SEWING TIP FROM AUSTRALIA

Dear Martha

If you have ladies out there whose bogyman has always been inserting zippers - I mainly prick stitched mine in, that I might get the level of finish I expect - dissolving thread (wash away basting thread) is a wonderful solution. Baste your zip in with large stitches, do a beautiful job of your final stitching, and then dissolve away the basting thread. The result is a neat evenly stitched zip that neither 'bows" nor puckers the fabric.

Best wishes

Katie, from Australia

PERSONAL LETTER FROM MARTHA

Dear Friends,

We are beginning such an exciting week! A brand new class of Viking licensed teachers arrived Sunday to begin their journey of becoming a Martha Pullen/Husqvarna licensed teacher. We have four countries represented: Australia, Canada, Thailand and the United States! Wow!! We have an event-filled week with sewing classes galore, business seminars, pizza and a photography night, more sewing, and more sewing.

I am so excited about our Sew Beautiful Talent Search and I hope you are planning to enter. There will be inexperienced seamstresses entering along with the very experienced. Anyone can enter and we encourage all of you to give it a try. There are so many categories from which to choose: 18" doll clothing to children's and baby's clothing. We would be interested in a little "pre-knowledge" about who is going to enter the contest. By the way, you have plenty of time to sew before mailing in your entries. The entries must arrive in Huntsville between September 15 and October 1, 2001. If you are entering the contest, would you be kind enough to e-mail my daughter, Joanna, who will be in charge of receiving and cataloguing the entries? That way we will "sort of" know how many racks we will need to display the clothing for our judges. Many of you who enter the contest will have your garments featured in Sew Beautiful, and we can't wait to see your creativity. Joanna's e-mail is joanna@marthapullen.com You can title your e-mail, "Talent Search." If you would like to tell her what category or categories you are entering, that is wonderful. If not, just tell her that you are entering the talent search. Please go to www.marthapullen.com and print out all of the entry forms and rules for the contest. You do not have to e-mail Joanna in order to enter.

The Christmas in London tour is full with a long waiting list. Thanks so much for your response - we are thrilled with the group which is going. Our dentist son, Mark, and his wife, Sherry Ann, are going along with Joe and me from our family. Diane Bradshaw, Patty Smith, and Norma and Don Colbath are also going from our staff. It is going to be the trip of a lifetime and I am sorry there are no more places. We are in the very beginning stages of planning our "lots of sewing related things" trip to Australia and New Zealand next August, 2002. In 2003 we are probably traveling to Paris. We are still working on the possibilities of more cruises. To put your name on a list to receive more information about Australia/New Zealand in August, 2002, please e-mail diane@marthapullen.com or call 800-547-4176 ext. 109.

Joe and I truly enjoyed our few days at Gulf Shores and talked a lot about our exciting fall lineup of events and travel. Joe and I have been married for 26 years and I never tire of talking, dreaming, and planning with him. What a blessing he is in my life, both personally and professionally. I am so glad he is retired from dentistry because he works full time with me now -unpaid I might add. I tease him by saying, "You are like American Express - don't leave home without you." He will be traveling with us to Toronto, California, and England -all of my long trips this fall.

My most exciting family news is that John and Suzanne and the children are slated to arrive September 1 for furlough. They will live in Atlanta for their 11 month furlough and I cannot wait to see them. Joanna bought Cecil some little light-up tennis shoes last week-end, and I cannot wait to see if they have a pair big enough for Christopher. He loved his light-up shoes so much when he was here last summer. The girls have requested a "home birthday party" and we are certainly going to have one. Rebekah wants a doll and Sarah Joy wants books. Christopher has not sent his birthday request but I bet it will be a "big truck" since that is his favorite type of toy. The girls have also seen a game boy and thought that would be a wonderful toy also.

Kathy McMakin and I will be traveling to the Pfaff convention in Las Vegas for a couple of days the last of this month. I arrive home on a Friday and John and Suzanne are to arrive the next night. We are looking forward to learning about the new Pfaff machine and to seeing friends from all over the world at the convention. We are also looking forward to the Pfaff teacher licensing here in Huntsville October 2-9! We have a few places left in this Pfaff licensing and we would love to have you come!

I am happy to report that Joe and I worked out at the gym in Gulf Shores every day that we were on vacation. Saturday morning I went to the gym for an hour and then walked about 30 minutes in the neighborhood. I feel so much better when I exercise. I began my concentrated effort on weight loss about this time last year. No caffeine or sugar for about 9 months was my plan. I still leave off caffeine; however, I have a few bites of sugar very infrequently. I have lost, as of yesterday, 14 pounds this year. I had planned to lose 50 but I think 14 is better than gaining. It seems fitting to plan to lose at least another 14 this year. If I would stay with weight watchers I would lost about a pound a week, but I don't seem to have the discipline to do this. I am so proud of those of you who have written me about your exercise and weight loss plans and I encourage each of you to do something to make yourself healthier as we begin this back to school season. I am thinking of enrolling in an adult ballet class at Community Ballet here in Huntsville. As a child, the three outside activities I enjoyed the most were sewing, dancing and Girl Scouts. I am still fully involved in sewing, thank God, and I think the exercise of ballet would be a lot of fun again. I still feel like I am in the Girl Scouts from the "badges" we earned. Every time we start a new book or new television series, I feel a little like I did as a child beginning on a new badge.

I have always loved the back to school season. I am a third generation school teacher. My grandmother, Martha Isabelle Dicus, taught for 42 years in the state of Alabama - most of the time in a one room schoolhouse with 6 grades in her one room. She was also the principal of the school. How I loved to go to school with her when I was a very little girl. Since she taught in rural Alabama, they went to school in July and August and got out for cotton picking vacation in October. Even after I started school myself, I could go with Nannie to school at Temperance Hill during the month of July.

My mother taught 38 years and loved going back to school as much as I did. We sewed clothing for back to school and always purchased two new pairs of school shoes - one was black and one was brown. Those were supposed to last all year and usually did.

My teaching career is still going strong although I have changed from high school and college classrooms to sewing education. I taught my first year at Brownwood Elementary School in a second grade classroom. I was completely out of field but there was a terrible shortage of teachers and at least I had a teaching certificate. I worked so hard that year since I had not had even one elementary teaching course in college. Thank goodness for teaching manuals and prayer.

We are so excited about the new Sew Beautiful subscription offer! At the time you either renew or subscribe we are offering for an extra $4.99 a CD which includes 10 machine embroidery designs of my antique collection, 5 Lindee Goodall machine embroidery designs, 21 of my antique garments photographed with details and 6 of my antique pictures ready to print out for framing or photo transfer onto fabric. If you already have some time left on your current subscription, you will need to renew at the time you order your CD and this will just extend your subscription for another year. The new video is also available for $9.99 (includes shipping) if you want to order it at the same time you renew your subscription or get a new subscription. You choose to purchase either or both of these offers after subscribing to Sew Beautiful for $27.99 for the year's subscription. Both of the special subscription offers will be shipped in September, 2001. Please call 800-547-4176 ext. 116 or 115 to order your subscription plus the special offers. Cactus Punch has digitized all 15 of the machine embroidery designs, and three companies have underwritten this special CD making it affordable for us to offer to Sew Beautiful subscribers. Thanks to Cactus Punch, Sulky of America and Martha Pullen Company for underwriting this CD. You can also e-mail cindy@marthapullen.com to subscribe. Be sure to include all of your details in the e-mail. E-mail us for information concerning international costs on these specials. Prices given in this paragraph are for US subscribers only. International subscribers need to e-mail cindy@marthapullen.com to get her to send international subscription and mailing prices. Remember, you must renew or get a new subscription AT THE TIME YOU ORDER YOUR SPECIAL OFFERS; CURRENT SUBSCRIBERS WILL HAVE TO RENEW TO GET THESE SPECIAL OFFERS. The price to be able to order these special offers is $27.99 plus $4.99 for the CD plus $9.99 for the video. No other special subscription price offers can be used if you order either the CD or the Video or both. You can order just the subscription alone; the subscription plus the CD; or the subscription plus the CD plus the Video.

The Dress Me Gotz baby dolls are ready TO ORDER! Delivery will begin mid to late October, 2001, but many people like to get their orders in so they will get the lowest possible number. I personally sign each doll and each doll is numbered. We have four baby dolls - Sarah, Alex, Sydney and Rebekah. Please go to the web site http://www.marthapullen.com to get more information on the dolls and to order. Or call 800-547-4176 ext. 117 or 119. Your credit card will not be charged until the week the dolls are being shipped. Each doll will come with a "play with" day gown and pantaloons plus a wonderful book of baby doll patterns so you can make gorgeous clothing for your doll. The dolls are 21" and 16" tall. They are gorgeous and so much fun to play with! The dress me baby dolls pattern book has so many adorable patterns. There are many day gowns - smocked and French sewn. There are boy outfits as well as girl outfits. I figure that the Alex and Sydney dolls can be either a boy or a girl depending on which you want it to be. There is a gorgeous doll day gown which has a Madeira appliqué border on the bottom and the most spectacular doll christening gown with curved puffing on the skirt. Actually many of the doll clothes from this book could be adapted to baby clothes if you want to. The smaller size doll clothes can also be used to make preemie clothing for babies. I think you will really like the doll clothes pattern book coming with the baby dolls.

Don't forget that the Dress Me Martha, Mary and Joanna dolls are almost gone. Please order yours if you have not already. I don't want you to be disappointed when they are gone. They will not be re-ordered. The cost of these dolls is $79 plus $8 shipping. You can see all of the dolls by going to http://www.marthapullen.com. Mary, Martha and Joanna also come with a "play with" doll dress and a book of beautiful doll patterns ready for you to sew her some really beautiful clothing.

The quilt book, Martha's Quilts, should be ready to ship THIS WEEK! If you haven't already ordered, please call Toni, 800-547-4176 ext. 117, and we will get your order processed. It is a fabulous book with many different types of quilts, many of which have machine embroidery. The price is only $19.95 plus shipping. There are three nine-square heirloom quilts as well as 14 other quilts.

We have a few places left in the Pfaff licensing October 2-9, 2001! We would love for you to join us if you would like to become a Martha Pullen/Pfaff Licensed Teacher. Kathy and I are also going to the Pfaff convention in Las Vegas at the end of this month. We can't wait to see the new machine! Our Bernina teacher licensing is January 11-17, 2002. We have another Viking licensing February 15-21, 2002, but it is full - you can still put your name on a waiting list. We have another Viking licensing June 24-30, 2002. We have a Janome teacher licensing November 17-23, 2002. Please call Kathy McMakin at 800-547-4176 ext 108 for more information to be mailed to you. You can also e-mail her at mcmakin@marthapullen.com

For those of you who subscribe to Sew Beautiful, a new catalog will be mailed at the end of August in the magazine. Don't forget to use your mail in coupons in the back of the catalog for some special values. For subscribers only, there is a special sale sheet inserted into each magazine. I have just gone over the final color proofs of the Christmas Sew Beautiful (being printed now) and it is the most beautiful Christmas issue we have ever had. It is packed with patterns, ideas, and beautiful photo shoots. Please go ahead and subscribe, TODAY, to get the special offers and the most beautiful Christmas Sew Beautiful we have ever had.

May God Bless You and Those You Love,

Martha

Reminder Dates:

-I will be teaching in Albany, New York on September 12-15th at the Altomari Sewing Center, located inside Joann's ETC, 1440 Central Ave., Albany, NY 12205. Call 518-446-0437 to register for the classes.

-Martha's Sewing Market, Orlando, Florida, January 24-26, 2002. Market Admission is only $15 plus tax per day. All classes at the market are free after paying the $15 admission. Martha's Sit and Sew -January 22 or 23 - choose one day of sit and sew if you want to do this. The sit and sew this year will be one brand new 3 hour class taught in the morning by Martha Pullen and one brand new 3 hour class taught in the afternoon by Kathy McMakin. The cost for the one day sit and sew is $125 which includes the two class sessions, kits, lunch and more fun than you can ever imagine. Machines will be provided unless you prefer to bring your own. E-mail diane@marthapullen.com for more information and to register.

-Christian "How to Start a Business Seminar" - at Whitesburg Baptist Church's Women's Conference, September 20-22, 2001 in Huntsville, AL. I will be doing an hour seminar on both Friday and Saturday on starting your own business. If you are interested in more information about this wonderful Christian women's conference, please call 256-881-0952 (that is the church number) and they will be happy to send you a brochure. The name of the conference is 2001: A Faith Odyssey. The cost for the conference is $75 if you attend the concert with Chandra Pierce, Christian comedienne on Thursday night. If you only want to attend the classes on Friday and Saturday, the cost is $60.

E-MAIL SALE OF THE WEEK!! AUGUST 29-27, 2001!! $67.35 value for $39.95!! (plus shipping)

I have chosen some of my very favorite things for heirloom sewing for your sale of the week. For only $39.95 plus $8 shipping) (the cost of the lace shaping board alone) you will receive the June Tailor lace shaping board, a box of Patchwork Glass Head Pins ($6.25 retail), a Dixon Pencil ($1.20) for marking on the fabric with pencil like precisions, plus the book, Making Memories ($19.95) containing lots of projects with which to use your lace shaping board, your glass head pins and your Dixon pencil. If purchased separately the cost would be $67.35. We are sending you the whole package for $39.95 plus $8 shipping for a total of $47.95! This is for one week only so please call 800-547-4176 ext. 2 today or e-mail toni@marthapullen.com with all of your information.

INTERNET EMBROIDERY CLUB NEWS

For those of you in the IEC you have two special surprises put up last week. A second digitizing of the cutwork design with just outlining and your very first antique picture to download and print out. I purchased this picture in England and the date reads 1914. It is the cutest little girl holding an umbrella with lots of antique toys surrounding her. I especially love her blue and white striped knee socks and her tremendous bows in her hair. 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 September 1, 2001. 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. If you join the IEC this Christmas CD which is fabulous will be available to you for only $49 rather than the regular price of $90 beginning in January 2002 for non-IEC members. You get so many goodies just for joining, and then the whole year's worth of designs to download. You will 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. A membership in the IEC would be a great Christmas present for those of you who have friends or family who love to sew and embroider.

TO CONTACT US

To contact one of our departments, choose from this list:

orders@marthapullen.com (for order questions) subscriptions@marthapullen.com (for Sew Beautiful subscriptions) embroidery@marthapullen.com (Internet Embroidery Club questions) editorial@marthapullen.com (for Sew Beautiful content) schools@marthapullen.com (for School of Art Fashion) licensing@marthapullen.com (for teacher licensing questions) markets@marthapullen.com (for our sewing markets) tours@marthapullen.com (for our trips!) sewingroom@marthapullen.com (for sewing questions) marthap@marthapullen.com (for personal letters to Martha Pullen)

SCRIPTURE OF THE WEEK

In church this morning a visiting pastor from Ohio, Terry Fields, spoke. I am using part of his message in this week's letter. He brought an outstanding message.

Matthew 5:14-16 14 You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in Heaven.

Rev. Fields (from Ohio) said, "If God has done something wonderful, let people know." He talked about the "YOU" being the light of the world not someone else. He told a cute joke about solid gold phone booths all over the northern and western parts of the United States. He said there were signs on the northern and western solid gold phone booths stating, "$10,000 a minute to call Heaven." When the visitor arrived in the south there was a sign stating, "25 cents to call anywhere." The visitor asked about heaven and the phone booth attendant said, "Sure, 25 cents will do it. In the South, heaven is a local call." What incredible news that talking to heaven and God the Father, Himself, is FREE and not just in the South! I thought about how wonderful it is that we can indeed "talk with God" FREE anytime we want to. What a glorious blessing. To think that He does indeed listen to me is beyond my wildest imagination if I stopped to analyze it. I am glad I don't need to analyze anything that the Bible tells me is true. I just accept it and thank God for this book of instructions for living a joyous life no matter what my circumstances.

Luke 18:1 "Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up."

Rev. Fields told us to "be a bright light in a dark world." He repeated the great commission command to "go and tell the world." He also said that "going and telling" meant every one of us, not just missionaries. He concluded the service by having the whole congregation sing, "This Little Light of Mine." I remember that song so very well from my Sunday School days in Scottsboro. On one of the verses we sang, "Shine all over Scottsboro, I'm going to let it shine." I haven't sung that song since I was a child and it had a whole new meaning when I sang it again this morning as an adult who loves the Lord more than anything else in my life.



RECIPE OF THE WEEK

CASHEW COLE SLAW

Combine:

one half medium head cabbage, grated
1 10 oz. Pkg. small frozen peas, defrosted only
one half cup green onions with tops, chopped
one fourth lb. Bacon, cooked & crumbled (I use the 50% reduced fat bacon pieces in the jar)

Whip together:

Two thirds cup Mayonnaise (Hellmann's)
One third cup sour cream
One fourth teaspoon celery salt
One fourth C. prepared Good Seasons Italian salad dressing

Measure out:

1 cup roasted, salted cashews

Combine all and serve immediately. Serves 8

Brewton, AL Hospital Auxiliary Cookbook Barbara Bankston Strain

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