Still knitting, quilting and sewing

Well, summer is slow to arrive so we all continue to knit, quilt and sew and for my business that is not a bad thing at all. However, my tan is not getting any better at this rate. lol. Even my pool still has its cover on and Cliff is in no hurry to open it up. It's to cold to swim so why pay for chemicals is his thought. Open the Pool!
There have been lots of changes in the shop in the last year. Sharon has retired for the second or third time and at the end of May , Geri Logan has retired.Although they are retired, they are not far from my thoughts and I consult with them regularly.
Pat Schwartz has been at the shop for one year now and I am so delighted to have her. Pat is our in shop sewing consultant. I like that handle and although she would scoff at the title she is really very knowledgeable. We have had some very nice sewing classes since Pat has come on board and she is a sergeing genius. This is said by the girl who had quite a bit of difficulty even threading the serger but with Pat's patience I am now running it like I know how.
 Jayne Thomas is the new hire and I am delighted to have her on board as well. Jayne , for those of you who do not know her is a delightful addition to the shop. Jayne is an avid quilter and sewing enthusiast. She has held a couple of classes since she has come to the shop and they have produced wonderful product and led to very happy customers.
The three of us are working very hard at classes for the summer and fall . There will be Christmas in July as well as another chenille class and some beginner projects for those of you who would like to try your hand at quilting. Everyone can sew. A little instruction goes a long way and all the little tips you will learn along the way will help make your experience an enjoyable one.
All our groups will continue to meet through the summer. I have found in the past that people want to continue the routine so our Knitters will continue to meet Tuesday afternoons from 1-3, Hookers Wednesday from 1-3 and Stitchers on Thursday morning from 9:30-11:30. Everyone is welcome.
The third Friday of the month is our Spin In and the last Friday of the month is our Hook In.
I look forward to meeting with everyone on these days.
I have noticed that it had been quite awhile since I posted. My apologies, but life has gottten in the way. Thank you for your patience and I promise to do better.
Mary Anne

Spin In Friday

Don't forget that Friday is our monthly Spin In. Come in , sit down and spin away your problems. This is one of the most enjoyable days of the month for me as that is exactly what I do. 
There is just one problem. I need to start using all this wool I have been spinning. lol
See you Friday
M

I'm back again

I've been away for a little while but I'm back and ready to go. 

Mothers Day was busy as usual and I was off to the flower shop to help look after the Mom's and play with flowers for awhile. Although it seems to be something I am doing less and less , I still enjoy going into the shop and doing design work.
It's a rainy day out there this morning and I can actually see the grass growing. lol. Poor Cliff has been cutting the grass like crazy already. No rest for the wicked. 

Pat, Jayne, Geri and I have been very busy at the shop making shop samples for classes. It is always difficult to know what people want to do and it has been my experience that by making these samples up you get your feedback and then you have your class.
It is very important to listen to your customers. They keep us informed as to what they're looking for and usually after being asked for something a couple of times you know that you better get it in  
the shop because as sure as the sun will rise, there will be more people looking for that item.

Our Rug Hooking group continues to grow and we are going to make great strides this week in making more room in our classroom area. There have been up to 15 hookers some days and it's getting a little cramped so we're remaking the room once again and I'm looking forward to it. 
When spring arrives I can't seem to stop myself from moving and cleaning. Hopefully we'll be able to find everything once I'm done tidying. 

This past week has seen the arrival of some beautiful fleece fabrics for babys and some nice brushed fleeces for pajama pants. Pat has been teaching some sewing classes and I'm expanding our fashion fabrics to accomodate these classes so drop in and check our what's new. 

Mary Anne

Springs seems to have arrived

As I sit here and type, I see that the sun has come up and is shining. Woo Hoo! I won't get to excited as the weatherman has just informed me that the storms are coming up from the U.S. and we will have lots of rain coming our way. At least it's not snow but thanks for sharing with your neighbors to the north. lol
Knitters will meet this afternoon from 1-3 , so if you are in need of company, drop in and knit to your hearts delight. We knit everything from socks to afghans.
We are off to The Gathering this Saturday in Port Hope. For you fibre enthusiasts this is a wonderful show of spinners, weavers, knitters and hookers. You can always find something to buy at this show and I always have a wonderful time while I'm there. It's a getaway for me, not work.
The Gathering is held at the Port Hope Community Centre on McCaul Street just behind the ball diamonds. There are plenty of vendors and lamburgers for lunch. It's a wonderful group and you will have a great day. See you there.
Mary Anne

New at Andjareenas Place

It's been a busy week at the shop. Hookers, knitters and stitchers have been working feverishly to finish projects as we all know that spring will be coming after all. When spring arrives my textile artists become garden artists and disappear for a short while until they have their outdoor work done.
Don't miss out on some of our new arrivals. Fabrics have been arriving daily as well as beautiful yarns and dyed wools. Dyeing is my new passion . I have decided I like it much better than cooking, to Cliff's dismay. I have been trying  my hand at swatch sets so for you ladies that are interested in six value swatches, I'm on it.
I'm a little late in getting my April newsletter out after the Shop Hop and I do apologize for that. I hope to have it ready next week. With all the new things going on in the shop I need to sneak away to do computer work and as it's not that creative I do find it difficult. Drop in and see what's new. It's time to get out of the house after our very long winter.
For our out of town customers, whom there seem to be many , I thank you. It is so nice to see so many people out and about and a thank you to Hilary Rice who seemed to draw some to town on Saturday. A lovely group of ladies from Oshawa were happy to find us and made a point of letting us know how they got to the shop. This type of word of mouth advertising is invaluable to small business and we thank you.
It is a bit of a gloomy Sunday morning so I am off to the dye pots to brighten my day. Hope all of you have a wonderful weekend and if you're heading east stop in at the O'Connor House Tea Room in Deseronto. I hear it's delicious.
Mary Anne

Quilters Shop Hop

A big thank you goes out to all of you who attended the Quilters Shop Hop this year. Although we had to move up our Hop this year as Easter comes early, you didn't disappoint us and came out in droves. All shops are happy with their turnout and I can't wait to hear who won all the gift baskets provided by each shop.
Thanks again
Mary Anne and Staff