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.

Sew Spooktacular Event

We are having a one day super SEW SPOOKTACULAR Event.

All things Halloween will be 50% off our already low prices. That means Haunted Mansion by Sanae for Moda, Halloween Night by Minick and Simpson for Moda and Boo to You by My Mind's Eye for Riley Blake will be just $4.00 per yard. All patterns with a Halloween Theme too. And all orange, black and purple rick rack, pom-poms and buttons also will be 50%. Hurry. Hurry. Stock is limited to what is on hand and sale prices do not apply to previous purchases. We will not be able to stamp frequent buyer cards during this event.

Plus...

Sarah and Sari have been working very hard to have treat bags ready for our first Charity Event.

The Charity Table includes:

Fabric Treat Bags with two Cheryl's cookies = $10.00 (includes one punch on your frequent buyer card)

Candy Cards featuring Malley's Chocolate = $2.00

Candy Corn = $1.00

patterns by Little Scraps from This & That = $4.00

doodlebug design buttons = $3.00

All sales will go directly to Reece's Rainbow and Camp Cheerful

Hope to see you in the store on Saturday, October 30 from 11:00 - 5:00

an itsy bitsy sneak peak...

stayed tuned for more details...

it's halloween week

we have been having lots of fun stitching up for halloween in the shop. i thought i would try a pattern a just recently discovered with haunted mansion by sanae for moda.

the pattern is charmed living topper by rebecca of ruby blue quilting studio. i love how it came out with this fabric collection. it will make a festive addition to the front window.

four is better than two...

i had an idea today. so i asked sari if she would like to help me with a sewing project. she agreed.

and we learned together that four hands...

...can make many halloween treat bags!!! next task...stuffing the treat bags with goodies:)

a weekend in the city...

there has been a quiet patience for our newest arrival. liesl gibson certainly has a loyal group of followers...

and now, they can walk right into our store. the entire city weekend collection including all the adorable patterns have arrived. for a limited time only for our blog readers, if you purchase a minimum of two 1 yard cuts of city weekend, you may select any oliver + s pattern at half price. just mention this secret word...adorable.

thrilled to meet rachel clark...

i knew rachel k.d. clark was to be in town. i've had customers tell me about the exciting events the africian american quilt and doll guild had planned for this weekend. yet i never imagined rachel would walk in the shop. our shop. not just once, but twice. i was thrilled beyond words.

if you're not familiar with her work, you must take a moment to go to her website. she has an extremely impressive list of accomplishments and a very full touring schedule (tomorrow she will be in oberlin, ohio for our local readers). she is well known for her amazing coats. and i mean amazing. she is currently working on one featuring halloween details. she fell in love with some greens i have. some purples and oranges too. we had such a grand time talking and sharing sewing tales. thank you so much rachel for stopping by and for all the kind words i know you are spreading about our store. happy stitching and safe travels to you.

introducing mr. ted e. bear...

i've known mr. ted. e. bear for many years now. he is a very well traveled man. his ventures have spanned the globe. he owns a well styled wardrobe and sports a selection of comprehensive accessories. his greetings are found throughout the region. today he made his way onto a shelf in the house of fabric. he seems quite comfortable amongst the awesome fall collection designed by sandy gervais. can you spot him? a $10.00 gift certificate to the store awaits the first person to identify the location of his recent photo shoot.

paradise...

... just arrived today. paradise batiks as dreamy as the sandy beach and foaming waves in maui. surf on over for your own lucious experience. it's like feeling a warm glow of the tropical sunshine without ever leaving home.

it's not pretty...

i once worked in an office where a few of the lead staff were just terrible at planning. they always waited until the last minute to give the secretaries their work, which often would necessitate them working late the evening before a big meeting. stress levels increased tenfold. if the directors had just done some planning. used their brain a little more, everyone would have been happier and more productive. one day a support person had enough. so she hung the above sign on the wall of her cubicle. i never forgot that. i've tried to live by that motto. it is just common courtesy. it creates good will.

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but i've also lived long enough to observe that time and time again, it's the poor planners, the one's who can't think beyond today that often rule the think tank. they have a way of getting their needs met regardless of how others are treated in the process. regardless of the loss of productivity. regardless of the disruption to others. regardless of the additional financial requirements.

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do i sound bitter? sorry. i am. this could have all been taken care of when we were knee deep in mud, the plaster kind. when the painters were here. when the carpenter was here. unfortunately it wasn't. so please check this blog often for new details about some construction that must occur in our building. it will necessitate the closing of the store for a time in the near future. hopefully only a few days. i appreciate your patience and understanding.

mayfield village quilt exhibit

we had a great day at the mayfield township historical society biennial quilt show. there are many beautiful quilts on display by the members of this quilt guild. they are serving yummy cookies and punch. we have a small booth featuring our fall collections set up along with marcy from katie brooke quilt shop in kent, ohio and beth from cottonpickers in madison, ohio. the show runs from 9:30 - 4:00 on sunday too, so come out and join us if you are in the area.

NOTICE...store CLOSING...

JEllen's house of fabric

will be closed

on Saturday, October 9, 2010

so we may participate

as a vendor

at the

Mayfield Township Historical Society Biennial Quilt Show

October 9 & 10

9:30 - 4:00

at the

Mayfield Village Civic Center

corner of Wilson Mills and Som Center Roads

Hope to see you there

white vs. wheat...

are you a white bread lover or a wheat bread connoisseur? today's delivery reminded me of that debate. many would open the box with some disappointment. nothing to colorful. maybe not even worth a second glance.

oh yet think about your best loved sandwich...without the bread...it would be...well...nothing. so today i was happy to see our arrivals of bella solids...in white, ivory, snow and natural. they go with our collections like filling to the bread...yummy. and like all bella solids, they sell for only $5.00 per yard.

and speaking of bread...did you catch the latest free project on the moda bake shop? it's a very clever creation called the bread buddy...click HERE for the link.

a walk in central park

i am one spoiled woman. i had men arriving at the store yesterday bearing amazing gifts. how lucky i am!! i already wrote about my handsome helper...i forgot to mention that it was a fugi apple salad from panera...my most favorite salad in the whole world...with two containers of dressing which means he has been paying very close attention.

and then moda mark stopped by. on a saturday no less. with this baby wrapped in the palm of his hand...

ohhh laaa laaa...i can't believe it...i truly was shaking i was so excited. thank you sooooo much mark. is this a sight to be hold or what? it's like a walk in central park...oh wait...it is central park...the newest soon to be revealed collection by kate spain. i just don't know how kate does it. each collection is somehow better than the last. i have already ordered the entire selection...including laminates...that will make the greatest spring rain apparel you have ever seen. i hate being the bearer of bad news...but i must...it will not be in the shop until january. but that gives you plenty of time to finish the other ufos in your stash and to dream a little...of a walk...in beautiful springtime...in central park.

my handsome helper...

i had a few surprises in the store today. all good. very good. after two very early soccer games in lodi, the youngest son arrived to be my helper.

he's not sure he wants to learn to sew just yet, but he was more than happy to alphabetize our email club slips. he answered the phone a few times, even greeted some customers. he seems fascinated by the biz. i wouldn't be surprised if he's not running the cash register soon. the best part besides just having him here...he brought me lunch. thanks matt. i love you.

oozing with warm butter...

at least once a day for the past few weeks someone has mentioned tater bags. it is by far the most requested item in our store's short existence. so...

we now have warm tater in the house. it measures 22" wide and sells for $2.50 per yard. hurry though. it is already melting out the door.

if you were in the store today...

we have worked so hard to make our store a positive, uplifting place for our quilting friends to visit. unfortunately, there are situations that are out of our control. i feel badly about the experience a few of you received today. from the man at the side door to the women in the basement, i know it was not a pleasant experience. hearing people scream at each other never is. please know we are working to resolve the situation. i ask for your support. please do not let this one day keep you from coming back to our shop again. we need you. joyce and sarah

the one turnpike delivery

toledo to cleveland. so just what was in that box that arrived in one quick day...

amy butler's style stitches. it's a great one. make that two. that's all we have in stock. so hurry.

oh checker io

oh - io. if you're from ohio you know the cheer. oh - io. and so it goes. around the room, a bar, a stadium. someone chants oh and it is enthusiastically followed by io. not to long ago i met with dj from checker distrubutors. they supply shops like ours. the best thing is they have a large warehouse in ohio. and i like to support my good ole buckeye state. we're hurting here in the midwest. steel jobs are gone for good. automotive too. so i like it when i feel i am contributing to our home economy.

it never occurred to me when i placed my first order...it would be here the next day. now that is a double reason for an oh - io!!!

a perfect feature

i'm always a little nervous when i meet with a reporter. you grant them permission to tell your story and then you hope they understand your message. the day jeff came for the interview the store was crazy busy. i had to keep leaving our interview to help customers. while I was doing so, jeff decided to speak with a few of them. i wasn't sure what they would say. i also was not sure how the mission of our store would come across. after all, we are a bit different than many business establishments. my first read through put all my fears to rest. jeff did a beautiful job of telling our story...

(click on pictures to enlarge)

no sew tree

the no sew tree we have been working on in the store is finished. stay tuned for a step by step tutorial.

bad sun

the longer we're in business, the more often i'm asked questions about what i have our workers do. more specifically, our employees with autism and down syndrome. i'm not sure if it is simple curiosity or if they are questioning if they really can do the work. i hope one day every customer has the chance to personally observe how hard they work.

i assure you i have plenty to keep them busy. one of the most often heard comments when a new costumer walks into our store is this, "ohhhh...it is so bright in here. i love the windows and the great lighting."

yes the windows are wonderful. yet the western facing windows allow the hot afternoon sun to touch our fabric. and that is not so good. so once a week we rotate stock. that is one of sari's tasks. she pulls off the top shelf fabric and replaces it with the fabric previously on the bottom shelf.

this past week we have been very blessed with beautiful sunshine. as our cleveland followers know, that is not something we take for granted. as sari was diligently working on her task, i overheard her look out the window and say, "bad sun. bad sun to our fabric." and that my friends, made my day.

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p.s. the fabric...kate spain's...12 days of christmas...we've already sold out of two bolts, so hurry in to get the best selection

Fandango After Dark

We revealed our first window display at night, so it seemed only fitting that we repeat this practice with...

FANDANGO
by Kate Spain

I have been patiently awaiting it's arrival, as have many of our customers. I have read about Kate's inspiration on her blog. I even talked with her in person. I must admit, even though I had thumbed through the charm packs, each bolt we unloaded from the box seemed more amazing than the last. The colors are rich, yet muted. The designs are breathtaking. I promise you will not be disappointed with this collection. Hurry though, I have been cutting it all day. I know a few of the bolts are already more than half gone.

i'm in love with another man...

...please let me introduce you to pete. he has been our ups driver for the entire thirteen years we have been in this building. for our business upstairs, he delivers a single envelope twice a month which contains our payroll. that could be reason enough to like him. every now and then he brings a box of office supplies. a little heavier, still he always has a smile on his face. then...

...i opened this fabric store. and soon the boxes weighed seventy to eighty pounds. and they usually arrive in multiples. still, pete always has a smile on his face. today, i asked him if i could take his picture. he was not so sure. he's a pretty humble guy. then i told him i wanted to have a picture of the happiest guy i know. ahh sucks...he said...ok. thanks pete. we really do appreciate your hard work and sunny disposition.

it's ok to feel my fabric...

with great fanfare...

i present fandango...in flannel. i knew it was coming on monday. and i am usually closed on that day. yet, i had a customer waiting so patiently. so i called to let her know it had arrived. she rushed to the store within fifteen minutes. fandango flannel. it's that fabulous. if you've never felt moda flannel... it's worth a visit. three tactile tables are set up... just until thursday... that's when the fandango cotton is expected to arrive... better hurry... it's already going fast.