Have you heard the rumors?

Well, it's true! Cottonpickers is moving to Chardon!

Welcome to the new home of Cottonpicker's Quilt Shop:

 We will be right there where C Star Nails was in the Washington Post Plaza at 209 Center Street (Route 44) in Chardon beginning November 23rd! (We'll be closed November 22nd to move)

It's right around the corner (less than two weeks away) and we are so excited! In anticipation of the move we are realizing that we have alot in the store, so if you all would be so kind to help us out with that there will be a Moving Sale in the very near future. We're currently working out the details, so stay tuned and as soon as I know them I will pass them along.

 If you aren't familiar with Chardon or cant remember where the Washington Post Plaza is, it is also the home of Joey's Italian Grille (where the Hilltopper was), Mike's Jersey Subs, and the Central Perk Coffee Shop (complete with homemade ice cream). If nothing else, this move only sounds bad for my waistline...but the sacrifices we make for our business...

This plaza also has many other shops that I forget at the moment but it's between Washington Road and Cherry Avenue, also kiddy corner from the Post Office. We will be just North of the Square and just South of Giant Eagle.

We are so excited and hope you are too! I can't wait to show you pictures of the inside of the shop, but it's covered in construction dust right now, so we'll hold off on pictures until it's beautiful and full of fabrics. Are you as excited as we are?

Sailing Away to France (kinda)

We've got the latest line in from French General for Moda, Maison de Garance. It's the traditional French General reds and creams with the addition of the most luscious chocolate brown you have ever seen. This picture does not do the fabric justice by any means, come and and see/feel it for yourself!

 As promised more batiks arrived recently. These are just a few from Edyta Sitar of Laundy Basket Quilts latest line Bon Voyage for Moda. Her color choices for her fabrics are so rich and vibrant without being too loud, and the stripe-ish looking one, what a catch! You don't see many of those types of batiks around.

We should have more batiks and a mish-mosh of other fabrics arriving in the near future. We'll keep you posted as to when they arrive.

Also, check back soon for a big update on the shop. Big news in store, just wait until you hear the details!

Paradise and Flowers

Paradise is here. For those of you who love fall, yes that could be what I'm talking about but in this case, it's not. I'm talking about the Paradise Batiks by Moda! We have them - ALL OF THEM, and trust me, many ladies have already been eyeing them up for the last couple days since they came in and I don't think they'll be around long.

 All three shelves are part of this line (minus a couple stragglers I see now that I already took the pictures)

 There's bright colors, warm colors, fall colors, everything you imagine to see in paradise.

 Don't you just hear the Jimmy Buffet music playing, the waves crashing and feel the sand between your toes and the margarita in your hand? Okay, a girl can dream atleast...

 Also arriving are the Fun Flowers by Lakehouse Dry Goods. The large print is a great panel to use as is or fussy cut for quilts, bags, or whatever. We've already had some ladies grab this fabric for a few bags and gifts (remember it's only a couple months or so until Christmas - just saying!)

I'm not sure if you can see it, but the white print does have a white on white flower with black centers, it's hard to see, but super adorable in person.

A few other things to update you on and keep in the back of your mind:

Get your ideas started for a Christmas Wish List. We know many of you have Secret Santas, or family members that would like to get you "just the right thing" for Christmas. We will have a notebook or something soon by our register that you can write down your Wish List. Just jot it down and hopefully then you will get just want you wanted!

Also keep in mind we will be starting a Block of the Month Program by This and That. It's called Vintage Memories and each month you get a small pattern. The great thing about this pattern is each month it takes minimal fabric (either fat quarters or fat eighths usually) so you get to pick and choose your fabric each month to make it your own! Their version of this quilt was made with Martinique by 3 Sisters for Moda and you can see more about it at their website by clicking here. (Picture borrowed from their website)

And last but not least, we will be at the Wildwood Quilt Guild Show on November 7th at the Mentor Senior Center. This is the last local quilt show until the Farmpark Show next spring, so come out and see us as well as several other vendors from the area before the unmentionable stuff starts flying.

If you have any questions about all of the items listed above, stop in, call us, or e-mail us for more information! I'll keep you updated as more things happen around the shop!

Trying it here too!

If any of you follow the Ruby Blue Quilting Blog, you might know I just made a button for you all to grab there. It worked well so I'm trying it for Cottonpickers too. So here it goes, once it's up and running I'll let you know! It'll look like this:

Not bad, only about 10 minutes this time around! It's up and running, grab it and post it on your blog proudly! Oh, and hopefully our new favicon comes up too! (Look to the left of your browser address)

Annandale by Jo Morton is here!

The gang's all here! All 27 gorgeous pieces are here and currently being cut into Half Yards and Fat Quarter bundles to add to your Civil War stash or to be the jumping off point for a new quilt! There are several wonderful prints in several different colors to drool over...Trust me, just wait until you see them you'll be drooling too!

We will have all of these pieces with us this weekend at the Streetsboro Quilt Show (Friday and Saturday) at Faith Baptist Church in Streetsboro. To see more information on this show and others that we will be attending this year, visit our post by clicking here.

Alright, since we are currently in a cutting frenzy here at the shop I do not have pictures of all of the prints from Annandale, but here's a few. You can view all of the prints on Andover Fabric's website or by clicking here to view the entire collection.

Come and see us on the road, we have a few shows down and a few more to go so there's still plenty of time to travel around before the unmentionable stuff starts flying. Stay dry these next few days and if worse comes to worse, it's perfect weather to start a new quilt project! Put some goodies in the crock pot and sew away! We'll keep you posted as more fabrics arrive!

Traveling for business (and a little pleasure!)

Or alot of pleasure! You know they say there are two reasons why people travel - business or pleasure. We ask why not both?! This weekend we will be in Chautauqua, so if you're coming out to the show, stop in the Antheneum and see us. Beth and Donna (with Crows on the Lodge Wool Studio) will be there with plenty of fabric, wool, and all sorts of goodies to make your shopping trip complete. It's going to be perfect weather to relax by the Lake and do a little retail therapy at the same time.

For more information on the show visit millcreeksew.com or for directions to the Chautauqua Institute visit ciweb.org or click here.

On another note, we had some new arrivals in recently. Bliss by Bonnie and Camille for Moda came in and it's absolutely gorgeous! We have some yardage on the bolt and a few Layer Cakes available still. Also showing at the shop (and traveling to Chautauqua this weekend) is Becky's quilt featured on the Moda Bake Shop which uses the Layer Cakes. To see the "recipe" click on the link to see Blissful Confection, or go to madebakeshop.com.

Also arriving last week was Happy by Me & My Sister for Moda. This is a great line for the little princess in your life. Wouldn't it make a great lap quilt or even pajama pants? (I was going to say sun dress, but I think it's not the right season for that much longer...) Stop in and see it for yourself!

Alright, we're currently in the process of folding the last little bit of fabric and finishing last minute details before packing all of the "stuff" in the car and remembering to leave enough space for people and luggage. Can't wait for the show, see you there or stop in at the shop and see Becky this weekend. Keep you updated as more comes in!

Spice Chest is here!

Jo Morton's new line Spice Chest is here! It's wonderful and gorgeous - just like we knew it would be! It even comes with a "cheater" panel that is perfect for those quick and super easy projects. It is now here and ready for the taking so come and get it! We are currently in the process of making Fat Quarter Bundles including each piece from the line except the "cheater" panel. Came and see it for yourself!

We'll be back to update you once more stuff comes in!

On the road again!

We're heading straight into fall which means plenty of quilt shows to visit. We've got the list of where we will be going to below with some information on each one. Give us a call if you have any questions on these and just to let you know we still have a few spots open on our October Retreat, call us to reserve your space! Come and see us, we'll be in several different neighborhoods across a state or two. Here's where you can find us (we'll still be at the shop as well during the shows):

The Crazy Quilters Guild Quilting Extravaganza
Sunday, September 12th   3pm-6pm

Grace United Methodist Church
1725 Drexel Avenue NW
Warren, OH 44485

Over 12 Vendors, 50/50 Raffle, Free Demos, Chinese Auction, Free Refreshments, Door Prizes and much more!

$1.00 admission donation requested
*Proceeds used for the Home of the Brave Service Project

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Shop Owner's Night (Public Quilt Show!) by That Quilt Guild I Belong To (T.Q.G.I.B.T.)
September 21, 2010 6pm

Western Reserve United Methodist Church
4580 Canfield Road (Route 62 East)
Canfield, OH

16 Vendors plus Quilt Ladders by Bill Davis. Includes 9 new vendors. Open to the public - bring a friend! Door prizes, 50/50 drawing, free refreshments will be served.

$2.00 Admission

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Quilting Around Chautauqua featuring Kaye Wood
Friday, September 24th - Class Day
Saturday, September 25th - 10am-6pm
Sunday, September 26th - 10am-4pm

Chautauqua Institution
Route 394
Chautauqua, New York

Maps available at the Welcome Center. Over 65 vendors, hundreds of quilts on display, lectures and classes held all weekend (pre-registration required by calling Mill Creek Sew at 814-866-8227)

$3.00 Admission. Classes and lectures at an additional fee. For more information contact Mill Creek Sew at 814-866-8227 or millcreeksew.com

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28th Annual Streetsboro Quilt Guild Show
Friday, October 1st - 10am-8pm
Saturday, October 2nd - 10am-5pm

Faith Baptist Church
9890 State Route 43
Streetsboro, OH 44241

12 Vendors, Door Prizes (with proceeds going towards the Streetsboro Community Food Pantry), Many quilts hanging

$3.00 Admission

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Mayfield Township Historical Society Quilters 13th Biennial Quilt Show
October 9th & 10th    9:30am-4pm

Mayfield Village Civic Center (Former Mayfield Methodist Church)
6622 Wilson Mills Road (SW Corner of Wilson Mills & SOM Center)
Mayfield Village, OH

Many quilts on display, vendors from local quilt shops, raffles, door prizes, tea and cookies.

$3.00 Admission

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Wildwood Quilt Guild Annual Quilt Show
Sunday November 7th   10am-4pm

Mentor Senior Center(in front of the Mentor Civic Center)
8484 Munson Road
Mentor, OH 44060

14+ vendors, Many quilts on display, Queen Size Raffle Quilt, Gifts Sew Special (projects made by the Guild Members for sale), Free Refreshments.

$3.00 Admission.

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Just a little bit more to show you, these arrived this week and more to come shortly!

Some Paula Nadelstern by Benartex arrived. These would be awesome for a Stack-N-Whack - just saying!

Also some more batiks came in - just a small taste for you of the other 60 or so we expect in within the next month or two!

And we're working on a new little thing - I'll update you more later. Here's a sneak peak!

Come visit us whether we're here or there and see what's new!

New Goodies!

Alright, I know we have so many more fabrics coming in shortly, but we got a bunch in this week I need to update you on. Stay tuned for more to come in the near future. I promise there's so much coming in I forget what all to expect!

For all of you out there like myself that are in LOVE with the Civil War Reproductions, Miss Awesome Jo Morton has released yet another shirtings line, Attic Shirtings. There are 13 prints in the line and they are all so yummy, they won't last long at all. We have already cut some bundles of a Fat Quarter of each fabric in the line. Those won't be around much longer either so stop in and get one for yourself!

We have a few pieces of Fandango by Kate Spain for Moda. This is just the perfect fun floral line for the end of summer. It just screams Florida, beaches and umbrella drinks to me. Come and take a look for yourself, it's really bright without being too bright, just perfect for a bag, or something fun.

Also arriving this week is the latest line from Whimsicals called Bread and Butter. These fabrics are really warm and country feeling, just in time for the cooler weather we are having right now. Just think about it, time to start up your crock pot and quilt the day away!

And as a last little bit of summer beachy goodness, there are a few beach, sand, and sunrise/sunset prints. Just think about this one, work on a quilt with these fabrics and play one of those relaxing CDs with the beach noises - waves, seagulls, wind. You will have fun and be so relaxed, maybe that;s not such a good idea, the quilt will never be done. Although this could be your beach escape minus the sand all over, sunburn, and seaweed. Come check out these fabrics and feel relaxed instantaneously!

Sale is still going on through 4pm today. Come and see us, I will update you once we get more goodies in store! More demo days are being planned for the upcoming weeks, keep an eye out for the different techniques and tools we're showcasing to see if you wish to expand your quilting horizons! Until next time!

SALE!!!!!

If you haven't heard... we're having a sale! It runs through this Saturday, the 4th of September and we have all sorts of goodies for you like:

Pre-cut Half Yards are $1.50
Select Fabrics are $3.00 a yard (quantities vary)
Select books and patterns are 50% OFF
More is being added every day so check back and make sure if something catches your eye that you snatch it up, many things that were here on Saturday are not here today and I'm sure many of the items here today will not be here tomorrow!

We have many new fabrics and more due here any day now. We got these awesome wide batik backings. Yes, I did say WIDE BATIK BACKINGS. They are delicious and they're batik, what else can I say?

There are these adorable fabrics with those sewing notions and spools of thread that we can't get enough of. This line is called Miss Sew and Sew, perfect for those Secret Sister gifts that will be here before you know it!

Feeling hungry? You might not be yet, but you will be after looking at these scrumptious fabrics with cooking utensils and cupcakes! This line is called What's Cookin'? And I have a few people in mind this would be perfect for... just don't tell them they might get an apron or something...ssssshhhhhhhh!

Another yummy thing we got in recently are these Snuggles by Moda in pink and blue. They're soft and cuddly and would make the perfect baking for a little one's quilt. At 60" wide, for smaller quilts, you might not even have to piece the backing.

We also got some yummy 1930's fabrics in lately, this entire shelf is all new, gorgeous and waiting for you!

Also we have in at the moment (they won't last long I'm warning you!) The Lil' Twister and Twister Rulers. Come get them while they last, we've had these on back order for a long time and who knows once these are gone when the next shipment will come in...

We have plenty more on order that should start arriving any day now...batiks, Civil War Reproductions (Jo Morton's Attic Shirtings, Spice Chest, and Annandale), floraly girlie stuff like Bliss by Bonnie and Camille, Happy by Me and My Sister, Fun Flowers I & III by Lakehouse Dry Goods, Paradise Batiks, and many many more! We will keep you posted when they arrive.

What else? Oh, we are getting to fall, the weather will cool, the crock pots will warm up, and the fall shows will be upon us! We will be at Quilting Around Chataqua at the end of the month and we still have a few spots open for our October Retreat at Riverside Inn in Cambridge Springs, PA. We will be at the Streetsboro Quilt Guild Show, Mayfield Village Historical Society Show, Wildwood Quilt Guild Show, Shop Owner's Night in Canfield (yes this is a public quilt show), and possibly a couple others I'm forgetting at the moment. I will give you more information about the specifics and the dates for each event later, too much info for one day...

Alright, well we hope to see you in for the rest of our sale and if not maybe we will see you at one of the many upcoming shows. If you have any questions about anything listed above, please either e-mail us or call or stop in, we'd be happy to help you out!

Are you ready for this?

Oh my goodness! The Shop Hop was a blast! We had so much fun and met a ton of new people this year. We saw some familiar faces, but with the change in scheduling from the last Steppin' Out Quilt Tour, we also had a chance to see some of you that weren't in the area last fall. I hope you all enjoyed it as much as we did. Check your answering machines and voicemails this week to see if you were the lucky winner of any of the shop baskets. The Grand Prize Basket will be drawn later this week, so stay tuned for that information as well.

Along with the Shop Hop going on, we just received a bunch of new fabrics. I hope you're all ready for this. There is lots to see:

First off, we just got some new batiks from Timeless Treasures. Aren't they scrumptious?

Also, these are new Tonga Treats from Timeless Treasures. The rolls contain 40 - 10" squares. The flat packs contain 40 - 2-1/2" strips like a Jelly Roll, but unlike a Jelly Roll each Treat pack has 2 strips of 20 different fabrics. We currently have 3 different flavors, Sugarplum, Coffee Cake and Meringue. Come in and take a look.

We also just received these delicious batiks from Hoffman Fabrics. The wilderness prints only have the animals and trees on the bottom half of the fabric. That way you can still use the background that coordinates with it within your quilt.

This is the latest line from Edyta Sitar of Laundy Basket Quilts for Moda. This line called Let It Snow has the most gorgeous snowflakes and coordinating prints. We are currently working on a sample of one of Edyta's patterns using this fabric. We can't wait to see it once it's all done.

The last set of batiks we received are these from Benartex's Venetian Collection. I can assure you the picture does not do justice for the colors of these prints.

We also got in some novelty-ish prints that can appeal to youngsters, but mostly to adults including this coffee line from Benartex. Cafe Bistro has a great stripe and coordinating prints, I can already see a purse or tote bag made from this fabric.

Timeless Treasures has got some of the best theme prints around, and this will be one you will want to get a piece of if you know a music lover. With newer sheet music prints and a mix of the traditional instruments, this collection is very well done.

Another adult-ish fabric collection that could appeal to children as well would be this yummy floral line from Timeless Treasures. This is yet another line that I can see a purse or apron out of. Think about it!

Getting to the fabrics that appeal to a slightly younger crowd, these 2 prints still could appeal to the kid-at-heart. Who doesn't love flip-flops and purses in bright colors?

Benartex has come out with this adorable line called In The Nest. Owls are big right now, and wouldn't these be cute in a pillowcase?

For the little guys in your life, these Pirates from Timeless Treasures will do just the trick! A great stripe with these and some improvised blocks would make a great strip quilt.

And yet another perfect fabric line for those little princesses in our lives, Benartex has come out with Girl Talk. Once again, these prints are much brighter and adorable in person. We have been planning on what exactly to do with this one, but stay tuned, I'm sure something will turn up.

Recently Beth had a birthday (they seem to creep up you know) and her wonderful Mom stitched this sign for us here at the shop. Gotta love that woman, she's so creative!

I think that's it. Last week there was about 2 days that we got box, after box, after box, after box. You get the picture. Lots of goodies, a little bit of everything in them. Well, like I said before, stay tuned and check your voicemail/answering machine often to see if you're the lucky winner of one of the many gift baskets from the Shop Hop if you participated. The Grand Prize basket will be drawn this weekend. Hope you enjoy all of these fabrics, and stop in to get some for a new project. It's not too late to start thinking about Christmas presents! (Sorry, but it's true!) Take care and have fun, call us if you have any questions.

Pillowcase Tutorial

Becky has just posted on her blog a tutorial on how to make the Sausage Style Pillowcases we make a bunch of here at the shop. Don't forget that if you donate these or any other handmade standard size pillowcase to the shop we will turn them into ConKerr Cancer.

To go straight to the tutorial, click here.

All of these pillowcases stay locally for children with serious illnesses or cancer at Rainbow Babies Children's Hospital, Cleveland Clinic, or Akron General Hospital. We just ask that if you can, please wash all the pillowcases and place each one in a quart size ziploc bag (if you make a flannel pillowcase it most likely will only fit in a gallon size bag). And yes you can make pillowcases out of cotton, flannel, or fleece (no sew fleece pillowcase instructions can be found on ConKerrCancer.org).

Also, we are taking part in the Million Pillowcase Challenge along with the other 14 shops participating in the Steppin' Out Quilt Tour (it's still going on through the end of the month!) Our goal collectively for the 15 shops is by the end of the year to collect a total of 2010 pillowcases to donate. Even if you are not participating in the Shop Hop, we will gladly accept your pillowcase donation at any one of the 15 shops. Please contribute and help make a difference in a child's life today.

We are still collecting everyone's name that has contributed a pillowcase, one entry for EACH pillowcase. At the end of every month, we donate a $25 gift certificate to the shop to one lucky winner. So what do you say, help out a great cause and get a chance of winning a prize with each pillowcase you donate, sounds good to me!

So jump on over to Becky's blog by clicking here and get step by step instructions on how to create one of the Sausage Style Pillowcases. It's not a food thing, it's more of how it's constructed. Sorry no pictures today to make you drool, not that sausage makes everyone drool, but you know what I mean. It's a pretty ingenious technique to encase all of your seams - that means no raw edges, at all.

We've been pretty busy with all of you Shop Hoppers traveling around, it's nice to see a bunch of you that live further away! I know we have a bunch of new things on order, from tools and books to yummy fabric. Once it starts to arrive, I will let you know. Stop in and say hi when you're out in Madison, or give us a call if you can't make it out. We'd love to help you with your current project(s) - how'd that 's' get there? None of us work on more than one thing at a time (yeah right?!). Just stop on in and we'd love to help you out in any way we can. Take care and we'll chat again soon!

One last thing, if you haven't heard already, Becky has also posted her first tutorial on Moda's Bake Shop. Go check it out by visiting modabakeshop.com. She posted it on Thursday, July 15th. Take a look and let us know what you think!

What a Summer!

We have had so much fun here lately at the shop (not that we haven't had fun every other day we're here) and we have some show and tell for you. We are currently in the middle of a Shop Hop, we just had two Demo Days recently and we've changed things up a bit in the shop, it's been really busy, but good.

If you haven't already signed up, you still have two weeks left to participate in the Steppin' Out Quilt Tour Shop Hop. We are one of the 15 participating Quilt Shops, all of which are located in Northeastern Ohio. For a list of all participating shops as well as a map of their locations, please visit the official Steppin' Out Quilt Tour website here. Even if you don't think or absolutely know you won't be able to make it to all 15 shops, you can still benefit from stopping at only a few shops. At each shop, if you make a purchase and get your passport stamped, you will be entered into each shop's individual drawing. If you do make it to all 15 shops, you will be entered into each shop's drawing as well as the Grand Prize basket! That's a chance at winning 16 different baskets, all with a minimum retail value of $100.

We recently held two separate Demo Days, the first featuring English Paper Piecing and the second featuring the Strip Tube Ruler by Cozy Quilt Designs. We had no idea how many of you would be interested in these new techniques that have been filling up our spare time! The English Paper Piecing went very well, all of you ladies seemed to take to it like a duck to water! We have gotten in some more shapes, so when you're ready for something new, come on in and see what we have in stock!

This is what the end of the English Paper Piecing Demo Day looked like. To others it might look like a mess, but trust me, this is really a sign of a good day of friends learning something new and having fun.

The second Demo Day we were having too much fun, we forgot to take pictures! This tool is really inventive and you can see more about it if you visit our Facebook page here. If you missed either of these Demo Days, feel free to stop in the shop and ask about either one we've done. We have all of the piecy-parts to show you how they're made and we can do an impromptu demo at any time.

Here are some other samples of patterns we've made. This first one is the Simple Star pattern by Bonnie Blue Quilts. We have had this pattern in the shop several times before, but it's so quick and easy, plus it works well with any fabrics. Only 8 half yard cuts and you too can make the center of this quilt! This version was made with Holly Taylor's new line for Moda, Northwoods Botanical. The best part about this line, it's more wintry but works for Christmas as well, but you can leave it out a lot longer than most Christmas quilts.

This is another Jelly Roll quilt Beth made using a Bali Pop. This is Pandora's Box from one of the many good Jelly Roll books. Bali Pops are the same as Jelly Rolls, just made out of Batiks. We added a small border and used the extra blocks we had made as cornerstones within the border. It's a really good lap size quilt that can be made quickly and easily. We have ordered an array of Bali Pops and they should be in the shop some time in September. We will keep you posted on their arrival.

Come on in and stop to see us while you're out and about this summer. Don't forget, we have several local wineries and restaurants so feel free to make a day of it, come visit the other local shops including a bead shop, a cross stitch shop and soon to open a vintage toy store all within a block or two of the shop.