FREE Schlep Bag Pattern
In 2008, Cleo designed a free bag pattern now named “Such a Simple Bag” for its easy directions, simple short cuts, and perfect size. Its main purpose is for shopping to cut down on the number of plastic bags we acquire, doing a small part to help the environment. To receive this free pattern, customers purchase 1 1/2 yards of fabric for a bag. We have seen hundreds of these bags made, and many of you have given them as gifts to family members and friends.
For 2009 Cleo offers a newly designed bag and another FREE pattern – this time with a purchase of 8 fat quarters! The Schlep Bag is a reversible bag that
holds a ton. With its square base it can easily stand up on its own when full and holds plenty of anything. To add body to the bag, scrap batting stripsmeasuring at least 7″ wide are used.
Cleo is known for simplifying a four page pattern into one page of instructions, and Sara is known for taking word-y directions and making them concise and
to the point. This pattern has been tested and revised to offer you an enjoyable afternoon of sewing.
Using eight fat quarters, one fat quarter is used for the handles, one for the half square triangles at the top of both the inside and outside bag, and
three each for the outside and inside bag body. Again, like the Such a Simple Bag, the handles use a strip of denim for extra strength and stability.
Sound simple? It is! This bag is perfect for quilters – the picture below shows how the simple squares are assembled prior to sewing up the bag sides.
And for variations let your creative instincts take over; add fun pictures transferred onto fabric using an ink jet printer, novelty fabric prints, or
embroidery designs. Note – pictures will need to be cut on point. For a thicker bag, skip the batting and make the bag entirely out of heavier decorator fabric.
I would recommend making this bag one time following the regular directions with the eight fat quarters before experimenting with additional variations.
Stop by and see our Schlep bags on display, pick up eight fat quarters and have some fun sewing one for yourself on New Year’s Day! And remember to do your
part this year to lessen the number of plastic bags in our environment by carrying home your purchases in – NOT paper – NOT plastic – but FABRIC!
Countdown: 147 Days until….?
Christmas Wishes 2008
We at Heirloom Creations would like to take a minute and thank everyone for a great year of sewing, friendship and continued support throughout this entire year.
The holidays are a special time of the year for sewers. Sewers are givers and love to share their creativity with others through gifts and decorating. We love to make one-of-a-kind gifts for friends and family that they will appreciate.
In the spirit of sewing, we at Heirloom Creations often spend the final weeks of December helping our sewing friends with last minute Christmas projects in the store and over the phone. Here is a sampling of the phone calls we receive:
“Can you walk me through how to make buttonholes on my sewing machine? I am trying to finish PJ’s for all my grand children.”
“Do you still have that red fabric with green leaves on it? It was next to that other red fabric with gold leaves”…like we put everything back in the exact same place. Ha-ha!
“I can’t get my feed dogs to come back up! I keep pressing the button and nothing happens!” Answer: Just take one stitch and they will come up on their own.
“Can you service my machine today? It stopped working and I still have three more projects to finish! Help!” (Repeat this question 5-10 times each day between December 1 and December 23. Boy, have our service guys been busy!)
“Can I buy a gift card? It is much easier than trying to pick out something my wife doesn’t already have!”
“Can you explain over the phone how to miter a corner for binding my quilt?”
It truly has been a pleasure helping many of you this holiday season. We are so thankful that you trust us and call us with your quilting and sewing machine questions.
We thank you for your business and for continuing to support Heirloom Creations. We greatly appreciate the many friends and family members you have referred to our store. We look forward to a new year of creative classes, special events and a few other wonderful surprises we can’t tell you about just yet!
Be sure to always read the e-mails we send out. 2009 is going to be a very exciting year!
Merry Christmas from all of us!
Cleo, Gary, Steve, Sara, Ryan, Judeen, Darlene, Edna, Peg, and Jill
Holiday Sewing Lounge
Pack up your bunny slippers and come hang out with the Heirloom Creations staff! We are transforming our classroom into a Holiday Sewing Lounge to help you get your holidays projects completed.
Monday, December 15 – 9:30 – 6pm
Tuesday, December 16 – 9:30 – 6pm
Wednesday, December 17 – 9:30 – 6pm
Thursday, December 18 – 9:30 – 6pm
Friday, December 19 – 9:30 – 6pm
Saturday, December 20 – 9:30 – 4pm
Since the Holiday Sewing Lounge will be like your own mini-sewing retreat, we promise that there will be less distractions then trying to sew at home. No kids, no chores, no holiday guilt trips calling your name. Bring your sewing projects and a friend and get stuff done! Best of part of it all – you will have instant help at your finger tips from our entire staff to help you through the next step if you get stuck on something with your project.
Cleo and I will keep you going with delicious meals and assorted warm delights for lunch throughout the week while you keep your foot glued to your foot control!
So call in sick, beg your boss for a mid-week day off, or just claim insanity if you need a day to sew!
Fee: $10 for one day or a flat $20 for two to six days! Please RSVP for the Holiday Sewing Lounge at least one day in advance. Space is limited. Call 605-332-4435.
If you want to come but can’t get off work this week, then put in your request now to sign up for our January 2009 3-day sewing retreat.
4th Annual All-Inclusive Sewing Retreat!
Friday, January 23 – Sunday, January 25, 2009
Cedar Shore Resort, Chamberlain, SD
Will you want to sew until 4am? Or take a nap at noon? Sign up with a friend for three days of pure sewing heaven! Heirloom Creations will be turning the Cedar Shore Resort’s very spacious meeting rooms into a sewing paradise. This sewing oasis offers a massive sewing studio, room for everyone to have their own table with irons just a few steps away. This is a time for you; a weekend of laughter with sewing friends, no bed times, meals without the clean up and three days of uninterrupted sewing to let you focus on being creative at your own pace! There will be door prizes, games, and an optional special sewing segment. Space is limited. So sign up early!
Retreat all-inclusive price consists of: 6 meals, sleeping room and all taxes. Payment in full is required to reserve your space. Please call with any questions.
Shared hillside room* $350 / $390
Shared water view suite with balcony** $370 / $410
Private hillside room* $420 / $500
Private water view suite with balcony** $450 / $550
The 12 Sewing Tools of Christmas
We are always looking for clever gifts for sewers. Then when you find one that has 12 tools in one it feels like you hit the jack pot!
No sewing box or project tote should be without a Fiskars® Sewing Multi-Tool! This all-in-one tool conveniently combines 12 different sewing tools in one small case.
Then we started thinking…these tools could be handy on Christmas morning. Wrap one of these 12-Tools-In-One and mark it “Open Me First”!
1. Thread cutter – this sharp edge cuts through extra strong tape on presents
2. Tape measure – measure to see who received the BIGGEST present!
3. Magnifier – handy for reading the fine-print directions on toys
4. Seam ripper – cuts through tightly tied ribbons and CD case cellophane
5. Tweezers – great for removing tiny toys that the two-year-old put up his nose!
6. Safety pin – holds your pants up after the top button pops off after Grandma’s wonderful Christmas dinner
7. Long needle threader – for threading the tiny ornament hooks back through miniature ornaments
8. Knit picker – fill in your own “mother-in-law” joke here…
9. Punch needle – make holes in Christmas cards to hang on the tree
10. Piercing punch – great for removing staples from “secured for your safety” packages
11. Stuffing tool – for minor surgery on new stuffed animals of which Fido might have taken a bite
12. Needle threader – to thread the needle to repair the stuffed animal that Fido played with earlier
Not only will you have all the sewing tools with you next time your arrive at a class, the Fiskars Sewing Multi-Tool has hundreds of other uses!
Available at Heirloom Creations – $13.65!