SALE SALE SALE!

Are you getting the message?  There's a SALE this week at the store - our biggest ever!  Everything in the store is marked down - EVERYTHING - for one week only.  Yes, even Soul Blossom - 10% off.  Come shop - from 10%-50% off regular prices!

It's all here!

Amy Butler......Soul Blossom......all in!

Home Dec. just arrived.....laminated cotton arriving tomorrow (Monday).....just makes me want to wrap my entire house in it!

Indulge me....

.....as I stray from blogging for Hip Stitch to blogging about the fact that I'm about to become the mother of a teenager - 13 today.  We started here:

I blinked, and we were here.....with handmade Halloween costumes (saved in my trunk for all time):

....then here, with her 1st lost tooth:

and now we're here:

 Blue retainer for her teeth, almost as tall as I am, we're heading into the teen years together!  (The felt mushroom she's holding in the picture above is this handmade gift from her sister)  Happy Birthday, sweet Jane!

Oh Baby

This one just melted my heart.....so we just HAD to plop her on the cutting table and take a picture!  Can you tell I love babies?!  Can you tell when you walk in the door with one and I'm dying to hold him or her?!  Whether it be Alistair, or Chloe, or Sophie, or Heidi, or Suki, or Will, or the many many adorable wee ones that come to Hip Stitch, they make my day......don't get me wrong, I love my own 2 "babies", who are now 10 and ALMOST 13 (this week!)......but there's something about a baby that just melts me...

Trying sooooo hard to keep up......

....with all you incredible people, that is!  So here's a little more of what's been sewn by these fabulous customers!

Veronica's FITTED PANTS...why is that in all caps, you wonder?!  Because she drafted the pattern and made..... FITTED PANTS!  And they look fabulous on her....and I think everyone should give this class a go, and make themselves a pair of pants!  I'm so darn impressed with how they looked on her....and, ahem....I will be finishing mine very soon, right, Sharon?!


Projects by Tina:

This applique on a zippered pouch.  I thought at 1st that this was the actual fabric, but had to do a double-take to see that she had perfectly-placed and perfectly stitched the pieces onto a solid fabric. And also by Tina:

A sewing caddy to hang off the edge of your table by your machine, or on the arm of your chair or sofa while you craft, sip your glass of wine and watch Modern Family (oh wait, that last line was just my personal input!)  Tina used a gorgeous combination of Moda, Alexander Henry and Leisl Gibson fabrics.

Rughooking class in progress:

I really, really, really want to learn to be a hooker! (get your mind out of the gutter,  you!)  I usually stay at the store when this class takes place in the evening, and I eavesdrop on the goings-on as I putz around, cleaning.....with envy and longing to be a part of this age-old craft.  New class beginning in January!

And speaking of new classes.....I'm happy to introduce a new teacher, Shirley Kay Wolfersberger, who will be teaching 2 new classes in the next few months.  I met Shirley Kay and her friend Carol at Hip Stitch one day a while back.  We talked, they shared a little about themselves.  I asked to see some of their work, and you could have knocked me over with what they produced.....talent so incredible.....sewing, embroidery, needle art, design work, and more.  They were like Mary Poppins pulling more and more out of her carpet bag!  Shirley Kay is going to teach an all-day workshop on January 29, from 10-5, called "Creativity by Design".  More details on the website calendar, WHICH, by the way, is having some google issues......all the classes are popping up 1 or 2 days off.  I'm told by my computer guru that this is a temporary problem w/google, and should be fixed soon!

And one more show & tell......made by Maria, a new crafty chick to Hip Stitch, who's realizing how ADDICTING sewing is.....

.....from One Yard Wonders, meet Elodie the Elephant!

Fabric that just came in today, which had been back-ordered for some time:

 Alexander Henry's Vie en Rose and Amelie.

OK, so I'm a wee bit behind in a few things.....like knowing that last Saturday was Small Business Saturday - haha....so a belated thank you for the many that came to Hip Stitch and shopped!

And to catch up a bit, here are a few of my very favorite small businesses around Albuquerque:  (I may be repeating what I listed a while back, but hey, they're still my favorite):

Rising Star Restaurant.....just 2 doors west of Hip Stitch.  The girls and I ate there tonight....I think the 1st time I've ever eaten in - I always do carry out.  Family-owned, family-run, (just found out the the owner's wife is expecting their 1st child!), friendly, warm, great food.

Los Poblanos Farms......signed up for their produce pick up this fall, and loved loved loved that I was getting fresh, organic, locally-grown produce.  Learned to make new recipes with new foods!

Papa Nachos - on Louisiana, between Paseo del Norte & San Antonio.....good food, great service - enough said?

hmmmmm.....is there a theme to this?  food....food....food......

Black Friday at Hip Stitch!!!

Black Friday Sale at Hip Stitch Measure Up Your Savings this Friday! Dear Crystal, We are so excited to be offering our VERY FIRST BLACK FRIDAY SALE!!!  No waiting out in the cold at 2 am.  Go do your morning bargain hunting, eat a good lunch, then stop by the Hip Stitch for treats and DEALS! We will be open SPECIAL hours 1pm-5pm.

Win a 2 Night Stay at Villas De Santa Fe Come in and be entered for a 2 night stay in a lovely resort in Santa Fe.  ONE entry just for coming in the door!!  The more you buy, the more entries you get!  ONE additional entry for EVERY $20 you spend.  Drawing will be held at 5pm. (need not be present to win) This 2 Bedroom accommodation has one king in the master bedroom and two doubles in the guest bedroom. Gas fireplace, 2 bathrooms, living room, kitchen and more!  Just a few minutes walk from center city! Dates for the 2 Night Stay: 7Dec-9Dec 2BR sleeps 8 Our Price: FREE Valued at over $300.00!! Also On Sale.... You asked for them...WE GOT THEM!  25mm and 40mm Acrylic Snap Grommets!!! In a RAINBOW of colors to choose from.  You are going to go loopy for our NEW GROMMETS!  Will be available starting BLACK FRIDAY! Our Price:  25mm $3.00  40mm $4.00  pack of 2

Fray Stoppa Our Price: $1.50 List Price: $3.45 101 Quilt Basting Spray Our Price: $3.00 List Price: $10.60 Magnetic Snap Closures 18mm Our Price: $1.00 List Price: $2.00 3/4" Metal Grommets Pack of 10 Our Price: $2.00 List Price: $4.00 1/2 off Dritz Notions Our Price: $.90-$5.00 List Price: $1.80-$10.00 Free Button Cards One Free Button card with every $20 Spent! LOTS to choose from! Our Price: $FREE List Price:  $2.00

So Bring your Mom, Sister, Friend or Official Purse Holder and come spend Black Friday Afternoon with Hip Stitch! We are located at : 505-821-2739 E-mail us: hipstitchabq@yahoo.com 7001 San Antonio NE, Suite P Albuquerque, New Mexico  87109

Classes.....and a sad note

What's being created:

An adorable Gum Drop Pillow by a sweet teen, Alex....such a joy to teach! (girl and pillow!)

Beaded Crochet class from a few Saturdays back......another class scheduled in January - don't miss it!


There was a message on the store phone about a week ago......Elizabeth, Tom's daughter, called to tell me he had passed away.  Remember Tom?  He was my regular - we'd sit together weekly, and sew, and drink coffee or tea, talk about many of life's great mysteries (things like understanding people, managing stress, how we were going to make a million on our various sewing ideas).  I hadn't seen his obituary until now.....(that hat he's wearing in the picture? He made it!)

DAVIES -- Thomas "Tom" Davies, 59, a 10 year resident of Albuquerque, and native of Seattle, WA, passed away on Monday, November 8, 2010. Loved husband, father, brother, grandfather, uncle and friend. He will be remembered as an Army veteran, small business owner, office equipment repairman, teacher, abstract painter, avid gardener, mad scientist, leather-clad motorcyclist, coffee enthusiast, fashion icon, Hip Stitch member, life coach, cartoon aficionado, race-car driver, creative chef, animal lover, nontraditional problem solver, amateur pyrotechnician, irrepressible optimist, car collector, rockin' roller, king of Spring Beach, captain of 4th of July, Tompy and Daddy-o. A private memorial will be held for family and friends on Sunday, November 14 at 1:00 pm. Services will be held at Santa Fe National Cemetery on Monday, November 15 at 1:30pm.

You're greatly missed, my friend!

A new store!

I feel like I've finally recovered from our big store re-model......I'm in awe when I walk in each day that this is Hip Stitch.  Thanks to wonderfully creative, hard-working gals (and a few guys): Crystal, Ali (and husband Josh), Julie, Bralia, Kathie, Diana, Kim, my husband Dan and our kids, the store has been transformed.  I took a few 'during' pictures, but look here at Crystal Humble's blog to see before and after shots. (yes, all those bolts of fabric are now at Hip Stitch!)
Here are some shots of the transformation:

Five of these arrived at the store yesterday:

 ....the perfect holiday gift for the little sewer in your life!

And finally, here's Ellen and her friend Kat, wearing their aprons they made last night.......

......and Ali, in her wedding dress, who stopped by the store on her way to a photo shoot to "Trash the Gown"....

.....after all, when a girl needs some Jelly Rolls, she's gotta come by Hip Stitch!

Customer Nan came into the store last week & showed me this bag she had made from the Far Far Away & Kokka fabric collections:

A simple drawstring sac, to wear over your shoulder....wonderful!

Halloween is past, and our living room floor looks like an airplane dropped a bomb of candy....but at least they've neatly organized everything......so I can weave my way around the piles to get to the sofa.  Such sweet memories of my childhood....getting home Halloween night and counting, organizing, relishing the large piles of the good stuff, tossing aside the Bit O' Honeys and other such rejects.

Costumes were completed (thank you, Crystal, for helping finish Claire's!)  I had Violet Baudelaire (Lemony Snicket) and Moaning Myrtle (Harry Potter) out trick-or-treating:

And finally, Saturday's Beaded Crochet class produced some beautiful work:

It's been a busy, yet fun, time here at Hip Stitch.....

Customer Jennifer came in to share this adorable- reversible - jumper she sewed.....using our Moda fabric and brown corduroy.  That is one special little girl who gets to wear it!

We have 2 new teachers!  I'm so excited to welcome Melisa Hart and Shirley Kay Wolfersperger.  Both of these women are enormously talented, and I feel very fortunate to have them at Hip Stitch.  Look for a schedule very soon of classes they'll be teaching, as well as more about them......

Coming soon......flannel, in Funky Monkey.  Some really adorable prints!  Alexander Henry fabrics - a few we've had in the past, but went too quickly - back again.....I'll post some pictures soon.....

I occasionally get to join in on a class......I'm taking Pants with Sharon Hatcher.  I'm going to make....JEANS!  Last week, in class #1, I made pattern pieces from my favorite pair of jeans.  This week, I'm going to make a mock-up w/muslin.  And next week, the real deal - sewing with denim!  Stay tuned......

Coming in early November, a remodel of the store - I'm so excited!  Look for more info. in the near future!

And lastly, some photos of.....fall in New Mexico!

Whether they know it or not, Ellen and Alexandra (Ali) are inspirations to me every day as I try to branch out in photography......it's out of my comfort zone to look for shots that are, well, more artistic...thank you, gals, for your beautiful photography!