Renee's A McCall's Magazine Challenge Finalist

Have you seen the Nov/Dec issue of McCall's Quilting Magazine? Did you see the picture of our own Renee Chesnut? How thrilling to see her and her quilt. Congratulations to Renee on her challenge quilt that earned her a place in the finals. Now she has another quilt to make, as she competes in the next round. What fun we all had in the shop giving her our fabric preferences.
Go Girl!

Shake Up Time In Oklahoma

So, what does it take to get this blog started again? How about an Oklahoma earthquake? Of course, I didn't feel it, as I was on the road to the shop, but I still remember the one in had in 1952. Who else remembers it? Carol doesn't and we were in the same school. We've been shaking it up at Patchwork Place too. Our Finish Line is fast approaching, Tuesday, October 26th. We are anxious to see everyone's projects and this year we will add the pictures of your quilts to our new digital picture frame in the shop. Today we made up some Treat or Treat bags. These are super-value grab bags with a coupon for a future purchase. Great fun and only $5.00.

Picture from Edmond Show

Here we are at the Edmond Quilt Show the other weekend. Their theme centered around the Art of Quilting and they really showed the Art. And I did not have the pressure of selecting only one quilt for an award. That is the hardest part, because they all are wonderful in their own way.
Can you believe Tom let Charlene take his picture?
Billie

Carrie's Winning Quilt at Norman Show

Thanks to Lorriane, here is a picture of Carrie's whole-cloth quilt. She received the Patchwork Place Sponsor Award for this outstanding quilt. Of course, pictures just don't give justice to quilts, it is beautiful.

Norman Quilt Show

It is a lot work, especially for Tom and I, but we really enjoy being vendors at quilt shows. We packed up fabric bolts, notions, books and moved them to Tulsa in June. Wonderful show, lots of vendors and quilts to look at and dream over. Just don't ask who bought one of Lola Jenkins' wall hangings while she was there, just because her grandson wanted it desperately. I will deny everything. (Secret - good things are happening for Lola, and she may not be a "regional" artist for long.)
Last week was much less work, and thus a lot more fun for everyone at Patchwork Place. We did pack up but just drove it down the street for the Norman quilt show. And there was still some fabric left in the shop for the out-of-town attendees and a few locals who also came to the shop during the show. Patchwork Place employees were challenging each other as to who had the most sales, at the show or at the shop. Surprisingly, they were very close both days of the show. The show was slightly ahead one day, and the shop the next. What fun.
Amazing how things happen. As a sponsor of the show, I had the privilege (extremely difficult privilege) for choosing one quilt for a "Sponsor Award". The quilt I chose was (unknown to me at the time of selection) was the most wonderful whole cloth machine quilted wall hanging by the show's featured quilt artist - Carrie Miller. I'll post our picture, if I can borrow one from someone else. I was temporarily without a camera at the quilt show, that's terrible. But I had just dropped the shop camera and broke it, and lost the charger for my personal camera. So no pictures for the blog this time.

Return from the Obsolete - Shop Hop Winners

Well, sometimes life just gets in the way of what we really want to do. Getting to this blog just did happen the last couple of months, and that should just not happen. Of course, a lot has happened - Quilt Market, Shop Hop, kids summer class, two major quilt shows, etc...etc... But I should not have quit blogging, and promise not to do it again.
Shop Hop - we made it through another and had lots of fun meeting all the folks who had not been to our new location. We had to reorder fabric to fill all the finishing kit orders, which has now arrived. So if you passed it up, we have the border in now, in the pink and blue.
Our winners in case you have not already heard are:
Grand prize - $75 gift certificate from each shop - Prisicilla Martin, Arcadia OK
First prize - $50 gift certificate from each shop - Lisa Higgins, Waynoka OK
Second prize - $25 gift certificate from each shop - Lisa Crabtree, Ralston OK
Third prize - gift basket donated by Checker Distributors - Cathie Haldik Piedmont OK]
In a couple of weeks we will start planning the next shop hop for 2011.

Back from Quilt Market

Did you miss me? I was away for a week attending Quilt Market in Minneapolis. What a city, makes Norman OK seems like a small country town. Road contruction was everywhere in Minneapolis but the convention center was spacious and comfortable. I found a few neat ideas, great patterns, and lots of new fabrics that will be finding their way to Oklahoma soon.

Oklahoma Weather

It has been a wild week hasn't it? OK, so in Oklahoma there is usually a severe strom around Memorial Day but this weather for all the month of May is a challenge. We certainly hope all our customers and friends survived last Tuesday's tornadoes. There are lots of stories of damage etc., but so far no one lost their quilt stash.
The group who is at the Norman Retreat this weekend has the right idea. They are now there and quilt all weekend and not have to leave their sewing machines. Unless of course, they decide to visit the quilt shop.
I am busy tieing up loose ends to leave for Quilt Market on Monday, will let you know what I find.

We Are Ready for Shop Hop

Yes, the Patchwork Place quilt is ready for this year's Road to Oklahoma Shop Hop. We call it Butterfly Garden Goes A Hopping. When I saw this fabric from Sue Penn of Fine Lines Fabric I just knew it had to be our shop hop fabric. We had already picked this year's theme as Fluttering Hearts in Oklahoma and this fabric is bright, playful, and has hearts and butterflies. Then when the other shops blocks began arriving, they looked like they were designed to go with the fabric. You will love this smaller size (for us) quilt, it is throw size 62" by 62". So now we will be cutting kits and getting the goody bags ready for everyone for the shop hop - Thursday to Saturday, June 17, 18 and 19, 2010.

Are you interested in doing the shop hop by BUS???? This year Kincaid Tours has a two-day trip to travel to all the shops. We have a flyer in the shop with all the info.

new fabric for a new spring season!

Tom has been busy unpacking bolt after bolt of new fabric today.

There are so many good blenders here. Moda calls this line "Puzzle Pieces". One of them just might be the last piece to complete the puzzle of your quilt! ...Did you know I could be so cheesy? :)

-claire

The day for the bus trip finally arrived. Well it was not much of day as you can see by the picture. That's the bus full of Patchwork Place folks off to see the shops in Tulsa and Siloam Springs, AR. It was almost cold, rainy, and a very dreary day for the trip. They should be back in an hour or so, and we will find out if their lunch in the park was rained out.

The shop was busy all day with the visiting buses full of folks from the other shops. Now if we can just put the shop back together again before shop hop.

Shop Hop Quilt

This year's Road to Oklahoma Shop Hop is coming soon, very soon for me. The pictures of our individual shop's finished quilt are to be made May 1st. And I just received the fabric for my finishing setting. This was to be the low stress year, a simpler finishing design would mean less work for me. Right. I ordered the perfect fabric for the blocks last October, and it would soon be available. Then the January delivery date went to February, went to March, and finally, mid-April I have fabric. But only a little, the designer cut enough for me to do the one quilt from her advance fabric and shipped it to me as soon as she received hers. Barbara had finished all the shops blocks, (thank you so much, Barbara) so now finally, I am working on the quilt. And of course the classroom and shop have been busy this week, but baring no more unexpected delays, I can get the quilt to the quilter early next week. Good news is, the fabric is working, I know you will love it. I will post when the quilt is on-line for your first look, and you will see that it was worth the wait. Oh, the blocks are hearts and butterflies, and the fabric line I chose is Butterfly Dance by a new company, Fine Lines. Love this designer and this fabric, you will too.

We Are Making Kits

The most cuddly rag quilt is taking shape in our shop. We have used the Accu-cutter to make up some baby rag quilt kits from the new Precious fabric from P&B. It is on our web-site catalog in New Arrivals. The quilt sample for the shop is still being made, Carol and Brittany have finished accu-cutting the pieces, and now Ann is sorting them, and soon I hope we can get it sewn together. I just really can't wait, it just shouts "darling".

Tomorrow, Claudia is bringing in the shop sample of Laura Birch's Dancing Horses. If we still have fabric left from last Saturday, we will made these kits. And somehow we will find time to make the shop hop quilt.

Yesterday, I finished putting borders on the Star Cakes quilt top that Claudia made from the new Martinique layer cakes. This is one simply simple and stunning quilt top. It is in our front window, come see.

Now, we have the border fabric in to finishing Blooming Bow Ties 30's reproduction quilt top.

I think it will wait until after Precious.

And then there is another one one cut out and waiting for the sample to be made, and many many more in the formation stages. Come check us out.

Quiet Time at Patchwork Place-NOT

Now don't you call a group of quilters very involved in accomplishing hand applique at quiet time at the quilt shop? Normally, that is so. No thrashing sewing machines, no running back and forth to the cutting tables, just listening to Lena and concentration on hand work. Until...a jack hammer thing into their outside wall disrupts their concentration. To make it worse, the workman asked to open their window to plug that noisy thing in. Actually, I think I was the only one completely disturbed by it, but gads was that noisy inside our round classroom.
Their hand applique results are outstanding in the LeJardin blocks I have seen, and they have plans to continue. Lena is planning a fall album quilt to start in a few months. She already loved Hoffman fabrics and found the perfect new collection for this album quilt. Another group will be starting in a few months, so keep an eye out for it.

First Norman Retreat

Wilma shared pictures she made (and had made) at the first Norman retreat. I had stopped by the retreat a couple of times, and can't imagine how they made pictures without getting any food in the picture. No one goes hungry at a retreat and this one was no exception. These quilters did not know everyone before the retreat and became fast friends. In fact they did not even where they were going, and it was a mystery. These guys are troopers and trusting and it was truly an adventure. They enjoyed exploring this vintage home restored just for retreats and having a full 5 ft table to themselves for quilting.

We are preparing for our next retreat in May you can look under classes for the picture of the quilt that Sabrina is doing at this retreat.

Spring Break Class

Wow, I have been working way too hard and too many long hours. That is my story of why I have not blogged when I have lots to blog about. Starting with spring break with the kids class -

This is always a fun time in the shop, everyone who happened to stop in during their class enjoyed seeing the kids creating their wall hanging. We do have some future fabriholics out there at the age of 12. They were a speedy bunch, they all finished up their wall hanging and then started on pillowcases. Some even tackled the Minkee pillowcases, these kids don't back down, they just go for it.

We will do this again for the kids during the summer break, so if you have a special kid in you life, keep this class in mind.

Where's The Storm?

Snow, that is, where is our snow storm? Looks like it missed us this time. I sure predicted this one wrong. After listening to the TV morning and hearing that today would be a repeat of Christmas eve, I cancelled our Stashbusters and Boomerang groups and made plans to close the shop. Then what little snow we had stopped and really did not get started again. I do apologize for disrupting everyones scheduled time at the shop, but I really did not want to be on the roads again in a blizzard.
I have some pictures of the Kids class this week and others from our recent events that I will get on the blog soon, so keeping checking.

Grand Opening Report

Do you ever want to just start a day over again? Well our Grand Opening on Saturday, did not go as I had dreamed about. I was envisioning myself visiting and chatting with everyone who so graciously came to celebrate our Grand Opening in the new shop. Well everyone came; didn't anyone go to Dallas Saturday? But if you were here, you noticed I was working way too hard. Claudia, Carol and Brittney worked just as hard as I did. And Tom got drafted to handle the door prizes. My daughter and grandson from Tulsa stopped in during a break in his swim meet, and they had to pitch in. On Saturday, it was much slower getting everyone checked out after they had looked over the shop and picked out their treasures. Of all days, my computer suddenly did not know the correct price of anything. It is amazing what happens with one little key stroke in the wrong place. I just corrected our computer system, and can now relax, enjoy everyone and they are gone.
We are so pleased with the turnout to see the shop, thank you to everyone who came.
Kids Spring Break class is tomorrow, surely nothing will go hay wire, will it?

Our Sign Fiasco is Over

Can't say warm weather is here yet, but it warmed up enough so John could repair our sign. Guess it is official now, we have a new home.

Just in time too for our Grand Opening on Saturday. Carol is busy getting ready for everyone to draw for their discount percentage. And we are finding all the door prizes that were sent by the fabric companies. Should be an exciting time on Saturday.

We have NEW Amy Butler fabric!

I don't think this post needs any words... pictures will do the trick. :)









In addition to these, we got more fabric from Westminster (by designer Phillip Jacobs). I haven't gotten them on our website yet, but that will happen soon. Hope everyone is having a great week!

Today's Visit

We had visitors today. The American Heritage Girls, a scout group from Community Christian School came to our shop today for an introduction to fabric and quilting and to earn a merit badge. Their visit was much too short, but they did browse the fabrics, watch the accu-cutter demonstration, listen to how quilts are made and ask a lot of questions. Their scout leaders seemed to enjoy the visit as much as the girls. I think they all caught the quilting bug while they were here.

One month anniversary

It is March 1, so we have been in our new place for one month. It has been a whirlwind month, or perhaps blizzard would be a better term. The store is looking more like a quilt store now, so I will post more pictures of the inside of the store soon. Still waiting for 3 warm days, I guess, our sign is still not repaired.
I just updated our home page on the web and WOW we have lots going on this month. Besides classes we are having a book signing day and our grand opening for the new place. Carol Loessel was in today and the quilters in today's patches group got a sneak peek at the new book she will be signing Saturday. She is a delightful lady also, you will all like her. She is visiting the area from Minnesota, I think. A reminder - bring all your Darcy Ashton books, she will be glad to sign them as well as her newest one on horses. I remember a few years ago when you were all asking her to do a book on horses, so stop by and thank her for listening.
I have a few more details to check out and perhaps tomorrow, I will get out the e-mail on our classes and events for March happenings.

Dancing Horses

Attention all Laurel Burch fans!

Today we received this new line - Dancing Horses

This is the first collection of hers that I had seen in these beautiful earth tones, and it is gorgeous.

Click here to check out the rest of them on our website. They're a sure cure for the winter blues. :)
-Claire

Redecorating Our Web Page

Did you notice that the hearts are gone from our home page? They have been replaced with the quilt block house in keeping with our new image at the store. We have that house on our lighted sign on the north side of our building also. Well the weather is above freezing but raining, so we still do not have Patchwork Place on the front of the store. It may be shop hop time before it is repaired. Shop Hop this year is June 17, 18 and 19 in case you were wondering. We are starting to work on the quilts which will be fluttering with butterflies and hearts this year. Keep you fingers crossed that the fabric I have selected arrives in time to do the shop hop quilt I have in mind.
Classes are on the up-swing at the new shop, it is so pleasing to have full classes, so watch us for more offerings in the near future.

Quilt Samples in the Shop

I heard from several quilters (yes, everyone is still coming by to check out the new shop) that I have not updated my blog in a few days. I am impressed that you are checking it out, so now I have a little incentive to get to the computer more.
We are hanging quilt samples in the shop. Looks more like a quilt shop now. The classroom does not look as round now that a few quilts are displayed on the walls. The Southern Star is a king size and the ceilings here are lower than the old shop, so we had to pin up the bottom. But now we have a sample up for Barbara's class which is coming soon - Thursday, March 25th.
We are wondering why we paid to have this shop painted before we moved in, because now the walls will be either covered by shelves or quilts.

101 Quilting Class

I am sending this blog while sitting uncomfortably on a high stool and trying to use my keyboard which is desk high. See this is what happens when we inadvertently overbook a class. They took all the chairs in the shop and most of the tables. But they seem to be having a high ol' time, lots of laughter between new friends even if they are elbow to elbow. This is the 101 Quilting class, it meets from 6 to 9 pm on Wednesdays. Anne will have to start another soon as we have a waiting list. That's Kelli in the top left picture with her perfect blocks.

Sign Update and Cat Fabric

You know, I actually don't mind cold weather, not even snow. I actually like the challenges weather brings to my life especially after spending five winters in Alaska. But enough is enough. We need some warm days. They need 3 days of warm weather before attempting to replace our Patchwork Place letters on the front of the shop. The snow today did not amount to much, but it is way too cold to warm up the store front. We did get the electric sign on the north side turned on tonight. I would take a picture of the lighted sign but it is way to cold for that.

I have really enjoyed everyone's reaction as they come to the store for the first time. Keep coming we certainly need your encouragement. The fabric shelves are becoming somewhat organized, good thing, new fabrics are arriving. If you are a cat lover them you will want some the of the RJR Caterwauling that arrived today. Tom had to go to the city to pick it up, somedays the UPS driver can find us, and somedays he just takes it back to the city. Claire should get Caterwauling on the web soon for our on-line shoppers. I can just hear Claudia now, she will not believe I actually ordered cat fabric. This is how much I love my customers, not how much I love cats. So these cats are for you, Claudia.

Inaugural Retreat

Along with the opening of our noew store is the opening of the new retreat house in Norman.

It is still a mystery as to exact location, except for the 12 quilters now attending the very first retreat. I stopped by last night and they were quilting and partying hard with food everywhere.

They generously shared a bowl of homemade soup with me and it was super delicious. Wilma is taking some pictures and I will post them on the blog as soon as I get them. This is a shot of them loading up outside the store yesterday morning.

The store is slowly taking shape and the quilters are really flocking in and say they love it, give me time to get most everything in place, then I will love it.

New Store Pictures

Here is the first peek inside the new store for those who have not yet been here. See those windows, they are plenty of them and they do not look out at a brick wall but our parking lot with plenty of room for everyone. The only thing not subject to being moved again, are the shelves nailed to the wall. Carol and Claire have most of the color wall fabrics in place there. The walls are masonry or something like that instead of just sheet rock so we will need to actually install hangars before we can hang our quilts.

Our days are getting shorter now that our computer system (after tons of help from Deborah) is almost completely set up. Thoughts of a grand opening are starting to form so stay tuned.

Still Moving

Many of you have come to check out the new shop and made little exaggerations like how great the store is. Well we will get there but still have a ways to go. If you thought I rearranged the store a lot before, these past three days have been absolutely the limit in rearrangements., not only fabrics but the fabric shelves and our cutting tables too. When we get a floor plan that we like, I'll post a picture of inside the shop on the blog, and when I really like it, I'll change our front page picture. Tom is still saying only one more load from the old store, maybe tomorrow, everything will be here. Maybe tomorrow, our feet will feel better.
The parking is now clear of snow and ice, and we still marvel about how many "dedicated" spaces we have here. We can fill the classroom and still have lots of parking for drop in customers.

Moving Days

Yes, moving DAYS. With this winter wonderland we now live in, our move in taking a few days but we are here. And as with most moves, we are here, but we don't know where all our stuff is. Tom put the slat wall up for the patterns, but where are the patterns? The Monday Strippers patches did meet here bright and early this morning, and loved the new classrom, even with all the boxes sitting around. The classroom has a window, big improvement.

One of our customers Donna braved the icy streets to come say good bye to the old store and was one of the first to come in today to say hello to the new store. It really touched me that others love this store like we do.

And now, the saga of our new sign I was so proud of. It was the victim of the ice and snow. Seems like our letters had not had time to "bond" and with the snow and top and icicles dripping off the bottom, off they fell from the building. Now we have to wait for better weather. so they can replace them. I would put a picture on the blog, but who wants to see a snaggle tooth sign?

It will take awhile before we are "company" ready, but stop by and say hello, we could use the break.
Billie

Snow Movers

Isn't the snow beautiful. Driving in this morning I had to resist the temptation to take out my cell phone and take pictures of the trees, especially where Highway 9 crosses a creek, just breath taking. So we are at the shop finishing the packing and preparing for the big move tomorrow. Our parking lot is plowed, which made it a little easier getting in. Perhaps we will have a brave customer or two come into the shop, we will be here all day today.

Ice Storm

Yes we have been saying we would not close the store when we move two miles up the street.
But we are in Oklahoma and as you know, the weather rules. We most likely will close later today (its Thursday, Jan 28th) and be closed tomorrow. Please call 405 321-4569, before coming to the store. Sunday is our biggest moving day if Little Guys can get here. The heat was turned on this morning, so we can still host the Strippers patches on Monday, Feb 1st (if we have electricity) even if our fabric is delayed a day or two. I just can't wait to see how we are going to set up the tables in the round.
As long as your electricity is on, browse our on-line selections of fabric. If you are in the local area you can pick it up in the store when the ice melts. We will mail out orders as soon as we can safely get back to the shop.
When the power goes out, Liz will be ok with her treadle machine and the rest of us can catch up on our hand quilting and hand applique, maybe even bind a quilt or two. That is as long as we can stay warm.

Sign Notes

It did not take long for my estactic feeling over our new sign on the east side of the new store to fade. For almost a whole day the signage on the east side of our new building looked large and so easy to see when you are coming from the south on 24th Ave NW. You see Allstate just moved in next door to us. So this evening we took some shelves up to the new store, and as we approached our building all we coould see is this huge Allstate sign. It lights up the entire building and just makes our sign small in comparison. Our electric sign is on the north side, and Carol says you can see it as you turn south from Robinson, so that helps. Anyway, the store is definitely easier to find than our present location.

Another New Patchwork Place Sign

Won't the shop look all grown up with its new signs? It is so cool when driving north on 24th Ave, you can see the sign coming around that curve. We actually do have a couple of signs at the current location, just nobody can see them from the street.

We will open (at the SW location) tomorrow morning - Thursday. How long we will stay open depends upon when the ice hits. So call us if you plan to come tomorrow afternoon or Friday. If at all possible, you know we will be open. Like many, many others, it took Tom about six hours to get home Christmas eve, we want to avoid that if possible. Please be careful if you are out and about during and after the storm.

New Kona Bay Fabrics

I am checking in new Kona Bay Fabrics, look at the beauty of this. Do you think it will work for Brenda Esslinger's Fabulous Fractures class? She will be teaching it here soon.

Now we are worried about how our incoming storm will affect the move. Think there will still be ice on the roads this weekend? We had lots of offers for help from our customers. I am always so touched by their concern for the shop. Betcha they didn't know they would be fighting the weather elements. But as much as we do appreciate the offers, we are having professional movers do the heavy work.

New Sign

I just took this picture of our electric sign on the new building. Go by and see it at 900 24th Ave NW. Isn't it just awesome?

It's a New Year at Patchwork Place

It's a new year, a new decade, and I am new to the blogging world. For someone who does not even know how to get my text messages this is an experience. Claire is trying her best to keep this going long enough for me to learn how. It just does not like my name or password, keeps kicking me around.
Talk about new - just about everything is new for Patchwork Place in 2010. Our new shop is being painted for us today. The dark green and heavy tan wall colors had to go. Tom and I took tables over to look for the perfect spot for classes. The round building part of the shop will work for the classroom/patches room. I think it will be so neat, kinda funky looking and will be a lot of fun to sew in.
Today or tomorrow they should be installing our ELECTRIC sign that says Patchwork Place on our new shop. Can you believe it? After all these years of our hiding behind a brick wall, we will have not only one but two signs, and one of those is electric.
The retreats that are new this year are almost here, the mystery is difficult to keep but soon the retreat will be available for small groups. Imagine, a retreat you don't have to drive two or more hours to get to.
And another new event for Patchwork is the bus trip we are having April 17th, we are working out the agenda and meals and signing up quilters.
There may be more new events coming to Patchwork Place this year so keep checking this blog if I can get past the password snafu.

Winter Quilt Show

Did you make it out to the Winter Quilt Show in Oklahoma City last week? We had a great time there. Our booths were busy all three days. Thank you to all our friends who stopped by to say hello. Lena showed everyone her applique expertise in the booth, and unfortunately we did sell out of the Le Jardin kits she was working on. We were unsuccessful in getting enough fabric for more Le Jardin kits. Darcy Ashton joined us to autograph her books and had sample blocks of her new book which is arriving soon - Horsing Around. When she saw some of our fabric from You Go Girl with the pastel cowboy hats and soon her fillys and colts were sporting cowboy hats. What fun. And then we sold all that fabric. We are trying to reorder the You Go Girl fabric for your blocks. And did you see our Sabrina? What a hoot. And yes, that is Tom she is hanging all over. She really put on a show at her Stage Event on handmade purses. Thank you to everyone who brought in purses, bags and totes.
Billie, Patchwork Place

Patchwork Place enters blogland!

We here at Patchwork Place have decided that it's high time we have our very own blog. Our hope is to keep all of you, our valued customers, updated on the happenings here at our shop.

For those of you who haven't heard yet, we are moving! We are all so excited to get into our new "home", which features plentiful parking spots and spectacular street visibility!

New address - 900 24th Ave NW Suite 6.

Check back soon for more updates on all the new happenings at Patchwork Place!