Saturday, November 12, 2011

Ardmore's Scrap Basket

It's kinda funny, sometimes, the way things work out. For the last 30 years I've wanted a quilt shop. Last spring when I decided to start bringing in quilty stuff to sell (along with my quilts), I had a little sign prepared with a dry-erase lower portion so we could highlight the current specialties out on the sidewalk.  Here's what it says today;
Yes, holiday candy is here!  There are lots of different taffy flavors, fresh peanut clusters, fresh orange slices, coconut haystacks, bonbons, new sourballs, circus peanuts, even Christmas Ribbon Candy!  
Now, about the sign. While I was at Market in Houston with my friend Liz, we had a discussion on what I'd want my quilt shop to be, what is it's character?  Hmmm, hadn't thought about that!
Once a couple of years ago, I wrote an "essay" describing my vision of a kind of sewing center that had all kinds of sewing stuff, for clothing, quilts, whatever, with spaces to sew that could be rented for a small fee while making or finishing a project.  Lots of classes for learning to sew and of course quilting classes!  A sitting area with  sewing inspiration magazines, etc. That particular dream hasn't come true  yet, but I haven't given up!  Ok, so what's the character of my little shop inside Key Grocery? I know what it's NOT!  a fancy-schmancy place.  

Remembering that we have lots of kinds of stuff at Key Grocery ranging from Stan-wiches to steaks to seed & garden tools and quilting stuff, it's really like an old fashioned general store. Not hoity-toity stuff, not formal stuff, lots of gab & laughter,  really down-to-earth & fun. Because of the sheer number of products we carry, there isn't room to stock thousands of bolts of fabric, although there are over 200 as it is! Besides, we already have in town the Ardmore Creative Sewing Center located at Ardmore Plaza. They carry lots-o-fabric plus machines. Why duplicate? 


So, in the words of Lucy Ricardo, "Tell ya what I'm gonna do!" We'll use that title we put on the dry-erase boards last Spring and call it.... Ardmore's Scrap Basket! 

At Ardmore's Scrap Basket, we'll have lots of choices for adding to each quilter's OWN STASH in order to use up what you've got and escape thinking that you've got to start over to buy enough to make a whole quilt.  That, you know, can run into hundreds of dollars!  I know there are FQ bundles available, and jelly rolls, and layer cakes, and bali-pops, and all sorts of pre-cuts made available by the fabric manufacturers.  Those are not scrap bundles-- they're pre-matched parts of a line of fabric.

What you'll find here, and on our website, as soon as I can get it updated, will be bundles of  certain color groups in FQ's or half- yards, maybe some other combinations. We'll have lots of patterns specifically geared toward the scrappy look, lots of books & even new methods!  That way, when you start your quilt but find that you're short on greens or blues or ________, come shop here & you'll be able to fill in with just the right combination AND at a reasonable price.  The packages I've fixed up so far are 12 FQ's for $21.95, doesn't that sound great?  I can't guarantee they'll all be that price but you can depend on quality fabrics every time!

Seems like there's something prescient about having that sign made last Spring that said Scrap Basket

1 comment:

Karen said...

Yipee Glad you're fixing up the color coded fat qtrs. That's what I have a hard time finding and that's what I use the most.