Breezes Are Sweeter With Fresh Window Treatments...

Spring is almost officially over and Summer is closing in. Ah, what a wonderful thing, summer. This is the time of year when we feel lighter and brighter.
Why not let your summertime state of mind totally influence your home? Now is the time to think about changing up the Drapes, Curtains, Swags and Shades. It could not be easier and this project won't break the bank. If you are super ambitious you can pick up a few extra yards of a companion fabric and re-cover an old Chair, Sofa or Ottoman. You may even want to stitch up some new pillows that tie in the new Drapes!
Another great money saving tip, check out Target, Home Goods, Home Depot and Lowe's for some really well priced Curtain Rods and Curtain Rings. They are stylish and affordable.

Once you start re-doing a room it is hard not to be inspired. So take a moment, take stock and consider this, what are you waiting for? There is no time like the present to "Shake it Up".
The prices for Silk and Silk Acetate at Maryjos.com are 7.98-29.98. You can find these fabrics at the "other" stores selling for $10.00 - $20.00 and sometimes even $30.00 more per yard. No joke. It has always been Mary Jo's goal (for over 60 years) to keep the quality high and the prices as low as we can. Now is the time to log on to maryjos.com today and treat yourself to fresh and summery surroundings. We think you will be happy you did!

Quilting As Inspiration...

Sometimes it can be a little hard to get into the sewing room and create a project. That is when it is wise to get a little outside inspiration. You can try browsing through some great quilting books, magazines and even some catalogs. We usually chose the internet first. Why? It is an incredible wealth of information and inspiration. Sometimes nothing is more fun than gazing at page after page of inspired and beautifully created Quilts. We are always surprised and delighted by the gems that are featured on the web.

A recent tour of internet Quilting blogs brought us to Victoria Gertenbach, her blog is called The Silly BooDilly. This sweet read is filled with her quilts and other projects which she sells in her Etsy shop. Her work is filled with vibrant color. She displays her Quilts in a style that is truly beautiful. Hung simply on the wall, with a vase of flowers or some fruit is her typical M.O. It works, splendidly. Today we are going to not only featuring her fantastic Quilt portfolio, but are also going to share her thoughts and tips on making a scrap quilt.

"Long ago, every woman who sewed had a scrap bag. Fabric was precious and nothing could go to waste. She often pulled from her bag of scraps when making her quilts, and I've often read historic accounts of elderly quilters who fondly remembered the thrill of getting to go through their mother's scrap bag when first learning how to piece.

In another nod to the past I did some research and decided to make a "Pressed Quilt"...
What exactly is a pressed quilt? Well, from my research, it seems to be an old fashioned, and now seldom used term, to refer to quilts where the blocks are sewn onto pieces of foundation fabric. It takes it's name due to how each piece of fabric, after being stitched down, is opened and pressed with an iron before the next piece is sewn on.

Crazy quilts are sometimes sewed this way, as are some strip quilts, log cabins and various variations, (such as "Courthouse Step" blocks, which is what I have done here). It comes in very handy when using smaller bits of fabric, or strips of fabric cut off-grain, which could easily become distorted without the foundation to add support. (I've worked this way lots of times before, as I am sure many of you have, too. I just had never heard of the term "pressed quilts" before, and always enjoy learning something new... especially when the information is old!)


And one more thing,

I didn't realize it while sewing, but looking at the vibrant colors and pieced blocks in these two new pieces, I would be remiss if I didn't point out that I definitely believe that my reviewing Malka's book, Fresh Quilting, had a strong impact on my subconscious!"
Victoria, you are an inspiration, keep up the great work. It is such a joy to view your brightly colored well designed and beautifully made quilts. We love your presentation of your very lovely work. Thanks.

How can you save money at Mary Jo's Cloth Store? We always have loads of fabric in our SALE section on the website and in bins at the store. These inexpensive choices are great for mixing with your scraps or creating something entirely new and fresh.

Take a moment and log onto Mary Jo's website, the deals are amazing, the selection ever-changing and the quality is always top notch. Log onto Maryjos.com today and discover some great cloth for your next project.

Do you have a project to share? You could be the next featured article! Send us an EMAIL with a few lines about your business, a link to your Website/Blog and a few photos of your project or product. We thank-you in advance.

Turquoise, A Perfect Color For Your Summer Lifestyle...

Summertime is fast approaching. Do you have a Summerhouse, somewhere near the water? If not, maybe you need to re-invent your own home into a space that feels like a relaxing vacation home? Easy? Yes! How? You ask. Simple answer, Fabric! It is in-expensive and you can do so much with so little and even more with yards and yards! If you want to change a room you can hang some new curtains, slipcover furniture, make some pillows, a tablecloth or stitch up a throw for a bed or recover a headboard. 

Here is the deal, at Mary Jo's Cloth we have many choices of seasonal fabric. Popular colors and patterns, the same stuff you could buy ready made at a home store can easily be created by you, at a fraction of the cost. We have expanded our Home Décor selections and we have worked hard at making sure all of the popular colors of the season are a big part of our summer collection. If you want to really feel like you are on a Summer Holiday, surround yourself with the colors of the season!

Have you ever been inspired by a color? There is a gal on the web, Erin Olsen, she has a wonderful gem of a blog called “House Of Turquoise”. The remarkable thing about her very sweet, informative and imaginative blog is that she really is about everything in shades of Turquoise. It happens to be a popular color this year. Folks are pairing it with Funky shades of Orange and odd Chartreuse Greens. Turquoise is also a natural with a Seaweed Green and rich Dark Browns and Ebony Blacks.If you want a modern look, Turquoise and White or Cream, elegant and modern! Who would have imagined that such a strong color could play well with so many other colors. Thanks Erin for your insights and truly lovely, inspirational blog. Love it!

Now, Mary Jo’s Cloth Creatives. We NEED to see your projects. What are you creating with Mary Jo’s carefully chosen, just for you, Cloth? Send us a few photos and an email today. Don’t wait, your Project, Blog and Website could be featured in a series of upcoming articles on Home Décor. 

We thank you in advance. Now go to your sewing machines and get to creating! You will be happy that you took our advice!

Exuberant Color, Quilting and an ART Gallery...

It is late Spring, moving quickly to Summer. Oh yeah, time to be thinking of stepping outdoors and having fun with the family. It is also the time of year that is filled with "Getaway" Sewing &  Quilting Seminars and Workshops.

We are lucky to have alot going on right here in the greater Charlotte area. We just heard about an amazing quilting workshop that is being held at the Ciel Gallery in Charlotte's South End Arts District.

They typically show Mosaic, but in the month of June they have decided to feature Fabric (Quilts)!  They will be exhibiting the work of the well known and talented Quilter named Wanda S. Hanson from Chicago! She has an outstanding blog and loves COLOR. A quick scroll on her blog will totally inspire anyone who loves color and fabric.
So here is what is happening.

A really cool and inspiring workshop in the heart of the South end Arts District. It is inexpensive, you receive a pile of colorful fabric and some instruction on Wanda's way of seeing color and pattern. Not a bad deal for only 35$ She also has several dates for you to attend.

Intuitive Color,
Visiting Artist Wanda S. Hanson
Saturday, June 2
9:30 - 12:30
OR
Monday, June 4
10:00 - 1:30
OR
Thursday, June 7
10:00 - 1:30
$35

In conjunction with our Exuberant Color show at Ciel in June, Chicago quilt artist Wanda Hanson will teach a mini-class vibrant color combinations intuitively. Each student will receive 100 2-1/2 inch squares of fabric, the building blocks to complete several exercises to learn about color, value, contrast, and blend. By taking photos of each of your exercises you'll have a reference to accompany your class hand out. Leave with a pinned sample ready to sew, if desired. Fabric kits will be included in the class fee.

This class will be offered in three single sessions, and is suitable for quilters, fabric artists, painters, mosaic artists -- anyone who works with color. No previous experience required.


Thanks to one of the owners of the Ciel Gallery, Vicki Hanson-Burkhart who is also a regular Mary Jo's Cloth Customer, for the info about this wonderful gem of a gallery and their featured "Quilting workshops" that are coming up in just a few short weeks!

Have you logged onto maryjos.com or popped into the store lately? Well, you may just want to log on today! We have new lines of fabrics and always tons of great picks, on sale and beyond affordable.
We also have aisles and aisles in the store and pages and pages on the website of Colorful Batiks, amazing patterns and everything else you will need for your next Quilting project.

Mary Jo's Cloth Voted Best Fabric Store...

We have big news. We could not believe it when we received notice that we were voted “The 2012 Best Fabric Shop” in the May edition of the Charlotte Magazine. We could not be happier or more excited! So make sure you pick up a copy to read all about it. Thanks to all of you Charlotte Magazine readers who voted us as your favorite fabric store. We always are working to improve our selection of Fabric, Customer service and keeping the website fresh and filled with new and fresh fabric choices.
Quilting, Home Décor, Dressmaking, Costumes, Bridal Dresses, Prom Dresses or Costuming. We have exactly what you need. We now are carrying some new lines of fabrics, thanks to all of your suggestions.

For your Quilts, Pillows and Table cloths, Sweet Spring time Dresses, Quick Home Design Projects and Crafting we have the newest offerings from Northcott, Art Gallery, Clothworks, Red Rooster, Wilmington Prints & Susybee. We are still working on some of the other requests. So here is the deal, log onto maryjos.com, in the top right hand corner is a “search” box. Simply type in the fabric you are looking for example, type in "Art Gallery", click search and you will be re-directed to the page that only has Art Gallery Fabrics featured! This is an easy and interesting way to check out our newest lines of Fabric!
Newflash! We are going back to weekly blog articles! We will be featuring Home Décor, Clothing, Quilts, Costumes, Purses & Totes and Bridal/Formal wear, every week. 
We would like to hear from you. Do you make a living or have a tremendous passion for creating articles from Mary Jo's Cloth? If you do, this is an opportunity to have your business, website and the products you are creating from Mary Jo’s Cloth featured in a blog article. 
Did you know that 220,000 folks have read our Mary Jo’s Cloth Blog since we started back in August of 2008! This is a wonderful and easy way to be seen by many. 


Please email your website or blog address with a few lines about what you do and a few photos of your work. We are always very excited to see how you all are using Mary Jo’sCloth! Send us your projects TODAY! Email to kdb@maryjos.com

Tangerine Dreams and Some News...

Great news. We have many new fabric lines to choose from! Thanks to ALL of you for your much appreciated emails and comments. We learned many interesting things from this experiment. Our customers are loyal, happy and delighted that we have such large selections of fabrics and we have managed to keep our prices below other fabric stores. We discovered some of you LOVE shopping at Maryjos.com. To all of you web shoppers, we are always working to improve and streamline the way our site works. Please check back often for new choices of Fabric that are added daily.
News from the store, as you may know we have undergone some recent changes and the response has been happy smiles and positive feedback.

We love hearing how all of you are using the fabrics from Mary Jo Cloth. Home Décor, Quilting, Craft Projects, Purses/Handbags, Costumes and Dressmaking. It is always a joy to see your “Projects” in the emails that you send to us.
We love nothing more than featuring you and your projects on our blog. So please send an email today with a few lines about your project, a couple of photos and if you have a blog or a website please include the www.address!

Today we are going to talk about the hottest spring color, Tangerine! We are seeing it in Clothing, Accessories and certainly in Home Décor. Pottery Barn, Crate and Barrel and Target are just a few of the stores where Tangerine is the dominate color this spring.
You do not have to pay those big store prices if you are you looking at Pillows or Chairs, Curtains, Tablecloths or Slipcovers? At Mary Jo’s you can pick up some springtime inspiration for as little as 6.99 per yard. Think about it, a typical couch takes about 10 yards of Fabric, a pillow, depending on the size, a yard or less. Curtains, now there is a super easy project that can change a room in a moment. Tablecloths, inside or out, like a magician you can actually change the flavor of a space in an afternoon! No worries, we have all of the Tangerine fabric you will need, we have you covered.

Log on to our Upholstery Section, you will be delighted and inspired.
Have a wonderful spring day.

Color and Everyday Quilting Inspirations...

Victoria Gertenbach, an expert Quilter, is inspired by most everything around her. In her latest blog posting she features a small quilt that was inspired by Blood Oranges. WOW. A quick trip to the produce section and this gal is cookin' along on the train of creativity. Have you sometimes been "blocked" and can't seem to get inspired or in the mood? Victoria and Quilting Artist's like her can be great mentors/teachers.
Her blog thesillyboodilly.blogspot.com present and past is wonderful inspiration to anyone who is curious and interested.
The following is her current post...
Color Inspiration: Blood Oranges.
Color inspiration truly is everywhere and if you are ever in need of a quick fix, just visit your local produce supplier. Blood Oranges. Are they not gorgeous?! I have been enjoying this delectable fruit for the last few years, and am always delighted when they become available. The deep reddish, purple coloring comes from the presence of anthocyanins, which are a type of plant pigments found in many different flowers and fruits, but generally not found in most citrus fruits.... which makes these babies extra special.
For this quilt, I used colors found in the blood oranges and for some pop and zing added some contrasting greens and blues.
I continue to be enamored by the Moda Grunge fabrics, (by Basic Gray). Love that they work as solids but have that layer of added interest, which reminds me of worn and exposed paint. (You may remember I first started using the Grunge fabrics when making this quilt in shades of off-white and brown.)
This colorful little quilt is now available in my shop. (Now SOLD)
Hope you all have a joyful and colorful week! xo

Wow, thanks Victoria, I think you may have delighted and inspired our Mary Jo's Cloth Community and we thank-you.

The update on our recent email campaign, We hear YOU!
Change is a sometimes slow process. We are currently working with some new and different manufacturers (suggested by YOU) to supply the items on your wish lists.
MODA, Riley Blake, Fatquarters, Higher-end Woolens and possibly some buggies (shopping carts). You never know, some of these wishes could become reality. We had an overwhelming response. Know that we read every letter. We could not respond to each letter, but we tallied the wants and needs of YOU our customer We really appreciate your feedback and continued support. So, thanks ever so much, YOU are all such treasures.
By the way if you would like to see our newest collection of paisley's, like the one in the title block at the beginning of this article, it is only 7.99 per yard. Check it out. Enjoy the day and take a moment to shop at www.maryjos.com, we are always posting new choices and updating our SALE page.
Happy Sewing.