Goodbye, 2013!

It's been a wonderful year for Hip Stitch, thanks to YOU.

Our end-of-year sale was fabulous - and then it was time for rest, and a quick getaway girls' trip (my daughters with me) to my favorite funky little town, Las Vegas, NM.  We drove up early Sunday morning to get in breakfast at Charlie's Spic & Span, where I savored their breakfast burrito:

(yeah, I know, I also roll my eyes at "food" pictures that people take....

but this meal was just so perfect)

We then proceeded to spend 24 hours doing the following:

*driving to Storrie Lake and throwing rocks into the water and onto the ice....over and over and over again, just because.

*swimming at the hotel pool and sitting in the hot tub, back and forth, back and forth until we were sufficiently tired and relaxed.

*watching HGTV in our hotel room while knitting scarves and hats.

*sleeping in.

*walking around town, looking at the great architecture of the old homes.

*spending gads of time at Threadbear, our favorite little quilt shop.

*driving to and from Las Vegas listening to "The Cars Greatest Hits" and 

singing at the top of our lungs.

*arriving home thoroughly relaxed and ready for the new year!

Arrived at the shop today:  Pre-cuts of "From the Outside In":

yardage coming soon!  See you Jan. 2....and Happy New Year!

*

Our Top 5

Top 5 Reasons why you should do your last-minute holiday shopping at Hip Stitch:

5.  Best customer service hands-down.  We love our store and our customers.....it shows!

4.  Best fabrics in Albuquerque.  We order what we love and what we think you'll love.

3.  Best last-minute gifts, either pre-made 

or ready to sew.

2.  Best parking in Albuquerque (have you BEEN to the mall lately??)

1.  Free coffee, tea and always a 

sweet to share!

Holiday schedule:
OPEN Sunday, Dec. 22, 1-5 &
Monday, Dec. 23, 10-2
CLOSED Christmas Eve & Christmas Day.
OPEN Dec. 26, 27, 28 (year end SALE)
CLOSED Dec. 29-Jan.1 for REST 

(and inventory.)

Sewing advice 101

Read the 2nd "Dear Vicki".....great advice to heed about holding on to threads when beginning to sew!

Studies have shown......

.....that sewing really does offer health benefits!  Well, most of us have already known that.  Just to sit down and work on a project - play with beautiful fabric, see something come together - is relaxing & therapeutic.  

FreeSpirit fabrics shares the scoop in the health benefits of sewing.  Read all about it HERE!

Cool Thread Catcher

Customer Helen sent me this picture, of a thread catcher she made....w/pincushion and, well, thread catcher!  I'm thinking in 2014 this will have to be a class, don't you??

Thanks, Helen!

Mini Recipes!

Mini charms, that is....we love them, as they're like, well, candy.  Finally, "recipes" are popping up for them:

Check out THIS blog for projects.  And get sewing!

Keep Breathing....and Quilting

Listening to this this morning:

and working on this:

quilting my Block of the Month quilt, and growing more excited to see the end result, on my bed!

Dates are set for 2014 Block of the Month, and we're now taking sign-ups!  One Saturday a month, from 10-1.  Get on board!

VERY IMPORTANT!

So, this is one of the main tips I emphasize in my Hip Stitch Basics class.  Today's sewing column in the Abq Journal reinforces it: 

KEEP THE PRESSURE FOOT RAISED WHEN THREADING YOUR MACHINE!

The Traveling Love Quilt

The Love Quilt has taken to a bit of traveling, seeking out couples to pose with it.

Today we found Jonah and Grace, sweet sweethearts:

and Mark and Dan, a couple of good friends & math teacher colleagues 

for 20 plus years: 

Tickets are on sale at Hip Stitch for this uber-modern quilt - $1.00 per ticket or 6 for $5.00.  Raffle for the winner will take place on Saturday, Nov. 9 at the end of the Hipster's Holiday Craft Show!  

All the money goes to the Free Wheelchair Mission and Basket of Hope.

Coming out of the (Halloween) closet

The last time I dressed for Halloween, it was Rita Skeeter from Harry Potter - must have been about 7 years ago - both my girls were in elementary school, and I found a funky women's suit at Goodwill, dyed it lime green, did my hair up in curls, and put fake fingernails on....that was the first and LAST time I will ever wear fake fingernails - ugh.  I still get chills of horror thinking of those awful claws on my hands.....

That's Miranda Richardson as Rita, NOT me - in case you were wondering!!

This year, an idea came to me via Portia, my good friend, for a costume.  Tonight, I began the sewing.  I may or may not drop some hints along the way, but for sure, on Thursday, Oct. 31, I'll be decked out at Hip Stitch.  You'll just have to come to see!

Meet me at the Fair!

Our annual trek to the New Mexico State Fair didn't disappoint us one bit.  Today was an absolutely beautiful day.  Warm weather, but not too hot.  Breezy.  The smells of horses and cows, deep fried concoctions and, well,  that overall carnival aroma was perfect.  We arrived at the opening, and had the pleasure of an almost-empty main street.  By the time we left in late afternoon, the crowds were thick, and we were exhausted.  A few highlights:

Best of NM

It's a dogpile!  Pigpile!

A steer being ridden down Main Street - classic!

He waits all year for his Navajo Taco

YUM - need I say more?

Halloween costume?  Or just for when you're feeling like having a smackdown....

I truly loved the matching outfits!

She was just too cute....watching the Chinese acrobats.

Hip Stitch young quilter, Campbell, won a ribbon!

As did Haley!

Hip Stitch student/customer Sarah's quilt.....sorry about the glare, but do you see the TWO ribbons?!

Amanda, MQG member, won a "Best of Show!"

School Art by high schoolers from Grants - recycled fashion.  Fabulous!

Another great creation.....

....and one more!

....sigh.....until next year, when these girls will be 16 and 14!

Yesterday in the lounge.....

.....2 beautiful Multi-Tasker Totes were made!

Great class, Bralia!

Returning to normal.....

.....after our weekend with Jacquie Gering, which was FABULOUS!  If you came, you know what I mean.  If you didn't, I'm sorry you missed it!  We miss her already!

Just a few quick shots of the weekend.....we have them uploaded on the Hip Stitch flickr site HERE

Block of the Month Sew-In!

Last Saturday, our block of the month group gathered to begin our final journey together - putting our blocks together into a quilt top.  This fall, we'll be sandwiching, pinning, quilting and binding.  It was wonderful to see them all come together - to see the fruits of the past year ripen.  Here are some pictures of the day:

Rosanne will begin this journey again in January 2014 with a new group - will you be joining her?

Summer Sewing Academy....

.....has ended for the summer.  It's been a fabulous, flurry of classes for kids.  So much fun and sewing going on.  My camera hasn't always been available when I wanted to capture a picture of a quilt....or a mug rug....or a zippered pouch....or one of the many other items made this summer by talented girls and boys, so I'll share one of a special girl who is so proud of her drawstring backpack:

And this week?  Back to school classes!  Today we made reusable snack bags....more pictures to come!

I see a collection growing.....

Thanks to the awesome hipster crafters, I've been slowly building a 

pin cushion collection:

Thank you Melissa, Cindy and the young college gals from a few years ago  (whose names I regretfully forget who made the felted hedgehog)!

Craft Show success.....and a wind-down vacation

If you missed the Hipster's Craft Show last Saturday, I'm so sorry!  It was the best yet - and that wasn't just my opinion.....new customers stopped in to tell me how fabulous it was.  Thanks to our Albuquerque talent, the crafter's put on a great show!  Here are a few pics from the day:

Then it was off for some family time this past week.  We took off for Colorado - my husband made the reservations at 2 different campgrounds - one outside Durango, one outside Ourey.  I must admit, I left with a tiny bit of trepidation.....as I get older, sleeping in a tent doesn't quite have the same appeal as a comfy hotel room bed.  Well, after the 1st 2 nights in a state park with no neighbors around us, we hit a KOA for the next 2 nights, and I actually missed the solitude of just us.  It was memorable, breathtaking in the settings, and a just-what-we-needed trip!

Here are some highlights:

Walking around reservoir in Mancos, CO.  Our only neighbor - mule deer.  Shoes off and feet in the mud!

Quilt shops are the perfect place for a short nap!  Beautiful quilts in Durango shops.

Colorado wildflowers - I do wish New Mexico had these!

Beautiful Colorado.....Silverton & Ourey.

Holy cow!  In the hot-off-the-press issue of Albuquerque the Magazine, the Hipster's Craft Fair was in the top 10 

"Things to do in July".....I agree, don't you?!