Faith over Fear

Last month, a new customer came into our store. She was very upset. She had ordered a special, custom made gift online. When the item arrived, it was nothing like she had requested. All she could do was cry.

The gift was for a local principal, Josh Wandell, who has been battling ALS, or Lou Gehrig's disease. He is very beloved by his students, the staff and the parents and has been an inspiration to the entire Carter County community and beyond. He was diagnosed in 2013 and given five short years to live.

It was important to our customer, the children, and the community that Mr. Wandell be given something very special this Christmas. She asked us if there were some way to improve upon the gift. She described her ideas to us. We asked her to leave the item with us so we could brainstorm, and to return before the store closed. While we couldn't improve on the item she left us, we made a new one, putting all our creativity into it. 

“Faith over Fear” has been Mr. Wandell's motto since his diagnosis. 

 

The inspiration for his motto is from the Biblical book of Joshua 1:9:

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous.
Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged,
for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”
Joshua 1:9

When our customer returned, she was thrilled with the stocking and the design. After learning the story of a man filled with heroic faith and courage and the community who love him, we handed the stocking to her, blessed that we were a part of something so much bigger than ourselves. Merry Christmas from Sew Vac & Long Arm Quilting.

Our stocking on the left

 

Delivery of a Quilt of Valor

 
Its not often we get to see the fruits of our labor in such an uplifting fashion as we did this week.

Our Sew Addicted Club had been working on several Quilts of Valor projects as I mentioned in a previous article.

If you will recall, the "mission of the Quilts of Valor Foundation [a nationwide endeavor], is to cover service members and veterans touched by war." The foundation stresses that no matter how we feel about war, it is not about politics, but individual soldiers, who have sacrificed so much for our freedom.

This week, we were visited by the daughter of a veteran who received on of our quilts. 

Mr. Raymond Calhoun served with honor in the U.S. Navy during WWII. He is shown here with his medals, a picture of the ship on which he served, and the Quilt of Valor.

His daughter, Lisa, remarked on her father's reaction to  the delivery of the quilt:
 "It was a special day for my dad."

The quilt he received was made by Sew Vac & Long Arm Quilting employees, Michael, Deb, and Nancy.

Our store, its employees, and Sew Addicted volunteers were honored to be a part of the Quilt of Valor project and overjoyed to see the hero to whom our quilt was presented.

We would like to thank the family for allowing us to share this story. It has made our Independence Day celebration something very special.

Sewing Machine Tuneups

Sewing machines, much like cars, need regular service. Machines used frequently need to be taken apart, cleaned, and oiled if applicable. Machines that have been sitting unused for a few months or even years can become locked up. What you may think is a complicated and expensive repair, may simply be a machine in need of a good service. Depending on if your machine is mechanical or computerized a detailed service is only $59.95-69.95 plus tax.

We offer free estimates and prompt service and you and your machine will be treated with the same professionalism and courtesy as customers who bought their machines from us. We will be honest if we cannot fix it. Some big box store machines are made without replacement parts. We will do everything in our power to find the parts to repair your machine. We also promise never to tell you we can't repair it simply to push the sell of one of our own machines on you. While we are more than happy to sell you a machine, we will not be dishonest to do so.

We repair and service all makes and models, and machines are serviced in the order they arrive. For machines requiring repair, we will not repair without your authorization. If we don't have the part in stock, we will order it for you, giving you the quote before hand. If you have any questions concerning service and repair, give us a call at 423.246.4520

Recognizing a Job Well Done

Our goal as a company is to stand above all others by providing excellent customer service, quality products, and a knowledgeable and friendly staff.

We want a solid reputation as an honest, dependable, and reliable family business.

When one of our employees stands out in this regard, we want to recognize him or her. This month, that employee was our tailor, instructor, and designer, Michael.

I was working in the back of the store when I overheard a very frustrated customer come in. She had been to another sewing machine repair store and was livid. She shared with Michael that she was told that since she did not purchase her machine at the other store, that the repair or service of her machine would take months.

Michael asked if he could see her machine (which was not purchased from us). He examined it, immediately found the problem, and repaired it quickly in front of the customer. She was stunned and couldn't thank Michael enough. She went home happy and we now have a new member of the Sew Vac family.

Micheal, who is not even employed as a sewing machine service technician, has a lifetime of sewing experience and he applied it that day. He was the example of who we strive to be and we are proud to have him with us. While not all repairs will be that simple, we will always apply our experience and training in a prompt, respectful way.

Immortilize your child's art work in customized embroidery! Ingenius ideas for gifts or for yourself!

Now that embroidery digitizing software has made it possible to turn most any photo, drawing, or picture into a stitchable format, customized embroidery has risen in popularity.

One of the most popular we are seeing in our store (and apparently across the nation) is turning your child's art work into customized embroidery gifts. As you can see from the photos included in this article, the replication of the drawing is impeccable.

From t-shirts and sweaters to towels, bags, and pillowcases, parents are immortalizing the art work of their children and often using them as gifts to grandparents and others. Parents no longer have to worry about losing the precious memories of childhood innocence and love. Embroidered gifts can last years and even decades.

Other popular customized ideas are gym bags, messenger bags, purses, and book bags. Never worry about your bag, or your child's backpack being mistaken as belonging to someone else.




An ingenious idea that has come to our attention is the memory pillow. This pillow is usually made with a flannel shirt.  It can be a remembrance pillow of someone who has passed away or a living grandparent who lives far away.

If a flannel shirt is not appropriate, another alternative is a pillow that represents the things loved by the person being memorialized. Both kinds are pictured below.

Our staff at Sew Vac & Long Arm Quilting would be happy to create an embroidered design. Call us, come by, or email us at 423.2466.4520, 111 Jack White Drive, Kpt TN, www.sewvackpt.com. 

Quilts of Valor project to start January 15, 2015. Join us!

Sew Vac & Long Arm Quilting Center's Sew Addicted Charity Sewing Club is excited to begin our Quilts of Valor project Thursday, January 15, 2015 at 1pm. Anyone who would like to join us is welcome.

As we learned at the presentation given by NE Tennessee/SW Virginia Coordinator, Susan Lane, quilts are awarded not only to recently returning service men and women, but to WWII, Korea, Vietnam, and Desert Storm vets as well. She shared many pictures and stories of the reaction of the veterans as a Quilt of Valor was awarded to honor their bravery, service, and sacrifice.

 Quilts of Valor is a nationwide project, but the quilts made here, will go to local veterans. Samples of some quilts are included in this blog article. We will be doing a simple log cabin style quilt and will be cutting out the pieces for the quilt on the 15th to ensure that the blocks are the same size. We ask that you use a 1/4 inch foot if you have one. Volunteers will make the squares at their home and return them to be joined, quilted, and bound at a later date. Sew Vac has ordered patriotic fabric for this purpose.

Quilts of Valor is always looking for volunteers for quilting tops or blocks, binding, or long arm quilting.  To volunteer, meet Susan at our January 15th meeting at 1pm, or email Susan at Susan.Lane@QOVF.org.

There are certain requirements for the Quilt of Valor quilts. These are made to make sure that the veteran is respected and honored with a quality product. He or she gave their best, so we should give our best in making a quilt that will bring them comfort. The Basic Quilt requirements are as follows:

• Recommended quilt size of 60 x 80 inches, minimum 55 x 65 inches, maximum 72 x 90 inches
• High quality 100 percent cotton quilting weight fabric appropriate for an adult. No kids fabric or overly flowery prints (unless created for a female veteran). Patriotic themes and colors are recommended, however please do not make a quilt that looks like the American flag. It may have American flags within the prints. 
• Block or quilt pattern of your choice, but no rag quilts, flag replica quilts, or wholecloth/cheater quilts
• Use low-loft batting such as 80/20. 
• Use straight cut or bias double fold binding. Join binding pieces with diagonal seams. Do not fold over backing for binding or zig-zag in place.
• Make a coordinating pillowcase as a presentation case
• Machine or hand quilting is welcome in an appropriate design. No tie quilts, stitch in the ditch or giant meander. 
• Labels are attached (available from Susan) or you can make your own. It must include the following information. "Quilt of Valor", your first name and state (no last name or address), and should NOT include advertising, political, or religious messages. 
• Please wash your quilt after it has been quilted and bound using a color catcher in the washing machine.

Please remember, that no matter our political beliefs on any war or conflict, it is the individual sacrifice we are honoring, not the fighting. It is asking so much to put the lives of the citizens of your country ahead of your own. We, and the individuals themselves, can look at veterans of previous conflicts and know that they will not return unscathed and sadly, some may not return at all. No soldier who has served with dignity and respect should return home to anything but love and gratitude. They did not create the war, they only volunteered to protect their country. That is what we honor with a Quilt of Valor.

Quilts of Valor to launch Sew Addicted Charity Sewing Club's 2015 Project Schedule

We are very excited to announce the upcoming project for Sew Addicted Charity Sewing Club for January. Quilts of Valor is a nation wide quilting project that supplies returning soldiers with a quilt to thank them for their service and to honor their valor.

According to their website, Catherine Roberts, the mother of a soldier deployed to Iraq, began the Quilts of Valor Foundation  from her sewing room in Seaford, Delaware.  These wartime quilts, called Quilts of Valor, would be a tangible reminder of an American’s appreciation and gratitude.  Since 2003, Quilts of Valor has become a national grassroots community service effort, connecting the home-front with our warriors and veterans.

 
As soon as we heard about this project, many of us in the Sew Addicted Club wanted to join in the effort. The sad fact is the rate of PTSD and suicide among veterans is at an all-time high. Any reminder to a soldier that he or she is appreciate and loved is most certainly a ministry of love and in accord with our motto ...."providing comfort one stitch at a time."

In spite of any political differences in regard to war, we must remember that it is the individual who volunteers his or her life to fight on behalf of our country.  It is that same individual who, if lucky enough to return home, must deal with the heart wrenching memories of what each witnessed and what, as soldiers, was required of them. Politics has no place in that. Empathy does.

So on January 3, 2015, we will be having the area director at our meeting to speak to us about how we can help. She will also explain the guidelines of the project. After she speaks, we will form a plan and assign tasks. If you do not sew, perhaps you could consider donating money or fabric toward the project.

We are very excited about this project and would love for you to join us at 10 am.