Sew-and-Go or go and sew!

Posted on Saturday, February 6th, 2010, by Janet - Calico Gals store owner, gabby gal, newsletter editor, occasional piecer

Grand Prize

Through the generosity of Baby Lock, Calico Gals was able to host the Great Sewing Machine Give-Away during the month of January. 817 people stopped by to enter the drawing, but there is only one winner and she is Kathy Gresham! Kathy came by the very day she got the call to have a “Sew-and-Go” lesson with Nina and pick up her new Audrey sewing machine. Kathy was a winner because Audrey is the perfect machine to take anywhere. Check out the details on the Baby Lock site.

Sew-and-Go with Nina. Thanks, Baby Lock! Congratulations, Kathy!

February is a winning month, too. Any day in February when you spend at least $25at Calico Gals, you can take a free spool of YLI Soft Touch thread home. You choose the color. Just go and sew!

Calico Gals is pleased to announce the addition of our very first Calico Guy. Bruce Barden (that’s right – Pastor Bruce – Kathy B’s husband) has joined the team as our on-site sewing machine technician. Last summer we sent Bruce to St. Louis for Baby Lock training and in January he took off to New Jersey for intense Elna training. He learned to take our machines apart and put them back together – an important detail. Elna published a report and guess who had a photo in it!

Calico Guy, Bruce, learning the ropes and threads.

Fabric Quiz

In days past, if you wanted a licensed print, you had to settle for chain store fabrics. Not any more! Quilting Treasures – the folks who brought us the Wizard of Oz collections – has secured the licenses to many well-known designs. Do you recognize any of these?

That's right, Jim Shore! His quilty animals look great on cotton.

OK – how about this one?

Did you guess Warren Kimble? Americana, of course.

One more – this is an easy one. Here’s a hint: QT has the license from Hasbro. Wouldn’t this fabric make great boxer shorts?

Don't spend it all in one place!

To see more of these fun fabrics, you have two options: Calico Gals new store or the Quilting Treasures website. Hey – why not both?

Go and sew

The best thing to do in the winter is hibernate with your needle and thread. No argument there. But occasionally we get the chance to take off and go somewhere else to enjoy our stitching. In January, Joan and I drove way up north into the mountains for a quilting retreat with some good friends at Minnowbrook Conference Center. I admit to being easily distracted, but the scenery is so beautiful! What do you think?

Blue Mountain Lake

Yes – there was a good amount of sewing and laughing, too. Just getting us ready for our next retreat at Christ the King Retreat House. The Farm Gals Quilt Camp will be held February 20-22. There are still a few openings. Take a look at the class photos on Facebook and then give us a call. We’ll get you in!

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What’s a gal to do?

Posted on Friday, November 27th, 2009, by Janet - Calico Gals store owner, gabby gal, newsletter editor, occasional piecer

Three weeks in the new store… it’s about time we made some changes around here!

Our classroom isn’t quite big enough… let’s cut a hole in the wall!

Incredible as it seems, Bob, our landlord agreed to do it. Doug, the contractor, ordered the lumber (although I did hear a comment about the paint not even being dry). Cut through the new wall? We were still nervous about pounding a nail. But the idea of a new classroom was too tempting. I got really brave and played graffiti artist.

At first we could hear Mark sawing and pounding and then we could actually see the saw come through the wall. Melonie encouraged the work with a plate of homemade cookies. Within minutes we had a window large enough to pass the plate through.

Mike just happens to stop by in time for cookies.

So that's what we look like from the other side...

Mark worked quickly and soon we had a large opening that he replaced with beautiful new classroom doors.

In reflection, this was a good idea!

But you really want to know is what is on the other side! Yes it is a classroom, with many outlets and great lighting. Want to see? Stop over for a tour and we will open the doors for you. In the meantime, the painters and carpet guys will be back. They probably missed Melonie’s cookies too.

Not to be outdone, the outside of the new barn got a little addition this week.

"Hey, Doug and Mark, what are you guys doing out there?"

"Hey Janet, it looks like Bob built the building to go with your sign!"

Wow! Bruce brought the sign over from the old barn to see if it would work in the very specific space on the new building. We had that sign made 5 years ago! It is perfect in color, size and shape for the spot under the lights. It really looks great at night. I just keep driving by to look at it.

Cool.

If the sign on the front and the new classroom-in-progress isn’t enough to tempt you by this week, maybe the mention of all of the new fabric deliveries will get you out. Better yet, send a loved one to check it out and pick up a gift certificate to tuck in your stocking!

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