SEWING TIP OF THE WEEK

I'd like to share a tip that has helped me to set in sleeves. Some gals may already use this method. When the pattern directions says to stitch or stay-stitch or gather the sleeves between the notches, I sew a basting stitch (about 3.0 or more) just inside the seam line (about 1/2" from edge). This is how I do it: after I place the fabric under the foot, needle in and put the presser foot down, before I begin stitching, I hold my index finger behind the presser foot and keep it there as I stitch until the fabric starts tracking back. Then I release my finger and start again, usually halfway. This helps put the "ease" into the sleeve and when sewn into the armhole will fit better. Also, baste-hand stitching at armhole and sleeve helps to get a good match on where the seam line should be.

Sometimes "flat" construction is better depending on the style of the garment and style of the sleeve. I still use the "easing" when I put in the sleeve flat (meaning that I do not close the side seam, but leave it open, attaching the sleeve around the armhole, then sewing the sides seams from the sleeve cuffs all the way down to the hem.

Thank you.

Pohai Windberg, Washington

Dear Friends,

The school started today, and what an exciting school it is! I'll tell you all about the school in next week's newsletter. Don't forget that any of you within driving distance might want to come shop in our store on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday to take advantage of the selections and discounts the school students will have!! The hours are 8:30-11am and 2-5pm - ONLY. We have many people who take a field trip to Huntsville during the school to shop. The store is in the West Hall of the Civic Center right across the street from the Hilton. There are groups coming to shop from as far away as Tennessee, Georgia and Mississippi.

One of my main visions in starting Joanna's Sew Kool 4 Kids' School is to encourage children to sew - to take up one of the traditional women's arts. When I was a little girl I just could not wait to sew. Sewing takes me back to my roots in small town America - especially in Scottsboro, Alabama, where people put God first, went to church, had respect for authority, believed in very hard work, valued others who behaved and worked hard, believed that with hard work many things could be accomplished, and believed in children's learning valuable things which would serve them well the rest of their lives. Sewing, to this day, makes me feel traditional and valuable. I love passing on the traditional home arts to young women as well as young men. I value cooking and sewing, loving one's home, taking care of children, going to church, putting God first in one's life, respecting one's elders and doing good deeds for those less fortunate. Now, my values are really "on my sleeves"; however, so many of you share those values that I probably won't offend too many people with that last statement.

Of course, I value good career choices, good education, and women's having the same career rights as men. I think these are also traditional women's values. As a career woman for all of my life, from age 14 when I opened my own dance school, I certainly have enjoyed being able to earn a living and contribute financially to our family. I value just as highly the career of full time homemaker and for several years when our children were babies, I was fortunate enough to be able to do just that.

It is very special to me that I now am involved in a career that enables me to share the joy of sewing with adults and children. I believe sewing is a life skill, one which will serve any child well throughout her/his life. I just do not know what I would have done for clothing for my boys and myself if I had not known how to sew during the early marriage years. Not only did I make all of my clothing, I made theirs. I loved the creative outlet of sewing since I was a stay-at-home mom with no car and no money except for very carefully budgeted dollars for groceries, doctor's bills and medicine. I remember so well that my budget for an outfit for myself was $2. Even back in the mid 1960's finding fabric, thread, buttons and zipper for a pants suit for $2 was a challenge. Those "poorest days" sewing memories are wonderful ones. My childhood sewing memories are among my happiest - along with girl scouts and church activities. I believe we have a challenge sharing these traditional values with our children. We are privileged, this week, to share the fun of sewing with four classes of children. We have about 12 kids in each class with 3 teachers per class. We have fun and easy projects for them to complete. I pray that the joy of sewing will be thoroughly instilled in their hearts and that the joy of coming to this sewing school will be tucked away among their happiest childhood memories.

I seem to be getting more and more philosophic in my letters. I hope you understand the joy I feel about approaching this week of sewing school, not only for the children, but also for the adults. Please pray that we can have a school which brings stress relief, joy and comfort for those who need comfort. One of our greatest joys in having this school is knowing that some people, who are coming with great burdens and sadness in their lives, will have a rejuvenating experience by being here. Over and over they have told us that "looking forward to coming to this school has been what has gotten me through many days." God has given us an awesome responsibility and I pray that this school will be all He intends it to be to so many people. I thank Him for giving us this opportunity.

The Martha Pullen Collection for Click and Sew children's patterns on CD by Wild Ginger Designs are here! Ready to ship!! The three choices, which can be viewed on the web site, are a basic girl's pattern with many versions of the yoke dress, a boy's pattern with loads of options including a pair of dress pants for older boys, and little boys things also, and a wonderful pattern for little boys or girls of all ages. This unisex pattern has a jumpsuit as well as a very tailored a-line dress. Just wait until you see the options included with each pattern; you can see these options right now at http://www.marthapullen.com/ They fit perfectly (after you measure your child). The patterns print out on a regular printer and you do not need any software to use the CD. Just put it into your computer, make your choices for the pattern and press print. They cost $24.95 plus $4 shipping for each disc and you can use them forever since all sizes are in each disc. Of course, you know if you order several things shipping costs are figured on the total order, not on each individual item. Call Toni at 800-547-4176 ext. 117 or e-mail toni@marthapullen.com

THIS IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST ANNOUNCEMENTS THAT I HAVE EVER HAD THE PLEASURE OF MAKING AS CEO OF MARTHA PULLEN COMPANY!!!

We have an offer for you upon subscribing to Sew Beautiful that is an all-time first for us and possibly for any sewing magazine in the world! Starting TODAY - July 23, 2001, AND RUNNING THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, we are offering to subscribers ONLY something that I think many of you will be so excited about. If you subscribe or renew to Sew Beautiful magazine at the reduced rate of $27.99, you can order for only $4.99 a CD, named Vintage Collection, which has the most wonderful things on it. First, it has 10 machine embroidery designs (digitized by Cactus Punch) taken from my antique collection of books and magazines. All are authentic and circa 1900. I give the exact dates on each design. Second, it has 5 more machine embroidery designs (digitized by Cactus Punch) and designed by Lindee Goodall, President of Cactus Punch. Third, it has 21 of my antique garments photographed with detail photographs. Fourth, it has 6 antique pictures from my personal collection, which you can print and transfer to fabric or just print and frame. Please call 800-547-4176 ext. 116 or 115 to speak with Cindy or LaTonya to start or renew your subscription to Sew Beautiful and to purchase these special offers for such low prices!! Remember the CD and the Video (Number X (10) see below) will not ship until September 2001. We can start your subscription with the next Sew Beautiful (Christmas edition) which will mail late August.

Let me review this Sew Beautiful Vintage Collection subscriber CD for you, available for only $4.99 postage and handling over the subscription price of $27.99. Fifteen beautifully digitized machine embroidery designs, 6 antique color pictures for you to print and transfer to fabric, photos of 21 of my personal collection of antique clothing plus close-ups of each for you to enjoy. This Vintage Collection CD project is underwritten by Cactus Punch, Sulky of America and Martha Pullen Company just for Sew Beautiful subscribers. These prices are for American subscribers only. International subscribers need to e-mail cindy@marthapullen.com to get shipping rates with your international subscription and these two offers.

Let me answer some questions you might have. If you already have a Sew Beautiful subscription, you will need to renew for another year to take advantage of this offer. If you have a two-year subscription to Sew Beautiful, you will need to renew another year to get this offer. If you have renewed or subscribed recently, you will still need to renew another year to get this offer. You cannot use any special Sew Beautiful pricing offer from any other source to get these CD and Video X offers. You must subscribe at the special rate of $27.99 and you must subscribe or renew on or after July 23, 2001. Subscription plus Vintage Collection CD is $32.98. Subscription plus CD plus Video X is $42.97. Subscription plus video X only is $37.98.

If you subscribe NOW you will get the Christmas issue of Sew Beautiful plus the fall catalogue, which is mailed, with the Christmas issue. The CD and the new Video X will not be mailed until September but you will get the Christmas issue, catalogue and get the CD and Video (if you choose to pay the extra cost) in September.

Can you imagine a CD with 15 machine embroidery designs, 6 antique pictures plus 21 pictures of antique clothes for only an additional $4.99 shipping cost to your subscription? Please call today to subscribe so you won't miss your Christmas Sew Beautiful and the Martha Pullen fall catalog which will be mailed with it. In addition to a spectacular issue, the Christmas Sew Beautiful will have paper dolls (by Teressa Borelli) of my little granddaughter, Morgan Ross, who is featured in the magazine in the Sue Pennington dress with cathedral lace windows on the collar. The directions for making cathedral lace windows will be in this issue. Sew Beautiful subscribers always get special sale offers with every issue. These sales go only to subscribers and are found inside the subscriber copies.

Once again, I thank Cactus Punch, Sulky of America and Martha Pullen Company for underwriting this CD offer. Without their help this offer would probably have been impossible for Sew Beautiful to do. If you want to send a gift subscription to Sew Beautiful, just tell Cindy or LaTonya when you call to send a gift card. We are happy to do this. Don't forget the Vintage Collection CD and the Video X (an hour video) doesn't ship until September.

Video X is one hour long and has the following segments on it: Smocking by Machine, Pleating for Smocking, Embellishing with Scalloped Piping, Organdy Madeira Windowpane, Easy Girl's Dress Placket, Linens to Clothing, and Tips for Fitting. We just filmed it in June when we finished our new series of 26 shows for Martha's Sewing Room for next season. It is time to sign up for the West Coast Sewing Extravaganza in Pasadena, November 14-17, 2001! We have a few places left and we want you to come for the West Coast sewing vacation of a lifetime! Please go to the web site www.marthapullen.com to read the whole schedule.

I better close for now and get over to the Civic Center and the Hilton for the school, which will last until Sunday night. Mama has more laser surgery on her other eye this week for the glaucoma. She always amazes me with her lack of complaining and her rock solid faith. Many of you have written for an update on Suzanne; however, the e-mail communication is not working at this time and the phones don't work either, but I am sure I would have heard if she were not doing well. Thanks for all of your prayers. John and Suzanne are due to arrive back in Huntsville around September 1. I wish every one of you reading this letter could be here at the school this week. I appreciate all of you more than words can express.

May God Bless You and Those You Love,

Martha

INTERNET EMBROIDERY CLUB NEWS

The final "sew outs" of our Christmas CD (available only to the Internet Embroidery Club members for four months) have just arrived. They are gorgeous!!! Our new Christmas CD will be ready for IEC members to purchase around August 15. Members will be informed by a special letter. This is the time to join our IEC if you have not already. Please go to www.marthapullen.com and sign up.

You get so many goodies just for joining, and then the whole year's worth of designs to download. You also get special rates on our new embroidery CD's and other Martha Pullen catalog specials. You also get antique illustrations, articles about sewing and fashion, and antique articles about sewing over the last 100 years. I think you will love the IEC. Please join today for only $59 for the whole year of membership. You can also call David at 800-547-4176 ext. 104 and he will sign you up.

NEW QUILT BOOK - ALMOST READY!!

The new quilt book, "Martha's Quilts," will be ready, I believe, by August 15!! Trust me, you will love this book which features 3 nine-square heirloom quilts and so many others! The cost is only $19.95 plus $5 shipping. It has nineteen projects in all. To place your order call 800-547-4176 ext. 117 to speak with Toni. You can also e-mail her at toni@marthapullen.com with your order and information.

WON'T YOU SIGN UP FOR OUR LONDON TRIP?

The trip to London is filling nicely. What a wonderful group we have going!! We only have 19 or 20 places left and we hope you will decide to go on this trip of a lifetime coming up from November 28-December 7, 2001. Next year (2002) we will not be going to London at Christmastime since we have a trip to Australia planned. The deadline for getting your London Tour registration in is September 1, 2001; however, it would be a good idea to go ahead and register since we can only take a certain number of people. This year's trip is even more wonderful than last year's. Please call 800-547-4176 ext. 109 and speak with Diane Bradshaw. Or e-mail diane@marthapullen.com to receive a brochure. The London trip is a great trip for husbands (or non-sewing relatives or friends) to go along because we are only sewing on one day - we'll be doing other things on all other days. If you love antiquing we are going to some of the greatest flea markets in the world - with real antiques, both inexpensive and expensive. I am especially excited about seeing Queen Victoria's wedding dress and some of her other personal things at Kensington Palace. Her wedding dress will only be on exhibition during this year. Go to http://www.marthapullen.com/Trips/london2001.html

MARTHA PULLEN/PFAFF LICENSED TEACHER WEEK!! OCTOBER 2-9, 2001! A FEW PLACES LEFT AND WE WANT YOU TO COME!!

Please call Kathy McMakin 800-547-4176 ext 108 if you would like more information. If you love Pfaff and have wanted to start your own business teaching sewing, this is the time for you to come on to Huntsville. Go to http://www.marthapullen.com/LicensingPages/teachlic.html

MARTHA PULLEN SCHOOL (I WILL BE TEACHING) IN NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 12-15, 2001!

Please call Altomari Sewing, Inside Joann's at 518-446-0437. If you live in the northeast section of the country, this is your chance to come to one of our of our schools (where I will be teaching for two days).

SCRIPTURE OF THE WEEK

John 3:16

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

On the floor above our new building in Brownsboro, we have a Baptist Church, the Church at Hampton Cove. Brother Keith Miller, one of he pastors, was in my office this week. He told of a church member's having cancer and the church's praying for healing for him. The member told the congregation, "Either way, it is a win-win situation. Either God chooses to heal me and let me live longer here on this wonderful earth or He will heal me by taking me to Heaven." What a mighty God we serve!

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RECIPE OF THE WEEK

QUICK & EASY CHEDDAR BACON DIP - From Angela Pullen

1 16oz. sour cream
1 package ranch dressing mix
1-1/2 cup cheddar cheese - shredded
4 tablespoons real bacon pieces

Combine all ingredients. Serve with crackers (e.g, Air Crisp Ritz or Wheat Thins, or corn chips)

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