Helen Godden- Quilting Goddess

It has always been the hugest pleasure here at Hobbysew Belconnen to host classes with Helen Godden. Helen and I exhibited our first quilts together at Canberra Quilters' 2003 Quilter's Exhibition. Since then both our quilting lives have taken off... mine into the retail side of things and Helen's into international fame and recognition!
Second term classes are booking and sadly for me I am already writing the class list for third term! Where do the days go???
Helen has just got back from a teaching stint up north and has sent me some photos of the tremendously successful class 4 In the Raw.

This is a great class to explore your creativity while still keeping a defined project in mind.
Positive and negative images are used.

Beautiful quilting and raw edge applique is then added to enhance the design. Use one of Helen's designs, or one of your own!

You must have completed her beginner quilting class or have an equivalent skill level to undertake this class.
Photos show one of Helen's own samples followed by the works created in her recent workshop by her students.

Mother's Day Specials

Wow!
4 Super deals for Mother's Day
Madeira Treasure Chest valued at over $1000 for only $399
30% off sewing baskets
Ott-lite 13 Watt Task Lamp only $79
Ott-lite 18 Watt Hampton Floor Lamp $149

Plus sewing machines with great specials form Sunger and Husqvarna Viking

Newsletter due on your doorstep

Hi there once more!
Our newsletter is about to arrive in your letter boxes any tick of the clock. It is running a moment or two late this month due to a head office reshuffle, but the bookings have been swift by word of mouth alone for the new classes we have lined up for Term 2!
Brand New and for this term only we have classes by Mary Kingsford. Mary is an accredited Canberra Quilters' teacher who is only available this term for teaching. Her classes for Machine trapunto and folded curved piecing bring something quite new and interesting to the class list.
Helen Godden has added two new classes to her list of regular machine quilting classes. Many ladies by now will have done the fabric painting class that Helen has offered at a location more able to withstand the water than our shop! As a follow up to this, she has offered "Complete the Picture". In this class people will be able to develop their coloured fabrics into a piece of art.
Helen's other new class is called "007 Licensed to Design" which is all about designing your own original raw edged applique original. Explore... and create!
Sylvia Frazer returns to Hobbysew with a full term's worth of fabulous needlework projects. Come into the store and see the display of these gorgeous things.

Our big ambition for this term is to get as many people on our mailing list onto our emailing list to save the planet a few trees etc. Please drop us an email or visit the store to add your email address to your customer details. Our email address is
hobbysew_act@hotmail.com

Welcome To April

April is here with a great special but you need to act quickly!
Until 6th April we have 30% off backing and Sew Easy cotton wadding and Fairfield packaged wadding products.
30%!!
We know that a lot of people have been pulling their belts in and using their stash, so we thought we would help you work on your stash by providing the finishing items you need!
Today I put out the new class list. It will be posted to all our VIPs in the near future but if you want to guarantee your place in a particular class, duck in early and secure your place.

Happy sewing!
PS... one month until Mother's day.. tell them to visit us and you won't end up with a vacuum cleaner or toaster!

Hobbysew Monthly Offers

Last year Najelle and I floated the idea of a Managers Special. This idea has been completely embraced by our head office and is now a major happening thing!
This month when you make a purchase, you can receive a voucher. This voucher can be presented after 31 March and you will receive either 25% off your scrapbooking purchases over $50 OR when you buy three metres of fabric we will add a 4th one for free!
Watch this space to hear what the offer will be in following months. Let us know if there is something you would like to see on our list!

March! Already Half Over!

So Much is happening, I have not found time to drop in and update the blog! Tsk Tsk!

Classes are well underway but there are a few spot left is a couple of the classes so please give us a call if there is a class you have a hankering to do.

The next class list is currently on the drawing board. Term two is great time to get into a class. Not too cold, not too hot, just right!

After our massive clearance in January, we received stock in from the US direct and we are so excited to be able to get fabrics in the greatest and latest ranges for less than we have been able to for quite some line. We have been able to put the vast majority of he new stock out at $17.95pm. It has been 4 years since we have been able to be assured of that kind of pricing and a real pleasure to be able to pass on some of the advantages of the improvement in the Australian dollar to you.

Two huge hits in the new fabrics have been Winnie the Pooh and the Cars gang.

Just had a look at some signage today and found that our Bazzill cards stock signs said $1.35. If you have bought any for quite some months now you would have realised that we dropped our bazzill price to just $0.99 ages ago. And don't forget that you get you VIP discount on that too making it really affordable.

Jo's papercraft classed were fantastic. Can't wait to see what projects she has lined up for term 2.

The idea behind the class is to learn a new skill with Jo in the first hour and then stay on to do your own scrap booking in good company!

One sad thing to note has been the passing of Canberra Needlework. Robyn and Jo closed their doors after providing great service and support to northside hand sewers.

The first side effect of this is that their regular Wednesday social group are now meeting at Hobbysew every Wednesday morning for sit and sew.

The second one is that Sylvia Frazer has brought back to Hobbysew all her fabulous classes for stitching and little projects. This is great for the crafts person who doesn't want huge projects. Keep an eye out for Sylvia's classes in the next newsletter.

Mother's Day is fast approaching so I have one recommendation to make: Start nagging now. My experience is that families are not that sensitive to mothers needs... so you need to get out and make a noise now so that it sinks in.

Tell them that the Husqvarna Sapphire is what you want and that they can layby it today. Men don't understand "maybe" and "perhaps" and "I wouldn't mind". Tell him today to go and get it!

And tell him to say that it is for Mothers Day and I will throw in a pressie for you too!

Term1 Begins!

The first term is upon us! To start us off, we are going straight into the heavily booked classes. Sue's Quilt As You Go Sampler begins Friday night and then we have a weekend of Luixin's magnificent techniques. The response to Luixin's classes has been enormous and we have people coming from as far away as Melbourne!
We hope that we may be able to get more dates from Luixin for later in the year for all those who missed out.

Our Australia Day sale left us with plenty of room for the new ranges of fabric from the US. We have a complete range of 1930 repros, a Japanese range, a pretty retro range that would be perfect for teenage girls, and a huge range of Batiks have arrived. All these fabrics have been marked at $17.95 pm and of course you will receive our VIP discount on top of that if you have already joined up.

Thanks to the ladies who came along to our meet the teacher day. It was lovely to be able to share our new projects with you. I hope you took advantage of the 20% discount offered to those that attended ;).
It was particularly thrilling to have Buffy share her journal quilts with us. A collection of quilt journals that Buffy curated was featured in this months Down Under Quilts. It will be a fabulous course.

If you have been contemplating a new sewing machine for yourself or as a gift, we have great options. Our Husqvarna range has some great prices and offers and we still have a limited number of free DVD players that will accompany any 7000 series Singer Sewing machine.

Last week we received a gorgeous bundle of Jelly Rolls. Have you seen these yet? They are rolls of 2 1/2 inch strips from a range. We have a couple of classes offered this year that are perfect for using these tempting collections of fabric.

You must go into the shop and see Sylvia's new quilt. I asked her to make a block from Nancy Halverson's new book just before Christmas. She loved making the block so much that she could't help herself. The quilt was so quickly apliqued, pieced and quilted, it takes my breath away!

Big News For our First Mall Birthday

Welcome back from the holiday season!
It is our first birthday in the mall and can you believe, nearly 4 years since we first opened at the old address.
To celebrate this, and Australia day we are having the hugest sale you are going to see this year!
30% off all fabric not already on special. The logic behind this madness is a huge shipment of fabric from the US that we are receiving that will re-set the clock on fabric prices! Instead of 2008 you will think it is 1998!
This is crazy! You are going to get such massive savings and right on time for the new year's classes.

Hopefully by now you will have received a copy of the new class list. There are so many new classes as well as the older favorites, I found it very confusing to schedule them all!

The most exciting of all is our special guest teacher, Liuxin Newman, The Thimble Lady.
You deserve to learn Liuxin's "no pain" quilting technique. I did the course some years ago and have never felt quilting stiffness in my hands since!

The following day we will be offering you a chance to learn the finer pints of needle turn applique from her. She is an international award winner and this is a chance not to be missed!

Bigger than Ben Hur

It is Christmas for you at Hobbysew!

20% off All full priced fabrics

20% off Habby

20% Off Art and Craft Supplies

If your hubby is like mine, you need to buy yourself something for Christmas if you are going to get something you want!

Hobbysew has made it easy!

Only until Sunday 4pm 16th December

Show and Tell

End of year Show and Tell! Yesterday we had the morning version and tonight we have one for the workers!
Yesterdays was great. We saw a lot of finished quilt as you go items. I think that pretty much proves how that technique above all others sees finished quilts.
And one of those ladies won the Ott Light that was the prize offered to all those who joined in with the Show and Tell.
There were other lucky door prizes drawn from all who came.
We had a range of Fat Quarters for only $3 each and half price Fat 8ths too. Double VIP discounts also added to the fun!
Rosemary proved that she has a great eye for colour when she managed to collect over 20 FQs from the reduced range that all coordinated. Amazing! It looked like a jumble sale to me!
Can't wait for tonight to do it all again!

Singer Catalogue Specials

Your Christmas Gift
Free from Singer
40,000 homes in Canberra are getting a catalogue from Singer with their very special Christmas promotion.
Buy any.... yes.....ANY
Sewing machine, overlocker or ironing press before 15th of January and you will receive a free DVD player

When you buy something for her, you will receive something for him free.
To celebrate this wonderful offer we have added two great new machines to our already extensive range of Singer machines.

Welcome to:

• Singer 7470.

Usually $999, it is on special for $799 (plus of course the free DVD player)
LED screen, 173 built in stitches. Alphabet and numbers. 7 styles of 1-step buttonhole. Automatic needle threader.
5 year warranty and bonus extension table. Extension tables are worth more than their weight in gold when you are working with large items like curtains or quilts.

• Singer Futura CE150

Launched with rave reviews in the US, this latest release embroidery machine is perfect for the an entry into machine embroidery. This versatile embroidery machine also doubles as a regular sewing machine. It can be set so that all software updates occur automatically when your log in. Anyone who already owns an embroidery machine can tell you what a wonderful advance that is.
It is being launched with a huge savings of $700, priced at just $999!!!!(plus the free you know what..)
Plus you can chose to add software to your machine.

Storage space at the shop is tight so we can not guarantee that the machines will be still there when you walk in on Christmas eve, so please think ahead and buy or layby your machines now!

Managers' Special

Short of time, sparing with words... this week it is Civil War prints!