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!

It's been a while since we've chatted. Between the snow and ice the last month was an interesting one. And kind of a slow one as far as new fabric goes. We just started getting in the spring lines and we have many more to come. We have received a few lines so far and more to come soon. I wish I could've gotten these to you sooner, but we were busy getting ready for Vendor's Weekend at the Lake Farmpark Quilt Show (this weekend, come see us. We're in the atrium by the Cafe!)



This first one is called Garden Party. It's the latest line by Blackbird Designs for Moda. We have patterns for this line with these prints and jelly rolls. Come and get them while they last!








The next line I'm going to show you is a big one, a BIG one. We got all 47 pieces in the regular line as well as a few wovens that coordinate wonderfully. This is Looking Back by Brannock and Patek for Moda. All three shelves pictured here are the line.





Yep, all of them. Including this one...




And this one...






And this one.




We have the latest patterns designed by Janet Patek that feature this line available. These pictures do not do the fabric justice, please stop in the shop to take a look for yourself. And let me tell you, they feel as good as they look...and then some! We also have some Charm Packs available (if they last through the Farmpark weekend!)

Here are some more random batiks that we received as well. We have so many coming in that I'm sure I've missed taking pictures of some of them, so come and check them out for yourself.

We also have received Jo Morton's latest line Indigo Berries which I realize now that I forgot to take a picture of. Sorry. We will also be getting in her next two lines over the upcoming months. I believe March is blacks followed by a line of browns in April. I will keep you posted as soon as they get delivered.

And last but not least for the updates, the winner of the February Pillowcase Drawing is Judy Gais. Congratulations and please stop in to redeem your $25 Gift Certificate. Thanks again for all of your donations, we definitely have some really creative and giving customers. We couldn't do it without you. This month alone we received 66 pillowcases to be donated.

Well, we hope to see you this weekend in Kirtland and as I said before we have many other fabrics coming in over the next few months. It's nice to have really colorful and dare I say - Springy - looking fabrics arriving. I hope it's a sign of good - and warmer - things to come.

Cock-A-Doodle-Doo!

It's finally arrived and let me tell you they're even more scrumptious in person than in the magazine ads or even the pictures on the patterns. We have finally received our shipment of McKenna Ryan's All Cooped Up line. You've probably seen the advertisements for it in the last couple months of various quilting magazines and other catalogs. We have the fabric and it is gorgeous! We have a few of the patterns for the Rooster and Chicks appliques, but they're going fast! We are hoping to have kits available this week. Please call or e-mail us if you'd like us to reserve one for you.

As well as the whole line of McKenna's new fabric we also received a couple shipments in the last few days of other just as wonderful batiks. So all in all I believe we have 41 new bolts of batiks gracing our shelves. Let me tell you though, they're not going to last long! Here's what we got in, and yes it's all of these pictured below.

Well, have a great rest of your weekend and please let us know ASAP if you're interested in any of the kits for the All Cooped Up Line. If you haven't seen the fabric or patterns available, you can find a link to Hoffman Fabrics website by clicking here. There are all of the patterns as well as swatches of all of the fabrics included on this page, and as I said before we have them all, but they might not last long. Once they're gone we can't get any more until May. Yuck!



See you all at the shop this week and good luck to all who entered in the Lake Metroparks Farmpark Quilt Show. Hopefully many of you will be getting phone calls in the next few days. Until next time!