Calico Gals

Have you heard?

Calico Gals just can’t sit still for a minute. Every quilter I know is thinking about the next quilt as she sews the binding. Now that we are getting comfortable and settled into our beautiful new store, it is time to start a new a project. And what a project it is!

Another store!!

That’s right – Calico Gals is adding a second location in Oswego, NY. We have merged with Quilters Nook and opening a new store at 199 West First Street. And just so you can see how beautiful the new store will be, I need to show you how NOT beautiful it is now.

No longer available. Soon to be Calico Gals Harborview

I really like this store front. I never had a store front before! Real windows for displays! My retailer blood is racing. Oh – the possibilities.

Lots of room for fabrics and sewing machines. No steps to come in!

Yes – I agree – it needs a little work. Stay with me here… Right now the contractors are adding all new lights and new ceiling tiles. Additional outlets went in last week. The new carpet (had to have it) will be installed next week.

Needs a little paint.

What do you think? The stripes were cute for the former tenant, but they gotta go! So – add new paint to the to-do list. That’s also on this week’s schedule. No – I am not doing any of the remodel, but I get to pick it out (and pay for it!).

More windows and another door.

We need a classroom, right? How about a classroom with it’s own entrance? The store is part of a historic (aka old) section of store fronts and warehouses right on the canal and just a couple of blocks from the harbor and Lake Ontario. The owner has remodeled the stores with rear entrances into a mall-like shopping area. Right across the hall from this classroom door is a brand new elevator going down to a parking lot and the water’s edge.

Here's the hallway. Calico Gals Harborview on the right.

This just gives you the idea of what it is like. You will have to come and see it for yourself. Other stores in the “Canal Commons” section include a Chocolate Shop, Cafe, Wine Store, Florist and assorted gift shops. I think we will be a good addition to the mix. Our goal is to be open by mid-May. Stay tuned, keep watching for more updates and details.

Here’s another new store:

People always ask us about what is going on in our former spot in the Canal Barn in Fayetteville. I am pleased to tell you about Crow Hollow Primitives. It is the cutest gift shop that moved in to the area we called the Upper East Side, just below the classroom loft.

In the Canal Barn!

Melissa, the owner, pulled out the old, worn carpet and painted the wood floor to look like big tiles. She put a curtain over our batting cage and turned it into an office. Adorable! If you stop by to see the transformation you will probably end up picking up a few gifts for yourself or a friend. I did.

Speaking of binding…

Joan Ford can really turn a neat binding. Her students are always asking her for tips, so she created a fantastic tutorial on her blog.

Great detailed directions and photos for that perfect binding!

Visit Joan’s blog, Winging It,  and bookmark it as a reference for your next continuous binding. And every binding after that.

Just because.

Here is a beauty. You can scarcely believe it is a quilt! I snapped this photo at International Quilt Market last fall.

Crossing Over by Cookie Warner, Fort Collins, Colorado

This entry was posted on Tuesday, April 27th, 2010 at 11:35 am and is filed under Gals on the Go. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.