I'm Floored !

Our very own Val S. teaches a class on floorcloths and you really ought to try it out.

One of her students ... Candy D. ... did and let's just say she got carried away.

Every single one of these beauties was made by her following Val's superb instruction.

I do believe she has moved to the head of the class.

You TOO can be a star student in this class or one of a kajillion others. Start the new year off by expanding your mind, expanding your creativity and expanding your circle of friends.

C'mon. Everybody's doin' it.

To Market. To Market.

Just in case you didn't have the honor/pleasure/trip-of-a-lifetime to go to Houston for the International Quilt Market ... do not, I repeat, do NOT feel alone. Most of us are looking from the sidelines and living vicariously through Claudia and her crew who took the trip with their bags full of quilts and their hearts full of ... us. Here we are in Claudia's booth with Claudia, Sandee Streech, Mary Lewkowitz, and Pat Andrews.

Here is Claudia with Eileen LaRoche. Claudia said, "Eileen Roche who puts out DESIGNS in Machine Embroidery! She said she would create a grid for the Magna Hoop so my designs could be sewn out in her hoops!!"

You probably recognize these fellow AZ-ers ... Renee Plains of Liberty Star and Cindy Taylor Oates of Taylor Made. We AZ quilters like to stick together.

Here we have people mulling around the booth because ... well ... who wouldn't want to mull in the center of so much creative fun.

Thanks Claudia for the pics and the chance to hop in your lovely, embroidered pocket for the ride of a lifetime.

Fabric. Is. Fun.

Take a look at these four darlings with their Happy Halloween Pillowcases. These four just happen to be the precious grandbabies of our precious Val. The story goes that the kids had been a little taken back by the uber scary versions that are often purchased, because there simply isn't a big choice. Val knew there were endless choices when you purchase some fun/spooky fabric (at Bernina Connection ... naturally) and make your own.

The best part of the story is that when she made pillowcases for the local grandkids ... and they heard that the distant ones were visiting ... the children helped sew their cousins some look alike pillowcases.

Are you underestimating what your young ones can create??

Ummmm .... Classy

Maybe you were one of those who just now made it back to the Valley of the Sun because you feared the AZ summer sun and therefore could not be here for a class. Or maybe you just chose to stay inside and couldn't make it to one of our many colorful offerings. Either way ... you probably won't make that mistake again.

The bag pictured above is the "Ripple Purse" taught by the infamous Bag Lady herself, Sandee S. She can take what you use to haul around far more than you should and make it tres chic and very of-the-moment.

This pillow above was taught as part of our Sew Fundamental series taught by Mary F. and Cecile. If you are a new-ish sewer then you are going to want to be a part of this series the next time it comes around ... and it will. Kate G. took the class and her lovely daughter, incidently, is modeling the "Knotty Basket" ... another class taught by our own Diane E.

Which, oddly enough, can also serve as an actual ... basket.

If you were not able to take part of one of our classes this summer ... well ... we missed you.

If you were able to take some ... we thank you from the bottom of our colorful hearts.

Perhaps you are underestimating yourself ...

C'mon people ... how can you be afraid of a simply wonderful machine like the 830 when this young miss (a student in of of our Sew Fundamentals classes) is clearly ... not.

Think about it.

Now in the store...

This new Cindy Taylor Oates pattern is fabulous...she designed these adorable items to be easy
and quick to sew so that you might actually make a little money selling them or you could quickly make a bunch of them for a party or church group or your friends. We just love it. And did you know she is one of our local honeybees? We really like to support local artisans, pattern makers, and fabric designers.

shop LOCAL!

You all tell us that you love that we are small, local, and woman-owned. You love our staff and always tell us how much you appreciate the warm atmosphere of the Bernina Connection. But did you know that for every $100 spent in locally owned independent stores, $68 returns to the community through taxes, payroll, and other expenditures? Amazing, isn’t it? If you spend that in a national chain, only $43 stays here. Spend it online and nothing comes home. Read more about this here. We are excited to be joining the local consortium of small businesses call Local First AZ. Thanks for buying local. Thanks for supporting us...you make it so worthwhile for us! We love our community.

And hey...don’t forget...this week is REG Party!!! January 22nd from 10 am to noon...aaannnnd the new FLIP BOOK is out. Go see issue 29 here. We have so many exciting new classes for you!

O Tannenbaum

It's not always what is under the tree you know ...

Sometimes it's what's on the tree that counts.

I'm just saying that there is more than one way to trim it, people.

(Ask about the special gift-card deals this season!)

~ stocking stuffers and stuffed stockings ~

Bring on the Fruitcake. We are ready for this Season to be Jolly!

~ A December to Remember ~

There is ...

NO denying it ...

Anymore.

The Holidays are happening, people.

Come on down and take a look at our Santa's Secret Shop wall to pick out all you need to stuff and wrap.