We had a really nice event.

Even though I have worked with Husqvarna Viking sewing machines for almost 19 years, I still learn something new at these educator events, This time I learned quite a few new things to share with all our new and long time Viking owners.

Thankyou
Chris Dolinar

Charity Donation

We turned our quilt square samples into 14" pillow cases.
We sold them for $5.00 each and donated the proceeds to the Patrick Dempsey Cancer Center.
We have a few pillow tops left if anyone is interested in purchasing them. Again, the proceeds will be donated.

Jean and Joanne sewing for others

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Embroidered pin cushions donated by Joanne.

QUILTING with EMBROIDERY

Viking Educator Chris Dolinar came May 14, 2013 to teach 7 lucky participants how to blend embroidery with quilting on a Husqvarna Viking machine. This was a day long hands on sewing event. If you have been thinking about moving up to a sewing/embroidery machine, this was a marvelous opportunity to "test drive" one of the best.

We hope to have another Viking educator visit in the fall to share his/her expertise.

SEWING FOR OTHERS

We celebrated 15 years of survival

Here is our story:

Mainely Sewing Machines [formerly The Sewing Network] has been in business for almost 30 years.

The owner, Jean Libbey, started in Auburn selling fine fabrics for apparel sewing. Her business changed and evolved over the years until 2004 when Mainely Sewing Machines in Portland became Maine's only Premier Husqvarna Viking Dealer.

15 years ago Jean was diagnosed with breast cancer. Since then the business has become not only a wonderful resource for those who love to sew, but a place that sews for others who are fighting this disease.

* We began by serging cancer caps that Jean designed for her own battle. We invited our customers to come in and join us and help with the sewing. It was great fun and at the end of the day we had lots of caps to donate. Our employees continued to make caps long afterward.

* One year we took all our samples and demo projects that had been viewed and admired, put them on sale, with all the proceeds being donated.

* We joined a national effort to raise awareness and funds by participating in "Quilt Pink Day". Our group of sewers made enough quilt squares to make 3 quilts which were sent to the national organization which then sold them on Ebay. With donated fabric, participants created their own squares and we provided an original quilt pink paper pieced square to be sewn by others. After the day was over our employees, with the help of volunteers, put the quilts together.

* After a Maine Quilt Show we had lots of great demo squares left from showing our quilting machine. We turned them into pillow covers which we sold to benefit The Patrick Dempsey Center.

* One of our employees collects quilts for the Linus Project. When our department has a quiet night we use the time to sew donated quilts.

* When we got a request from the Maine Center for Cancer Medicine we sponsored an evening of sewing. Our staff, with the help of willing customers, had a great time making tote bags. Those bags were then filled with items of comfort, given to the center by a generous donor. We have continued to call for fabric donations and to make bags during our quiet times.

In early April we had a sewing day to celebrate the goal of all cancer survivors: LIFE!

On this day we made caps, bags, comfort pillows and small quilts.