Scarlet Quince News
June 2021

I'm back! Sorry there hasn't been a newsletter in a while, and now there is almost too much to say!

First -- it's time for a sale! Now through June 26, everything is 12% off!

We have tons of new pictures in the gallery! Stop by and have a look.

Three of four of our new patterns this month are by suggestion (because we try to use your suggestions, and not just the things we like)! Pamela Pemberton, of Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia, was the first person to suggest The Siesta (after Millet) - Vincent Van Gogh. Randy Clement suggested Orchids - Ernst Haekel, and Mary Zborowski, from Ottawa, Canada, suggested The West Wind - Tom Thompson.

I bought some floss bags several years ago to try. The big advantage is that you can just put all your floss and threaded needles in the bag -- no winding on bobbins -- but I found them slippery and floppy. They have holes punched in the bottom so you can put them on rings, but they still seemed unwieldy to me. Recently I got an email from someone who had solved the floppiness problem. She put an index card inside the bag to give it some stiffness, then filed her bags in a pretty box she got from Michael's. Almost all the brands of floss bags are 3" x 5" inside, so you can use a 3" x 5" index card, but if you would rather use snack bags, which are more readily available, you can cut down a 4" x 6" card to fit.

Another suggestion I received some time back was to use #6 3/4 envelopes (they're the ones that are about 6.5" x 3.5"). This solves the slipperiness problem, but has the disadvantage that they're not transparent. (If you go with paper envelopes, you probably don't want to use them for permanent storage -- they're probably not acid-free and could affect your floss long-term. You can find acid-free envelopes, but be aware.)

If you do want to look for actual floss bags, there are quite a few brands -- Floss-A-Way, Yarnology Poly Bag System, Joann Floss Organizer Sleeves, Westex Bag-It Organizers (what I have, but may not be made anymore). I'm just mentioning the names because if you search on Amazon, you'll mostly find dental floss. And if you do want to put them on rings, be sure to check for the number and location of the holes -- some have a single hole on the zip-loc side, while others have 2 holes on the opposite side.

Stay well and keep stitching,
Meredith

The Siesta (after Millet) Vincent Van Gogh

Christmas Robin and Mouse Molly Brett

Orchids Ernst Haekel

The West Wind Tom Thompson