Flower Power, A Fun Craft Project...

Have you ever wondered what to do with those little scraps of fabric that are in a pile or in a box in your cupboard? Quilting is the obvious answer but maybe you should consider shaking it up a bit. One of our customers, Lorna Sanford from Charlotte, N.C. shared this great "Flower Power Craft Project". It is as easy as 1, 2, 3! This project requires only Fabric, Heavy Paper and a Glue stick. You don't even have to break out the sewing machine.
You can create dozens of these beauties in a day or 1 in just a few minutes.
Simple Fabric Flowers...

1. Cut four 4 inch squares of contrasting, interesting patterned fabric, set aside.
2. Cut four 4 inch squares of heavy stock paper. (an old file folder or heavy craft paper will do)
3. Draw a flower shape onto the paper. (See photo)
4. Glue the back of the fabric to the back of the flower template. Use a fresh glue stick, make sure it is fully covered with the glue before adhering.
5. Cut the flower on the paper side.
6. Gently crease each petal, leaving the center concaved.
7. Glue each flower stacking and offsetting the petals below it. (So the patterns show, see photo)
8. Now cut little contrasting circles, glue to center of flower. You could also use quirky or antique buttons for the centers.
WOW. These little beauties are terrific glued onto a barrette, a card or add to the top of a beautiful package. The possibilities are endless.


This is also great for all of the "Fat Quarters" we have available, online or at the store.
Do you have a story or project to share? We would love to hear from you, send an email today.

The Shipping News...

The other day we received a note from a gal in Arkansas. She was delighted with how quickly and efficiently her order was delivered.
We are constantly tweaking our delivery systems as we are always seeking the best value for our customers.We are always available to answer your questions via email, snail mail or telephone. Our staff is friendly and knowledgeable. You will not be disappointed. The next time you are noodling around on maryjos.com and you need to know more info don't hesitate to call us, we are there for you.

Friday (6/5/09) I received the fabric I ordered from your store. Inside the box, the fabric was packaged in a Mary Jo's plastic bag. Gosh I sure miss being able to shop there anytime I got the urge like when I was living in Gastonia. Sometimes when I get homesick for you, I do the virtual tour just to remember looking at the fabric and notions in all the sections. My "stash" is full of your fabrics, and the curtains in my kitchen windows and the tablecloths I use for company, come from your tablecloth fabric section.
Keep the blog going, keep up the website, and thanks for always having good prices and great selections.
God bless.
BT
Mountain Home, Arkansas, formerly from Gastonia, NC.
PS - You would have been surprised that I often come across people who have been to your store. I might meet them anywhere. Last person I met was at the Padaucah AQS show this April!
Thanks for your note, we appreciate the kudos and the feedback.

So let’s talk about how we ship and deliver the fabric to your home or business. It is a necessary part of the web/mail order business. The upside for you is you do not have to drive to the store and you can shop from the website 24/7. We have many customers from other states and other countries who can enjoy shopping online and terrific selection and prices. The mail order department answers your questions promptly and always ships within 3-4 business days (it is our policy). The shipping rates are standard Postal or UPS/Fed-Ex. We have worked hard to ensure the best price and the quickest delivery.

From our website…
Maryjos.com ships to all 50 States and APO/FPO addresses. Orders originating from U.S. territories and APO/FPO addresses will be shipped by U.S. Mail. Maryjos.com does offer shipping to addresses outside of the United States.

All international deliveries are shipped USPS Global Priority. Special Quotes will be given for the order. Allow 3-4 business days for price quotes.

Most orders are shipped within 3-4 business days. Please allow 7-12 days for ground shipments to arrive. On orders to Alaska, Hawaii, APO and FPO addresses, delivery may take an additional 7-14 days. All applicable shipping charges will be added to your invoice. In the event that we cannot ship your complete order, we will notify you via e-mail.

Do you have a story or project to share? Email us today we are looking forward to hearing from you.

Flowers, Tractors and the Tarheels...

Happy Independence Day Weekend! We hope you had fun celebrating our nations 233rd Anniversary. Nothing says summer like a picnic with friends and family.

What do flowers, tractors, fish, boats, cars, baseball, basketball, kitchen gadgets, toys, holidays and etc...(the list is long) have in common? They are all printed on fabric that is for sale at Mary Jo's Cloth Store! Since 1951 Mary Jo has made it her personal mission to stock her store with cloth that is not only beautiful and inexpensive but unique and interesting. She searches all the sources she can find, to create her collection of cloth. Did you know the store alone is 32,000 square feet of amazing choices? This is why many of our customers call Mary Jo's Cloth Store "Fabric Heaven", "Mecca" or even "Nirvana". Going into Mary Jo's can be an awe inspiring experience. Folks come from all over the country to spend the day looking at bolt after bolt of incredible choices and ultimately purchasing cloth that suits their needs and strikes their fancy. Talk about a fun and satisfying destination!
Prints, let's talk some more. Our customers are kind enough to send us photos and/or descriptions of their handiwork. We were recently delighted by a note from our customer, Ann. "I really get excited about going to Mary Jo's. My Husband and I go yearly and he loads up on fabric with fish, lighthouses, old and antique cars, boats and outdoor type fabrics. I make him shirts both short and long sleeves. We went last year and I made him a lot of Christmas shirts to wear on a tour bus trip to Lancaster and Hershey, Pa. He had so many compliments on them. This year on Dec 1 we are going to Nashville, Tenn on a tour bus and we've been told that everyone goes all out with Christmas apparel so he will be right up there. He also has John Deer shirts out of every kind of John Deer fabric I can find, both short and long sleeves. I also buy children's fabric for the grandchildren and bought a really pretty Christmas kitten fabric to make each of them a pillow case. I make quilts out of the fabric and take scraps of shirt fabric and make my husband quilts. I make me jackets out of Christmas and fall fabric to wear on trips. I get lots of compliments on that. I buy rolls of warm and natural batting for my quilts. We just love shopping at Mary Jo's. It is our favorite cloth store."
Ann Rivenbark


Did you know we have a John Deere apron Panel. Does your fella love tractors and grilling? This is the perfect apron for him and it is only 5.99. OK, Wow it just doesn't get any better. (To order, type "John Deere Apron Panel" into the advanced search field on the website, it will pop right up, only 5.99!)
If this idea appeals to you imagine creating some of your own "Themed Clothing". We have a large selection of specialty prints for Sports Fans, Fishermen, Hunters, Nature Lovers, Grill masters, Airplane Aficionado's, Gardeners, Dinosaur Lovers and the list goes on. The only thing stopping you is your imagination!
Take a moment and log on to Maryjos.com and see what we have to offer in the "Specialty Print" world. You will not be disappointed. We look forward to seeing some of your projects, keep those emails and photo's coming, we want to feature you!

Red, White and Not So Blue …

Kay Wilson, one of our many creative customers, recently sent in a photo of her wonderful Red and White Quilt. The simple color schematic reminded me of the graphic quality of the Gee Bend Quilters. Kay thanks so much for sharing, keep us posted on your creative endeavors.
After receiving the photo of her quilt I was thinking it might be time to post a calendar of some quilt shows


that are happening in the Late Summer and Autumn all over America. After perusing the list of shows it makes me want to take a Quilting Holiday. You could choose one or several of these shows, grab a few friends, take a road trip and really have a blast. Many of these shows are hosted by local Quilting Chapters/Clubs.


Madison, WI
Quilt Expo
September 10-12, 2009
Location: Exhibition Hall at the Alliant Energy Center
1919 Alliant Energy Center Way
Madison, WI
www.wiquiltexpo.com

Washington, AR
Washington Quilt Show
September 11-12, 2009
Historic Washington State Park
100 S.W. Morrison Street
Washington, AR
HistoricWashington@arkansas.com

Prairie du Chien, WI
Downtown Prairie du Chien
September 19-20,2009
Quilts Displayed throughout downtown 608-326-4593 sponsored by Pickett Fence &PDRI
Sault St. Marie, MI Quilt Show
September 19-20, 2009
Location: Sault St. Marie Middle School
Sault St. Marie, MI
Westminster, VT "The Natural World in Quilts"
October 17-18, 2009
Location: Westminster Center School, School Street
Westminster, VT
Des Moines, IA

AQS Quilt Expo
October 28-31, 2009
Location: Iowa Events Center
Des Moines, Ia
www.americanquilter.com

Lastly I have an email from a very happy customer and wanted to share her experience with shopping online at Maryjos.com. If we do not have it, you probably do not need it. We are always adding new and different quilting fabric to our collection. Log on now and don’t forget to check out the sale page, the deals are amazing and the selection is very good.

Dear Mary Jo,
Friday (6/5/09) I received the fabric I ordered from your store. Inside the box, the fabric was packaged in a Mary Jo's plastic bag. Gosh I sure miss being able to shop there anytime I got the urge like when I was living in Gastonia. Sometimes when I get homesick for you, I do the virtual tour just to remember looking at the fabric and notions in all the sections. My "stash" is full of your fabrics, and the curtains in my kitchen windows and the table cloths I use for company, come from your tablecloth fabric section.

Keep the blog going, keep up the website, and thanks for always having good prices and great selections.

God bless.

BT from Mountain Home, Arkansas, formerly from Gastonia, NC.

PS - You would have been surprised that I often come across people who have been to your store. I might meet them anywhere. Last person I met was at the Padaucah AQS show this April.

Lace On Sale...

Spending time on our website maryjos.com.can really pay off. There is always so much to look at and new stuff is added everyday. This past week I was checking out the pre-cut Lace Collars and Lace embellishment pieces on the sale page. It got me to thinking about all of the different ways and applications these Lace pieces could be used.




They are amazingly in-expensive (between 1.25 and 3.50). Here are a few of my thoughts, do remember in school we would add a lace collar to a sweater, or piece onto a plain dress?

Costumers, do you have a prim and proper play coming up? These would be perfect, and again so cheap! Mary Jo's also has some lace embellishments which could easily fit into a romantic room project, you could stitch onto a colored piece of fabric and create a dresser scarf, side tablecloth, or finish a trim for a curtain. It would be interesting to play around with the idea of applying them onto a colored lampshade, along the edge to create a Victorian look, they did love the lace during that romantic period. These beauties will not last. Check it out at Maryjos.com.
I would like to thank all of you for your amazing letters and projects. We received several quilt projects this week and will be featuring them in the next few weeks. I love how creative, inventive and just plain talented you all are. I am looking for a few more to feature. Is anyone a passionate-pro at "Stack and Whack" or "Selvedge" Quilts? I would love to know all about your inspiration, process and why you love creating your works of art. Please send photos. I thank you in advance and cannot wait to see what you all send in. I will be patiently checking my email!

Summer Madras & Camouflage, A Strange Combo...

It is like Christmas at Mary Jo’s Cloth Store, new and exciting bolts of fabric arrive every day. Today we are featuring two collections and both are a tremendous value. The first is our “Madras Patchwork” Collection. This is a really fun assortment of Madras Plaids that has already been pieced together. This collection comes in summer colors and Patriotic, just in time for our nations birthday on the 4th of July.


Imagine the fun and easy projects you can whip up in no time. You may want to consider a light quilt for a summer guest room or your mountain cottage? Easy, just cut to size, attach a backing and transform a space in record time! This collection would also be a good choice for

Summer Skirts, Shorts, Dresses or even a Shirt. You may want to consider using this interesting Madras fabric for some “Summer Funk” pillows on your sofa or chair. A patchwork style Table Cloth, Runners or a few Placemats would be a nice addition to your summer BBQ or Dinner Party.

Go wild, this collection is inexpensive, looks terrific and is being sold at a price that is certainly unbelievable. The Fabric is 44/45 wide, 100% Cotton and is being sold for only 6.99 per yard. At this price it will not last long!
To purchase at Maryjos.com click on Fabric, Subcategory Madras.


















The next collection of Fabric is very interesting and maybe even a bit unexpected. Do you have Boys and Men that love ‘Camouflage” clothing? We have just received a shipment of “Camo” in 4 different styles. US Government: Navy, Air Force Tiger, Marines, and Digital. Think of all of the interesting things you could whip up. Shirts, Shorts and Pants, are a natural.
How about whipping up a “Camo Quilt” ? A few other ideas may be Book-covers, Totes, and maybe even a few Tablecloths for your welcome home “Veteran Party”. The possibilities are as limited as your imagination.

The details: 61/63 wide, 100% Cotton on sale for only 5.99 per yard. To purchase at Maryjos.com, click on Fabric, Subcategory Camouflage.

We hope you take a moment to check out these amazing values and dream up some clever projects. It would be terrific if you sent photo’s of your wonderful finished projects. We always love to see what you are doing with all of the Cloth you purchase here at Mary Jo’s Cloth Store.

Happy, Creative, Funny and Dear...

One of my favorite things to do is to read all of your notes, stories, thoughts, projects and experiences that you have had recently and over the years at Mary Jo's Cloth Store. These emails are always happy, creative, funny and dear. They are always a joy to read. We receive a lot of “Fan Mail” and I thought it might be fun to share a few of these letters with you today.

Hi Mary Jo,
I have a small house in Upper Central NY state. I've been decorating this house forever...AND using Mary Jo's amazing bridal fabric for years now. Just last year I completed the front living room windows that face the street
Not sure if you can see with this little photo but the living room are the 3 small windows, in that window is the most beautiful fabric I got last summer at your amazing store. Every single room in that house has fabric from Mary Jo's. I wouldn't think of putting anything BUT your fabulous selection of fabric's. I did my kitchen windows last year with the most perfect red/white checked gingham...and I love it.
Although I don't see this house more than once a year for 3 months out of the year, it brings such a happy smile to my face when I open the door and see all my hard work in every room...thanks to Mary Jo!!!!
LOVE,
Barbara
New York

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 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

I have had a love affair with Mary Jo's fabrics for years, making all of my daughter's clothes and going to the Dallas store. Now in a wheelchair and with 6 grandchildren 5 of them girls, I would like to make some spring shifts for mother and daughters. I looked at the Lily Pulitzer's clothing and they are made well but I thought I know I could make those. I figured if anyone had some of those beautiful cotton prints, it would be you. Thank you for providing a place to order online and to come in person as well. Thanks for all the beautiful memories of your store.
Paulette Munn

Good morning,
What a wonderful blog. I am on dial-up sew it takes me a long time to get
The most out of it. But extremely worthwhile!!!
I am taking advantage of sleeping with my boss and hitting him up for
a day off to finish some Xmas sewing that has to get in the mail.
Ha ha, he is my husband and at this time of year we are fighting the
weather fishing for lobster off of the coast of Nova Scotia.
I am using the wonderful fat quarters that I received from you to make
a large Xmas wall hanging and it looks just wonderful and it will be
around for years I am sure. Friends that have watched the progress
say they are jealous sew that must mean it is just fine.
The ladies Xmas wreath looks great and I think you should remind people to check it out next summer when the weather in lots of parts of the world is more accommodating.
Take care,
Sew long,
Mary
Canada

Love your Blog as much as I love your store!
Thank you so much for sharing with us so many interesting ideas and sewing information. I especially like to see the Employee of the Week. It's so very nice to see faces and names of the ladies that we have had serving us for years. They often share tips on sewing or making something creative.
Please do continue to give us tips, suggestions and creative ideas. It is much appreciated. It is much worth the 2-1/2 hr. trip each way to buy at Mary Jo's.
SMH

Do you have a story or project to share? Now is the time! Take a moment out of your busy life to share your passion for fabric and the incredible things YOU do with Mary Jo's Cloth. Send an email today.
I thank-you and look forward to hearing from you.
We are listening,
KDB, Editor.