a sign of spring...

just under our window are tiny buds sprouting...

and the beautiful painted bird we placed there just before the first snowfall. ahh...there's a freshness swirling about when the first signs of spring appear. something magical. uplifting, rejuvenating.

babies are so cute...

and this one is no exception. our accuquilt go! baby has finally arrived. i guess she must be a girl with this adorable pink carrying bag...

we have the go! baby and several dies set up for demonstration. come in and give it a try. it really is a quick and accurate way to cut designs. if you are interested in purchasing your own, just let me know and i will tell you about a special we have going throughout the month of march.

got milk?

we've got cookies.

as in GIRL SCOUT cookies!!! they sell for $3.50 per box. as a courtesy to our local troop, we will be happy to process your order on credit card if you are short on cash. hurry though. they are going quickly. especially the thin mints.

top o' the morning to ya...

if ever there was a day to make this curly carrot head feel special, it's today. so how about a little celebrating...fiber style...

a darling dancing leprechan whispered in my ear that all green fabric shall be on special today...3 for 17...that would be 3 yards of any fabric sporting the color green for $17.00. now that's a steal of a deal. don't need 3 yards...how about 17% off the purchase of anything green. including fat quarter bundles, buttons, zippers, thread, even mary ellen's best press in citrus grove. sorry offer does not apply to previous purchases or extend beyond march 17, 2011.

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have you signed up for our email club? if not, you will want to come in and sign up today. a very grand offer is going to be announced shortly with a chance to win a pot of gold...

i heart etsy...

do you etsy? a while back i received an email from a writer at etsy. they wanted to do a story about sarah and kristen and the pillowcases. until that time, i was familiar with the site, but not a strong supporter. then the more i got to thinking about it, i fell in love with the concept. so last week i went surfing...

i wanted a few samples using kate spain's central park. so i simply typed in "central park" and found several fun items:

jingle balls from littleladybugz

a large patchwork ball from gingerfreckle

a chenille bib and burbcloth from woodlandrabbit

a bib and ball rattle from thelittlethingsboutique

and a vintage inspired retro apron from terracehill

they all arrived within days of placing my order, even in the midst of our one day blizzard, and each one was made with skilled hands and creative hearts. many of the creators have a story to tell as well. i especially like to know the background of the person(s). it makes each purchase all the more personal.

i also ordered this awesome quilt from frivolousnecessity. i knew it would be a delight as i have purchased items before from crystal. her work is perfection. this has been such a pleasant experience and a wonderful addition to our shop. i wonder what i will find next...

back in business

sarah and i were so relieved to see a clear parking lot as we pulled in.

i've lived in northeast ohio for a very long time. i'm used to snow. yet i am always amazed how it can temporarily bring life to a stand still. like freeze frame. like playing simon says. the good news...we are back to normal business hours. hope to see you soon.

rain, sleet, snow or hail...

i made to the store. barely.

as i tried to turn the wheel to pull into my usual space, my tires had other ideas. i might be stuck. i was pleasantly surprised to find this...

waiting on the cutting counter. it looks like the united states postal service keeps it's word. the deliveries have arrived...

closed until further notice

i had an inkling the weather forcasters were spot on this time when i heard the weather channel was sending a crew to cleveland. sure enough. this is the scene at the end of my home driveway...

right behind the snow plow is an amvet truck also stuck. behind that, the garbage truck. i think i will sit in my nice warm house and wait it out for awhile. i will post again as soon as i make it to the store. be safe please.

spring has sprung...

as in sprung a leak...literally...

inside and out. i think our little furry friends are thinking about going for a swim in that lake forming in our front yard. maybe even jump into the can collecting the drips. inside the window. i guess one should be careful what they wish for. maybe that snow last week wasn't so bad afterall.

sunkissed...

you are my sunshine...

my only sunshine. you make me happy...when skies are gray. you'll never know dear, how much i love you...

sunkissed by sweetwater. brings the sunshine into the front room every single day. we have precuts and yardage...

and all the patterns featuring sunkissed by sweetwater, piece and quilt and this and that. and...

look what i just spotted on sweetwater's etsy site. they always have lots of fun stuff for purchase. check it out. and hurry in for sunkissed. it is not going to be here long.

dream with your hands...

every sunday i have waiting in my gmail inbox a quote of the week from where women create. today's is exceptional...

if you would like to receive your own quote click here. i wish all of you on this snowy sunday in cleveland, beautiful dreaming today. we have all been so blessed with creative hands.

blessings and patience

it is with deep gratitude and appreciation that i am able to introduce you to my new friend alice...

she came in today looking for some binding for this absolutely adorable wall hanging. the level of detail is amazing, much done by needle turn applique with teeny, tiny little stitches. alice is a skilled quilter. i can't imagine the number of masterpieces she has completed in her ninety plus years of life.
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i met alice once before. her first visit to our store did not go quite as planned. we've been so worried about her. week after week, friends would come in and give me a report. it was a slow road to recovery, but alice was patient.
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which made her visit today all the more exciting. it was so good to see her and this adorable project that she was kind enough to let me photograph, but not before she took her coat off and fluffed her hair. jeepers, i hope i have her spunk and sense of humor when i reach her age. just in case you are wondering, we did not have the little red calico she first inquired about, but we did have a perfect red pin dot.
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seeing alice up and walking, full of energy, and sweet as can be, truly made my day. and then she gave me a charming white wicker basket from her collection. she said it looked just like our store and she wanted me to have it for good luck. thank you from the bottom of my heart alice. i will treasure that basket always along with the memories you have etched in my mind.

welcome home frank...

so many of you have asked about the photos we have on display with our collection of red, white and blue fabric. they are all military families that happen to have a child with down syndrome. we pray for their safety often.


tonight, at this very moment, a large crowd has gathered at fort campbell waiting for an aircraft to arrive. soon frank will be getting off that plane. thank you frank for a job well done. i know there are going to be some very happy girls in tennessee.

a walk in central park...

oh how i love this collection...the colors, the laminates, the quilted animal prints...

each time a customer brings a bolt to the counter, i can just imagine what kate was looking at while she strolled through central park. kate tells it so well. to read more about her days in nyc click here.

i love the blues...with a few moda marbles too.

the oranges and yellows. the greens and taupes and of course the lavendar which sarah is kindly debuting on her blog today. central park designed by kate spain for moda. hurry though. it's walking out quickly, especially the animals.

a pillow for kate...

have you been following the moda pillow talk? we have. it has been so fun to read the answers to the questions asked of each designer. and to see their pillows. clever women for sure. all of them. it is no secret that kate spain has been very special to us. so sarah and i had an idea...

we decided to make a pillow. using kate's very first collection verna, sarah got right to work. first she stitched up her signature nine patch. then she did some criss cross quilting. next we talked about what we would put on the front of the pillow that would tell the story of kate.

...it was easy. a big, gigantic heart. because that is just how kate is. full of love with a heart of gold or in this case budding pink. luv u kate.

p.s. click on over to sarah's blog to see her in action. she really enjoyed this project.

a modalicious backdrop...

the pillowcase count had reached nearly 100, so sarah and i were just about ready to dismantle the display to begin the process of washing and prep work necessary to begin our deliveries. and then a phone call came in. sarah was being asked to do an interview with john campanelli, a reporter for the cleveland plain dealer. so we kept the pillowcases in place for one more week...

photo by Lynn Ischay, The Plain Dealer. please do not copy without permission

as lynn eyed the store for a perfect angle from which to shoot, the pillowcases seemed to be a good backdrop. the moment i clicked on the website for the first view today, i was struck by how perfect and beautiful it truly was. for so many reasons. the shared collection of hands that helped create them. the loveliness of so much moda fabric in one place. the light that shines so brightly in memory of kristen ann kirton. thank you to everyone who helped make this possible.

chasing charlotte...

our story in the april 2011 issue of american patchwork and quilting magazine, mentions that we are making quilts for babies adopted through reece's rainbow. this organization helps families navigate the difficult and expensive process of international adoption. specifically, adopting babies born with disabilites(most often Down syndrome) who are then placed in orphanages because of their disability.

today, a blog post came our way that is accepting donations for this beautiful hand stitched quilt...

all in an effort to help charlotte's family raise money to help bring her home. before it is too late. head on over to chasing charlotte to see pictures of this sweet, adorable child. and if you can, please make a donation.

a heart quilt for sarah

twenty one years ago today, my baby girl lay fighting for her life in the cardiothoracic intensive care unit following her open heart surgery. she wasn't supposed to still be here. if her recovery had gone as planned, we would be back on the regular peds floor and she would be wearing the little red dress i had made for her first valentine's day. instead, she was still connected to a ventilator, tubes coming from every tiny limb, she even had an iv line coming from the top of her almost bald head. each tube was connected to a pump, controlling the flow of various medications trying to bring her out of the crisis she was facing. we had been told the outcome looked grim.

as i sat in the corner chair in the parent lounge, waiting for the next hour when we could visit again, i felt a great need to do something. with my hands. the idle time was unbearable. my mind often wanted to veer off course. to imagine the worse. i needed an outlet. i needed to create. so i started a quilt. a teeny, tiny, little quilt. with hearts. not just for valentine's day...

but also as a reminder of the valiant fight sarah was demonstrating. i didn't have much time, or much fabric. but then my six month old daughter was a mere eighteen inches long and was loosing weight faster than she was gaining it.

i needle turn appliqued four small hearts onto a square of muslin. i embroidered four hearts with red floss. and then i chain stitched her name in the center. during my next visit to her bedside, i tenderly placed the quilt upon her bruised and limp body, being careful to not disturb any tubes or wires. soon after, the machine monitoring her heart rate beeped. the nurse told me that meant she was happy. and that meant for a moment, i was happy. that tiny little quilt meant something to my girl. and that gave me a new sense of hope. sarah's quilt continued to give her comfort for the many months of her recovery.

for a few years i carried it with me when i would talk to groups about having a medically fragile child. i took it to a few needle and quilt guilds in the early 90's, then i tucked it away for safe keeping. until last year december. the fat quarter shop was doing a giveaway for l'amour by sandy gervais. they asked for a letter to be written to santa to explain why you would like to win, so i did. unbeknown to me, one of sarah's nurses from so many years before had been reading her blog. she left a comment asking if we still had the quilt. so i went searching.

february 2011. in the front window of our new quilt store, i slowly and delicately laid that teeny tiny quilt on the table. not that i needed to be careful of the tubes and wires this time, rather i wanted to savor in the beauty of where we are. today. alive. thankful. and so very blessed by a grand master plan so full of details. and tiny stitches. in both sarah's heart and in her quilt.

charming charlevoix...

i love peach and yellow. something so springy about it. minick and simpson have made this collection so easy on the eyes. soothing. tranquil. beautiful. like their days in charlevoix. michigan that is.

did you catch their pillow...the airplane is so cute...the apple is oh so clever...the doggie just adorable. laurie and polly also included a flag. why? they call themselves the americana designers of moda...

we would agree with that. lots of new red, whites and blues arrived too. stripes, swirls, plaids and cherries:)

oh my darling...

if you have had the chance to read sarah's story in the april 2011 issue of american patchwork & quilting, you might recall that it mentions a charm pack that caught sarah's eye. it was really the beginning of it all. it actually wasn't a charm pack, rather turnovers, of clementine...

a bright and cheery design by me and my sister. you can read all about how clementine caught sarah, "hook, line and sinker" here. and speaking of me and my sister, no not my sister, i am an only child, i'm talking about barb and mary, the fun loving sisters who design for moda. their pillow is showcased today in the moda pillow talk and it is sooooooo cute. click on over to their blog for a view and a chance to win a quilt. oh and don't forget to come into the store to see pieces parts of their newest collection...dilly dally.

p.s. we are not responsible for that tune being stuck in your head all day...you know the one...oh my darling, oh my darling, oh my darling clementine...

in the news...

it is such a great feeling to be able to share my love of fabric, while at the same time furthering our mission and letting others know how important it is to think outside the box when it comes to hiring.

the sun newspaper ran a story today telling of a job fair i participated in. sitting next to me is audrey, a great customer and friend who has also worked tirelessly throughout her career to support the efforts of hiring young adults with developmental disabilities. we are interviewing brittany, a young woman who i have had the pleasure of knowing almost as long as i have known sarah, as their birthdays are just nine days apart. we interviewed several students that day and would have hired nearly all of them, especially the young man who asked us what the benefit would be to working in our store. audrey quickly replied, "you get to play with this wonderful fabric all day" to which he enthusiastically replied, "awesome!!!" and that's exactly how we feel every day. click here to read the entire article.

bliss...

...supreme happiness, utter joy, contentment...

words found in the dictionary to describe bliss and they seem like such a perfect description of bonnie and camille's collection appropriately named...bliss. it seems everywhere i turn lately, there is a new magazine featuring something beautiful made with bliss. it's been a great seller for valentine's day too. which means we are starting to sell out of several bolts. so please hurry if you need a bit more to finish a project before it is gone. we have a few flannels left too and just for our blog readers...this week only...bliss flannels will be 50% off. just mention you read our blog.

oh speaking of bonnie...have you been following the moda designers pillow talk? i love bonnie's pillow...click here to see it. oh wait there's more...thursday update...the darling adorable camille has posted her pillow...click here to see it and a sneak peak of ruby.

the lady in red...

...is our very own miss sarah. in just a few short days we will be celebrating her 21st happy heart day. for those who don't know, sarah had open heart surgery when she was just six months old. she was born with a complete ventricular septual defect. which basically means she was missing the wall between her ventricles. sarah's post op recovery was quite complicated and she spent several months in and out of intensive care, but that one operation saved her life. without it, she would not have reached her first birthday.

so we really do take the month of february to heart. and this year we ask you to please join us. come to the store. not only are all red fabrics and notions 50% off on 2.4.11...

we have information from the american heart association for you to take home. we have red dress pins and silly bandz for you to take. and please be sure to sign a red heart to hang on our door before you leave. we have made this year's donation in honor of not only sarah but all of our new friends. be sure to stay tuned...we have a fun announcement coming soon...

we will be wearing red...

will you? please join us as we celebrate heart month. the american heart association reports that heart disease is the #1 killer of women.

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be heart healthy

logon to www.goredforwomen.org

join the cause

wear red for women

on friday, february 4th...

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and receive 50% off everything red in the store. this one day only 2.4.11 we have many fabrics and notions to choose from. do it for your daughter, your sister, your mother, your grandmother. do it for you.

coming out to the world...

i knew this day was coming, for some time actually. the original interview occurred in late october. i'd been thinking about it on and off since then. not sure exactly how it would play out. just knowing that our story and our shop would be introduced to the quilting community via a feature in this magazine...

...subscribers started to receive their copies early last week and they came to the store for sarah's autograph. fun. then we started to receive congratulatory comments on sarah's blog. nice. then came a comment from a reader whose unborn baby was recently diagnosed with down syndrome. we gave her hope, she said. amazing. i wasn't prepared for a quilting magazine to act as a catalyst for connections to that part of our story. thankful. today, the story brought joy to a grieving mother. priceless.
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ps...i guess i should mention...sarah's pillowcases for kristen story is featured on page one of this april 2011 issue. under the heading quilting changes everything. yes indeed it has. for so many of us. an interesting tidbit...our first empty bolt...the one on display in the store...was from edyta sitar's let it snow collection. do you see who's studio is featured in this magazine?
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i would like to thank maria charbonneaux for taking the time to interview sarah and for writing this story. she captured it just perfectly. for sarah. for kristen. and for me. we are so very grateful.