April is Aprons

Dear Friends of Stitches,

I’m hoping by the time you read this winter will be gone! It has been such a long winter. April brings thoughts of Spring; cleaning the garage, starting plants for the garden, uncovering emerging tulips, daffodils, and hyacinths and coloring eggs for Easter, making spring quilts & aprons, spring ponchos & shells.

Quilters:
We hope you’ll think about making a new Apron for Spring because at Stitches… April is Aprons. We’re having an apron contest so if you have one that you have made bring it in to display for the month and a chance to win a prize. If you bring one in you take a fat quarter, if win the contest you win a prize. There will be new apron patterns arriving all month and, of course, we have lots of great apron fabric!!

Upcoming events :
April 4th : Chucktown Chickfest 10am to 4pm (demonstrations, refreshments, prizes)
April 18th : Grids & Grommets Purse
April 30th : First Day of Blooming Baskets Shop Hop (Debbie’s in Osage, Saintly Stitches in St. Ansgar & Stitches… in Charles City)(continuing May 1st & 2nd)

Knitters & Crocheters :
What a month we have had with the Saturdays Beginning Crochet Class and all they have learned. Lynn has had some great success with her beginners and they are moving on to projects.
Saturdays in April will begin on April 11th, delayed because of Chucktown Chickfest. We will be doing a poncho or shrug either in knit or crochet. Come and take a look at our samples and chose your yarn.
Thursday nights continue around the fireplace. We’re waiting for the warm nights when we can open the door and turn off the fire.
Tuesday afternoons with Mary will return on April 7th. She has recovered from her fall and is ready for some socializing at Stitches… Come in and say hi again. Bring your questions or problems and between Mary, Holly and Lynn we should be able to solve.

Happy Stitching!!!

Updating again. Due to the unpredictability of the weather in March we have decided to hold the Grids and Grommets Purse Class in April instead. That will be Saturday April 18th at 10am. We're also in the midst of planning a Shop Hop. We will be participating with Saintly Stitches in St. Ansgar and Debbie's in Osage. To be held Thursday, Friday and Saturday, April 30 and May 1st and 2nd. Put those dates on your calendar for Fun, Food and Fats!

March Happenings

Greetings Knitters and Quilters,
Another nasty winter month has come and gone; we’re one month closer to spring and spring-time activities. At Stitches… we’ve enjoyed a busy winter but we, too, are anxious for warmth and sunshine! March can fool us; one day warm, next day blizzard, so watch out! I was born in a blizzard in March- better than a blizzard in April. Stitches… is looking forward to participating in the “Chucktown Chickfest”
April 4th and 5th. There will be demonstrations, prizes, food and fun. Plan to come in for a visit that weekend.

Quilters:
Just to let you know, Stitches… does have some new fabrics. A collection called Timeless Grace by Thimbleberries RJR and some great new Batiks. The very popular purse classes will continue. Specifically, Grids and Grommets, March 21st. Sign up now for a spot in that class.

Also, a quilt class - Carpenter’s Star will be held on March 28th. This a very basic class with a great looking quilt top. Kits will be available. Come in and see the sample and sign up.
Lunch is provided in both of those classes.

We’re still planning to have the “Duvet in a Day” class when we get a good number of participants. (a duvet is a cover for a quilt – do you have a down comforter that needs a cover?)

Knitters & Crocheters:
Under the pergola : Beginning crochet on Saturdays in March.
Please join us from 2-4pm if you want to learn to crochet. The first Saturday will be
“the stitches” and the following Saturdays will be easy projects.
We will continue knitting around the fireplace on Saturdays, too. Finish your socks and mittens or start a new project (a felted purse?).

To all friends of Stitches…
Thank you to all who have supported us and given us encouragement through our beginning months. We at Stitches… are learning what our clients need and want. Hopefully, we’re providing a service and supplies to our area to make your lives easier and more enjoyable. We hope it is a win/win for all.

Come in any time and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee or a soda and some conversation.

Hi Friends,

Lots of busy times at Stitches... these days. Saturday was a class for purse makers and they revelled in the Grids & Grommets Bag; so awesome and such a different look. Ginny Young led 10 enthusiasts through the directions and instructions to a new purse.

Last Wednesday was our first session of Block of the Month and 25 quilters came out on a much warmer evening than the original night of -25 degrees. We were wise to postpone. The quilt is called "Everything's Coming Up Roses". This is a great way to start the year.

The knitters have been busy, too. The sock class is progressing nicely and you are welcome to join any time because someone is alway starting a new sock. We are all at different stages of sock making after 15 minutes. Some of the class members have started on the second pair and some are still making the first sock. It really isn't as difficult as I first thought it would be. If you have not been in lately, stop in and see our cupcake wallhangings, pictured above (kits available) and the duvet will be on display this week for the first time. This is a class offering at the end of the month. On February 14th, Stitches... is offering a beginning quilting class taught by Deb Steere. It is a small quilt that can be expanded from a wall hanging size if desired and has 3 different blocks. The class participants will have a completed quilt top ready for quilting at the end of the day. Class will be from 10am to 3pm.

Hey Stitches... Friends,
Can you believe I have time to blog again this week. I am going to try to make time to update every few days so Stitches... stays current. The sock class is in full swing for Satudays in January. We'll be working on the heel this Saturday and maybe turning the heel, too. They're starting to take shape.
Coming up soon :
Saturday January 24th 10am Grids & Grommets Purse class (sign up now by phone or
email)
Duvet in a Day Class will be announced soon. Just couldn't get ready in January.
February will be KNIT MITTENS! at 2pm on Saturdays.
February will also bring a beginning quilting class. Watch for the announcement soon.
That's it for now. Have a good weekend.

Wow, what a winter. Are we going to survive this blast of Arctic air? Sorry to have to postpone the Block of the Month session but it was just too dangerous. And lots of our
participants live in the country. We'll plan on next Wednesday at 6:30pm. That's the 21st. Again, if you cannot make a session you can stop in any time and get instructions and fabric or it can be mailed to you.



The sock class is off and running and we're excited about doing the flap and turning the heel. If you are already ahead of the class and doing those things or even on the next sock, come anyway and enjoy the sunshine, fireplace, and commeraderie.



Just to let you know ----- it's mittens in February. That's Saturday afternoons from 2-4 pm.

If you don't want to make mittens for yourself or your own family or friends there are always school children without mittens. What a great contribution to make.

Happy New Year!

Quilters…
Join us for a fun filled year of sewing and socializing. We have lots of activities and new fabrics and notions monthly. New fabric collection: Feedsack (from the 30s).

Classes & Clubs :
January 10th: Grommet Purse Class, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Call now to sign up

January 14th: 1st session of Block of the Month, 6:30 p.m.

January 17th: Duvet in a Day Class, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.


Knitters…
Under the Pergola with Mary Green: Tuesdays 1:30 to 5 p.m.

Around the Fireplace: Thursdays 6:30 to 8 p.m. Bring your projects or learn to knit or crochet

Saturday afternoons: 2 to 4 p.m. Starting Jan 10th, Sock class 4 Saturdays


Let us know if there is something you would like to have for a class. We're always open to suggestions.