Punch with Judy - November 2008 Newsletter

Email: judy@punchwithjudy.com.au

In This Issue:-

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Welcome to all our new members to our group.  Caught up with several members at the Brisbane and Adelaide Shows recently and your comments and cheerfulness is always appreciated.  Joy, John enjoyed his home-made biscuits immensely!  He was so spoilt because Alan made him/us the most scrumptious Fruit Cake at Brisbane too. Don't think neither of us looks under-nourished, but it is impossible to get off our stand for a bite to eat, so they're very much appreciated.  

Am presently completing some extra Christmas specials which will follow next week and also compiling the list of January Daily Specials, so save some Christmas money for then.  Punch with Judy Gift Vouchers may be a good idea for you for under the Christmas Tree maybe so as you have "spending money" for January?

January - ugh!  Several companies have already sent their revised price lists to me for price increases in their products due to the substantially reduced exchange rate. eg. Olfa, Clover, Stabilizers, to name only a few already noting price increases in January. If there's something you have on your "wish list", now is the time to buy it, otherwise, prices across the board will definitely be rising as new stock arrives.  Beat the price rise, Buy NOW!

Wasn't it exciting this week to see that Westalee Design Rulers won the Viewers' Choice Award for the best new invention for 2008 on the ABC TV Show, "The Inventors"?  How strong are quilters?  Wonderful for Leonie West but also good for the industry.  I couldn't say too much in the previous email, of course, I was only allowed to "tease" you, but I wanted you to share the excitement.  Leonie bought a new dress for the occasion and was bubbling with anticipation.  I was disappointed that the segment was so short as it was edited for time reasons, but there'll be demonstration videos on my website within a couple of days.  If you missed it, the show is repeated at 4.30pm on Friday 28th November and at 6.30pm on Saturday 29th November. 

I will be announcing in the New Year some Online Classes for my Punchneedle Embroidery and also using our Pleat Makers.  Numbers per group will be limited, so I'm offering "my members" first option of enrollment.  Please forward an "expression of interest" only at this stage to me and you shall have priority ranking for these.  Details are still being finalized but I'm planning fortnightly lessons of six per session.  This will enable sufficient time for homework to be scheduled into your busy time frame.  I recently enrolled in one myself and found the general talk was that weekly lessons were a little too "pushed" to keep up with, so I've opted for fortnightly lessons.  Any comments or ideas from you would be very much appreciated as I'm all ears, wanting to get it right the first time!

On the farm, our huge harvest, since we're still drought-stricken, was all over in a couple of days.  Farmer John did get some hay bales though to carry through feeding the sheep over the next few months.  He did actually get more than he thought the crop would yield so he was pleasantly surprised under the poor circumstances.  Here are "the boys" with one of only three loads reaped, using HIS equipment that will make the "real" farmers shudder. Notice the little unit at the rear?  Clearance Sale effort!  He loves it though and isn't that what is important?  More Clearance Sales in January probably for more "stuff"!

Because of the time involved, we haven't incubated our emu eggs for a couple of years now, but chose to have them reared elsewhere until they were several weeks old.  This year's batch have just arrived and I thought I would show you how they must travel on the roads with mesh covers around the trailer so as they don't see what's going on outside their little area, as this would stress them and only half would arrive alive.  They're all doing well in their new home.

Around this time of the year many of you receive beautiful emails about sentiments for the upcoming season.  I'm searching for an appropriate message to share with you all, so please forward me any message you may think suitable please for us all to think about.

Until next week, 

Happy Sewing,
Your friend,

Judy

Australasian Quilt Convention 
Are you all organized to attend THE show of the year?  The AQC in 2009 has moved to the Royal Exhibition Building in Carlton.  Held from Feb. 26 to March 1, it is certain to be once again, superb in every way with many guests from overseas and from the best within Australia.  Whether you can attend as a visitor for the day, shopping the many stalls and attending the seminars, or attending as a delegate for the day classes, this really is the show to attend if you are a quilter. 

Melbourne Stitches & Craft Show
The new owners of the Stitches Shows has moved their March Stitches & Craft Show to the Melbourne Showgrounds which has been recently transformed into a world class venue.  Held from 11th - 15th March, 2009. 

Please note that Punch with Judy will not be attending ANY of the Stitches & Craft Shows in 2009.

Still organizing dates for these in 2009, but the Fun with Embellishments Retreat will be held during April, so we're now accepting "expressions of interest". This is a really diverse range of new techniques we will teach you, all to do with sewing.

Full particulars will be on my website as soon as possible.  I'm also working on another new concept.  More later.

4. WHAT'S NEW

4. MADE IN AUSTRALIA

Your club, guild or sewing group could be saving a huge discount on each and every purchase when the group is registered. Why not consider it for your group? One order, one payment, one delivery address. Email me now and I can reply with an application form requesting membership. You may either pass these savings on to your members or use as a fundraiser for your designated charity.

6. SPECIALS

7. STITCHES SUBSCRIBER OFFERS

Subscribe to Australian Stitches via our website and then you're eligible to receive all the monthly specials Punch with Judy offers within each issue. Still available is a Tilt'able Ergonomic Sewing Table or a Serger Tilt for your Overlocker at a great discounted price of $90.00 plus $10.00 postage anywhere in Australia.  The current offer is 2 x Madeira's Cottonsoft Tearaway Stabilizer plus Sewing Machine Needles for only $40.00 which includes postage.  You must quote your Stitches Subscriber's Number to be eligible for these specials.

There's always four current Issue Offers on my website which allows you plenty of time to consider, even though the magazine states a closing date of one month only for each offer. You recoup your subs fee in no time at all, plus you have all that wonderful reading and knowledge shared.  This will get updated to include the last four offers over this weekend.

8. FREE PROJECTS

In this section there are many great Christmas Gift Ideas if you still have time to make some.

9. DAMAGED & DISCONTINUED

The last group of these I offered went so quickly, so this time, email me "fast".

1 x Marti Michell's Small Diagonal Set Ruler 3"- 9" which has a corner broken off that could easily be glued back on.  Normally $19.95, yours for $13.95 plus $2.00 postage.

1 x Marti Michell's Small Equilateral Triangle-Ruler which is perfect other than some shop damaged scratches on it.  Normally $19.95, yours for $14.95 plus $2.00 postage.

1 x Bohin Folding Mini Iron which is only minus it's packaging box.  Normally, $39.95, yours for $25.00 plus $5.00 postage.

10. TIPS & TUTORIALS

For anyone who has purchased the Curve Master Presser Foot, we have an excellent Tutorial for you with good close-up photos and clear instructions showing you how to hold the fabric and how to use the Bent Tip Tweezers.  You should all print these pages.

A full range of Tutorials for the Guidelines4Quilting System and next week I'll add some Videos on the Westalee Design Rulers.

11. GALLERY

A very proud Jo from Brisbane wrote "I ordered a Curve Master Presser Foot for my sewing machine at the Brisbane Craft & Quilt Fair in October 2008.  I thought you might be interested in seeing what I achieved with the foot.  I am not an experienced patchwork/quilter but I am so happy with my efforts.  Thanks so much".  Well, you should be Jo, this is great and will be absolutely fantastic when you get it completed.  Don't you all agree?

12. DID YOU KNOW?

Did you know that Pati Palmer of Palmer/Pletsch, known as the guru of sewing and fit, was awarded the American Sewing Guild 2008 Hall of Fame Honoree at the annual conference in Chicago in July?  Also, Pati's daughter, Melissa, is following in her Mum's footsteps now having her own company with another lady, DIY Style, with a licensee for McCall's Patterns for her own designs!  Pati Palmer is the longest lasting licensee to McCall's patterns ever, so how about that for a "fashionably famous" duo?  Must say too that Melissa is a "stunner" having grown into a beautiful young lady, from the early teenage times when I last stayed with them in Oregon, she is just beautiful.

Did you know that you should NEVER wash your Rajah Cloth because you'll wash out all the good ingredients that makes it work so well as a pressing cloth?  Ignore the colour it becomes, just don't wash it.  If you have already done so, then may as well purchase a new one now.

Did you know that you will never get the optimal results from your printing photos to fabric if you use generic toners in your printer?  I've had numerous times when customers have had washed away images and we've tracked it down to cheaper refills of printer cartridges or generic branded ones.  Changed over to the correct brand for their particular printer and voila - perfect images of long lasting quality.  Truly.

13. GOLDEN OLDIES

I like to tell you about some of my favourite products that I personally use or have customers wanting to share their findings, as one sewer to another. Here's a great solution.

Recently I received an email from a customer explaining how she'd had to give up quilting because of aching hands and fingers. Wish I could find her email to tell you her excitement in her own words........but in essence, she was now quilting again and at astonishing speed with NO ill-effects to her hands whatsoever.  How?  Using the Twin Pointed Stab Stitch Needles.  There's also the Twin Pointed Quick Stitch Needles.  These have an eye in the middle of the needle, not at one end.  I'm sure this delighted lady was about to jump out of the computer to hug me as she'd all but given up.

If you can relate to this agony, why not try them yourself?

Till next time,
Judy

Email: judy@punchwithjudy.com.au

In This Issue:-

Unsubscribe

View newsletter
on our Website

Welcome to all our new members to our group.  Caught up with several members at the Brisbane and Adelaide Shows recently and your comments and cheerfulness is always appreciated.  Joy, John enjoyed his home-made biscuits immensely!  He was so spoilt because Alan made him/us the most scrumptious Fruit Cake at Brisbane too. Don't think neither of us looks under-nourished, but it is impossible to get off our stand for a bite to eat, so they're very much appreciated.  

Am presently completing some extra Christmas specials which will follow next week and also compiling the list of January Daily Specials, so save some Christmas money for then.  Punch with Judy Gift Vouchers may be a good idea for you for under the Christmas Tree maybe so as you have "spending money" for January?

January - ugh!  Several companies have already sent their revised price lists to me for price increases in their products due to the substantially reduced exchange rate. eg. Olfa, Clover, Stabilizers, to name only a few already noting price increases in January. If there's something you have on your "wish list", now is the time to buy it, otherwise, prices across the board will definitely be rising as new stock arrives.  Beat the price rise, Buy NOW!

Wasn't it exciting this week to see that Westalee Design Rulers won the Viewers' Choice Award for the best new invention for 2008 on the ABC TV Show, "The Inventors"?  How strong are quilters?  Wonderful for Leonie West but also good for the industry.  I couldn't say too much in the previous email, of course, I was only allowed to "tease" you, but I wanted you to share the excitement.  Leonie bought a new dress for the occasion and was bubbling with anticipation.  I was disappointed that the segment was so short as it was edited for time reasons, but there'll be demonstration videos on my website within a couple of days.  If you missed it, the show is repeated at 4.30pm on Friday 28th November and at 6.30pm on Saturday 29th November. 

I will be announcing in the New Year some Online Classes for my Punchneedle Embroidery and also using our Pleat Makers.  Numbers per group will be limited, so I'm offering "my members" first option of enrollment.  Please forward an "expression of interest" only at this stage to me and you shall have priority ranking for these.  Details are still being finalized but I'm planning fortnightly lessons of six per session.  This will enable sufficient time for homework to be scheduled into your busy time frame.  I recently enrolled in one myself and found the general talk was that weekly lessons were a little too "pushed" to keep up with, so I've opted for fortnightly lessons.  Any comments or ideas from you would be very much appreciated as I'm all ears, wanting to get it right the first time!

On the farm, our huge harvest, since we're still drought-stricken, was all over in a couple of days.  Farmer John did get some hay bales though to carry through feeding the sheep over the next few months.  He did actually get more than he thought the crop would yield so he was pleasantly surprised under the poor circumstances.  Here are "the boys" with one of only three loads reaped, using HIS equipment that will make the "real" farmers shudder. Notice the little unit at the rear?  Clearance Sale effort!  He loves it though and isn't that what is important?  More Clearance Sales in January probably for more "stuff"!

Because of the time involved, we haven't incubated our emu eggs for a couple of years now, but chose to have them reared elsewhere until they were several weeks old.  This year's batch have just arrived and I thought I would show you how they must travel on the roads with mesh covers around the trailer so as they don't see what's going on outside their little area, as this would stress them and only half would arrive alive.  They're all doing well in their new home.

Around this time of the year many of you receive beautiful emails about sentiments for the upcoming season.  I'm searching for an appropriate message to share with you all, so please forward me any message you may think suitable please for us all to think about.

Until next week, 

Happy Sewing,
Your friend,

Judy

Australasian Quilt Convention 
Are you all organized to attend THE show of the year?  The AQC in 2009 has moved to the Royal Exhibition Building in Carlton.  Held from Feb. 26 to March 1, it is certain to be once again, superb in every way with many guests from overseas and from the best within Australia.  Whether you can attend as a visitor for the day, shopping the many stalls and attending the seminars, or attending as a delegate for the day classes, this really is the show to attend if you are a quilter. 

Melbourne Stitches & Craft Show
The new owners of the Stitches Shows has moved their March Stitches & Craft Show to the Melbourne Showgrounds which has been recently transformed into a world class venue.  Held from 11th - 15th March, 2009. 

Please note that Punch with Judy will not be attending ANY of the Stitches & Craft Shows in 2009.

Still organizing dates for these in 2009, but the Fun with Embellishments Retreat will be held during April, so we're now accepting "expressions of interest". This is a really diverse range of new techniques we will teach you, all to do with sewing.

Full particulars will be on my website as soon as possible.  I'm also working on another new concept.  More later.

4. WHAT'S NEW

4. MADE IN AUSTRALIA

Your club, guild or sewing group could be saving a huge discount on each and every purchase when the group is registered. Why not consider it for your group? One order, one payment, one delivery address. Email me now and I can reply with an application form requesting membership. You may either pass these savings on to your members or use as a fundraiser for your designated charity.

6. SPECIALS

7. STITCHES SUBSCRIBER OFFERS

Subscribe to Australian Stitches via our website and then you're eligible to receive all the monthly specials Punch with Judy offers within each issue. Still available is a Tilt'able Ergonomic Sewing Table or a Serger Tilt for your Overlocker at a great discounted price of $90.00 plus $10.00 postage anywhere in Australia.  The current offer is 2 x Madeira's Cottonsoft Tearaway Stabilizer plus Sewing Machine Needles for only $40.00 which includes postage.  You must quote your Stitches Subscriber's Number to be eligible for these specials.

There's always four current Issue Offers on my website which allows you plenty of time to consider, even though the magazine states a closing date of one month only for each offer. You recoup your subs fee in no time at all, plus you have all that wonderful reading and knowledge shared.  This will get updated to include the last four offers over this weekend.

8. FREE PROJECTS

In this section there are many great Christmas Gift Ideas if you still have time to make some.

9. DAMAGED & DISCONTINUED

The last group of these I offered went so quickly, so this time, email me "fast".

1 x Marti Michell's Small Diagonal Set Ruler 3"- 9" which has a corner broken off that could easily be glued back on.  Normally $19.95, yours for $13.95 plus $2.00 postage.

1 x Marti Michell's Small Equilateral Triangle-Ruler which is perfect other than some shop damaged scratches on it.  Normally $19.95, yours for $14.95 plus $2.00 postage.

1 x Bohin Folding Mini Iron which is only minus it's packaging box.  Normally, $39.95, yours for $25.00 plus $5.00 postage.

10. TIPS & TUTORIALS

For anyone who has purchased the Curve Master Presser Foot, we have an excellent Tutorial for you with good close-up photos and clear instructions showing you how to hold the fabric and how to use the Bent Tip Tweezers.  You should all print these pages.

A full range of Tutorials for the Guidelines4Quilting System and next week I'll add some Videos on the Westalee Design Rulers.

11. GALLERY

A very proud Jo from Brisbane wrote "I ordered a Curve Master Presser Foot for my sewing machine at the Brisbane Craft & Quilt Fair in October 2008.  I thought you might be interested in seeing what I achieved with the foot.  I am not an experienced patchwork/quilter but I am so happy with my efforts.  Thanks so much".  Well, you should be Jo, this is great and will be absolutely fantastic when you get it completed.  Don't you all agree?

12. DID YOU KNOW?

Did you know that Pati Palmer of Palmer/Pletsch, known as the guru of sewing and fit, was awarded the American Sewing Guild 2008 Hall of Fame Honoree at the annual conference in Chicago in July?  Also, Pati's daughter, Melissa, is following in her Mum's footsteps now having her own company with another lady, DIY Style, with a licensee for McCall's Patterns for her own designs!  Pati Palmer is the longest lasting licensee to McCall's patterns ever, so how about that for a "fashionably famous" duo?  Must say too that Melissa is a "stunner" having grown into a beautiful young lady, from the early teenage times when I last stayed with them in Oregon, she is just beautiful.

Did you know that you should NEVER wash your Rajah Cloth because you'll wash out all the good ingredients that makes it work so well as a pressing cloth?  Ignore the colour it becomes, just don't wash it.  If you have already done so, then may as well purchase a new one now.

Did you know that you will never get the optimal results from your printing photos to fabric if you use generic toners in your printer?  I've had numerous times when customers have had washed away images and we've tracked it down to cheaper refills of printer cartridges or generic branded ones.  Changed over to the correct brand for their particular printer and voila - perfect images of long lasting quality.  Truly.

13. GOLDEN OLDIES

I like to tell you about some of my favourite products that I personally use or have customers wanting to share their findings, as one sewer to another. Here's a great solution.

Recently I received an email from a customer explaining how she'd had to give up quilting because of aching hands and fingers. Wish I could find her email to tell you her excitement in her own words........but in essence, she was now quilting again and at astonishing speed with NO ill-effects to her hands whatsoever.  How?  Using the Twin Pointed Stab Stitch Needles.  There's also the Twin Pointed Quick Stitch Needles.  These have an eye in the middle of the needle, not at one end.  I'm sure this delighted lady was about to jump out of the computer to hug me as she'd all but given up.

If you can relate to this agony, why not try them yourself?

Till next time,
Judy