Atascadero Sewing & Vacuum

New classes listed!

2012-01-22T19:10:00.000-08:00

Class Schedule

Basic Sewing Machine $15.00

What makes this thing tick?

How can I understand tension?

What kind of maintenance should I be doing?

Why does my machine always jam?

Let’s explore the answers to all of these questions.

It’s important to be comfortable with your machine and understand its functions.

You will soon discover that it is really your friend not your frustration.

Saturday February 11th 10am-12pm

Or

Tuesday March 13th 1pm-3pm

or

Saturday April 21st 10am-12pm

Beginning Serger $20.00

The most important thing about a serger is understanding how to thread it. That is also the most intimidating thing.

Together we will work on helping you become very comfortable and familiar with the threading.

We will also explore the basics,

Starting and stopping a seam

Corners inside and outside

Circles

Tuesday February 14th 1pm-3pm

Or

Saturday March 10th 10am-12pm

Or

Tuesday April 10th 1pm-3pm

Freemotion Quilting $20.00

Learn to freemotion quilt any size project on your regular sewing machine.

Your only limitation to your creativity is you.

We will direct you to handy tools.

You will learn to become more comfortable so that you can do it yourself and not send your quilts out to be quilted.

Friday February 17th 10am-12pm

Or

Friday March 9th 10am-12pm

or

Friday April 27th 10am-12pm

Foot of the Month $5.00

February Coucing Tuesday February 21st 1pm-3pm

March Ruffler Saturday March 24th 10am-12pm

April Pintuck Tuesday April 24th 1pm-3pm

Each month we will feature an accessory.

We will teach you its use and if you purchase it on the day of the class you will receive a 25% discount on the featured item.

*Classes need to be paid for in advance

*Machines must be in good working condition

*If you do not have a good working machine you can use ours. (advance reservations required)

Happy New Year!

2012-01-12T13:46:00.000-08:00

It has been so beautiful here in central California!
It is hard to believe it is January!

Your Christmas tree and your vacuum are not friends.
We see many vacuums in for repair this time of year.
Many of the needed repairs are due to vacuuming up the needles of the tree.
Remember to check to see if your vacuum has gotten clogged with pine needles so it does not overheat and quit all together.

We repair all makes and models of machines so if you need expert help we are avaliable.

805-466-4772

Bernina 5 Series

2011-08-24T11:38:00.000-07:00

Keep watching for the new Bernina 5 series! They will be coming soon, so be sure to come and test drive one!!!

Where is SUMMER?!?

2011-08-12T14:21:00.000-07:00

It's been so interesting here on the Cenrtal Coast for our past couple of summers! After last year, we'd hoped to get some warmer weather heading our direction this year. And yes, it was hot enough to enjoy the (solar heated!) swimming pool for a day or two, but that's it! We've been hearing from our family in Texas that it's been the complete opposite for them this season.... with people actually having to HIRE someone to dump ice in the pools. Wow! I guess we'll be thankful for the mild weather we've got! Happy rest of summer!

Projects, Projects, Projects!!!

2011-07-06T12:33:00.000-07:00

The beginning of this season has been so much fun! We've been working on some fun summer projects. Most recently, we quickly took an average hat, and turned it into something a little more unique and festive! Here are some pictures....

A $5 hat from Wal Mart

A pin we found at a garage sale

A scrap of fabric we turned into a flower

... and voila! A fun summer hat!

Quilting Class

2011-06-20T13:45:00.000-07:00

We sure had fun at our latest quilting class.

Rana (our teacher) said it takes something like 16 hours to get a design down pat in your brain.

Ugh!

Practice practice practice.

Free motion quilting takes practice.

Great Class!

2011-05-18T18:42:00.000-07:00

Today Merielle held our Market Bag class.
The weather was perfect for sewing. A bit rainy.

So we cozied up, shared alot of great conversation and created a beautiful handy bag.

Check out upcoming classes!http://www.atascaderosewingandvacuum.com/classes.htm

HaPpY EaStEr!!

2011-04-22T10:09:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter everybody!!

Yeah Spring!!!

2011-03-13T17:20:00.000-07:00

I just love Spring!
Every thing is fresh and new.
The birds are singing and the fields are green and the flowers blooming.
I love to do so many things....
My garden is calling and I just have a bit of time for sewing.

This is a tote that I made. It is an Amy Butler pattern called field tote. I got to enjoy sew many features on my sewing machine. The piping foot was tremendous! I also used my edge stitch foot for the perfect even top stitch. Having the right tools helps sew much!

I had left over fabric so I made me one of my most handy items... a shower wrap.
We can not just leave it plain so I used all the scraps I had left from the bag and put them on my wrap.

This is going to be a class next quarter because its fun, quick and easy, Yipee!

More Creating Fun!

2011-01-23T18:50:00.000-08:00

First I took a plain scarf...

Then I tore strips of fabric...

sewed them into flowers...

I got sidetracked and made this little muslin flower, anyways...

Then sew them on where you like them!

Come and join our embellishment class and do this with us!

http://www.atascaderosewingandvacuum.com/

This is my best buddy Raley she is never far from my side. She is my sewing partner.

Greetings!!! Better Yet Greeting Cards!!!

2011-01-19T15:34:00.000-08:00

Ok so am I the only one who could open a scrapbooking shop of their own. I have so many tidbits that I have collected over the years and I still have 26 years worth of pictures to scrapbook.

This bugged me so last weekend I decided to make my own greeting cards with the sewing machine, fabrics(plenty of that sitting in my shelves) and the scrapbooking supplies that I have on hand. Oh my! Did I open a new can of worms. I loved every creative moment! It was so great creating a card specifically for a special someone.

I even tried some freemotion work on some of them.

This will be a class that we offer soon. Watch for it!

New Class List

2011-01-15T11:45:00.000-08:00

We just added a new class list to our website. Hope to see you soon : )

http://www.atascaderosewingandvacuum.com/classes.htm

Ready for 2011!

2011-01-03T13:41:00.000-08:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Hope everyone had a safe and wonderful holiday and new year!! We're working on our class schedule for 2011, so keep watching!

Winter Wonderland 2010

2010-12-10T15:51:00.000-08:00

It's that time of year again! Winter Wonderland is going on right outside our door! They brought in a snow maker, built a hill, and kids are sledding down!! Loving the festivities!

The String Tote Class

2010-11-19T16:10:00.000-08:00

The String Tote class was sew inspiring!! We learned the quilt as you go method. It's a great way to use your scraps of fabric. Rana taught us a tricky and wonderful way to do binding!

The Colors Of Fall

2010-11-05T11:22:00.000-07:00

Look at how pretty the fall colors are this year! We are loving watching the trees and vineyards go through their changes in colors, this one is one of our favorites!

Beginning Free Motion Quilting Class

2010-10-25T11:54:00.000-07:00

We had allot of fun learning how to free motion quilt!

Rana taught us spirals, curls, stipple with loop and heart, and more.

It takes practice, but it's so much fun!

Sew Pink For The CURE!

2010-09-27T15:58:00.000-07:00

During the month of October, receive a free Sew Pink bracelet when you test drive a new Bernina sewing machine.

Dont Miss Out On This Class!

2010-09-07T19:28:00.000-07:00

Figuering out the spaces I need for my tools and brushes, in my accessory holder.

We have learned to make continuous bias binding, and sewn it in and hand stitched it on.

Bias binding is easy and fun

Back To School, Back To Sewing

2010-09-03T14:28:00.001-07:00

Get going on your Halloween
and holiday projects!

Continuous Bias Binding

2010-08-25T11:58:00.000-07:00

We will learn how to make continuous bias binding.

Its just the perfect compliment to our project!

Picking fabrics

2010-08-21T10:42:00.000-07:00

This pretty rose fabric would be cute!

Its so much fun picking out the fabrics
for a project!

Picking Fabric

2010-08-21T10:27:00.000-07:00

Picking out fabric for a project is sew fun!
Here is the fabric picks for our brush cases,
(class coming soon)!

Classes Coming Soon !

2010-08-12T11:27:00.000-07:00

We will be starting new classes in the fall!

The classes will be on

machine techniques, fun crafts and quilting.

Make sure and check our website at AtascaderoSewingandVacuum.com

for class information.

Also sign up on our mailing list for special promotions and discounts.

Memorial Day

2010-05-28T14:48:00.000-07:00

We would like to thank all the servicemen and women who have served, protected and sacrificed for our country and our freedom.

We Quilted Until We Wilted!

2010-04-23T13:11:00.001-07:00

Our teacher Rana was teaching and encouraging Donna and Jerry on how to become more successful at freemotion machine quilting. These ladies were quilting until they started wilting and I felt it was time to bring out the chocolate for a bit of a pick them up. It worked!
We all had allot of fun learning and practicing. I always look forward to the sharing of the projects that they have accomplished after their class.

VAC TIP OF THE MONTH!!

2010-03-18T16:44:00.000-07:00

Did you know we stock over a hundred different types of vacuum bags?

So often people don't remember what type of bag there vacuum takes, so we recommend adding your vacuum into your cell phone under the letter V and save your vacuum's information including brand, model, model number, belt and bag type in order to make your next trip to get bags quick and easy!

Great helper in our sewing rooms

2010-03-10T15:13:00.000-08:00

OH my goodness! I want to share my new favorite notion. These spring action scissors, they are terrific! They have a curved blade for easier cutting, they are ergonomic, high grade stainless, right or left handed, lightweight, they dont cause hand fatigue and they are perfect for precision cutting. I love them for my embroidery and quilting. I can just grab them for a quick snip. Come in and see them for yourself.

2010-03-01T14:15:00.000-08:00

Hey all you people out there! I bet you think we've not been up to much here at the store. You should come in and see all that is new! We've got new vacuums, new sewing machines, new quilts on display and lots of new accessories.
You are missing out if you are not on our email list. Go to our website at www.atascaderosewingandvacuum.com and sign up for our emails now!
Did you know that we also have for rent the Sebo carpet cleaners. We love it because it kills dust mites and reduces allergens as well as cleans the carpet.

October 27, 2009

2009-10-27T09:33:00.000-07:00

I can still remember the first party I ever attended that had any dealings with Christmas ornaments. Even now the memory makes me laugh, although it was many years ago....

The Taste of Home Cooking Show, held at the local fairgrounds, was quite a hulabaloo in our small community. I remember how excited and grown up I felt to be going with my mom, her friend Keena, and my little sister, to what was sure to be a delicious event! I actually remember very little about the show itself, funny how that works out. What I do remember, was the door prize that we all received: Campbell's snowman Christmas ornaments. Now these were awfully ugly, I don't think I ever heard of anyone thinking they were cute cause they just weren't.
My mom was hosting the Piecemakers annual Christmas party that year and had yummy snacks and fun games lined up. These ladies had come to win some serious prizes! Name the block was the game at hand. 12 traditional quilt blocks had been made and displayed, every woman writing down the name to as many as she could remember. I have no idea what the winner won, but I'm sure it was lovely. The loser was not so fortunate however, for she took home a booby prize: an ugly Campbell's soup snowman Christmas ornament collection! Having been a joke from the start, those silly things circulated through many ornament exchanges for years. I wonder where on earth they ended up? Someone who wasn't in on the joke must have thrown them out or something.....

Well as we gear up for the holidays here at the shop, we are looking forward to the cookie exchange and ornament make! I have several cute patterns to chose from so come on down and bring some of your favorite cookies to share!

October 20,2009

2009-10-20T09:38:00.000-07:00

Wow, so that rain turned into a totally crazy storm! The power was out forever....I was driving home that night and the whole town looked abandoned: it was so dark cause everything was closed down...even the traffic lights were dark! Thankfully, the power is back on and things are up and running....
It's cloudy today but the past few days have been so beautiful as we experience a central coast autumn. Although they are few and far between the oak trees, there are a few colorful, deciduous trees to be found here in town. We spent a couple hours this weekend just appreciating their beauty...
So as we head into the "quilting season," we have 2 binding workshops coming up so that your treasures can be completed with a perfect binding. Check out workshop times at our website:
www.atascaderosewingandvacuum.com. Can't wait to see all of your projects! Happy sewing!!!

October 13, 2009

2009-10-13T11:52:00.000-07:00

So who isn't loving this rain?! I love it! I slept with my window open last night; one cause I always do. Two it was nice to hear the sound of the wind and the rain, just pelting outside while I was snuggled up, warm and toasty underneath the unfinished whole cloth quilt on my bed....ok, I admit it, its been 8 almost 9 years and it is still not finished. But one day it will be!

The first rain always seems to usher in so many other things. Even this morning my mom was reminding me about how dangerous the first rain is and to make sure I drive particularly slow...A caution both of my parents have been reminding me of since I began driving! But more than that, the rain seems to usher in the feel of the holidays. Everyone is back in school, Halloween will soon be upon us and then the next thing you know, it's Thanksgiving....Christmas... hello 2010!

Christmas trees have always been a favorite tradition in our home. We have always gone down to get our Christmas tree the day after Thanksgiving....that is of course after we come home from a crazy morning of early shopping! We would come home to my mom playing the first Christmas album of the year. Out came all of our cherished ornaments as my sister and I carefully placed each one on the tree. And not to forget the lights! The more the merrier!
The completion of our tree comes with the tying of the tree skirt. My mom and I each made one of these, many years ago now, as a mother - daughter project. Hers was a red and green one for our own home, mine a purple and green one so that it would match my grandmother's ornately decorated tree. It's amazing how our memories and decor become a part of our traditions. They become keepsakes.

So to celebrate traditions and holidays, we will be making this tree skirt here in the shop this November, before Thanksgiving and the craziness that the holiday season always brings! So come and sew with us and create some of your own new memories and keepsakes!

October 6, 2009

2009-10-06T09:16:00.000-07:00

Well Friday night we had our first class sessions here at the shop!

Donna has been quilting for a little over a year and brought with her an adorable, cheerful quilt that she was binding! How fun, I love show and tell! She was taking the curved piecing class featuring the quilt, DOT.COM. In lieu of the craziness created by an over whelming amount of polka dots, she brought a variety of florals for her curved piecing project. The combination of circles and florals reminded me of a colonial style garden. I'm looking forward to seeing her finished product!

Wendy is a brand new quilter. She has had her sewing machine for 2 weeks and already has been busy with pillow cases, tote bags and now quilts! She was enrolled in the beginning quilting class featuring Seaside Rose. She and her husband had chosen several cute green florals for her project and she was excited to go home and show him her completed strip! She also fell in love with her new quarter inch foot, (if you don't have one, I would highly recommend one), and the chain piecing technique. I'm looking to seeing her finished piece as well!

There is still a couple more days to sign up for Bernina Club as well as the second session offered for the 2 classes mentioned above. We should have the next class rounds up on the web sometime in the next couple of weeks, so keep your eyes open for those! Looking forward to seeing and sewing with all of you!

September 28,2009

2009-09-28T10:23:00.000-07:00

This weekend we took those crazy high school kids hiking up Bishop's Peak, one of the central coast's seven sisters. I had never been on this particular hike and was really excited to go. We had things timed so that we could watch the sunset from the top....Of course, even the best plans sometimes get way laid!

Nacho was concerned that she wasn't going to make it to the top, so I told her I would hike with her....but after a short distance, both she and Jessica decided there was no way they were getting to the top! So I hiked on, by myself for a while since the rest of the group had long since passed us; a few of our young macho men had ran to the top. After a while, I met a young girl hiking alone down the mountain. She said I still had a ways to go. (Funny but her name was Courtney too.) So needless to say, I was pretty pleased with myself when I caught up to the rest of the gang and then even beat them to the top! The top was the craziest part of the hike...narrow paths with overgrown brush, hugging rock sides and then trying to climb up them...but the reward was worth it! I had seen the sunset about 3/4 of the way up but got to see the moon rise over the top. It was a beautiful half moon, surrounded by a sprinkling of stars...providing us with a perfect moonlit hike back down. Now I am a runner and consider myself to be in pretty good shape, but this hike was 3 days ago and I am still sore!

I love to see all of creation around me, singing praise to the Creator. His beauty is what stirs in me a desire to design something beautiful....Currently I am working on a vintage dresden plate and am hoping to have that class up and coming for the new year so keep your eyes open for it and happy sewing!

September 22, 2009

2009-09-22T09:25:00.000-07:00

Wow! What a crazy 2 weeks it has been! Despite the challenges presented, there was also lots of room for fun. This weekend a group of us went out to 46 east and via telescope, were able to see Jupiter, along with some of its rings and moons! So way cool! It has me itching to take an astronomy class....maybe some day!
Now I know I have mentioned Zombie before, and I have another crazy story about her! A cat with her personality is bound to provide endless entertainment...
So my sister took her down to the vet's office this week to be spayed. The vet informed us that she needed to do as little activity as possible for the next 5 days. Yeah right- Zombie, not running around? This presented us with quite a challenge. So it was decided that she would live in the bathroom for the next few days in order to give her some space, but limit her activity. What a mess! So first off, I kept forgetting that she was in there when I would open the door and come face to face with another creature, I nearly had a heart attack! Then she would play with everything in site. We found all kinds of stuff, hair clips, bandaids...you name it, in the hall way that she had thrown under the door. She played with the door stopper all night long. But the icing on the cake was when she "locked" us out! Some how she managed to open the drawer right by the door, and it blocked us from opening it more than just a crack. A stuck, swollen wrist and a wooden spoon later, Becca and I finally managed to close it and get in...
I am happy to report though that she is fine and back in her home environment, much to Lizzie's relief. She was missing her companion!
I am looking forward to what is hopefully a more relaxing week full of lots of sewing! Happy stitching.....

09/09/09

2009-09-09T10:23:00.000-07:00

Well Happy 09~09~09 everyone! Don't you just love crazy dates? I have a definite fascination with them...I mean, how cool is 07~08~09? However, I will admit that 06~06~06 did creep me out just a little!
So I had an interesting experience this week. I was peanut butter and breaded! I know...how bazar is that! But when you're locked in with about 20 highschoolers for 12 hours, crazy things are bound to happen! We had split the kids into 2 teams: boys vs. girls. When Nacho (her name is really Michelle but everyone calls her Nacho) brought out 2 jars of peanut butter and 2 bags of bread, the kids started to get kind of nervous. So when she asked for a volunteer, no one jumped up and down! I volunteered; how awful could it be? Nacho handed Colton, the men's volunteer, and I each an old shirt and told us to put it on. She handed each team a jar of peanut butter and the race was on! The girls began to quickly spread peanut butter all along my back and arms. The next thing I know, I am being bombed with bread! We were racing the clock and each other to see who could get the most bread to stick to that goopy mess....And I am proud to report that we women won! The girls said that was only because the boys cheated and personally I think it was because there was more of me for it to stick to!
So we are in the process of scheduling the paper piecing class. The pattern is soooo cute! Hope you all want to learn this technique, I have to admit, it is one of my favorites! Hope to see you there!

2009-09-02T16:46:00.000-07:00

Whew! I'd ak where the summer had gone to, but with this extreme heat, I know right where it is! But the summer is coming to a close here on the central coast; families are going for one last hoorah this Labor Day weekend before settling down into their school rutines. Having been blessed with the opportunity to travel the country many times, I know what fall is....and we just don't have it here, no fall colors, and crisp, windy days...we have Indian Summer! Now when I think autumn, I think windy days, falling leaves, and apple pie! So to commemorate these memories, We are launching October's Bernina Club as "Autumn and Aprons".....Check us out on the web. Can't wait to see all of you!

August 26, 2009

2009-08-26T16:35:00.000-07:00

So I got up the other morning with every intention of working on the "Dot Com" class sample before I went to work....It all started with feeding. Lizzie, our cute corgi, didn't want to eat -Unheard of! She didn't even get up, good grief! So I called her over and decided that she seemed depressed. So I called my mom, who was away house sitting, to ask her what I should do...and she told me to change her food. "Ok," I thought, "no big deal." Right. By this time, our cat, Zombie, whom we affectionately refer to as the cog, because she wants to be a dog!, had come inside and was climbing up the sofa behind the table. Great. So I moved the table away and got her out, only to have to keep chasing her away from poor Lizzie's food bowl, so that Lizzie could eat!
When everyone had finally eaten, I turned on my computer to take care of some homework, really quick. Yeah Right! My brand new laptop computer, wouldn't start. I began wondering if I should go back to sleep and wake up later to a new start! Someone told me that I should have sat down and wrote a country song!
Well, all of that to say, I didn't make it to "Dot Com" that morning. But It is finished now and class scheduling is in the works! So look for it - it's the curved piecing class!

2009-07-14T09:31:00.000-07:00

Long and HOT days of summer. I hope that you are all getting some cool air conditioned time to enjoy sewing!
Happy stitching!!!

2009-07-09T16:33:00.001-07:00

Hey everyone! Watch for our classes starting up again in August!
Dont forget fair specials on sewing machines. Its the time of year to purchase.