All I can say is WOW!!!!

How wonderful! You all came out for the Open House. Yesterday was very busy but today, the store was full from 10:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. and Kathy, Mary and I were busy all day cutting fabric, signing people up for classes and having a great time with all of our customers.In the meantime, Elaine was in the back doing demos on Bias Tape, Templates and Marking Tools. Wanted to get a picture of that but we were just too busy in the front of the store......but she had a pretty captive audience back there.

I can now officially announce the winners of the 2008 Rooster Stew Challenge - Pickin' Cotton or Cotton Pickin'......drum roll please!!!!!

1st Prize - Elaine Theriault - $100.00 Gift Certificate

2nd Prize - Fiona Kay - $50.00 Gift Certificate

3rd Prize - Karen Wold - $25.00 Gift Certificate

Honourable Mention - Faye MacLachlan - $15.00 Gift Certificate

Viewers Choice - Fiona Kay - $50.00 Gift Certificate

It was extremely hard to take pictures of the quilts (next year I will remember to do this while they are still closer to the ground....). Elaine's is the gal with the glasses - well done Elaine! Faye's is on the left of Elaine's, the one with the triangles. Way to go Faye!
Fiona's is the hardest to take a picture of because it is long and not situated in a spot where the lighting is that great. Her quilt is truly amazing....I will get close-ups once we take them down and before we give them back. Karen's are on stage! Well done Karen......2 years in a row!

I'm going to think up a really tough challenge for Year 3!!! I promise!....and we hope to have many more participants. I would love to fill the store with Challenge quilts for our next anniversary.

Now I will bring you up to date on one of my projects. Last night I was determined to finally get home and start quilting (haven't had time all week). So after I made myself a super quick dinner of eggs and toast (and coffee of course, to stay awake!) I turned on the TV and got down to business. I finished the center of the "Hankie" quilt!

I coerced Mary into squaring it off for me at 6:00 p.m. tonight before she went home so that I could take it home and get the borders on tonight (maybe!).

Kathy was kind enough to hold it up for me so I could give you an idea of what it looks like. It's turning out to be one of my favourites already. You'll have to all come into the store to see it when it's done. These photos are really not doing it justice at all.

To be perfectly honest, I am exhausted and not sure I can even stand up to cut the borders tonight so I may just make it an early night or watch TV and do "absolutively" nothing! I'll play it by ear! In the meantime....

Happy Quilting!

Jo-Ann