Sunday, December 26, 2010

The New Year is upon us! Happy Holidays!

Today is the day after Christmas and I finally have found some time to write.  It seems as if there is always something more urgent to do at the store.  Pictures have been taken, classes have been taught, machines have found homes with families and best of all friends have been made.  The last few months have been full of activity.


We take pleasure in the recovering health of all around us.  My mother has recovered from 3 back surgeries and Linda's husband, Adron, has received good news about his health.  All in all, everyone is well.


Pat and I are having a few days of quiet and rest here at home.  It is amazing how long it has been that we have been home together.  The dog and cats are smothering us with affection.  It must mean they have missed us, that or they are looking for the treats!


Katie, Sam, Sam's dad John and their dog Charlie joined us for the holidays.  It was a very noisy Christmas Eve and Day with the two dogs chasing each other around the house.


Enough of the holidays.  The store has been enjoying new friends every day.  We are thankful for all that support our store.  Every little sale helps and we are thankful to have customers that we could call friends.  It is amazing how people have found us. We laugh when we see a car drive by, either on the road or through the parking lot, and screech to a hault as they see our sign!  It is funny EVERY time!

So, a few pictures for all to see:

Everyone working hard during a presentation by Susan Schrempf:  Silk Ribbon Embroidery By Machine.  15 people, 4 helpers and 1 teacher all in the classroom!  It was wonderful!

Concentration on the faces of all.  Everyone was very focused and had much success!







Just in case students didn't understand what Susan said to do, they could watch on the large screen and see every step she made.


Susan Schrempf (instructor) focusing on her embroidery and her project being displayed on the large screen.


The face of the helpers:
 Sally


Katie
Althea

                     







Melissa






Pictures around the store during the holidays:
Embroidery Accessories and Blanks
Notions Wall









































































Restroom even gets decorated!
Thread


Ruler wall and Restroom
Sergers, Huskystars and Emeralds
Accessories

Sapphires, Topaz's and Designers

Looking from the front door towards Bella

Our Christmas Tree!



Designer Diamond just inside the front door

Bella with Al's round quilt on the wall.  Isn't it wonderful!







Bella decorated for the holidays!




Bella 



Bella and My Star










Cutting Counter and Blenders

Patrick at the computer with Pat from the Dry Cleaners sitting at the cutting counter
Fabric and Machines























Fabric, Fabric and More Fabric....


Sergers and Izzy (Our mid-arm) in the background.....
and of course, more fabric!


Small Office/Storage Closet




Looking out at the fabric and front windows!







































Small Kitchen


Another view of Bella









Cutting Counter and more Fabric





Izzy, Fabric and Samples...




Solids and Blenders









Stabilizer and Minky





Hopefully this blog entry gives you all a better look at the store.  I will soon have many pictures of upcoming classes!  Wait till you see what is coming for the New Year!

Happy New Years to you all!


Sunday, October 10, 2010

We are OPEN...OPEN...OPEN!

I can't believe how the last 4 weeks have flown!  September 20th we had our Sneak Peek Preview Party!  I really enjoyed visiting with all the people who were as anxious to visit as we were to open the doors!  The party was to start at 5pm and we were astounded when the UPS man arrived at 3 pm and delivered about 40 BIG boxes of product which we quickly stored along the back wall of the classroom.  No time to open them, enter them into the system and put them out......They certainly became the teaser to come back.  The next day, the UPS man brought about the same amount and all the cabinets arrived the next day.  It became a classroom of boxes and product.  What a mess.


The party started at 5 pm and continued until 9pm.  The store was so busy and everyone had a job to do....we all settled into our jobs quite quickly.  Althea ran the register and did fabulously with just a little bit of training.  Linda helped cut fabric and assisted Althea as needed.  Dee demonstrated software with Al nearby.  Jenn and I greeted people at the door and handed out various things - a Sneak Peek flyer, coupons etc.  Pat worked as the official photographer and Katie, Nick and Sam even came by for a short time.


3 Weeks later, we have had our first week of classes and have almost gotten all the product out on the floor.  We still have a little to finish, but not the amount we have been living under.  Fabric seems to keep coming every week.


Al has finished most of the fixtures for the store and installed the coffee maker - yippeee!  Coffee!  We had our first Dinner and a movie night, but had more fun talking and sewing than watching a movie.  The first movie was "Princess Bride" which I chose because it was a movie Pat and I watched when we first dated and I loved the part of the movie when Wesley says to Princess Buttercup (many times)= As you Wish.  When I asked Pat what we should call the store, he said "As you Wish".  Not quite a sewing machine store name, but certainly the moto!
I haven't had time to post many pictures, but think now would be a great time:
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So- Here are a few to catch up!
Our very first serger customer:  Margaret and her husband from Wheatland Wyoming drove almost 2 hours to pick up their serger, about a month before the store was open!

Our first 2 classes had fun.  Linda teaching an heirloom pincushion:
Candy's class making mitered placemats and napkins was a HIT!  So much so, we had to add more sections!

Just a few weeks before, we were still helping Al sand and varnish the tables, shelves, cutting counter and so much more:






Thursday, September 2, 2010

WOW!

So many good things have happened recently!  


Our first software sale to a former customer and now a good friend!  So nice to see the customers from the old store coming back again!  We are going to have so much fun!


Bev picked up her software and a week later had her first class.  Everyone on the team is jealous that she got her copy before they got theirs!  Althea, Bev and I had a fun time setting her machine up the day she picked it up!
This week the Sign for the front of the building was installed, the ceiling, walls and floors were painted.  Next week we get carpet for the showroom floor, lights, cabinets, etc.  We might even get to install the fixtures that Al and Pat have been building,  I can't wait.  Linda, Althea, Dee, Al, Pat and I have been receiving products and getting them into the POS and labeled.  This should help the opening go a little faster and smoother!


We all went to the Rocky Mountain Quilt Expo last week and saw so many wonderful quilts!  I think these are SEW cute!  We will be teaching them as a Quilt of the season class.  Can't wait to have them in the store!

Some other cute quilts that will be fun to create in the store!


LOVE THESE!!


Well, we might be able to open by Sept 20th and I guess I should get back to work!

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