the cutest customer

meet lily. she is truly my dream customer. the cutest smile. a fun personality. curious. and the best part...she already loves fabric!!!

she came into the store and quickly found me in the middle room. she whispered to me that she needed some help and then described the fabric she was looking for. something bright with flowers for her grandma. i walked her back to see bliss. she loved it. she knew exactly how much she needed cut and then she asked me if i could quickly put it into a bag so her grandma wouldn't see it.

she carefully counted out her money that she had saved in a clever little folded paper purse. and then she got to work. she began rearranging the store displays for me. do you see the christmas tree on the round table behind her? she placed it there after taking everything else off. then she got busy on the kids room. she was just so adorable i wanted her to stay all afternoon with me.

i recognized her grandma. edna has been to our shop before. she patiently waited in the front room while lily made her purchase. it so reminded me of when i too was seven and my grandma took me to the fabric store in sidney, new york. that was the beginning of my love for fabric and sewing.

lily and i got to talking. i asked her where she goes to school. at first i did not recognize the elementary she named. so i asked her where it was. it turns out she lives rather far from the store. but as soon as she told me the district, i just knew we shared a connection. the principal of her school was sarah's third grade teacher. one of the best teacher's sarah ever had. a teacher who truly made a difference to our family and one who shaped sarah's future as well as many others. so i told lily about mrs.b. then i went upstairs where sarah was eating her lunch to bring her down to meet lily...to read more about that encounter click HERE.

team colors

today is the day. the day set aside for all buckeyes. it's like a holiday for us ohio state fans. this momma buck is a tad nervous this year. not about the game. the scarlet and gray will win for sure. my two boys are in columbus together. for the first time...unsupervised. a brotherly bonding experience for sure. a passing of the parental alma mater torch i guess. meanwhile, up here in cleveland at jellen's house of fabric, we have all your favorite team colors.

scarlet and gray, maize and blue, purple and gold, brown and orange, green and gold. we now stock moda marbles in over 50 colors. perfect for your favorite fan. Go BUCKS!!!!

black friday + new hours

Join us today for our first ever

BLACK FRIDAY

50% off anything and everything

you can find in the store

that has BLACK as a feature color

yes you read that correctly

all black and white fabrics

will be

$4.00 per yard

for one day only

Friday, November 26

and

starting today

we will be opening at a

new time

You asked and we listened.

Our new store hours will be

Tues. - Sat. 10:00 - 5:00

Thurs. 10:00 - 8:00

while in the store

be sure to visit our

clearance corner

where all fabrics are on sale

sew thankful...

...for all our new friends

we would like to extend our heartfelt appreciation to all our new stitching friends who have supported us during our opening months. we are extremely touched by your enthusiasm and appreciation for a quilt store in our area. we look forward to many years of continued growth and friendship. wishing you and your family a blessed and relaxing thanksgiving.

boxes, boxes, boxes...

it is super helpful when boxes arrive on the day sari and sarah are working.

sari gets busy unpacking...

while sarah does the shelving. any idea what they are unloading? a charm pack of the newest collection is waiting for the first person to guess correctly.

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.

the small details

i've often revealed our new window displays at night. they seem more impactful with the lights shining down.

we've had the window changed for a day or two. and we liked it mostly. but something was just not right. then last night i had reason to drive down the road without pulling into our lot. that's when i recognized it was too open. our fall fabrics in the window did not pop because you can see straight into the big open room. this morning i had an idea...

what do you think? awesome?? yes, that's awesome. no, not the idea. well maybe that too. but the fabric. it's awesome by sandy gervais for moda. i think it's just the punch we're looking for.

fit for royalty

lily and will. designed with babes in mind, ann sutton has created a rich and stunning collection.

we have hand selected all the components you will need to complete an entire nursery or just a piece or two. pre-cuts, fat quarter bundles, satin trim, snuggle for an extra soft backing and patterns are waiting just for the newest delivery in your family.

expecting triplets...

...not to worry. lily & will by ann sutton of bunny hill designs arrived today in pink, blue and green. and chocolate. oh how we love chocolate...

we have lots of precuts too. and chocolate satin truffles. oh sorry my mistake...that would be ruffles...and textures, along with ann's exquisite patterns too. hurry, hurry...i'm afraid these bunnies will not be multiplying, just disappearing quickly.

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.

.

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.

.

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.