how a display goes...

from ordinary...

 

 

to extraordinary...

 

 

happy tones by michael miller. quilt and pattern by kristen blandford of sunnyside designs 2.

window dressing

we get so many compliments in the community on our front window. i don't think there has ever been one i did not like, yet there was just something about this february ensemble that was especially endearing. before we change it, i want to send out a public thank you to a few creative souls, because without them we would not be able to dress our window like this...

 

from left to right:



scene one
hanging quilt: peanutbutter quilts
pillow and bunting: debbie of happy little cottage
table runner:  crystal of frivolous necessity

scene two
hanging quilt: jude spero of little louise quilts
top table quilt: michelle of L7quilts
table quilt: kerry of modern material girl
dress: alissa of pit, pat, waddle pat

scene three
hanging quilt: crystal of frivolous necessity
table quilt: stacey of the tilted quilt
pillow: warmnfuzzies

much appreciation to you all. thank you for sharing your talents with us!

honoring strength...

and courage.  from the day we opened our store, we have had the pleasure of meeting some very tough women. they come in and share openly their daily struggles. some are currently in treatment. i've watched hair thin. i've sold fabric to make into turbans. i've helped some out to their car, almost too weak to walk. i've high fived those who have been told they are in remission. i've felt the thrill of introducing survivors.  i've offered a shoulder to those mourning a loss. our quilt shop is a place of refuge. an uplifting environment i've been told.

this month...we honor the strength, the courage, the fight...

...of all those touched by breast cancer. our hope is with awareness...you will have a mammogram...that you will support those around you...that a cure may be found.

our creators from left to right...
think pink nine patch and mini snowball quilt on table: nancy tyrell
pink and green life quilt: lauren and jane metcalf
double ribbon awareness: design by vicki
pretty in pink irish chain on table: theresa porter

in bloom

our sunday sweetness this week involves a writer and a quilter...

bloom is a memoir by kelle hampton, currently #11 on the nytimes bestseller list for hardbacks.  it is the story of a mom who was grief stricken by the discovery her newborn baby girl has down syndrome. the book chronicles those first few terrifying days. the stormy weeks following and then the awakening when kelle realizes nella is nothing but a blessing.  pippa eccles collaborated with kelle to create a collection of quilts and pillows. she is selling the items on her etsy site and is donating 15% of her sales to the national down syndrome society. and we are lucky enough to have one in our shop. thank you kelle and pippa.   

two is better than one...

have you driven by the shop lately?  if not, we have a little surprise...

our sweet southern belle has brought in a second dress for us to display. for this one she chose the deep red poinsettia print from basicgreys' jovial collection. then around the bottom she took a panel from kate spain's twelve days of christmas and created a border. very clever this bonnie gal is. then around the middle she has used a square print from ready, set, snow by me and my sister. i just love them both.

this red dress is also available on bonnie's etsy site.  remember though, it is an ooak (one of a kind) so when it is sold there are no more.      

sunday sweetness...

this weeks sweetness comes courtesy of a sweet southern belle.  bonnie recently moved from georgia to be closer to her grandkids. she found our shop the very week we opened and we are so delighted she did, for she brings us adorable treasures such as this...

to display in our front window.  she has taken bits of twelve days of christmas and flurry by kate spain along with ready, set, snow by me and my sister all for moda to create this ooak (one of a kind) fashion.  it is available for sale on bonnie's etsy shop, bonbonoriginals. 

oh and speaking of snow...let's give bonnie a round of applause for braving our first official snowfall of the year this weekend. i guess rain, sleet, snow or hail will not keep a good stitcher away from the fabric shop:)  

sunday sweetness...

today's sweetness is inspired by two bunnies who hopped a very long way to arrive in our house...

to read more about their journey hop on over to sarah's blog.  this is our current fig tree corner. i was first drawn to joanna figueroa when her collection mill house inn was introduced. it presented as such a calming group of fabric. shortly after we committed to opening our shop, i knew we would one day have a gathering of fig tree.  and a sweet sight it is.

i've had the pleasure of dealing with so many creative souls to put this display together...

bunnies by leigh-ann & bev of wishful thinking   

strawberry fields quilt on door frame by carly of carlene westberg designs

strawberry fields table runner by nancy of cache creek quilts

mill house in quilt on wall by crystal of frivolous necessity 

apron by dianne of dianne designer aprons

whimsy snuggle quilt on floor pole by janeen of jlquilts

applique table runner on wall by christa & cassaundra of cotton berry quilts

bag by sandy of sandradembroidery 

a fox in the house...

there's been a clever new discovery over in the corner...

this sly little guy is all dapper in his new colorful dot coat in hometown. the latest and greatest collection by sweetwater for moda. mister fox traveled all the way from grayslake, illinois to join our family. ohsweetlulu made sure he arrived safely. go pay her a visit to see all the little pals hiding in her etsy meadow.

beauteous batiks

my love for batiks seems to expand with each delivery...

...this day it was not on bolts, rather wrapped in creativity and mutual love of the fabric.  quilt in montego batiks by moda and designed by libie at livin4prim. fabric art on side wall by marlene of karmacreations 

dear sophie...

by chez moi has arrived...  

every group from this talented artist is masterfully hand painted using classic watercolor technique. she uses her traditional training to compose highly stylized and surprisingly contemporary landscapes. it is exactly this juxtaposition that sets chez moi apart.

sophie which means wisdom, is done in beautiful aquas, rose, pinks, olive green and chocolate brown along with cream.  the charming quilt by libie of livin4prim.  the pillow comes up from atlanta, georgia by warm'n'fuzzies.

summer nights...

...are coming to an end i'm afraid. i feel the dampness and mild chill setting in when the sun goes down.  that means it's time to change the front window...

...i love autumn. i really, really do. yet it will be hard to take this one down. summer house by lily ashbury for moda, has been the most talked about window display we've done to date.  the bright colors sparkle from the busy street when the sky goes dark and the spotlights come on.

folks who rarely, if ever, have a needle in their hand have been stopping me at the bank, grocery store and sporting events to tell me how it has caught their attention. summer house is supported perfectly with just wing it by momo on the left and spirit by lila tueller on the right. 

much of the fabric has sold from the night i took this picture. i'm finding it is hard to sell the last yard or so from some of my favorite bolts.  though it's a temporary sadness i've learned.  replaced with an extreme happy satisfaction as customers return to show the fabric in their completed creations.

the beautiful hanging quilt was made by helen of pine tree lodge.  the table topper on the left by crystal of frivolous necessity.

beach babes...

it's not often the perfect pair of models are in the store together...

sarah's music therapist, bonnie of the groovy garfoose just happened to stop by for a visit as we were opening our going coastal treasures.  quilt by lu of for the love designs. apron by suzy of the apron addict. and the cute dress by jessie of jamn'jelli. come in and experience the waves with us.

hope, joy, love & peace...

our christmas in july sale is about to come to a close.

photo does not guarantee availability

don't miss the countdown to christmas as the calendar rolls one month closer to december. today is the last day to purchase all your holiday fabrics at just $5.00 per yard. be early as bolts are disappearing rapidly.  quilt and pillow in countdown to christmas by sweetwater for moda by crystal  of frivolous necessity (pattern available in her etsy shop and our shop) and large selvage stocking from kathi's christmas on etsy.

a holiday treat...

it's the little things in life...

...like chocolate, peppermint and gum drops, that help us get through the day.  a little christmas fabric at $5.00 per yard helps too. now through saturday only. hurry. it's going fast. both the chocolate and the fabric.  that cute little candy mat is by jennifer over at the bright spot on etsy. 

strawberry butter...

what do you get when you combine buttercup and strawberry fields?  why...strawberry butter of course. we just received our precuts of strawberry fields by fig tree quilts. i was also able to get more charmpacks of buttercup. i have always loved how joanna figueroa designs her collections to work so well with each other.  



we have a beautiful lap quilt on display using mill house inn completed by crystal at frivolousnecessity. so many customers request this pattern that i am going to link to it right here. it is in a pdf format so after you pay $5.00, it will be sent to your email. our newest addition is in buttercup. the wall hanging/table runner stitched by stefanie at ohsewfabulousquilts is an easy and clever way to use one pack of 2 1/2" x 5" precuts found in the moda candy bar box. 

i have had a few questions lately about etsy. first, no i have nothing for sale there. i have been asked why i don't use local creators to make samples. i do. they are probably sewing as we speak. i also really love supporting other artists on the etsy site. each person has a unique talent and product(s) that they offer, which means the store has on display many different ideas and skill levels to observe and inspire our customers. i also love the connections i am making. i'd like to share a little note i received recently from one seller...

Hello! Thank you so much for your purchase. I just wanted to drop you a note to tell you your new table runner has been packaged up and is on it's way to you in Ohio! This is my second sale on etsy and I must say, it was just as exciting to me as the first! I hope you enjoy the item.

it reminds me of the tag line that always follows suzanne's posts...encourage one another. i love that philosophy and try to live by it myself. oh speaking of suzanne...she has just moved into the most amazingly gorgeous brand spanking new store...yes, strawberry patches has a new home...go check it out. hmm...there's reference to strawberries again...did someone say ice cream?

sunny sunkissed...

so surprising was the weather this weekend. we hit 78 in cleveland. for northeast ohio, that is a near record this time of year. it was so nice to have a little sunshine peeking in on our newest window display...


sunkissed has moved right up to the front row. sweetwater really hit it with this collection. it has been our best seller to-date. how do you like our version of hoppy, floppy and loppy? sarah and i fell in love with these little bunnies the minute we saw them. and then we turned the corner of her favorite target and spotted the adorable pink polka-dot rain boots. too bad they didn't come in our size:)

and how about the adorable bibs. five in all. another great find on etsy at the site of babymaeboutique. the print is directly from sweetwater's etsy site.  this next picture...


does not begin to do justice to these fine creations.  the easter egg wall hanging. omg!!! another masterful creation from crystal at frivolousnecessity. her letter work is the best i've ever seen. if you are in the area, it is worth stopping by just to see it. but wait. see the nine block on the wall. it too is a crystal original.

now i have to tell you about the quilt in the middle. i found it on etsy in a general search using the word "sunkissed." sarah loved it, so we bought it. then we got an email from the seller at quiltedthimblecottage. turns out jenn has been following our story for some time and was thrilled that we had found her. it seems everyday i am simply amazed at the power of this internet.

one final shot to show you sunkissed on display. i know i say this every time i write, but this time no lie. for real, half that stock is already gone.  sunkissed...we love you.

who let the dogs out...

woof, woof...who let the dogs out...

are you singing along? no...maybe that's just a cleveland thang. with the browns and their dawg pound...you know...football...ok moving right along...

presenting max & whiskers by basicgrey for moda. love it!!!

really love it!!! and we have it all including layer cakes, jelly rolls and charm packs. we also have the cat and dog accuquilt dies. so cute:) and they fit the go baby. come in for a demonstration any time this week.

we even found a few fun things on etsy...like this adorable bag...check out the pawsome embroidery by sandradembroidery.

and how about this collar by gonedoggie. fit for a bulldog. even our silent, allergy sensitive kind:) they're from bearemy's kennel at build-a-bear. max & whiskers. come get your's today!we are still offering $8.00 per yard pricing.

i heart etsy...

do you etsy? a while back i received an email from a writer at etsy. they wanted to do a story about sarah and kristen and the pillowcases. until that time, i was familiar with the site, but not a strong supporter. then the more i got to thinking about it, i fell in love with the concept. so last week i went surfing...

i wanted a few samples using kate spain's central park. so i simply typed in "central park" and found several fun items:

jingle balls from littleladybugz

a large patchwork ball from gingerfreckle

a chenille bib and burbcloth from woodlandrabbit

a bib and ball rattle from thelittlethingsboutique

and a vintage inspired retro apron from terracehill

they all arrived within days of placing my order, even in the midst of our one day blizzard, and each one was made with skilled hands and creative hearts. many of the creators have a story to tell as well. i especially like to know the background of the person(s). it makes each purchase all the more personal.

i also ordered this awesome quilt from frivolousnecessity. i knew it would be a delight as i have purchased items before from crystal. her work is perfection. this has been such a pleasant experience and a wonderful addition to our shop. i wonder what i will find next...

rain, sleet, snow or hail...

i made to the store. barely.

as i tried to turn the wheel to pull into my usual space, my tires had other ideas. i might be stuck. i was pleasantly surprised to find this...

waiting on the cutting counter. it looks like the united states postal service keeps it's word. the deliveries have arrived...