TWO SEWING TIPS FOR THIS WEEK!

FIRST TIP: FROM KAREN FAYLOR

Dear Martha,
In sewing directions the buttonholes are usually one of the last tasks to be completed. Sometimes my buttonholer would get hung up on that top buttonhole or on any buttonhole near a seam because of the extra fullness. While making a baby daygown yesterday I removed the pattern from the two back pieces and folded in the facings according to the pattern directions. Then I made my buttonholes on a nice flat piece of fabric. I allowed for the seam allowance at the neckline, it went together beautifully and the buttonholes were perfect

SECOND TIP; FROM SANDIE PUGH, Federal Way, WA

Hello Martha;
I just received the wonderful little bluebird embroidery of the month and am in love with it! I sew out new designs on 100% plain beige/white cotton to see what they look like and then put them in my sewing drawer and later use them as quilt labels. It’s wonderful to have an assortment ready and all I have to do is take my pigma pen and complete the label and sew or fuse it onto my quilt.

Dear Friends,
We have had some wonderful family parties since John and Suzanne arrived home. They are in Mama's house in Scottsboro for a few months. They decided to stay there for a longer time since they love Scottsboro so very much. Mama is doing well and has loved having John and his family at home. John has started speaking at world missions conferences and has two in Brandon, Mississippi, this month. Suzanne is busy home schooling the girls and taking care of Christopher, who is only four.

With the wonderful sewing tip this week being to stitch out your embroidery designs and use them to label quilts, I began thinking about the joys of machine embroidery and all the ways to use it. I remember when beautiful clothing had a beautiful label. I think it would be precious to machine embroider something beautiful in the hem of a child's skirt hem (before it is hemmed) with the name of the child and the name of the person who made the garment. Remember how dearly children love machine embroidery. The machine embroidery is so cute embroidered on the seats of little girls' underwear. I used to hand cross stitch something on the bottom of all of Joanna's white cotton panties. It is also cute to make matching panties for all of the little dresses you make for your little girls. I used to purchase those double seated cotton panties for Joanna and embroider to my heart's content. With machine embroidery this embellishment is certainly much easier.

There was a time when all fine household linens were embroidered. Purchsed dish towels, bath towels, and bed linens make wonderful places to stitch your beloved machine embroidery designs. To make a very inexpensive and fabulous Christmas gift purchase white pillowcases and embroider a matching set for your family or favorite friends. For an even more special gift, also embroider the fold back portion of a beautiful sheet. Of course, the sheets don't necessarily have to be white.

One of the greatest ideas for machine embroidery is to stitch the design onto felt, cut it out, and hand stitch (or lightly machine stitch with invisible thread) to a sweater. With our new and very popular (thanks to you IEC members) new Christmas CD, there are so many designs to make either a very sophisticated lady's Christmas sweater or a cute child's Christmas sweater. Marlis Bennett, a Bernina educator, wrote the cutest article for the new Christmas Sew Beautiful magazine showing you how to make a Christmas sweater doing just this. Please go to the web site to see the front and back cover of the new Christmas CD! It is beyond fabulous. There are some gorgeous Christmas balls which are very unusual. There are two beautiful Santa's plus the cutest cat in a crazy patch stocking! You just won't believe the details on this stocking. Anyway, if you are a member of the IEC you can purchase this Christmas CD at $49 which is a steal. If you are not a member of the IEC, you can join today and receive the beautiful Victorian alphabet, plus all of the monthly designs dating back to January, plus purchase some of our CD's at this greatly discounted price.

Another idea (which Marlis Bennett also gave me a couple of years ago) is to stitch machine embroidered designs to put in scrapbooks. You can stitch them on felt to cut out and put on each page of a scrapbook and make a real theme of machine embroidery plus your own family photos and other treasures. It would be so cute to use Mommy's Helpers for a scrapbook about little girls. For a baby scrapbook, Bunnies by the Bay would be beyond adorable. Those little bees and ladybugs would be so cute to scatter around any page of any scrapbook. Cecil had on the cutest little pink smocked dress yesterday with one bunny from Bunnies by the Bay stitched on the skirt, a little bumblebee stitched on the collar and a bunny stitched on the matching panties.

Another of the greatest ideas for machine embroidery is to make a quilt designed especially for machine embroidery. In our new book, Martha's Quilts, we have done just that on 11 of the 17 quilts. Some are larger quilts and some are wall hanging type quilts. You know that I adore machine embroidery and want to create many wonderful places for you to use your beautiful designs.

Most of us collect things, and I am now beginning to collect machine embroidery designs. They will be just as beautiful in the years to come as they are now. Some people collect teapots, some little boxes, some dolls and some other things. (Actually, I collect all of these things except teapots.) I can't think of a nicer thing to collect than machine embroidery designs.

The beautiful imported linen towels we are offering to the IEC members on your special web page are the perfect place to use your machine emboridery. Discount stores have woven dishtowels which are the perfect background for your embroidery. Of course, bath towels embroidered with monograms are beyond elegant. You might want to use the gorgeous flower antique alphabet we give as a "joining" gift to the IEC. I will let the cat out of the bag a little early on a secret. It is NOT TIME to renew your subscription to the IEC, but we do have not one but TWO ANTIQUE ALPHABETS as your gift for joining for 2002. We will let you know when you can renew for 2002!

We have three new antique blouses on the antique garment portion photograph of the web site. They are beautiful with wonderful details. I think you will be pleased with them.

If you would like to see the embroidery designs from the CD which you can get if you subscribe or renew (for only $4.99 handling and shipping over the cost of the subscription) to our fabulous magazine, Sew Beautiful, please go to the Sew Beautiful portion of the web site and look! You will love the antique designs which I have had reproduced, as well as the five designs Lindee Goodall contributed. I would like to thank Cactus Punch, Sulky of America and Martha Pullen Company for underwriting this project.
I will see many of you later this week in Albany, New York. If you are interested in joining our sewing class, please call Altomari Sewing, inside Joann's ETC, at 518-446-0437. We are going to have lots of fun.

I will also be at the Creative Sewing Needlwork Festival in Toronto, Canada, October 19-22, 2001. Their web address is http://www.csnf.com if you would like more information. Read more below about our first Martha's West Coast School in Pasadena, CA, November 14-17, 2001. We only have a few places left, and it is truly going to be so very exciting. Call 800-547-4176 ext. 105 to sign up. This school information is also on the web site. Our Huntsville February school is filling fast. Plese call to reserve your school so you won't be disappointed. We can't wait for all of these occasions.

If you want to become a Martha Pullen Licensed teacher we have several dates! Pfaff is October 2-8, 2001; Bernina is January 11-17, 2002; Viking in February is full but we have another Viking from June 24-30, 2002. Janome is November 17-23, 2002. Call 800-547-4176 ext 108 for more information or e-mail mcmakin@marthapullen.com We have just a few places left in the Pfaff and the Bernina licensings.

Our Christmas in London plans are well underway and we are expecting to have another fabulous time this year. We do still have one spot available if any of you would like to join us for this fabulous trip of a lifetime. Please call Diane Bradshaw at 800-547-4176, ext. 109 for more information.

Thanks again for letting me visit with you in your home every week. I consider this a very great privilege. Please send me your sewing tips and recipes; my personal e-mail is marthap@marthapullen.com Don't forget that we have a message board (with the diet club in full swing on the message board) as well as a prayer board on the web site. I can't wait to see your entries in the Sew Beautiful Talent Search.

May God Bless You and Those You Love,
Martha


SEW BEAUTIFUL TALENT SEARCH-ENTRIES ARRIVE BETWEEN SEPTEMBER 15 AND
OCTOBER 1, 2001!!!

I am so excited about our Sew Beautiful Talent Search and I hope you are planning to enter. The entries must arrive in Huntsville between September 15 and October 1, 2001. Many of you who enter the contest will have your garments featured in Sew Beautiful, and we can't wait to see your creativity. Please go to http://www.marthapullen.com and print out all of the entry forms and rules for the contest. Be sure to insure your packages on your home owners or get extra insurance if you need to when you send your packages. Be sure you print out all of the entry forms necessary off of the web site and send all forms with your entry. We cannot accept any entry which does not have all of the proper forms and signatures. We can't wait to see your entry and we are so excited.

SALE OF THE WEEK! BLOUSE BOOKS PERFECT FOR MACHINE EMBROIDERY!
(September 10-17, 2001 ONLY)

In addition to these machine embroidery ideas in the letter, we have two beautiful women's blouse books which were designed specifically with machine or hand embroidery. The Australian blouse has a panel down the front, perfect for machine embroidery. The New Zealand blouse has a beautiful rounded yoke, perfect for machine embroidery. Both patterns come sized from 6-28. The regular price for each of these books is $19.95 each. If you order one of these books (this week only) you can have each of them for $14.95 plus $5 shipping. If you order both of these books you can have them both for $29.95 plus $5 shipping. If you order both books, I will also send our home decorating book from the 1100 and 1200 series of Martha's Sewing Room (value $12.99) for an additional $6. This home decorating book has more than 25 home projects, many of which are suitable for machine embroidery. The total packages for this week's sale are: one book = $19.95 (includes shipping); two blouse books = $34.95 (includes shipping); two blouse books plus home decorating book = $40.95 (includes shipping). Please call 800-547-4176 ext. 2 to order any of this week's specials.


PASADENA, CALIFORNIA MARTHA PULLEN SCHOOL IS FILLING FAST!
NOVEMBER 14-17,2001!

November 14-17, 2001, we are coming with our 20th anniversary Celebration school to CALIFORNIA at the Pasadena Convention Center! I AM SO EXCITED! I LOVE CALIFORNIA AND THIS IS OUR FIRST BIG SCHOOL OUT THERE! We have a GREAT group already signed up for the school, and we want YOU to come also. Won't you come for our first BIG Martha Pullen School on the West Coast? We have six of the world's best heirloom sewing teachers - all of whom will teach you a class. Kits, lunches, classes and tons of fun while learning are all furnished for the total cost of only $625, the same price as our four day school here in Huntsville! Please call 800-547-4176 ext. 105 or 106 to register. Only $100 holds your place for you. The rest of your class fee will be charged in October. We have a few places left, but space is limited! We are thrilled that this event is underwritten by Husqvarna/Viking! They will furnish a brand new machine for each person to sew on, so you don't have to bring your own sewing machines.

MARTHA'S SEWING MARKET IN ORLANDO, FL - JANUARY 24-26, 2002
MARTHA'S PRE-DAY SIT AND SEW - TUESDAY, JANUARY 22 OR WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 23, 2002

It is time to make your plans to attend our Sewing Market that will again be in Orlando, Florida, at the Tupperware Convention Center on January 24-26, 2002. We will have lots of great sewing vendors and exhibitors from all over the country. There will be all sorts of sewing products, fabrics, patterns, books and supplies for sale, plus each day you can choose to attend any of our 70 different lecture/demo seminars that are absolutely FREE, after you purchase your $15 (plus sales tax) ticket for that day. Call now 800-547-4176, ext. 109 to order your tickets at a discounted price.

Also, join Martha on Wednesday, February 23rd, before the Orlando Sewing Market opens, for a specially offered all day "SIT AND SEW WITH MARTHA." Class space has limited availability so call now (1-800-547-4176, ext. 109) to pre-register with a credit card. Martha will teach a linen tea towel project with heart lace shaping and Madeira appliqué for the morning session. The afternoon project, a tie-on pillow top made of white Victorian batiste and peach silk dupioni with a Celtic lace shaped design of white lace insertion and edging, will be taught by Kathy McMakin. This all-day class will include lunch and kits for both projects for a fee of $125.00. You may bring your own sewing machine or reserve one from the machine companies. Don't miss out on the fun a day before the Sewing Market begins on Thursday, Jan. 24. We will take registrations for the Wednesday Sit and Sew Class first (limited to the first 100 registrants). Only when this class fills will we begin taking registration for another class on Tuesday, January 22rd.

HUNTSVILLE SCHOOL OF ART FASHION, FEBRUARY 2-10, 2002!

We are having a huge response to our February school here in Huntsville. Please call as soon as possible to get your place in the schools in which we still have a vacancy. Several of the schools are filled but we still have A FEW places in most of the schools. Pre-day classes for the February school begin on Sunday, February 2, and run through Wednesday, February 6, 2002. The school is February 7-10, 2002. For your first choice of classes and pre-day classes, please call as soon as possible, 800-547-4176 ext. 105 for Louise Baird (our school director) or Hilda Wright ext. 106 (assistant director). Please go to the web site to see the schedule and make your selections.

I WILL PRESENT A STARTING YOUR BUSINESS SEMINAR in Huntsville
"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-long 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 cost for the conference is $75.

INTERNET EMBROIDERY CLUB NEWS-TWO DESIGNS FOR SEPTEMBER!!

If you belong to the IEC, once again this month you have received not one but two beautifully digitized embroidery designs. I have received so many letters about the beautiful blue bird design; I think you will be pleased with the cherry branch design made especially to go with the blue bird. Either one of these will be perfect to be used seperately also.

Our new Christmas CD is ready to purchase TODAY for Internet Embroidery Club Members! If you would like to see the front and back covers of this CD, please go to the web site, http://www.marthapullen.com You can look at the Christmas CD even if you are not a member. If you are a member of the IEC, please go to the web site and purchase on our secured orderline. At this time this gorgeous Christmas CD is only available to IEC members.

If you would like to become a member of the IEC, please go to http://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. 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)


SEW BEAUTIFUL CD AND NEW VIDEO OFFERS!!

We are so excited about the new Sew Beautiful subscription offer! At the time you either renew or subscribe, we are offering 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 for an extra $4.99. If you already have some time left on your current subscription, you will need to renew at the time you order your CD. 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 can 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 begin shipping in September, 2001. Please call 800-547-4176 ext. 116 or 115 to order your subscription plus the special offers. 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.

DRESS ME BABY DOLLS!! SHIPPING LATE OCTOBER!! ORDER NOW FOR LOWEST NUMBERS
POSSIBLE!!

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 several day gowns - smocked and French sewn. There are boy outfits as well as girl outfits. There is a gorgeous smocked doll day gown which has a Madeira appliqué border on the bottom and the most spectacular doll christening gown with curved puffing and hearts 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.

DRESS ME MARTHA, MARY AND JOANNA 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.

SCRIPTURE OF THE WEEK

Psalm 55: 22
22 Give your worries to the Lord, and He will take care of you. He will
never let good people down.

I know many of you are suffering at this time. I am reminded not only with this scripture but with all of the Bible that God's grace is sufficient to meet all of our needs. He has never let me down and I need to rely on Him more each day. Sometimes I try to "fix" my problems with worry and my own human planning. I certainly need to work hard but I need to lean on God instead of worrying. God is sovereign and perfect.

Max Lucado is one of my favorite Christian writers and I lean on him for much inspiration in getting through my daily life. If you have never read any of his books, you might want to do so. Max Lucado says in The Inspirational Bible, "Has any good ever come out of any worrying that you've ever done? Worry only compartmentalizes us and makes us unable to do what we set out to do. If you are worried about a problem, what you need to do is simply trust the Lord and do good. The word worry comes from a word that means "to divide." When you worry, you divide your energy. Do you worry? I worry about you if you don't worry! All of us worry, but we shouldn't."

RECIPE OF THE WEEK
Black Bean Salsa Dip
15 oz. black beans, rinsed
1 cup salsa
One fourth cup green or red onion, chopped
One fourth cup red bell pepper, chopped
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 avocado
1 tablespoon olive oil
One half teaspoon chopped garlic
2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
1 teaspoon cumin

Combine all ingredients; except for avocado. Chill and when ready to serve add chopped avocado. Serve with chips of your choice.This dip will last for several days without the avocado.

RECIPE TIP INSPIRED BY LAST WEEK'S RECIPE!

When I saw your recipe for Ritz peanut butter treats I just had to write. I have been making, for several Christmases now, a treat that is very similar, but also I think simpler. I take the mini Ritz bites that already have the peanut butter spread between two crackers and dip them into melted chocolate. I then place the dipped cookies on cookie trays lined with wax paper and sprinkle them with Christmas Cookie sprinkles. They look festive, everyone loves them and they are so simple to make with no baking. - Debi Reese

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