if you were in the store today...

we have worked so hard to make our store a positive, uplifting place for our quilting friends to visit. unfortunately, there are situations that are out of our control. i feel badly about the experience a few of you received today. from the man at the side door to the women in the basement, i know it was not a pleasant experience. hearing people scream at each other never is. please know we are working to resolve the situation. i ask for your support. please do not let this one day keep you from coming back to our shop again. we need you. joyce and sarah

the one turnpike delivery

toledo to cleveland. so just what was in that box that arrived in one quick day...

amy butler's style stitches. it's a great one. make that two. that's all we have in stock. so hurry.

oh checker io

oh - io. if you're from ohio you know the cheer. oh - io. and so it goes. around the room, a bar, a stadium. someone chants oh and it is enthusiastically followed by io. not to long ago i met with dj from checker distrubutors. they supply shops like ours. the best thing is they have a large warehouse in ohio. and i like to support my good ole buckeye state. we're hurting here in the midwest. steel jobs are gone for good. automotive too. so i like it when i feel i am contributing to our home economy.

it never occurred to me when i placed my first order...it would be here the next day. now that is a double reason for an oh - io!!!

a perfect feature

i'm always a little nervous when i meet with a reporter. you grant them permission to tell your story and then you hope they understand your message. the day jeff came for the interview the store was crazy busy. i had to keep leaving our interview to help customers. while I was doing so, jeff decided to speak with a few of them. i wasn't sure what they would say. i also was not sure how the mission of our store would come across. after all, we are a bit different than many business establishments. my first read through put all my fears to rest. jeff did a beautiful job of telling our story...

(click on pictures to enlarge)

no sew tree

the no sew tree we have been working on in the store is finished. stay tuned for a step by step tutorial.

bad sun

the longer we're in business, the more often i'm asked questions about what i have our workers do. more specifically, our employees with autism and down syndrome. i'm not sure if it is simple curiosity or if they are questioning if they really can do the work. i hope one day every customer has the chance to personally observe how hard they work.

i assure you i have plenty to keep them busy. one of the most often heard comments when a new costumer walks into our store is this, "ohhhh...it is so bright in here. i love the windows and the great lighting."

yes the windows are wonderful. yet the western facing windows allow the hot afternoon sun to touch our fabric. and that is not so good. so once a week we rotate stock. that is one of sari's tasks. she pulls off the top shelf fabric and replaces it with the fabric previously on the bottom shelf.

this past week we have been very blessed with beautiful sunshine. as our cleveland followers know, that is not something we take for granted. as sari was diligently working on her task, i overheard her look out the window and say, "bad sun. bad sun to our fabric." and that my friends, made my day.

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p.s. the fabric...kate spain's...12 days of christmas...we've already sold out of two bolts, so hurry in to get the best selection

Fandango After Dark

We revealed our first window display at night, so it seemed only fitting that we repeat this practice with...

FANDANGO
by Kate Spain

I have been patiently awaiting it's arrival, as have many of our customers. I have read about Kate's inspiration on her blog. I even talked with her in person. I must admit, even though I had thumbed through the charm packs, each bolt we unloaded from the box seemed more amazing than the last. The colors are rich, yet muted. The designs are breathtaking. I promise you will not be disappointed with this collection. Hurry though, I have been cutting it all day. I know a few of the bolts are already more than half gone.

i'm in love with another man...

...please let me introduce you to pete. he has been our ups driver for the entire thirteen years we have been in this building. for our business upstairs, he delivers a single envelope twice a month which contains our payroll. that could be reason enough to like him. every now and then he brings a box of office supplies. a little heavier, still he always has a smile on his face. then...

...i opened this fabric store. and soon the boxes weighed seventy to eighty pounds. and they usually arrive in multiples. still, pete always has a smile on his face. today, i asked him if i could take his picture. he was not so sure. he's a pretty humble guy. then i told him i wanted to have a picture of the happiest guy i know. ahh sucks...he said...ok. thanks pete. we really do appreciate your hard work and sunny disposition.

it's ok to feel my fabric...

with great fanfare...

i present fandango...in flannel. i knew it was coming on monday. and i am usually closed on that day. yet, i had a customer waiting so patiently. so i called to let her know it had arrived. she rushed to the store within fifteen minutes. fandango flannel. it's that fabulous. if you've never felt moda flannel... it's worth a visit. three tactile tables are set up... just until thursday... that's when the fandango cotton is expected to arrive... better hurry... it's already going fast.

a weekend of firsts...

it has been one month...just 31 days with our doors open to the public...and this weekend we celebrate with...

...our first ad in the cleveland plain dealer

...our first empty bolt of fabric

...the first tree falling...we're celebrating the missing the parking lot by inches...not the tree down part

sarah cutting fabric for the first time with a rotary blade

our first payment to moda from store receipts...we're off to a good start...thank you to all our supporters for helping to make it happen

wishes for a speedy recovery...

...all of us at jellen's house of fabric are sending out warm and cheerful wishes for a speedy recover to our dear quilting friend who fell in the parking lot today.

we are thankful for the woman sitting in the bus stop who first ran to her aide and to the wonderful paramedics from our Lyndhurst Fire Department who came for assistance.

i must share a tiny part of the story as i know our fabric friends will smile. this dear sweet gal knows our whole story. as soon as i walked out into the parking lot she looked up at me and said i know you. i have been reading all your blogs. and then she started to retell parts of it for me as the men in blue worked their magic. they asked for her name and then how old she is. "90" was her reply. and she has been reading my blogs. how awesome is that!!
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shortly after they had placed a brace around her neck as a precaution and were just about to lift her onto the gurney, i felt her hand squeeze mine harder than she had been. i thought she must be experiencing some pain. she looked up at the paramedic and said, "wait just a minute." then she turned to me and said, "before we go do you have any red calico in that store you could go get me?"
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love you my friend. when you are all better i hope you can come back and visit us. there is a special package waiting just for you. if your family happens to read this i would so appreciate an update and a place we can send a card. just email me: jhillely@gmail.com or you can call the store and leave a message 1-440-684-9830. thinking of you all tonight.

developing friendships...

one of the best experiences of our first few weeks is watching friendships blossom. we are meeting such wonderful people. we are watching women who have not seen each other for some time meet again. we are observing quilters sharing stories with each other. we are introducing folks who do not know each other yet share a common bond.

and we have an awesome friendship developing amongst our workers. today both sarah and sari were able to work together in the store.

they both started on the floor...literally.

sari was busy unloading many boxes of new fabric...

while sarah was creating a display of charm packs. they were working hard. and then they got to talking...

...about a new show on the disney channel. they both love...i mean LOVE...the disney channel. camp rock and the jonas brothers. it doesn't get any better for them. their kind of friday night. they just kept talking about it. adding commentary here and there. these two gals had me in stitches...not the sewing kind...the i can't stop laughing you girls are so funny, kind.

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truthfully, neither one has the best communication skills. the down syndrome and the autism are likely to blame. yet they so understand each other. neither really cares that most twenty something girls are no longer interested in the disney channel or camp rock or the jonas brothers. yet somehow that innocence is what made the afternoon all the more enjoyable. watching the two. listening to their conversation. observing a developing friendship that is so right for them. i especially love it is happening amongst the fabric on a rainy friday afternoon.

National Sewing Month

September is National Sewing Month. Lots of fun ideas and projects on the website.