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My first blog post was in May 2008

766 Individual Post

266,825 post views

So now that you know the stats from my blog, I'm putting this question out there...

Do you regularly read blogs?

With social media today, between Facebook and Instagram most people are getting their updates almost daily or several times a day on IG, so are people really reading blogs?

So let me know...do you read blogs?

Until Next Time
Be Kind

Thanks for the memories...

I've been a firm believer that change is good...so when it came time to announce that Kelly Ann's Quilting was closing and I was heading to semi-retirement I did it with the knowledge that I was ready for a change, especially my feet. Seven weeks later I'm sitting down to say

It's been a fun 14 years of providing fabric, fun, and friendship to thousands of quilters.

WOW...looking through pictures brought back lots of good memories. We've had sew-ins, charity quilts, bus trips, retreats, cruises, goofy fun, shop hops, puppies, kiddo's, Quilt Sampler, Quilt Markets, Snow Days (lots of snow days). I started going through pictures, so many from Facebook, have to love social media for trips down memory lane, I also pulled pictures from past blogs...I've said it many times if it weren't for a great staff and amazing customers I would never have succeeded.

I also would not have succeeded without the support of my fellow merchants...a huge shoutout to Pablo at Great Harvest Bread...this guy was always quick to pop over and let us sample his newest creations, name a drink after me, and always, and I mean always, willing to ask for forgiveness instead of permission.

And now for what's in my future....a little traveling with Andrew, playing with Bodhi, kitties, family & friends and then there is my new business, The Neked Sheep Wool Company. I'm still gonna blog here, being on Instagram, Facebook group Kelly Ann's Creative Circle, so you see, there are ways to find me.

So...
Until Next Time
Be Kind

Gone but not forgotten

Our sweet Stella T. Rottenbear Dog left us this week...

Stella and Zele would often pose for me for the blog and Facebook post for the shop, they were both official staff members at KAQ.

Stella was a golden retriever with so much sweetness and golden rottenness. She went by many names but was most often called Bear Dog. She loved her chew toys, treats, and belly rubs. She also loved her humans, we were her home pack but she also had another pack with Pam and Charlie from Ohana Pet Paradise. You see...Stella wasn't much of a kisser, you might get a nose kiss or an air kiss, but the one human she showered with kisses was Uncle Charlie.

As her face turned white and she started to slow down, we introduced her to the newest member of our pack, Bodhi aka BGB. Bodhi loved Stella, and she loved him. We are showering our boy with lots of love and kisses.

We whisper to our pups when we bring them home "we will love you forever and never let you suffer" ... and this is what we do.

We miss our Bear...

Until Next Time
Be Kind

Setting up Wool Studio

I'm slowing getting my Wool Studio up and running ...

I'm bringing some shelving units and cubbies from the shop for storage but all the wool from KAQ has been moved to the studio, and I've set up a card table on risers to start ripping and cutting kits.

The weather took a bitter turn here in Virginia yesterday, so I decided it was a perfect day to stay inside and rip a few bundles and kits.

I loaded these little Sweetheart Pinks on to the Neked Sheep Wool website ... I'm calling the 5" squares "Nickle Packs" and the 5"x24" strips "Chubby Rolls" both are perfect for your Valentines day projects.

I'm carrying a new line of patterns from Jerome Thomas Patterns...

This sweet lil' bunny was the first one to get kitted up, I'll be tracing it today, so I can start stitching as I dream of warmer weather to come.

With the wind blowing and temperatures in the teens today I'll be spending the day in my sewing room working on the Sewing Sewcial blocks for this year's online shop hop. The website hasn't been updated yet with the new fabrics. If you didn't participate last year, this shop hop is different then most because if you order the blocks from the shops, they are all pre-cut and ready to sew when you receive them in the mail. If you follow me on Instagram, you'll get a sneak-peek into my block.

Until Next Time
Be Kind

They say...

My family is famous for saying "they say"...normally it's folklore...like "they say that if the woolly worm has more black on him then brown it's going to be a bad winter."

I've read more than once today "they say whatever you are doing on January 1st you'll do the rest of the year".

So let's take a look at what I did today...

1. Made breakfast - eggs, bacon, and fruit
2. Did 5 loads of laundry throughout the day
3. Vacuumed the downstairs
4. Did our annual New Years Day walk, had to use the paved Greenway because Whitney State Park is too muddy for Bodhi.
5. Made Lunch - BLT Lettuce wraps
6. Unloaded my car that was full of Neked Sheep Wool supplies
7. Cleaned out some of the basement.
8. Used my new Instapot to make hard boiled eggs - perfect and delish
9. Made dinner - Black-eye peas, spinach salad and homemade, from scratch, cornbread.
10. Cleaned kitchen, put the rest of the Christmas cookie tins away

So...if my 2019 looks anything like my January 1st, I'm gonna be so stinkin' busy. For the rest of the night, till bedtime, I'm gonna play with my new iBayam Fineliner Pens and see where this new creative outlet takes me.

Until Next Time

Be Kind

2019...Changing times...

As I was sitting down to write this post I thought about how to start it off ... so many choices of words to use, ways to put them together and yet come across with my voice. I thought about doing a video but that seemed a little vain. Besides, I'd have to put on lipstick and fluff my hair. Then it dawned on me ... just spell it out ...

After many late night discussions here at home and at the shop I came to the conclusion that it was time to semi-retire.

What does this mean for Kelly Ann's Quilting? Well, starting January 2, 2019, we will be hosting a retirement sale with discounts ranging from 20%- to 25%-off. All fabric will be sold in yard increments, and no fat quarters will be cut during the sale. We'll also have a lot of our furniture and fixtures available for sale, along with our many props that we've used throughout the years.

We will also be changing our days and hours of operation. The store will be open Tuesday-Saturday, 10am-4pm.  Please understand that if you call and we don't answer, we are busy waiting on customers but please leave a message, and we will call you back.

Thank you, everyone, for all of your support over the years. It's been a fun ride, and I can't wait to see where semi-retirement takes me.

Until Next Time
Be Kind

More looking back at 2018

Yesterday was so much fun I thought I'd add more "looking back" for 2018

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

Sept

October

November - what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas

December

Until Next Year

Be Kind