it's father's day...

i originally posted this last year, yet it's message still rings true...and i would like to send out a message to my dad.  he is rarely visible around the house of fabric, but behind the scenes he has been one of my greatest supporters. visiting chamber events, offering business advice, building shelving, even paying invoices to help us get started. jellen's would not be what it is today without his help. not to mention being the best grandfather ever to his precious sarah...

thanks dad. we truly appreciate your help. happy father's day. we love you!!!

when perfection arrives...

there are days when life can just be...frustrating. but then the door chimes and in walks a breath of fresh air...

pure perfection.  sarah and luke.  they have so much to teach me. so much to teach the world.

it's often the little things...

...in life that warm the heart. i was searching for an email address for a customer when i came across this...

it is the writing of my little buddy ammon.  he has been coming in with his mommy since the early days of our shop being open. each and every time he melts my heart. so adorable.  his entire family came in recently. to say goodbye.  that's the hard part of having a shop so close to a university.  we have many transient customers. in this case, dad just graduated from case medical school and is now off to arizona where he will complete his residency in neurosurgery.  i've learned a lot from this family. the commitment it takes to keep others alive.  more importantly, that love keeps it all going. wishing the messegee's the best. we will miss you so much.

planning time...

...in the sewcial lounge. why yes, these are calendar pages you see...

shocking?  i do believe.  but with patience and perseverance, all things are possible.  we are putting the final touches on the next few months.  if you are interested in teaching a class, leading a block-of-the month club, or have any suggestions for what you want to see included in our curriculum, now is the time to let your voice be heard. 

kiss the cook...

just in time for father's day.  or for the barbeque go to guy in your life...

kiss the cook, condiments, ketchup and mustard by michael miller along with turf, plaid and ticking by emily herrick.

the fat quarter bundle belongs to the lucky winner of the guessing challenge on facebook. if you don't follow us over there you might want to. just click the facebook link over to the right of this post.

national donut day...

who knew?  it was on the first of june. i missed it.  but not to worry...

last night my friend catherine, sarah and i made a midnight run to the dunkin'.  i don't know why this has never happened before, but i stared more at their logo than i did the donuts.  four squares, bright pink and orange, white sashing, a little applique.  can you see where this is heading...  

more about malka...

the newest issue of american patchwork & quilting has a very nice article about one of moda's newest designers, malka dubrawsky...

we have both the magazine and much of her fabric in the shop.  as an added treat, we also are lucky enough to have a pillow made by malka herself. come on in to see it.  if you are reading this from affair, send us an email with your contact info and we will be happy to ship the fabric to you.

another box...

of reading material, hot off the press. arrived today...

did you know we are on an automatic delivery rotation with all better homes & garden's quilt magazine products?  they are just about the only thing that arrives by fed ex, so when i see the purple and green truck pull in i know more visual yummies have arrived:)

travel companion...

just in time for your summer travel plans...

the quilters' travel companion has arrived. and we are in it!!!  this is the must have, go to, travel bible for all quilters. don't leave home without one. 

home sweet home...

every now and then someone walks into your life for a reason. that happened to me just a short while ago. of course at the time i wasn't fully aware of the significance. i'm sure eileen wasn't either. i've been busily working on a quilt this week...

some of you have seen it. some of you wondered why i had taken on the challenge. truthfully, i questioned that myself.  the answer can be found on my creative blog.

sample sale...

today begins our first ever sample sale...

all proceeds will go to reece's rainbow, a down syndrome adoption ministry.

a heart of gold...

those are the words kristi capel thought to add to the segment as she was describing sarah.  we are on a journey that includes so many wonderful friends who we also could decribe as having a heart of gold.  thank you to each and every one of you who have helped make this story possible...

hello luscious, front...

...and center. each and every time we change the front window display i can't help but step back and drool.  this one especially...

featuring hello luscious by basicgrey and sophie by chez moi both for moda.

a rednek woman...

i'd heard so many people talkin' about these new glasses.  for down home feminine drinkin' i reckon...

so i was pretty happy when i found 'em. even happier once they arrived...

can't decide which one i like best...the wine, the margarita or the martini:) btw...new window display in progress...featuring a queen size beauty by our very own katrina. stay tuned...

snake eyes...

i was so excited when i heard the cleveland zoo was offering free admittance to moms on mother's day.  then i realized i no longer have any children who want to go with me. so i headed over to the sewcial lounge for some afternoon relaxation...

i think a trip to the zoo might have been a safer idea:)  yes, the needle broke. fortunately, after it went through my finger.  how about you. do you have any sewing injuries to share?

dropping hints...

...is always helpful.

thank you marie...

oh my goodness what a day it was.  thank you to everyone who came out in the pouring rain to support our shop and most important for sharing your time with marie bostwick...

 

  

i would be remiss in not sending out a thank you to the handsome umbrella man...love you honey:)

parking & logistics...

today is the day we have been waiting for...

very soon we will see marie bostwick sitting behind this desk in that empty chair.  if you will be joining us, please know you may park in the empty parking lot next to us, as well as on either side street as long as you are facing north.  for the safety of everyone, we will be loading into the store from the side door and exiting through the front doors.  we do still have books for sale and a few open slots from 12-1.  please call the store if you have any quesions.

counting down...

the new quilt sampler magazine is in. as i was leafing through the pages i spotted this...

we have all five books in stock for purchase.  most importantly we will be meeting marie in just five days!!!  we still have a few spots available before we exceed our safety regulation maximum, so please call 440-684-9830 to let us know you are coming.  if you purchase your book before monday, you will be moved to the front of the line to meet marie.

grand claps and kudos...

...for the past several months, we have been selling bits and pieces of fabric to a very talented group of quilters from the african american quilt and doll guild. they have been sharing snippets here and there of what they were working on, yet i never imagined the project to be so grand...

 
this past week was the grand opening of the new warrensville heights library and the unveiling of the extraordinary quilts that are now permanently displayed thanks to the efforts of carole, helen, janice, julius, laura, mary, myrya, norma and sandy standing along with congresswoman marcia fudge.  if you have facebook, click over and like the new page for the aaqdg.

brand new sweetness...

there is no greater sweetness on a sunday than the endearing charm of a new baby... 

this precious little one came to show us his adorable rag quilt.  it was made by his not too much older siblings. they came in a few weeks ago to visit the shop and left with fabric to make this. i love how there are a few blocks that mom had them color with fabric markers. their own special touch for baby brother. it's just magical the oohs and ahhs a newborn brings out in all of us.  thanks to mom and grandma & grandpa for coming to visit us and permitting us to share your bundle of joy.  

going natural...

we have so many requests for light batiks.  they are not as plentiful as the brights, but we have been keeping a watchful eye and these just arrived today from hoffman...

  

ties that bind in the house...

april 24th is finally here!!!  which means we can officially open this box...

if you are one of the first 50 to purchase ties that bind before the arrival of Marie Bostwick, you will receive an extra stamp on your frequent fabric shopper card and you will receive a special bookmark that will move you to the front of the line to receive marie's autograph on monday, may 7 from  11-1.  if you can't make the book signing and would like an autographed copy, we will hold the book for you and Marie will sign it when she is in town. greater details available in the store.

a sweet card...

i love our sunday sweetness this week for a variety of reasons...

...it reminds me of the day kim came into the store asking for our support in a cookbook her school is putting together. she had her speech all prepared.  that is not an easy task for a young girl. the writing or the asking.  then a few days later she dropped off this sweet thank you note.  i love the dots. takes us all back in time doesn't it? i remember dotting my "i's" with stars for a while. now look at the woman on that card. retro for sure. i think we have some fabric coming in just like that soon.  and finally...thank you, our customers, for without you we would not be able to support our next generation.

sign, sign everywhere...

a sign. except for us. if we have had the pleasure of your company in our shop, the credit is all yours.  we know we have not been an easy find.  if you follow this blog from a distance, let us show you what we are talking about...

this is it. the sign in front of our store. last august, we taped the temporary sign to the bottom open slot thinking it would be there for one week, two tops. mostly because we feared the city would make us take it down.

this is sarah. today.  yes, it is going on nearly twenty months later and we still do not have a permanent sign.  and as of early this morning, we were no closer to getting one. i won't cry, moan, complain, or even bore you with the details. rather say, it has been a learning experience. our last veto came on monday. it was a no go. again.

so today, i trotted sarah up to the building department. with options two, three and four in our hands. a few hours later...

we are at the sign shop, picking colors. sarah chose #116. we had to make a few concessions, but at least we get some color, our names, and a big "house of fabric" and "sewcial lounge" in separate frames that will hopefully be visible from a distance.