Thread Talk and More...

It's been a while since I have posted an article by Bob Purcell, President of Superior Threads. In most of his newsletters, there is an educational component on threads, needles, or something related to stitching and he graciously gives permission for these articles to be shared. With the holidays approaching, I'm sure most of you will be feeling some increased tension as you try to get all the Christmas preparations done, as well as some special sewing projects. This article contains a link to some really useful info on tension- thread tension, that is, not personal tension! And, if you're the sort who likes to add a little glitter and glitz to your Christmas projects with metallic thread, there's some helpful info on sewing with metallics  on a longarm as well. The article is below. And here is a link to some Tips for Successful Stitching with Metallics on your home machine.

There are some new entries of beautiful quilts in our For Sale section, and all are hand quilted. Have a look! If you know of someone who's looking for a beautiful quilt, please tell them about our "listing." Just click on the "For Sale" sign on our sidebar to view them all.

You can click here to see all the winners of the International Quilt Festival held recently in Houston. Just click on the first quilt photo, for a larger view of all quilts. You will notice one of the winners is Margaret Solomon Gunn of Gorham Maine; you may have seen this quilt or some of her other incredible works at Maine Quilts.

Our November meeting is just days away- see you all next Tuesday night, Nov. 18th, back at our usual meeting spot on Johnston Avenue.

And now, from Bob, Thread Professor and self-certified Threadologist:

		EDUCATION:  Why does Thread Education matter?
		I was having a splendid conversation with a prominent quilter this past week and we discussed education as it relates to the industry. With the explosion of Pinterest, Craftsy, Etsy, YouTube, and other websites, there is an endless amount of education available. These online resources didn't exist just a few years ago. The digital age has revolutionized our industry and we expect many more advancements to come in the near future. We strongly encourage all to spend time studying and constantly improving skills. There is an immeasurable benefit to learning and knowing all aspects of your machine, needle, thread, and notions. We are strong advocates of thread education and will continue to emphasize education, service, and quality as our top responsibilities. We've recently released several articles, videos, and infographics such as Understanding why Egyptian-grown cotton matters, how simple quilting with Metallic can be (even on a longarm), and why Tension control is so important in getting a good stitch. As we learn more about the products we use and why we use them, we will not only excel in our passions, but we can teach the next generation and pass onto them all the knowledge we've gained.  We take extreme care in the quality of our threads, needles, and notions. We have the highest standards for both the raw materials and the manufacturing.  A large portion of our website is devoted to Education. You will find 100+ educational articles, 100+ educational videos, tutorials, and reference guides. We have released two infographics which explain in detail the selection and processing of materials and how they are turned into thread.  They are fun to read and full of useful information.  Please share them with your friends and you will sound like an expert.  For continuing education and announcements, please subscribe to our YouTube channel, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and pin with us on Pinterest.

Local Show!

Just a reminder that the Elm City QG Show is on this weekend. Let's get out and support our sister quilters! They've put together a lovely display at Gibson Memorial Church at 183 Gibson St. on the northside. There's lots of parking in behind the church. Vendors, refreshments, a special table of goodies by Grandmothers Helping Grandmothers and LOTS of quilty inspiration! Here's a tiny taste of what you'll see...

Odds and Ends

Did you attend any quilt shows this fall? One of the recent ones was in Charlottetown PEI and Lee M. sent me a photo of the "Quiltmobile" which was parked outside the show. Can you imagine driving around in this? There'd be NO hiding the fact that you are a quilter!! lol Lee commented that a lot of work went into this "quilt" as it was a "custom fit" with "cutouts" for the brake lights in the back, velcro so that the doors can be opened/closed, etc. Truly a labour of love. Thanks Lee for the photo. (photos taken of the show are not allowed to be "published" - sorry!)

Speaking of shows, the International Quilt Festival in Houston is wrapping up today. This is the 40th Anniversary of this event- and 40 years means Ruby. To celebrate there is a special exhibit of red and white quilts and you can view some of them by clicking here... Trust me, it's well worth the visit! And how nice to know that there is a Maritime quilt included in the exhibit- a red and white Log Cabin called "Log Canada" by Amherst's Karen Neary! You can see it here. Way to go Karen!   :)

And just for fun - I'm sure you've seen some of the online quizzes which tell you which "whatever" you are, by answering a series of questions. I found one one which tells you which Quilt Block you are! Try it by clicking here.

Did anyone take photos during the Hilary Rice workshops? If so, could you send me a few to post here?
And I hope someone will take some photos at Retreat and send them on to me too.. I haven't received any the past few years...

Quilt On!