February 5-12
Shop the MPC store at the School of Art Fashion
Von Braun Center, Huntsville

The store will be closed for lunch
between 11:45 am and 1:00 pm every day.

Heirloom Sewing I
Licensed Teacher Program
February 15-22, 2012

• 17 kits (23 projects in all)!
• Meals and lodging included
• Graduation dinner at Martha’s!

Treat yourself to a week of wonderful! Sign up for Heirloom Sewing I now! Call 800-547-4176 ext. 4 to register

Traveling for Martha Pullen Company means I get to share all the great new sewing “stuff” we carry in our store with the many friends I have made across the country – fabrics, machine embroidery designs, books, notions and more. Every time we go anywhere, we always bring something new with us, and I look forward to breaking out the new products for my sewing friends who, until then, are only able to see it in the online store. Oh, I know it is wonderful to shop the MPC store on the Internet, but it’s worth a special trip to shop with us in person at the traveling schools, the Sew Beautiful Marketplace in Huntsville and the upcoming School of Art Fashion. Last month, after a nine-year absence, we opened the retail store during Martha’s Sewing Market in Orlando, Florida. Sewing friends came from miles around to see the new books and touch the wonderful fabrics that we have added to our product line. You should have seen the faces and heard the oohs and ahhs! I got so tickled – I just couldn’t stop smiling. If you haven’t shopped with us in person lately, you are in for a treat. Come shop with us at the VBC during School of Art Fashion. There’s so much new sewing “stuff” I want to share with you!

Angela Jones

Notions & Know-How

Video Tips: From your favorite School of Art Fashion teachers

Learn to embroider the basic chain stitch with Michié Mooney.

Watch Now >

Sewing Tip

Janet Sends a Smart Smocking Tip

When I learned to smock, the teacher had us put the pleated fabric over the index finger of the hand that was holding the smocking. That way the pleats stand up and separate a little, making it a lot easier to catch the pleats as you're smocking.

How-to Demo

Learn how to make fabric covered buttons!

Covered button making just got easy! Get the I-TOP tool for only $32.99 and make covered buttons in a snap – ergonomic handle, easy to use, cover buttons in seconds! Watch the video to see how easy it really is!

Shop i-top tool and accessories >

Please send general sewing, smocking, quilting, machine embroidery and sewing room organization tips to mcpullen@yahoo.com. You are encouraged to send photographs. Thank you for sharing with fellow stitchers!

Dear Sewing Family,

Can it really be February? I have looked forward to the February School of Art Fashion for so long—and it finally is here, starting tomorrow! Even if you are not attending the classes you can come shop at our store for fabulous discounts! Here are the store hours:

I have a great travel plan idea. If you want to come to Huntsville on Sunday, February 12, you can attend my Sunday school class at the Civic Center at 7am, then shop in our store that morning. We are having a huge missions conference at Whitesburg Baptist Church with the world-famous evangelist, Andrew Palou, who will be preaching at Whitesburg at both the morning services 9:30 and 11am as well as the evening service at 6:15pm. You could shop in the store as well as attend the church services.  So many people come down for the day just to shop at our store during the school and you get the same discounts as the students get.

Some of you know that I will be speaking and entertaining at the big Sewing and Stitchery Expo in Puyallup, Washington this year. I will do the Friday Night Live event with Steve Jeffery, president of Baby Lock as well as teach morning and afternoon each day. Kathy McMakin will be teaching for the four days also. Please go to www.sewingexpo.com to register for our classes and to our Northwest students, “We can’t wait to see you again this year.”

Right after the school we begin a very exciting licensing program, Heirloom Sewing I, from February 15 to February 22. Please click here to see a video made by yours truly showing the specific projects for this February licensing. You will get the beautifully written and illustrated instructions for all of these projects and the kits for most! Our licensed teacher programs are the “bargain of the sewing industry” we have been told over and over. Martha Pullen Company owns the copyright to these projects and only our licensed teachers have permission to copy them and teach them. Joe and I will be looking forward to having this group for dinner at our home. We are sometimes asked the question, “Martha, do I have to plan to teach sewing to become a licensed teacher?” The answer is a flat, “No.” Many of you who come just want to have the sewing experience of your lives and to learn new things. Many come who indeed are sewing teachers and want to have the fabulous, fabulous curriculum of projects to teach in their businesses – home based or otherwise. Many come who are thinking about a new business and want to find out more from us and from networking with other students. Sooo we invite you to come to any one of our licensed teacher groups this spring, summer and fall. Please click here to see a video of all of the projects for this licensing. Even if you cannot come I think you will enjoy seeing the video. The projects are spectacular.

• Heirloom Sewing I - February 15-22, 2012
• Bernina II - March 23-30, 2012
• Baby Lock II - April 25-May 2, 2012
• Beginning II - August 1-7, 2012
• Children's Garment Construction *new - September 4-11, 2012
• Sewing for Baby- October 2-9, 2012
• Serger II - October 10-17, 2012

I love antique pictures and cards. Recently I ran across a group of thread antique cards. I thought you would love to see them.

We had the best time attending the grand opening for LaQuinta Schum’s brand new fabric store, Let’s Sew in Evansville, IN. This store is the fabric store of everyone’s dreams! You simply won’t believe it! In my life I have never seen so many fabrics and gorgeous ones from all over the world. So many of you know LaQuinta from our schools from years and years. This store is worth a trip to Indiana! As I told some of the dignitaries who were there, “This store is a national treasure for women who love to sew and it will bring tourists to Evansville I assure you.” There is really no way to describe the variety and the amount of gorgeous fabrics including bridal that she has. You will just have to visit. Congrats, LaQuinta! LaQuinta has been licensed more than any other person in the world in the Martha Pullen Licensed Teacher Programs.

View Album

Joe and I entertained the Merrimack Staff at a luncheon at our home recently. Merrimack Mills has been converted to a fabulous theatre, which houses the Dance Your Dreams program for special needs children. You might remember that I gave the trophies last year at their dance recital. Greg Screws and I have been invited to emcee the dance recital/awards program next May 12. I just can’t wait to give the trophies again. Deborah and Alan Jenkins have given so much to ensure that special needs children have the dance opportunity that everyone else has. We went to see The Unexpected Boys perform that night. These four men from New York are my favorite entertainers who travel to Merrimack Mills to entertain.

View Album

I pray for our men and women serving in harm’s way and for their families. As we approach the fun holiday of Valentine’s Day I would remind those serving away from their families of how much you are loved. I want to tell you how much each of you are loved—by me! Know that I pray for you and your family. I wish everyone receiving this newsletter could join us for the fabulous School of Art Fashion. We are now celebrating 31 years of bringing people to Huntsville for a fabulous week of sewing and fellowship and love. How can I ever thank God, Joe, our incredible team members and you for making this happen? Remember Joe would not let me quit when I became discouraged many years ago. God never quit on me and always paid the bills. Our team continued to work and teach and help with everything. And you, precious you, have always loved our company and have totally been loyal. To God be the glory, great things he has done. I will always love you.

May God Bless You,
Martha

John 17: 13 (NIV)     
13 I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them.

Jesus taught about having a joyful life by being very close to him at all times. Happiness depends on the happenings of the world so that it is probably impossible to experience “happiness” on a real regular basis; however, Christians have been promised the joy that passes all human understanding. When my joy seems down or even robbed I remember that I must pray more and become closer to God for it to return fully.

The School of Art Fashion is a week of joy for me. Joy over seeing you have so much fun and learn so many new things. Joy over seeing new friends made and old friends reunited. So many best friends have been made at our school—total strangers have left best friends and stayed best friends for years and years. I will have the joy of meeting new friends and seeing friends from many years of sewing experiences.

This week is pure joy for me. All weeks are not “happy” for me. Some bring very sad or frustrating news. I also know that during the “sad or bad” weeks that I can always experience joy even though I could not say they were happy weeks because the “happenings” were not good. Joy is not dependent on wonderful things but on my knowledge of Jesus Christ and his love for me. I know that he alone is the source of true joy. There is a beautiful statement by Mother Teresa that I would like to share: “Joy is a net of love by which you can catch souls.”

What could be better on a cold winter’s night than a hot bowl of soup. For more recipes like this, see the December/January 2012 issue of Taste of the South.

Roasted Cauliflower Soup
Yield: 6 to 8 servings

6 ounces bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup chopped Vidalia onion
1 recipe Roasted Cauliflower (recipe follows)
2 cups chicken broth
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper
2 1/2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Garnish: fresh thyme and Parmesan cheese

In a large Dutch oven, cook bacon over medium-high heat until crisp; remove bacon, crumble, and set aside.

In the Dutch oven, add onion to rendered bacon fat. Cook, stirring often, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add Roasted Cauliflower, broth, thyme, salt, black pepper, nutmeg, and white pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes. Remove from heat, and let cool to room temperature.

In the container of a blender, pulse soup in batches, if necessary, until smooth. Return to Dutch oven. Add milk, cream, and cheese. Cook over medium heat until soup is heated through and cheese is melted. Garnish with reserved bacon, thyme, and cheese, if desired.

Roasted Cauliflower
Yield: approximately 6 cups

1 large head cauliflower, trimmed and diced
3 tablespoons vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 400°. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine cauliflower and oil, stirring to combine. Place cauliflower on prepared baking sheet.

Bake until cauliflower is browned, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from oven, and let cool.

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