Quilt Zone update and stash sale - Saturday, March 2, 2013
February is almost over and I’d like to welcome most of Alaska back from Hawaii. The QZ staff is back in state and I’m looking forward to putting them back to work and taking some time off to concentrate on designing new projects for the store (like a block of the month) and finishing some old projects (mysteries?).
The Quilt Zone received a huge infusion of new fabric in January and February, and now you can see some of these great fabrics on our new Facebook page. If you are a Facebook fan you probably know how to navigate the system better than I do – I hope you will like us on Facebook. If you are not on Facebook you can still see the page - just follow this link: Quilt Zone Facebook. You can also find the Facebook icon on the Quilt Zone webpage and click on the icon to find our page.
Spring 2013 Classes and January 12 - 13 Class Sales
Saturday January 12 and Sunday January 13, 2013 Class Sales
Sign up for any class on this weekend and receive a 20% discount on the class fee. Class supplies are always 15% discounted.
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Artful Machine Quilting
All Levels -- Maria Shell -- $35
You’ve completed you quilt top and are now ready to quilt it. Take this class to learn the basics of quilting. Maria is an award winning quilter who will introduce you to the skill of machine quilting. Maria will cover thread, batting, quilt prep, and basic free motion and in-the-ditch quilting, and you will work on a sampler of quilting stitches in the class.
Saturday, January 19, 10am to 2pm
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All Ruffled Up Handbag
Beginner Plus -- Mary Kay Sambo -- $30
The samples were put in the store and we sold all the patterns at once. This handbag is so cute. And the pattern is so not perfect. Mary Kay has made 8 of these bags (so far) and has really refined the pattern to make it easier and produce a better product. Join Mary Kay and learn all her secrets.
Saturday, January 19 and 26, 3 to 5:30pm
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Quilt Zone Anniversary Sale - Saturday, Nov. 24, 2012
The Quilt Zone celebrates its two year anniversary this month. The honeymoon is over. The quilting trade journals say that a quilt store has two years to be “new”, and in those two years customers are forgiving. After two years a new store is just another quilt store and customers expect better service, better products and fewer problems. Now that the Quilt Zone is just another quilt store we’ll have to work harder to live up to your expectations.
But first, let’s party. The two year anniversary celebration will be on Saturday, November 24 – that’s Thanksgiving weekend. You’ll be out shopping for bargains anyway. Take a break, come into the store, pick up a coupon good for 30% off one item, sit down, have a cookie, and mull over what you would like to purchase with your discount. Use the coupon at once, or wait and see what inspires you – the coupon is good through December 1. We’ll also repeat the Quilt Zone gift certificate incentive (bribe) program: we will discount the price for a gift certificate 20% (in increments of $50). So a $50 gift certificate will cost you $40 and $100 certificate will cost you $80 and a $200 certificate will cost you $160. This offer is also good for one week through December 1. And I will add more fabric to the sale rack – many underachieving bolts will find themselves marked down 40%.
Quilt Zone Newsletter - August 2012
Summer 2012, such as it was, is just about over. It's time to think about quilting again. The fall classes are on the website. The Quilt Zone class sale dates are Saturday, August 18 and Sunday, August 19. Class fees will be discounted 20% if you sign up on one of these days. Class supplies are always discounted 15%. The entire store won't be on sale, but there will be many discounted items -I hope you will stop by and check them out.
We have a lot of new fabric in the store. Christmas is in, Halloween is here (and some of it is already gone - that's what happens when Mary Kay makes a great sample out of a cute panel), and we have 20 bolts of Kona cotton solids due any day - including some cool new colors.
Quilt Zone Class Sale - Jan 7 - 8, 2012
I hope you all had a good Christmas. I'm always glad when Christmas is over - it's like life can get back to normal. Not that normal is so great, but it is a lot less stressful. I wanted to send you a quick note to say that I am working on the class schedule, and I will have it posted on the website (alaskaquiltzone.com) by the end of the week. The QZ Class Sign Up sale weekend is Saturday and Sunday, January 7 & 8. Class fees will be discounted 20% on this weekend.
In an effort at inventory control I added more underachieving bolts to the 40% off sale table. I also selected an entire rack full of under appreciated fabrics that are discounted at 20%. Some assorted books, patterns and notions fall in this category as well. If you have Christmas money (or gift certificates) burning a hole in your pocket this is a good way to stretch your dollars and get a little extra for your money.
See you at the Quilt Zone.
Diana
Frixion Pens
I also thought I'd use this note to pass on some information about Frixion pens. We've sold lots of these pens and they are great marking tools. But like all marking tools, they have their weak points. The marks become invisible with heat - but the ink does not go away. It just becomes transparent. If the quilt gets cold, the marks come back. So if you send a quilt marked with Frixion pens to the grandkids in Fairbanks, when the quilt is unpacked the marks will be visible on the quilt (those UPS/Fed Ex/USPS trucks get pretty darn cold in the winter). The marks will become transparent again if the quilt is ironed, or tumbled in a hot dryer, or even if you use a hot hair dryer on the quilt. According to most of the information I've seen the ink will usually wash out and then the marks are gone for good. There is lots of info available on the net - most of it extremely positive. One site that clearly presents the problems with the pen is on the Quilting Climber blog frixion pens evaluated. The problems do not make the Frixion pen unusable as a marker. It's great for clear, crisp, easy marking. The cold is not USUALLY a problem - my little wallhangings never go out in the cold and if they did I have no problem running an iron over them. But you should know the pros and cons of the marker and decide for yourself if it is suitable for your purpose.
Quilt Zone Sale - Saturday, Nov. 26, 2011
SALE ALERT! The Quilt Zone has a whole lot (i.e. plethora) of Stash Fabric. More than we can fit on our boards. So I've decided to put it all on sale. Starting Saturday, November 26 the Stash Fabric will be on sale for $3.99 a yard. So if you buy a fat quarter, that's like, $1.00. But at this price, you should probably buy more than fat quarters. The sale will last through Saturday, December 4, but you should come early for the really good stuff. I'm starting a sale rack, too. After a year in business it's time to move some underachievers. So there will be bolts of fabrics marked down 40%.
I'm still collecting data for the Best of The Quilt Zone Year in Review. If you have a favorite notion, book, quilt, class or fabric from the Quilt Zone that you would like to nominate for a "best of " award drop me an email. I'd love to hear from you.
Hope to see you Saturday, and until then Happy Sewing.
With much Thanksgiving
Diana
Quilt Zone Newsletter - November 2011
Do you have "Dang, I wish I thought of that" moments? One of the big on-line fabric stores uses "Creative Nudge" as the tag line for their weekly update. And, dang, I wish I'd thought of that. In my mind it succinctly states what I want the Quilt Zone to be for you - a creative nudge. Not a creative challenge - life is tough enough without feeling challenged in a quilt store. Not a creative push - nobody like to be pushed. But a creative nudge: a gentle, delicate, persuasion to create. I want to fill the store with quilts, fabrics, books and patterns that tempt you to create something wonderful.
Quilt Zone Newsletter - August 2011
Take a look at our Current Class Schedule for the Quilt Zone for our class offerings for the fall.
Wow. The weekend of August 20 is going to be a busy one for local quilters. The Quilt Zone is joining the Quilt Tree and Seams in scheduling our class sale date for that weekend. You all are going to have to pace yourselves. I know you want to look for the best deals, so let me tell you about Quilt Zone sales.
Our sale prices will be good Saturday, August 20 and Sunday August 21. On those days all class fees will be discounted 20%. The entire store will NOT be on sale - I just don't price that way - compare prices and you will see we have the lowest prices EVERY DAY. But there will be several underachieving fabric lines on sale for 25% off (sale price $7.49 to $8.80). You can get an idea of what some of the lines look like by clicking the links below - just remember we don't have all the pieces of any line left - and we may have some pieces that are no longer shown on the company's website.
From Mora (United Notions, click on Fabrics then on the Browse our Products category then use the search box to type in the name of the fabric line).
Quilt Zone Newsletter - June 2011
From my sewing room window I can look southwest and catch a glimpse of Turnagain Arm. Last night I took a picture at midnight. Of course, this time of year it was very light and very lovely. I'll take a picture out the same window in December - at 3pm when the sun will be setting, it will be dark and lovely. The changing light is my favorite part of living in Alaska. The sky and the mountains and the shadows are always changing and it's wonderful. I'm originally from Northern Michigan. Dad and my siblings still live there. When I go back to visit, my favorite scenery is the night sky. Dad lives out in the country; there is no light pollution and the summer night sky -no moon, no clouds - is absolutely stunning. Isn't it wonderful that we can find beauty no matter where we are - in the light and in the dark?
Fabric is like that (ha, you knew I was going to get around to quilting eventually). You can find and create beauty in so many different prints, styles, colors, and lights and darks. I never tire of playing with fabric and imagining the possibilities. I love to see what other people are creating too; I thank every one of you who have taken the time to bring projects into the store for show and tell. Please keep sharing; we love it.
What's New at the Quilt Zone
Welcome to the Quilt Zone, Alaska's newest store dedicated to all things quilting.
We are now open and serving quilters here in Anchorage. Come and visit us.
Contact the Quilt Zone
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