February 2024 Newsletter
"Each one of us should use whatever gift she has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms." 1 Peter 4:10.
Thank you for allowing us to serve you. Jan
We are over one-third of the way through winter and the famous Groundhog says we'll have an early spring! We shall see! Personally I think we all enjoy an occasional snow day/sew day, right?!
What do you think of our new website? If you haven't yet had time to go out and click around, we encourage you to do so! You can find previous issues of our newsletters, classes, and all kinds of fabric! If you can't get into the shop, online shopping is the next best thing! We update the website daily, and we ship daily too. Be sure to check out sales and register for classes on the website!
We are gearing up for our FOURTH ANNIVERSARY! We opened March 3, 2020 and you can remember what happened shortly after that. Despite it all we have survived and thrived--thanks to you--our customers! We're having a Tea Party on March 2 to celebrate! More details to come!
Tilda is Here!!
We've got the new Tilda Jubilee fabric line that debuted on February 1 along with some amazing Tilda Chambrays. They're beautiful, and they feel so good too!! We are happy to be a Tilda retailer! Come in and see it and touch it soon!
Quilt Doormat!
You need this to keep all the salt and winter crud out of your house...or in your quilt room to keep all the threads and fabric snippets from the rest of the house! Get two! They are $24.95 each.
Blocks of the Month (fondly called BOMs)
We're excited about two new BOMs that will be starting in the spring!
Windsong BOM - Starting March 1, 2024
Marilyn Herriman completed our beautiful shop sample and it is stunning in person! Come in and see it, and then sign up for the 12-month BOM while you're here! Here are the details:
- $24.95 a month (plus shipping if it needs to be shipped)
- $10 non-refundable sign up fee
- You'll get 19 1/2 yards of Tonga Windsong fabric (a 20-piece batik collection)
- Uses traditional piecing techniques
- 108" square
- Quilt pattern and instructions, which includes a full-color double sided (11x17) pattern cover, and 8x10 image of the quilt color block pictures and the fabric to grayscale conversion chart
- You'll get the finishing fabrics (borders/binding during month 12)
We will carry the optional tools that will help create this masterpiece:
- Creative Grids Ultimate Flying Geese Ruler
- Creative Grids 4 1/2" Ruler
'Twas the Night Block of the Month - Starts April/May 2024
This BOM is SO darn cute! Who can resist a happy Santa, dancing reindeer and stockings by the fire? Not to mention a sleeping mouse! This is done in beautiful soft blues, grays and lavenders. The picture does not do it justice!! The fabric line is Winter Gardens by Clothworks, check it out to see closer fabric details. Here's what we know so far:
- Cost TBD
- 6 Months (you can get this done before Christmas 2024!)
- 60" x 68"
- Features pieced quilting, along with applique quilting and hand embroidery techniques
Call the shop to get added to the list!
Big Woods Block of the Month - Tula Pink
This 12-month advanced beginner BOM starts in August 2024 and runs through July 2025. Tula Pink fans, you do not want to miss this! What a way to get through NEXT winter! You'll get the monthly fabric kits from us, the pattern downloads and tutorials will be provided by Designer Sarah Fielke. This brochure provides more information.
- Cost TBD
- Features Tula Pink fabric lines: Besties, True Colors & Solids
- 70" x 96"
- Total of 16 yards of from 64 different fabrics!
- Templates will be provided with subscription
- Monthly video tutorials with Sarah Fielke
- Features hand applique and piecing
Upcoming Classes
February 24, 2024 @ 11:00 am
English Pillowcase Class - The class is free when fabric is purchased at Erin Matthew Sewing within a week of class. You'll need a 60" cut of one fabric, a 12" cut of fabric for the cuff, and a 3" cut of fabric for the flange. Bring your machine and your sewing supplies!
February 26, 2024 @ 11:00 am
Free Motion Quilting - Donna's FMQ classes are always super popular! Bring your sewing machine, including your free motion foot, along with fabric and quilt sandwiches. Read more about it on the class webpage!
Are there other classes you want us to host? Let us know!! We can do individual one-on-one lessons, or larger classes as space permits. The 3-yard quilts are popular! Get a friend of two and let us know what you want to learn!
March 21, 2024
Viking Owner's Class @ Tawas Bay Beach Resort - Cindy Peck, Instructor
Learn to use the Program feature on your Husqvarna Viking sewing machine. Combine and modify the beautiful decorative stitches or spell out a message on this handy little zipper bag. It is just the right size to pop into your purse to keep those small treasures contained and off the bottom of your purse. Learn to use the 3-hole foot to add texture with yarn or ribbon.
Supply List for class:
- 1 FQ or 1/3 yard of solid or tone-on-tone cotton fabric
- 1/4 yard of of vinyl mesh to coordinate with your solid fabric
- 10x10 quilt batting
- Tear away stabilizer
- Sewing machine with instruction manual, power cord, foot pedal, all feet & accessories
- 3-hole foot (Cindy will bring 10 to use during class)
- Embroidery thread to contrast with your fabric
- Sewing thread to match your solid fabrics
- 9" zipper
- Fabric marker
- Scraps of 1/8" ribbon or yarn at least 12" long (need 3 to go together in 3-hole foot)
- One piece of scrap fabric, plain color at least 6" square (for practice)
Cut list for class if you want to prepare your fabric:
Tone on Tone Fabric:
- Cut 1 piece 9x9 for the lining of the bag
- Cut 1 piece 10x10 for the back of the bag
- Cut 2 pieces 9x2.5 for the zipper installation
Vinyl Mesh:
- 1 piece 7x9
Cotton batting:
- 1 piece 10x10
May 18, 2024 @ 9:00 am
You deserve a Day at the Spa!! We will host this one-day Kimberbell machine embroidery event on May 18, 2024 at the Tawas Bay Beach Resort. It features 3 projects, including a rope bowl, a soap pouch, and a zipper pouch - all done in lovely shades of lavender. The cost is $109. Sign up now!
New Kimberbell
Happy Place Embroidery Projects
Speaking of rope bowls, the new Kimberbell CD Happy Place Embroidery Projects is on it's way to the shop! It features SIX designs to make rope bowls or coasters and wherever your imagination leads you! They are worked in 5x7 or 8x8 hoops. The sewing design is a must have for all of us!
Quilting Through The Seasons
Coming in late February/early March, Kimberbell will release Quilting through the Seasons, a ladder quilt that you can embellish each season with different motifs. It's going to be awesome! We got our hands on an shop sample kit and Christi is going to start working on it this week. Watch our Sewing with Erin Matthew Facebook group for sneak peeks!
All Michigan Shop Hop
The All Michigan Shop Hop will take place in JUNE and JULY 2024. Yes, we are a participating shop!! This event is sponsored by Jaftex Corporation (and the delightful Scott Fortunoff)! Here's how it works:
You buy the Michigan Shop Hop catalog from a participating shop. Yes, we will have them shortly before the Hop starts - we'll let you know when they arrive. Not sure of the price yet, but they're probably around $12 or so, maybe a little more or a little less.
Inside the full-color catalog, you will find ads from every participating shop, along with a regional map and a passport for each shop. You visit the shops you want and get a stamp from each shop. If you complete all shops in a region, you can enter to win prizes. If you complete all the shops in the state - WOW - you can enter for more prizes!! At each shop you'll get a collectible fabric patch. Here's ours:
June and July is a beautiful time in Michigan. Plan your quilt shop road trip!
