Happy Thanksgiving

A happy Thanksgiving to all of my free motion quiling peeps in the USA! If you are elsewhere, it never hurts to practice a little gratitude for all that we are blessed with every day. I know that I have found that even many of my trials work out to be something thankful for in some way.

Turkey wall hanging from 2012

Turns out that we will be rescheduling our Thanksgiving dinner since my oldest has come down with a nasty cough and fever. Poor kid. I figured it was just a matter of time until they came down with something since we put them into public school this year, and they've been so incredibly healthy so far. I am so thankful.

This also means I am not cooking turkey and several sides today, so I'm enjoying a restful day with my kids and husband. That's an extra something to be thankful for! I did however make pumpkin walnut whole wheat pancakes this morning. Yum!


For the rest of you, enjoy your turkey or have a great regular day, and know that I am thankful for all of you who read this blog, comment, and share with me.

(Affiliate links ahead)

Since the USA goes crazy with conspicuous consumption the day after Thanksgiving, there are a ton of sales going on over the next few days. For online shopping, you can get some great deals no matter where you live. Check out my sidebar for some specials (these are affiliate links that help support my blog).

The sale I'm most interested in is Craftsy's sale on classes. They are all $19.99 through Monday! I really enjoyed my class by Kimmy Brunner,Machine Quilting with Templates: Creating Design Perfection, especially since I could combine my quilting using rulers with her method. I'm not sure which classes I'm going to buy, but Machine Quilting Beautiful Borders has caught my interest. There are a ton of free motion quilting classes on Craftsy by a lot of talented quilters. I'm looking at other classes to help me do a better job serving customers at my Janome dealer's shop. I'm taking Big Embroidery With a Small Hoop, with Lisa Shaw for sure and maybe a class on using sergers.

There are also free classes there, which are especially good if you've never done one of their classes. It gives you a chance to check out their formats. They also have the QuiltCon Lecture Series 2013 for free.

I also want to mention that this is the time that the big box stores and online places tend to run 50% off sales on low end sewing machines. This could be a great deal IF you are prepared to think of these machines as disposable. We get a lot of these machines in the shop and their owners are very disappointed in these cheap machines and their lack of customer support. Many times they cost more to repair than they are worth.


If you or someone you know is considering one of these types of machines, remember to save your packaging and receipt so you can ship the machine back to the factory service center when you have issues. I would seriously consider who your local dealers and service persons are before choosing a machine and choose the brand or brands they carry.

Once again, I am sending out my thanks to you today!

6 comments:

  1. Cute !
    Happy thanksgiving too
    I'm running a fabric giveaway, would you like to enter?

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  2. Hope that "the bug" has weakened its hold in your family! It is one of the "hazards" of this time of year (whether there's a school person or not, germs are 'out there' just waiting!!!! ).

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    1. Turns out to be a bit of pneumonia. My kids have always been amazingly healthy. I wasn't ever sure if it was their strong immune systems or if they were just avoiding exposure to more germs by being home more even though we go plenty of places and play with a lot of friends. But yes, it's that time of year. Thanks.

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  3. Hi Amy. I'm glad your Thanksgiving turned out to be a nice day for you. I agree with you about buying a sewing machine locally. In most cases, a manufacturer warranty will not do you any good unless you take it to the dealer you purchased the machine from and that's like not having a warranty at all! I have my new machine in the shop at the moment because and because I purchased elsewhere, nothing is covered even though I have a 5 year warranty....it means nothing. My local dealer did reduce his prices recently, making his prices more competitive. I have thoroughly enjoyed the interaction with my local serviceman who has shared with me some great ideas and help.

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  4. That's excellent sewing machine buying advice. I'm sure you do see some cheap machines where you work. I try to instruct my beginner quilting students about machines, but it's sometimes tough to get through to them when money is the biggest concern. But it IS a case of "You get what you pay for!" Hope you got to properly celebrate Thanksgiving with your family.

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