b-day sweets...

surprise!! oh happy day. may all your wishes come true...

we have so many requests for cupcake fabric and now we have some. along with a happy birthday print. and new stripes, ta dots, scallops and a very fun under the big top fabric. all from michael miller

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.   

copyright...copywrong...

i was not going to get into this discussion. the whole concept of copyright is dauntingly complex. so at first i just ignored the rumblings. then they got stronger. and i started to receive emails directly about the subject. i ignored those too. but i also started doing some research. and what i was seeing alarmed me.  i did not like what i was reading. not about our friend. still i was not going to mention it here. not on this blog. but then on wednesday, a customer asked about the situation in our store. in front of sarah. i was crushed when she then asked me why people were talking about her friend kate.

so i decided to do a post. in sarah style. to help her understand and maybe the pictures will help our readers have a better grasp too.

the kate spain i know showed up on our doorstep on august 14, 2010,(at her own expense i might add), to help us kick off a store that was opening with one mission...to hire young adults with developmental disabilities. she befriended my daughter, born with down syndrome, in a way few have.

kate knew there was not going to be much fanfare on this saturday.  we had only been open for four days. we had very little fabric. we did not even have a customer list.

yet, she was gracious and kind. to even the youngest of visitors. signing autographs and taking time to explain the design process.

after our guests left, she asked for her luggage. having come directly from the airport, i assumed she wanted to freshen up. change clothes perhaps.   

instead, she opened a suitcase full of goodies that she brought for us.  there were photo albums, pot holders, towels, scrapbook supplies, aprons, note cards, gift accessories, etc. she had flown an entire suitcase full of items she had designed to leave with us. free of charge. no strings attached.

i was touched beyond words.  she also calmed my fears of entering a new industry. one i had little knowledge of, yet one that felt so right for my daughter and me.

i was extremely impressed with kate's thoughtfulness. she was humble. no glitz. no need to impress. a genuinely sweet person.

so when i started to get emails asking me about my thoughts on her being named the designer involved in the copyright litigation, i was frankly stunned. i truthfully could not believe that kate would do such a thing. so i started pouring over the various blogs discussing the scenario. i was in shock. i just could not believe what i was reading.
 

could this be the same kate who sent us another package perfectly timed to arrive on our first anniversary?

this time a box filled with new delights. many printed with designs in fandango, the very fabric collection in question.

i went back to the store and read the notecard that kate had written us. it has been prominently displayed in the store since the day we received it.  as i reread the words of this card, i knew in my heart that whatever lead up to this series of events, it was breaking kate's heart. i simply knew from our initial meeting, from the correspondence over the past year and a half, from the phone calls. the voice messages she has left us, that kate did whatever she did because trust had been broken.

as i continued to read unkind words left in comment feeds on her blog and other blogs, my heart was racing. these people did not even know kate. why the hatred. and then i panicked. what would we do if there is no more kate spain fabric? our customers have grown to love kate. i continued to read the comments until i finally got to one that gave a link to the tote bag in question.  i clicked the link...

  

my gasp was loud. so loud my son heard me on the second floor.  i was dumbfounded to see before my eyes, fandango. large swatches of fandango printed on a mass produced plastic bag. the image had been blown up so significantly, i could not even see a quilt. i knew instantly with that one photo that kate had been taken advantage of. and she had every right and needed to protect her image. her designs. her livelihood.

in all fairness to emily cier, i have not met her, so i have no photos or stories to share like i do with kate. i do have a bit of experience to draw from in receiving legal notices in the mail. it makes your heart pound and your stomach turn in flips. i understand she was nervous. i would have been shaking in my shoes. i do not blame her for her reaction or for blogging about it here and here.

and that is why before i could take this post to print, i wanted to see the book. when it arrived, i fell in love with scrap republic. it belongs in our shop. one copy sold the day they arrived. as i turned each page though, i became a bit more perplexed as to why c&t did not pick one of emily's beautiful and colorful quilts to put on a bag marketing emily's book.

when i finally turned the page and saw the quilt in question, nearly two thirds of the way in...

it's that tiny little quilt on the top left, i was even more stumped. why is this the one they chose to magnify a tiny segment of? i truly do not understand. emily's colorful scrappy quilts are awesome. in my opinion, emily got short changed. and it is a shame.

 

kate has been very clear. it is not and never was about the book. it was about that tote bag. the mass production of a tote bag without her permission. the kate i know and love encourages creativity. she applauds the efforts of all the creative hands that go into making a display, like this one in our store, possible. she does not want that creative flow to stop.

has the quilting community learned from this? absolutely. i hope with time, the haters will be able to see the kate we know and love dearly.

for the emails asking if we will continue to carry fabric designed by kate spain. you bet we will. for as long as she agrees to design it. i sincerely hope the quilting world has not been so unkind that she will run from making fabric. for that would be a sad day for all of us.

kate has extended an offer to work with emily on a future project. i personally would love to see that happen. their works go together like peanut butter and jelly. and we would love the opportunity to create another front window display featuring them both again.

meet marie bostwick...

we are beyond excited to announce that new york times best selling author marie bostwick...

will be coming to jellen's house of fabric. we have come to love marie with a very special fondness.  not only are her books beautifully crafted and compelling to read from the perspective of a quilter, her character development of howard, a young man with down syndrome, is touching and obviously hits close to home for us. you can read more about that here.

soon to be released, ties that bind, is the fifth in her cobbled court quilt series. it will be hitting store shelves very soon.  marie has graciously agreed to come to our shop to personally sign your copy.

this event will take place on:

monday, may 7, 2012

yes we will be open on that monday

11-1

marie will speak from 11:15 - 11:45

we ask that you call the shop to reserve your place

440-684-9830

for safety reasons we can only have a limited number of people in the shop at one time 

space will be given out on a first call, first receive basis

walk ins will be permitted only as space is available

thank you for your understanding

for your convenience, we will be selling books in our shop. more details will be announced soon.

bali bundles...

of handpaints have just arrived. mix and match your colors...

all fat quarters are priced at $2.00 per cut.  hurry for the best selection. we only have one of each color.

ten little things...

can you count to ten...in spanish? yes!! with jenn ski's newest collection you can. each block on the number panel spells out the digit in english and spanish...

ten little things is just perfect for the little ones in your life. trucks, cars, owls, octopus, fish and numbers are included. featured quilts by dana of now and then quilts.

at children's hospital...

i wish there were words to adequately describe the feeling that overcame me today, as i wheeled sarah back to M30 at the cleveland clinic children's hospital. it was the perfect mixture of stress from memories of years gone by, including clammy hands and feet, along with the greatest feeling of pleasure, including a racing heart and shaking limbs. we have been in this exact location so many times over the past twenty two years. i've experienced some of my darkest hours in this place...

today was entirely different. we were greeted at the elevator by an entourage of people including the camera man from fox 8 cleveland that spent the day with us at the store yesterday. they were waiting to get footage of sarah delivering the pillowcases she has been creating for the young patients. she really did not need the wheelchair, it was simply to give the forty pounds of love in that bag a lift through the long hallways from the parking garage.

they decided it would be fitting to take her up to the fourth floor, where the pediatric cardiovascular intensive care unit resides. just seeing the sign brought tears to my eyes.  hearing the familiar beeps of monitors, flooded my heart with empathy.  they filmed her walking through the double doors carrying the pillowcases she worked on with kristi capel. they did three takes just to be sure. during this time we held up doctors, nurses and therapists so they would not be in the camera's view. i made eye contact with a few, remembering those who worked so hard to save my girl's life.

after the filming, i watched as my daughter handed a pillowcase to a mother. i could simply tell by the look in her eyes, their journey was fresh and new. they were walking uncharted waters. i watched as her eyes went to sarah's chest and neck. the scars have faded with time, yet still visible enough to recognize her as a survivor.  as the mother's eyes filled with tears, i tenderly placed my hand on her arm. my eyes too welling with tears. for a very different reason though. we are on the other side of the journey. it is time to give back. and there is no greater gift to be given. i am so grateful to have this opportunity.

thank you all who have given of your time to help us complete 65 pillowcases to deliver to the kids today.  and thank you kirton family for allowing us to share a little bit of kristen today.

en el hospital de niños...

Quisiera que hubieran palabras adecuadas que describiera el sentimiento que me superó hoy, mientras llevaba en silla de ruedas, a sarah de vuelta al M30 en el hospital de niños de la clinica de cleveland. era una mezcla perfecta de estrés debido a los recuerdos de años pasados, incluso las manos y los pies húmedos, junto a un fuerte sentimiento de placer, el corazón palpitando rápidamente y mis extremidades temblando. Habiamos estado tantas veces en esta exacta posición durante los últimos veintidós años. he experimentado algunas de mis horas más oscuras en este lugar...

hoy fue totalmente diferente. fuimos bienvenidos en el ascensor por un grupo de personas incluyendo el camarógrafo del canal fox 8 cleveland que había pasado el día de ayer con nosotros en la tienda.

ellos estaban esperando poder obtener material de sarah entregando las fundas de almohadas que ella había creado para los pacientes jóvenes. ella realmente no necesita la silla de ruedas, fue simplemente para poder darle un aventón, por los largos pasillos desde el estacionamiento, a las cuarenta libras de amor que estaban en ese saco.

decidieron que sería conveniente llevarla hasta el cuarto piso, donde la unidad pediátrica cardiovascular de cuidados intensivos reside. con sólo ver el letrero se me saltaron las lágrimas. oyendo los sonidos familiares emitidos por los monitores, inundaron mi corazón con empatía. la grabaron mientras caminaba por the puertas dobles cargando las fundas que en conjunto con kristi capel crearon, la grabaron tres veces para estar seguro. durante este tiempo detuvimos a médicos, enfermeras y terapeutas para que no estuvieran en la vista de la cámara. hice contacto con mis ojos con unos pocos, recordando aquellos que trabajaron tan arduamente para salvarle la vida a mi niña.

después de la grabación, vi como mi hija entregó una funda de almohada a una madre. podría decir simplemente por la mirada en sus ojos, su jornada era fresca y nueva. ellos caminaban en aguas desconocidas. vi como sus ojos pasaron hacia el pecho y cuello de sarah. con el tiempo, las cicatrices han aclarecido, sin embargo aún suficientemente visibles que la reconocen como una sobreviviente. según se les llenaba de lágrimas los ojos de la madre, puse mis manos tiernamente en su brazo. también mis ojos se llenaron de lágrimas. aunque por muy diferentes razones. Estamos al otro lado de la jornada. es hora de devolver lo recibido. y no hay ningún regalo mayor que dar. estoy tan agradecida de tener esta oportunidad.

gracias a todos los que han contribuido su tiempo para ayudarnos terminar 65 fundas de almohadas para entregar a los niños hoy. y muchas gracias familia kirton por permitirnos compartir un poco de kristen hoy.

sharing kristen's light...

it has been a big day in our little house of fabric. sarah has recently been chosen as a home town hero by anchor woman kristi capel of fox 8 cleveland.

kristi and her crew arrived around noon to film for the segment, which will air sometime during the month of may.

sarah shared her sewing talents with kristi. they were able to stitch up a few pillowcases during the filming.  we carefully staged kristen's plaque so it would be in clear view. sarah and her friend stacy shared much of the story about how our store came to be and the one million pillowcase challenge.

then sarah took kristi up to her desk to share the blog postings about kristen. we never want to forget that without kristen, we would not have a story like we have.

although sarah is the hero for the day, it is kristen's light that shines so bright.

p.s. we would like to thank our customers who allowed us to film them today and apologize for any inconvenience the taping created.

she said yes...

...my mom heart is completely overjoyed today. seeing your children giddy with excitement is the greatest feeling in the world. the best laid plans created by our oldest son were romantic...and thankfully, successful.

first, they toured the rembrandt exhibit at the cleveland museum of art, followed by a walk around the reflecting pool. the final destination was a bench they had staged a picture on back in 2006. as they sat down, tj asked her if she ever thought back then they would return to this exact location to become engaged.  being the 31st of march, she at first thought it might be an early april fool's joke. until he presented the custom designed ring he has been working on for months. she said yes!! and then he revealed the photographer julie had been watching, was actually there just for them. she had been capturing their every move as they strolled about. 

julie's parents along with my husband and i were secretly waiting at sarava, her favorite restaurant on shaker square, with coral roses and of course our love and pride. i've never experienced a more perfect evening!!

a basket of bella...

solids are hot. no doubt about it. and we have many fab colors...

in fact, we have over fifty bella solids in stock. at our every day low pricing of just $5.00 per yard.

scarlet & gray sweetness

...i know this is a stretch...but this buckeye girl just can't help herself. sweetwater just unveiled their newest collection...

photo from sweetwater

on the day we celebrate ohio state heading to new orleans for the final four. could this be an omen? you know we will order this entire collection. the only sad part...we will have to wait until september for it to arrive. oh sweetwater, how we love thee. 

march madness sale...

...continues. hurry in as this sale will go public in the newspaper this coming thursday.  here is a sampling of what you might find in the last call corner where everything is

 $3.00 per yard. 

sale ends 3.31.12. price does not apply to previous purchases. photo does not guarantee fabric is in stock.       

welcome to bear country...

the berenstain bears have arrived. oh my are they cute. the bears are oh so perfect but the dots are so fun too...

and we have the books for sale. i just had to feature the berenstain bears visit the dentist for our friend vickie, who is an accomplished quilter, pattern designer, author and a dentist. we have all the precuts and yardage in stock.

bird + bunny sweetness...

one of the best things about having a shop is watching friendships develop.  and when they are between a precious little one and sarah, the pleasure simply magnifies.

remy and her new little dress made by her mama. jill was kind enough to bring it in to show sarah. she remembered that sarah picked out the fabric when our michael miller rep came to visit. remy loves this little bird we have in the store. she always finds it.

march madness...

...jellen's style. fabric is just $3.00 per yard everywhere you see a green dot...

currently includes bolts from the following collections: wee woodland, spirit, java, charlevoix, max & whiskers by moda. queen street for free spirit. a few solids and a bit of adornit. price does not apply to previous purchases. hurry the madness ends on 3.31.12.

salt air...

...is in. pepper air is not. that's the joke floating around the store these days. there is no wavering that cosmo cricket is knee deep with this vintage beach line...

 
we have all the precuts and yardage waiting just for you. hope to see you wading on in:)

marie's bird...

it has been a mild winter in lyndhurst, ohio.  it is rare to see signs of springtime this soon, yet the entrance to our shop is sprouting. and tucked amongst the greenery is a little bird...

i treasure this sweet gift. it was neatly positioned in a planter delivered during our grand opening.  i remember the tears falling from my eyes when i opened the card and saw it was from marie bostwick, the author.  i have a special connection to marie. it was a chance reading of one of her books, a thread of truth, that confirmed to me we were heading down the right path with this shop and our mission. every year when i see marie's bird among the new growth of springtime, i am reminded of the beauty of her words. and thankful.    

california dreamin'...

...on such a winters day. although this march in ohio, is so far, fabulous. giving just the perfect glimmer of sunshine...

  
...to show off our newest collection...california girl...by fig tree for moda.

happy birthday...

girl scouts. 100 years strong.  all because of the dream of one woman. juliette gordon low.  love her and all she created.  to help celebrate, we have some fun fabric in the shop...

do you have a troop in our area wanting to learn to sew?  we are now offering classes. email us for more information.

hello luscious...

...our newest arrival

hello luscious by basic grey for moda.

hexies in the classroom

last evening while i was listening to the science teacher chat about my son at conferences, i looked over and on the door spotted this...

i was so excited to see the use of hexies. they're everywhere right now in the stitching world. i offered my appreciation for utilizing a well known quilt pattern in the classroom. of course, it really is the other way around. yet the young teacher played along with me and told me that his grandmother quilts all the time.     

won't you please...

take just a moment and watch this video...



today 3.7.12 is a day set aside to educate us all on just how hurtful the
r-word is to those of us who live in the world of intellectual disabilities.  thank you for understanding.

it's cookie time...

a new shipment of the best cookies ever has arrived...

i know, i know what you're thinking. we are a fabric store. not a cookie store. tell me though...could you resist after receiving this cute message?...

seriously. girl scouting has always been a big part of my life. sarah is a third generation girl scout...

actually a first aid class i took as a junior girl scout saved sarah's life the first time i found her in her crib not breathing.  so it's mission is pretty important to us. it also just happens to be the 100th year of girl scouting. 

would you want to see some great stuff that sarah and her troop did over the years? click on over to sarah's blog. such great memories.  and i am so extremely proud of what my girls are doing today. they will always be like daughters to me and i love that we stay in touch.

ok...back to the cookies. they are $3.50 a box and as a courtesy to grace and her troop you can charge them if you are short on cash.  hurry though...especially if thin mints are your thing. the girls thank you. i thank you.

a mother's love...

such incredible sweetness...

a momma and her girl...meeting for the very first time. ever. this is katie and kim.  many of you helped this dear family with funds to get to this part of katie's adoption by contributing to the coin jar we had in our store.  kim and her husband have been in russia all week and have been writing updates as they can. hop on over to their blog and read more about this sweet girl who just happens to have down syndrome.

let there be...

...cardboard on the ceiling?

if at first you try new glasses and they don't succeed...try new lighting:)  thank you mr. jeff toth for coming to our rescue.