There has never been a better time to buy a high-end sewing machine! In fact, that's pretty much all that's available* these days. So we've been sharpening our pencils to give you the very best prices possible.

The Pfaff creative series (the icon, 4.5, 3.0, and 1.5 embroidery machines) and the top-of-the-line performance icon sewing machine are all in stock at the warehouse and priced to sell.

Finally, something good in 2020!

*We do have a very limited supply of smarter by Pfaff 160s in stock, but they're going fast!

1. The number of customers allowed in the store at any given time will be limited. Please ring the doorbell on the table outside before entering, and we'll greet you with an update on our numbers;
2. If we're at capacity, we will ask for your name and cell phone number. You can then wait in your car and we'll call or text you when it's time to come in. If you don't want to leave your car, you can call us at 613-834-3044 with your cell number and we'll put your name on the list; 
3. If you are shopping with friends, we cannot guarantee that you will all be able to enter at the same time;
4. Everyone entering must wear a mask that covers the nose and mouth at all times;
5. Everyone must use hand sanitizer upon entering and leaving;
6. Please limit the number of items you bring into the store with you and keep your hands free once you've sanitized. If you need to refer to your phone, we can provide you with an alcohol wipe;
7. PLEASE maintain a 2-metre distance between you, staff, and other customers;
8. Please be conscious that there may be other customers waiting to come in after you;
9. Our favoured methods of payment will be debit or credit card, tap preferred.

We are now open for in-store shopping during the following hours:

You may recall we offered our usually-in-November cabinet sale back in September (we know, the days have all blurred together, but trust us, we did). Well, we've been given additional special pricing until Christmas, so we're passing the opportunity along to you, too. If you missed the sale in September, it isn't too late to take part!

From now until December 23, 2020, all Arrow and Kangaroo sewing cabinets, cutting tables, and storage units are specially priced!*

It's the perfect opportunity to configure your sewing studio just the way you want, letting you sew just the way you want. In comfort and style.

Take a look on our shop page to see what's available. Then call us to discuss options and prices.

And when opportunities open up, we want to be ready to take our machines with us!

From now until December 23, 2020, Tutto machine trolleys will be on sale! Here's why you need one:

• lightweight yet very strong, they come in a variety of sizes to fit all machines, with room to spare;
• interior straps and padding hold and protect your machine securely;
• inner and outer pockets hold supplies;
• improved wheels are super-sturdy;
• the trolley collapses when not in use for easy storage;
• they come in cool colours (and some great new patterns) to jazz up your travels.

You can see them all on our online shop. Once you've made your choice, just call us to order. Then you can plan your trip for, we hope, the not so distant future.

Happy trails!

Just a friendly reminder: If you are not feeling well, for whatever reason, please use our online shopping service rather than visiting the store. We want our staff and customers to stay safe, and you'll feel better faster if you stay home and rest.

Thanks for taking care of yourself, your fellow shoppers, and us!

The new Pfaff creative icon 2 is getting ready for release this spring! What's new, you may ask? Well, it has:

• Artificial intelligence: It will process information (such as which foot is attached, which stitch is selected) and alert you to ways in which you can make changes for better results. This feature will be continually updated automatically -- maybe someday it will make dinner!
• Speech recognition: Over 40 interactions with the machine are currently available, and more will be added on a regular basis;
• Built-in camera: Scan your fabric in the hoop, then view it on the screen. Preview your embroidery design as it will look on your fabric;
• Built-in projector: Preview stitches, or superimpose gridlines onto your fabric for perfect stitch placement;
• WiFi connectivity: With access to mySewnet and Project Creator, easy file transfers, and embroidery management, the creative icon 2 gives you cloud-based freedom to explore your creativity to the fullest.

Implementing an on-line shopping platform has necessitated a number of changes around here. One of the biggest is our new POS system, which won't affect you too much in your day-to-day shopping with us, but it does change how our loyalty programme works.

In a nutshell, the new system gives you a $10 coupon good for 90 days for every $250 you spend in the store*. Still pretty rewarding!

*Rewards are earned on regular-priced items only. Does not include classes or sewing machines.

Here's a timely message, written by one of our very own customers for all of the young children in our lives.

Laurelle Callaghan is well-known within the local quilting community. She's also a retired chaplain in the Canadian Armed Forces, so she has ample experience in helping families with difficult situations.

It's no surprise, then, that she turned her own experience with COVID-19 into a picture book that helps kids and their parents deal with the realities of life during this pandemic. Told from the viewpoint of a six-year-old, the story's serious content is blended with a healthy dose of humour, making it perfect for encouraging family discussions about a troubling topic.

The book is only $20 (shipping and handling included) and may be ordered directly from Laurelle at grumpabooks@gmail.com.

Maybe you remember meeting Barry Jenkins, our TrendTex sales rep, at our Christmas open house last year. He's pretty memorable, but we know you were really blown away by all the fabrics he showed you.

Well, we aren't in a position to order every fabric TrendTex sells, but now you have an exciting opportunity to shop directly from their warehouse! This will give you access to a huge inventory of Moda, Benartex, RJR, Hoffman California, Stof, Michael Miller, and Lewis & Irene collections!

Here's how it works: Starting on June 22,

1/ Visit shop.trendtexfabrics.com to, well, shop;
2/ At checkout, enter the code QUI102 This gives us a portion of the sale, keeping your dollars local;
3/Shipping is $15 for all orders under $149, and free for orders of $149 and over.

This is a unique programme and we're excited to be a part of it, so please give it a go. It's always disappointing for us when a customer requests a fabric we don't have, but this gives you another way to buy exactly what you want.

It's easy, it's fun, and it's fabric. All good!

We know that all of you are sewing full-tilt, making masks and other PPE for family and friends. And we also know that a lot of your machines are having trouble keeping up.

We're now accepting machines for servicing!

You may drop off your machine during our regular in-store shopping hours. Please include the power cord and foot control, the zigzag foot, and the bobbin case with bobbin. Keep all extra feet and accessories, thread, manuals, etc (ie, anything we can lose!) safe at home with you. And please wipe off the machine with a Lysol wipe, or similar, and we'll return the favour when your servicing is completed. 

Carting your machine back and forth to classes can be a pain -- literally. Lighten the load with Pfaff's fabulous little passport 3.0!

Weighing just over 6 kg, it's lightweight and compact, making it a perfect travel machine. But that doesn't mean you have to sacrifice features -- the passport has Pfaff's famous IDT dual-feed system, 100 stitches, full electronic functions, built-in thread snips, and it takes all of your standard Pfaff feet.

Add the extension table (which travels in its own bag, securely attached to the machine's hard carrying case), and your passport 3.0 can take you anywhere you want to go!

Often*, when you attend a class at Quilty Pleasures, you have the option of borrowing a classroom machine instead of bringing your own. This not only makes travelling to class easier for you, it also allows you to see what's new in the world of machines.

The Pfaff quilt expression 720 offers lots of light, lots of throat area, and the incomparable IDT dual-feed system. From the top of the hugely popular expression series, it has all the features you'll learn to love while being user-friendly and amazingly easy to operate. We have it set up in a Crafty Table, too, so you can be really comfy.

Just advise us at the time you register for a class, and we'll make sure to have a machine ready for you.

*Because of the amount of homework involved, we don't recommend using a classroom machine for Quilting I. For that class, it's better to bring your own machine with you. That way, the teacher can help you with any issues that arise. However, if you'd like to buy a new machine, that's still an option!

Please visit our Facebook and Instagram pages for all the latest QP happenings.

Amy keeps those sites up-to-date, so take a look and be one of our Quilty Pleasures friends! (A new window will open when you click the above links.)

If you want our Facebook postings to pop up on your news feed, visit our FB page, click "Follow". (it's next to the "Like" button.

Hovering over the "Follow" button will show you a menu with the "Get Notifications" option. Selecting this means you will be alerted in your notifications window whenever we post something.

So easy to be so connected!

We continue to collect cuddle quilts for the Montfort. 

If you've never made one before, a word of explanation: These are small baby quilts that are placed in the neonatal incubators and bassinets, so the size is restricted to between 22" x 22" and 24" x 24". Their small size also makes them perfect for testing block patterns, busting your stash, and practicing free-motion quilting.

Keeping in mind the intended recipients are newborns, please aim for cute and cheerful, using only 100% cotton or flannel in the top and backing, and 100% cotton thread for the construction and quilting. Cuddle quilts are typically sent home with the babies who use them, so there is a constant demand for them.

Thanks very much. Your donations will be gratefully appreciated!

 
We can special-order products for you!

It happens all the time: You're reading someone's blog and they recommend a pattern, book, notion, or other item that you'd really like to have. Only trouble is, either they don't sell it or you don't want to order it from them because of the exchange rate, shipping costs, Customs issues, whatever.

Let us deal with it! We can usually order these products from our suppliers, and all of the hassles are taken care of. No fuss, no muss, and your order comes right to the store and into your hands.

We know that price is a big factor when shopping for quilting supplies, and it's easy to assume that big box or chain stores will always offer a better price than an independent quilt shop.

However, we recently have had several customers tell us of specific instances where our prices were equal to or better than our competitors', even after their 50% discount was applied. We appreciate knowing that people are paying attention and realizing that our prices are competitive, even though we're a small, local business.

To our watchdog customers: Thanks very much for doing the math!

We try our best to offer classes that we think will appeal, but we are always open to suggestions.

If there is a class that you would like to take but we aren't offering, just let us know. And if you have a group of friends who would like to take a class together, we can arrange that, too.

Happy to help.