one pillowcase at a time...

i had a post already to go today. it was going to talk about these two gals...

sarah with her blogging friend kristen

and the pillowcases sarah made for her
while she was waiting for
a bone marrow transplant

and how kristen's light shines so brightly 

in the hundreds of pillowcases sarah
and our friends in the store made
to give to kids in the hospital

in memory of kristen
who unfortunately lost her battle
with the dreaded cancer
 

 

i was going to tell you about the day kristen's mom polly and i

had a chance encounter with

jennifer keltner the executive editor of american patchwork and quilting

at quilt market in salt lake city  

 

 

i was going to mention the day that news anchor kristi capel

 selected sarah as her hometown hero

for her dedication to the

one million pillowcase challenge

 

 

i was going to tell you more about the day the television cameras

 followed us to the cleveland clinic children's hospital

 for a delivery of fifty cases

to the very floor that

 sarah spent so much of her life

following her open heart surgery

and the placement of her permanent trach

and the many months following

 because of severly damaged lungs

 

and then i was going to talk more about the excitement we feel

 that jennifer keltner is coming

 to our little house of fabric this saturday...

 

 but then i read this comment that

polly kirton, a grieving mother

 left on a facebook posting yesterday

 and nothing, absolutely nothing

i say can come close

 to defining the difference that one pillowcase can make...

 

"Wish I could come. A simple pillowcase can mean so very much. I have slept with Kristen's pillow and the blue princess pillowcase that Sarah made every day since Kristen died. She took her last breath with her head on that very same pillowcase. I will treasure it forever."

 

Please join us October 6

10 - 5

fabric and machines will be provided

breakfast and lunch too

door prizes galore

we simply need your time

and talents

whether they be sewing, pressing or packing

just come

thank you for helping us

make a difference

one pillowcase at a time

awareness...

Today begins National Down Syndrome Awareness month. From the day we opened our store, there have been so many amazing and divinely lead connections that it would be hard to articulate them all. One of the most rewarding for me though, is watching Sarah interact with the little ones also born with T21, who come in to see her...

 

 

For one it's like looking into the future, for the other it is like looking into the past. The common ground is pure joy. 

Little Delaney came in with her Grandma and Grandpa and golly does she have herself wrapped around their hearts. Thank you Carol and Jerry for sharing your precious granddaughter with us. Your enthusiasm and love for her is heartwarming for sure.  A testimony for the extra love that is shared by the presence of one additonal chromosome.

little crabcakes...

my little man is back...

...the one that nearly gave me a heart attack during his last visit.  his smart mama came with the paci this week. it helps keep our buttons out of his mouth...

 

...oh who are we kidding?  he bee lined straight for them the minute he thought we weren't looking:)   

crib sweetness...

i've always felt our crib needed just a little something more...like a bundle of sweetness...

 

 

this week we found her!! meet abigail...future quilter. she is just so precious and sweet i have to share one more... 

she even let me cuddle and snuggle with her.  what a wonderful job i have!! it's just too bad sarah wasn't with me.  she loves babies. thanks to mommy erin for sharing her with us.

dear Stella, the fabric...

the newest fabric to hit our shelves...

 

just loving everything about dear stella. do you have a favorite?  i do!

dear Stella...

i've loved this picture from the first day i saw it in a quilting magazine...

and i love their branding message even more...

dear Stella is a unique fabric brand with modern style. The collection evokes an edgy freshness, combining the best of old traditions with modern influences. These beautiful fabrics will inspire both a traditional quilter and a contemporary “sewist” to reinvent their sewing style.

STELLA is an inspiring, independent spirit. She is creative, adventurous, and hopelessly romantic. She loves beautiful paper and a perfectly wrapped gift, and always sends handwritten thank you notes. Cookbooks sit pretty on her shelves for more than just cooking, and she always plates her dinner, even if it’s just for one. You may find her spending lazy days savoring coffee while pouring over her favorite magazines and blogs, dreaming about the ultimate craft room. She has a strong work ethic, and feels so much pride in making things herself. She loves flip flops and painted toes, furry friends of all shapes and sizes, making a to-do list with her favorite pen, the smell of freshly cut flowers, and the sound of a crackling fire (especially when melting s’mores). She believes brunch makes Sunday the best day of the week, and is never too full for dessert.
And she always holds the door.

dear Stella has arrived in our house of fabric.  come see it for yourself.

beautiful setting...

...beautiful quilts. sarah and i had the privilege of attending the opening reception of the willoughby hills quilt quild's show last evening...

 

...the best part of vending at such events is seeing so many beautiful friends, both customers and other quilt shop owners. thank you to the quild for a great opening reception and for inviting us.

lost your marbles?

not to worry. we have them. over 100 colors in stock and they are all on sale until this saturday for just $5.00 per yard...    

 

 

birds & berries...

by lauren + jessi jung has arrived...

 

if you hop over to their blog today and read this post...a free pattern is waiting for you. and if you like to shop, lauren debuts a useful new tool that she has in the development stage.

home days parade...

what a picture perfect day for the city of lyndhurst.  the best seat on the parade route goes to...

...the sweetheart in the white wicker chair sitting next to her own sign. talk about real life advertising:)

i know i often talk about sarah and down syndrome on this blog.  it is  partly because i am just so proud of her.  it is also because we have many readers who also have a young child with T21 and they are following us on our journey.  this is most definately not a sight that was ever in my dreams.  so many people in the parade waived to her as they went by or stopped to talk to us. we even had a few new guests come into the shop.

the story of the birds...

...and the berries.  that delightful collection by lauren + jessi jung is currently being strung in the house...

 

the fabric has arrived. it is sitting in the back hallway waiting for the sample maker to get a move on. she was making great progress until...you can read the not so perfect details by clicking here.  how about you. have you ever finished an entire project start to finish without picking up the seam ripper at least once?

shopping cart sweetness...

i had a few bankers in this week looking about the building. the one was telling the other that a quilt shop is sorta like a cult. in a good way, he exclaimed, quickly realizing that i might take offense to that analogy.

i prefer to think of it as a large, extended, happy, family.  i am like the aunt, a role i especially love because i am not one in real life. each time the little one visits, i get to gushingly say, "oh my golly look how big she is."  and i get to spoil them by giving them candy and letting them do fun things around the house...

 

...like pushing the cart with the marble bias tape along with one of our house dogs stacked on top.  remi. what. a. doll. i just want to scoop her up every time she comes in.  and pinch those precious cheeks. hi remi:)

scarlet & gray...

our newest fabrics...bliss blenders by hoffman and squiggles from moda in scarlet and gray can mean only one thing...

 

let the game begin...go bucks!!!  welcome home urban meyer.

color happiness...

a new delivery of batiks from timeless treasures has just arrived...

 

we've decided to arrange them on the round tables because they do so remind us of a color wheel in which i find great happiness.  

sweet katie

if you were in the shop during the fall and winter, you may remember the "coins for katie" jar we had on the counter.  we were helping to raise some funds for an amazing family in tennessee. they had committed to rescuing katie from the orphanage she was living in. just because she had down syndrome.  this weekend we got to meet katherine ruth...

 

she is such a cutie pie. i can't wait to watch what she does as she grows up. she is a smart girl for sure. thank you to our customers who helped our efforts and thank you to katie's family for bringing her to see us.

  

winner, winner

chicken dinner. no not really chicken, rather a fat quarter bundle.  so...in our last quessing game no one really guessed what was in that box. yes it was riley blake, but we needed something a little more specific. like costume clubhouse.  still i feel bad not picking a winner, because we like winners. so...i numbered all the entries 1 thru 45 and went to random.org...

 

and it selected # 7...

which is erin.  please send us an email with your contact info and we will get your fat quarter bundle right out to you.  thanks to everyone for playing along.  be sure to follow us daily for our next fun game.

costume clubhouse...

so...just what was in that box you ask?

 

a bit of riley blake's costume clubhouse. we have fat quarter bundles, ten inch stackers, rolie polies and a bolt of the main fabric.  by not going to market this past spring, i sorta blew it on this one. much is already sold out. like the banners:( at least the purple was still in stock. not for long though for us. three yards already sold this afternoon.

it's time for a guessing...

...game. What do you think will be coming in this next shipment?...

A fat quarter bundle could be yours if you guess correctly.  Winner will be selected from all responding correctly to the question. It's easy just leave your answer on this post.  Contest closes at midnight on August 21.

like a white tornado...

oh my. it is so rare this happens. mrs. clean has been working overtime...

preparing all four front tables for the next big arrival.  i wonder what it will be?

from the heart...

when i walked away from a long and rewarding career three years ago to take care of our sweet sarah as her health was deteriorating before our eyes, i had no idea what the future held. today i have a small glimpse...our second year in the quilt business has come and gone.  a super quick twelve months filled with bright and beautiful fabric, appreciative and returning customers, new friendships, and happiness galore.  we are sincerely grateful.

as with any new venture, there is a certain amount of uncertainty. will it survive? maybe even thrive?  i'd like to think we have passed the infancy stage, chugged into the toddler phase and there we sit in the midst of the sandbox. observing, learning, and anticipating our next steps.  it has not all been easy. we have certainly had our share of growing pains. we've identified somes obstacles. questioned the intent of a few. had our hearts broken a time or two. 

we've had our vision questioned.  our mission doubted.  there have been temper tantrums, by both us and a visitor. we've had checks bounce and products stolen. we've been lied to and had untrue rumors spread. 

but in the end, the challenges do not come close to the fun we've had and the laughter we've shared. the greatest gift of all...sarah is still by my side...alive...which i am grateful for each and every day.

thank you so very much for helping to make our dream come true.  thank you for sticking with us. we look forward to the excitement of a new year!

sweetness everywhere...

there really are no words necessary...

...it just doesn't get any sweeter than beautiful madeline coming to the counter to thank us for the candy treats.  how blessed we are with the sweetest of customers.

tummy candy...

we often hear our store described as eye candy. and we thank you for the accolades.  this week, for our sweet treat extravaganza to celebrate our 2nd anniversary, it has also been filled with tummy candy...

have you gotten your fill yet?  if not, come on in. i must advise that we are not responsible for cavities, missing crowns, or broken teeth.  just pure goodness.

our first class...

we are so fortunate to be surrounded by such talent.  our very first class is this saturday from 10-1 and it is a very special one.  sunshine and lollipops...

was created just for us during our sweet treat extravaganza.  it is being taught be a very fun gal...vickie eapan.  vickie's quilts have been on the covers of several magazines, featured in the moda bake shop book released this past year and soon vickie will have her very own book on the shelves being published by martingale.  this class is designed for the beginning level quilter. it will help perfect your cutting, stitching and working with triangles.  the class is limited to six and each person will have their own machine to work on.  the fee is $35 and includes a yummy lunch.  we still have two spaces available and we will take your reservation over the phone. we will give greater details of supplies needed once you register.

sweet treat extravaganza

so hard to believe this week we celebrate our 2nd anniversary.  and that means it is time for...

SWEET TREAT EXTRAVAGANZA when all precuts from the Moda Bake Shop are on sale!!

Charm packs = $5.00

Layer Cakes = $20.00

Jelly Rolls = $20.00

Patterns = 50% off

Books = 50% off

and the store is FULL of candy!!

Hurry, this only lasts for one week 

 8/7 - 8/11 

*price does not apply to previous purchases and no rain checks will be given

halloweenie time...

if you have been in our store you know how we love halloween...

fun new arrivals this year from moda, riley blake and michael miller.  a few sweet treats around too.