Wednesday, April 20, 2011

easter shopping hours





Just an update on our hours over the Easter weekend.


Victoria location:

Good Friday - closed

Saturday - open from 10 - 6

Easter Sunday - closed

Easter Monday - open from 10 - 6



Vancouver location:

Good Friday - open from 12 - 5

Saturday - open from 10 - 6

Easter Sunday - open from 12 - 5

Easter Monday - open from 10 - 6



Just a little more time for our sewing!





Sunday, April 10, 2011

sewing gurus coming to town (or close to town)

Tired of the traditional pant and jacket? Want to walk a little on the wild side? Spend a day (May 15, 2011) with Linda Lee, owner/designer of pattern company. Linda Lee is talented in the art of combining beautiful fabrics and distinctive design in garment creation. Her designs are flattering to every figure and lend themselves to creative interpretation and embellishment. Stopping in Vancouver at the Metropolitan Hotel, Linda Lee will showcase an all new trunk show followed by creative garment construction techniques as well as sewing on silk and specialty fabric pointers. For registration information, click on http://www.swpatterns.ca/SWPatterns/Events.html You have that special piece of fabric that you picked up on your travels and are uncertain on what/how to make. Sign up for the ultimate 3-day sewing retreat with Ron Collins in Victoria, June 2011. With Ron by your side, he will provide feedback on design choices and teach you some time saving techniques and fitting tips for professional looking results. Limited number of spaces available so sign up via the link below. http://sawyersewing.com/News2.htm An iconic fashion piece, the Chanel jacket has survived throughout all these years, appealing to all ages and tastes of the modern woman. From the late 30's to present day, it has been a classic fashion item that can be worn with a tweed skirt of ripped jeans with equal aplomb. In a 5-day workshop, hosted by Cecelia Podolak and Kathryn Brenne, learn the inside construction techniques and make your own Chanel style jacket. A Chanel RTW and an original Chanel couture jacket will be available for examination and study. The workshop will be held in Mission, BC August 21 - 26, 2011. For registration or more information, contact Cecelia directly at ce_podolak@telus.net

Friday, April 8, 2011

BBB torch award

Big Thank You to all our customers who nominated us for the 2011 Better Business Bureau Torch Award. This is an award given for ethical practices in the marketplace. Thanks to our customers who like what we do and provide as a fabric retail shop. Kudos to all staff members for their commitment on providing friendly and helpful service.
A round of applause for everyone!!


Wednesday, March 23, 2011

FREE fat quarters










Come by our booth at any of the upcoming sewing/quilting shows, mention you are a blog follower, and receive 2 FREE fat quarters!


- Westshore Quilters Guild show, March 25 -27 at the Eagle Ridge Community Centre, Victoria

- Abbotsford Sewing and Quilting show, April 1-2 at the Abbotsford Tradex, Abbotsford

- Fraser Valley Quilters Guild show, May 13-15 at the George Preston Rec Centre, Langley
- Abbotsford Quilters Guild show, June 10 - 11 at Abbotsford Tradex, Abbotsford

What is a fat quarter?


This is a measuring term specifically for quilting. A fat quarter of fabric is half yard (18") by half the width of the 45" quilting cotton fabric (about 22"). There are quilt patterns specifically designed to exclusively use fat quarters or they can be part of a stash to draw from when needing a certain colour or themed print.



But what if you are not a quilter? What could one make from a little square(s) of fabric?

How about some table napkins? Square up the fabric, roll hem the edges .... and voila! An eco-friendly and reusable napkin that you can design around certain themes or colours.


Square up 2 fat quarters, sew together with a 18 x 18" pillow form for some quick and easy toss cushions. Add a zipper if you want to wash the cover.





Know some dribbling toddlers? Check out McCall's pattern 6108 for some bib patterns.
What ideas have you got for fat quarter projects?


















Thursday, March 17, 2011


Need another opportunity to shop for fabric? Missed the Victoria Sewing and Crafts show because you couldn't dig yourself out of the snow? Here is another opportunity to see Ron Collins, Ce Poduluk, Kathryn Brenne and Patrice Godin all under one roof. The Abbotsford Sewing and Crafts show is April 1 and 2 (no fooling!) at the Abbotsford Tradex. Go with a group of fellow sewers to update/learn some more sewing techniques and shop 'til you drop!
If you go to our website, under news, there is a printable 2 for 1 admission coupon. Go crazy!!


Friday, March 11, 2011

What are these?

What are these?


They are souvenir pin cushions for the upcoming Westshore Quilter's Guild show. Not just for quilters, there is an incredible display of work to view, including quilts and art pieces. There is also a merchant mall (where you can find our booth) for some great deals on fabric and sewing equipment (theads, cutters, rulers etc.)
Come by the shop and pick up your FREE pin cushion as a reminder for the guild show held at the Eagleridge Community Centre in Langford, March 25 - 27, 2001.
See you at the show!

Thursday, March 3, 2011

corset anyone?


In the future, if you get the chance to visit Patrice Godin's booth at the Victoria or Abbotsford sewing shows, ask to try on a corset. You would be amazed on actually how comfortable they are, once you stop laughing!
Just think, it wasn't too long ago that this was a necessary undergarment. For the ladies of leisure as well as anyone who had to work. One thing I noticed is that it is impossible to bend at the waist. If you were to wear any footwear besides slipons, put your shoes on first!
The only other challenge was to take the corset off without exposing everything!
One interesting tit-bit of information ... after the United States entered the World War I, the US War Industries Board asked women to stop buying corsets to free up metal for war production. This step liberated some 28,000 tonnes of metal, enough to build two battleships. (wikipedia.org - history of corsets)
If you think that getting rid of the corset liberated a woman's dressing, think again. We still have the optional corset, although it is now called Spanx! My, how far we have come!
For more information about corset building and corset supplies, check out