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WHAT'S NEW?
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Watch for this:
FABRIC PACKS
HAND-DYED FABRICS
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AQS - PADUCAH
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If you will be at the American Quilter's Society show in Paducah next month, take the time to find this amazing quilt!
Hand appliqued and hand quilted by Susan Fender using our Orchid Oasis pattern. Susan tells us, "This is the first quilt I have entered into a national quilt event. This makes my acceptance all the more thrilling." We are thrilled for you too, Susan. Congratulations!
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FREE PATTERN
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We had a great response to the free pattern in our January 2015 e-Newsletter!
If you missed it, here is the link again.
Here are what a few readers told us:
- "I will attach little buttons that will allow someone to hang ornaments on the branches!"
- "I made one for my co-worker [in pink & purple]. Her birthday is just before Valentine's Day. [With] little red hearts hung like ornaments :-)"
Change up the colors and embellishments for any time of year!
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QUILT SHOWS
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Look for a selection of our patterns at this quilt show, in the QUILTER'S COVE booth:
- Sacramento, CA: Quilt, Craft & Sewing Festival, Mar 19-21
Then visit us at the quilt shows listed in the Coming Events (right), and the Calendar page on our website.
See you there!
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| If you received this Newsletter from a friend, sign-up to receive future issues here: |
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 It struck us the other day how little advertising there is in quilting and crafting magazines. Have you ever thought about that? You pick up other lifestyle, home dec, or fashion magazines and you can hardly find the articles for all the advertising! Page, after page, after page of advertisements (lots of ads for high-priced drugs and non-essentials). Janice subscribed to one of those other magazines for one year. When it arrived she would tear out all the pages that had advertising on both sides of a page...nearly half the pages were gone. Of the pages that were left, there might be a one-column article on one side of the page. Almost no multiple-page articles uninterrupted by ads. We bring this up because we think this is just one more thing to really appreciate about the quilting / crafting world: publishers who are interested in sharing quality and quantity.
We advertise in many quilting magazines. We are proud to support publications that care about their readers, and that want to share meaningful, useful, entertaining content with relevant and minimal advertising. That is real value!
Speaking of appreciation, Nancy appreciates that her February and March travels have been to California...missing all the horrible weather and flight cancellations in the Mid-West and East Coast. Her next trip east is in April, and she is hoping for a good Spring thaw by then! Remember to watch the Calendar page on our website to see when Nancy will be teaching in your area. If you need a class from her and don't see one close enough, ask your quilt shop or quilt guild to bring her to your area. She will travel anywhere, world-wide.
We are also busy lining up several quilt shows to vend at in 2015. Watch our Calendar for a personal shopping opportunity in your area! We hope to see you soon.
E komo mai,
Welcome,
Nancy & Janice
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BUTTERFLIES - 2 Fabric Applique Quilt
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Wild Colors
 Point to any color on a color wheel and chances are very good there is a butterfly that color. You name it: red, orange, gold, yellow, chartreuse, green, aqua, blue, violet, brown, black, white... Not only do they come in a dizzying array of colors, but in all the animal kingdom butterflies are thought to see the widest spectrum of colors, seeing colors humans cannot. Because butterflies cannot distinguish details, except at very close range, it is color that makes it possible for them to navigate the world.
Humans, sadly, have the ability to see a rather narrow spectrum of colors. Quilters love color, don't we? Doesn't it make you just a little jealous that there are colors we cannot see? But we are not going to let that stop us, are we? So, appreciate what you can see, choose a wildly colorful fabric for your Butterflies and let your heart soar!
 Butterflies, 24" x 36", is our current Internet Special. The normal price of $12.00 is reduced for a limited time to just $10.00. Buy yours now.
Find a Fabric Pack to make your quilt here. Remember, you can choose any 2FAQ fabric pack to pair with any 2FAQ pattern. Your choice! Consider our pairings as suggestions only. Yes, step-by-step instructions* are included in every one of our 2FAQ patterns for needleturn applique by hand, machine applique with fusible web, and raw-edge applique by machine. * The instructions do not attempt to teach how to needleturn applique, machine applique, or raw-edge applique. But, if you are ready to learn needleturn applique, our DVD " 2 Fabric Applique Quilts with Nancy Lee Chong" is the best way to learn needleturn in the comfort of your home. Watch Nancy's demonstrations over and over while you practice.
 Here is what one happy customer told us: "I have to tell you that I love the DVD. I just feel like I brought you home with me and have a new friend. You make it all look so easy. Thanks so much."
And, this is what another customer told us when she called to order her 2FAQ DVD: "My friend sat me down to watch your DVD. I thought it would be totally boring, brain-numbing. But, it wasn't! I was glued to it the whole time! Wonderful delivery, engaging. All my friends are making these quilts hand-over-fist. You are a celebrity around here."
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| BANANA TREE - Hawaiian Quilt | | |
Bountiful Yield
 Recently we learned more about banana trees from a friend of ours in Hawaii. They were thrilled when they found a house to buy that had several banana trees in the yard. Little did they understand that a banana tree (really the world's largest herb, not a tree at all) bears fruit once, then dies; all the fruit from one tree (can be hundreds of pounds) ripens at the same time; and new trees grow from the rhizome/roots of the parent tree. Their joy at the thought of having fresh  bananas each day, turned to dread as they discovered the amount of work required to maintain their yard, and the quantity of fruit that needed to be eaten and given away.
Besides the delightful fruit, banana fibers are used to make cloth and paper. Janice's favorite scarf was made from banana and coconut fibers! Wonder if our friends have thought of harvesting and processing their banana fibers to make cloth?
Lucky you! You can enjoy your Banana Tree doing what you love best - applique!
TIP: If you are intimidated by the thought of appliqueing the slits in the banana leaves, read the article in our April/May 2013 e-Newsletter titled "Applique: Reverse Points, or Valleys"; complete with diagrams and photos. You will never fear slits, or reverse points, again! Nancy also demonstrates how to do reverse points in our DVDs.
Banana Tree, 42" x 42", $12.00. Buy yours now.
Choose a Fabric Pack for your quilt here.
 With our DVD: Hawaiian Quilting with Nancy Lee Chong, you can watch Nancy over and over, as she takes you step-by-step through every simple step to make your Hawaiian quilt.
Another happy customer told us this: "The quality and professionalism of the video is wonderful...worth every penny."
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| BEAM n READ: Personal Light | | Hands-free Task Light
We think we know of one thing all hand appliquers appreciate: good light! But good light for stitching can be hard to come-by when you are traveling, or at a retreat, or at a guild meeting, or doctor's office. Have you stopped carrying your hand applique with you because it was just too hard to find good light to stitch by?
The perfect light to use when you need to keep your hands free for important things - like applique! This light hangs around your neck with a comfortable, adjustable elastic strap and rests on your upper chest.  Perfect when reading, traveling, stitching, or when you have no electricity. Anytime you just need more light.
 Use the included orange or red relaxation filters on your Beam n Read to block the stressful blue light emitted by your e-reader. (We heard recently that the blue light from electronic devices can actually interfere with our sleep patterns!)  You choose to use 3 LED lights, for longer battery life, or 6 lights for brighter light. Either way, you get longer run-time than with other lights.
Nancy travels with hers to make sure she can keep stitching on the plane and in hotel rooms. Janice uses hers when the power goes out. Our lights are always handy and ready to put to good use.
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COMING EVENTS
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Nancy's Whereabouts:
Want to meet Nancy or take a class from her in 2015? Here are a few places where you can take a class, watch a presentation at a shop or guild, or find us at a quilt show. Most guilds welcome visitors, so don't be shy.
Make your plans now for one or more of these events:
2015 Shows, Classes, and Events:
- Mar 10-11, San Clemente, CA. Surfside Quilters Guild
- April 6-7, Foley, AL, Island Quilters
- April 9-11, Portsmouth, RI. Quilters by the Sea of Rhode Island Guild
- May 11, Bellingham, WA. Moonlight Quilters
- May 16-17, Ukiah, CA. Grapevine Quilter's Guild "Quilts in Bloom" quilt show
- June 6-7, Grants Pass, OR. Rogue Valley Piecemakers "Quilts in Bloom" quilt show
Register early for classes. They can fill quickly, or be canceled if not enough people register in advance.
Click CALENDAR for details and contact information.
Academy of Quilting
If you do not live where you can take a class from Nancy in person, then perhaps an online class at Academy of Quilting would work for you.
Academy of Quilting brings you the joy of learning quilting, applique & patchwork in the comfort of your home with online classes. Here are the start dates for Nancy's classes the first half of 2015:
- Mar 27, Beginning Hand Quilting
- April 17, Baltimore Basics
- April 24, Make Your Own Hawaiian Quilt
Schedule Nancy now for your show or event in 2015, and beyond. If you would like her to come to your area to teach, let your quilt shop, quilt guild, or show organizer know. Print Nancy's Brochure and pass it along.
Piggy-backing is good!
Nancy is always eager to teach or speak at more than one location when she travels. If she is able to book multiple events, then each group shares in her travel expenses. So it is really an economical and efficient way to book. If you see that Nancy will be anywhere near* you, then contact her to see if additional engagements can be arranged during the same trip. That way EVERYONE WINS!
Great Opportunity: Nancy will soon be working out the details for a trip to Virginia in January 2016. If you are on the east coast, and need a speaker or teacher next January, contact Nancy now to see about sharing the travel expenses. A good deal awaits!
*Remember, Nancy is traveling from Oregon. So near means that if she will be in Virginia even Florida is near. Think regionally.
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Thank you for spending a little of your precious time with us, we really appreciate it. Remember to send us your stories, pictures, questions, or suggestions. We love to hear from you.
A hui hou,
Until next time,
Nancy & Janice
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