February 3, 2003
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HISTORIC SNIPPET ABOUT MAKING AND EMBROIDERING LUNCHEON SETS (OR BRIDGE CLOTHS AND NAPKINS AS MY MAMA AND MOTHER-IN-LAW USED TO CALL SQUARE TABLECLOTHS)
(Note from Martha: Embroidering table linens has always been in vogue. Flowers are used so many times to make tables beautiful. I thought you would like to read about a philosophic view of making luncheon sets from a vintage magazine.)
Two Useful Luncheon Sets — One Reminds Of the Fall Flowers — From The American Needlewoman, November 1924
Lunchcloth — Some people think June the prettiest month of the year; and when it is with us we almost feel that way about it ourselves, for what can be nicer in our climate than the days which are growing longer, and gradually growing warmer; when the trees are putting forth their green leaves; the fruit-trees coming into blossom; all the grasses, ferns and in fact, every thing, putting on the cool, restful shades of spring?
The air is a tonic to those of us who have been obliged to be under cover most of the time during the winter; but now we can get back to Nature and enjoy everything. But when fall comes, then nature shows us all the colors of the rainbow and then some more. All the seeds we planted, and bulbs we set out, all the perennial plants in our gardens, and all the wild flowers scattered in the fields and along the roads and byways, are putting forth in blossoms their variegated colors. And what a mass of bloom!
And so with this thought in mind, we are trying to bring to you some of these blossoms to remind you of the summer just passed and which we hope you enjoyed so much.
(Note from Martha: There were several lunchcloths shown with embroidery in all four corners and the matching napkins with embroidery done in one corner. Aren't we glad we have embroidery machines to make quick projects such as these square lunchcloths? By the way, I use this size cloth many times per year since I serve overflow dinner guests on card tables with four chairs around each.
SEWING TIP FROM CHRIS LYON — A MARTHA PULLEN/ JANOME LICENSED TEACHER
This is probably a very silly tip, but I think you remember the frugal days when we used to wipe off the aluminum foil so we could use it again. (Spaghetti was a real challenge.) I can't stand to waste all those pieces of stabilizer. You know. All those pieces around the edges when you have to have enough stabilizer for the hoop and then have one little design in the middle. I cut the outside pieces into strips about 1 1/2" wide. Then I use them under built-in decorative stitches, hem stitching or anything that is long but not wide. I'm not sure that I really save much, but I do feel better.
SEWING TIP FROM CLETA HARTMAN, FROM KISSIMMEE, FLORIDA
I like to include a tulle cover for my special dresses. This is especially true when I present the finished product to the new owner. They always seem so impressed!! I just cut a piece of folded tulle a little longer than the length of the dress, zig-zag a tiny piece of inexpensive lace around the edge and pop it over the dress. It only takes ten minutes at most - yet makes such a big impact. I enjoyed the show in Orlando — It is my third year and I look forward to hearing new things and buying wonderful fabric and laces.
SEWING TIP FROM OUR AUSTRALIAN FRIEND, LEONIE POGSON
Greetings from the back-blocks of Australia (Orange, New South Wales)! Like all your other correspondents, I love Sew Beautiful, and your newsletter...Here is one of the best tips for general sewing that I have ever been given: Refill a used, plastic, roller ball bottle (usually an under-arm deodorant bottle) with water. Use it to remove all those useful and necessary, but oh-so-untidy, blue lines from your sewing. So much quicker and easier than dabbing at them with a wet cloth, or wetting everything under running water!
PERSONAL LETTER FROM MARTHA
Dear Friends,
Our hearts are broken over the tragedy of space shuttle Columbia last Saturday morning. We send our heartfelt personal condolences to the families, friends, NASA employees, and other business colleagues of the men and women who lost their lives. President Bush, who ordered American flags to be flown at half-staff as a mark of respect for the crew, said the crew "did not return safely to Earth, yet we can pray that all are safely home," in remarks recalling the religious imagery used by President Ronald Reagan when the Challenger was lost. "The Columbia is lost. There are no survivors," said a solumn president in a message broadcast on television. "Our entire nation grieves with you."
We are also in prayer for our men and women who have been sent to the Middle East in service to our country and the free world. Our prayers are for the world's leaders to seek God's guidance and wisdom in preserving freedom for people who value peace and who hate terrorism.
We will continue to keep the red, white and blue ribbon on the cover of Sew Beautiful magazine in honor of our military men and women who serve our country to insure that our freedom which we value so highly is protected. I know many people who receive this newsletter are a part of the military or have loved ones who are protecting this country. I pray that God will continue to bless America and to protect us from terrorism and harm. I have also stopped this week to pray again for the victims' families and friends of 9/11 and to ask God that this type of horror not be allowed to happen again.
I have some very exciting news. This week we have learned that Sew Beautiful has the highest sell-through of any sewing magazine distributed by Curtis distribution, the one who distributes all of the sewing magazines! We are thrilled about the success Sew Beautiful is enjoying. If you subscribe you get lots more goodies than if you purchase it on the newsstand.
Subscribers get a sale page in each issue which has some great sales available only to subscribers and only for the two months while that issue is current. Sometimes the sales are as much as 30% off on certain Martha Pullen catalogue items. Sew Beautiful subscribers get three catalogues mailed to their home during the year. Read the last paragraph of this newsletter to learn the "early tidbits" about a special subscribers club which will be in operation by June. Please subscribe or renew today and be sure to give your e-mail address when you do! You can still have the $23.99 price.
Another fabulous school began yesterday. What a joy that we have had these Schools of Art Fashion for twenty one years now. I thank God for that privilege. Next week, I will have lots and lots of news about the school. The actual four day school does not begin until Thursday but many people come for pre-day classes which began Sunday night. We hope to have many of you and your kids coming next July to the summer school, July 27-August 3, 2003.
We have another FABULOUS date to announce. Our Second Annual Martha's Quilt Academy will be September 11-14, 2003 here in Huntsville. In addition to the three day academy (September 12, 13 and 14) we will also have pre-day classes on September 11. You must be registered for the 3 day academy to take the pre-day classes.
Our STAR STUDDED line up of teachers include Alex Anderson, host of Simply Quilts, Ricky Tims, quilter and musician, Libby Lehman, Katie Pasquini Masopust, Angela Madden (from England), and Margaret Rolfe (from Australia). Our pre-day teachers are Brenda Vlackfrom Electric Quilts, Gloria McKinnon from Australia and one more to be announced. I will do two free workshops (for the academy registrants only); one is on heirloom/machine embroidered quilts and turning your hobby into a business.
We will have a banquet (again something new for this year) and a quilt/wearable art fashion parade. That's right. You can model your quilt or your quilted wearable. The fashion show/parade will be the entertainment at the banquet. We'll have more details on how you can enter later.
The Heritage Quilters of Huntsville will once again be working with us on this huge event. They will have a "judged" show which everyone who attends will enjoy. We have even scheduled more time for shopping with our vendors. Each student will take every class. If you are ready to register now, call Diane Bradshaw at 800-547-4176 ext. 109. Of the 850 evaluations we had turned in after last year's academy we only had 3 people who said they were not coming again this year. Our registration is limited to around 1200 TOTAL SO IF you want to come you possibly should call to register now to hold your place.
If you want brochures (which are not ready yet) to be sent to your quilt guilds, please give Diane a call and tell her how many you want. We had several bus loads of quilters come last year and we expect even more this year. We have already had one guild in Florida tell us they were bringing a bus.
It is time to register if you want to come to the Great Lakes Sewing Extravaganza in Detroit, April 3-6, 2003. We have such great classes and teachers and kits and meals and a banquet and on and on! Please call 800-547-4176 ext. 102 to register. You can read about the exact curriculum at this GREAT LAKES LINK to our website!
We have the most adorable machine embroidery CD we have ever had ready right now! The title of this CD is "Martha's Antique Bonnet Children" and it features 36 machine embroidered designs on one CD. That's right, I said 36, and the internet embroidery club (IEC) member's price is only $54! There are 18 redwork designs in the 4X4 format. IN ADDITION to the 18 redwork designs, there are 18 designs (the same designs) embroidered in regular surface embroidery. If you are not a member of the IEC, the regular price of this beautiful new CD is $90.
The little sunbonnet children are a very active group. One is picking posies, three are swinging, one is putting on make-up in a mirror, two are strolling dolls, two are planting a garden, six are dancing in a circle, two are going to church holding their Bibles, three are skipping and three are having a tea party.
Two are holding a basket of flowers, two are walking holding a doll, two are going to market, two are playing with a kitty and a ball of yarn, two are making a flower necklace, two are going off to school with their chalkboards, six are reading on one bench (2 boys and four girls), one is curtseying to say "thank you," two are looking at a basket of flowers and two are sitting on a bench reading a story.
You have asked for 4x4 redwork designs but I bet you never dreamed you would get not only redwork designs but also surface designs on one CD! All formats are included, and you will love the digitizing.
The little girl's dresses are textured and some even have polka dots. One dress is textured with stars and another with squares (which almost looks quilted). For those of you who love children, this CD will make the cutest quilt or pillow, or simply embroider your favorite on a little girl's dress around the bottom of the skirt. Since my granddaughters are really into playing with my make-up (and washing it off before being allowed to go out, of course) I think the little girl putting on make-up in the mirror might be my favorite.
I love dolls, too, and several of the designs include dolls so they might be my favorites. For a Bible cover the little girls going to Sunday school each with a Bible in her hand, might be my favorite. Since I am a third generation school teacher, the six readers or the off-to-school with chalkboard and books might be my favorite. The school designs or Sunday school design would be a great on a gift for a teacher or Sunday school teacher.
The ideas for these designs came from an antique book I purchased in England many years ago. I think the date would be circa 1900. These redwork designs are very similar to ones used on quilts about that time. You could make the most precious quilt in the world with either the redwork designs or the embroidered designs. I think you will love having THIRTY SIX DESIGNS IN ONE PACKET!
Although we are not ready to take registrations, we have planned a licensed teacher group to teach beginning sewing (not learn beginning sewing). We have never done this type of licensing before and the demand is GREAT for those who know how to successfully teach "totally beginning" sewing classes to adults and children. This training will be geared to prepare the attendees to teach adults who want to start sewing.
We have a few more details. There will be classes for basic women's clothing, basic quilting, basic window treatments, basic table linens, basic women's accessories and basic pillows. This licensing will not be heirloom sewing but basic, beginning sewing and how to successfully and creatively teach it.
This licensing will probably be conducted the week before Thanksgiving. Any sewing machine with straight and zig zag stitches (a very simple machine, which is what most beginning, beginning sewers probably have or would be willing to buy) will do. We will let you know the details as soon as they are worked out. This beginning sewing teacher licensing will be different from the Heirloom classes in our other licensing weeks.
We had over 800 people respond that they were interested in this type of licensing when we did our survey. When we do open the registration, if you want to come you really need to call quickly to pay your deposit and register. We will certainly have another one but it will be well into 2004 before we can get a second date. The two classes will be limited to 30 each so only 60 people will be eligible for this first licensing. Everybody will have all classes although we will run two classes rather than one class like we do at our sewing machine company/heirloom sewing licensing.
We really want you to subscribe to Sew Beautiful magazine! You save 35% off of the newsstand price of $36 if you subscribe at our sale price of only $23.99. BE SURE TO GIVE YOUR E-MAIL ADDRESS WHEN YOU SUBSCRIBE OR RENEW! We have some VERY exciting things in the "works" for Sew Beautiful subscribers only which will be delivered via e-mail/internet, only.
Even though we haven't announced the details of this "club" yet, if you subscribe or renew and give your e-mail address from today's date, February 3, 2003, you will automatically be in the club. If you already have a current subscription, you can wait to renew when the "club" is announced. The actual "club" will not be delivered for the first time until June. Please go ahead and subscribe or renew so you won't miss out on this most exciting club of all for any sewing magazine in the world today.
May God Bless You,
Martha
CONTEMPORARY HEIRLOOMS FOR THE OLDER GIRL — $19.95 plus $5 shipping
WE HAVE A BRAND NEW BOOK, which was sold at Orlando for the very first time. You can order it immediately by calling 800-547-4176, ext. 2 or from the internet store Click Here. These are very sophisticated yet very proper and modest tailored clothing for the older girl. When Joanna saw these clothes, she said, "Oh, Mom, if (she mentioned her favorite store which only sells very sophisticated, elegant and lovely women's clothing) had a children's store, these clothes would be in the window." I can truly say I think you will have solved your Easter dress sewing for your older girls when you see this book.
Play clothes are also featured. All patterns are sized 6-16 and the styles include a skirt, a princess top, dress pants and shorts, a jacket, a flared top and an a-line dress. All of the tops have sleeve choices from sleeveless to long-sleeved. You can have fun sewing heirloom in garments that your older girls will really love or just using plain fabric and not doing any heirloom sewing at all.
MARTHA PULLEN'S GREAT LAKES SEWING EXTRAVAGANZA--April 3-6, 2003
For the very first time we will take our Huge Sewing Extravaganza to the Great Lakes Area! This four day event will be held in the Double Tree Hotel, at the Detroit Metro Airport. Everyone will take all 9 sit and sew classes! This event will be underwritten by Husqvarna/Viking, who will furnish machines and sergers for everyone to use! The teachers are Martha Pullen, Dody Baker, Kathy McMakin, Peggy Dilbone, Jody Hooker, Deb Yedziniak, and Connie Palmer.
Your cost for the whole 4 days is $625 which includes instruction for all classes, kits for all classes, four lunch meals, Thursday night seminar "You Can Make Money from Your Hobby," Friday night table top clinics, and Saturday night banquet with special celebrity speaker Sue Hausmann! Please call 800-547-4176, ext. 105 or 106 to register. You can read about the exact curriculum at this GREAT LAKES LINK to our website!
SALE SALE SALE Sew Beautiful SUBSCRIPTION SALE EXTENDED: ONLY $23.99 FOR A YEAR'S SUBSCRIPTION! CALL 800-547-4176 ext. 116 - SUBSCRIBE (at this sale price of $23.99) ON LINE! Don't forget about ordering Video XI for $9.99 when you subscribe. Sew Beautiful Link
MARTHA PULLEN LICENSED TEACHER WEEKS - The next machine groups (which have openings) and dates are as follows: Viking, Feb 13-19, 2003 (full but taking a waiting list); Bernina, March 15-21, 2003; Babylock, June 17-23, 2003; and Viking, October 2-8, 2003. Call 800-547-4176 ext. 107 or 108 to get more information. Or visit our licensing info page: Licensing Link
TO CONTACT US BY PHONE: 800-547-4176 ext. 2 or 256-533-9586 TO e-mail ONE OF OUR DEPARTMENTS, choose from this list:catalog@marthapullen.com (send your postal address to request a color catalog)
orders@marthapullen.com (for order questions)
subscriptions@marthapullen.com (for Sew Beautiful subscriptions)
schools@marthapullen.com (for School of Art Fashion)
licensing@marthapullen.com (for teacher licensing questions)
markets@marthapullen.com (for our sewing markets)
marthap@marthapullen.com -- MY PERSONAL E-MAIL ADDRESS
SCRIPTURE OF THE WEEK — Isaiah 40: 1 and 8 and 11
1) "Comfort, comfort my people," says your God.
8) The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever.
11) He tends his flock like a shepherd and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young.
Just as families need comfort in times of adversity, so we need comfort as a nation when tragedy strikes. As a nation, we are grieving for the families of Columbia's astronauts. Every one of us faces troubles and problems and grief. I just learned last night that my oldest brother, Dr. Cliff Campbell, has bladder cancer and will be operated on in Vancouver, Washington, next Thursday. He is a devout Christian, an active Gideon and has complete peace about God's healing for his body. Cliff is a retired school superintendent (California and Washington State) and he always openly served God while serving the school children and their parents of both states. I would appreciate prayers for my brother, his devoted wife, Millie, and their family as he faces this very serious surgery.
I believe that the only constant comfort that I have is with God. I believe His promises are true and that someday all believers will be with God. I love the words of Amazing Grace which say "When we've been there ten thousands years.." because I believe ten thousand years is only the beginning of eternal life with God.
Until that time when I will live with God forever, His word, the Holy Spirit, my faith and the people of God will provide comfort needed to weather the storms we inevitably will face while we are here on earth. I, like President Bush in his statement to the press about going home for the astronauts, believe that this earth is not home but rather Heaven is my home.
God is sovereign, God is perfect and God does not make mistakes although we certainly will not understand the happenings of the world until we get to meet Him face to face. Maybe then we won't even understand because we aren't supposed to. God's word, such as the scriptures above, provides solutions for me when I am confused.
MODERN RECIPE FROM CHRIS LYON — A MARTHA PULLEN/ JANOME LICENSED TEACHER
Southern Biscuits
3 cups self rising flour, sifted
1 cup Crisco (you can use unsalted butter or a combination of Crisco and butter, but no other brand of shortening)
1 cup buttermilk (more or less)
Cut the shortening/butter with a pastry blender or two knives until the mixture looks crumbly.
Put in most of the milk. Depending on how dry your flour is, you may need a little more or a little less than 1 cup. Try to keep the dough as damp as you can and still be able to handle it. Flour your hands and work it lightly to get it to hang together.
Pat out on a well-floured board and cut out with a biscuit cutter (if you have one) or an inverted glass. I make them about 3/4" thick and 2" in diameter. Place them in a circular pattern on an ungreased cookie sheet. I place them about 1/2" apart rather than having them touch. I like them crispy all around the outside. Cook in a preheated oven at 425-475 for about 10-12 minutes.
(I got this recipe from one of my sons back when he was cooking for a living - Chris)