Lazy Days of Summer

Isn't this photo a hoot? It represents one of my very favorite childhood memories....camping with "the cousins" deep in the Pocono mountains of Pennsylvania. My dad and his identical twin both had 3 kids. We all lived in the same small town and we started tent camping together. Oh, what fun we had! Sleeping in sleeping bags on a bed of pine needles so deep it was spongey soft, the scent of fresh mountain air all around us, swimming in frigid lakes, and fishing.....well, sorta.

You see, (as my cousin on the left recently reminded me) I wouldn't touch the wiggly worms, so she had to bait my hook for me. I don't think we actually caught anything, but it was a great way to spend a few hours while we giggled and got out of our parents hair. We were never bored and didn't seem to have any problem entertaining ourselves. As a matter of fact, we always hated to have our camping expeditions end. Campfires at night, playing kick the can, flashlight tag, hide and seek, reading......wouldn't you like to go back to those simpler days for just a little while?

Here's hoping you have a relaxing summer vacation. Thanks, cousins, for the sweet memories. SWAK
Debbie

Five Awesome Quilts

Just when I think I've seen most every color combination for the Palm Tree Quilt, a new group of quilters comes along and completely blows me away. These ladies did an exceptional job today. Aren't the quilts gorgeous? And, the girls aren't too bad, either...ha! Great job girls!

And, speaking of a great job, how can I ever thank you, Teresa for all your generosity and hard work? You started just "hanging out" with me last fall and quickly became the provider of an unending source of ideas for classes(remember, I keep saying 2 heads are better than 1), solutions to inventory control, and countless little details(still love the pricetags) too numerous to count. Thank you for all your inspiration!

Today was our last day open and our last class at the PFT location. Over the next two weeks I plan to pack up the shop, move and unpack so that in July we can resume classes. For those of you who have put your name and contact information on the Sign Up clipboard, I'll be contacting you in the near future to discuss dates for the classes you have requested. Look for the Ladybug, French Rose and "S" quilts to be posted on this blog as they are completed. They will all be upcoming classes!

Have a great summer and stay tuned,

Debbie

Happy Days

I thought I'd share some pics from our class yesterday. The ladies were making Tag Along Totes in beautiful colors and having quite a good time doing it! No matter how hard we work, we always end up having loads of fun. Between the cappuccino and each sewer learning new techniques, four unique purses came to life under Teresa's skillful teaching eye.Tomorrow is the last class to be held at P.F.T. I'll be packing all my wonderful sewing supplies and machines next week and rearranging them at home so we can continue having fun with new classes there. The ladies yesterday were trying to pin me down to a date to teach the Palm Tree Quilt again, so I know that will be a class that will have to be scheduled soon.

I'm very happy to know that the lovely friends I've made over the last year will be joining me as we try out more new techniques in our new space. While I have to admit to feeling some disappointment about closing the shop, I'm ready to see what this next chapter of my life holds for me.

This week I joined the Tampa Bay Surface Design Guild in an effort to broaden my horizons in art quilting. Since I will have more free time soon, my plan is to work on a pictorial quilt and enter it in a show later on this fall. I've never entered a juried show before and hope that my design will interest the judges enough to allow me to be a part of the show. There are a few other arenas of quilting I'd like to dabble in and as they come to fruition, I'll be sharing them with you.

Thanks for being so supportive,

Debbie

I'm saving a seat for you...

Wouldn't you just love to sit in one of these chairs looking out over the Gulf? Wish I could say that these chairs were at my house, but, they're not so I can't. They were just so "Pink Florida Threads" that I had to share them with you. I am, however, saving a seat for you at one of our upcoming classes.

Just wait until you see the newest quilt coming in kit form! It's yellow, red, black and lady bugs all over. Cute, cute, cute! And, I've already cut the kits so you can just show up with your sewing machine and get to work right away. Talk about instant gratification, does it get any easier?

If you would like to get a better peak at the pics above, just double click on them and they should enlarge on your monitor. Just thought I'd share one of my favorite views of the Gulf that I shot with my handy dandy camera. There's no doubt in my mind why I live in Florida.....this view just rocks my world!

Have a happy day,

Deb

Relaxed Summer Class Schedule, A.K.A., We haven't missed a beat!

No, I haven't gone off the deep end.........yet. And you aren't seeing things. This is a picture of our Christmas tree loaded with seashells, flamingos and crazy Florida Coastal colors. Of course I don't have our tree up now! But, next month I will have Christmas carols playing as I make some early Christmas presents. Ha! You thought I was kidding about Christmas in July, didn't you?

If you'd like to join me in making some of your very own precious gifts for your loved ones, give me a call @ 474-3893 and I'll save you a spot. Sew whatever you like and have the camraderie of sewing buddies cheering you on. If you get stuck, I'll be right there to answer your questions and get you on the right path. Seats are limited so reserve early. Cost is $15 for the day from 9am-4pm. Lunch is included and I'll have coffee and make some yummy homemade muffins in the morning. The dates are yet to be decided by YOU! So, gather your girlfriends and let's dream about snowflakes while sewing in our flip flops.

Anyone interested in turning your kid's/spouses t-shirts into a memory quilt for them? (Another great present idea!) This summer is a perfect time to do that, too! Gather up those shirts and give us a call to set up a class time. With a little bit of homework, you should be able to complete a quilt in 3 class days. Class cost is $75 for all 3 days of instruction and Teresa will be the teacher.

I'd also like to hear from any of you who own an Embellisher. They're made by Baby Lock and it's a machine like nothing you've ever seen before. To see what this baby can do, go to http://www.hermajestymargo.blogspot.com/ and drool. I've been fooling around with this technique off and on for a couple of years now and would like to get serious about getting my work to look like Margo's! See, I'm purposely not telling you much so your curiousity will take you to her website and that way you can SEE exactly what I'm so excited about creating for myself.

Well, until the next great idea pops into my head, I'm off to make another cappuccino and catch up on some (yawn*) ironing. Phooey! I'd much rather be sewing! Somebody's gotta do the dirty work........then I can "play" with my machines again.

Dreamin' of sewing,
Debbie

Answers to your questions

Several of you have called the shop distressed that Pink Florida Threads is closing and I wanted to be able to answer some of your questions regarding what comes next. Doesn't that make you feel better already? I'm planning that there will be a "next"!

Also, there is the question of "Why am I closing?". Well, just turn on the tv at newstime and listen to the scary downward spiral our economy is taking and that pretty much answers that one, doesn't it? I'm still hopeful we'll make a complete recovery as a country, but, I am choosing to be thrifty at this time and wait for a more robust economy before trying this again.

Retail businesses all across America are closing and PFT is no exception as people are understandably afraid to spend their hard earned money. But, you know me, there is always a silver lining to every situation, and the lining to this one is that I've learned so much this last year and am willing to do it all over again somewhere down the road.

First things first: the last day the shop will be open is Saturday, June 13th as a class is already scheduled for that day. Second, I have already dismantled the retail section of the shop and returned the beautiful consigned items from local artisans to them. If you are interested in any of their items, I can put you in contact with them so you can still buy whatever you wanted to purchase directly from them. Third, I have priced and arranged all the seasonal/holiday decorations, remaining product from classes, and a few pieces of furniture in the front of the shop and you can purchase those items until the 13th.

My hours are going to be kinda sketchy the next two weeks because of packing up and moving things into storage, so, please call ahead before coming to see us. I WILL, however, be there all day Thursday, June 11 and Saturday, June 13 for classes. And, don't forget the Sidewalk Sale is tomorrow, Friday the 5th and Saturday the 6th, and I'll be open from 10-4 for that.

That takes care of the present, now, how about the future? If you are interested in getting together and sewing your own Christmas presents in July, just call the shop number and I'll save you a chair next to me in my home. Lucky, lucky me! I've got a 7' long farmhouse table for us to sew on in my dining room, so there is room for all of us to spread out and sew all day long. I'll still fire up the cappuccino machine, too.

Keep checking the blog for a listing of classes starting in September. My daughter-in-law is part of a group of young moms who want to learn to sew for their toddlers, so, we'll be starting those sweet girls in basic garment sewing skills. If there is a specific skill you are interested in learning, just let me know and I'll work on putting together a class for you.

In the meantime, keep smiling like my buddy in the picture above. Life is sweet and God is good, so give some lovin' to your family and keep on sewing.

On with the next chapter of my life,

Debbie

Sad news, happy news

Can you guess where this picture was taken? Oh, I know, you can tell the river is right outside the window. But, what kind of structure am I in? It's small, boxy, efficiently laid out, kinda cramped.......yup! It's our RV.

I simply wanted to offer up proof that I really cannot go a single day without sewing. Even when I only have a 1x2 foot area to work in, I am happiest when sitting at my sewing machine. So, I drag my machine and a stack of projects with me whenever we camp. Now, why in the world should you care about that, you ask? (And, you're right, I haven't had my first cuppa Joe yet this morning, so, it may appear that I'm rambling.)

The reason I'm telling you all this, is because I must close the door to Pink Florida Threads. And, I didn't want you to think that I would be gone, outta sight, done for, hiding in a cave licking my wounds...... Nope, you can't get rid of me that easily. I will never be able to stop sewing, no matter where I land. I'll just continue what I've been doing this last year, except now it will be from the comfort of home. Without overhead. In my jammies. Sewing whatever comes into my mind. At midnight if I feel like it.

So, the physical location of Pink Florida Threads will be a sweet memory for me. I'll fondly think back on it years from now when I'm in the nursing home drooling on my custom made adult bib. (Hey, I'm planning ahead here!) But, here is the cool part, I plan on continuing classes and workshops in my home. Same Pink Florida Threads hospitality, silliness, and projects, just a different location. Same custom made quilts, pillows, bra purses, seasonal purses and Belleair Bums shirts for sale, just made in my little studio at home.

Now, how do you reach me? Call the shop number because I will have it transferred over and I'll still be able to chat with you. The plan is for me to regroup a bit over the summer, and start offering classes in the fall again. But, I do plan on doing my "Christmas in July" work.

What's that, you ask? I feel that with the economy being so tough, maybe it's time we all get back to basics. With that thought in mind, I'm spending my summer preparing early for Christmas by making a number of my presents ahead of time so my gift giving will be less stressful. So, you can do the same. If you'd like to hang out with me and sing Christmas carols while sewing in our flip flops, contact me at 474-3893. See, same old silliness, just a different location.

Oh! Don't forget that Antique Alley is having it's annual Sidewalk Sale this coming Friday and Saturday, June 5&6, from 10-4. See you there. The last day P.F.T. will be open is June 13, as a class of 4 will be making the palm tree quilt that day.

Thanks for all your encouragement, your compliments, your laughter and your patronage. You have no idea how much I will miss all of YOU. The thing I will miss the most, though, is the pleasure I felt as you walked into the shop for the very first time. While I quietly sat at the sewing machine I felt the deepest satisfaction listening to your claims of, "This is such a fun place!". Mission accomplished.

Here's a big, Pink kiss to each and every one of you,
Debbie