January Update

Covid Update

Well, just now our provincial government has imposed a strict 'Stay at Home' order. What does this mean for curbside businesses?  The best information I could find is from this news story:

Ontario Declares Second Provincial Emergency to Address COVID-19 Crisis and Save Lives

.. and in particular, this statement indicating that curbside pickup is still okay:

Most retailers considered non-essential may be open for curbside pickup. As of January 14, 2021, curbside pick-up must occur between the hours of 7 a.m. and 8 p.m. for retailers who are deemed “non-essential” and are conducting curbside sales. RCC's understanding is that this restriction will continue for at least 28 days.

So based on this, I will continue to offer curbside pickup. Your purchases will be left outside in a covered bin and arrangements are made for a time for you to pickup.  There is no contact. And, until the emergency order has been lifted, I will not be doing any mail orders as I do not plan to go to the Post Office every few days to get orders out. I'm sorry about this, but there is always a long line at the Shoppers Drug Mart Post Office that I use and I feel uncomfortable standing there in line with strangers.

Clearance Sale and Buy & Sell

On a happier note, my CLEARANCE SALE is ongoing, so please take a look often as I continue add more items. 

And checkout the Buy and Sell for a new listing for a Sally Stanley Smocking Pleater.

 

Baby Checkerboard

This is a new kit available, however in different colours than shown. Finished size is 46" x 58", so quite a large quilt - more for a toddler than an infant.

The cost of the kit is $47 and includes the pattern, fabric for the binding and corner squares, white background, and precut strips for the blocks.

I have 2 colour options shown here. However, if you see one you like but would like to change one or two of the strips, then contact me and I'll try to accommodate. Also, if you would like one made up in pinks I can do that as well.

Warm & Natural Insul-Brite

This item is arriving on Thursday. Insul-bright is a 100% polyester batting ideal for making heat-safe projects such as pot holders, oven mitts, and casserole covers. It's washable and breathable. Do not microwave. No shrinkage.

45" wide - $8 per yard.

December Update

Clearance Sale On Now!

⮞⮞⮞ click here  ⮜⮜⮜

Greetings!  I expect everyone is busy with final preparations for Christmas. I have my decorations almost finished - a scaled back version of yesteryear, but still cheery and meaningful! I'm looking forward to a quieter Christmas this year with only my immediate family around the table.

There is still time to sew, so don't forget to check out my Purse and Bag Kits page and my Other Kits page. Pillowcases are, as always, a good fallback gift when you run out of time!

Also arrived are some new fabrics. Check out my Just In page.

And finally, if any of you missed the Black Friday Sale, there are some items from the sale moved to my CLEARANCE section, so be sure to check them out!

Read on for some new mask elastic that just arrived as well as a new backpack kit...

Mask Making Supplies

>> click here <<

Gift Certificates Available

Still need ideas for Christmas?
How about a Gift Certificate?
Contact me for more information!

New Kit: 

Izzy Convertible Backpack

This medium size backpack is fun to make, with professional results. Wear it as a backpack or switch to a cross-body style in seconds. The inside is full of pockets, including an easy zip pocket and slip pockets on the inside front and back.

Finished Measurements:
Backpack is approximately 12-1/2 in H x 9-1/2 in

[more info]

Kit includes pattern, fabrics as shown, zipper, and hardware. Does not include interfacings.

$55 Per Kit

November Update

Black Friday Sale on now until Dec 1st!

⮞⮞⮞ click here  ⮜⮜⮜

_________________________________________

Well here we are in November and what a beautiful day! I bet no one is thinking about sewing today, but Christmas is just around the corner so projects for gifts are on our horizon. Also, we STILL have that nasty virus to worry about, and many of us continue to make masks.  

About Polypropelene

** Black 40" wide now in stock - $3.50/yd **

Recently Dr. Teresa Tam informed us that our homemade masks should now contain two layers of  cotton and a 3rd layer of polypropelene. I've done a bit of research to see what this means. The following is an exerpt from an article I read:

Polypropylene has two great properties for repelling viruses: it is negatively charged, and it is water-repellent. Viruses need water to remain viable, and are also negatively charged. As you recall from 5th grade science class, negative repels negative, thus the negatively-charged polypropylene molecule will repel the negatively-charged virus, and because polypropylene also repels water, the virus is denied the moisture it needs to be viable.

The closest fabric found in most fabric stores is “interfacing” (e.g., Pellon) which is made of polyester. Fortunately, polyester also repels water, and is also negatively charged – just not as negatively as polypropylene. 

I have some fusible non-woven interfacing in stock. I have read that the glue used is non-toxic, so personally I'm not worried about it and am using it for masks I'm making for my family. However, if you are worried, you could try washing the interfacing first before putting it into your masks.

Here is the rundown on what I have available, on order, or available for preorder.

• Polypropelene prepacked in 24" x 3 yard packages for $27. This product is from Mountain Mist and is manufactured as 'face mask media'. You can read about it here. It is on backorder at my distributor so I don't know when it will be in. I am only ordering this by request so please contact me if you wish to order it.
• Pellon Cambric (polypropelene) 20" wide. This is on backorder at my distributor so I don't know when it will be in.  It will be $1.75 per yard when it is in.
• 100% Polypropylene - 60" wide in white. I am expecting this to be here in about a week. The price will be between $5.25 per yard when it is in.
• 100% Polypropylene - 40" wide in black. I am expecting this to be here in about a week. The price will be between $3.50 per yard when it is in.
• Bosal Non-Fusible Non-Woven Interfacing. This will be here in about a week or two and will be $6 a yard.
• Pellon Fusible Non-Woven Interfacing - in stock now, $3.50 per yard.

Quilters Dream 100% Cotton Select 

COMING SOON!

Quilters Dream Cotton starts with the finest USA cotton and is carded, crosslapped and specially needlepunched. 100% natural and environmentally friendly, our batting proudly bears Cotton Incorporated’s seal. Our special process prevents shifting and lumping. It has a very high thermal value (R=3.8) warm in the winter, yet wicks moisture away from the body to keep you cool in the summer.

Stitching up to 8" apart allows quilters wonderful freedom of design. Because there are no scrim, glues, or other binders to add resistance, needles (by machine and hand) glide smoothly through the fine, consistent, even cotton batting. The finished quilt may be machine washed and dried. Shrinkage is minimal. Drapes beautifully giving a traditional look and feel to your quilt. 

Like yesteryear’s treasured quilts of cotton, your quilts of today deserve the very best. Time tested 100% cotton, with its beauty and durability, has been the first choice for generations of quiltmakers.

Select: Natural - Our most popular loft-versatile for both hand and machine quilting with a soft lovely drape. The perfect batting for most quilting projects, mid-weight drapeable quilts, and wearables.

121" wide - $25 per yard
This width lends itself nicely for cutting into lap and crib size!

Elastics

I'm still waiting for some of my soft-stretch elastic to arrive in the beautiful colours that I ordered, but of course, as mentioned previously, things are slow to arrive.  

I did receive my pink 'tubular' elastic and my white soft-stretch 1/4" elastic is back in stock. Also arriving soon is black 1/8" braided elastic.

See all my elastics here

Bundle of Pink

Fat Quarter Bundles

I have now finished uploading ALL of my fat quarter bundles. It took awhile as I have so many which were ready for Open Houses and such, but since they're not happening, I thought I would bring them onto my site.  If you select a bundle and scroll to the description you will see the price and more info.

You can see them here.

• Fat Quarter Bundles
• Batik Fat Quarter Bundles

And don't forget to check out my Specials as there are some new additions to my 'on sale' yardage and also take a look at the Buy and Sell link at the top of this page for a retirement sale by one of my customers and also a Janome Embroidery Machine.

What's New?

Before we begin... Please notice that you can now get to my Specials and Just In items by clicking on the links under the SHOP header on my site. These pages will be updated regularly.

I have also updated the tab at the top called 'Site Help' to help you navigate this site and place an order.

Zippers

Petrol Blue Handbag Zipper Tape

Nylon Coil Handbag Zipper Tape (Size 4.5) in  a new colour has just arrived! It is in a colour called 'Petrol Blue' which is a dark greyish-blue with a hint of green. I would say it is a dark teal, but colour experts may say differently. It is a beautiful colour regardless of its name!  Only 6 cents an inch, plus 50 cents for each slider/pull. 

Link to Handbag Zipper Colours

New 9" Closed End Zippers are also here and in all the same colours as my Handbag Zipper Tape colours so you can easily match your pockets with your main zipper.  

Only $1.50 for a 9" zipper, $1.75 for a 14" zipper and $2.00 for a 24" zipper.

Link to Size 3 Colours

Pillowcase Kits

I have now added ALL of my pillowcase kits to my online site. There were a lot missing from the site!  

These are all the kits that I currently have made up. If you look at a picture of a pillowcase and scroll down to the description you will see how many I have of that pillowcase and any variations. If you see that I only have one, but you are looking for a set of two, just email me. If I still have that fabric on yardage I can make you a set. $11 each.

Link to Pillowcase Kits

Happy Browsing! 

Welcome to Fall

Fall is upon us and you may now be thinking about your Fall and Christmas line-up of sewing projects. I have a few ideas in case you want to prepare yourself for colder weather and hunkering down in your sewing room...

Before we begin... Please notice that you can now get to my Specials and Just In items by clicking on the links under the SHOP header on my site. These pages will be updated regularly.

I have also updated the tab at the top called 'Site Help' to help you navigate this site and place an order.

Soundwaves Kit

Create lovely, long, sharp points that dance up and down your quilt with a fun guided improv technique that is great for stitchers of all levels! Pictured quilt is made with fabrics from Northcott's Dreamscapes line. Suggested optional supplies: fabric markig tool, and Best Press.

Kit includes pattern and fabrics for the quilt top and binding. I only have 4 of the ombre colours in my kit - blue, yellow/green, pink and orange, so it will look a little different than the picture. These 4 fabrics will be repeated 5 times. And, they are precut into 2 1/2" strips!

Quilt measures 44" x 60".  

Price: $95.  Pattern Only: $13

More Ideas

More inspiration can be found on my Kits page. Or, take a look at the Patterns & Books. Most of my patterns are only $2 to $4, and they are now categorized by technique, size, or precuts!

EQ8

Or, if you are a user of EQ8 and would like to hone up your skills, read about the Royal City EQ8 Users Group, and design your own quilt of your dreams!

Swoon Patterns

My distributor has just announced that they will be carrying Swoon bag patterns again. If you are a bag maker, then take a look: Back By Popular Demand!

Contact me if you are interested in preordering a pattern. The price shown on the site is in USD. My price will be $13/pattern and includes shipping and exchange. 

And remember, I sell all the supplies you need for making bags - interfacings, zippers, and hardware!

Are you ready to sharpen your EQ8 skills?

The Electric Quilt Company has spent over 25 years developing and evolving their quilt design software and the latest release, EQ8, is a game-changer!  Have you purchased the software and tried it out?  How adept are you at releasing the full power of the tool and unleashing your creativity?  

Our Royal City EQ8 Users Group was created for just this purpose!  We’d like to extend a welcome to other EQ enthusiasts to join us. Our group is intended for those who already own EQ8 software and want to become more proficient users of the program features. Individual study, followed by group discussions and group challenges are a regular feature of our bi-monthly meetings.

We meet via Zoom at 7 pm (Eastern Time) on the 4th Tuesday of January, March, May, September and November.  We thank the Royal City Quilters’ Guild of Guelph, ON for sharing their Zoom account for this purpose, this year.

Fortunately, that also means you don’t have to live in or around Guelph, ON to become a Member!  Your participation in our group is currently FREE!  We do require each participant to make a small investment in the purchase of their own study materials for the year (e.g. workbooks).  Want to learn a little more?  The current EQ8 Users Group has created this video to introduce ourselves to others: https://vimeo.com/441869263

If you have more questions or would like to submit a request to join us, please send an email to eq8users@royalcityquiltersguild.ca  for more details. 

If you would like to order the EQ8 software, or any workbooks, please contact me (Caroline) for a list of the books we are using, and pricing.

 

September Newsletter

Fall is approaching! Lots of kids starting school in this unsure environment and need masks. I still have fat quarter bundles left that I put together specifically for masks, as well as some kits, which contains all the supplies needed to make 12 masks.

   

    

    Click on links below to view:

    Mask Fat Quarter Bundles   $15 each bundle

    Mask Kits  $ 10 or $12 per kit

    Elastics   New coloured elastics have just arrived! 

                     And, soft-stretch elastic is back in stock!

New Fabrics

A new collection from Northcott has arrived called Dream Weaver which is a collection of ombres and weaves. 

Also just arrived is Kona solids in black and white..  

Check them out here:     Just In

Fall Sale - One Yard Cuts

A large selection of 1 yard cuts are on sale for $7 a yard or $8.50 for batiks. While quantities last!

Please note that the full yard must be purchased.

    1-Yard Cuts

Also on Sale - Border Stripes

Regularly $9.50/yd, now on for $7.00/yd. You can fussy cut these to make some really cute and interesting masks!

   Border Stripes

2 1/2" Batik Stripsets 

Pictures of my 2 1/2" batik stripsets are now online. Each set is only $35! 40 strips in a package (2 x 20 fabric). 

Check those out here, as well as new fat quarter bundles which have recently been added:   Precuts