The Fabric Maverick: November 2009 Archives

The star of Thanksgiving is the food! . If you have a large family and group of friends, everyone will bring a dish. You are already ahead. You are halfway to being successful!

The # 1 tip is to eliminate all clutter. This will give you a clean palette to work with. Thoroughly dust everywhere and give the bathrooms a guest fresh look. This is all free!

Consider using white dishes to set the table. It does not have to be expensive China. White dishes with the right accessories can be used for almost every holiday! For Thanksgiving, combine white with autumnal colors- pumpkin orange, amber, gold, maple reds. Go through your fabric stash for autumn fabrics. If you do not have time to sew a table runner, layer the fabrics one over the other hiding the raw edges and tie ends with jute or twine tucking raw edges under. Go to the backyard and pick up pinecones, acorns and berries. Scatter them across your runner.You get the idea!  For Christmas, combine white dishes with red and green accessories. For a different Christmas look- combine aqua, teal and natural elements. For New Year's- white, blue and silver. See how easy this is!

Lighting- to create a holiday mood turn down the lights and bring out the candles. For Thanksgiving, gold/brass colored candlesticks are perfect. Don't have anything but white candles? Do not despair. Wrap them with cinnamon sticks and pretty ribbons.

For holidays smells, let your cooking speak for you. Nothing smells better than a roast turkey and pumpkin pie.

I bet when you figure the cost for decorating, you will find you have spent almost nothing!

If you have ever attended one of the travelling Sewing Expo's, you have had the opportunity to see that years Hoffman Challenge competition.

Started in 1988, the Hoffman Challenge has grown to be a premiere traveling quilt, clothing, and doll collection. The quality of entries and a growing number of exhibit requests have led Hoffman to establish additional traveling collections. Currently, twelve collections travel coast-to-coast within the USA and to several Canadian locations.

This year the Hoffman Challenge is celebrating its 23rd Anniversary. In 1987 the Challenge started with 94 enthusiastic quilters, and some years the number of entries has grown to more than 700. In addition to the three quilt categories (pieced, appliqué and mixed technique), new categories include clothing (wearable art), accessories, and dolls. While the majority of the entries come from the United States a wide variety of international entries are received. Each year, the top entries are grouped into traveling collections and visit quilt and fiber shows, seminars, quilt shops and quilt- and doll-makers guilds nationwide and in Canada.

This year Sulky is a co-sponsor of the Hoffman Challenge. In addition to the other prizes, Sulky is offering a $1000.00 prize for the "Best Use of Sulky".

The competition is open to quilters, apparel makers and doll makers. This is a wonderful opportunity to show your style and creative ability. For more information and an application, click on Hoffman Challenge.

Fabric. com is excited that we have an opportunity to offer our customers the Hoffman Challenge collection: Treasures of the East. This is a beautiful collection of oriental fabrics in cool, tranquil colors of blue, turquoise and green accented throughout with gold metallic accents. Fabric.com wishes you "Good Luck" in your pursuit of sewing excellence! Maybe we will see your creative entry in the next travelling show.

Now is when many grocery stores have great sales on holiday products such as cream cheese, butter, pumpkin, etc. It would be wise to stock up on items you will be using over the next 7 weeks. If you are baking a lot, you will need flour, sugar and butter for sure. Chocolate was on sale this weekend at my local store. I go through a lot of chocolate during the holidays,

If you are making gifts, look for sales on the fabrics you will need. Fabric.com is having a great sale on minky which ends today.  If you are making blankets, robes  and stuffed anumals, minky is perfect.So soft and cuddly. The sale also includes the wonderfully soft Minkee from Benartex that just came in last week. Minky/Minkee is also a wonderful backing for baby quilts.

I don't know about you but I use a lot of 3M Command hanging strips during the holdiay. 3M is advertising a $2.00 off coupon for their Command products. Clink on 3M for the coupon. This is one coupon I know I will use. Thank you, 3M.

If you plan on doing some internet shopping during the holidays, pick those websites that offer free shipping. After all, this leaves a little extra money to pamper yourself. Don't you deserve it?

I hate to break this to you but I did the math this morning. It is only 8 weeks until Christmas! We are now in the official holiday preseason! Don't panic!

First of all, think about what you want to do this season. Check your craft supplies and fill in the gaps. Make sure your sewing machine is in perfect order. There is nothing worse than your machine breaking down in the middle of a project.

Start making lists:

1 Dinner menu lists for Thanksgiving and Christmas.

2. Gift lists- set a budget -stick to it

3. If you are having any special parties such as a cookie swap party now is the time to send out invitations before all the days are taken. Here is a website to get you started: C & H Sugar.

4. Now would be a good time to think about projects you might be doing with the children.

5. Are you making decorations, gifts or table linen?. Now is the time to prepare a timeline so you will have time to complete the projects and still enjoy the holidays.

Whatever you do, do not stress out. This is probably not the time to start a Christmas quilt but you still have time to do pajamas for cousin Joe. Be realistic about your time and money. No one can do everything.

Stay tuned over the next 8 weeks, we will be doing projects and giving tips to make this a fun holiday season.