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.

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.

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.

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!