Norman Store Is Closed

Norman Store Is Closed
We said "See you later" to many, many of our good friends in the last few days.  Lots of hugs and only a few tears were shared, as we go on to the next chapters in our lives.  Patchwork Place as a retail has been a part of many of our lives for years, but things do change.  We will see each other at the Patches groups and at quilt shows.
Watch the website for a new blog for the Patches groups, and also dates for the quilt shows where Patchwork Place will be vending.
Thank you for adding so much to our lives over the last few years.

Closing Store

By now, most of you have heard that Billie and Tom have decided to retire from the day-to-day world of retail quilt shops. 

The shop on 24^th Ave NW in Norman, OK will close the end of June 2012.  Our last day of shopping in the store will be Tuesday, June 26th.
We will continue to see you at quilt shows, and will be expanding and refreshing our on-line business.
The fabric in our shop is getting down to a manageable amount so we can move it to a smaller space.  
We are looking forward to our final Finish Line on Friday, the 22nd.  Come if you can and enjoy the many friends we have made over the years.

Patchwork Place Shop Damage

Guess I have been waiting for some good news before "blogging". But there is little or no good news following the water damage we had last August 1st. Little did I know that we would be closed for the entire month of August. There was water damage to our walls, mainly insulation, because a pipe broke in the business next door. Getting the repairs done has been a monumental task, we hear a lot of stories and see very slow work to get us up and running again. The fabric is all stacked on tables in the classroom and the floor in our fabric room is still a mess. Now "they" say the carpet will be here Tuesday, August 30th. We should be able to open around Labor Day.
We do have new fabrics, so hang in there everyone.

Our Shop Hop is On Amy's Blog

Take a look at Amy Bradley's blog. She shares her adventures on the Road to Oklahoma Shop Hop. She and her Mom were having a delightful time shop-hopping. Go to http://www.amybradleydesigns.com/ and click on her blog, to see everyone's picture, that's mine here.

Our shop is ok. We survived another storm in Norman. Quite a scary evening we had on the east side of Norman where I was. That wind hit with no warning this time and did major damage. The shop was slow getting everything up and running this morning, but we did it.

I'm Back!!!

Spring finally got here, summer is just a few days away - and already I'm complaining about the summer heat! I just have a hard time with it. But my goal is to stay cool by staying inside and piecing a quilt top.





The Road to Oklahoma Shop Hop will be over in just a few hours. I'm not too sure where the last year went but I do know we have had a lot of quilters in the shop the last 3 days. As always, they were friendly, patient (thank goodness!) and courteous. We have always been appreciative of all our customers and enjoy meeting the new people from out of town who visit our store. They aren't shy with their comments about the shop (they seem to like it) AND they are always courteous!





I'll be back to post more in a couple of days - There are meetings to attend after Shop Hop and they start in the morning.

Winter Storm AGAIN

How many winter storms can Oklahoma have in a week? Too Many.
Yes we are in the midst again of another storm. Our quilters make use of every hour that the roads are passable. After being snowbound for a few days, everyone was out Sunday for our Cabin Fever sale. The gals at the Elite Retreat came over Sunday afternoon also. That was a great place to watch the snow while quilting, that is for those that could get there.
Then Monday morning, the roads were clear enough that the First Monday Strippers could meet here and we were treated with a visit from a Norman Transcript Style journalist, complete with photographer. Lots of stories were going on. so watch for their story in an upcoming article in March.

Opening the Store

It is 5 minutes before the store should open on Thursday, Feb 5. Tom and the tractor will get enough snow cleared to open the store after two days of being snow bound. This is the first time we have been unable to open the store on time, but I think all the snow from I-35 drifted onto our driveways. We just had to wait our turn for the snow plows to get to us. Only the Tee St entrance on the north side of the store is open today. Tom is clearing the sidewalk and I am warm inside the store. Don't you just love all our windows in the store?

I am planning to have a Cabin Fever sale this Sunday, so watch your e-mail for the announcement.

Billie

Snow Days Still

Tom tried to open the shop this morning. Did not happen. The parking lot is impassable, so until we can get it plowed (or nature helps us out), we will be unable to open. Stay home and stay safe, he has a four wheel drive truck and said otherwise he would not have been able to drive our Norman streets. Doesn't bitter cold weather outside makes our indoor quilting that much more enjoyable? I found my old pair of glasses, so today's piecing of the shop hop blocks should go a little faster. This may be the first year I have made all the blocks myself, just another "bonus" of snow days.

Snow Days

Guess you thought nothing to get me to start again with this blog? Guess being stranded from the shop by this snow will do it.
I was prepared, after hearing that businesses were encouraged to close, I brought home tons of paperwork and even blocks to make for next summer's shop hop. We did get enough snow and cold to not try to open the shop. But not much work done here at home because my glasses broke.
The shop hop blocks are getting made just slowly, because my glasses have only the left lens. The paperwork will just have to wait.
We hope to venture in tomorrow to see if we can get through the parking lot to open the store. Will let you know.
Billie

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.