A weekend to celebrate....

I have wanted to blog about last weekend since it ended and it's already Friday. I honestly don't know where this week has gone or for that matter where the darn summer has gone. Before we know it dad will be hauling my "on the road" version of the shop to Columbus and shortly after to Atlanta for Country Living Fairs.... well I will shop whining and get to the celebrating!

So I got to celebrate 2 special things with two of my favorite people...

1st: My very good friend, sister, partner in crime you get the point Abbie's 30th Birthday!

2nd: A boy named Josh whom I'm kinda fond of have been hanging out for a whole year!

So don't you think that is worth celebrating? Well I do...

Saturday after I closed up shop I got in my car and headed down to Columbus for dinner and to see Miss. Abbie! Abbie and I met in Columbus while working at a Limited Brands and have been friends ever since probably more like family. Anyway we have had many fun adventures from trips really all over the country to even living in Washington DC together. I figured that I could not miss celebrating her 30th birthday with her! By the end of the night we both decided that we are too old for going out to our old stomping grounds in CBUS the Arena District and the crowds of early twenty somethings are over. We have decided that our new routine is going to be dinner, Jeni's ice cream and pj's while catching up on lost time. So I just thought of this I guess that is something else to celebrate.... Maturity! Although the days of Spike and Curly may be over Abbie we do have some GREAT memories! I left Sunday afternoon but you can't go to Columbus without going to Easton Towne Center. We met Annie for brunch at Brio and then the girls showed me a new lil' retro shop there called NEST! I am sure that the one guy who works there will love this picture but i couldn't resist. You don't expect three guys to be manning a home goods shop! They have new and vintage products and if you need some of those plants from the 70's that don't need watered this shop is for you! If you get there make sure you go... I found a whole jar of empty spools for $20 bucks! Next time I plan on spending more time with Abbie but this is what leads to my second big celebration...

I know I am cheesy bare with me!

So I left Abbie's cute little apartment and got on the road to Fowler because Josh was making dinner for our first year of "togetherness" some of you call this an "anniversary" but I have this thing about that word and if I call it that I feel I will jinx something. The three hour drive was well worth it because I was surprised with Mr. Goodhart's famous foil chicken, a nice bottle of wine, sterling silver dangly Ohio state earrings for game day and sunflowers he picked for me! On our first date the year before he brought me sunflowers... I must brag about this I mean come on girls Sunflowers pretty awesome. I am one lucky girl for sure but I think Josh is lucky to have me too. I surprised him with some classic AC/DC tunes and this cool old tobacco box filled with rocks that I found on vacation... I know the poor guy got a "homemade" gift. The key to this is it's better than nothing and my box of rocks really did come from the heart!

Celebrating milestones with the people that you love in life well it doesn't get much better than that...

P.S. I also got binding sewn on a really cute quilt come check it out at the shop!

Family Vacation @ Lake Erie

I have decided that I have a great sense of figuring out when the hottest week of the summer is going to be and planning my vacation on that very week. Last year 105 degrees in Missouri this year 95 degrees Lake Erie. You know it’s hot when Lake Erie looks like a giacantic pond…

As always my family and I wait to the last minute to find somewhere to stay. We had decided that the best and most convenient place to go was up Lake Erie because it is only about an hour drive from home and we could take the dogs. So of course yours truly gets to be the travel agent and find somewhere to stay. I have to say I did an amazing job finding a little cottage with an amazing lake view but I didn’t realize that there was no air conditioning! So just a note about the Turner family we would all rather be cold than hot. The only Turner who had a really hard time was Libby Lou our English bulldog. Thank goodness for frozen towels and oscillating fans! We always knew where Libby was because of her breathing. The poor thing panted so hard she was horse one night. I told mom and dad that I think that we all felt like breathing like her but knew that it wasn’t appropriate to drool and hang your tongue out of our mouths. She made it through like the rest of us and enjoyed the couple of evenings that it cooled off.

Mom of course cooked and she even decided to bake… yes bake! It was an amazing Blueberry/ Blackberry pie but lets just say the typical indoor temp of the 1920’s cottage was 85 degrees and mom I think got it up to a nice 105! You know though that is how memories are made.

You can’t go to the lake without looking for beach glass and I think this was the biggest hit of the vacation. So the first few days we were there the lake was so calm so finding the sanded glass was hard but by the middle of the week we were finding it very regularly. Of course our guests that came up one night for dinner found the best pieces Drew’s friend Aspen found RED and Josh (my boyfriend) was picking up really big pieces. Mom was a little envious of their loot put by the end of the week she snagged a nice amber find. Dad is not a beach kind of guy he’s a pig farmer but you knew it was hot when he would suggest going to the beach to put our toes in the water. I think that was the first time in about 5 years that the four of us were all together. Mom and dad used to take Drew and I up there for vacation when we were little it is amazing how time flies. There is nothing like a good old family vacation…

I can’t believe that is was a week ago already I am finally getting out of vacation mode. This week I have spent rearranging the shop hopefully next week I can start concentrating on Country Living Fair projects. Got new fabric in too along with some new patterns… more blogs to come I will keep you updated!

P.S. Hope you enjoy some pictures I took along the way I am super excited how the turned out so artsy... its the camera not the user!

New Fabric here in the shop!!!!

I know you are shocked I blogged again ;)! I took some pictures last week of some of the new fabric that has come in and thought I would share with you. If you get my newsletter I mentioned them not being here yet and the day I emailed and mailed them out I think they all came in...

These cute fabrics are Alexander Henry fabrics... I was so excited at market that they were still printing the watercolor flower print. I thought they had been discontinued! So if you are in the search for some IT'S HERE!!! It was a huge hit last year in Columbus at Country Living Fair. The coordinating print is so sweet... the little animals have names and there is a fox named Gustavo that you can't see in the picture.



As always Moda has put out some great new holiday fabric... yes this is holiday fabric. I have a hard time thinking about winter when its so hot out side. Anyway, French General's Noel and 3 Sisters Park Avenue grabbed me because it does not scream HOLIDAY at you. The two lines have a couple little Christmas motifs but could be used with stash and non-holiday material. Along with regular cottons I have some textured woven pieces that would be great for stockings' or tree skirts. I just want you to note that if you loved the two prior French General lines this new fabric will coordinate really well! Alot of the quilting magazines have great ad's for these two lines check them out.

Last but not least is a line called Gerta...

The line is too cool... Mom and I stumbled across it at market in the Country Threads booth. They have a pattern called SPOT that uses Gerta with the combination of homespun and primitive fabrics! I loved how this very traditional pattern company/ quilt shop stepped out of the box and added some spunk. Side note if you considering coming to Columbus Country Living Fair they will be there! I can 't wait to get Spot made plus other fun projects with this line that I call a fun solid. For all you Sue Spargo fans I think that this line would work in a lot of her projects. This line was designed by a native Ohioan Marica Derse which I think is even cooler! Check out Marica's website at http://www.myartbooth.com/!

It's funny because I have customers come in and say well where is all the new fabric from market and sadly I have to say it won't be here till September and October... it's such a tease I know. The fabric business is a lot like fashion when it's spring we are looking at fall fabric when its fall we look at spring and by the time it gets here I always forget what I got! Although it feels like my childhood on Christmas morning. I really hope that you come see the new fabric... if you can't get here and want some let me know I can always ship ya some! Until next time... happy stitching! Kori

P.S. My next blog will hopefully be sent from Lake Erie. Mom, dad and I are getting away for a few days and Drew will be joining us for some family time. So the shop will be closed Tuesday July 2oth through Saturday July 25th and I will be back in the shop on Tuesday July 27th!

This one is for you Mom...

So today is July 3, 2010 and tomorrow is our country’s birthday and quite honestly I feel like yesterday was Christmas. It has been about six months since I last blogged and I know way to long but hey I have been busy with my little shop. I think mom since then has asked me at least once a week if I have blogged. So the next time she asks I can actually say yep, yep I did…

The shop is doing great! Late winter and spring were a lot of fun. Our spring show and pig sale was a success. Although dad wishes he would have sold more piggies but in the end it was a beautiful weekend and that is all that matters! We started classes by kicking them off with a visit from Sue Spargo and 12 ladies from all over northeastern Ohio! Next April 16^th 2011 Sue will be teaching another one of her awesome projects so stay tuned to the website for more information! If you have never worked with wool and have always wanted to try you should really consider taking one of her classes you will end up being addicted! Also for those of you who don’t know she has a couple new books out (which are here at the shop) and I am carrying the wool thread that she uses in her projects! Classes have been fun and meeting new people has been great. I am working really hard to keep addresses and emails updated so you all get information about the happenings around the shop! If you haven’t gotten any info lately send me an email or call the shop and I will make sure I get you updated in my computer! Also check your junk email because I have a feeling some of your emails are getting put there.

Mom as always is a huge help here at the shop… I think she is my unofficial part time employee that doesn’t get paid! Without her the end of April and the month of May would have been a disaster. The shop was invited to Fabric Patcher’s Quilt Guild Vendor’s Day Out (from Lordstown) and the Ohio Star Quilt Guild (from Warren) annual Quilter’s Day Out. Then the Sew and Sew’s who meet out in Boardman asked me to come do a stitchery demo for them. They didn’t really need a demo those are some savy sewer’s let metell you… it was so nice to sit and stitch with them! The three events were all a great time! I have enjoyed getting to know a lot of them. I knew when I started this adventure I would meet great people but I did not realize that I would form amazing friendship’s! I am truly a lucky girl. I think back to college and let me tell you those where the best four years of my life. I never thought that I would ever be as happy as that but I can honestly say I am again. Life is funny like that I guess…

So now it is summer mid summer actually! Mom’s garden is in full bloom and the corn is comin up in the pasture. In about a month college football will start, (GO BUCKS!!!) Dad and I will be loading up the pig trailer with the shop in September and October for Country Living Fair and in the meantime I have fat quarters to cut and a million and one things to do get ready for that. I know I promised to keep up with my blog but see I really am busy! I know that is the watered down version of six months but I guess it’s better than nothing! Until next time enjoy the sunshine and Happy Forth of July! Kori

P.S. Information on County Living Fairs is up on the website if you love the magazine try to get to one… as cheesy as it sounds the pages really do come to life!

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!