
Kits: Mill Hill – calendar series – Welcome Home – August: A Friend’s House, September: Heart of Your Home, October: Perfect Pies, Winter Greetings charmed ornaments (6), Rocky Mountain Santas (3), Tiny Treasured Diamond, Button and Bead Winter Series Christmas Carols, Christmas Village, Quilted Cats by Jim Shore ; Just Nan – L.E.Over the Top series Sizzle tin and matching fob Pin Wheel; Swedish Weave – ornament kits - easy; Lizzie Kate - Boxer Jr. Sweet Tooth Candy and Ice Cream; Bent Creek – Baby Ewe & The Big Zipper (part 5) The Tire Swing. Other stuff: John James – Pebble needle case assortments. Fabric: RJR – Violetta, A Rustling in the Dark, Barnyard Friends, Batty Halloween, Christmas Treats candy canes; Thimbleberries – October Glow; Marcus – Snowflake Welcomes.

QUILTING: Thimbleberries: Pumpkin Glow, Harvest Goose Chase Leaf Tapestry; Quiltworks: Prairie Star; JWD: Circle Round the Stars; Batik Expressions: Bali Bag.

CROSS STITCH: Glendon Place: Monster March; Cross Eyed Cricket: Rich Praise, Witch’s Moon; Homespun Elegance: Annual snowman, house and Santa ornaments, Home is Where You Hang Your Needlework; By the Bay: Autumn Cove; Heart In Hand: Monthly Markings MayAug; Lizzie Kate: Christmas Double Flip-Its Holly/Stocking, Cookies/Santa, Fall Squared; Little House Needleworks: Chocolate Box, Queen Bee; Stoney Creek: Towels to Celebrate, More Frosty Memories; Val’s Stuff: Wrap It Up; Keslyn’s: Winter Solstice, Grandma Pitty-Poo; Gloria & Pat: Precious Moments Little Boys & Girls Vol. 2; Imaginating; Summer Songbird, Witch’s Ride, The Cats; SamSarah: Baubles Sept; The Drawn Thread: Sampler Y-Z; Silver Lining: Red Rose ornaments 2008 part 2; Plum Street Samplers: Morning Bird; The Victoria Sampler: U is for Usher, V is for Valentine; Nora Corbett: Several floral pixies, Dasher reindeer, Letters A-F; Kustom Krafts: Happy Nappers, Tulips I; Workbasket: Quaker Peacock and House, Swan Roundel; Lynn’s Prints: Berry Pickin’; Midnight Stitching: A Spot of Friendship; Milady’s Needle: Regal Sampler, Quaker Pin Cushions; Willow Hill Samplings: Flora and Fauna; Bent Creek: Snapperbets A,B,J,R & Border; Prairie Schooler: 2008 Santa; Shepherd’s Bush: She Tends, Scatter Freedom; Rosewood Manor: Something Old/New, And a Garden Grew

OTHER: Hardanger: Hanky Panky – 2008 Angel, Meier & Watnemo – Award Winning 2008, Cindy Valentine – Summer Sunset or Sunrise. Canvas: Laura Perin – Garden Party; Carolyn Mitchell – Analogous Fusion Study I; Needle Delights - Potluck. Bargello: Janet Perry – Bargello Revisited.

Happy Stitching!

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Fiberworks 15th Anniversary Celebration
108 E Bremer Ave. Sept 2nd – 13th STANDARD Waverly, IA 50677 and PRESORT
Thimbleberries Trunk Show U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO. 37