Sunday, May 31, 2009

It is Time To Celebrate...


At Maryjos.com we are celebrating the First Anniversary of the launching of our online shopping experience! Time flies when you are having fun, oh and we sure do.
Imagine the trips that were not taken and the gas money that was saved, just by the simple act of logging on and shopping online. We are delighted to have served customers from as far away as Guam, Australia, England, Canada, and South America as well as all of our stateside shoppers and the local contingent right here in the Carolina’s. We thank you all for your purchases and for sending us your Stories & Projects and sharing your Mary Jo’s Cloth Store experiences with us.

Many of you have given us valuable feedback, in regards to making the website an “easier” place to shop. We have heard you loud and clear. Changes on the website are being made and will be implemented in the next few weeks.

Several months ago we rolled out an online Customer Community Page. Simply put, this is a section on our website devoted to You, your Projects and Stories. We also are posting your upcoming quilting, doll making, and other sewing events, so send them in. Take a moment and check this section out, you may want to consider contributing a Story or Project of your own. It is always fun to know that your work, tips, and sage advice can help and certainly inspire other folks in our sewing community.


Approximately 10 months ago we created Mary Jo’s Blog which is a Sewing & Design Online Magazine. We have featured articles about Quilt-making, Costumes, Doll-making, Fun Tablecloths, Curtains & Drapes, Bridal, Fabulous Trims, Cloth Paper Dolls and Home Design. We have also written stories about customer projects such as Teddy Bears, Purses, Quilts, Children’s Clothing, Sculpted Dolls and much more. Log on to the Blog, take a moment and scroll down to some of the older articles to make sure you haven’t missed anything that may be interesting to you.

We are happy and honored to be able to make a difference in the world of fabric and to share the passion of sewing and creating. Whether you are at the Store, noodling around on the Website or exploring and reading our Blog, inspiration is always at your fingertips. Mary Jo’s Cloth Store, online or in person is a place where you have total access to everything you will need to be inspired and the Fabric/Trim and Notions you will need to execute whichever project you may be dreaming up.

Do you have a story or project to share? How about some interesting tidbits, insights or thoughts about your experience at Mary Jo’s? Now is the time, we would love to hear from you. Drop us a note (with photos, of course) today.

Sew for now, that is all.
Happy Anniversary from Mary Jo’s.

Sunday, May 24, 2009

Sale, Sale, Sale...


Spring has came and gone and Summer is here, rainy though it may be. We have been filling the store with some beautiful summer fabric.We have chosen lightweight and airy materials and we have all the summery colors that the season is known for. The good news is we have some fabulous choices. The better news, for you, is that we have some lovely

fabric from the spring season just waiting for your next creative project. Oh the best part, much of it is on sale.
No one loves a sale more than Mary Jo’s Cloth Store. We have a special section on the website devoted totally to “sale” fabric. We call this section Special Edition. When you are clicking around on the sale section there are more choices than you can imagine.
Some as low priced as 2.50 per yard! Many choices are fresh from the spring collection as well as other Mary Jo Cloth standards. Florals, Calicos, Upholstery, Prints, Checks and Plaids to name a few. We even put our Dressy finer fabrics on sale from time to time. The big trick is to log onto about once a week and be the first to buy what we have just posted. Often times there are only limited amounts available so you need to act quickly.
At Mary Jo’s Cloth Store our regular prices are better than most fabric stores and our sale prices are just nutty low! So think about the projects you would like to create and make sure you take the time to log onto the “Special Editions” section and have a field day!
We are still building our community page and really need to hear form you. We would love for you to send in your projects with a brief description and a few photos. How fun it will be to see your work posted on the community section and possibly featured on our blog. We are building a community of like minded, talented and creative people. Be a part of it today.

Friday, May 15, 2009

A Garden of Earthly Delights...

Do you love amazing floral patterns? Mary Jo’s Cloth Store has created a veritable garden of choices. Think of the possibilities... Summer Dresses, Skirts, Curtains, Pillows, Quilts, Tablecloths and Over the Shoulder Tote Bags.

This line of fabric is inspiring and could not have arrived at a better time of year. This collection of cloth, like our gardens, is bursting with bright welcoming spring and summer colors. It does make one happy and smiley just to be around such bubbly beauty.

Mary Jo once told me she has “The Gift” for buying beautiful fabric that her customers not only love, but also can easily afford. I agree, beauty matters and the prices are always terrific, whether you are buying on the web at Maryjos.com or taking a trip to the store. Sometimes it is fun to just poke around and be inspired in person!

Quilters… Whack & Stack, a Classic Star or even The Wedding Ring pattern would be stunning with this collection of garden florals. I was bowled over when I was perusing the selection at the store. It was so much fun to imagine what all of you could do with this stunning garden collection!

Dress/Clothing Designers
... yes this fabric is the perfect choice for a dress to attend a Summer BBQ, Concert, Garden Party or even a new favorite Sunday Best.

Home Design applications run to the infinite. Stop a moment and imagine, Pillows on a sofa, Curtains for the kitchen or guest room or take a moment and stitch up a simple Tablecloth that is guaranteed to turn a hum-drum dinner into an event.

Recyclers/Eco-Greenies.
..This fabric really says “I care about the planet and am doing my share”. Try whipping up some re-usable over the shoulder totes for you and your friends to carry all of your groceries home in, Tres’ Chic..
Take a moment to check out this collection. It is fun, vibrant and oh so in season!

Friday, May 8, 2009

Scarves, Beaded Trim & Summer Fun...


Did you know that Mary Jo's Cloth Store has all of the fabric possibilities for your Scarves, Sari's, Harem Pants and those tight little blouses you will need to cover up, underneath! This is the fabric you would need for the "Dance of the Seven Veils", sheer silks and organza's that will delight you. We have a variety of colors from light and airy to dark and dramatic.

We also stock a great selection of woven and textured sheer fabrics that makes for an interesting selection to fit your every need. It is almost summer and may be time to shake up your scarf collection, now is the time to noodle around and find the color that suits you. Log on to maryjos.com or stop in to see check out the possibilities. Just a thought, I also use this sheer and lovely fabric for summertime window treatments. I adore the way the material moves and sways in every little breeze. Take a moment and imagine the possibilities.
Now let's talk about the terrific choices in our "Trim Department". Our customers come from far and near to shop our trim department. A few weeks ago I was checking out the selection and I saw everything from Faux to Glass Beads as well as wood and painted baubles. All of the trim is so inspiring and with so many choices it is truly hard to choose just one. (Sometimes I get dizzy with all of the choices!) Often times our customers will also use some of these amazing beauties on Pillows, Drapes, Upholstery and Purses as well as Costumes and Dollmaking. Mary Jo's trim is such a great deal that folks are always buying up whole bolts! The prices on trim are remarkable. I noted a brown beaded trim that was only, hold on, 5.98 per yard! Although the really special intricate ones can be as much as 14.98 a yard which is still a bargain. Sometimes, no most of the time, I cannot believe Mary Jo's prices. Recently I was in Los Angeles at a big fabric/trim store and prices for the same trim was triple and even quadruple what Mary Jo's Cloth Store charges. Here is a "Trim" secret you should know, if you have a special color or type of beaded trim you are looking for please send us a photo of what you need and we will be happy to check to see if we have it.
Do you have a project or Mary Jo Story to share with us? Please send us an email with a few pictures, we would like to feature you on this blog and/or in our Community Section of the website.
Click on arrow to view slide-show!

Saturday, May 2, 2009

Bridal Lace For Curtains, Why Not...


Delight, yes this is the best word to describe how I felt walking around Mary Jo's fabric store last week. I had a vision of finding just the right lace for a special window in my home. I decided the most magnificent lace is in the Bridal Department so that is where I started looking. I was not disappointed, in fact I was overwhelmed by the possibilities that were available. I wanted a lace that looked antique and was approximately 3 ft wide. I found the perfect lace and had one of the gals cut what I needed.
When I got home I cut the lace to accommodate the length of the window. I then, quite simply basted a line across the top to create a pocket for the tension rod to slide through and instead of hemming I cut the lace along the pattern. Within 20 minutes I had a perfect lace curtain. I used one and half yards total and the cost was only 24.98 per yard! I know I would have paid triple anywhere else.


This past spring I was at Isabella Stewart Gardiner's Home/Museum in Boston and she had the most beautiful lace curtains. I believe the lace is from the turn of the century and that she purchased it in Europe. I decided that day that the next time I had a moment and was cruising around Mary Jo's I would find a lace that looked as fine as Miss Isabella's window lace and adorn a window in my home with that same style of fine lace. Mission accomplished! Take a moment and look at our lace online or pop by the store, you will be inspired and delighted, I guarantee.

Do you have a few windows that need a simple facelift? This is an easy solution and quick! I chose lace that was in the medium price range, however depending on your choice you can pay half as much or twice as much depending upon the intricate nature of the lace itself. I do like the fact that we can choose the perfect lace at a price that is affordable or a splurge!

Friday, May 1, 2009

NEWSFLASH & Paper Doll Update...

1. Mary Jo's Cloth Store was recently a featured article in Threads Magazine. Check it out!
Many of you wrote in asking for more specific instructions on the "process" of making the cloth Paper Dolls. So here are the details, from Miss Maggie herself!
"I fused Peltex #71, to the back of the paper dolls, and then cut them out. On the clothes I used Pellon wonder under transfer web #805, after I fused the backs of the clothes I then peels off the other side of the transfer web and pressed then to a pale pink fabric. After I cut out all the outfits I liked; matching my paper dolls to my cloths I glue a small amount of Velcro loop side to the tabs of my cloths with gem tack, any fabric glue will work. The loop side if the Velcro will stick to the back of the Peltex on the back of the paper dolls."
There you have it, all the news that is fit to print, have a wonderful day.
Remember to send us your stories, we are your biggest fans!