Newsletter July 2020

Newsletters

August 20, 2020

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Greetings to you all!
It is so satisfying for me to see people walking out of the shop with finished projects. It gives everyone such a great sense of accomplishment!
Our Beginner Adult Sewing classes on Thursday mornings have yielded some great results – classy aprons, cushions and Needlecase samplers. The Westalee Ruler class with Barrie was inspiring for those wanting to improve their ruler skills, and this week we’ve had the kids in completing their projects from before lockdown.

HOLIDAY PROGRAMME – BEGINNERS CLASS
Tuesday 14th & Thursday 16th JULY (2nd week of holidays) 10am – 2pm

NEW BERNETTE ‘SEW & GO 3’ SEWING MACHINE INCLUDED!

This class is aimed at our young sewers in the making. Each student will receive their own brand new Bernette “Sew N Go 3” sewing machine that they get to keep and take home. We will teach students the basics of how to use their new machine and then work with them to make their own tote bag.
Class Fee: $299 (includes full kit and a brand new sewing machine)

$150 deposit is required to secure a place in this class
Maximum class size 6 students age 10+. Bring your own lunch.

We are up to Number 10 in the Twelve Days of Christmas felt decorations class, which meets on the 4th Friday of each month in the shop. The ‘Piper Piping’, ‘Ladies Dancing’ and Lord’s-a- Leaping’ are the last characters to be completed, so I’m on the look out for a new Christmas project once this set is complete.

It’s not too late to start making your own felt decorations – the last 3 dates are Friday 24th July, Friday 28th August, and Friday 25th September.

The ‘My Redwork Garden’ BOM girls are up to Block 4 and it sounds as though everyone is enjoying the variety of each block with some hand stitching, hexagons and free motion quilting all new challenges for some.
The next refresher class for My Redwork Garden will be Friday 17th July.

With the Tannenbaum BOM finishing this month as well, it’s time for a new cycle of projects to tempt you with!

MODA 3 SISTERS – LA RUE 1800 – HENRIETTE QUILT

I have almost finished the sampler for this lovely vintage quilt. If you love soft vintage florals and Ohio Stars, that is what this quilt is all about.
Lots of repetition in soft pinks, ivory and aqua colours.
We be selling this quilt as a kit at the beginning of August. Please let me know if you would like me to put a kit aside for you. The quilt measures 72” x 72” (the top of a Queen Bed).

The cost of the kit will be $50 per month over 6 months, or $300.

QUILT-IN-A-DAY CLASS

The Quilt- in- a Day Colourful Hearts Quilt was a hit last Saturday – most of our ladies went home with almost completed quilt tops and cushions. Due to the popularity of this class we have set another date on Saturday 1st August 9:30am-4pm to do it all again, so if you weren’t able to make the last class, perhaps this next date might suit you better.

You will need a good collection of
6-1/2” blocks – the brighter the better. If you don’t have a stash of your own, we have some precut kits available for sale.
The class will run from 9:30 – 4pm and will cost $60 for the day.
If you work hard you should be able to go home at the end of the day with a finished quilt.

URBAN OWLS
by Wendy Williams

We have recently received a big selection of patterns designed by Wendy Williams, which will complement our wool felt collection.

Urban Owls is another BOM which I initially advertised before lockdown.
I don’t have a sample made up yet, but if this photo sparks your interest please let me know. We will look at starting this as a Block Of the Month in October.

You have 2 options:

Choose your own fabrics and each month pay for and receive the pattern for the month.
Let us choose the fabrics for you and each month you pay for the pattern & the fabric.

I still need to do some costings for this BOM but I am taking expressions of interest at this stage so I know how much fabric I need to order.

HAND – PIECED PINCUSHION

There is always real joy sewing hexagons together using the English paper piecing technique. Have you ever thought about using diamond templates?
We will hold a workshop showing you how to hand stitch a pincushion using diamond templates. These pincushions make such lovely gifts – and you can’t have too many pincushions!
Come and learn this technique on Friday 31st July from 10am – 2pm. You will need to buy a packet of diamond templates and your own fabric. Class fee $40.00

With a most successful series of SOCK KNITTING classes with Jenny on Thursday afternoons over June, and with the recent addition of WOOL to our shop supplies, we have decided to open up Thursday afternoons to a KNITTING CLUB in the shop. You are welcome to come and sit around the table on Thursday afternoons from 1:30pm – 3:30pm and chat with other knitters and share patterns and techniques.
There will be a class fee of $10 each week and Jenny will be available to help you if you have knitting issues! You will need to prebook your place around the table each week. My only stipulation is that you purchase your knitting supplies from us at The Eye Of A Needle.

With a worldwide resurgence of knitting during lock down, some knitting supplies have been hard to source recently, but we are slowly building up our range of wool, patterns and knitting needles and hope to be able to supply everything you need going forward.
At this stage we have a good supply of Merino Double Knit and our next shipment will be a lovely range of baby wool as well as some gorgeous new patterns, so watch this space!

THE SANTA, THE TREE, THE TURKEY & ME

Hatched & Patched have recently been advertising their new Block of the Month – The Santa, The Tree, The Turkey & Me. This is a quirky Christmas wall hanging with 7 blocks to be made over 7 months. Each block has a Christmas theme with simple woven wool applique and stitchery on a linen background. I have ordered 10 packs and Block 1 will be available around mid August.

Please register your interest if you would like to do this BOM. It is proving to be extremely popular so the packs won’t last long. The BOM will cost $42 each month for 7 months; this will include the wool packs, the linen background fabric and DMC threads.

MARIA’S ROSE OF SHARRON FELT STITCHED CUSHION
Saturday 22nd August 10am – 2pm

Maria will take a workshop where you will make a stitched cushion using various stitching techniques and wool felt. You will need to piece the background of your cushion prior to the class, and Maria will show you how to embellish your cushion top with embroidery stitches using different types of thread on to wool felt.
The fee for the class will be $50 + your fabric requirements.

‘BY ANNIE’ HOLD EVERYTHING SATCHEL

If you didn’t already know, I’m a bit of a fan of By Annie Bag patterns. I’m keen to make up the ‘Hold Everything’ bag next. By the time I’ve made it, we will be into Spring, so we will aim to hold this bag class some time in October. Expressions of interest will be taken now as these classes fill up so fast. If you love making By Annie bags, book early to avoid disappointment. A sample will be available shortly.

On Saturday August 29th, we have been invited to be guest merchants with the ‘Busy Fingers on Hyne’ Quilting group in New Plymouth. I am busy gathering supplies to set up a shop for a day for the wider Taranaki Quilting community. We are really excited to have this opportunity to travel over to Taranaki to sell some of our wares. If you are from the area reading this newsletter and have any special requests of what you’re like us to bring over your way, please let me know in plenty of time! I do have a special project I hope to launch while we are over there, so start saving your pennies as we think you will like what we will bring to tempt you with!

With the Taupo Quiltmakers Bi-annual Exhibition at the Great Lake Centre in early October, as well as a club night in the shop in mid September, the next couple of months look to be very busy for us both in and out of the shop. If you have been in to see us recently, you will notice some new products in store – more wool, more buttons and more zips, and there is always more fabric!

We are finding some products quite difficult to get our hands on at the moment, especially those coming out of China and India; freight charges out of the US seems to have skyrocketed! Factories in some parts of Europe are still closed, which may affect some supplies coming through in the next few months. It’s hard to know quite what to expect, but from what I have been told by my suppliers, there may be shortages for a while until the world gets back to ‘normal’ production. As fast as some products are coming in, they are gone again, and crafts in general (like knitting, crochet and macrame) seem to have become increasingly popular during lockdown!

You can expect shortages in Olfa Blades, knitting needles, and some DMC products over the next few months.