I LOVE @home!

So the other day I got some interesting news from a very dear friend and inspiration... the funny thing is in the meantime I have been thinking about her a lot...

As some of you may know I went to Savannah College of Art and Design in Savannah, Georgia throughout the four years I was there I met amazing lifelong friends one of them is Liz Demos! She is a shop owner, blogger, stylist, mommy, wife, artist, designer, historian ok you get the point she is amazing! I was blessed to have gotten to be one of her shop girls and well some of my greatest memories is setting the alarm off, spending my paycheck at the shop, listening to the Beatles Yellow Submarine Album while dusting... let me tell ya that was the best dusting I ever did and didn't mind it at all oh and leaving the shop smelling like @home vintage general...

So the other day I received the new line of fabric... Amy Butler's LOVE from Rowan textiles. Well the thing is it brought back memories of working at Liz's shop and listening to the young men with the cool hair. I remember Liz saying that she knew I had worked because the British heart throbs were in the CD player when she got to work. Sorry Liz I am plugging some new product at the same time... ok you fabric fanatics Amy's new fabric is the shop and ready to get cut into a quilt, blouse, pillows really whatever you would like. I am thinking about recovering a chair for in my sewing room at home! The fabrics bold colors are really reminiscent of St. Pepper yet with a girlie feel.

Anyway the other day Liz emailed and has decided to close her shop. I instantly was sad but as I thought of my mentor I became very happy for her. Her 10 year adventure on Broughton Street is closing yet she is opening a new chapter and this one I truly believe is going to be bigger and better. I hope that my lil quilt shop here on the Corner Farm will be as successful as @home. Liz has inspired me and I know she will continue too. Our shops are a lil different but when I cut a yard fabric I remember cutting yards of hand dyed ribbon that Liz dyed with vintage teal rit dye! I encourage you all to check out Liz's sites www.vintagegeneral.com , www.vintagegeneral.blogspot.com, www.elizabethdemos.blogspot.com, and www.elizabethdemos.com! My wish for my friend, fellow shop owner and inspiration is much success on her new endeavors... I don't even need to wish her luck because I know whatever she does will be amazing!!!!! Liz thanks for letting me be a part of your shop and life...

P.S. In these tough economic times remember your local shop owners they are the ones who keep our money and jobs in our communities. please visit: http://www.the350project.net/home.html

Oh Christmas Time

well its that time of year guys... cold toes and hot chocolate! I have been so busy lately that I haven't had the time to put my toes up but have enjoyed some liquid chocolate. Lets see since my last blog the store has been open for two months, had our holiday open house (which was a huge success) and I have been busy making samples and trying to come up with a newsletter and class schedule. I have a lot of great ideas and hope all my customers like what I come up with. The shop is a cute as ever all decorated for the holidays... I have had fun doing that!

there is a nice sample of what this lil shop looks like! Gerty has her red holiday party skirt on which turned out way better than i thought... Oh btw Gerty is the dress form! She was rescued off the streets of New York City last spring and I believe she loves her new home here on the farm much better. So now my friends it is time for me finish christmas shopping with mom this weekend and hopefully find the time to decorate my cute lil house and tree! Oh and make cookies... I truly hope that this blog finds you all well and i wish you all a magical merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

P.S. I really hope I can find more blogging time this new year!

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!