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Now is the perfect time to start or update your wish list at Silk Road Textiles! Stop by the shop and browse a bit. Bring items you’d like to add to your wish list to any of the Silk Roadsters, and we will be happy to put it on your wish list. Here are some ideas for gifts to get you started: Interested in weaving? We have rigid heddle looms and books to help you get started! Did someone say yarn? We have big yarn, super soft yarn, alpaca, wool, cashmere, blends…. Been wishing for a Martelli Roundabout for your quilting projects? Or how about a subscription to our six pack sampler? Add it to your wish list; we’ll let Santa know you want one! Gifts for you and yours: Maruca bags, unique jewelry, luscious scarves, baskets from Ghana… And finally, you can wish for a gift certificate for one of our award winning classes!
Summer Fun! Six Favorites for the 6th Month of the Year! #1 World Wide Knit in Public Day Saturday, June 18 11AM-2PM Contemporary Arts Center Join us for a day of knitting at the Contemporary Arts Center. Kick back on a sofa in the lobby with your favorite yarn and knitting friends and knit (or crochet) to your heart’s content. Silk Road Textiles will give a small gift to the first 100 participants, host a Knitted Knockers KAL (11:30-1:30) & be ready with new yarn, needles or whatever you may need. Members of fiber artist collaborative The Bombshells will be on hand teaching the basics if you are new to the game. Bring your supplies; the CAC, has seating, a cafe, and the inspiration! Plan to take in the perfect CAC exhibition Unraveled: Textiles Reconsidered. The CAC is located at 44 East 6th Street, Cincinnati, OH 45220 Please check in with the front desk when you arrive. #2 Make Fidget Quilts for those with Alzhemier’s Monday, June 20 9AM-9PM On Monday, June 20, join Trisha’s Team, Steve and Lynn’s Troops, and Silk Road Textiles for The Longest Day, an event sponsored by the Alzheimer’s Association to honor the strength, passion, and endurance of those facing Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. From 9AM to 9PM gather at Silk Road Textiles, to make Fidget Lap Quilts to be donated to Cincinnati area Memory Care Units. We have textured fabric ready to go and will have sewing, ironing, and cutting stations set up. We have sewing machines, or you can bring your own. Please stop by for as long or as short a time as you want! Bring something to eat if you will be here around lunch time. We will probably order something as a group for dinner. Together, we can show those facing Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia symptoms that they are not alone. We hope you will be able to join us! Trisha states, “My Uncle Steve struggled for many years with earlier onset Alzheimer’s and passed away in 2014. I participate in his honor and memory. He was a smart and fun-loving man who is sorely missed by friends and family. I also participate to honor all friends and relatives struggling with dementia or caring for someone with dementia.” You too, may have a loved one that you would like to honor on The Longest Day. Join Trisha’s team, Steve and Lynn’s Troops today. Stop by Silk Road Textiles on Monday, June 20, anytime between 9AM and 9PM to lend a hand in designing, stitching and finishing Fidget Quilts. No experience necessary, everyone can help! #3 Pick up Home in the Queen City June 21 – September 6 Mark your calendar and start your engine! Row by Row 2016 is ready to go! Silk Road Textiles is excited to reveal to our News for the Road subscribers our Home Sweet Home pattern –Home in the Queen City. Do you recognize these famous “homes”? Can you guess what lives there? We thought so! Wait until you see the various options and bonus block project included on our pattern and in our kits. Home in the Queen City plays especially nicely with last year’s row, The Crown Jewels of Cincinnati.* A new creative license plate and Row by Row official pins are in stock for you! Come in to get “rowing” on Tuesday June 21, 2016! *2015 pattern still available for purchase. #4 Get your Passport by June 30! I-75 Yarn Crawl 2016 August 9-14 Purchase your passport at Silk Road Textiles or online by June 30 to receive your FREE 2016 I-75 Official Yarn Crawl Tote Bag.* Passport and Bag – only $5! The Crawl is a 6 day event covering 40 shops from Birmingham, MI, to Berea, KY. See what’s new, experience the ambiance of each shop, get to know the owner and staff, and win PRIZES!!!. Silk Road Travelers need to be sure to bring your Traveler Bag with you for extra bonus door prize tickets! This year’s Crawl promises to be the Best Crawl ever! MORE PRIZES, BIGGER PRIZES, AND MORE FUN! Silk Road Textiles will have extended hours during the week. Meet Francis the Shepherd, from Cestari Sheep and Yarn Company, on Sat. Aug. 13. He will arrive with a truck load of all his 100% American wool and cotton yarns put up in skeins, hanks, and on cones. Plan your Crawl so you don’t miss this special event. Buy your passport (http://store.rabbithutchbeads.com/i75yarncrawl.html) today, call your friends and map out your “ROADTRIP!” *Bags will not be available after June 30 #5 Donate Finished Knockers! Now – June 30 and beyond Last scheduled FREE Knitted Knockers KAL/CAL! Saturday, June 18 2 sessions at 2 locations 10-noon at Silk Road Textiles 11:30-1:30 at the Knit in Public Event at the Contemporary Art Center Please label the Knitted Knockers with the cup size before dropping them off at the shop. Knockers can be stuffed or not. The knockers we create will be donated to the Barrett Center at UC Medical Center and Good Samaritan Hospital. Don’t knit or crochet? Donations can be made at Knitted Knockers or contribute to the “Knocker Yarn Fund” at Silk Road Textiles. Knitted Knockers are provided free of charge to any breast cancer survivor who asks. Free patterns for knitting and crochet, tutorials, and lots of information can be found at Knitted Knocker.org (http:// www.knittedknockers.org) . Turn in completed knockers and get 10% off the next yarn purchased to make more knockers. #6 Meet Your Maruca Match! Maraca Mania Returns June 26- 30 More savings than ever before! New styles! New fabrics! Carry the latest! Browse the latest Maruca catalog for Fall-Winter 2016-2017. Place an order during this event and save 6% on your total order. Save on single and multiple bag orders. While participating in the Six June Events listed above, check out these additional reasons to visit! Shop our HUGE Clearance Table! Now – June 30 Fabric, yarn, books and more. New items added frequently. We are making room for new goodies on their way already. Many items offered at 50% off. Now is the time to stock up and save. Take a Class or Two or Three! Register NOW for one or more of our top rated classes. Space is limited and popular classes fill fast. Here is a sampling of what is offered this summer. Find the complete list here. Sewing, Knitting & Crochet Camps for Kids * Felted Flowers * English Paper Piecing * Slip Stitch Knitting * Beginning Spinning, Knitting & Crochet * Beginning Quilting & Sewing * Get to Know Your Sewing Machine * Color Theory * Project Pants * Flat Pattern I * Modern Hand Stitch * Rust Dyeing * Color Work * Many More! Important Updates Quilt National ’17, the 20th Biennial Submissions Now Open Artists of the fiber world can officially begin submitting their innovative works. Each artist may enter up to three new submissions that will provide viewers with an appreciation of the variety of techniques and innovative trends in the medium of layered and stitched fabric. All submissions must be made online before the deadline on September 1, 2016. The rules have changed so check all details and submission guide here. Quilt National ’17 will open to the public May 27, 2017 through September 4, 2017.at the Dairy Barn Arts Center in Athens, OH. Parts of the collection will then travel to museums and galleries throughout the country and world until late 2018. Let’s go Silk Road Travelers! We’d love to see YOUR creation at Quilt National ’17! “Healing Bracelets” by Woman Art Ghana As we shared last month, Franciska Issaka, the amazing, kindhearted founder and leader of CENSUDI & Woman Art Ghana, had a serious medical emergency in late December. Her recovery continues to progress. She is thankful to everyone for your prayers and kindness. She continues to create bracelets from beautiful handmade glass beads and has added a smaller size to her offerings. Franciska is hopeful that people who wear these bracelets will send positive thoughts or offer a prayer for the healing of all in need. We are still offering these “Healing Bracelets” at $7 and $10 each, (regular price $15-$18) for a short time more. 100% of the proceeds will be donated to Franciska’s medical expenses. Save these Hot July Dates! Fourth Anniversary Celebration July 15-17, 2016 Thank you for another amazing year! Door prizes and raffle gifts galore! “Show Us Your Roots” 4th Annual Irene Sutton Fiber Art Exhibit Create a 5″X7″ to 8″x10″ fiber art piece of any fiber medium. Submissions accepted June 21- July 31,2016, Exhibit opens August 5, 2016. Showcase your talents! Facebook Fans! Stay connected with us by “liking”, sharing, and commenting on our posts. This will help increase our presence on your timeline, enabling you to get our most recent news as it is posted. Participation is key to increasing the amount of information you receive.
Sophia Costas scarves by Mia Berglund are not only beautiful, but also fair trade, hand-crafted, and sustainable. Sophia Costas supports an NGO that trains women from small villages in Nepal so they can earn a living. These women are often the sole breadwinners for their families. Stop by Silk Road Textiles to check out our selection of Sophia Costas scarves. We have a variety of patterns from which to choose, including animal, scenic, and geometric prints. These popular scarves won’t last long!
Confused about interfacing? That’s no wonder! There are so many types: fusible and non-fusible; wovens, non-wovens and knits, weft insertions and warp insertions; different weights, colors and brands. How do you decide which one to use with all these factors? This series is intended to help you better understand interfacings and how to select the appropriate stabilizers for your next project. Interfacing is a third layer of fabric applied between two other layers to provide shape, stability and structure to garments and to enhance durability. It is used in buttonhole areas to keep them from stretching and distorting, in collars and cuffs to add crispness and in facings to give stability. In tailoring, it allows the garment to retain the shape that is built in during the construction process. It can be used for special dramatic effects in costuming. This week, we will be exploring the structure of various interfacings. Woven interfacings are stable. They offer firm support and are available in many weights. Knit interfacings are drapeable and soft. They are generally light weight. Weft and warp insertion interfacings are knit fabrics with threads woven through them. These interfacings combine the stability of the wovens with the drapeability of the knits. They are available in light to medium weight. Non-woven interfacings are made of synthetic fibers. They are neither woven nor knit. In some garment makers’ opinion non-wovens are generally not suitable for quality garments. However, they are perfect for bags and craft projects. While fusible versus non-fusible interfacings is a discussion for another day, it is important to note that woven interfacings are available as both fusibles and non-fusibles. All knit and weft insertion interfacings are fusible. Silk Road Textiles carries both woven and non-woven interfacings. Be sure to ask next time you’re in the store to see more interfacings – we don’t keep them display, but we have a nice selection!
Confused about interfacing? That’s no wonder! There are so many types: fusible and non-fusible; wovens, non-wovens and knits, weft insertions and warp insertions; different weights, colors and brands. How do you decide which one to use with all these factors? This series is intended to help you better understand interfacings and how to select the appropriate stabilizers for your next project. Interfacing is a third layer of fabric applied between two other layers to provide shape, stability and structure to garments and to enhance durability. It is used in buttonhole areas to keep them from stretching and distorting, in collars and cuffs to add crispness and in facings to give stability. In tailoring, it allows the garment to retain the shape that is built in during the construction process. It can be used for special dramatic effects in costuming. This week, we will be exploring the different weights of interfacing available. The weight of the interfacing is an important consideration and is dependent on the fabric it will be used with, the style of the garment, and your personal preference. If an interfacing is too light, it won’t do the job. If it is too heavy, it will change the character of the fabric. For a stand-up mandarin collar, a shirt collar or French cuffs, you would want a firm interfacing. On the same garment, you may want a softer interfacing down the front of the blouse so it isn’t too “boardy.” On a soft jacket with a lot of movement, you would want a lightweight interfacing. For a more structured coat or jacket you might want a heavier weight interfacing. Personal preference is a factor, too. If a person likes their jackets to be more structured and to hang away from the body, they should select a heavier interfacing. If they want a slimmer fit and the garment to shape to the contours of the body, a softer interfacing should be selected. Silk Road Textiles carries many weights of interfacing from the ultra-stiff Peltex (great for highly structured bags) to the sheerweight Pellon (fuses gently onto even the most delicate fabrics). Be sure to ask next time you’re in the store to see more interfacings – we don’t keep them on display, but we have a nice selection!
Some of the fabrics we love are the Aboriginal prints from M&S Textiles. Each fabric is based on a painting done in the traditional style by talented Aboriginal artists. Typical Aboriginal art is characterized by the use of many small dots of color to form the pattern, reliance on familiar animal and wildlife motifs, and a utilization of a vibrant color palette. These artists, most of whom are women, have profiles and statements hanging in the store; be sure to ask to see them! We also have charts detailing the motifs used in the fabric, telling what they mean. If you just can’t get enough information and inspiration, we carry a whole book devoted to the meanings behind the fabric and amazing project ideas. Whether it’s an abstract design or something more literal (we love the turtles and platypuses!), we’re sure you’ll find a way to work these unusual fabrics into your projects. The fun prints are perfect for quilts, wall hangings, garments, and more.
Andie Johnson wrote about her “field trip” to Silk Road Textiles, and you can read all about it on her creative and lively blog, Andie Johnson Sews. A bonus: Andie’s bright pictures just might give you a hint of what’s new. Thanks, Andie!
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