Friday, June 7, 2013

Day Three of the Move

Yesterday was another big day of moving. The register area arrived.

IMG_9351

The phone /DSL was set up. Computers and wireless will be activated late this afternoon.

Briana filled the notions wall.

IMG_9363a

Michelle’s husband John was the hero of the day being the all around handyman. Here, he is covering the tub stand with carpet.

IMG_9357

After much discussion and rack movement fabric began to find  a home.

 IMG_9365IMG_9367IMG_9369aIMG_9370IMG_9382a


There is a small dent in the fabric stacked in the classroom.

IMG_9366

We open tomorrow ready or not. So today is sure to be another long day.

Stitch at you Soon,
Dawna

Thursday, June 6, 2013

Day 2 of the Move

Just a quick update from yesterday’s move. The first truckload was at the back door at 7 am. It was all of the stacking fabric racks.

IMG_9321

Jorge worked on the classroom doors.

IMG_9322

What do you call a gathering of racks? A gaggle? A roundup?

IMG_9324

The first fabric delivery into the classroom. Remember this corner when you get to the bottom of the post.

IMG_9326

Minkee & other plush on the opposite side.

IMG_9327

Sewing furniture coming down the dark hallway. Somehow a major fuse was blown and there were no lights on the west side of the building.

IMG_9330

The doors are up!

IMG_9332

The guys from Bushu Electric arrive to put up the fans, move Leith’s light switches and get the layout for the wiring of the front counter on Friday morning. The also figure out the fuse problem and we have lights again on the west side.

If you need any electrical done Bushu is the best. They wired our last two stores and pretty much rewired a previous home of mine.

IMG_9334

It’s starting to get crowded.

IMG_9335

Some of the register area.

IMG_9337

At the end of the day this is what the classroom looked like.

IMG_9342

IMG_9343

IMG_9344

IMG_9345

 IMG_9346


This was the first corner of fabric.

IMG_9347

Some more fabric out on the shelves.

IMG_9341

Stitch at you Soon,
Dawna

Wednesday, June 5, 2013

Ready (mostly) for Moving Day

It has finally arrived the big moving Day. Well actually, the first of a couple.

When I left the store last night at 7:30 the guys from Metro Floors had put the carpet in Fay’s office

IMG_9317

and were placing all the vinyl baseboard.

IMG_9315

See our shiny floor, my niece Briana and I worked on floors, painting baseboards and other paint touch ups on Monday.

IMG_9280

Peggy painted the power/storage room.

IMG_9277a


Poor Bri held the handle of the roller so long she had trouble strightening her hands on Tuesday morning. There are a total of 5 coats on the floor. I’ll add the products in tonight as I can’t seem to find the product pictures.

IMG_9304

Hopefully, the contractor will show up this morning to finish all his last minute jobs. We need plates on all the plugs & switches, the doors need to be put into the classroom along with assorted other items. The doors were found. A new frame is being built because they made the door opening the wrong size. I also need to find out when the glass is being replaced.

Oh, and when they were working on the frontage yesterday they somehow killed the lights down the east side of the store and Leith’s machine tech room.  It’s really hard to service a machine with no power.

At noon were get out ceiling fans installed (very important in the desert) and around the same time the new locks will be installed.

More tonight,
Stitch at you Soon,
Dawna

Sunday, June 2, 2013

A Really Long Day - Part 2 - Working on the New Location

So as I said in A Really Long Day - Part 1, the completion date for the new store was Friday the 31st. This was the store Friday morning at 7:15.

IMG_9120

Not that the job is actually completed. There are still wires hanging, switch plates with no cover, no thermostat on one side of the building, ceiling tiles that need to be replace and ceiling grid to be fixed/touched up. And the classroom doors aren’t installed. 

Oh wait, our doors are missing. They were in the store on Friday morning but now, no longer in the building. Hmmm. Sorry for the blurry shot.

IMG_9162

So Friday during the day fabric  and racks were moved at the old (current?) store so we could remove slatwall panels. Then Sheryl & my nephew John unscrewed six panels for us to take to the new store. Isn’t it pretty?

IMG_9157

Saturday we met at the store at 7:30. More panels were removed. A big thank you goes out to Shaun, the son of our customer Robin.

 IMG_9156

Our family friend Cy came over from Ventura to be in charge of the install at the new store. He has done this for us now at all three locations. That’s him smiling in the background as the truck is loaded.

IMG_9158

Then on to the new store. where Cy & Shaun got started.

IMG_9164

The main wall completed.

IMG_9165

Meanwhile I returned to the store and with power tool in hand removed more pieces of slatwall to take to the new store. I welded the power tool, but Susan, Sheryl and Fay held the pieces steady.

I’m sure I have never mentioned this, but I love power tools. One year for Christmas, my favorite gift was a my very own Makitta drill.

Lunch was ordered from The Lemon Leaf down the sreet. One of the great things about moving to Lancaster Blvd. We definitely need some chairs.


















Meanwhile, Tiffany from Needle in a Hayes Stack and her husband Scott had come by the new store. Scott went home to get his carpet cleaner for the back hallway. there were demo pieces, wood dust, spackle and a trail from the previous tenants.  

I can’t seem to find my before shot, but I’m sure Tiffany has it to share. Scott is amazing. When he was done it almost looked new.

IMG_9167

Some of the front windows are slated for new glass due to graffiti etching. There was a sound and one of the windows started to crack.

IMG_9185

Thank goodness there was a vinyl tinting still on the window. Although it was scary listening to it crack. So now until the new panes arrive we have a lovely sheet of wood.

IMG_9177

We finally finished up at the store around 6:45. Driving home was the awful view of the fire in Green Valley. My heart goes out to all residents and all they have lost. I pray they were able to get their horses and other animals out safely.

IMG_9206

Stitch at you Soon,

Dawna

A Really Long Day - Part 1 - In the Studio

Yesterday was one of those days started early and went on forever. Friday the 31st was the contractors completion date at the new store. There was a big plan for the day.

So I awoke at 3:30 and after 15 minutes knew trying to sleep was a waste of time. So off to the sewing studio I went. With the Quilt Run coming almost immediately after the move there are samples to be made.

So from 3:50 to 6:05 I cut out all the pieces for a Primitive Gatherings pattern “Snowflake”. I am only making nine of the blocks. 

370_Snowflake_Quilt2

As usual I looked at the pattern and then refigured the cutting using the Nifty Notions  Rulers. I find that I save quite a bit of fabric using them. The Half Square

IMG_9131

(I flipped the ruler over & trimmed the other corner),

IMG_9132

and the Quarter Square.

IMG_9127

Then as I detest spending time drawing lines to sew on, I used the Cutting Corners Ruler designed by Sharon Craig. If you haven't used this ruler it is fabulous.

IMG_9128

IMG_9129


The setting triangles and corners were cut with the Nifty Notions Side set triangle. With this ruler all you cut is one strip size and there is no need to cut large squares diagonally. Lastly, the borders were cut.

IMG_9136

IMG_9139

The next time I awake in the middle of the night I am ready to sew. With everything going on I’m sure I will share the next step with you sooner than later.

IMG_9142

Stitch at you Soon, 

Dawna