Brick and Mortar Shop!!!!

                THE LITTLE SHOP OF STITCHES
                  IS GETTING A STORE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's the announcement you've been waiting for, and I've been longing to tell you!  It's official!  We're finally getting a front door to call our own!  :)

The Little Shop of Stitches is making its home at 79 South Main Street in Miamisburg!  The owner of the building is busy doing a lot of renovations both to the interior and the exterior.  It will be AMAZING once it is finished!

The building sits right at the corner of Main Street and Linden Avenue in historic downtown Miamisburg.  The building itself dates back to the 1920's and has a tremendous amount of charm.  It reminds me of an old-fashioned general store.  Quaint, comfortable, AWESOME!

I am proud to be "next door" neighbors with some fantastic local businesses -- Giuliano's Italian Restaurant, TJ Chumps, and A Taste of Wine.  Downtown Miamisburg has a lot to offer, and now it's getting a new quilt shop!!!

There is still a lot of work to be done, and I will keep you all updated on the progress of the renovations.  We are tentatively planning to be open for business around Labor Day.  I am humbled by all of the support and good wishes I've received.  I know you are just as excited as I am!  Please help spread the word to all of your fellow stitchers -- The Little Shop of Stitches is on the map!



Happy Stitching!
Jenn

Her name was Edna.

 

Her name was Edna.  And she was my Grandma.

Her bright blue eyes saw so much of the world.  So much of the people she loved.  Both the good and the ugly.

She smiled at the good and said nothing of the ugly.

That was just her way.

Her name was Edna.  And she loved me.

I know this without question.

Always smiling.  She loved to play.  She giggled.  No need to rush, no need to hurry.  There's always time at Grandma's.

She was always there.  Things were always the same.

Her name was Edna.  She was my Grandma.  She loved me.  And I miss her.

Red, White & You!

 

Happy Fourth, everyone!  

I'm joining in the fun at the Red, White & You Follower-Fest!  It's Patriotism to the extreme!  Come on over and join the star-studded fun!

 

Still Stitching!

I'm still here!  

You know that feeling when you get off the Tilt-A-Whirl at the amusement park?  The feeling that you know you've stopped, but your head is still spinning?

Yeah, that's me.

June has been a true whirlwind of a month!  We had an awesome time in Ohio Amish country.  We posted a few photos of some stunning quilts on our Facebook page.  I am always inspired by such wonderful talent!  I was pleased as punch to be a guest blogger earlier this month for Kristen at Ladybug Blessings.  

We're gearing up for the Original Creative Festival in Sharonville on June 28-30.  I've been stitching up samples, ordering new fabric and patterns, and my now-second grader is home this summer to "help."  It really is cute, the way he is getting so involved in Mommy's shop! 

This is the latest sample from Simply Twisted Designs called Patriotic Twister.  The Twister patterns are extremely popular, and they are easy and fun to put together!

Life is so much better when you're busy!

If you haven't visited the website in a while, I invite you to take a look.  You'll find all of our newest fabrics and dates of upcoming shows.  We've added a fun video tutorial from Riley Blake fabrics to make their Verona apron.  Too cute!

The Little Shop of Stitches is hopping for sure! What are you up to?  Are you traveling to quilt shows?  Are you finding time to stitch?

Here, There, and Everywhere!

I am here.  I am there.  I am everywhere!

Isn't it funny how the internet has changed our lives so dramatically?  Today, I am in the car, driving to Dalton, Ohio to set up shop at the Amish Country Quilt Show.  You are reading this blog post here at Stitched Stories.  

And....

Through the magic of cyberspace, I am also appearing as a guest blogger at Ladybug Blessings today!  Click here to hop on over to Kristen's and check it out!  

FYI -- There is a special coupon code just for Ladybug Blessings' readers!  Happy Stitching, everyone!

Jenn

www.TheLittleShopOfStitches.com

Quilt Market Roller Coaster

We rolled in late Sunday night from Quilt Market in Kansas City.  It is now Tuesday night, and I'm still tired!

The entire experience was a cross between Christmas morning with a five-year-old sense of excitement and a crazy, wild-and-free feeling like Woodstock for Quilters!  My brain was (and still is) on overload.  So many beautiful things, too many for one cerebral cortex to process.

Here is a brief glimpse into the roller coaster of emotions from my first Quilt Market.

I was thrilled to cross the Mississippi River for the first time...

My fingers were crossed the whole time that we didn't come face-to-face with one those infamous Kansas tornadoes!  Thankfully, we didn't.

Sometimes, Market seemed a bit frightening...

Even a wee bit spooky...

But, just around the corner was a friendly little fella...

He had a little group of friends that were very laid back...

As a matter of fact, they invited me in and made me feel right at home...

I was humbled as I attended a lecture presented by Marti Michell...

Giddy when I realized I was standing right behind Eleanor Burns...

And just plain star-struck when Amy Butler agreed to pose for a photo with me!

Such an awesome four days!!!  I am so glad to be home with my family and my own pillow, but I have to admit...I am having Market Withdrawal.

So long, Kansas City!

And The Winner Is...

I must admit my photography skills are not the best.  Regardless, I hope you are able to enjoy a few photos of the winners from the Miami Valley Quilt Guild Show from last weekend.  These are not all of the winners, just the ones I was able to get through the crowds to see.  Nothing can replace seeing these works of art in person, however.  Just remarkable.  

This first one was part of a Joann's challenge.  Beautiful to look at, but the quilt maker said the fabric was not fun to work with.  ;)

 This next winner is a gorgeous whole cloth quilt with an angel motif.

 This quilt won for best pieced quilt.

 

This was made by Maria Elkins, a national award winner.  This was a personal challenge to herself, to make the entire wall hanging with NO PINS!  Just a fabric glue stick!  Amazing!

See what I mean by the crowds of people?  :)  This won Best In Show, and for very good reason.  The winner is to the right in the blue shirt.  (Didn't catch her name.)

Here is a full photo, in all its glory.  It is raw-edge appliqued, and she used her knowledge of trigonometry (TRIGONOMETRY!) to be sure her angles and shapes came out correctly.  I am such a slacker.

The Quilt-Fest continues at The Little Shop of Stitches.  We are already set up for our next show May 10-12 in South Lebanon.  Check our Facebook page for more pictures.  Then, we jet-set to Kansas City for Quilt Market!  Be sure to watch the website for our HUGE Blow-Out Sale later this month!  Happy Stitching!