Reporting from Don’t mess with Houston, Texas

Hi Y’all… when I typed that I thought of Paula Dean. Although in my

college days that word was used a lot. Anyway… So mom and I are here at the International Quilt Market in Houston. This is our second quilt market the last one I reported from Pittsburgh. Although, I just want to say the convention center here in Houston is very nice but Pittsburgh’s is an architectural beauty. All you architecture buffs need to check it maybe I am a lil biased to because it’s so close to home!It is the end of day two and well we are really tired but we have one more day to find more neat things

for the shop! We are still tired from our

complimentary dinner, bingo and dancing hosted by Moda Fabrics last night so we stayed in tonight. So here are some pictures that I took… let me tell you guys quilters are not lil old ladies who sit around and drink tea. They are Miller Light drinking and get jiggy wit it hip ladies. All you quilters out there know Eleanor Burns…I mean come on Quilt in a Day books! Well this lady can dance with the best of them I tried to get proof of this I promise but she was moving around so fast I couldn’t get one! I did catch a few friends doing the Cotton Eye Joe!

There is a lot to do tomorrow! We have an early start with a fabric rep in which I probably be ordering the new line of Amy Butler fabric! Mom took a picture of us on Saturday… I am really short. That cute lil smock she has on is one of her new patterns. I have notions to buy and a big decision to make on wool! I found an amazing wool dyer it really is to die for. Oh and I got to play on a long arm machine today I think I fell in love! The quote of the weekend was from Oklahoma Alicia who is a long arm quilter “I love my long arm I get to dance with it as I quilt”. It really is true you stand there and quilt in big motions and it really compliments the patchwork! AMAZING…I want one… maybe when I grow up someday!

Mom and I have met some really awesome people and found some really neat patterns for the shop and can’t wait to share them with you. Leonie and Deidre from The Quilted Crow in Tasmania, Australia are two great and talented designers and shop owners who I bought some very cute patterns from. I hope to carry more of their patterns eventually! They were so excited to be at market and Leonie was so cute she said that she couldn’t stop taking pictures of our American flag! Too Cool… I think I will be signing out from Houston for now…

P.S. I forgot to tell you I found DOVO scissors for the shop if you have never used them they are AWESOME! They are a bit pricey but well worth it and would be a great

heirloom for later generations. I have to admit I bought a set for myself. Please stop by the shop in a few weeks to try them out you will be addicted! If you don’t live close ask your local quilt shop about them .

Summer Wrap Up!

So I admit I have a lot to catch you all up on since my last “real blog”…. So here is the list of what I have done since July!

1. Pin Removal out of my left Tibia

2. Met a boy

3. Holmes County Fabric Show

4. Had a huge party for my favorite VIP’s

5. Took Olive Grace on the road to Country Living Fair in Columbus (Ohio)

6. Opened Olive Grace Studios (an eccentric quilt shop)

Lets just say that “short” list has kept me from neglecting my lil blog here! Ok so here it goes I got home from Kansas City a few days later I had my pins removed out my tibia…long story short had knee surgery a couple years ago and well the pins decided that they needed to come out! So Dr. Goodfellow kicked me in the shin a couple times… not really but it felt like it. I recovered for a couple weeks on the couch on pain meds that made me itch and benadryl.

Thank goodness I got rid of the post opt bugs and got a lower dose of pain meds and the process of healing was much better…. In the meantime I worked on a few handmade projects for country living fair. Two of the projects that got me through were my “Hi from Ohio” pillows and Lavender sachets… Abbie helped stuff and motivate me!

So before I went on vacation to Kansas City I ran into a guy from high school at our local Target (btw: Josh hates Target but really likes it now). Anyway he was leaving as I was coming in. He and I never really were friends but the odd thing was I hung out with his cousin and brother. We got to chattin and caught up on lost time and thank goodness for social networking. It was nice having someone to make me laugh and smile during my itching episodes after surgery. Sooo… after I got to feelin better we went on our first date. We went up to the lake Erie for dinner and he brought me SUNFLOWERS people! He had me at sunflower and well we have been dating ever since. My girls got to meet him at the VIP party they were not surprised that I introduced them to my “all American boy”! It is nice to have met someone that is as successful, hardworking, handy and most important a sweetheart! He put my fabric displays together … he does not really like Ikea!

In the meantime mom, me and my crutches went to quaint little fabric show in Holmes County Ohio. We met with Moda Mark and some other great fabric reps and of course we ordered fabric. Just so you know its still not here! As I am typing this I am thinking I am on my to the “big quilt market” to order more fabric…where am I going to put it all. Oh I will figure it out! Ok going forward…

Have you ever planned to many things at once… well I do this the best! My mind tends to run on over time all the time. So honestly probably a year ago I had an idea to have a huge Thank

You party for my family and friends hence VIP PARTY who have gotten me to where I am and a way to introduce the shop to them. I had many people come from all over and It would have never have been possible without this bunch of amazing people… Zoe and her mom Kathy came from Seattle and Kerville, TX. Nicole and Barry from came from Savannah then Barry got here and went and picked Jose from Akron. Debbie from Northern Virginia and Abbie and David from Columbus. There were many others who traveled and I was quite honored! The night was a huge hit… if you were there and reading this I forgot to talk about one person that night and that’s Drew my brother… it hard for me to really express myself when I talk about my family. We have been through a lot and Drew is my silent cheerleader ...always there observing and routing for me. He is quite protective too… I love the fact that he tells people that I have a quilt shop but is like “I really don’t know what she is doing… it Kori…”!

Mom and dad need mentioned too... which leads into Country Living Fair 2009!

I can’t believe it is here and done already. I feel like I was just accepted and trying to figure out what I was going to make! Yet again I didn’t get all I wanted to get done but the booth turned out great and I could not have done it without Dad and Josh loading the pig trailer with all the treasures from the shop. Mom, Judi and Cathie setting up, fluffing, and customer relations but best of all Tiff being there to help me stay calm and help make the empty booth look cute on Saturday! Let me tell ya I met a lot of great people took a nice amount of orders and sold a lot of great stuff. I think that I am going to start an etsy store in the next couple of weeks check the website and blog for updates! Oh I forgot to tell ya Tiff came from Alabama, Abbie rode her pink Cadillac two miles, and Debbie and her mom came yet again from NOVA. Pretty great people I have in my life… Ok so back to mom and dad.,,, dad watched in amazement how the booth was such a hit and mom with proud eyes didn’t have to say anything to dad just “I told ya so”! I on the other hand look back on it and think I can’t believe that happened. To be accepted to that kind of show and to be amongst the those talented artisans and craters WOW! Pretty humbling experience. I hope to do it again!

Last but not least… many years in the planning and it has finally happened a lil idea has come to life Olive Grace Studios llc (and eccentric quilt shop) is up and running! My 400 square foot shop in the little Red School House in Fowler, Ohio is finally OPEN FOR BUSINESS… I had a great 8 days so far ! I truly know that I made the right decision by finally following my heart! A lot of great things have happened this summer. I am literally working in my backyard, I met a great guy, my best friends came from all over the states to see my shop come to life… although they already knew what it looked like, I couldn’t ask for another thing really.... so thank you for inspiring and helping me get to where I am guys you know who you are!

P.S. I am typing this blog from FREE WiFi on an air plane... I am still amazed by that! Oh and all these beautiful pictures were taken my my good friends... and they are not professional photographers but I think they are!

UPDATE...

Hi everybody! It has been a very long time since I have blogged and a lot has been going... I really just want you all to know that my SHOP IS OPEN here in Fowler. I am having some technical difficulties changing things on my website so I just wanted to let you know my hours and new phone number.

Studio Hours

Closed Monday

Tuesday- Friday 11am to 6pm

Saturday 9am to 4pm

Closed Sunday

ring the shop @ 330.637.0800

Here is a lil picture of dad and scooter putting the shop sign up the other night!!!! Like I said I have a lot of blogs to write be patient with me!

100 degrees in KC!

I am currently sitting in the Kansas City Airport waiting for a plane back to Cleveland and hopefully cooler weather…below 100 degrees that is. Last Monday my fellow quilting ladies and I flew to Kansas City, Missouri for Primitives of the Midwest. A quilting extravaganza…filled with 3 days of classes, parties, and of course shopping and antiquing! The week started off with a wool appliqué class with Maggie Bonanomi an amazing artist who specializes in WOOL! She surprised us with the project to the right…the pattern was only designed for our class …you know exclusive! Maggie has a new book coming out this fall and I am really excited to see what she has come up with. I am hoping that she will come to the shop next year and teach classes! Oh and the coolest thing she loves to use your average sewing thread for her perfectly even stitches…what an idea! I love it...it turns out beautiful on your work.

My second class was with the AMAZING and very popular Jo Morton. I took her Lamoyne Stars hand piecing class. For those of you who don’t know what hand piecing it is the“old school” way of putting patches together! That means cutting it out and sewing with NO MACHINE…how about that. I thought it was really neat when Jo talked about her reasoning for teaching classes...she teaches hand piecing to keep the art alive. Us “young” patch workers really need remember that is where it all started. My patch is made with Jo’s, Joel’s and Amy’s fabric. My idea was to bring new and old patterns together. I need to get the other blocks cut out and put together. Oh and the fabric seen is a sneak peak of what will be in my shop this fall.

Last but not least “Red Clover” with Sue Spargo was on Thursday. A small wall quilt made of wool, cottons, taffeta and other yummy textiles and trimmings. I am so glad I got to take one of Sue’s classes… she is an inspiration. I think it is because of her color use and patience in teaching new techniques. Plus all of her amazing notions and textiles that she offers from her travels around the world! I so wish I could be taking her class in Sisters, Oregon in a couple weeks….Magnolia it is amazing. I forgot to tell you Renee Plains was in our class and of course the work she did was amazing! I have to remember to order some more patterns from her for the opening!

After this awesome week I honestly have fallen in love with working with wool… it’s very forgiving. Although, my mom pointed this out… why exactly are we working in WOOL when its 100 degrees (literally) out…well mom I guess that is why they call us crazy quilters! The last few days have been visiting near by neighborhoods of Kansas City. We visited a few quilt shops for inspiration, an art festival downtown and antique shops. The antiques are amazing out here and sooooo affordable. I wish I had a truck to take all the ones I wanted home.
If you are ever in the KC area check out a couple of shops...
Quilters Station in Lee’s Summit, MO http://www.quiltersstation.com/ and
Urban Arts & Crafts in Kansas City, MO http://www.urbanartsandcrafts.com/!
Those were my two favorite places along the way. What an incredible week of meeting new people and spending it with inspiring women from all over the country.

P.S. Unfortunately on this sewing trip we didn’t get anymore quilt patch tattoos but maybe next time…(oh and when my mom read this she told me to add that is was way to painful for her to do again but at least one thing is off her bucket list)!

Stuck in a Rut...Dig Yourself OUT!

I have decided that if you need to get frustration out or have more energy than you know what to do with get yourself a shovel and start digging! I planted a Winterberry tree in my mom's garden a few days ago along with many other plants... I never thought that I would be a Gardner but maybe I have it in me after all. My mom sat on the porch as I began to prepare the earth for my little tree. By the way It's kinda cool a Winterberry gets berries in the winter...hence Winterberry! Anyway, so as I begin digging the hole mom is giggling at me because she can't believe that I am actually shoveling dirt and making a rather large hole in the ground. I had to remind her that I was once a farm girl! Duh mom I can use a shovel...then she said I was a priss...ha well I showed her. I dug a perfectly round hole for the five gallons worth of roots. I impressed her my how precis it fit in its new home. Today I will be planting the rest of the pots for my porch and hopefully by the end of summer they will be picture worthy! The pots are really cool they look like patchwork... who would have thought...

P.S. I think that some of my friends at Cannon Design would be very impressed about how great that perfectly symmetrical circle came out. See I even used the skills you guys taught me in the garden.... Thanks NSU Team!

Twenty Seven

I turned 27 last Tuesday…I really wasn’t sure how I felt about being in my “Late Twenties” but actually this has been one amazing birthday! I keep telling myself that 2009 was going to be a great one…well it has proven it almost six months in. It was a quiet and relaxing birthday…at FIRST. Mom and dad took me up Geneva on the Lake for dinner and donuts! Yes that was my birthday request to sit by Lake Erie, have a famous Madsen Donut, and walk down the strip to the sounds or kids laughing and Harley engines roaring. Dinner was amazing! Lake Erie Perch… it doesn’t get better than that! Memorial Day was spent planting a victory garden in my back yard and spending time with family. You would not believe how many little cousins I have. Kids are amazing little humans they always have a smile on their face and eyes wide open trying to figure out something new or better yet when they discover something. I spent some time drawing animals with chalk on Uncle Ronnie’s sidewalk and let me tell you they were terrible I gave up after Gracie wanted me to draw a horse. My Christmas Catus bloomed which I had to share with you because that is a gift in itself only one bloom though...

Last but not least I spent my actual birthday with my two baby twin cousins Caden and Dane. As always they both tooted and drooled on me...that is the best birthday gift I have gotten in a long time! They are little angels. I don’t think that I could have asked for anything better…

Until yesterday… this is when all relaxation went out the door!

A few weeks ago my cousin Tiffany emailed me she asked if I was interested in going to the Country Living Fair in Columbus this September! She would fly up here from Alabama and we would have a girl’s weekend. So I looked up the website and noticed they were still accepting applications for exhibitors for the show. At first I thought anyone could attend… with further research I found out it was a juried show. So I emailed Tiff back and said “well yeah let’s go but I am going to send in a small portfolio and the application and see what happens”. I got a bunch of work together, made a little portfolio, sewed it together and sent it out. SOOOO after a couple weeks of waiting I found out some AWESOME news. I have been accepted into the 2009 COUNTRY LIVING FAIR. I will be taking my own designs and cool things I make along with things that will be sold in the shop. Like fat quarters, quilt kits, vintage notions, etc. I am so excited! I feel really honored… http://www.countryliving.com/ you can find out all the details there!

This is a great way to start out my business and it will be GREAT exposure for the shop! I am so glad that I sent my work in now. I felt like I had gotten a college acceptance letter…should I open it or not open it…and you kind of skim the first sentence for positive buzz words. What a birthday huh? I am so excited to share that with all of you… I have a lot of work to do! From getting the shop prepped to making a lot of cool stuff ...my SUMMER is full.

P.S. Next time you at your local mom and pop grocery store pick up a Country Living! It has been my favorite magazine since I was a little girl…that is the note I got from mom when I woke up!

Serendipity

Serendipity is defined at dictionary.com as phenomenon of finding valuable or agreeable things not sought for. I think that this trip has made that happen in more ways than one…

So for the last eight days mom and I have walked our little feet off and our last stop was a little place called Serendipity 3. Yep you probably all have heard of it know for their frozen hot chocolate! Girls let me tell you it is one of the best chocolate experiences you will ever have! AMAZING it is a must when you come to New York City…. Oh and just so you know this was not a relaxing getaway.

So here is how I break it all down…
May 14th through 17th:
Mom and I started off the Spring Quilt Market in Pittsburgh with a day of seminars hearing Valori Wells, Amy Butler, Carrie Nelson, Sue Spargo and many other amazing designers speak about their fabric lines and patterns. As well as getting many ideas for developing business and being creative. Friday and Saturday were like a whirl wind (kind of how this blog is going to seem… I am apologizing now). Friday the official day of buying started off very interesting…as mom passed the Westminster Fibers booth she noticed and pointed out Joel Dewberry’s new fabric line. “She said look Kor (pointing) Joel Dewberry”. The next thing I know I am shaking Joel’s hand and we begin to chit chat! I MET Joel Dewberry! How cool is that…Thank God for mom and her “outgoing personality”! BTW Olive Grace will have his new line of fabric! I am so glad I knew exactly what I wanted and had a defined vision of what I want the quilt shop to look like. If not I would have been thoroughly overwhelmed. Hence Friday we looked and noted, Saturday was the day for buying and Sunday was finishing up odd and end business! In conclusion I have about 2000 yards of fabric coming to the shop!

May 17th: Trip on AMTRAK to NYC nine hours sitting on a train. I should have listened to a friend of mine… he told me it was a trick to take the train (I will listen next time). It may seen romantic to ride on a train but not so much…it’s not like in the movies. At least I can say I got to experience it…on the other hand I think you need to do at least once. Oh the engineer does wear O'sh Gosh Bi gosh pinstripe bib overalls minus the bandanna and they throw in an "All a Board" to annoy the crap out of ya!

May 18th through today
This whole trip has involved getting up at six in the morning and going off to dreamland around one or so. Monday we decided to start off the day late. Mom and I got the much needed rest we needed and headed to the National Stationary Show. Unlike the quilt show it was a bit more intense. All the beautiful stationary designs made it tough to narrow the selection of greeting cards as well as some gifts I wanted in the shop. I really was and am on the quest to give my dedicated quilting customer a nice selection of products for themselves and to give as gifts. My other goal is to not only have products for quilters but for folks who don’t sew. So ladies who want to give a unique gift to a special friend come this fall and check out all the goodies. Oh and for all the husband/ boyfriends who need an awesome gift for that special lady come in!!!! I have a lot of nice gifts coming with that being said I am really excited to share them with you all! That was a bit of a side note but honestly the stationary show really helped me in that area. Our trip to NYC was like the city in its self…BUSY!

Mom and I are on our way back home. I have a million and one things to do (literally)! Keep and eye out on the blog to hear what is coming in and what is going on with the shop progress. The word of the trip really is serendipity… with not knowing what to expect out of this trip a lot of great things have happened….

P.S.: I apologize for not have many pictures. I was sitting in a seminar went to get a picture of Amy Butler and her new fun things and realized I had forgotten my camera! Dad over night-ed it… so I only have some shots of NYC. Plus no pictures were allowed to be taken at the show. I guess you are just going to have to come see the shop when it opens…