Welcome to Ma's Got'a Notion
Here at Ma's, we got your back...quilt back, that is!!!

Yes, we may have lost an hour, but the sun this morning was glorious! I totally LOVE it when we are on what is called Daylight Saving time, but I call it ENJOYING the natural lighting afforded to us! I hope you, too, will get out and enjoy the sun on your face now that we have that extra light. 

I did not have the pleasure of riding my bike last year because of the medication I was taking, but that is behind me now, and I plan to ride my bike to work every day when we have sunshine and warmer temps. My car, too, will be coming out of storage next month, and that always makes me feel joyful. Nothing like a road trip with the top down. It does not take much to keep this old lady entertained...I've always been a pretty cheap date, as I have reminded my hubby all these many years!

I purchased my hubby a scooter a couple of weeks ago so he can once again have the independence to drive around town and visit with his friends while I am off to work. Due to last year's illnesses, yes, illnesses as he had a number of them all at once, he was instructed not to drive a over the road vehicle (meaning a car or truck)! He now has a kind'a, sort'a "street freedoms" he so enjoys. His heart will never work more than the 35% it does now, but he has a great attitude and looks forward to each new day's adventure as the weather allows! He loves to ride down to the river and watch the barges and tugs work. Of course, there are the "bull sessions" with his buddies settling the world's affairs.

As many of you may have heard by now, Debbie's husband slipped away in his sleep this past January. He had a number of illnesses that, sadly, were not addressed sooner. A great loss to Debbie and her entire family. Debbie's daughter, too, is having some (girl health issues), nothing that can't be addressed, but will be taking Debbie away from the shop from time to time, taking her daughter to doctor appointments.

While we look ahead to what the future holds, we know well that as old age approaches, nothing should be taken for granted. So, enjoy each day that good health is afforded to us.

With all that being said, I HAD hoped to start vending at quilt shows once again, but at last, I have decided, with age, lack of extra hands, and responsibilities at the shop and at home, that I will not be vending at quilt shows anymore. I had secured a spot for the upcoming Springfield show, but I will be calling them this week to let them know I will not be vending after all. The setup/teardown/packing up/unpacking/loading the truck/unloading and then reloading, and unloading back at the shop is more work than this old lady with bad knees can do anymore, alone or with my helper, Debbie. And on top of all that, it means closing the shop for 3 days, which means missing any customers who may stop by and not realizing we had to close for shows. Then there is putting it all back together in the coming days. It makes me worn out just thinking about it! 

I also no longer do shop hops, state-wide and local ones. I do miss meeting new quilters through a hop, but with it being only Deb and me to attend to our customers, I feel we do a better job of taking care of and giving more personal service to shoppers in the store who come in with specific needs and questions, and who visit at a slower pace than a ton of shoppers all at once. I love meeting all the new customers who hear about the shop by word of mouth and learn they are friends of one of our other regulars. It is always a joy to meet a friend of a friend or a family member of a customer. I do hope that any hoppers who may be driving close by who are familiar with the shop will stop in to say hello, though.

This may or may not be a wise business decision I have made, but I do feel that with all of the hops that occur during the year, our customers may get saturated with more projects than they can do in a years time, and their pleasure may be robbed of the enjoyment of not being able to visit shops in a more leisurely time frame, on their own and not rushed to get to the next stop on the list. I hope I have explained my reasons and that my lack of participation is purely personal and has nothing to do with the organizers or participating shops. As I have grown older, I find that a slower pace suits me...ok, maybe it's old Arther who resides in my joints that has slowed me! LOL. My future goal is to continue operating my shop in my brick-and-mortar location and my online store for years to come. That means I will need to take care of my old body to continue the work I love. Time will tell whether my reasoning is sound! LOL

I am still waiting for word on how the fella who owns the building and is in the throes of remodelling the place is doing. I hope it will be a wonderful place to hold retreats, just three blocks from the shop. I will keep you posted as I know more.

I had hoped to do more videos, but that has not happened, as life just keeps making me take a step back. I am still hoping to have classes resume at my studio, but that too has been put off for a bit longer. I'm not sure how time just gets away, but it sure does!

If you follow my Facebook page, you can see all of the new things we get in the shop. If you do not follow my FB page, take a bit of time to browse my Website; I post all new things there for your purchasing pleasure! FYI, I get new things in the shop almost daily, and as you know, I can hardly pass up any new wide backing that comes on the market... but I have so much more than just backings. Just a quick reminder: I'm known for my reproduction fabrics, both from the 1800s and the 20s/30s. I have cottons, flannels, homespuns and wool. I have a great notions wall and ruler wall. If you need any rulers, you may want to look into getting them (with the price of petroleum heading up again, the rulers contain petroleum, which will once again drive their cost up). I do not raise the price of current stock, but as new stock comes in, I do reflect the new cost. Also, we make many samples of the kits we have in stock. I try my hardest not to cut kits until either Deb, Linda, or I have made the sample, that way we know if any errors need to be addressed. And of course...Ma's has your back, quilt back that is!

Warmer weather is ahead, gardens are calling you, but your passion for quilting resides in your heart as the heat of summer heads our way. Please feel free to use us as a fabric cooling center and a place to take refuge, surrounded by beautiful fabrics. When you need fabric...You need Ma's!

Take a drive and visit Ma's, you KNOW we're worth the trip!!!