Christmas Stockings, Easy as 1, 2, 3...

Tis' the season. Once a year it is truly the season for Holiday themed fabric! We have, in stock: Santa's, Angels, Ornaments, Reindeer, Poinsettas, Pinecones, Drummer Boys, Nutcrackers, The Nativity, Snowy Scenes, Snowmen, Bells, and many other holiday themed choices. Most are available online, shop early for the best selection.Stockings are not only easy and fun to make they become instant family treasures that are pulled out and used for many years to come. Did you know you can make Christmas Stockings without a sewing machine? eesortmnent.com had some super ideas for easy to make Christmas Stockings. These hand-stitched stockings are very unique, and they can be personalized with names or special holiday messages."To make a hand-stitched Christmas stocking you will need 1 half yard of either Satin, Fleece, Velvet, Holiday print or any other fabric you wish to use. You will also need a skein of embroidery floss, ½ inch wide satin ribbon, straight pins, a needle, scissors, and fabric chalk. Optional supplies are small jingle bells, fabric paint, cotton thread, beads, brushes, fabric glue, glitter, pretty buttons, pompoms, lace and rickrack. Use fabric chalk to draw the outline of a stocking on the backside of your chosen fabric. When drawing the shape, be sure to take into consideration the loss of size that will occur when the stocking is stitched around the edges. Also, you may want to consider making the stocking taller than desired so the top can be turned over to form a cuff. Also allow extra length if you intend on cutting out fringe on the cuff. This works best when using fleece material. Cut out the completed shape, turn the fabric over, and use it as a stencil for the other side of the stocking. Trace around the shape, and cut it out as well. Choose a color of embroidery floss that coordinates well with the colors of your chosen fabric. Pin the two right sides of the stocking together using straight pins. Thread an embroidery needle with 2 strands of embroidery floss, and begin whip stitching the edges. “Whip stitches” are made by inserting the needle into the fabric and “whipping” the thread over the cut edges of fabric and inserting the needle into the other side. Make the stitches approximately ¼ inch apart. Continue this process until the edges are completely stitched. Turn the stocking right side out. If you have made the stocking long enough for a cuff, turn the fabric out to form the cuff. You can either hand-stitch lace or rickrack around the edge of the cuff, or if the cuff is long enough you can create a fringed edge. Do so by evenly cutting out ½ inch sections of fabric around the edges of the cuff. Make the fringe any length you desire. If you’ve opted to make fringe, you can tie on small metal jingle bells or pretty beads to the ends of the fringe. If you didn’t form a fabric cuff for the stocking, make a faux cuff using pretty buttons. Sew buttons of your choice around the upper third of the stocking. Use buttons of all sizes and shapes in colors that coordinate with the fabric used for the stocking. Pompoms or faux gemstones can also be used to embellish a hand-stitched Christmas stocking. Glue them on with fabric glue. You also might want to consider using glue and glitter to personalize the stocking with a name more or special holiday message. Just draw the name or message with a bottle of craft glue, and sprinkle on glitter of your choice. Use your imagination to design the perfect holiday stocking.Make a hanger for your finished stocking using ½ inch wide satin ribbon in a coordinating color. Cut off a section of ribbon approximately 6 inches long. Fold it over and hand stitch it to the inside corner of the stocking. Hang the finished stocking on the edge of a mantel or shelf. Special stocking hangers are available where most Christmas supplies and accessories are sold. Wow, making future family holiday heirlooms could not be easier. If you want to be inspired, Google images has loads of great ideas. Go to google.com, type "Christmas Stockings" into the search field click images and viola, tons of stocking photos. Have fun!

Remember Mary Jo's Cloth Store has outstanding choices for all of your holiday fabric needs. Log on to our website www.maryjos.com or stop into the store in Gastonia, we would love to see you and your friends! Take a moment and send a photo of your Christmas project to us. We may post it on our community page or feature your handiwork in a future Mary Jo Design Blog article. Happy Holidays and make sure to have fun.

Thanksgiving at Mary Jo's Cloth Store...

Thanksgiving is a special time of year. It is a holiday filled with great food, company and good cheer. It is a time to re-connect with family, friends and neighbors. There is nothing better than eating a great meal and breaking bread with those that we love and acknowledging all of the blessings in our lives. May your "Thanksgiving Week" buzz with the energy of love, sharing and true hospitality.

At Mary Jo's Cloth Store Thanksgiving is a very special time of year. We are truly thankful for all of our wonderful customers who shop in the store or online. It is always a joy to be able to help folks find what they are looking for, answer questions whether it is in person, on the phone or in an email.






We are thankful for our staff. They work diligently to get the job done, on-time and with a smile. We are thankful to the manufactures of the fabric we stock in our stores. We are able to order what we need, when we need it, at a price that is so great we can pass the savings onto you. So thank-you everyone, may your holiday season be filled with all that you love and all that you care about.

Happy Thanksgiving,
Mary Jo's Cloth Store

In the spirit of giving,new specials, just log onto our SALE PAGE (Special Edition)... We have some new postings that are well priced and lovely.

Where Does The Time Go?

It is the middle of November, we are getting very busy online and in the store. Many folks are stocking up on fabric to get them through the holidays. The project lists we hear about are endless. Thanksgiving Tables are being outfitted with some truly amazing tablecloths made from exquisite Damasks, Satins, Polished Cottons, Batiks and classic prints. Companion fabric is available for napkins and place-mats. As always at Mary Jo's Cloth Store the choices are many and the possibilities are endless.

We have heard from many of you in the past few weeks and would like to feature a few of our letters and comments as well as a darling "Polka Dot" project.

Miss Sue in Georgia writes...
Dear Mary Jo and friends,
Thank you so much for going online. There is nothing like going to your store and shopping for the project you are doing, but sadly some of is are now housebound. I was so happy to know that I can now go online and get a few things that I need. I think you are a wonderful group and I wish you continued success. You really go out of your way to see that we have a great shopping experience. You ladies are the greatest.
Hugs
Sue in GA

Sarah from NC, wrote in to share her beautiful Doll that she made from fabric purchased here at Mary Jo's...
Hi Mary Jo's.
I just wanted to share my newest obsession...art dolls made of fabric with yarn for hair. They're called Blume Dolls. Each one is an indivual with painted faces, about 6 '' tall. I can't stop making them. So....I'm cruising Mary Jo's alot to find that special fabric for a dress or body. Right now they're sitting on my sewing room shelf watching me! I've made about 25 and have given a few to friends. Thanks for letting me share, Sarah Monteleone Dallas, N.C.

Miss Connie was kind enough to share her Polka Dot Handiwork...
I read your article on using Polka dots in our projects. I make primarily custom kids clothes.
I've enclosed a picture of what I call my "Little Black Skirt."
I've used a combination of: Micro Dots, 1/4 Inch Dots, 1/2 Inch Dots, Flocked Dot Tulle along with a Stripe for this fun little skirt.
It can be worn so many ways: With a Personalized T Shirt...with a Blouse and Vest....With a BOO T Shirt for Halloween....or with a Minnie T Shirt for that Disney Trip.
I just wanted to share my contribution!
Thanks
Connie Turner
Thanks for all of your great notes, letters and kudos we appreciate hearing from you.
Remember it is that "time" of year. Holidays, Parties, Gifts and Dinners. So get to cracking on all of your projects before the time, well, just gets away from you.
An early Happy Holidays from Mary Jo's Cloth Store.

Mary Jo's Named "One of the Seven Wonders"...

Thank-you to all that voted. Drum roll..... Mary Jo's Cloth Store won the Gaston Gazette contest for "The Seven Wonders of Gaston County"! Yippeee. We were named one of the "Seven Wonders". We couldn't be more proud and we thank all of our customers, near and far who took the time and voted online at The Gaston Gazette for Mary Jo's.
This is what the Gaston Gazette had to say about us.
"At 77 years of age, Margaret Colien Cloninger still goes to work six days a week, usually arriving and leaving sometime around dark. “I’m old, but I can outwork any young child,” said Cloninger, better known by the nickname her father gave her — Mary Jo.
She culled her work ethic working at her father’s grocery store in Dallas before she was tall enough to rest her chin on the counter. She shined shoes, took in rent payments on weekends and helped with recordkeeping. “I did it, and I was good,” she said. “My father taught me everything I know.” Except how to sew. That she learned on her own. Her mother wouldn’t let her use her sewing machine, so she’d sneak and use it while she was out. When Cloninger was in school (she had to drop out in the 11th grade to help her dad run the store), she taught her peers to sew because her home economics teacher didn’t know how.
Her ingrained business acumen and love of all things fabric led her to open a store behind her father’s barbershop back in 1951, on her 19th birthday. Today, Mary Jo’s Cloth Store is one of the largest independent fabric stores in the nation, drawing crafters, designers, quilters and stitchers from all over the world to the 32,000 square foot retail center in Gastonia.

It’s been featured in Southern Living Magazine and The New York Times. It’s also been voted by readers as one of the Gazette’s Seven Wonders of Gaston County. “I love what I do, and I don’t do it for money,” said Mary Jo. “This is my gift, this is my joy, and I know who I serve, so it just works.” She’s been tested along the way. As business progressed, she relocated her store within Dallas. It burned on Dec. 18, 1981, and forced her to relocate to Windsor Center in Dallas, where it stayed until moving to become the centerpiece of the Gaston Mall in 1986.
Her business philosophy is simple – treat others like you want to be treated and be fair. The 68 employees who work at the store are like family, she said. “It’s not me,” she said of her store’s success. “It’s all of us.” "

How the Seven Wonders were chosen. The first ever (to our knowledge) definitive list of the Seven Wonders of Gaston County was chosen from an online vote of Gaston Gazette. com readers. Readers nominated Gaston County landmarks, events and people by e-mailing the Gazette or posting the nominations online before the top 20 finalists were selected.

Remember to check out the Sale Page. TIP: Click through all of the pages as the stock changes sometimes on a daily basis.

Living In A Material World...

It is no trick at Mary Jo's Cloth Store. Simply put our prices are lower, our selection is better and our quality is top notch. We have been selling fabric since the mid 1900's we believe this makes us experts. Our 32,000 sq. ft of floor space gives us the ability to stock everything you may need for most any project you are working on. At Mary Jo's it is always a treat, whether you are shopping

at Maryjos.com or enjoying an excursion to the store. We are always available to give you a hand, answer any questions and help you to find exactly what you are looking for, online or in the store. Thanks for your continued patronage, your notes, your thoughts and all of your input, we are listening and are always striving to not only be the best but remain your favorite cloth store.

This week a customer, Cindy Winter-Hartley, posted a blog article about her trip to Mary Jo's. We thought it would be fun to share with you.
"Living In The Material World and I Am A Material Girl"
I love fabric. Sometimes before I go to sleep at night, (and I share this without a hint of embarrassment or awkwardness), I will place different swatches on my bedroom carpet floor and imagine. As my mind unwinds from the day, I move the squares around and see the different patterns I can create. The Hubs will walk into the room and ask me, "What are you doing?" He doesn't get it as he just sees a junky mess. It's a fabric thing. And I have a ton of it. Yeah, I am a material girl. This past weekend, I journeyed to one of my favorite places. Mary Jo's in Gastonia. It is the promised land on earth for someone who finds fabric fascinating.

Thankfully Mary Jo's is conveniently located only an hour away from some of my favorite people on the earth. I have a large extended family in South Carolina and although they alone make the trip worthwhile , Mary Jo's is a must-stop on my emotional map. And I am equally blessed because I have two of the most awesome OS a girl could ever have usually traveling with me. The reason for their respective awesomeness is that is I have trained them on how to behave at Mary Jo's. (Click to Read More)

Wow, fun, Thanks so much Miss Cindy. We love that our customers are not only blogging about us, but sending us their articles and postings. Do you have a project, story or article? Take a moment and email us today. Thanks in advance.
Happy Sewing and a spooky Halloween to all!

Cozy Up Your Home, One Room At A Time...

Autumn is the perfect time to re-think, re-do, re-paint and re-upholster. The holidays are, eeek, around the corner and guests will be arriving before you know it. A few weeks ago I was taking a creative stroll through the Upholstery and Drapery section here at Mary Jo's Cloth Store. I am always inspired and compelled to purchase fabric for a Chair, Pillow, Drapery or even a Tablecloth. The website has much of the stock posted and for sale online, all of the time! Paisley fabric is one of my all time favorites. I love the way it mixes easily with Antiques and the bolder more spare Paisley can add an elegant edge to a modern home as well. Mary Jo's has many Paisley's and Patterns, not just printed but actually woven, thread by thread. Some of these woven fabrics are available in wide widths and range in price for $12-25 per yard. However at a big chain these same fabrics would easily be double and sometimes even triple. Mary Jo always says that she, "Wants her customers to be able to afford terrific fabric for as little money as possible". She is true to her word.
I recently stitched up some simple floor to ceiling curtains for my living room. The fabric is a lovely woven paisley, in the most beautiful colors and the texture is sumptuous. This mixes well with other patterns and solids that were already in the room. (This fabric is truly heavenly, I love this fabric and it could also be used for a light jacket, Tote zBag, Table Cloth, Bedspread and well the list is endless, send me some of your clever ideas and I can feature them.)
In another room of the house I have used a wide range of paisley, solids and patterned fabric to create a cozy area, it is a perfect place to retreat and read a book. It was easy to create using just a few pillows, a throw, a simple bed-cover. I like the fact that it looks like an instant collection. An important tip I like to share is this, many patterns that have a color in common often time will work well together. Repeated color is the key to putting a room together, any room, all of the time.
Go ahead give it a try. Now take a moment and surf around on the website click onto the Drapery/Upholstery section for inspiration. If you are in Gastonia you can pop into the store and browse to your hearts content.
We are looking forward to hearing your comments and seeing photos of the rooms you will create in this pre-holiday season.
Oh, and for all of you "Crazy For Halloween" folks, we have fabric, trim and many other notions you will need to create the cutest, scariest, coolest, creepiest and most horrifying costumes ever. Log on or hurry in today!

Autumn is Quilting Weather...

Chilly Autumn nights are here, so it must be time to start all of your holiday quilting projects.
There are so many different approaches to quilting but I think we would all agree that the most important is to be prepared. Cut once, measure twice, have all of your pieces ready in advance and of course a neat and tidy work area (well, we should all have something to aim for!). At Mary Jo’s Cloth Store we carry all of your old favorites and some great new fabrics in many patterns, colors and different holiday and seasonal themes. We even have some on our sale page and when you think about our low prices to start with, you know the sale price is dirt cheap.

Today we are featuring a master quilter, Anita Grossman Solomon who is the author of the popular books, Make It Simpler series “Paper Piecing” and “Perfect Blocks in Minutes”. She has also appeared on HGTV's "Simply Quilts". Anita has created a system that is easy, organized and can help you to create a perfect quilt, every time! Sounds like a dream? Don’t worry easy never sounded so good.
I was cruising around on her website www.makeitsimpler.com and was impressed with the knowledge she so freely shares and easy links to purchase her books. This is what she had to say about “Paper Piecing”.
The following is an interview featured on Electricquilt.com...
“Q: Congratulations, Anita! You're just written your first book, about a new pinless, "fold and sew" foundation technique you developed. How would you describe your technique to our readers?
A: It's simplified paper-piecing, but it's not paper piecing as you know it. It's sort of hand-piecing, with a sewing machine, over a paper foundation. An entire 6" block pattern is meant to be photocopied from the book onto translucent vellum. Most significantly, rather than cutting up the pattern into sub-units, it's scored instead along pre-printed lines.
Piece the block without sewing through allowances. Since you never cut the foundation apart, it doesn't have to be put back together. Just refold and sew the subunits together along the printed seam lines. Every intersection and point should be perfectly matched because they were never cut apart.

Anita's Faux Card Trick quilt. Can you believe each block was pieced on ONE foundation? Hint: Anita used squares, rectangles and triangles. Pieced by Anita and machine quilted and finished by Janice E. Petre of Sinking Spring, PA
Because of this new technique, it's possible to design and construct blocks in new ways. I've 'done' a Faux Card Trick that can be pieced, continuously, on one foundation. I've never seen the block done on less than three foundations.

Another block, Jan's Star (named for my fabulous C&T editor, Jan Grigsby) is an asymmetrical star ensconced in an attic window setting. It's unusual because the setting is formed when one of its two seams are sewn. A perfect 45 degree angle is created. It's uncanny.”
To read more of this interview click here..

Wow, so much more is on the site so take the time to log on to Anita's site and surf around to find some tricks that will make quilting easier and more efficient. Think about all of the quilts and smaller quilt project you could create between now and Christmas. Think about this, great gifts and cozy bedding just in time for cold, dark and rainy, snowy days.

Now is the time to get crackin’ on your upcoming projects so take a minute and log onto www.maryjos.com today. Better yet if you have time or are in Gastonia you could stop by and take a cruise through our 32,000 sq. ft store for not only inspiration but a rummage through the sale bins. We also have stacks and stacks of fat quarters just waiting to be turned into something absolutely fantastic.
Happy Holiday’s. Yes it is early, but not so far away.