Threads of Time Creative Sewing & Retreat Center

Summer Sewing & Sanctuary

2009-06-09T09:33:00.001-07:00

We love summer....gardens, warm weather, sunshine, travel - and summer sewing. You can sit in a porch swing and do needlework. When the sun is blazing, you can escape inside and commune with your sewing machine. The long dusky evenings are perfect for browsing through books and magazines and dreaming of your next project.

Get your next project done at our sewing sanctuary here. Spend a few days of summer here with friends, nurturing your artistic self. You'll bloom as beautifully as the flowers outside. Call us at 431-9202 for details.

Summer Shop Hops are also part of the season. Join in the fun by going from shop to shop all around the region. Inspiration awaits!

Illiana Quilter's Shop Hop: June 16-20, $5.00 passport. www.illianashophop.com and
East Central Illinois Shop Hop: July 9, 10, & 11, $5.00 passport.

Got a question? Let our Thread Heads answer it!

Enjoy the smells, the sounds, the sewing of summer.

A Memorable, Meaningful Christmas to You

2008-12-18T08:39:00.000-08:00

Looking back on past Christmases, some stand out as truly memorable and meaningful. As a grown woman, I look back now and remember the Christmas that my Aunt Bonnie, an extremely talented woman who could make anything look fabulous, made all the nieces and daughters of the family smocked dresses. Each one was in a different fabric and had different color smocking across the chest. Now honestly, as a seven year old, I don't know that I showed her the proper appreciation for such an outstanding gift of time, talent, and love. As an adult, however, I look back on that effort and understand that hers was a meaningful gift, something that I remember well over forty years later.

I've seen the same kind of loving commitment and care on the part of our customers. Many of you have been concentrating this year on crafting beautiful items, hand-made with love. Quilts, purses, aprons, embroidered towels, pillowcases, shirts, and table-toppers have all been designed, completed, and lovingly laid under the tree. Truly meaningful and long-lasting.

Bill and I are news junkies, but sometimes I wonder if our desire to be informed about world events is detrimental to our psyche. After all, the economic news is all bad....or so they say. But when I see what our customers do for their families, and when I remember the golden-cream dress with red smocking that Aunt Bonnie made for me......and all those dresses that my sisters and cousins wore that day made by my aunt....I realize that the best gifts have nothing to do with the economy. They are hand-made with love.

Thanks to all of you who have helped us succeed this year. We look forward to serving you for years to come. Happy holidays to all.

Sounding the retreat... a quilt retreat, that is!

2008-07-25T09:06:00.000-07:00

It's a hectic world. The phone is always ringing. Someone always needs to talk to you. There are groceries to buy, checkbooks to balance, laundry to be done, errands to run. Work consumes many of us, and for those of us who work long, long hours, it seems as if there's never enough time to simply enjoy life and follow your passion.

So we're sounding the retreat....a chance to leave behind the noise and the bustle of everyday life. A chance to get rejuvenated by doing something you love. Call it "sewing for sanity," or "quilting without guilting, " or "piecing and peacing." Threads of Time is creating a quilt retreat where friends can come and sew for days at a time without interruption of phone calls and household chores.

The Threads of Time retreat is affectionately called "Threads and Beds," and it can sleep a minimum of three or a maximum of 22. There are two large sewing rooms, large sewing tables with plush leather chairs, a kitchen, design wall, 4 bathrooms, 2 shower rooms, and lovely room accomodations with individually controlled heating and air conditioning. Best of all, this is a totally handicapped accessible facility with NO STAIRS! Opening October 6th, the Threads of Time retreat offers bookings for $35.00 per night.

If you need a retreat, then call Threads of Time at 217-431-9202, or contact us at threadsoftimefab@aol.com to book a stay. You'll feel so much better after you've had time to get away from the world and be creative!

Come to Threads of Time for the time of your life and the fabric of the times.

Candy and Quilting

2008-06-25T09:57:00.000-07:00

Today, Bill and I were watching CNN as we were getting ready for work. There was an article on that talked about how the sale of candy is still strong even with these difficult economic times. (And any of you who know me, understand that I contribute heavily to these candy sales!)

But what, you are asking, does candy have to do with quilting?

I'll tell you. Both candy and quilting are done to experience pleasure. Both fulfill an urge - and sometimes a hunger. People may buy more candy during times of stress seeking a momentary "high" on sugar. Nothing wrong with that. (I believe that one of the great pleasures in life is a huge piece of chocolate-nut fudge and a gallon of cold, bubbly milk, after all.)

But the pleasure of quilting lasts far longer than the caloric-candy-high. Even though times are tough, people will always quilt and sew because creativity, craftsmanship, and the love of color cannot be crushed. People will always need to use their hands to produce what their minds can imagine, and art will always emerge the victor after hardship. Self-expression through the use of needle and thread is an age-old, long-respected skill that still runs strong in the currents of American society.

Go ahead. Eat candy. But do something far more long-lasting, and get to your sewing machine or pick up your needle. Candy might be dandy, but sewing is far sweeter.

Apparently, many of us have a "sweet tooth," and giving into that craving gives us an occasional high-caloric boost. But many of us also have "fabric fingers," and "sewing souls," that create beauty that will last until long after we're gone, way past the pleasure of chocolate, the tanginess of Sweet Tarts, the chewiness of taffy, or the luxury of licorice.

Getting ready for a party -- or a shop hop!

2008-06-05T06:51:00.000-07:00

We're getting ready for a party....or more specificially a shop hop! We're having two this summer. The first, the Illiana Shop Hop, begins next week on June 12, 13, 14. Our theme is "Birds of a Feather," and each block from the eleven participating shops contains a bird, a birdhouse, or a flower. Contained in each block is a hidden heart to symbolize our support of the American Heart Association which receives $1.00 of each passport sale. Go to www.illianashophop.com to view the quilts that each of the shops have created. Don't miss out on our first great "party" of the season with door prizes, give-aways, and special discounts to passport holders. You can purchase your passport from any one of the shops during the shop hop if you don't already have one.

Our next shop hop is the East Central Illinois Shop Hop on July 10, 11, & 12th. This event includes twelve shops in the eastern and southern parts of Illinois. Northcott Quest for a Cure is the sponsor, and proceeds from passport sales and raffled quilt items go to breast cancer research. Click on our website, www.threadsoftimefab.com and go to the upcoming events and East Central Illinois shop Hop.

Yes, as we mentioned in our previous blog, Bill and I have been gardening. Thanks for the postings about the color combinations and the flowers. The lively plantings just add to the joy of the events!

Eye-Popping Color Schemes in Nature and Quilts

2008-06-02T13:47:00.000-07:00

Bill and I finally got a chance to plant flowers last weekend. Gardening is an activity we truly enjoy, but with the hours we spend on the business and my dad's recent illness, (not to mention all the rain we've had), there just hasn't been any time. Saturday was the day. We took our gardening color scheme of purple and white to Danville Gardens, a fantastic local greenhouse and planting center with thousands of plants.

We fell in love with Illumination-Orange trailing begonias....something that didn't fit in with our planned, (but somewhat ordinary), purple and white color scheme. The gardener on site held up the deep, velvety, purple of the petunias against the flaming orange of the begonias. "Fantastic!" was her response. Bill, a little unsure but willing to give up the traditional color scheme, went along with the new plan.

It was more difficult than we thought it would be. Trying to figure out how to garden in shady areas and sunny areas in the appropriate palettes nearly drove us crazy, but finally we did it. After several hours of planting, we had full flower beds and eye-popping colors in the front flower beds at Threads of Time.

The front of our building is now aglow with purples, salmons, and oranges. Funny, how the totally unexpected combinations give a powerful punch to the landscape.

Gardening and quilting are very similar after all. Be bold. Be experimental. Blend colors and mix hues. You may be surprised by the fantastic display you produce. Visit our online store at http://www.threadsoftimefab.com/ to view the possibilities of gorgeous fabric in fabulous colors.

2008-05-30T07:47:00.000-07:00

Last week I received an emergency phone call from my sister. My dad had to have an open-heart, triple-bypass surgery. At the age of eighty, and not in good health to begin with, he did not do well with the procedure. For six days, the family sat in the hospital room while Daddy breathed on a respirator. During those nerve-racking hours, I kept wishing for a sewing project -- anything to keep my hands busy and my eyes occupied. What was I thinking rushing out without grabbing my sewing basket?

Two days later, and things are going much better. Daddy is recovering slowly, and my sisters and our families have returned to our respective homes to get back to work. What I learned from this episode, however, is that I always need to have a sewing project stashed in the car. I'm putting it together now....some applique work from Lori Smith's "Fit to Frame" series, Pattern six." For good measure, I'm also throwing in one of the old quilts I've bought at a flea market and that I'm repairing. In times of stress, what better thing to do than stitch away that nervous energy?

What do you carry in your travel sewing kit? If you have any interesting or unusual ways to tote your sewing paraphernalia around, please let us know. As for me, next time I have to rush away, I'll be ready.

Quick and Easy Christmas Gifts

2007-11-28T09:04:00.001-08:00

I love reading about the hands who've stitched a thousand miles. Keep telling us about the women who've influenced you. We are always inspired by the stories of generous, creative women.

And if you are generous and creative and want quick and easy Christmas gifts, here are some ideas.
1) Take a tea towel and add 5/8" yard ribbon trim. Fast and fabulous for $4.00-6.00 each.
2) Pick out a cute pattern, (purses are always good!) and put the required yardage, trims, thread and notions in a gift bag. Your friend will love the fact that she can just start sewing. (As seen in SewNews, December 20007.
3) Indulge anyone who loves to sew with paid tuition to a quilting, sewing, or project class. Taking a class is a great way to learn new techniques and make new friends, but it's a luxury that we don't always do for ourselves.
4) Take 1/4 yard of plush velour or Minkee with a width of 60". Fold it in half, right sides together and stitch with a l/4" seam , leaving one end open for turning. Fold the ends under, insert beads or feather trim and stitch closed. Viola! You've got an incredibly soft scarf with a "Wow" factor.
5) Potholders and oven mitts can be made very quickly and inexpensively. Pick out fabrics in a holiday pattern or that go with your friend's decor. Sandwich two layers with Insul-brite and bind by machine. Click here to go to our online store for a selection of fabrics: http://threadsoftimefab.com/catalog/index.php.
6) Aprons are hot and perfect for a hostess gift. Stitch up a simple apron for something she can really use.

If you have any other ideas for quick and easy Christmas gifts that you're willing to share, we'd love to see them. Enjoy the season! Missi

"Miles of stitches...." - a question from Missi

2007-11-06T08:24:00.000-08:00

A few years ago - long before we opened Threads of Time, I read a book called "Ahab's Wife." In one memorable passage, the heroine remembers her mother:

"I thought of the miles and miles of thread that her nimble fingers pulled through cloth. What song had her needle sung to the fabric? .....If all the thread from all her quilts were measured, would it stretch a thousand miles? Had her needle trudged, as a man's foot might trudge, a thousand miles?"

We all know that in a woman's hands, there's strength, power, and beauty on the point of needle. So I ask you, who have you known in your lifetime that has trudged miles with her needle? Who do you know that has made a needle "sing?"

Pay her tribute here. Tell us about the women who have inspired you with their sewing and their miles of thread.

Welcome to the Thread Heads: The blog from Threads of Time

2007-11-05T12:18:00.000-08:00

We would like to welcome everyone to our Blog. Threads of Time is a Quilting and Fine Fabrics Store located in Danville, Illinois. With over 5,500 square feet of floor space and thousands of bolts of fabric, we serve our local customers in a brick and mortar location as well as clients all over the USA with our online store.

Our Blog will be full of sewing and quilting advice from our expert staff. We will have plenty of how-to's for you to try out, and we will recommend great kits from our online store. We plan on recommending other products to our customers in our Blog too.

You can always post a question to our Blog for us to answer. If you need assistance with any quilting or sewing project, our experts are here to answer your questions. We will post an answer to your question just as soon as we can. If you have an opinion or idea, here is the place to post it. The "Thread Heads" will provide information and answers, lively discussion on past and current trends, and Missi will throw in an occasional sewing-oriented column. Don't miss out on this exciting new hot spot for quilters and seamstresses.