this chapter complete...

we did it! thanks to an amazing crew from spark's moving and storage, an awesome son and daughter-in-love, Juliann Lafferty Ely how will I ever repay you for your help, and an accommodating office staff who worked right up to the minute we pulled their computers out from under them and started up as soon as they sat in their new space ten minutes later, and an awesome higher power for orchestrating something so magnificent even we had trouble keeping up with the plan.

 

 

john and i walked out of a building we have occupied for seventeen years feeling relieved, satisfied, and although exhausted, ready to jump into the next chapter of our lives with gusto. for everyone who had a part in making this all happen, we humbly thank you. we could never do what we do without the help of so many. 

thankful for the movers...

donny & sean...the best moving crew in cleveland!!

we are forever indebted to them for their amazing help. the task of packing and moving two businesses in such a short amount of time would not have been possible without their expertise and friendly disposition. we are most grateful. thankful for the sunshine today too!

an update...

ok so just what is going on you ask?

the short story is we are in the midst of moving two businesses, one of which has been at 5259 for seventeen years. so we are digging out...literally. as with everything in life, there are compromises... some things you win, some things you give up.

at 5255 mayfield, also known as the hamilton insurance building, we have won big time with a mostly one floor plan. that right there is going to be a life changer, for our knees especially. the front door is designed differently. sarah has gained her own office. that for sure she will love and give her a cozy space to meet with families who come to visit her. we have additional parking spaces and a side street next to the building for overflow. we have not one but two front windows for showcasing beautiful quilts.

but there are things that will be different. the old building had built in charm. there is no question of that. the furniture all came over and it fits. my challenge will be to bring you a shop that still inspires in the space we now have.

one thing i want to be very up front about...the building is still for sale. yes, a buyer could come along tomorrow and we would need to vacate in thirty days or so. why don't we just buy the building you ask? well for one, we are tired. exhausted really. so we need to take some time to breath. buying a building is a huge commitment.

in the meantime, we are setting up shop. we hope to open in the next few weeks. i will post more details as time goes on. thank you for your patience, love and support.

p.s. i've saved the best news for last...we will have girl scout cookies when we return!!

mabel & ethel's

our little house of fabric has been closed for less than one week. and already the sadness is setting in. so i decided sarah and i needed to go on a little road trip, especially because the sun was shinning today. i'd heard about a new shop in sandusky. i was pretty sure it was two women's names...you know...like thelma and louise. only that was yielding no web results other than the ever popular 90's movie. then all of a sudden i saw an update come across facebook for mabel & ethel's quilt shoppe. yes!! that must be it so we quickly packed a snack and jumped in the car.

i've been making the drive to sandusky since i was a young girl. it's been a family tradition to visit cedar point at least once a summer. sadly, i don't think i ever realized there was a charming downtown area. today we found it.

the minute we walked in, i knew our blues were about to be swept away. sure enough. mabel and ethel invited us to sit down and have a chat.

only mabel isn't mabel. she's actually debbie. and ethel...well you guessed it...isn't really ethel. she's jackie. you'll have to ask them to share that story. oh how fun they are. we had the best time getting to know one another.

and then sarah went for a stroll through the store. there's bright fabric that she really liked...

and some primitives too. perfect for one of her down right charming quilts for the new house she shares with her grandparents she decided.

there's a little bit for everyone including some great wool.

it's always so much fun to meet new quilters that share our journey. and when they are as delightful as debbie & jackie, it is better than therapy as they say.

mabel & ethel's quilt shoppe is located at 279 e. market street, sandusky, ohio 44870. it is well worth the drive for not only the fabric selection but the chance to meet the real mabel & ethel. 

so just how close to cedar point are they you ask? close enough that i'm sure come summer you'll be able to hear the screams coming from that big coaster behind my freezing girl. 

and while you're in the area, be sure to drive on down state route 250 to d'vine designs at 29 park street on the square in milan. a most exquisite ole fashion gift shop. and to my delight one of the few authorized trollbead dealers in the area.

a most sincere thank you

with just a moment's notice of the necessity for a liquidation sale, i was not sure what to expect. to my shock, we had a parking lot full of friends waiting for the doors to open on friday...

 

with the lines continuing all weekend. your support has meant so much to us. thank you, thank you, thank you!! we are merely at a fork in the road. where we go from here is uncertain, yet i'm sure there is a plan much greater than i.  we will update with details as soon as we know them.  we sincerely appreciate your support, cards, flowers, goodies and words of encouragement. your friendship is extraordinary.

the time has come...

well folks, the end of our era at 5259 mayfield is upon us. at 16:05 thursday we received written communication that we must vacate the premises. therefore, we shall begin a fabric liquidation. please note the special hours sunday and monday. i have no further details of where, when or what our future looks like. i just know we have lots of fabulous new fabric that must go to good homes. please come help us make that happen.

 

no tears, just pure joy that we have had the time these past few years to share together in our combined love of fabric + fun + friendship! 

a sunday blessing...

this next photo just warms my heart so much. when sarah made jaxson this quilt from sweetwater's make life collection, he was just a little peanut. we first met his family online when the docs were recommending the placement of a trach. this electronic world we live in sure makes connecting with others experiencing some of the same challenges as you much easier than when sarah was tiny and so ill. we then had the pleasure of meeting him in person while we were in salt lake for quilt market.

 

 

fast forward to this week. despite having many medical challenges, our friend jaxson is growing like a weed. look at him now inching off the edge of his quilt! a perfect sunday sunshine!!