Mary Bird Featured at the Museum of the Grand Prairie

One of our own, Mary Bird, a teacher, quilter, and long-time friend of Threads of Time, is the featured artist at the Museum of the Grand Prairie Artist Gallery. We know, first-hand, what a magnificent, prolific artist she is. You can see her works through the end of September. For more information, click on www.museumofthegrandprairie.org.

Joe the Quilter This Thursday!

There are still four slots open in Joe Cunningham’s quilt workshops on creativity and freedom in quilting. Don’t miss the chance of a lifetime to study with a well-known quilter, historian, author and teacher. Joe’s show, “Joe the Quilter,” takes place on Thursday night, August 18th, at 7:00 p.m. This is a night of pure entertainment, suitable for a date night or a family outing. We’ll have a reception from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., and with any luck, we won’t have a major storm or electrical outage! There will be shopping and lots and lots of fun. Call now for your ticket to the show, just $10.00. You can reach us at (217) 431-9202.

Friday, August 19th, 9:30-4:00: “You Maverick, You”: In this one-day workshop, quilters will see quilts that fit my definition of “Maverick,” and then embark on a simple, step-by-step process to create an original Maverick quilt of his or her own. This is a complete introduction to my style of creativity and a way of unlocking the creative process for everyone. No special skills are required. The class is suitable for beginning to advanced quilters.

Saturday, August 20th, 9:30-4:00: “Where the Mild Things Are”: Using this step-by-step process, quilters of all levels, beginning to advanced, will create an original fractured landscape like mine but still unique and individual. Easy, fun, infinitely variable.

$50.00 non-refundable deposit required. Limited to the first 36 registrants.

$200.00 includes musical show, 2 day workshop, 2 breakfasts, and 2 lunches. Overnight accommodations available to “Joe the Quilter” participants only at a special rate of $10.00 per night. The workshop and musical shows are open to everyone, male, female, young, old, experienced or novice.

New Cuddle Kits from Shannon

New Cuddle Kits from Shannon: Have you seen those beautiful plush blankets made with simple strips? Have you rubbed your fingers over the thick, soft “cuddle” fabrics? Have you wanted to make a memorable baby blanket? Adorable new Cuddle kits include a pre-made stuffed animal and enough fabric to make a sweet baby blanket. Just $19.99! Also, we have brand-new Cuddle in lavender paisley, soft green, and yellow giraffe prints.

The Town & Country Shop Hop
is Just Around the Corners

Black and white and bright and cheerful! The blocks for the Town and Country Shop Hop are just that. This brand-new, exciting shop hop will take place from September 13th to 17th and features nine stores along the I-74 corridor. You only have a couple weeks left to buy the pre-paid block kits for this fantastic hop, so don’t delay. $60.00 + tax gets you block kits from each of the nine stores (2 blocks from each shop). Everyone will need a $5.00 passport. Grand prize is a Bernina sewing machine, with door prizes and goodie bags at each store. Check out the varied and interesting different quilts put together by each store with the 18 pre-paid blocks at www.townandcountryshophop.com.

Wagonload Sale!

We have a wagon load of books and patterns at 50% off! (No other discounts apply.)

Marti and Me Club Led by Mary Bird

In this club members get one free pattern each month from Marti Michell. Each pattern is guaranteed to include a large and a small project. These patterns are gorgeous and are offered only at stores that are official “Marti and Me” members. Members of the club are also treated to an up-close and personal demonstration of the template used and get to see what the finished project will look like. The hour-long club will meet every third Saturday beginning September 17th at 10:00 a.m.; every third Sunday at 12:00 p.m.; every third Monday at 10:00 a.m.; OR every third Tuesday at 10:00 a.m. Six month membership = $25.00.

Civil War Block of the Month Also Led by Mary Bird

These blocks are beautiful. You’ll do two blocks each month for three months (September, October, and November). Mary Bird and the staff of Threads of Time will be here to assist you if you’d like to come in during December, January, and February when you’ll be working on the connecting blocks, but if the weather is bad, you can stay home and still keep up! Then in March, April, and May, you’ll get another two blocks each month along with help finishing your fabulous quilt. And while our sample is done in Civil War era fabrics, you don’t have to choose reproduction colors. You can go as wild and bold as you’d like. (The blocks look great in anything!) You MUST call and register for this class and pre-pay for your pattern so that we have enough of them on hand. No charge for the class. Just pay for your pattern and purchase your fabric at Threads of Time. Third Sunday of each month, from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. or the third Monday of each month from 11:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Super Secret New Janome Machine on the Horizon

Sshh! It’s a secret. Janome will be introducing its new flagship sewing machine over Labor Day weekend. We don’t have any information yet, but we will be going to Janome Institute to learn all about it. As soon as we know, we’ll let you in on the details.

Prize Winners from East Central Illinois Shop Hop

We had a great time seeing almost 300 people during the East Central Illinois Shop Hop in July. What a nice way to spend a couple of days – shopping at quilt shops all over the region.

Winners of the prizes are as follows:

Janome 3160 Sewing Machine: Gloria Hall, Vandalia

Horn Kid’s Sewing Chairs: Carolyn Eckerty, Villa Grove / Lela Reynolds, Arthur / Kathy McMahan, Marshall / Linda Shadwick, VillaGrove

Gift Certificates: $250.00 - Barbara Soltaw, Bement / $150.00 - Carol Sudduth, Decatur / $100.00 - Cindy Jacobi, Mahomet

Junior Basket: Brianna Burch, Paris

Featured Notion of the Week: “The Gypsy Cutting Gizmo”

Does it seem to take forever to cut apart the threads of your long strip of chain sewing? Have you ever accidentally snipped a block when you’re cutting apart threads? Is it a struggle sometimes for your fingers to find the holes of your scissors? If so, you’ll want to have The Gypsy Cutting Gizmo. This little table-top cutter quickly cuts threads without any stress. Doesn’t it feel good to be on the cutting edge of everything?

Featured Book of the Week: Log Cabins Today

There’s nothing like the old classic pattern, Log Cabin – unless, of course, it’s an updated version. This beautiful book gives you seven new log cabin techniques and more than 30 designs done in quilts, wallhangings, purses, and book covers, blocks, and coasters. A great book to add to your quilting library. Just $19.95 with full color pictures.

Bras for the Cause

Last year, our talented and generous customers made incredible works of art entitled “Bras for the Cause.” The entry fees and donations amounted to $600.00 in cash that we were able to give for breast cancer research. We still have some of those bras here. If you’d like to reclaim them, please do so. We are cleaning up our storage rooms and getting ready for our new online store packing and delivery area.

How Rocks Are Born

It's a boy! Or maybe it's a girl. Actually, it could be both. Perhaps it's neither. How do you check the gender of a rock? Either way, the Threads of Time family has a new addition to its fold – and you can watch a video of it being born! We haven't decided on a name yet, so there's still time for you to get your suggestion in.

New Online Store Coming Soon

Yes, we’ll be going online within the next month or two. You’ll be able to purchase the newest, trendiest, most exciting fabrics here, even if you can’t drive in. Best of all, you’ll still be eligible for your customer loyalty points! We’ll keep you posted on the details, but we hope you’ll enjoy the chance to shop here more often.

Thread Heads Book Club

Thread Heads Book Club will meet on August 28th at 1:00 p.m. to discuss the book Three Bags Full by Leonie Swann. Come and relax. Just talk about the book and your opinions. No grades. No quizzes. No pressure. Look forward to seeing you.

Nostalgic for the Past, But Excited for the Future

I can’t help it. I’m an old teacher. (Well, at least a “former” teacher.) I still get excited about September coming and the start of school. Even though I’m not teaching any more, the end of summer always feels like a new beginning. I get the urge to go out and get new notebooks, colored pens, new outfits… And in this business, I feel like whipping up a few new skirts, a cute jacket, and notebook covers by the dozen. It’s good to be excited about the future, and it’s good to be able to create exactly what you want with a sewing machine and a little imagination. Come in and see all the great new fabrics and notions and get that “something-new-and-exciting-is-about-to-happen-feeling.” We can’t wait to see you.

“For the times of your life and the fabric of the times.” – Bill and Missi