Classes!

We’ve just posted online a schedule of the 17 classes we’re offering between October and December, and we have brochures about them in the shop, so enrol soon! Sewing, overlocking, knitting, crochet, embroidery and more – this is your last chance to upskill in 2023 in a friendly, small group, class taught by an expert tutor.

It’s a bit of a gamble scheduling classes: we have to hope that between 4 and 6 people will want to do what we’re offering and that they can do it at the time we’re offering! So please remember that if you and a few friends want to do a class that we can offer, we’ll try our best to do it at a time that suits you. (We need at least 4 people in a class cover our costs.)

Machine News - Janome Days: Friday and Saturday 17 & 18 November

On November 17 and 18, Janome NZ’s educator Natalie George will be in the shop demonstrating some of the bigger Janome machines and telling us about 2 brand new models due to arrive in NZ before the end of the year – the Horizon MC9480 and the Continental M8. If you’re thinking of buying any of the higher-end Janomes, come along on either of those days to get Natalie’s view of your best options. There’ll be discounted prices available for certain machines ordered on the Janome days.

On 17 and 18 November, we’ll have available these models for you to see and try out:

the AT 2000D air threading overlocker,

the 3000P Coverseamer,

the 6700P sewing machine,

the Skyline S6 and

Skyline S7

And we many have more models in the shop, especially if Natalie can bring other models that we don’t usually stock (eg embroidery machines). Let me know if there’s a particular model you’d like to see.

One machine that may not be here in November is our demo Horizon MC9450. It’s a top-end computerised machine with an RRP of $5599 but I’m prepared to sell it for $4999 ono because the Horizon MC 9480, due out soon, will replace it. So my demo model 9450, barely used and with full warranty, is the last one I’ll have. It could be yours.....

Yarn Sale!

We have several lines or part-lines of yarn on sale right now. Several colours of Baby Haven 4 ply merino are now $10 (RRP $12.40), several colours of Countrywide Aran (10 ply) are now $4.80 (RRP $6) plus we have good reductions on some DKs (8 ply) from Broadway and Crucci and also some 12 plys. I knit all year round but even if you don’t, stock up now for your next knitathon!

New Yarn!

We have 37 colours of Malabrigo Rios Kettle-dyed merino (10 ply, merino) back on the shelves and 17 colours of the Malabrigo Mechita (4 ply, merino) plus the new Malabrigo Mohair (2 ply, mohair/silk) in eight shades and Malabrigo Socks (4 ply, merino) in three new colours. These yarns have gorgeous colours and are a delight to knit with.

We have a brand new machine washable 10 ply - the Alpex (20% alpaca / 80%wool). It’s in 7 colours and at the crazy price of $7.90. I knitted up a ball of it the other evening (85 metres) and it’s very easy to knit, absolutely no splitting, and the end result is cuddly, just like a fave wool jumper but with some fuzz!

We also have new colours in the Touch yarns range. The 12 ply Mohair (mohair/merino) now has the colour Desert in its ranks – joining slightly less recent arrivals Glenn Rose, Vintage Rose, Royal Blue and Lilac and all the previous colours - Olive, Peony, Charcoal, Denim, Silver Coller, Sage, Tangerine, Sunset, Natural and Oatmeal. We have them all!

In the Touch merino DK range, we have added the new shades of Pumpkin, Desert Lilac, and Vintage Rose.

Among my latest projects are 6 cowls that wrap around your neck twice, knitted in stocking stitch that has a diagonal appearance. All are made from gorgeous yarns that dont need fancy patterns to show them off. I’ve made 2 from Sesia Vivienne 2 ply (mohair/silk), and 1 each from Malabrigo Mohair 2 ply (mohair/silk), Malabrigo Rios 10 ply (merino), Touch Mohair 12 ply (mohair/merino), and Indiecita 14 ply Baby Brush Alpaca! All except the 14 ply Alpaca took just 1 ball of yarn (the 14 ply took 2 balls) and the 2 plys in particular have drawn many compliments.

These are economical and very attractive items that make great gifts – and because only 200 metres of yarn is involved, you can make them in no time at all. (I‘ll give the pattern to anyone who buys the yarn to make one.)

Wool Fabric Sale!

It’s supposed to be summer soon so many of our top quality coat-weight wool and wool blend fabrics are discounted by at least 25%. Don’t be scared of sewing with them. They’re very stable and easier to use than some lighter weight fabrics!

Knit Fabrics

We have a large and lovely selection of summer knit fabrics these days, for tops, bottoms, dresses and jumpsuits. Our overlocker classes, taught by Toni, provide an excellent introduction (and more) to sewing knit fabrics like a pro.

There are also very good sewing tips, and guidance on making particular patterns, on some of the pattern house websites. Have a look at Pattern Fantastique, Style Arc, Megan Nielsen, and Papercut.

And, good news, Papercut patterns are coming back in hard copy! Our older style Papercut patterns (in the brown packaging) are on sale at 25% off their regular prices and our collection of the newer (white packaged) patterns will be expanded soon, as the new hard copies become available.

Summer Woven Fabrics

By far the largest collection in the shop is of lighter-weight woven fabrics, including linens, linen-viscoses, linen-cottons, rayons, viscoses, cottons and tencels. Many are made in Italy, Japan, Korea and France - and a lovely recent addition in linen/viscose is from Bulgaria. Finding and buying these beautiful fabrics is a highlight of my job.

photo eg of blue floral and green stripe ?? ?

Lumos Lights

These brilliant inventions have been running out the door – not quite as fast now as when they first arrived – but Christmas is coming and they will make excellent presents for anyone who crafts or reads in the evening - or when there’s a power cut as there was at our house in the big winds the other night! I had my Lumos on at the time so wasn’t plunged into darkness. I didn’t realise how much I was straining to see my knitting at night-time until I got my Lumos neck light! We’ve had so many positive comments about them, and customers returning to buy another one for a friend or family member. They’re rechargeable (like a phone) and $75.

Machine Repairs

It’s so good having our technician David working here, in the classroom behind the shop, on Thursdays. He usually services two or three machines in the course of the day and takes others back to his Kapiti workshop to work on and return the following Thursday.

If you can drop off your machine before a Thursday that works best for us. That way we can just hand them over to David when he arrives instead of running back and forth from shop to classroom each time a new machine comes in on a Thursday!

But if you want to talk to David about an issue with your machine, by all means come in on a Thursday.

Sunday Stitches

Our monthly Sunday Stitches sessions are still going strong, and there are several spaces left for this month, you can enrol online here, or in store.

Other Shop News

For the record, I haven’t sold the shop yet! It seems that things are very quiet in the business sale market generally, whether because of global or more local uncertainty about the economic and political landscape. I’m in no hurry to sell but if there is a passionate person (or more than one person) out there who would love to buy a successful, pretty, and cheerful small business, please contact Michael Mebus at michaelm@abcbusiness.co.nz, phone 021885797

That’s it for now,

See you in the shop!

Jo, Jess, Vincent and Toni