PLEASE FORGIVE A LITTLE BLOOPER ON THE BACK COVER OF SEW BEAUTIFUL

LETTERS ABOUT THE NEW SEW BEAUTIFUL FROM OUR MESSAGE BOARD at www.marthapullen.com (Please visit our message board. It is fabulous.)

"I stayed home from work because I slipped on the ice (winter comes early in Wisconsin) and hurt my back. Dh came in from the mailbox and dropped my issue on my lap. Just what I needed. Didn't help the pain, but a welcome diversion! I won't spoil it for others, but I will say that I cried at both the first and the last articles. And, wow, there are a lot of talented ladies on this forum. I'm proud to say I know you gals!!! Judy"

"Every mystery dress is fabulous. Congrats to all-- Margy S. the dress is outstanding. Martha's touching tribute is dedicated to the memory of Blair, the cover girl for the July SB. Blair passed away on July 25, 2003 after a 3 year battle with cancer. Martha's tribute is so touching. Thank you Martha for letting us be a part of St Jude."

"Mine came today. Breathtaking issue! Can't wait to take a closer look!"

OUR MARTHA PULLEN SEWING FAMILY CONTRIBUTION TO ST. JUDE THROUGH OCTOBER 15, 2003: $30,742, Praise the Lord! And thank you very very much!

The October check presentation ceremony at St. Jude hospital in Memphis announced that our Sew Beautiful Sewing Family had given a $30,192 donation. I had been given another $550 from more sewing family friends the week we traveled to Memphis that I gave to St. Jude. So our total for the first part of our fund raising was $30,742. I thank each of you who made donations to our St. Jude special section on the St. Jude web site, to those of you who purchased the St. Jude machine embroidery CD and to those of you who purchased Hancock St. Jude Fabrics. I thank Cactus Punch who digitized the St. Jude CD at absolutely no charge to Martha Pullen Company. I might add that Hancock Fabrics raised over $1,000,000 this year for St. Jude. Wow! What an outstanding contribution from Hancock employees and Hancock customers. We will continue to send donations on every St. Jude CD sold and I know that many of you are continuing to donate to the website. If you do not get Sew Beautiful magazine, and you would like to read our tribute to Blair, our cover girl for the July Sew Beautiful magazine, please click here to read my "Dear Friends" letter.

WHAT ARE WE DOING FOR OUR SUBSCRIBERS TO SEW BEAUTIFUL MAGAZINE? TONS! AND WE WANT YOU TO SUBSCRIBE (IF YOU DON'T ALREADY!) AND GIVE A GIFT SUBSCRIPTION TO SEW BEAUTIFUL TO A FRIEND WHO LOVES TO SEW! ONLY $23.99 (US price) FOR A YEAR OF SEW BEAUTIFUL MAGAZINE PLUS SEW MUCH MORE! (Price is more for international subscriptions. You can order online or by calling 800-547-4176 ext. 116. For our international subscriptions, you can order online or call 800-547-4176 ext. 115.

1. Subscribers get a FREE INTERNET CLUB (the SBIC, not the IEC) - just for subscribing! Subscriber's internet club members get a FREE machine embroidery design, FREE projects, FREE patterns, and FREE hand embroidery designs six times per year - the months when you don't get your Sew Beautiful in the mail.
2. We'll send a gift card.
3. Sew Beautiful has a total of 148 pages!
4. Subscribers get 6 issues of Sew Beautiful for only $23.99 ($36 on the newsstand), special sales, 3 Martha Pullen catalogues mailed a year, one hour video for only $9.99, sub for only $23.99! PLEASE COMPARE THIS price to other magazine subscriptions which are $32.99 per year and up to subscribe. One beautiful Australian magazine is over $60 for a six issue subscription.

WHAT'S IN YOUR BRAND NEW SEW BEAUTIFUL!!

The "Mystery Dress" with 17 variations (made by people all over the country) is in your next Sew Beautiful. The multi-sized (6-14) pattern - a copy of one of my antique dresses - is included. An adorable multi-sized pattern including instructions on making a child's sweater jacket from an adult sweater (you will love it!). A pattern for a gorgeous rounded corner table runner and instructions on making this "inside rounded corner" with rick rack. Two smocking plates, one duplicate stitch design, 2 embroidery designs and stitch keys, one lace shaping and bias shaping templates, 3 smocking and embroidery stitch techniques, one shadow work monogram alphabet, one tatting design, 5 new construction techniques, two quilt articles, a pictorial of 8 graduation dresses from Memphis, 7 heirloom flower girl dresses pictorial, and Theresa Borelli paper dolls. The quilt article is on preserving precious family memories on a photo transfer quilt or wall hanging. One is a wedding photo wall hanging for a dear grandmother and the other a collage-style quilt with precious family photos. One of the smocking technique articles teaches how to graph any letter for smocking!! Much, much more is included - these are some of the highlights!

HISTORICAL SEWING TIP FOR THE WEEK From The Modern Priscilla, November, 1917

The title of the article is "Cutwork Tablecloths with Napkins to Match"

"Special occasions call for special linens, and it is very trying to a careful housekeeper if she finds herself lacking the correct cloth when she wishes to entertain. Although cutwork is generally considered difficult, this pattern offers no such obstacle, for it is composed almost entirely of narrow buttonholing that any one can do, the thread is run along the stamped lines and the bars put in as this running is done, then another thread is run just inside the first and the buttonhole stitches taken over these two threads as a foundation – the flower centers are padded satin stitch. Either of these napkins may be used with the cloths shown. The napkin at the left is scalloped all around and ornamented with cutwork I one corner. The one at the right is hemstitched and stamped with a decorative cutwork design."

Note from Martha: Cutwork is indeed gorgeous on linens. An idea you might want to use for some of your own plain napkins is to machine embroider cutwork designs on them. Then, you have new, elegant linens. We have two gorgeous cutwork machine embroidery CDs with the 4" X 4" designs which are perfect for embroidering napkins as well as putting machine embroidery on a plain tablecloth which you already have. If you are considering Christmas gift embroidery, you might want to purchase some of our ready-made imported linen napkins. We also have a beautiful bridge cloth size tablecloth which would be beautiful with cutwork. IMPORTED LINENS TO EMBROIDER ON: Please click here to see some "ready to embroider" linens we have for you to embroider for your own home or for Christmas gifts.

COMMENTS ON THE NEW IEC ANTIQUE REDWORK ALPHABETS FOR 2004 MEMBERSHIP (From the message board at www.marthapullen.com)

"Aren't the new alphabets for 2004 club just wonderful? I was very impressed with them. They will make the cutest quilts......I have been so pleased with the quality of Martha's Internet club. I must admit I haven't used much yet, but that is for lack of time on my part and not lack of quality. I will have to renew early just to play with them!"

"I thought it would be so cute to make a cloth alphabet book for my little cousin! Each page could have a different letter. What a good incentive to get my embroidery machine fixed!"

Please click here to join the IEC for 2004 and get your antique redwork alphabets - one in redwork and one filled in with color.

PLEASE SEND SEWING TIPS AND/OR CHRISTMAS GIFT SEWING IDEAS TO mcpullen@marthapullen.com THANKS!!

Dear Sewing Family,

  It just does not seem possible that we are headed to California this week for our West Coast Sewing Extravaganza! We absolutely cannot wait to see all of you and have the time of our lives!! Thank you for having an absolutely sold out school! Don't forget that if you missed getting in on this Pasadena school you can come to our school in February in Huntsville. Click here for a complete brochure. I'll tell you all about Pasadena in next week's newsletter. Next week, my newsletter will probably be one day late! It will probably arrive Tuesday night rather than Monday night. Just wanted to inform you so you won't be worried that I have forgotten you or that your computer did not receive the letter.

  In planning this year's new Martha Pullen machine embroidery CDs as well as the IEC embroidery designs as well as the Gift of the Month designs as well as the Sew Beautiful Subscriber's embroidery designs, I would like some input. Please send me suggestions concerning:
1. how large you want the designs
2. topics of art you would like
3. what you like designs put on
4. whether you prefer antique or "new" looking art
5. whatever you want.

  Would you like some designs which are very elaborate and could be used for pictures to frame? Do you like stories which can be embroidered on denim shirts? Do you want antique designs? Do you want designs for table linens, napkins, towels, children's casual clothing, women's dress clothing, or women's casual shirts? Do you want designs for appliqué? Do you want to incorporate more machine embroidery into quilts; if so, what would you like? Where do you use machine embroidery, primarily? What kinds of gifts do you make using machine embroidery? What do you think are the "missing pieces" in machine embroidery art? Where do you want to use machine embroidery? Are you scrap booking with your machine embroidery? If so, what do you need to make your scrapbooks using your photographs of your family. Please send me e-mails of what you want, and your wishes will certainly be considered in our planning for next year. Please put the title of your e-mail "machine embroidery ideas." Some of you have read this request on our message board from the web site and have sent valuable suggestions. We need more.

  As many of you know there is a very active Red Hat Society in this country. You have to be 50 years old to join a chapter and you have to wear a purple dress and a red hat. In looking through my old magazines this week I found that red hats are nothing new. I loved this paragraph from The Delineator, June 1903, that is over 100 years ago. The title of the article is "The Fashions of London Dress and Gossip of Paris."

"Another hat is in pepper red straw; it turns up at one side over a bow of pepper red satin dotted in velvet, and a solid red veil must be worn with it. The costume for which it has been chosen is in the new voile de soie with a heavy plaid design in pepper red plaid. It is made with a pleated skirt set onto a yoke under a band of red stitched taffetas which is repeated on the bolero. Black and white, has, except for half mourning, completely disappeared."

  I have a dishwashing tip from my daughter-in-law, Sherry Ann, Mark's wife. Several weeks ago when we were eating dinner with them, she had a pan with lots of "stuff" cooked on it. She said, "Don't worry about scrubbing it, I'll soak it overnight with dishwashing liquid in it and it will be ready for the dishwasher tomorrow." Well, yesterday morning, Joe cooked himself a pork chop and he really cooked it. He had put butter in the pan and the whole kitchen smelled like it was about ready to burn. You can just imagine what my Teflon pan looked like. I scrubbed with my kitchen scrubber and it did not come clean. Then, I remembered what Sherry Ann had said, and as I left the house I put a little bit of dishwasher liquid in the pan with some water. Last night when I arrived home, it was completely "ungunked" and ready for the dishwasher. Just call me Heloise.

  Joe and I indeed got to the gym three mornings this week. I can truly tell you that I feel so much better when I exercise. I found out that our regular 5:30am class will begin, next week, at 5:15 rather than 5:30. Gulp. Oh, well. I am still not eating sugar but have not lost much more weight since I have not been watching the carbs as carefully as I should. I also feel so much better when I don't eat sugar.

  The first half of the Martha Campbell doll order is here from Germany and has been shipped to those who placed orders! They are truly gorgeous. We are still waiting on the last half of the order. Don't worry if you have one on order and have not received yours. We just shipped the first ones out this week but a couple of people wrote on the message board about receiving their dolls. (Lib wrote, "SHE'S HERE AND SHE'S GORGEOUS!" Margy wrote, "I got mine yesterday too! I almost hate to have to put her back in the box until Christmas! (She is a Christmas present for my 10 yr old daughter.") This doll is limited to 400 worldwide and we only have about 70 left that are not already sold. We are including a basic to the waist pattern - no embellishment just skirt, sleeves and to the waist bodice - with each Martha Campbell doll in case any of you want to sew a fabulous wardrobe for her before Christmas.

REMINDERS FOR THE WEEK:
1. Register for Martha's Quilt Conference in Orlando, January 8-10, 2004. Please click here for a complete brochure. Also register for the Sit and Sew on Jan. 7th. Call 800-547-4176 ext. 105
2. Register for the school of your choice in Huntsville, February 5-8, 2004. Some schools are filling quickly but only one school is closed. Please register so you won't be disappointed. Please click here for a complete brochure. Many celebrities are going to be teaching and you will "sit and sew" for many days having the time of your life. 800-547-4176 ext. 105

  I have to admit that much of what I really have to share from my heart with you today is written in the "Scripture for the Week" portion of this newsletter. Be sure you read that to find out what is really on my heart this week. It seems at this time in my life I have many friends who are truly going through very difficult times. Since I have the privilege of having a very large sewing family, many times I hear about so many types of difficulties. Thank you so much for letting me visit with you each week. By the way, John and Suzanne report that Benjamin is growing very fast and is as healthy as a little baby can be. Praise be to God.

May God Bless You,
Martha

  I will now share the secrets about this year's IEC (Internet Embroidery Club) alphabets for the 2004 IEC membership. (The IEC is a totally different internet club from the Sew Beautiful Subscribers Internet Club.) The redwork alphabet is taken from an antique quilt, circa 1920, which I purchased about a year ago. I had never seen a redwork alphabet on a quilt until I found this one. I purchased it immediately(at a very high price, I might add) knowing that this would be the perfect alphabet for our IEC members. The quilt was called "The Flag Quilt." That name came from the fact that an American flag was used for the picture which went with the letter "F." Because all of our IEC members are not American, we have added another version of the "F" which has a fishing pole.

Visit the IEC 2004 Info page to see the entire alphabets! Click Here

  The IEC not only has two alphabets downloadable when you join, but also you will have, starting with January 2004, at least one machine embroidery design each month. There will be a total of 26 designs coming throughout the year! The IEC is so much more than two redwork alphabets and 26 machine embroidery designs. Each month we post on our website antique pictures, antique articles concerning sewing and patterns with the black and white drawings accompanying the articles from my antique magazines and books. One of our artists, Angela Pullen, hand tints an antique black and white drawing from my collection so you will have truly one-of-a-kind antique pictures. We also post antique poems. The IEC is machine embroidery plus much, much more.

  To get a complete idea of what you receive with your membership, over a year's time, please click here to see not only samples (from 2003) of the machine embroidery designs but also links to samples of the antique pictures, hand tinted antique pictures, articles and poems which you may download each month. All of this is available to you for the 2004 designs for only $49 if you join (or renew) before December 31, 2003. After that date the 2004 membership is $59 per year, just like the previous years. The value of the machine embroidery designs alone is $315! All of the photos, history articles, paintings and poems are in addition to the $315 machine embroidery value.

MARTHA CAMPBELL – BRAND NEW 23" DOLL FOR CHRISTMAS, 2003

Martha Campbell, my maiden name, is our second 23" doll made exclusively for Martha Pullen Company by the Gotz Company of Germany. You might want to order her now to get the lowest number and not be disappointed if the dolls are totally sold out before they arrive in this country (like Katherine Ruth sold out last year). We expect arrival in early November, 2003. I will be signing and numbering each doll and her worldwide production will be limited to 400. She is gorgeous with her red hair, brown eyes and elegant ecru and green pleated dress and jacket (very detailed tailoring on her jacket including scalloped cuffs) and her pretty ecru panty hose and gorgeous ecru shoes. The price is $249 plus $9 shipping (in USA, international shipments extra). Call 800-547-4176 ext. 2 to order. Your card will not be charged until the dolls are ready to be shipped.

SALE ON BABY DOLLS!

Dress Me Sarah 21" Baby Doll Blue Eyes	Dress Me Alex 21" Baby Doll Brown Eyes	Dress Me Sydney 16" Baby Doll Blue Eyes	Dress Me Rebekah 16" Baby Doll Brown Eyes

The large dolls (21") retail for $79; the small dolls (16") for $59. The book retails for $16 and the little play-with dress and matching pantaloons retail for $14. You can have all of this for $63 plus shipping (for the 21" dolls); for $47 plus shipping (for the 16" dolls). The value for the 21" dolls is $109 (your cost $63); the value for the 16" dolls is $89 (your cost $47). I will sign and number each and every doll. Some of the dolls are in very limited supply. For a limited time these dolls are offered at 20% off 2 plus you get the dress and the book on top of that! Click here to order.

FREE with Baby Doll Order!

Calendars are $11.99 each, two for $20, or three for $28 (plus s/h)
Click to Order

NEW BUTTERSOFT 100% COTTON CORDUROY NOW IN STOCK! We have lots of colors, so click on the link below to see this gorgeous fabric for which I searched and searched! Only $11.95 per yard!!

(See all the colors in our online store. This all-cotton fabric is 58" wide)
Click to See and Order

MARTHA'S QUILT CONFERENCE ORLANDO! How would you like to have a ton of fun in ORLANDO and learn lots of new quilting techniques from very famous Australian and American quilters from January 8-10, 2004, at The Expo Center? How would you like 9 (1-1/2 hour) celebrity lectures/seminars over three days? The classes will be lecture/demo only, not sit and sew. In addition to these seminars how would you like mini-lectures lasting fifteen minutes each inside the vendor hall while you shop each day in between your lecture classes? How would you like to see many beautiful quilts on exhibit including our teacher's fabulous quilts? Click Here for Lots of Information

Pre-Day Sit and Sew with Martha will be January 7, 2004, prior to the Quilt Conference. Two great classes with limited enrollment. Click here for details!

FEBRUARY SCHOOL OF ART FASHION REGISTRATION GOING ON NOW! We are now registering for our February School of Art Fashion! We have a few openings in every school except Jenny Haskins School. Pre-days are Feb 1-4, 2004. The four day school is Feb. 5-8! Please call to register as quickly as possible if you want to come! The complete brochure is on the web site so click here for links to the complete guide to classes. Please call 800-547-4176 ext. 105 to register.

SALE - VERY BIG SALE - ON Sew Beautiful SUBSCRIPTIONS! REGULAR PRICE $29.99 - YOUR PRICE $23.99! PLUS YOU GET FREE, COMPLETELY FREE, THE INTERNET MACHINE EMBROIDERY, HAND EMBROIDERY, PROJECT, SMOCKING PLATE AND TIPS AND TRICKS CLUB ABSOLUTELY FREE IF YOU SUBSCRIBE AND GIVE US YOUR VALID E-MAIL ADDRESS.

The Sew Beautiful Internet Club has started. You will receive your FREE goodies the months that you do not receive Sew Beautiful magazine. This means that you get "Sew Beautiful goodies" every single month! Please subscribe today and do not miss the current issue.

Click on this link (Sew Beautiful INTERNET CLUB) to read complete details about the brand new Sew Beautiful subscribers Club! SAVE 35% off the newsstand price by subscribing and get MUCH, MUCH MORE IF YOU SUBSCRIBE! Don't forget about ordering the Sew Beautiful 2002-2003 Video for $9.99 if you subscribe. You can subscribe on the internet - don't forget to send your e-mail address on the form or call 800-547-4176 ext. 115 or 116.

IEC IEC IEC IEC - Internet Machine Embroidery Club - The machine embroidery Internet Embroidery Club is truly something to save for future generations. When you join you will get to download two antique alphabets. During the year, along with the new embroidery designs to download each month, we also have antique pictures and articles which can range from 60 to 120 years old! Each month you ALSO get SALE prices on regular Martha Pullen Company merchandise and during the year our new machine embroidery CD members' price is $54 plus $5 s&h. Click here for complete information

MARTHA PULLEN LICENSED TEACHER WEEKS The next machine groups (which have openings) and dates are as follows: Beginning Sewing Teacher Licensing, November 17-22, 2003 (full, but taking a waiting list); Viking, February 15-21, 2004; Beginning Sewing Teacher Licensing, April 22-27, 2004; Pfaff, May 23-39, 2004; SERGER Licensing, Sept. 17-23, 2004; and Viking, Oct. 13-19, 2004. 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)
mcpullen@marthapullen.com -- MY PERSONAL E-MAIL ADDRESS

SCRIPTURE FOR THE WEEK – Psalm 42:5-6

"Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God. My soul is downcast within me; therefore I will remember you from the land of the Jordan, the heights of Hermon - from Mount Mizar."

  This week, as almost every week of my life, I have spoken with individuals who are dealing with serious troubles. Over the past months here are some of the situations that have been shared with me: friends have life-threatening illnesses such as cancer, another's husband has had a serious stroke, others have lost loved ones and are lonely, others have lost jobs or have not been chosen for a long awaited job, some are handicapped and not able to get out and do things they once did, some are living in constant pain, others are living in a serious family situation which is breaking their hearts, others have broken hearts over actions of a child or grandchild, and others are taking care of sick loved ones and are so tired they are about to drop. There are children not only at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital but in hospitals all over the country with catastrophic diseases. Some people are struggling with a life changing decision or business decisions which could permanently alter their careers. The list goes on.

  As I searched the scriptures about 4am one morning last week I found the verses from Psalm 42 and I thought, "God, these are the verses you are giving for me to send to my newsletter family since surely many of my precious friends are in difficult situations themselves or know someone who is." Depression and anxiety are very common emotional conditions. Just look at the television infomercials which promise if you buy this or that you will overcome anxiety and/or depression. Of course, I know that medical counsel should be sought immediately in cases of serious anxiety or depression. My friends, I am the first to recommend professional counseling from a qualified counselor, pastor, priest or rabbi; however, I also know that for most of my difficult situations my Bible holds the answers. In all fairness to the psychologists who write self-help books, I have gotten some good ideas from some of them. However, self-help psychology books are not my main source of strength when I am hurting.

  Sometimes I just open the Bible to any page and sit and begin to read. I think about the goodness of God to me and to his people. I think about the people in Africa out in the villages who have literally nothing much to eat. I think about their prayers telling of God's goodness and thanking God for his provisions and for his love. Strength begins to come back to me when I read my Bible and when I pray. I need to focus on God's ability to help me in difficult situations, not my own inability to help myself. Sometimes I just think, "Oh me, oh my, what am I going to do?" I know full well that I am not going to do anything but rather God is going to do it for me when I begin to read his word and trust that he knows what is best for my life and for those around me.

  The scripture above reads, "Put your hope in God for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God." I need to praise God at all times - the good times and the difficult times. I need to pray for guidance during the good times and during the bad times. When my Uncle Billy, whom I never knew, was killed in World War II, my Aunt Ruth (his mother) told of the days following that tragedy when she would get on her knees and scrub her floors every day to become physically fatigued and then she would sit and simply open her Bible to any place and read and read. Personally, that is one of my best remedies for the trials I face in my life, which seem so few compared to many of my friends' and our sewing family's trials at this time. Yes, I have known tragedy – especially when my nephew, Al Jackson, was murdered by a drunk driver.

  At this time, I do not have any tragedy that I am dealing with - only "ankle biters," as my friend Bill Powers calls the little nagging things of life. However, I know many of you are dealing with true difficulties and somehow I felt led to minister to those of you who are really hurting today.

RECIPE FOR THE WEEK FROM KAREN

Here's a recipe that I make for my family. We serve it over homemade whole wheat noodles, brown rice, or mashed potatoes.
Baked Hamburger Steak

1 pound hamburger
1/2 c bread crumbs
1/2 cup milk
1 small onion, chopped fine
2 cups beef broth
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 tsp Gravy Master or Kitchen Bouquet (optional)
flour and water

Mix and shape first 4 ingredients into 4 patties (I usually make more than 4). Brown until they turn dark brown in skillet, then put into casserole dish. Add beef broth to drippings in skillet; stir well. Heat to boiling, scraping bottom of skillet; add salt and pepper to taste and Gravy Master or Kitchen Bouquet. Mix flour and water together and add to gravy to thicken. Pour gravy over hamburger steaks, cover and bake 350 degrees for one hour. To make 20 servings, use 5 pounds of hamburger and 5 times other ingredients