Friday, December 30, 2022

Thursday, December 29, 2022

Penn Oaks Newsletter

President's Note

From christmas past: dec. 2006. MC president

'Twas the Night Before Christmas Poem
(A Quilters' Version)

T'was the night before Christmas and all through the house,
The only one sleeping was a Quilter's dear spouse.
The Log Cabin stockings were almost completed,
"Just a few stitches left," our sweet quilter repeated.

"Then I can hang them and head off to finish
the pillows I'm making, fulfilling Mom's wish
For something quilted to put on her couch and spoke,
as she pricked her poor finger, our quilter said, "Ouch!"

When from out in the kitchen there arose such a crashing,
she sprang from her work, and she dropped all her sashing.
Away to the doorway she flew like a plane,
wondering just what was happening and who she would blame.

When what to her wondering eyes should appear,
but Old Mrs. Claus and her bag of quilt-gear...
With her elves bearing gifts, through the kitchen she came,
she directed and pointed and called them by name.

"Now Elna, now Pfaff, now Bernina and Viking,
the Hoffman and Mumm should be just to her liking.
To the sewing room - there, it's just back of the hall,
now dash away, dash away, dash away all!"

"My Dear," said The Claus (as she liked to be called),
"There really is no need to worry at all.
Your projects will all be completed this night,
I'm terribly sorry we gave you a fright."

"Sit down. Have some tea. It's relaxing, you'll see.
My friends and I've come a long way to help Thee."
She thought she was dreaming, our dear Quilter did,
In fact she quite feared that she near flipped her lid!

But the flash of the needles and twist of the thread
soon gave her to know she had nothing to dread.
They spoke no more words, but went straight to their sewing.
How the work went so quickly she had no way way of knowing.

The stitches, how fine! The corners, how straight!
This Claus-woman's talent was awfully great.
They finished the pillows, then started to quilt.
Before they all knew it, the whole thing was built!

Now old Mrs. Claus, she knew quilters real well,
and she knew they'd need help on this night most of all
So she said to our quilter, "Just move over dear,
I've brought my own needle. We'll get done, never fear.

I told dear old Santa about what quilters do.
How they plan all these projects but have other work too.
So he taught me his magic for doing things fast.
There, that pillows done. Now this is the last.

They tidied their thread snips, and picked up the scraps
and chased our dear quilter's six cats from their laps.
As they scurried away with their thimbles still gleaming
dear Mrs. Claus paused, her cap ribbons streaming.
"Merry Christmas, my dear, now just have a ball!"

(author unknown)
Everything Quilts Inc.

As we head into the “crunch” time preparing for the holidays, we all could use some help from Mrs. Claus to finish up all those good intentioned gift projects. I know I could certainly use her help this year!!!

Happy Holidays to all and looking forward to seeing everyone at the guild Christmas Party – Tuesday December 19^th.

Maureen

Programs

We will meet in January via Zoom only. The speaker will be Sam Hunter of Hunter's Design Studio. The topic will be "Studio Tour and How to Set Up Your Space Ergonomically."

This is a great live ZOOM lecture with open Q&A where Sam show you all the nooks and crannies of her studio (and all her creative storage solutions), and discuss how her studio fits her body, her habits, and her process. We talk about the ergonomics of setting up your space so you can continue to enjoy quilting while keeping your body healthy!

2022 Board

President - Carolyn Davis / Jamie Loncaric

Program Chair - Donna Daley

Assistant-Deb Houck

Treasurer - Rita Marie Smith

Recording Secretary - Angela Brant

Corresponding Secretary - Nancy DeTeodora

Membership - Elizabeth Young / Sarah Reindel

Ways & Means - Jen Burke

2022 Quilt Guild Challenge - Rikki Newlander

Quilt Challenge, Hospice Quilts and Quilts for Kids

Rikki Newlander and Rita Marie Smith

We will be working together to cut and provide strings to guild members participating in making quilts for the challenge, hospice patients and Quilts for Kids.

If you would like strings, please let us know: rikki.newlander@gmail.com or ritasmitty308@gmail.com. Since the next 3 guild meetings will be zoom only, please contact us to make arrangements to meet you with the strings. They can also be brought to the getaway. Rikki is willing to cut more muslin foundation squares (8 ½”) if needed. Just let her know. The fabric we are using is from our sale held at the Covenant Presbyterian Church. It was felt that this was an excellent use of the fabric. Not sure as yet but there might be some yardage for backing. Will let you know.

Basic requirements for the Quilts for Kids were in the last newsletter. Quilts for the hospice are lap size (40” x 40”.) There are many examples and videos of string quilts online if you are not familiar with them. Our blocks finish at 8” squares, are so easy and come together quickly.

A little bit of sewing on our part will certainly brighten someone’s day.

2023 Getaway

Closed: See you at the Getaway

Last Call: You can still reserve a room for our Getaway, just contact Ellen no later than December 4th. Approximately one week prior to our December meeting each attendee will receive an email noting the balance due on their reservation. This payment is due by December 20th. Please bring your check to the meeting or send it via snail mail to Ellen. Thank you!

We are still taking reservations for our Getaway. We have a few spaces available. We will accept the Getaway reservations at the November meeting and via snail mail. Contact Ellen or Cindy for a registration form. We will continue to hold our Getaway at the Amish View Inn & Suites at 3125 Old Philadelphia Pike, Bird-in-Hand. Next year, the Getaway dates are February 22-26. The sewing room is large and comfortable, allowing one 6 foot long table per quilter. The sewing room fee is $600 plus 6% tax; this amount will be shared equally by all attendees. The room is available from 2:00 pm Wednesday through 1:00 pm Sunday. The room rates (including tax) for a single/double room will be $136.53 for Wednesday/Thursday nights, and $188.70 for Friday/Saturday nights. A deposit of $100.00 per room will hold your reservation. The final payment is due December 20th. Come for one night, two, three or all four nights to sew, shop and visit with your fellow members. Just a reminder, the POQ Getaway is completely self-funded. Members are responsible for finding their own roommate and for sharing the room cost. Our contract is for the Double Queen Rooms. Take a look at the Amish View Inn web site ( www.AmishViewInn.com) to learn about this wonderful venue. Please contact us with any questions.

Ellen McMillen (ejmcmillen@verizon.net) and Cindy Vognetz (cvognetz@hotmail.com)

Ways & Means

Membership - Sarah Reindel and Elizabeth Young

We had twenty or so at the December meeting. Bingo was its usual silly self as were several of the member who shall go un-named. Bob

Penn Oaks Sunshine

If you know of a guilt member who could use some well wishes or encouragement because of a sickness or life event, please contact me at Grasshopper1@gmail.com. I will make sure to send our collective good thoughts to our fellow member.

Nancy DeTeodoro

Bits and Pieces From The Textile World

1. Martingale to Close in Mid-2023

by Abby Glassenberg | Dec 22, 2022

Craft publisher Martingale announced yesterday that the company will be closing in mid-2023.

CEO and president Jennifer Keltner said in an email, “Since the onset of the pandemic in 2020, Martingale has been operating in a state of constant change. We’ve shifted resources as necessary to manage supply chain disruptions, paper shortages, double-digit increases in freight costs and printing, mandatory shutdowns, a shift to remote work, and more.

Through it all, our skilled team of employee-owners has gone above and beyond to pivot to a remote work model, to control costs, and to consistently problem-solve, all while creating stellar, best-in-class content for quilters.”

“Unfortunately, with continued cost pressures across the supply chain, and a shift in how consumers seek and purchase content, the Martingale Board of Directors adopted a formal resolution to dissolve the company by mid-2023.”

Martingale, which was founded in 1976 and is headquartered in Bothell, Washington, is an Employee Stock Ownership Plan company (ESOP) meaning employees own shares in Martingale. According to Keltner, “an orderly wind-down means that the assets will be divided between the participants who own stock in the company. For many, that equates to their retirement savings.”

2. Immediate Media announced this week that Mollie Makes magazine will cease publication after 11 years and 151 issues.

3. Shibui Yarn announced this week that they are going out of business.

4.Instagram launched 2022 recap templates for Reels. When activated, they'll take you through the process of adding posts and videos that you’ve uploaded throughout the year.

5. The Spellman College Museum of Fine Art in Atlanta will be showing Bisa Butler's Black American Portraits February 8-May 15.

6. Loose Ends is an organization dedicated to finishing knitting, crochet, and quilting projects loved ones have left behind. You can submit a project or become a finisher.

7. “Subversive, Skilled, Sublime: Fiber Art By Women” at the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, D. C. November 18, 2022 – April 16, 2023. https://americanart.si.edu/

8. “ Wild and Untamed. Dunton’s Discover of the Baltimore Album Quilts” at the Maryland Center for History and Culture in Baltimore, MD. Now through September 2023. https://www.mdhistory.org/exhibitions/wild-and-untamed/

Wednesday, November 30, 2022

Penn Oaks Newsletter

December 2022

President's Note

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all!

We are having a members only, in person only Christmas party. We are asking us all to bring some treats. Only a modest amount. Use a holiday plate - I'm sure we all have them. I have decided to use up those lovely things. After Thanksgiving dinner using the china which was a wedding gift to my husband's parents and the ordeal of hand washing all of them (done by daughter Becky and her family), we have decided we will henceforth use the dishwasher. No one really wants the china and the dishwashers now have china settings, we are going to use them and enjoy them.

The Christmas block exchange is fun - a 12.5" unfinished block wrapped up. They are always to fun to see.

Love you all - see you at the meeting.

Carolyn

Programs

Our next meeting, on December 12th, will be our holiday celebration. We will be meeting in person (no Zoom.) We will continue the tradition of playing Quilto (with prizes!) We ask that you bring a snack (cookies, etc.) to share. We are also going to have a block exchange this year. If you would like to participate, please bring a block, wrapped or in a gift bag. Blocks should be 12 and a half inches (unfinished size) and can have either a holiday or winter theme. We are looking forward to a fun evening!

(This meeting is for guild members only.)

Note from Robin: The website is updated and ready for your pleasure.

2022 Board

President - Carolyn Davis / Jamie Loncaric

Program Chair - Donna Daley

Assistant-Deb Houck

Treasurer - Rita Marie Smith

Recording Secretary - Angela Brant

Corresponding Secretary - Nancy DeTeodora

Membership - Elizabeth Young / Sarah Reindel

Ways & Means - Jen Burke

2022 Quilt Guild Challenge - Rikki Newlander

Quilts for Kids Guidelines

To make things easier for you, here are the basic requirements for the Quilts for Kids (QfK):

· Approximately 38"- 40" x 45"- 46"is QfK guideline minimum. However, bearing in mind that these comfort quilts are given to kids from birth to 22 years of age, longer quilts with less juvenile themes can be made for older children.

· Due to immunity issues that the children may have, only 100% cotton fabric is allowed. No-repurposed fabrics like sheets, curtains or clothing can be accepted.

· If it is a high-quality new flannel, feel free to create a quilt out of it. Lower quality flannel pills and looks used the moment it is washed so please do not use a discount store flannel which does not have the high thread count necessary to stand up to numerous washings.

· No tied quilts due to potential choking hazard that hand ties create and their inability to stand up to the hospital washer and dryers. All quilts much me machine quilted for the same reason. Fleece is not acceptable because it causes static which can interfere with hospital equipment.

· Use any pattern you like! Here are some downloadable patterns from QfK website. https://www.quiltsforkids.org/patterns.htm

· Please use LOW LOFT 1/8 to 1//4 inch batting. Cotton or poly or a combination of the two is acceptable.

· Lots of machine quilting in your quilt will help it hold up to the rigorous washing it goes through at the hospital. Please machine quilt in the borders as well as in the blocks, about every 2 inches or so. Please do not use invisible thread as it can melt in the hot dryer.

· Machine sewn binding is preferred so it will stand up to the hospital wear and tear.

Our guild plans to use the string quilts for POQG charity project and they will be used for QfK as well as Jen’s Hospice program. If you want to make any other patterns, please feel free and follow the the QfK guidelines above. Also please wash your quilt after you have finished quilting it. I will also be getting QfK labels to put on the QfK donation quilts. The label needs to be machine stitched to the back of quilt. Write your first name and last name initial on the label with a sharpie. These quilts are a great way to practice your quilting techniques! Have fun and we look forward to seeing what you create for charity!

Thanks,

Debora Houck

Note from Rikki: If you want muslin blocks 8 1/2 inch squares to email Rikki at rikki.newlander@gmail.com.I will then cut them for each person.

Note from dumb-dumb the quilter: aka Bob: I didn't think we had any muslin so we sent for 10 yards. I found a whole bunch in fabric cave so we have extra. If you need some, just holler and we will bring it to the meeting.

2023 Getaway

Ellen McMillen (ejmcmillen@verizon.net) and Cindy Vognetz (cvognetz@hotmail.com)

Ways & Means

Membership - Sarah Reindel and Elizabeth Young

Sarah told me but I forgot. We did have a good crowd including a whole bunch who showed ur

for dinner. It was great to visit and you all should try it sometime. Bob

Penn Oaks Sunshine

Nancy DeTeodoro

Bits and Pieces From The Textile World

Not directly related to the textile world but interesting and somewhat sad.

1. Crafters Reflect on the Closure of Martha Stewart Living Magazine

by Clark Tate | Nov 20, 2022

The Magazine as Craft Material

For many in the craft community, the pages of Martha Stewart Living proved to be not just instructional, but also inspirational. Tearing them out and putting them on your bulletin board was Pinterest before Pinterest.

“As a consumer, as somebody who loves those little snippets of daily wisdom or insight, I feel really sad,” says Amy Tan of craft brand Amy Tangerine. “I’ve been so used to holding the magazine in my hands, and also tearing it apart,” she says, “cutting out what connects to me, and then transforming that into a mini vision board in my journal or my planner.”

Artist Lisa Solomon also mourns the loss of the physical pages. “I’d be lying if I didn’t say a part of me is really sad,” she says. “Because I feel like we’re losing so many tangible things. There is something beautiful about turning pages and tearing things out.”

Sure, you can vision board digitally says Tan, but it’s not the same, especially for an artist and author who got her start scrapbooking. “I think there’s a different beauty that unlocks in us when we have something physical to hold in our hands.” Tan has a special tie to Martha Stewart Living because she was interviewed for an article that appeared in its pages. She likes the idea that the article, which is about preserving memories, is a physical artifact. As magazine’s like Living fade out, Tan fills the void by clipping images from catalogs, mailers, and travel brochures. She likes the brochures best, since they’re inherently aspirational.

The Magazine as Craft Instruction

Living really raised the bar when it comes to craft projects. “Martha will forever be a crafting legend and she really has inspired generations of makers, myself included,” says Rachel Mae Smith of the craft and lifestyle blog The Crafted Life.

“She gave us proof that you don’t have to buy new to have something pretty, that making it can look polished and professional.”

From the crafts to the photographs to the styling, the magazine was a consistent source of inspiration for Smith and her business. “I loved seeing how the magazine covered holidays, Valentine’s Day and Christmas in particular. Somehow, year after year, they always delivered interesting and new ideas,” she says. “You can tell a project is from Martha Stewart just based on the photography alone. That’s something that I strive for.”

Tan feels like the magazine’s DIY crafts always balanced a feeling of accessibility and aspiration. “They had a great way of making the DIY feel like you could actually do it right. They empowered you.” Tan especially appreciated Stewart’s line of craft supplies and paints at Michaels, which helped her find the right supplies for a project. It was “coincidence or kismet” that Tan had her own line of crafting supplies around the same time with American Crafts.

For Cerruti at Creative bug, the tutorials featured in Living went above and beyond anything she’d seen elsewhere. “I don’t know, who else would spend the time and the energy to service these kinds of craft tutorials, with the attention to detail and design,” says Cerruti. “Their approach to the content was much more comprehensive. There used to be, like, a six page article on basket weaving or something. I mean, nobody’s doing that now. It’s like a 10 second video that’s been time lapsed, if they’re even talking about it at all.”

That depth and specificity was important to Solomon, too. The crafts were beautiful and the magazine walked you through the process masterfully. “When she started doing it. Nobody was doing that,” says Solomon. “So I think that’s why a lot of people in my age group, like I’ve talked to other people, and we’re always like, ‘we secretly like Martha Stewart.’”

“She’s definitely in my life,” Solomon says, “whether I like it or not. Every time I make stuffing, it’s basically her recipe that I’ve, you know, changed a little bit over the years, but it came from her.”

A Crafting Legacy

Martha Stewart Living wasn’t afraid to revive old-fashioned crafts, showing them in modern colors with beautiful photography in a way that was instantly appealing to modern readers.

“I feel like she was so sort of revolutionary in the craft world, bringing historic craft to the forefront and getting the average artist or homemaker interested in these specific crafting tools, history, methodologies,” says Cerruti.

Cerruti still has a backlog of holiday issues that she references for inspiration. “I think they were very thorough in telling the story of more traditional American craft.” Solomon has saved old issues, too, “I still have a stack of them in my studio. I can’t get rid of them. I just can’t. And it is fun sometimes to be like, ‘Oh, what did Martha do for Halloween in whatever year?’ And it’s still relevant. I think it’s still good.”

Cerruti doesn’t see anyone else coming in to fill the void and is sad to lose that resource, for good. “I guess the secondary level of disappointment was that Martha Stewart doesn’t have an online archive of the magazine,” she says. “How come the Smithsonian doesn’t have this? How come this doesn’t exist as a digital archive somewhere?”

“I personally would pay a monthly subscription to have access to her digital archive of magazines,” says Cerruti. “I’m just super surprised that it doesn’t exist.” Cerruti sees this as a continuation of a trend of information about historic crafting arts is getting harder and harder to find. In the past, she turned to vintage craft books, but they are getting more difficult to get ahold of and libraries have often decommissioned them. “There are not a lot of online resources for those in archives,” she says. “And so you have to go hunt them down.”

“I think crafting and food especially are, in so many ways, something that people connect across generations, across cultures, through families and Martha Stewart’s magazines facilitated part of that or highlighted part of that. That not being done any more, that’s sad.” says Cerruti.

So far, it’s not clear if Dashdot Meredith, the media company that purchased the magazine’s brand in 2014, will continue Stewart’s crafting legacy. Moving forward, they plan to focus on promoting MarthaStewart.com, according to the Register. Then there is Martha.com, which features a flip-through digital magazine experience with its 2022 Holiday Guide. It includes links to a few detailed recipes, but no detectable crafts. What it does do is conveniently link featured products to the online store, quickening the connection between inspiration and commerce.

On Martha

“In terms of Martha,” says Solomon. “I was always in awe of her and her team and also like, ‘Whoa, she’s so white and not anything like me, and she has multiple homes.” It is a tension that Solomon feels elsewhere in the art world especially between the makers and the buyers who purchase work to hang in a multimillion dollar homes.

But to Solomon, it was Stewart’s unapologetic appreciation of beauty that made her relatable. “I think the thing that was so resonant with me was that she was kind of no holds barred about how challenging some of this stuff could be, and about her aesthetic taste,” Solomon explains. “So it was like, this is what I like, this is why I like it. This is important, because aesthetics are important,” says Solomon. “I think that’s really valuable.”

“You know, women’s work has always been sort of pushed back,” says Cerruti. Martha’s work elevated much of the care that goes into creating a lovely home, holiday ceremonies, and nourishing food. She respected and honored our homes and the people, mostly women, who labor there. “I appreciate the fact that she had very strong opinions was not afraid to say what they were,” Solomon says. “And that kind of permission is great, right? It isreally freeing.”

2. Hobbycraft in the UK has launched a bulk buying program for small businesses called HobbyCraft Plus that includes discounts, business seminars, and a tips newsletter.

3. In a throwback to the Bluprint days, TN Marketing has launched CraftsyTV, a new streaming service featuring Craftsy content on Plex.

4. Placeit is a source for mockups. Show your artwork on t-shirts, mugs, leggings and more, modeled in hundreds of settings.

5. For those crafters who used Twitter (there was a strong knitting community there), Amy explains how to get started with Mastodon.

6. The Spellman College Museum of Fine Art in Atlanta will be showing Bisa Butler's Black American Portraits February 8-May 15.

7. Loose Ends is an organization dedicated to finishing knitting, crochet, and quilting projects loved ones have left behind. You can submit a project or become a finisher.

8. “Subversive, Skilled, Sublime: Fiber Art By Women” at the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, D. C. November 18, 2022 – April 16, 2023. https://americanart.si.edu/

9. “ Wild and Untamed. Dunton’s Discover of the Baltimore Album Quilts” at the Maryland Center for History and Culture in Baltimore, MD. Now through September 2023. https://www.mdhistory.org/exhibitions/wild-and-untamed/

Monday, October 31, 2022

Penn Oaks Newsletter

President's Note

It’s November already! I thought the October workshop and meeting were fantastic. We all had a great time. Thanks so much, Bob for the wonderful class. The Question is, what’s next?

A reminder: our password will be working at 5pm. Bring your dinner and we can all chat. Also, we did decide to stop with the snacks list. We are not up to speed yet. If you want to bring a snack for yourself, or to share, please feel free.

Another thing: while the newsletter will continue to be sent to members and former members, the zoom link will go to members only.

There was a lot of enthusiasm in October for having more sewing events. We are able to do that, at no extra charge, on the days of our meetings if there is no conflict with the Church’s schedule. November and December are out. November, because we have not planned for it and December for the Christmas activities. We can discuss this more.

Looking forward to seeing you all.

The zoom presentation looks to be interesting. What can we recycle into quilts? That is not the topic, I know but just imagine. What else can we use to make quilts?

Programs

November 14, 2022
Julia McLeod, Everything but the Cotton
Let’s explore the world of quilts that were made with what I call ‘Not Cottons’.
When quilters don’t have access to a stash of quilter’s cotton, what do they turn to? This one- hour lecture, trunk show and Q & A session shows quilts – antique and modern – made of wool, silk, polyester and more. The trunk show of my own work shows what you can create with neckties, saris, kimonos and other unusual, ‘not cotton’ textiles.

Interleave workshop. We had a fun time at the workshop and most everybody went home with a finished top.

2022 Board

President - Carolyn Davis / Jamie Loncaric

Program Chair - Donna Daley

Assistant-Deb Houck

Treasurer - Rita Marie Smith

Recording Secretary - Angela Brant

Corresponding Secretary - Nancy DeTeodora

Membership - Elizabeth Young / Sarah Reindel

Ways & Means - Jen Burke

2022 Quilt Guild Challenge - Rikki Newlander

We are making quilts for Kids or for 40 or a local Hospice. The challenge is to make a quilt 40 by 40 (or bigger) using the scrap bag provided by the guild or your own scraps. You can make a string quilt or a scrap quilt and any size 40 by 40 or above. For anyone doing the quilt challenge I will provide 25 81/2 inch squares to use. I will cut them on my AccuQuilt. Please email me and then I will bring them. to the Dec meeting. I am out of town until after the Nov meeting.

Rikki

2023 Getaway

Ellen McMillen (ejmcmillen@verizon.net) and Cindy Vognetz (cvognetz@hotmail.com)

Ways & Means

Membership - Sara Reindel and Elizabeth Young

We had 21 members attend the meeting tonight and 3 guests for a total of 24 attendees'.

Penn Oaks Sunshine

Nancy DeTeodoro

Bits and Pieces From The Textile World

1. In a letter to vendors today, Fabric.com announced that it will be shutting down. The company, which is owned by Amazon, said it alerted employees to news on Monday.

Fabric.com was originally the website of Phoenix Textile Group, a company founded in 1993 as a wholesale distributor of apparel fabrics. Phoenix Textiles launched the website in 1999 in order to experiment with selling yardage directly to consumers online. Amazon acquired Fabric.com in 2008 in an effort to expand its inventory of craft and hobby materials. Fabric.com was one of a suite of freestanding websites acquired by Amazon that also included Audible and Zappos.

“We have been selling to them since 1996,” said Andy Weinstock, President and CEO of Edley Fabrics. “We wish their employees continued success. It will be interesting to see if anyone or any company steps up to fill the void.” Weinstock surmised that the labor costs involved in cutting fabrics were too high for Amazon’s current business model.

For many fabric companies, Fabric.com was the industry’s largest buyer.

Over the last few years, though, difficulties had begun to surface. Weinstock said Fabric.com had been paying vendors late. Another fabric company executive we spoke with also said that Fabric.com’s payments to vendors had been slow over the last few years. About six months ago, Amazon reached out to Fabric.com vendors to say that all fabric would soon need to be sold directly on Amazon.com. Vendors were told to upload all of their products to Amazon in one, three, or five-yard increments, seemingly with no regard to the fact that fabric manufacturers sell wholesale by the roll or bolt, and not by the yard. “They expect us to cut and ship overnight for free,” this executive said. “They don’t understand fabric at all.” The longtime former employee we spoke with said that over the last few years, management repeatedly asked if selling pre-packed cuts would work. They said no.

“I think the exit of Fabric.com in this market will ultimately open up opportunities for more business for independent quilt shops, as well as an opportunity for new shops to open,” said Gina Pantastico, Co-founder and Director of Operations at Cloud9 Fabrics and Felicity Fabrics.

“This will be an adjustment for fabric manufacturers, but once we all get over our initial shock and surprise I think this could be a positive change for the fabric industry as a whole,” Pantastico said.

Fabric.com will close down on October 20. Employees have been offered a severance package or the opportunity to seek employment in another Amazon division. Fabric.com is headquartered in Kennesaw, Georgia

2. Avelea Brings Greek Fold Embroidery to the US Market

As a custom tailor creating vestments for Greek Orthodox priests, Krista West traveled to Greece many times to source materials and do research. It was on one of these trips that she discovered the beauty of Greek folk embroidery. That was the inspiration for Avlea, her company that is introducing traditional Eastern Mediterranean cross stitch to the US market.

3. Instagram is testing (and seemingly will be rolling out) a new feature that would allow users to schedule their feed posts ahead of time (finally).

4. Members of YouTube’s Partner Program with at least 20,000 subscribers will soon be able to tag their videos, Shorts, and live streams with shoppable links.

And YouTube has made some improvements to the user experience including pinch to zoom which could be helpful for seeing details in a DIY video.

5. “Subversive, Skilled, Sublime: Fiber Art By Women” at the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, D. C. November 18, 2022 – April 16, 2023. https://americanart.si.edu/

6. “ Wild and Untamed. Dunton’s Discover of the Baltimore Album Quilts” at the Maryland Center for History and Culture in Baltimore, MD. Now through September 2023. https://www.mdhistory.org/exhibitions/wild-and-untamed/

Friday, December 30, 2022

Thursday, December 29, 2022

Penn Oaks Newsletter

1. Martingale to Close in Mid-2023

Wednesday, November 30, 2022

Penn Oaks Newsletter

Monday, October 31, 2022

Penn Oaks Newsletter

Penn Oaks Newsletter-April 20324

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