Calico Gals is the place to be and this week lots of people agreed! The Gals hosted three local quilt guilds on three different days. The guilds brought their members and lots more people stopped in to see what the excitement was all about.

On Monday, Candlelight Quilt Guild showed up with homemade chili and cookies. Gotta love it! Elizabeth Balderrama and Sharon Jarvis hosted the table where Elizabeth was proudly showing the current issue of Quick Quilts. Yes – that was her quilt on the cover! Congratulations to the team at Seams Like a Dream Quilt Designs.

Elizabeth and Sharon "wrap it up" at the Candlelight Gathering

On Tuesday, the Towpath Quilt Guild showed up in force! They were also enjoying 2 days of workshops with Barbara Persing and Mary Hoover, the popular designers of 4th &6th Designs. We were thrilled to see Barbara and Mary stop in to our new store. (Guess what… they liked it… a lot!) And we like them… a lot! They took a few minutes away from stacking bolts on the counter to autograph their books.

Barbara and Mary - just say hi!

Not to be outdone, the Plank Road guild members descended on Wednesday, with Charlotte Angotti in tow. What? You don’t know Charlotte? She fills the room with fun and laughter wherever she goes! Visiting from Myrtle Beach for 2 days and teaching at the guild, Charlotte climbed over boxes and settled into a rocking chair in our loft. We discussed the possibility of turning the loft from box storage into a stitching lounge. (What do you think about that?) I couldn’t get enough of Charlotte, so I accepted the invitation to meet her and the guild gals at The Retreat in Liverpool for dinner. Good food and great friends – can it get any better?

Charlotte, Shirley, Linda and June - wait for me!

Meanwhile, back at the store… Joan Ford was teaching one of her Project Therapy classes. When you join this group, you become part of Joan’s design process for her Scrap Therapy patterns. Everyone in the class is a pattern tester and Joan values the feedback that results. Barb Sunderlage, from Brewer Quilting and Sewing Supplies, “dropped in” from Chicago to take Joan’s class. Brewer is the exclusive distributor of the Scrap Therapy program and they love Joan as much as we do!

Barb and Joan choosing fabric for the Project Therapy class.

Let me ask you this…

What is your favorite part of Calico Gals new store? Everyone seems to have an opinion, so let’s hear them! We will take some pics to share. Here is the first one: Kathy B’s favorite thing in the new barn is the toilet paper holders. Here’s a great shot of her demonstrating just how wonderful they are. Thanks, Kathy, for your valuable comments!

Kathy, in her Spooktacular garb, shows off our TP.

They are working, but I'm a little nervous!

The painters came in and joined Shawn and Mark, Carpenters Extraordinaire.

And then, there was light! Doug, from Doug’s Electric, lit up the place. I got a little picky about light bulbs. Lights are important when buying fabric, right? Doug made it good for us.

Ta Da! Yes, Doug, it looks great!

Meanwhile, back at the old barn in Fayetteville… we got a team! It was time to pack it up and load it on the truck.

Where did we get all of this stuff? Nina refuses to take it with us! Garage Sale!

We are taking this, right Melonie?

Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone who carried everything down the stairs an loaded it into a 24ft truck. Viki and Wenda packed it so tight, there was no room for air!

This is what a Quilt-Shop-in-a-Truck looks like. In case you wondered.

On to the new store – wait! Store that truck for a few days, they aren’t ready yet!

Paving in the pouring rain. These guys work hard!

It stopped raining and the siding guys got to work the very next day. Carpet went in on Friday and we unloaded the truck Saturday morning. No time to waste! The flurry of activity in the new barn was topped only by the sale in the old barn. Everything out of there! The gals worked hard cutting fabric by the mile! The customers worked hard carrying it to their cars! And then it got really quiet.

Nothing left but the empties.

Wow.

OK, something happy… We did it – well the guys did it – we just cheered and moved a lot of stuff. And then slept really well. I’ll throw the Spooktacular stuff into another post. I took the last 2 photos this afternoon.

Did we do good?

New home - come on over!

I am blogging from El Paso, Texas, where I have the pleasure of visiting my oldest son, James, my daughter-in-law, Gail, and my adorably perfect grandson, Jacob. This is my first experience in a desert climate. Hot? Yes. Dry? Yes. But also very beautiful.

Franklin Mountains

A drive up into the mountains gave me numerous photo ops. Of course, a picture doesn’t really give the feeling of the expansive scenery that you get in person, but you get the idea.

El Paso city and beyond

I learned two very important things on this visit. First of all – don’t eat the green stuff. Days later and my eyes are still watering. Second of all – stay away from the cactus. And if it is growing over the sidewalk, walk around it. Walk way around it.

Ouch.

Tomorrow I’ll leave this corner of the Lonestar State and fly over to Houston for 5 days of Quilt Market. You’ll hear about that, too.

But what’s going on at home?

This was a tough time for me to leave Central New York. The builders of our new barn are finally getting to the fun stuff and I’m not there to see it, photograph it or post it on the blog. Here’s one of those hardworking guys:

Digger Bill

Bill has been digging holes and making an enormous mess outside for weeks. I took this picture last Friday. He was promising that he would fill it in and smooth it over. Bill’s wife is a quilter, so he is probably hearing it at home, too.

Future parking lot of Calico Gals

So this is why I need you to do a drive-by. What is going on over there? If you haven’t driven over to see where the new store will be, this is the perfect time. Drive over. Park out front and take a photo. Send it to me by email. Please!!

New barn October 2, 2009

This is what it looked like the last time I saw it. The grey panels are where the stone columns are going. In between will be cedar shingles. Is this happening? What about the doors? Are they on yet?

So, where is it, you ask?

The address of the new barn is 3906 New Court Ave, Syracuse, 13206. Put that into your google map. Better yet – here it is! Google Map for new barn.

There are many ways to get there. One easy way is to take Midler Ave North, through Eastwood. It turns into New Court Ave. The new barn is on the left, just before the No Name Diner.

Help me out here, gals! Send me a picture!

Well, of course, it’s going to be a quilt shop… a really great quilt shop! But right now it’s still a bunch of choices and decisions. Our new landlord, Bob Pomfrey, and I scheduled a quick meeting this week at Edward Joy Lighting. We had to pick out a few things for the new barn. Like lights and fans and sconces. Well, a couple of hours later…

"You pick one." "No, you pick one."

Ceiling fans… mezzanine office lights… bathroom vanity lights… outdoor lights by the door… outdoor lights on the pillars… don’t forget the sconce on the stairway.

Oh - look over here! More choices!

Really it was pretty fun. We kept thinking about the barn theme and that helped narrow down the selection. And our final choices are great! Of course, some things you just have to try out. Here’s Bob being a real good sport and holding the new wall sconce in place.

We both liked this one.

Sconce, sconce, sconce. I just love to say that word.

Running out of time

Did I mention that I am leaving for Texas on Sunday? I am combining a trip to Fall Quilt Market in Houston with a side trip to visit my oldest son and family in El Paso. I’ll be gone for 10 days.

What?! 10 days?! Are you sure this new store is opening in a month?

Yes, I have complete confidence in Doug and his teams. But, this also means that I am out of time. I had to make FINAL choices this week. So here it is – after agonizing for weeks – we have a decision.

Carpets and walls and trim.

It’s not much to look at, but you do get the idea. The cedar samples were today’s dilemma. Calico Gal, Angela M, came by for a color consult and general moral support.Together we decided to stay with the lightest stain. However, I will be gone for 10 days. (Did I mention that?) I am just going to take a deep breath and get on that plane. Whatever happens… happens.

Oh, I almost forgot! The ceilings are painted! And this is how they did it.

Looking great!

Something else – we got doors!

Aren't these beautiful?

Bob choose these doors without my help. Probably was a lot easier that way. The french doors go to our new multi-purpose room. We plan to use the space for kit cutting and preparation. Our new kitchen is in there, too. You are invited in whenever you like. In fact those beautiful doors will be open most of the time.

I think I mentioned that I will be going to Texas for 10 days. I plan to take my laptop to keep in touch. Joan and Melonie will be joining me at Quilt Market to do a little shopping for the new store. We plan to pick up a “few” things. Luckily for Bob, he’s not needed this time. I am sure he is very relieved. I’ll post some pictures to keep you in the loop.

I mean the guys working on the new barn.

No place to park!

Many of you have done a “drive-by” to see where the new barn is being built. Sometimes you can’t even see the barn because of all the trucks and vehicles. This is a good thing!

Hard hat area

This day I had to climb over and under to get inside, and then I was so surprised! The sheet rock is up and the walls are really walls! Wow – it looks so different!

Here is a photo taken from the loft looking down into the classroom area. Note that I said, “down.” That’s right, the classroom is on the main floor. The windows are wonderful and check out those outlets – all around and in the floor.

Calico Gals' new classroom

Meet Doug.

Hi Doug.

Doug is the hard-working contractor for the new barn project. He is the one pulling all the pieces together to make it happen. I think he is doing a great job and I am sure you will agree.

Now meet Shawn.

Hi Shawn.

Another nice guy, Shawn is adding the trim to the inside. Look closely (at the board, not at Shawn). That’s cedar! These guys are all into the idea of creating a new barn. So the wide trim around the windows, doors and loft will be rough cedar. Really is beautiful (again, the boards).

And we thought quilting was messy!

OK, I'm outta here.

And just in case you are wondering about all of the digging going on…

Big Dig

No, we are not putting in a swimming pool. This is going to be the “Underground Drainage Detention Basin.” Now you know. Now we all know.

So where are the bras?

Stay tuned. Next post. I really do have something to show and tell about bras.

What is the one thing, above all others, that says “Fall” to you? For me, it’s honking geese. I heard ‘em. It’s official. Good thing we love fall as much as summer. We don’t just love fall in Central New York, we live it!

Have you seen the decorative apple tree in front of the old barn? Pause to enjoy it, next time you stop by. Here’s a photo until then:

Something else we expect in fall: Adopt-A-Bolt at Calico Gals! All this week until next Sunday. 30% off every bolt you finish. And if you get there and there is nothing but a pile of empty bolts sitting by the door… you’ll know you were too late. (Not like that’s going to happen. Have you seen how much fabric we have?)

Now if you don’t want to adopt-a-bolt, you could adopt-a-dog! That’s what Calico Gal, Nancy did this week. Meet Monty, isn’t he just the cutest thing? OK – Nancy got the puppy, everyone else gets the bolts.

Montegue Graham

Are you busy on Halloween?

Have we got a date for you! Leave town on the Spooktacular Quilt Shop Bus Tour and visit 5 more spooktastic quilt shops in Pennsylvania (Transylvania) and New Jersey (Boo Jersey). The Calico Gals Bus Mom, Lynn, is already brewing up a bunch of activities to keep you laughing all the way. The other shop owners and I are planning to meet in Houston at QuiltMarket to stir a few more random “parts” into the pot. Don’t delay! Our bus is already over half full. Call now! 315-445-0617

Looking good!

Our sewing studio in the Parade of Homes is looking good. Our beautiful furniture never arrived, so that caused quite a bit of stress. But quilters are creative creatures! I called my husband and he sent over the guys from Lutz Monuments. They loaded one of our store cabinets into the monument truck and brought it over. It looks fantastic! Then Joan shows up with baskets of beautiful quilts and stitching accessories. She helped Nina and I pull the whole thing together. ALL of my photos came out terrible (I should stick to apple trees). But you can see the real thing through the 27th. Don’t forget to print your coupon!

Looking great!

The moment you have been waiting for… is the new barn ready?… no… keep waiting. Now just look at this. I go down there expecting all kinds of banging and pounding and dust and noise and this is what I see.

Hi Tom.

OK, I guess they deserve a lunch break for a few minutes. But, I warned them. Their picture will be all over the internet and quilters everywhere will be outraged! Get to work!

Now that's what I'm talking about!

This is what we like to see.

Just keep it moving. We’ve got lots of fabric and sewing machines and a whole classroom to move in here. I wonder if we can borrow their truck?

People have been driving by the construction site and telling me that nothing is happening. Not true! There is a lot of inside work going on in there. What are they doing? I have no idea! Construction guy stuff, I guess.

Last week, they sprayed foam insulation on all the walls and ceiling. Close-up it looks like marshmallows! Farther back and it looks like snow on the inside.

Marshmallow frosting everywhere!

I was sure this would keep us toasty in the winter and cool in the summer. But, Bob P, the owner decided to add more insulation to the walls. He wanted to be sure we aren’t bothered by noise from the street outside. The gals are a little concerned that he has driven by the old barn during some of our classes… maybe he wants to keep the noise inside! Anyway, they brought in a product that we can understand:

They use batting, too!

Before they cover all of this batting with sheet rock, the ducts for the air conditioning were going in the ceiling.

Looking in the rafters

Here’s a little teaser for you. Guess what we are getting…

Don't tell the guys!

Are we building a sewing center or a sports bar? Hmmm… mostly a sewing center.

And on the outside…

What are these things?

I am told they have something to do with drainage for the property and the parking lot. OK, makes sense.

Gals are busy, too.

We are running around, getting ready for our fall activities. The newsletter is printed and stitched and heading to the post office. Web Gal Lisa, is frantically adding the new classes to the website and calendar. The teachers are finishing up their supply lists and bringing in their samples.

We pulled out the Adopt-A-Bolt tags that we use every year for our big sale and we have to change them. This year it’s 30% (not 25%) off every bolt you finish (Monday the 14th thru Sunday the 20th). We usually pull small bolts off the wall and cut them into fat quarters. We have been leaving them for weeks so you have lots of littles to choose from.

Parade of Homes starts on Saturday. Our beautiful new Koala Sewing Studio is scheduled to be delivered tomorrow. We ordered an exotic Brazilian Cherry finish that will look amazing in this house. I won’t tell you too much more because I am going to take pictures for the Gabby Gals blog. Wait a minute! Stop out and see it in person! Here’s a coupon to save a dollar off admission.

What did we do during our free time? Went to the fair, of course. We enjoyed the quilts and the tomato sandwiches. Kathy Barden sampled the deep fried dill pickles and actually liked them. We didn’t go on any rides, but we still had a blast. Just ask Melonie and Beth.

Got milk?

First things first…

I know, you want to see more pictures of the new barn. Well, although there has been lots of action over there, not too much of it is cosmetic. I guess they have to work on the inside of the inside before we can get to the fun stuff. So here goes… how do you like the light switches?

Nice, huh? It may not be too pretty right now, but the gals are looking forward to turning on the lights in one place.

And check this out – Exit signs! Brand new in the box.

Not that I think you will ever want to leave the new store, but just in case, you will know which way to go.

OK, on to something else very important: plumbing. There are two very nice and spacious restrooms planned for the new store, but this week they looked like this:

Stay tuned. I promise this will get better.

Now for something that is a little more fun – choosing carpet. I ordered several samples in several colors. This is how they looked laying on the floor:

You have to agree this is a very important decision. I thought about it for a while. I walked around them and walked around on them. I picked them up and turned them over. I discussed my options with Steve, the carpet guy. Then I invited the electricians to share their thoughts. Doug and his team from Doug’s Electric were very careful with their opinions. Obviously they have been well trained in the art of helping-a-woman-pick-colors. So finally, I did what I had to do… I ordered 12 more samples. (Sorry Steve). I’ll get back to you on the carpet choice.

In the meantime…

This is summer and the Calico Gals have been traveling all over the place. Nina and her husband Paul took a wonderful trip to visit Nina’s sister in Alaska. While there, they took a side trip to British Columbia where this photo was taken.

Wild animals? Beautiful scenery? Great location for a quilt shop? We may never know.

Last week Joan and I attended a quilting retreat at Great Camp Sagamore in the Adirondacks. This beautiful “camp” was the former summer lodge of the Vanderbilt family. I brought my stuff and was given my own little barn to set up a mini Calico Gals studio and quilt shop. How fun! I love history and was thrilled to find one of the original ironing boards used by the Vanderbilt’s staff in my barn. It was just perfect to showcase Joan’s Holiday Spirit Checkerboard Tablerunner.

I also took many photos of the breathtaking scenery. We enjoyed every minute and if you ever get the chance, take the drive up and attend the historical tour. See all of the details at the Great Camp Sagamore website.

When Lynn returns from her travels to Myrtle Beach she promises to post about Summer Sewing Spa and the first staff meeting in the new barn. You will want to get her perspective!

Janet

We’re moving!

That’s right – this is THE big news that I mentioned in the E-newsletter. It’s really happening, the gals are moving to a new location later this fall. Because we have such a beautiful store now, we had a very specific list of items on our wish list for a new store. And I am pleased to say that the new store covers all!

• First of all: Stairs. No More! Not even a step at the door.
• Next: Parking. Space for everyone!
• Next: Lighting. Beautiful windows and lights on switches. Our new store will NOT be strung together with extension cords.
• Next: Comfort. Can you say “Radiant Floor Heating?” Mmmm. Ohhh. Ahhh.

All this and much more is going to be ours because we are getting a brand new barn! Let’s look at a few photos as I tell you all about it…

Front of the New Barn

This photo shows the front view from the street. The owner/builder/landlord is Bob Pomfrey, owner of Pomco Insurance. He’s building this barn as a storage facility for himself and planned to lease the front half. Enter Calico Gals! Now Bob is all on board for putting a quilt shop in the space. He wants to build the best quilt shop ever!

So where is this new place? 3906 New Court Ave. Technically in the town of Dewitt, just over the Town of Salina line and what most would refer to as the Eastwood section of Syracuse. Not far from the Carrier Circle Thruway exit. Not far from the former Syracuse China.

Along the side of new barn

This photo is taken from what will be part of the parking lot, looking forward towards the street. Our half of the barn starts about in the middle and includes the plywood covered door. Next to it will be an overhead door for deliveries. Yippee! Looking farther towards the front you can see another door which someday will have an awning over it. Use your imagination! Isn’t it cute?

No, the barn will not be green. The outside is planned to be a mix of stone and clapboard, earth colors of beige and browns. Again – use your imagination!

Now lets go inside that door with the cute little awning overhead…

Inside looking toward front

Wow, those windows again, looking out this time.

Rafters New Barn

When you look up in a barn, what do you see? Rafters, of course. The ceiling is high and unfinished at the moment. The plans include finishing the ceiling and suspending lights. I have been looking at catalogs and samples of everything from lights to carpet. There are just so many choices! My goal is to take that “barn feeling” into the new place. Well – we might leave a few things (like cobwebs) behind in the old barn. We are confident that the coziness will come with us.

Speaking of cozy – take a look at this:

Inside the new floor

This is what the floor looked like with all of the heating stuff laid out. Kind of reminds me of cross-hatching on a quilt! I have not experienced radiant floor heating, but everyone tells us that we will love it. The cement has been poured over the top of this grid and now the contractors are working on the walls.

The architect, Bob Abbott, is so talented! And he has so many great ideas. One day he came out and toured the old barn to get a feel for what we have and what we do. One of his first thoughts was that the new barn space would not be big enough for all of our stuff! So he went back to the drawing board and took advantage of that high ceiling by designing a mezzanine for our offices and storage. The main retail and classroom space will all be on the main floor, but a look up will feature a beautiful open loft space. Can’t you just see it?

Here is a sneak peak of the loft.

The beginnings of a loft

There is so much more to tell you. One goal of this blog is to take all of us together on the journey to the new store. I hope to post lots of pictures so you can see it happen.

Janet  – Calico Gals store owner, gabby gal, newsletter editor, occasional piecer