A bit of gift making

Today's agenda: sleep in (8:00), go out to living room, where family is watching the Macy's parade on t.v., fix coffee, sit down with embroidery to finish the project above.....a Christmas gift for my mother-in-law. It's a flour sack cloth - I ordered them in bulk a few months back - can be used for any number of cleaning, kitchen, pantry uses. I just love love love Sublime Stitching! Hip Stitch gets their email newsletters - they're having a special now thru Dec. 1 - order any products from the website, and pay only $1.00 shipping! To add to that, I ordered 4 patterns, and they had buy 3, get the 4th 1/2 price! Woo hoo - can't beat that deal! This ain't your grandma's embroidery....check it out!

Happy Thanksgiving, all!

Check this out!

Look what customer/amazing sewer Robyn (I read her blog to get inspired to sew like her) is doing now! She's writing the blog for this website. How did you even find out about a job like this?! I know she's a writer/editor by trade, so I guess she's in the know about writing jobs....kind of like being in a band and knowing how to get gigs. (does that analogy work?)

Anyhow, your latest project - the coat - is beautiful - great job!! (I've added the blog to my blog list at right)

Saturday night, I got to book a private party in the lounge, for my book club. We just finished reading The Wednesday Sisters, which takes place in the 1960s/70s, so I thought it'd be fun to get together to discuss it and make aprons - a very retro project. So, so fun. And by the way, I have no pictures because our family camera has finally died. So I'm camera shopping. And that's that.

Shall we tie one on?

I discovered this while surfing online.....read what's on this website:

National Tie One On Day™ – November 25, 2009
“Women clad in aprons have traditionally prepared the Thanksgiving meal, and it is within our historical linkage to share our bounty.” EllynAnne Geisel
Four years ago, I noticed that Thanksgiving was talked about in terms more commonly associated with stress, than joy. I remembered my mother’s absolute love of Thanksgiving, as a day more than anything else of sharing and gratefulness. So I created National Tie One On Day™ as an annual opportunity to return the “give” to Thanksgiving by sharing our good fortune with someone in need of a kind gesture.

National Tie One On Day™ has nothing to do with purchasing anything special or even driving!
Participation is simple. On the day before Thanksgiving, November 25th this year, pause in the preparation of your own meal, wrap a loaf of bread or other baked good in an apron, tuck a prayer or note of encouragement in the pocket, and tie one on…an apron, of course! and deliver the wrapped bundle to someone without your bounty… a neighbor, friend or family member in need of physical or spiritual sustenance, a bit of recognition or just a kind word.
I know it to be true that whether you live in a high rise apartment building or on a quiet block, no matter which direction you walk out of your own front door, someone deserving of a gesture of kindness is close by.
National Tie One On Day™ is a win-win, for the participant and the receiver. By embracing National Tie One On Day™, you will make someone else’s day brighter. (written by ElllynAnne Geisel)

Isn't that just a great idea? If you do this, email us at Hip Stitch and tell us about it!

Can we rid the world of plastic bags?

A friend sent this link to me, about plastic bags in our world. I found it quite good. I hope you all are taking cloth/canvas/recycled bags to the grocery store with you. I remember about 90% of the time to grab one before I go in....when I forget, I come home with a plastic bag and put it in my stash to make recycled totes out of them. Have you made yours yet?

We offer a class, you know. Because we have a guest instructor come in to teach it, we want to have a minimum of 3 people commit to take the class. We're going to keep the date open-ended.....when at least 3 call or email who want to take the class, we'll schedule it. Then we'll do this all over again....and again.....until we have zillions of recycled plastic tote bags in the world!

Damn cancer

That's just how I feel about it. Damn cancer. As I go through life, I know more & more people who are afflicted with it. This week, it was Betty, a customer from day 1 of our opening. She's sweet and gentle and just a lovely lady. I had last seen her about 2 months ago - and when she walked in our door this week with her daughter, I didn't know it was her at first - I was with another customer, and greeted them, and let them browse. Then, Betty came up to the counter, and I saw it was her - with a pink knit cap covering her head. And I looked into her eyes and saw that it was her - without her beautiful white hair. And my heart sank, and I thought, "Damn cancer." She's fighting through it, and I want so badly for her to win the fight.

Today, it reared its ugly head in the body of a 5 yr. old boy, whose grandmother, a dear friend of ours here at Hip Stitch, told us that the family has just been informed he has about 3 months to live. He's fought this disease for a few years now. It seems that the fight is over. Damn, damn cancer.

We're going to do our part to do SOMETHING. Starting in January 2010, Hip Stitch will be forming a group in the lounge, to meet regularly, and make hats, for those who are going through chemotherapy. Hats with style, with flair, with warmth and most importantly, with love. We'll provide the lounge - the patterns - the fabric (though we'll be having our annual fabric exchange in the new year, and asking for donations of fabric to go to making the hats)

More details to follow about our group. In the meantime, pray for those fighting this disease. Pray for a cure. Just pray.

Winners!

Our Love Collection fat quarters drawing was Friday, and the winners were Theresa and Gail, 2 awesome customers! Congratulations, ladies!

November's calendar is up (yes, I know it's ALREADY November). I sent out the email newsletter, but forgot to include that we're having the make-your-own-dressform class again - remember the photos from that fun day?! Sharon Hatcher is back to teach it once again. Get yourselves signed up!

Kathy Rowe set up her goods as artist of the month - oh my, I'm having to restrain myself from grabbing a few things to purchase for myself....I'll be gracious and let customers shop through the month. Fabulous work, she does.

My husband asked last night if he can put up a few Christmas lights in the house (we do them inside and out) I said that was fine if I can start playing some Christmas music. He hasn't agreed to that end of the deal yet. Either way, as a retailer, we're breaking out the decorations in the store - I think it's officially the season in stores, right?!