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.

WE HEAR YOU !!!

We asked, you answered. Boy did you answer! We have received hundreds of emails, detailing what you would like us to carry, in addition to the many lines of fabric we have available at all times!
We will be taking suggestions through the end of the month, please send us a note TODAY!
So to sum up our current findings, we heard a resounding request for MODA. 60% of you requested MODA. We are working on this being our first addition, but we need your help.
If you agree that MODA would be a fine addition to our lines of Fabric, send us a note. Make sure to tell us how you are using this line and why you love it. You and your project could be featured in our next article!
It was delightful to read all of your emails.
We loved hearing all of your kudos, ideas, thoughts. We are paying very close attention to improvements that could be made.
Some of our favorites:
I’m sorry, I know you are quite serious, but I can’t resist. How about some invisibility fabric so we can all make our own Harry Potter invisibility cloaks? You have so many wonderful fabrics that I could not begin to list a favorite!!!!
Thanks for all you do!
Shirley Knack
Miss Shirley, unfortunately we do not have a vendor to source your "dream fabric". Seriously, you are funny!!!

The next letter is sweet, heartfelt and filled with some great suggestions. Thanks for weighing in...
Hi!
I'm so excited about you adding new fabric. I would love to see a higher
end quilt fabric line like MODA (if you have that, I haven't found it!), I'm always looking for sock monkey fabric. Also AMY BUTLER Fabrics and patterns would be great. More solid backing fabrics that are wide would be
a nice addition, too.
Have you ever thought of having quilting workshops? There are a lot of quilters in this area looking for a good "Quilt" Store. Another thing, since I'm on a roll here. Have you ever thought of making shopping easier by having buggies? It wears me out to lug all my bolts of fabric to the tables then have to stack them.
I drive from Hickory to your store, but would come more often if the atmosphere was better! I haven't been since you have made the changes to the store, maybe all my wishes have come true and I just don't know it. AND.....why not have a discount for folks that have prayer quilt ministries? I have a group of ladies at church, Abernethy UMC, in Newton.
We would love to buy more from you for that ministry.

Thanks for listening to my ideas! I really appreciate being able to give
input!
Have a blessed day,
Joy

Joy, You are on a roll, thanks so much for sharing your thoughts.!

So to re-cap this posting, the following are the top requested fabrics we should add to our selection...
MODA is leading the charge by 60%.
then in the order of requests, Amy Butler/Tula Pink/Riley Blake/Stonehenge/Kaffee Fassett/Red Rooster/Benetex/Andover/Primitive Gatherings

Do you have a minute to send us your thoughts on this subject? You can BE the change you want to SEE. We are looking forward to hearing from you.
Email us TODAY!

We Need Your Help...

Do you have a favorite fabric that we should be selling in at Mary Jo's Cloth Store?
We would love for YOU to send your top picks and recommendations to us in the next few days. We are looking at expanding our lines of Fabrics so we can better serve YOU.
Be the change you want to see, send an EMAIL today.

Tour Mary Jo's Cloth Store...

Have you ever been to Mary Jo's Cloth Store? It is 32,000 feet of Fabric, Notions and possibilities! You would not believe what we have done. We have been working on this project for a while and we are finished! The store has been re-organized and set up a bit differently.

It is easier to find things and it seems by shaking it up that we have even more fabric, on the Sales Floor! You will love the new check-out area and waiting area in the front of the store. We decided to install a television for all of the patient fellas waiting by the door for their sewing divas to finish shopping the aisles of their favorite fabric mecca.

Yes the store looks different but the prices are as low as ever, you will not be disappointed. Nope, not at all. Stop by if you have not been, you will LOVE it! Our address is 401 Cox Rd. Gastonia, NC

If you cannot stop into the store, you can always log onto our website, www.maryjos.com., we are open 24-7 and the selection and prices cannot be beat. Just a reminder, check out the SALE page, it is always filled with deeply discounted fabric and other items.

Quilting, Gee's Bend, Flags and Levis...

Art, Quilting, Sewing and Creativity. Sometimes a storm of perfection happens, this is a story about that Perfect Storm. A few years back we featured an article on the Gee's Bend Quilt Collective. Recently we stumbled on a fun video featuring many pairs of re-purposed Levi Jeans that had been transformed into flags, in the Gee's Bend signature style. They were hung in the windows of Levi Stores across America. They were made by two gals, Hannah Sitzer & Sarah Snyder who have an overabundance of vision and an adventurous spirit. More about these gals in a while.
The ladies of Gee's Bend, pronounced "jeez" have been creating quilts since the late 1800's, in a small little hamlet in Alabama. Their style is distinct, unique and graphic. Their quilts are shown in Museums and Galleries all over the country. The color, style and workmanship are fantastic. The interesting thing is that these quilts have inspired Artist's and Quilter's the world over. It is a feast for the eyes to go online and search Gees Bend Quilts and take time to really look at the images. WOW. The colors and graphic punch of these very special pieces is truly brilliant. Imagine how a quilt like this, on a bed, hanging on a wall or placed over a banister could change the look of a room and punch up the art and color in any space. It could easily be placed in a modern/contemporary style home as easily as a traditional/historic home. The possibilities are endless.
Many Quilter's and Artist's are using this particular line of quilt design for inspiration. The look is both Contemporary, Historic and Artful and apparently timeless.
So maybe now you will be inspired you to create your own version of a Gee's Bend Style quilt, painting, wall-hanging or???

A Group of talented window dressers whose client was in this instance, the Levi Store, came up with a fun and creative idea, inspired by the Gee's Bend Quilts. They created "Flags" from old pairs of Levi's. Many of the Gee's Bend quilts have old denim in their patterns, some quilts are entirely made from re-purposed denim.

Want to learn more? Click on these links. 1 2 3 4 5

Click and watch this 1 minute video. Fun.


Boy, it has been BUSY here at the store. We can only guess you all are inspired and have "creating fantastic projects" on your minds! First we would like to tell you some good news. The SHIPPING NEWS. We are offering a maximum $4.99 shipping cost for ground orders sent within the continental US!
For many of you that is cheaper than the gasoline to get to Gastonia and shop the store. We know it is super fun to come in and spend a good part of the day, in 32,000 square feet of cloth. Bolts and bolts, aisles and aisles oh yes, fabric, everywhere. But you can also have a great time on our Website. We would like to remind you to visit the SALE page and SEASONAL SPECIALS. The prices are lower than our everyday prices and you will save a bundle, guaranteed. Log on today, peruse our online fabric collection, you will have a great time, be inspired and probably find exactly what you have been looking for at a great price!
Do you have a project, made with Mary Jo's Cloth? Would you like to be featured in a future blog article? Now is the time, email us a few photos and a few words about your project, you and your blog or website. We thank-you in advance.