Pinheads is once again keeping track of your Christmas wish list.  Visit or phone the store and let us know what you would love to have for Christmas.  Friends and loved ones can come in and choose a gift off your list -- and you'll be pleasantly "surprised" on Christmas morning.  Don't forget, we do ship, and are currently offering free shipping on orders of $150 or more. 

​See you soon!   

Dear valued customer,
 
Thank you for your continued support during this difficult time. We know COVID-19 continues to bring uncertainty and changes to the retail world. We anticipate social distancing and limited capacity in stores to remain in place for many months to come.
 
TrendTex has been a trusted wholesaler to Pinheads since we opened three years ago.  TrendTex has supplied Canadian shops for over 40 years and now via this uniquely Canadian program you can access their huge inventory.  When you shop for your fabric online through TrendTex, Pinheads receives a portion of all sales, so please use code PIN077 every time you make a purchase!

The program allows you to access fabric collections  from Moda, Hoffman California, RJR, Benartex, Lewis & Irene, Michael Miller and Stof, while still supporting Pinheads Quilting.  Simply go to shop.trendtexfabrics.com and when you place your order enter PIN077 at the check out.  Shipping is $15 and free with a purchase of $149.
 
We appreciate your support and look forward to seeing you soon.  Please call the store at 587-254-1035 if you have any questions about the program.  
 
Stay safe and keep quilting!

These are unusual times to be sure. 

In the words of Prime Minister Trudeau, public health should never come secondary to commerce.  Those words rung true to me as we contemplated what to do to continue serving our customer base and keep our store open. 

We considered a few options, including reduced store hours.  This might backfire in that we could potentially have customers lined up at the till, not respecting the personal space guidelines.  Or worse, we slip up in our diligent cleaning practices and put someone or ourselves unknowingly at risk.  Keep in mind that our customer base is largely in the 60-plus age range, which is considered a high risk group.  

As such, as of close of business on Wednesday, March 18, we will be closing the store until Wednesday, April 1.  We will continue to monitor our website and emails in order to fulfill on-line orders, and while we expect deliveries over the next short while, we will add our new material to our website to allow you to enjoy our new products.  Classes currently in progress will be postponed, and classes scheduled will be rescheduled as required.  Please feel free to reach out to us through email if you need notions that don't appear on our website.  We will do whatever we can to weather through this, while serving our customers in a safe and healthy way.  Circumstances may require us to extend our closure beyond April 1, but we will take our uncertain future one day at a time.  

Above all, as Lori said in her recent post, stay safe, be kind, and donate blood if the opportunity presents itself.  We are all in this together, and prudence is the order of the day.  
​

Mark these dates on your calendar as you won't want to miss these events: 

March 14 and 15 -- Spools and Spokes at New Horizon Mall, Balzac

April 10 -- Good Friday -- store will be closed

May 8 and 9 -- Central Alberta Quilters' Guild Show at Westerner Park in Red Deer

May 10 -- Mother's Day -- store will be closed

May 18 -- Victoria Day -- store will be closed

May 23 and 24 -- Heritage Park Festival of Quilts

June 18 to 20 -- Quilt Canada in Edmonton

Pinheads will be attending the Spools and Spokes Affair -- will you be?  

Event Details:  Saturday, March 14 (10 a.m. to 6 p.m.)
                        Sunday, March 15 (10 a.m. to 5 p.m.).  
                        New Horizon Mall
                        2600300 Writing Creek Crescent
                        Rocky View County (Balzac)

This event blends the love of quilting with the love of the open road.  There will be something there for husbands and wives, and we will have some Bernina sewing machines available to test drive. 

Donation to the Veterans Association Food Bank will be graciously accepted and appreciated!    

I got used to sewing with a Foot 37 on my older model 5.5 mm soleplate Bernina, and thought I'd struck gold with a 57 foot (same quarter-inch foot, but with a guide for your fabric).  When I moved to my 9 mm machine, I purchased the 57D foot (D means "dual feed" in the Bernina world), preferring to stick with my old favourite.  Yesterday, I had the opportunity to purchase a 97D foot -- same dual feed capability and same quarter inch fabulousness -- Wow!  The extra width on the left side of the foot in order to accommodate the 9 mm is amazing.  If you haven't yet tried a 97D foot, come and see us to give it a whirl.   

If you own a Bernina, you already know that the feet are solid gold!  I mean...really solid.  Compared to other manufacturers that have snap-on sewing feet, Bernina has full shank feet -- which means they are more expensive, but definitely worth the price as they have less "play" in the foot movement. From now until February 29, Bernina is offering a sale on feet.  Buy 2 feet and get a 3rd for free....ABSOLUTELY FREE!  Check the Bernina Canada website for full details, and then come see us today before the offer expires!  

If you don't own a Bernina (yet), why not check out the Swing into Spring sale on now until February 29.  We can set you up ... 

Now's your chance to get into a Bernina -- check out these deals, but act quickly as they won't last!  

​On Saturday, June 22 and Sunday, June 23, please join Sharon Blackmore of Love Shack Quilts as she teaches us all to "Dream Big".  Yes, the Dream Big craze is still going, and here is your chance to learn how to quilt your Dream Big panel.  

Saturday, June 22 (part one):  Learn elegant feathers with variations, delicate pebbles and pearls, and dainty swirls with variations. This is a drawing day where you learn the fundamentals of these 3 design elements, how they work together, how you can jazz them up or just keep them simple, and how you can fill unusual spaces (just like the Dream Big petals!) with them. You will also learn some tricks to get more dimension in your quilts.  You have the option of taking Part 1 of this workshop only, if you wish and all skill levels are welcome. 

Sunday, June 23 (part two):  Let’s apply all that we have learned in Part 1 and start quilting the Dream Big Panel! Sharon will show you how to plan, mark and quilt your Dream Big panel, and how to move from one section to the next with minimum travelling.  Students should already be comfortable with some free motion quilting, be familiar with their sewing machine’s functions, and come to class with their Dream Big panel fully basted and ready for quilting.  

As you know, Pinheads has a small"ish" classroom, so the first six people registering with full payment of $150 will be confirmed.  Anyone thereafter will be waitlisted, and if the demand warrants, we may rent a conference centre for the training.  Class requirements will be distributed upon payment. 

And.... go!   

Lori and I just wanted to take a moment to thank you for not just supporting Pinheads as your local quilt store, but treating us both as if we're a part of your family.   Over the short time we've been in business, we have been overwhelmed by the generosity of our customers, and we have built numerous strong friendships. We applaud your quilting endeavours, grieve with you when you're feeling ill or downtrodden, and laugh with you when you share a good joke or story.  We look forward to many more adventures with you, and wish you and your families a safe and enjoyable Easter.  

If you're headed to Red Deer for the Central Alberta Quilt Guild show at Westerner Park, stop by Pinheads to check out our notions.  Saturday, April 6 ONLY our notions will be 20% off.  Sale does not include batting but there are lots of other notions and knick knacks that may suit your needs.  See you Saturday!