deadline approaching..

please don't forget to bring your "just one star" blocks back to the shop by this saturday, april 23

we have four more block kits available if you are able to complete them. stop in anytime.

just one star...

if you have been in our shop, you already know that we have been working on projects for our troops for several years. so when the idea of just one star was first introduced, we knew instantly we would like to participate.


the idea is this...many hands make many blocks. moda is asking for quilters around the country to make a star block. the blocks will then be sewed together, hopefully into 100 quilts, to be presented to wounded soldiers on flag day. we have precut kits, including directions, available at no charge to you. simply stop in, pick up a kit, stitch it together, then return it to our store by april 23. we will take care of mailing them for you.

if you would like a tutorial, minick and simpson has a great one posted on their blog. click here to follow along.

we would like to take this opportunity to welcome home ryan erney, who just completed his first tour of duty with the united states marine corps in afghanistan. so glad you are home safe and sound. thank you ryan for your dedication to protecting our freedom.

charming charlevoix...

i love peach and yellow. something so springy about it. minick and simpson have made this collection so easy on the eyes. soothing. tranquil. beautiful. like their days in charlevoix. michigan that is.

did you catch their pillow...the airplane is so cute...the apple is oh so clever...the doggie just adorable. laurie and polly also included a flag. why? they call themselves the americana designers of moda...

we would agree with that. lots of new red, whites and blues arrived too. stripes, swirls, plaids and cherries:)

the greatest sacrifice

today is a day set aside to remember our veterans. truly one day is not enough. we should be thanking them each and every day. their sacrifices are beyond measure.

for sometime, sarah and i have been organizing events to create thank you cards and care packages for members of the military. we call it stampin' for america. this year we have an opportunity to extend this project to include our wonderful moda fabrics and all of our quilting friends.

today we created a display in the store to launch this effort. laurie of minick and simpson wrote an excellent post that describes both quilts of valor and under our wings. we as a store will be participating in this effort. please watch this blog and our website for more details.

from houston via charlevoix

a tradition has been conceived. actually it started in the spring just after quilt market in minneapolis. our wonderful moda rep knows how hard it is for me to travel with sarah, so he stops by our shop as soon as he arrives back in cleveland. that way we can experience the thrill of what's new almost as if we went to market. today mark brought a special guest with him, his lovely and beautiful wife diana.

now you might just be wondering why mark is wearing a shirt with the word charlevoix on it. the short answer is i asked if i could expand the half order i previously placed into a full order. i am in love with the newest collection from minick and simpson which they named charlevoix, as in charlevoix, michigan. i know, hard to believe this die hard ohio state fan liking anything related to that state upnorth:) anywho, my question spurred mark to dig a little deeper into his just off the airplane suitcase, and voila, out came this shirt!!

i insisted he wear it in our picture. thanks mark!! oh btw he is holding just a smidge of a peak of this great collection. it will be arriving sometime after the first of the year. i know it will brighten up the front room in one of our coldest and often snowiest months of the year.