sunday sweetness...

from the creatively loving hands of our very own sarah...

...to eva noel hook...now with her graciously loving forever family. to read more...click here.

hope, joy, love & peace...

our christmas in july sale is about to come to a close.

photo does not guarantee availability

don't miss the countdown to christmas as the calendar rolls one month closer to december. today is the last day to purchase all your holiday fabrics at just $5.00 per yard. be early as bolts are disappearing rapidly.  quilt and pillow in countdown to christmas by sweetwater for moda by crystal  of frivolous necessity (pattern available in her etsy shop and our shop) and large selvage stocking from kathi's christmas on etsy.

open late tonight...

yes we know it's friday.  we don't want anyone to be left in the cold...

and miss our christmas in july sale. so tonight we stay open until 8:00 pm or such time the music stops playing because the party is over. in other words, we will stay as late as we need to so you...our cherished customers...are happy.  remember...all fabric in our christmas room is $5.00 per yard only thru saturday.

a holiday treat...

it's the little things in life...

...like chocolate, peppermint and gum drops, that help us get through the day.  a little christmas fabric at $5.00 per yard helps too. now through saturday only. hurry. it's going fast. both the chocolate and the fabric.  that cute little candy mat is by jennifer over at the bright spot on etsy. 

it's time...

for our first annual christmas in july sale!!!

for one week only beginning today 7/26 thru 7/30, all christmas fabric will be just $5.00 per yard. see website for further details. hurry in for best selections as this sale will go public in the newspapers on thursday. featured...flurry by kate spain. 

terrain in kate's korner...

rumors spread so quickly amongst the quilters in northeast ohio...

yes indeedy, there are were twelve charm packs and one fat eighth bundle of terrain in the attic of the house within the house.  i believe as of today we are down to six. not to worry though, there will be more coming along with the fabric sometime in september.  so glad kate got this amazing autumn collection completed before franny and lou came along. i don't think she is spending much time designing these days. her inbox is full of other things. i bet they would like to meet zipper one day.

girls just wanna have fun...

the mayfield village quilt guild came to visit. and golly did we have fun...

sharing, laughing, and learning. and then they took us to lunch at brio. thanks ladies. we truly enjoyed your company.

summer house...

it's for sure summer in the house...

with our newest addition, summer house by lily ashbury for moda.  actually lily ashbury is designed not by a lily but by stephanie carter and team. hop on over to the official lily ashbury blog quickly and you might just win a jelly roll of summer house. if by some chance you don't win, come into our house where it looks like summer every day of the year.  summer house bolts just arrived today and are front row and center for your viewing enjoyment.

pillowcases for kristen...

sarah ely and kristen kirton

two young women who change the world

please join us at JEllen's house of fabric for our:

one million pillowcase challenge

 sew in

july 20, 2011

10:00am - 5:00pm

.

our goal is to make another 50 pillowcases on that one day in loving memory of kristen ann kirton who lost her brave battle with leukemia on july 20, 2010. kristen taught the world so much in her short 24 years and we want to help her family continue to share her shining light. we will have pre-cut kits ready and sewing machines available. we need your time and extra hands. questions? please call the shop at 440-684-9830. can't make it that day. please feel free to stop in and pick up a kit or bring us your already completed pillowcases.

frivolous necessity...

you've asked. and asked. and asked and asked. and asked some more. and guess what...

crystal of frivolous necessity has been feverishly working behind the scenes to prepare patterns for you.  the best news...they are now in the shop for your purchase.  i would say hurry.  but something tells me i don't need to this time. y'all will be running. especially, for the woven basket.  don't see the one your looking for? be patient. crystal is hard at work creating even more patterns for your enjoyment.  

who's birthday is it...

...why it's mine and yours!!! 

everyday is like a birthday party when the big brown truck arrives.

hip happy lily

my favorite lily was in today. she has been saving her money for something special...

...this funky heart & paisley print from the hip happy collection by lizziebcre8ive. lily carefully counted out her money from the hot pink sparkly change purse she carried today. she had just enough to buy what she needed to make a skirt. i can't wait to see how cute it is the next time lily comes in. grandma edna is helping lily learn to sew. please make time to inspire one another. the next generation will appreciate your time and creativity will evolve.  happy stitching lily.

let freedom ring...

we just love our red, white & blue. so excited to have a very good reason to bring it to the front window...

it just sparkles with the night time lights shining upon it.  red & blue batiks, quilts of valor collection from red rooster, several different collections from minick & simpson for moda including their latest charlevoix.

how very blessed we are to live in this magnificent country. our independence does not come without sacrifice and we wish to take this opportunity to thank the men and women who work tirelessly and without fanfare to protect our freedom.

.

we will be closed on sunday 7/3  and monday 7/4. then we will be open our regular hours beginning on tuesday 7/5 when all red, white & blue fabrics will be...Buy One Yard...Get One Yard Free*. that's just $8.00 for two yards of quilt quality fabric!!!
.

*full yard cuts only. price does not apply to previous purchases and no rainchecks will be granted.

in today's sun newspaper...

i wasn't kidding...

hip happy by lizziebcre8ive for henry glass fabrics will change your mood. i guarantee it. it's just that fun. and speaking of exciting, hop on over to Lizzie and Beth's website for lots of ideas. they even have an emag full of dreaming, laughing and creating.  the entire collection of hip happy fabric is now in the shop.  we also have a few hip patterns and this awesome brand new book...

by the creative pair featuring seven projects made with hip happy.  people do ask, yes it truly is like my birthday everyday of the week at jellen's. this delivery is reminding me a tad of 1972 or so. the years of my peter max craze. hip happy. what a feeling.

a state of mind...

???

...delivered in a box? why of course. anything is possible in our house of fabric. you'll see...

going, going, gone...

it's finally summer!!!! and boy is it hot. perfect time to start working on a new project or two. and we have some great deals to help you get started...

please note: picture does not guarantee what we currently have available. 

we have just slashed the prices in half of a morris tapestry by barbara brackman, luna notte by 3 sisters, and all french general in the house. that translates to $4.00 per yard for cottons and $9.00 per yard for pre-quilted. you must hurry as it is flying out the door. this sale will be going public in the sun newspapers one week from today. please note: sale prices do not apply to previous purchases and sale goods do not qualify for frequent buyer stamps. interested in a specific bolt? call us and we will ship it out if you are a previous customer.

surprise...

i ran upstairs for just a minute or two. when i returned i found this...

sitting on the counter with no one in sight.  i was beside myself with glee. is this not the cutest galaxy pouch you have ever seen. sarah and i owe a certain someone a very big THANK YOU!!!

introducing zipper...

we have a new store mascot...

isn't she the cutest thing. just a few weeks old and abandoned by her mother, our good friend and customer agreed to step up and become kitty's surrogate.  this is no easy task, as you can see. especially for a woman who is used to raising great danes. something tells me bonnie won't be bringing in any sweet dresses for display anytime soon, so that might be my que to get sewing.

bonnie was so sweet to bring zipper in to meet sarah. it was a match made in heaven or so we thought. unfortunately sarah's asthma and already compromised respiratory system kicked into over drive and zipper had to make a quick departure. we will be sure to follow her development though.

our final moments...

it was time to say goodbye to salt lake city, utah.  this is one trip we will truly never forget. for so very many priceless reasons.

we know we are late heading back to the hotel, so our room key will likely not work. i decide we may as well have one last hurrah before departing. something i've wanted to do for the last few days, but found too many people around for it to be safe. until now...

ready sarah...one, two, three...go...(bag by sandradembroidery)

this is where i put the camera on point and shoot while chasing after the run-a-way chair.  sarah laughs until she's giddy. then requests to do it again. and so we do. until we are both. out. of. breath. but oh the fun we have.

at the bottom of the incline is a rotunda filled with an interesting set of chimes. we take a minute to just listen.

to soak up our final moments. moments that many will never understand. that's ok. i've come to accept it. sarah and i are a team. a unique team, yet a pairing i wouldn't trade for anything.

as we walk out into the warm, sunny, utah air, i breathe deeply. so very thankful for this time spent with friends. for sarah's health, which i don't take for granted when we travel. for my health. for having the financial backing to be able to afford such a trip when so many others are struggling. thank you to all who have helped us. 

before we leave, we have one more stop to make. i ask our taxi driver if she will drive us around the block before heading to the airport. she gladly obliges. 

what would a trip to salt lake city be without a view of temple square. truly more breathtaking than any photo can display. the sky was picture perfect. postcard blue with big white fluffy clouds. i so appreciate the lds members who support us in cleveland and those who helped with our dedication and moment of prayer for kristen's family.

most of our readers know this trip was not just about quilt market. it was about meeting polly and her family. i will cherish this time together for the rest of my life. the kirton family has meant so much to us. afterall, their precious kristen was the impetus for sarah learning to sew and ultimately the opening of our house of fabric. 

and as i watched sarah so carefully place the purple butterfly she chose to put in the ground at kristen's final resting place, i have no doubt that kristen is with her every step of the way. as we were leaving the cemetery that day, sarah called out "goodbye kristen. happy birthday. see you soon." i don't know how soon, soon will be, but i left that day confident and peaceful that whenever and wherever they will be, kristen and sarah will be side by side.

two pillowcases ~ sarah in cleveland, ohio ~ kristen in salt lake city, utah

i have had this post ready to go for a few days, but for some reason i just could not hit publish. then something happened in the store yesterday. powerfully emotional. divinely inspirational. before i left the building, i went upstairs to share it with polly. her post had me in tears. sadness fills her heart. yet kristen's light shines bright. i am humbled that sarah and i have been chosen to see it's brightness, yet so thankful for the experience.

saving the best for last...

sarah and i were about to leave the convention center. we had exactly ten minutes to make it back to the hotel before we would be locked out of our room. the room with all our utah found treasures in it. i was pushing as fast as i could...until...

we rounded a corner and spotted this. how could i have missed this awesome display in our favorite colors? and then i realized it was amanda murphy's booth.  i pulled sarah in for a closer look...

and amanda herself turned around. i was star struck. i missed out on ordering her last collection, swiss chocolate. i luv that one...of course i do...there's that word...chocolate:) i ordered some from another shop i luv it so much. amanda was soooo sweet. she spent so much time with us. we learned all about her new sampler block of the month pattern...

which she has cleverly designed to be used as both stand alone projects or...

grouped together into this awesome sampler quilt. of course i luv this one too...purple:)

amanda has a new series of patterns she has designed. hopefully we can get them into the shop this week. now at the time i had no idea of this amazing connection...one of our good shop friends...mary of kwilt noob fame... has been testing patterns for amanda. and i got to see them in person last week. (why i did not take pictures is beyond me. i always get to talking and forget about the camera...until after the creations and their creators leave the store:( veranda. in two color ways...sorbet and garden...both just fabulous!!!

and there's more...

i feel like we have been posting about quilt market forever. can you imagine in real life all this fun happening in less than three full days? no wonder i came home exhausted. a good tired though. a few more sightings worth noting...

we have bonded with our new go baby. i love how accuquilt uses bright colors in their displays. this one caught my eye in meadow friends by deb strain for moda. it will be arriving in the shop sometime late summer. 

sarah was intrigued with the flowers on this shirt. a tad odd as she is not usually a girly girl when it comes to fashion.  might just have to try this at home. the petals are made of several different colors of organza which i should have plenty of in the personal stash from all those years of stitching bridal attire.

and how about this cute holiday creation? if only i had room in my suitcase for the bird cage it would have come home with me. too cute.

this one stopped me dead in my tracks. i. can. not. wait. for terrain to arrive. magnificent colors and presentation. kate surely has out done herself again with this fabric collection.

and then i turned and caught a glimpse of hometown by sweetwater. is it any wonder these two collections will be arriving in grand fashion.  two great ones for sure. and speaking of winners...

the above two patterns and this whimsical collection of pillows have been designed by none other than janice and marcea of abbey lane quilts. love everything about these two. and they even offered sarah a fabric flower right off their display. thank you so much.

now here's something new. retro clean. reports to take the yellowing right out of your stained fabric.

we brought home a dozen packs and the cute pail. although i must admit, some passers by thought it's purpose was for something other than holding cute samples. especially being held by girl in wheelchair. that kind of stuff used to bother me. now, i just appreciate the fact it makes people get out of our way, so we can see more great things...

...like chris gardner, our hoffman rep, writing us an order for more bali pops. they are the best tasting suckers in the shop:)

and some of you will be happy to know a new color flavor, very similar to cappuccino that is hanging on our wall thanks to crystal, will be arriving in september. it is called coconut. this time i ordered ten. i hope that is enough. now speaking of cappuccino and coconut i think i will go grab a cup before writing the next post. it's a good one...

more qm designer sightings...

sunday was the day of all days for sure. i can't tell you what a pleasure it was to meet so many great designers. i love putting a face to a name and realizing what talented and kind people are working behind the scenes for our enjoyment...

kari ramsey of fresh cut quilts. do you see the dogs in sarah's arms. oh so cute.

valori wells for free spirit. we just love valori's birds.  

heather muldoon of ankas treasures for henry glass fabrics.

konda luckau for moose on the porch quilts. this gives us an idea for our new line of patterns...what do you think of deer on the deck? it was so nice to meet konda. we enjoy her pattern books and have all of them in stock in the store.

and verna mosquera of the vintage spool. look closely at the wall hanging and the table.

are they adorable or what? it is all been made from her newest collection called tea cakes

for free spirit fabrics. we absolutely love it. still more quilt market to come. stay tuned...