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.

Long Overdue

I went on vacation and my mind obviously never came back. That and the fact that "I'll do it later" always seemed to fall after I landed on my life-sucking couch and the rest is history. I've really been horrible about updating everyone and I apologize. It's a new month and I'm trying to turn over a new leaf to keep updated on everything. We'll see how it goes.

I have a few things to update you on that are happening in the near future at Cottonpickers. We do have 2 buses going down to the NQA Show in a couple weeks. The Thursday bus is full but we still have a few seats left on the Saturday bus. If you have any questions about this event or the buses, please call us at 440-428-6449 and we can try to answer all of your questions.

Also, we have now joined Facebook. Become our friend and see what Beth has been up to lately. She's been posting pictures of fabric and books as they arrive as well as other projects she's been working on.

Once again this year we are part of the Steppin' Out Quilt Tour Shop Hop. It will run from July 12th - 31st and this year there are 15 shops involved. For more information on which shops are participating and how to get involved check out their website at SteppinOutQuiltTour.com. The passport fee has slightly changed for this year - we are participating in the Million Pillowcase Challenge. As we did last year all pillowcases donated will be given to ConKerr Cancer and stay locally within the Children's Hospitals in the area. They include Rainbow Babies, Akron General Children's Hospital and Cleveland Clinic. To get your passport, you can either (A) purchase a passport for $5 or (B) Donate a handmade pillowcase for a child (ages 2-17). For more information please call us at 440-428-6449.

Alright, getting to the good stuff! I know I am so far behind on updating what fabrics have arrived. Here is the shorter and simpler version. Sorry no pictures, but you can come in and see and touch the fabrics if you wish!

- Indigo Berries by Jo Morton for Andover Fabrics - Blues of every shade, they're delectable!
- Cherish Nature by Deb Strain for Moda - the panel is so adorable!
- Ravenwood by Jo Morton for Andover Fabrics - Blacks and Greys to go with your scraps!
- Martinique by 3 Sisters for Moda - just yummmmmy!
- Cocoa Express by Jo Morton for Andover Fabrics - the best browns you could ask for!
- Rural Jardin by French General for Moda - Come and get it while it lasts, not much left!
- Garden Song by Nancy Halverson for Benartex (we have the pattern book for this line too)
- More and More Batiks - all sorts from lights, darks, grapes, flowers, etc. Come take a look!
- Desert Nine Patch Kit and Batiks - this fabric is so scrumptious, you'll just love it!
- Fruitcake by BasicGrey for Moda - not your gramma's fruitcake, that's for sure!
- Northwoods Botanical by Holly Taylor for Moda - we're getting kits together for this of Bonnie Blue's Simple Star Pattern. It's really worth checking out!
- Wrapped in Paisley by Kansas Troubles for Moda - they're just yummy to go with the Charm Packs we have!
- Tidings by Nancy Halverson for Benartex - we have the advent calendar with this line!

We have much more to come and I apologize if I missed one or two. I think that about covers most of them. I promise to keep you all in the loop and not fall under the spell of my life-sucking couch. It's hard to resist! Become friends with us on Facebook for other updates and information and we hope to see you in the store soon!