Isn't designing and creating your own unique quilt something you'd love to do? Then reserve your spot in our Rag Quilt class today, by calling or emailing Aimee at aimeeg@maryjos.com!
Tuesday, December 31, 2013
Home Dec Demo Returns in 2014
Are you sewing
draperies, valances or bedding for your home? Are you confused about
all the different lining and interlining materials and which one is best for
your project?
Our home dec sewing
expert is here to help!
Stop by and visit with
Susan Woodcock on Jan. 11 for a free "All About Linings and
Interlinings" workshop.
Susan will help you
learn about the different lining materials available at Mary Jo's Cloth Store,
and share how to use linings to achieve light control, insulation and to
enhance the beauty of your home dec project.
You will also see how to
create a French blackout drapery; a unique layering method that creates a high
end and luxurious finish.
New Year’s Resolutions
As we say goodbye to 2013, it reminds us all to reflect on
what we have accomplished in the past year and what we hope to accomplish in
the new one. Below are some of the top resolutions for any fabric lover,
seamstress and anyone in between!
Clean – It has been a year already; why not
clean your sewing machines, craft closets and fabric stashes? There is no time like the present. Plus you
never know what you may find hiding in the back of that shelf buried under
bobbins, tulle and glitter.
Sharpen -
Gather your scissors, rottery cutter blades and even your kitchen
knives! You will be shocked at the difference a nicely sharpened pair of fabric
scissors can make.
Separate out old or different bobbins – For Mary
Jo’s Cloth Store, 2013 was the year of the sewing machine. If you are like us
and purchased a new machine, be sure you are not using those old bobbins for
your brand new baby!
Take inventory – Don’t fall prey to shopper’s
remorse! How often have you come home with a new set of sewing needles only to
discover you had already purchased the exact same needles 3 months ago? Stop
the madness and take inventory of what you already have, you will not only save
yourself money but a few stress wrinkles along the way.
Designated idea container – A desk, corkboard or
folder, are all great options for your designated idea holder. Use this space
as your go to place to catalogue your to-do lists, inspirational clippings and
even your weekly recipes. This way when
you want to start a new project you will have plenty of ideas to choose from.
Sign up for a class – Challenge yourself, and
learn something new! It is a new year, why not dare yourself to tackle new
obstacles and expand your sewing knowledge.
Take on a new project - You know that dress you
always wanted to make, but never had the time to, or that chair you wanted to
design, but couldn’t bring yourself to finish it? Make 2014 the year you
actually complete your dream task! If not now, then when?
Monday, December 30, 2013
Happy New Year from Mary Jo's
It is hard to believe another
year has come to an end. It has been a
very special year for Mary Jo’s Cloth Store.
We have added new products, started in-store sewing classes and had
spectacular sales events, but our mission remains the same; to offer a wide
selection of fabrics and sewing supplies at the best prices.
As we reflect on the success
of this past year, what we treasure the most are our customers. People who come from close by and far away, to
purchase sewing machines and equipment, fabrics, notions, and sewing supplies
in-person, and on our website.
Our customers are incredible
people: creative, talented and fun.
Magic happens when sewing and fabric enthusiasts come together! Thank you for making our year magical.
To celebrate the arrival of
2014 Mary Jo’s is setting off fireworks in
the store. Fireworks fabric that is!
Ring in the New Year with
fabrics embellished with sequins and metallic embroidery.
Give a toast in honor of
materials that sparkle, shimmer and shine.
In the quilting department
you will find punchy and bright firework themed cotton fabrics.
 |
| Photo credit: www.marthachellingerhoudquilts.com |
We just had to share these fireworks
quilt designs. What a creative
inspiration from www.etmcreative.com!
All of us at Mary Jo’s Cloth
Store wish you and your family a healthy, happy and prosperous New Year.
Wednesday, December 18, 2013
Sewing, Quilting and Home Décor in January!
Meet the Sew Sistas!
'Seams' our Mary Jo's Instructors want to meet you
Join Mary Jo's on Saturday, January 11, from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. for the Class Instructor Meet and Greet event! Meet and mingle while enjoying refreshments, plus everyone who signs up for classes that day, will receive 10% off class supplies. Bring a friend and get half off your next class fee!
Mingle
: Inspire : Enjoy Refreshments
Prairie Rose Block of the Month Club
What do you get when you mix Jo Morton fabrics and 9- 12” pieced blocks? This gorgeous quilt called Prairie Rose!
Now mix in Daniela Hogan, and a monthly lecture and you have the Block of the Month Club.
Why join this club? Not only will you get great step-by-step instructions for building the block, you’ll also learn tips, tricks and perfect your piecing skill. No need for hauling your sewing machines, as this is a lecture styled club.
This is a 10 month program, each month you will pick up your block fabrics along with the block pattern and get full verbal and visual instructions. Once finished this quilt will measure 100”x 100”.
All of the club meetings will be held in Mary Jo's classroom.
Date: 1st Saturday of every month. Starting in February
Time: 9am to 10am
Fee: $55 for the first Month and $19.99 for each month.
Price includes all fabric needed to make the 100”x 100” quilt plus monthly instructions and patterns.
10% off the price if you pay for all 10 month’s ahead
Space is limited to 12 spaces
If you are interested in joining please call Mary Jo's and ask to speak with Aimee or email her at aimeeg@maryjos.com to book your spot today!
Monday, December 16, 2013
Geometric Ribbon Pillows
Have you seen the wall of
ribbon at Mary Jo’s Cloth Store? It is
amazing! This is where you will find satin,
grosgrain, velvet, printed, lace and sheer ribbons, plus ric-rac, sequins and
other decorative trims.
Ribbon has so many uses! You can tie ribbon around a jelly jar, use
to hang pictures or ornaments, sew to hems in skirts or pants, make hair bows,
decorate presents, use to make necklaces, tie-back curtains and much more.
Ribbon makes a wonderful trim
for your home decorating projects. The
pillows below were created with cotton fabrics and colorful grosgrain ribbon.
Here are the steps to make geometric
ribbon pillows:
Start by cutting the front
and back pieces to the size needed (adding for seam allowances). Apply blue painter’s tape to the front piece
of the pillow; inset the distance you would like the ribbon to be. This will give you a nice line to
follow.
Place the ribbon along the
inside of the tape, folding a miter at each corner and pin. A 7/8” wide ribbon was used for this pillow.
Continue around the pillow,
creating a geometric design. You can
make the pillow as simple, or complex as you would like. When you have finished pinning the ribbon in
place, you can remove the tape.
Add more color by weaving a
second color ribbon into the design.
This gets a little tricky! Pin
the ribbon in place and hide the beginning and end under a solid piece of
ribbon.
For the smaller, rectangular
pillow only one color ribbon was used, with a less complicated design.
Sew carefully along each side
of the ribbon using a matching thread. Sew the front and back pieces of the pillow together.
You can add an invisible zipper at the bottom
or hand-sew closed after adding the pillow form.
The finished pillows are
colorful and trendy! Stop by Mary Jo’s
today to see all the ribbons and fabrics that you can use to make your own geometric
ribbon pillows.
Wednesday, December 11, 2013
Free Pleated Ruffle Mini-Workshop
Join Susan Woodcock AKA Home Dec Gal for a free Pleated Ruffle
Mini-Workshop, Saturday, December 14, from 10:00 - 11:00 am. Learn how to add pleated ruffle details to your home decorating
projects, and see a hands-on demo of how to make a variety of styles including
knife edge, boxed, and pick-up boxed ruffles.
Tuesday, December 10, 2013
Fabric Makes Us Happy, Happy, Happy
Hey Jack! Our latest fabric are in, and just in time for the holidays! The infamous bearded family of Monroe, Louisiana, the Robertsons, has taken over the country with their hit TV show Duck Dynasty on AETV.
The Robertsons built a multi-million dollar sporting empire manufacturing duck calls. Phil, Willie, Jase, Mrs. Kay and Uncle Si continue to charm TV viewers with their special brand of down-home practicality, southern charm and occasional wacky antics.
Now you can take home your own little piece of Duck Dynasty with our four new fabrics.
(Springs Creative)
$5.99 / Yard/Row
Color: DUCK DYNASTY
CAMO - Brown(Springs)
Width: 45"''
Repeat: V-'' x H-''
100% Cotton
Duck Dynasty - Duck Camo Pink 48870 C47
(Springs Creative)
$5.99 / Yard/Row
Color: DUCK DYNASTY
CAMO - Pink (Springs)
Width: 45"''
Repeat: V-'' x H-''
100% Cotton
Duck Dynasty - Faces Sayings Toss 49347 2160715
(Springs Creative)
$5.99 / Yard/Row
Color: DUCK DYNASTY
CAMO - Face Sayings Toss (Springs)
Width: 45"''
Repeat: V-'' x H-''
100% Cotton
Duck Dynasty - Brothers of the Beard 49542 F330715 - Panel
(Springs Creative)
$5.99 / Yard/Row
Color: DUCK DYNASTY
Width: 45"''
Repeat: V-'' x H-''
100% Cotton
Countdown to Christmas: Holiday Quilting Classes at Mary Jo’s
Our
store has been a flurry of activity with customers buying fabric and supplies
to make Christmas gifts and buying gifts for a special sewing someone on their
list.
Our sewing lounge has been
humming like Santa’s workshop with students cutting, sewing, laughing and
creating beautiful things!
We
thought you would enjoy a peek inside at one of our recent classes, where
quilters gathered together to work on this cheerful Christmas tree quilt
design.
Class
instructor Aimee Griffin has years of experience as a quilter and teacher. Students love Aimee’s fun personality,
enthusiasm and extensive sewing knowledge.
Here Aimee is helping a student with the layout of her quilt pieces.
In
our quilting classes you will learn techniques for selecting fabric colors and
patterns, how to cut and use your fabric efficiently, sewing methods and the
tools and supplies used by quilters to make quilting easier.
One
of the exciting parts of attending a class is that you get to be with others
who share your love of sewing and quilting.
It’s fun to chat about your finished (and unfinished!) projects,
ooh-and-ahh over fabrics and make new friends. You
will be inspired by each other’s creativity!
Would
you like to learn to quilt? We have the
perfect class to help you get started! In addition to quilting,
Mary Jo’s also has classes that will teach you how to make clothing, crafts,
tote bags, curtains, pillows and more.
Be sure to check the class schedule often, as new classes are added
every month or
call 704-861-9100 to sign-up today. Click [here] to view the latest class schedule.
Countdown to Christmas: Faux Fur Throw
We continue our countdown to Christmas with a great gift
idea that you can make for your family and friends. Faux fur throws are a hot trend in home décor
because they add a texture and romance to any room. You will see them them thrown over the back of a sofa, draped over a leather chair or at the foot of a bed. Faux fur throws are the perfect, cozy little blanket for watching television, reading a book or taking a nap.
To make your own faux fur throw, begin by selecting your
favorite faux fur for the front. There
is a tremendous selection at Mary Jo’s Cloth Store, from solid colors to realistic
animal prints. Keep in mind that faux
fur with a short pile will be easier to sew, especially if you are
inexperienced with sewing faux fur. 
We
selected a faux chinchilla that is silky, soft and oh-so irresistible! For the lining we chose a red satin from the Mary Jo’s bridal department. Red is perfect for Christmas, but any color would be lovely.
If you don’t want to make a color-statement,
choose a warm brown or black lining.
Step 1:
Cut a square for the front and back. We cut this throw 54 inches x 54 inches,
which used exactly 1½ yards of the fur and satin material. Serge the edges of the fur, and the satin if
needed. Mark the center of each
side. Place the fur and satin
face-to-face, line up the corners and center marks and pin together. Then secure in-between the pins, keeping the
fur stretched taut between the pins while pinning together.
Step 2:
Sew around the edges using a ½-inch seam
allowance. (Test stitching on a remnant
of fur and satin to determine the best settings for your machine). Leave a small opening along one side for
turning.
Clip corners
and turn right sides out. Hand stitch
the opening closed with matching thread. Your fur
throw is finished!
You will want to keep
this gift for yourself, or make two, one for you and one for a friend, even
your furry friends will love this cozy throw.
