12 Days of Needful Things…Day 6!

12 Days of Xmas Ornaments 6DAY 6-FABRIC BOARDS

Thank you all for the kind words yesterday…I appreciate the fact that you all appreciate how hard I really work…I know I have sometimes been accused of working too much, but when you have 40+ persons relying on you for their income, its a lot of pressure…The good thing is..is that I LOVE what I do, so it’s easy for me.  There were no snarky remarks yesterday so hopefully they got the hint, with your help no doubt…so I will post more about the Lakehouse….

Now back to the fabric boards…lisa bongeanYou are really going to LOVE/need this product or you will not.  If you have a COLLECTION of fabric, (you never say stash by the way…) these are for you.  I have used these boards for years to display my fabrics for easier accessibility, but when I ran out and reordered them the company that sold them never filled my order…IMG_6043I need black and it was a special order…I mean I ordered 500, just like my first order, so I don’t know why if wasn’t filled but after about 9 months of waiting…I decided we will make our own. (as you can see I did not take the time to make it look perfect on the shelves, I don’t have that obsession, so showing you them this way is just fine with me…we use these fabrics… it’s not just for show, so they are forever being picked and pulled on and off the shelves.) So that’s the back story on why we are selling fabric boards.  They do not have the tabs to hold the fabric, because I didn’t use them, they made big bumps in the roll and they weren’t necessary, so why put them in our boards. They also fit better on the shelves without the tabs being used.  Our boards are only half the price of the company I was buying them from.  They come in black or white, and black is not a special order from us…we do not discriminate here. We see the need for both colors…If you have a special request like blue…we probably could do that too and it wouldn’t take nine months…I really, really  try to support other companies and form relationships with them, but sometimes they make it impossible.

I would say you can roll from 3/4 yd to a whole bolt on these boards.  When you come home from the quilt store you would fold your fabric in half, to about 11″ and then roll it on the board. (this is taking in account that your fabric is already folded from when it was cut from the bolt)  We fold and and then pin the end…just like in the quilt store!!! I even label my boards with their fabric numbers. IMG_5990 The boards are $30 for 24 of them.  But for this special they will be $24 for 24 so $1 each.  You order in multiples of 24.  So if you order 3 in the cart you will be getting 72 boards. FABRIC BOARDS  

If you didn’t notice a lot of the items this year have to do with organization.  I am starting to go through and organize and purge almost 20 years of stuff in my sewing studio at our Menasha home ( there will be some give-aways, good for you…and me)…I strongly believe in spending $$$ on things to help organize…we feel better when things aren’t a mess, when we can see what we are looking for or know exactly where they should be…saves time and sanity!!!

Today’s a short post….lots to do..only 6 days til Christmas.

Please remember to leave a comment( if you are running out of things to say… tell me how long you have been quilting and why you started)…remember to add HOLD to your order comment section if you want it held!

House pic of the day…made it before dark yesterday and was greeting with this amazing site..my kitchen & living room hardwood floor is A-mazing!!! I show a better close up when I’m not getting in their way.

lisabongean

Remember to have a good day…I believe it 90% up to us to decide whether we are going to have good day or not!!! LB

12 Days of Needful Things…Day 10!

12 Days of Xmas Ornaments 10DAY 10- VALDANI THREAD BOOK!Wool Needle & Thread Cover only

Now if you love to work with wools and the Valdani threads this next needful thing is for you!  This book is only available through Primitive Gatherings as we make them from start to finish in our own warehouse.

The book has a lot more than a place to record your threads.  lisabongean

In the first section I talk about the different weights of threads, what the letters mean in front of the numbers.

Which needles to use with what threads… Lots of pages to record your three stranded flosses, 5-8-and 12 wt threads.

A little section on wool appliqué and using steam-a-seam2 light.  Recommended tools for working with wool.

A section for future threads….Basic Stitch diagrams for all those embroidery stitches, with diagrams the way I stitch them.

A section to list your projects and threads you may need when you get to the quilt show or a shop…

A Note section for projects you want to buy next!!! So you can see this little book has lots of good things that you can keep in your purse for whenever you need it!

So many stitchers are in the booth trying to pick out threads and they don’t know what they already have at home…so now…a great needful thing…Valdani Thread Book!

Thread books are  $10. or 2 for $18!  We will manually adjust the price if you buy more than one…This would be a great present for your woolie friends! Order your book here VALDANI THREAD BOOK

REMEMBER TO LEAVE A COMMENT TO WIN A BOOK WE CAN GIVE A LOT OF THESE AWAY!!!   Tell me what the best part of your Christmas is…
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How are you doing on your Christmas prep?  I did a some decorating on Sunday and the tree last night…Here are a few pics of what the Bongean house looks like…sorry these are a little dark…but its been rainy and gloomy.  God…Please send us some snow!!! Wisconsin is not good in December without any snow!  The snow is very pretty…this rainy mess is not!

I’ve tried to mix it up and use some different quilts this year…I love the scrappy Christmas block quilt that the shop girls made me for Christmas one year…The Christmas Reel quilt is from one of my first fabric lines and is made extrordinary with Linda’s (thequiltedpineapple.com) quilting. The Buggy Barn crazy tree quilt I bought at a benefit action because it was going to go for so little money that I bid a decent amount for it and took it home!  It was made by Nancy Dey, Kaukauna WI.

This is the first year I have not shopped for new Christmas decor…that might have something to do with moving in Feb.  I will miss this house…we have been here for almost 13 years…that is the longest I have ever lived in one place on my own…Nick & I purchased Northridge when we were still working in the paper mill and before we opened Primitive Gatherings.lisabongeanlisabongeanIMG_4649IMG_4653FullSizeRenderlisabongean

Day 1…Needful things for Quilters

12 Days of Christmas 1

I have had many requests to offer this special during the 12 days so here it is…..by popular demand

Day 1 Juki Sewing Machine th

Now I know we pretty much all have a sewing machine…or two or three or even more…But I just have to talk about the sewing machine I use 99% of the time…It is my #1 Needful thing…Most of you probably have never heard of Juki…so let me just say they are not new to the market…Juki is well known in the garment industry and are mostly industrial machines.  I think I have had a Juki for about 9 years now…I also own 2 Berninas, 1060 and a 1530, and a couple of featherweights…one black and one white. I confess this to you so you also know what I am comparing to and you all know I teach all across the country and have stitched on many machines.

I bought the Juki with the intention to use it as a second machine to have set up for machine quilting my little quilts, and also so I didn’t have to change the walking foot from my regular foot on my Bernina…that would have been nice, right?…Juki has entered the quilt world with a semi-industrial machine for quilters.  Here are a few of the features that the Juki machines have…all metal…no plastic bobbins, no plastic feet,  comes with all sorts of feet including 2 free motion feet and a walking foot, a larger 9″ opening between the body and the arm, so machine quilting would be easier to handle.  It has a nice extension table, this is nice for retreats, I have it embedded in my table usually.  The machine ONLY stitches straight.  Now this might be an issue for some, but I was only going to use this for machine quilting…The fact that it only stitches straight is actually a plus…nice tension all the time, single hole throat plate .  It holds large cones as well as regular thread…It has an automatic thread cutter, automatic needle threader , knee lift and stitches 1500 stitches per minute or something like that, in other words it is FAST.

After stitching on this machine and using it.  I did not want to stitch on anything else.  It “pieces” beautifully…I didn’t have to hang on to my threads at the start, the feed dogs are nice and close together and  fed my little pieces in nicely.  Having the single hole meant my piecing wasn’t sucked down into that oblong hole… and again…I could stitch, cut my thread with my foot(or there is a button, but I like my hands free to hold on to my patches) knee lift my presser foot and be on to the next thing…I especially love piecing triangle paper on the Juki for all the reasons I just stated…Now I know being fast really should not be an issue, right? We want to be accurate!  But let me tell you, if I am stitching strips, borders or you name it…fast is handy…I tried going back to my “regular” machine to piece on…it was almost painful!!! Just shoot me…I loan this machine at The Gathering, but it comes with a warning…if you stitch with it you WILL be going home with it!  I think only one person didn’t buy one after she stitched on it for a weekend…lol…They also have updated the Juki recently…I have a TL98Q, now they make a TL2010 Q1, they have updated to an LED light…they have added a Turtle and a Hare button, if you want to control how fast it can go…and they changed the foot pedal, a bit…I love my 98 and the features they added do not make a difference to me…so I am keeping my 98.

Here is the only con to my Juki…it is heavy…but it is all metal!  You can’t have metal parts and it be light!…I think of it like today’s featherweight-but it is not light.  Anyone can work on a Juki…it is a basic machine, it has no computer…it just needs to be oiled and used and it is happy!

So if you are ever in the market for a machine, please check out the Juki’s and you can read all the technical words I should have used to explain it.  They now have a presence at the larger quilt shows and will soon come out with a long arm, that will be most reasonably priced.  I do sell the Juki 2010Q1 at my store…I could sell other machines but remember what I said, I only sell what I use…therefore I sell the Juki’s.  I am placing the Juki 2010Qi on sale now until the end of the year at a special of $899-(yes…not a typo) including shipping.  This is a great deal.  We will order more for this same price as long as you order before the end of the year.  JUKI    In 2014 they will go back to $999.00 still a great price when you think about what you all get with this machine!  Please allow a few weeks for delivery…we will not charge your card until we are shipping it.

If you purchased a Juki from last years 12 days…PLEASE write a comment about it!  I will also pick more winners from the comments on this post…so please comment you have a good chance at winning something!

With my new studio almost complete…2014 will be an exciting year….videos, stitch-a-longs and more great projects from Primitive Gatherings…

The winner from yesterday is: Susan JDecember 23, 2013 at 11:22 pm

I think this is a great tool-quick and fool-proof with the the chart and guide-wish I could’ve been at the party!

Please email your address to:   primitivegatheringsquiltshop@yahoo.com   so we can send you your prize!

Day 2…Needful things for Quilters

12 Days of Christmas 2

Day 2…one more…believe it or not…after I write this post I have to finish my shopping!

Today’s Needful thing is a Quick Quarter for making flying geese…I have made this chart with finished sizes along with the cutting chart…Then attached with each chart is the quick quarter for marking the double stitching lines….In the photo I am showing both sides of the chart…and you can see the no waste method I use for making flying geese!!!…I have made these and have them priced at only $5…they will be on sale for $4…We only have 69 of them left  and they will be gone…so order one if you want to make sure you get one!  If you want to order here is the link:  Flying Geese

DSCN0875The winner from yesterday is:

Janet KayDecember 22, 2013 at 5:01 pm

I use the the #22 and #24 size needles too and they give the perfect end product to one’s quilting project!

Janet…please email us your address to:primitivegatheringsquiltshop@yahoo.com  and we will get your prize out to you….needles and some fabric!

NOTE TO THE WINNERS: We have only sent out the first two winners so far…we are waiting for product and/because of the Holidays…Do not worry after Christmas we will get them all out to you!  Santa will not let you down!  Now to get that shopping done…

Day 3…Needful things for Quilters

12 Days of Christmas 3

We are almost done!!! Today’s needful thing is also essential for any wool appliqué!  Chenille needles…now why do we need chenille needles?…I use the #24 for my Valdani #12 wt. threads for hand stitching my embroidery stitches…it has a sharp point, it is fine and strong with a big eye for threading the perle cotton…The #24 is little…it will not shred your wool…and you can control it to make tiny stitches too!  You will not be disappointed in this needle…but what about the #22?  I use the #22 with anything thicker than a #12 perle…so #8, #5 …When making larger stitches…I also might use a #22 when I double the #12 thread and/or when I am making colonial knots!  Do you know about a colonial knot?  I never make French knots ever…I am sure there are a few of you out there who have learned this knot from me…it is the best isn’t it!!!  So for the special on our Primitive Gathering needles I am offering a combo at a nice price…so its like getting more than one pack free!  3 of each size needle for $12.00!!! I never put these on sale because they more than a little labor intensive!  So stock up woolly ladies!

The winner from yesterday is marieDecember 22, 2013 at 9:09 am

Looks like a great item! Merry Christmas to all the staff at Primitive Gathering!  You will win some Moda precut a surprise!!!

Please email us with your address!  primitivegatheringsquiltshop@yahoo.com

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day 4 and some party photos continued…

Looks like I was a little tired I forgot to post the winner from yesterdays comments…marleneDecember 20, 2013 at 3:32 pm

I have been using these wonderful “see through” totes for my quilt blocks and smaller kits and now I can’t be without them. You can’t have too many if you’re like me and have several project in process all the time. One glance and you can grab and go…does it get any better then that? Thanks for sharing your Christmas Ball theme. Sounds fun – please take pic’s to share with us faithful readers!

Marlene…you have won 4 totes…one of each size or so….email us with your address…to primitivegatheringsquiltshop@yahoo.com

Now…for a few pics from the party last night…so you can get the idea of the party…it was again lots of fun and I already have a new idea for next year…

Each couple had their picture taken in front of my holly & berry arch...
Each couple had their picture taken in front of my holly & berry arch… Mr & Mrs Harrmann
Sheina & Kevin…their first real date...
my new assistant Sheina with Kevin…their first real date… Sheina helped me prepare all of those appetizers…she especially loved the bacon wrapped jalapeños..
my little brother Mike and his wife Robin
my little brother Mike and his wife Robin
My other brother Brad and his wife Tina..
another brother, Brad and his wife Tina..
The King and Queen of the Holly Ball!!! My cousin Scott and wife Jody
The King and Queen of the Holly Ball!!! My cousin Scott and wife Jody..
Some group shot in front of the holly arch!  My Neighbors...
Some group shots in front of the holly arch! My Neighbors…
If we mixed ourselves us we could find nice combinations of outfits…l
If we mixed ourselves us we could find nice combinations of outfits…
seems like friend and neighbor scott was the photo bomber?
seems like friend and neighbor Scott was the photo bomber?
this is weird shot of my kitchen were I cooked lots of those hot appetizer that I never took a picture of...
this is weird shot of my kitchen were I cooked lots of those hot appetizers that I never took a picture of…
everyone had a turn on santa's lap...
everyone had a turn on santa’s lap…
and some miracles happened!
and some miracles happened!
Santa and Elf at work…Elf got some new duds from last year...
Santa and Elf at work…Elf got some new duds from last year…
Jess…on Santa's chair...
Jess…on Santa’s chair…

 

some of the food...
some of the food…