Renovation Sale

For the past three days my aching body has been up and down ladders, and walked kilometre after kilometre as I have shifted things around the main shop. Boy can I feel it today, Sunday morning as a contemplate my day. 

Jim arrived back from a three day Certification Training course on the Infinity from Handi Quilter early this morning after his flight was delayed. More on the Infinity in a later post.

While he has been snoring beside me I have sat in bed sipping Camamole tea, sending orders to suppliers, updating Facebook. Writing and sending a newsletter, Pinninng, clearing emails and now blogging.  The wonders of an age when you never stop working!

Today I am hoping to have a brunch date with Jim to go over the week ahead befor I drive our son to Basketball training, then back for a few more hours work.

We need to sell off stock we no longer want to carry so that we can finall shift what I think of as The a Great Wall Of a Thread.  So Mary and I have been ruthless in our stock cull. The sale starts on Monday and fingers crossed it flys out our door and into our customers sewing rooms. 

Meantime I need to push thru the pain and be thankful that I am well enough to work.

Michelle

Renovations Begin

Now that the Long Arm Quilting Center is open we are turning our attention to the main shop. While I was away at the Bernina Club Dealers weekend he installed the new counter and demolished a wall. 

Progress is slow, but what a great chance for us to clean out stock that needs to be discounted and shift in lots of lovely new stuff!!

More photos to come.

Michelle

Long Arm Quilting Centre Opening Celebrations

We have finished up a busy 2 weeks of celebrating our new shop's opening.

The new Long Arm Quilting Centre is a fantastic resource for all quilters.  The centre is a one stop shop, with our expert staff (they are all professional Long Arm Quilters) providing ongoing education, both for free, and in fee paying sessions, as well as a place to buy your Long Arm Quilting machine.

We began with a Sneak A Peek session for invited guests.  Our guest of honour was Barrie from Wonderfil Threads, who gave a fantastic presentation on these threads.  We all came away with a lot of great information.

Barrie from Wonderfil Thread, Bernina Q24 with staffer Anne, Bernina Q20, co-owner Michelle

Yesterday was the formal Opening of the shop, which was supported by the Mayor of Maroondah, Councillor Tony Dib, and fellow councillors Nora Lamont and Samantha Marks.  They were very impressed with our expansion, and asked lots of questions about our machines.  They were joined by members of the BizMaroondah team, who have been very supportive of our business over the past 14 years.

Councillor Samantha Marks, Owner Jim, Councillor Tony Dib (Mayor of Maroondah), and Councillor Nora Lamont

In the coming weeks we will be developing a month of fantastic free demonstration sessions to be held in the Long Arm Quilting Centre and in the Original Ringwood Sewing Centre shops.  We know you will love what we have planned.

Of course opening the new shop has taken a huge amount of time. The shop was divided into 8 rooms, and so had to be gutted and re-built.  Lucky Jim is the master of everything and did much of the work.

Owner Jim and our son Kev during demolition work.

I did what I do best, shopped!  I had the help of our son when I made one of my many visits to Ikea, this time for the new kitchen.

Co-owner Michelle (that's me!) with our son Kev at Ikea

Finally it was time for the machines to arrive, and for us to get stock on the shelves.

And the end result is wonderful.  Of course it will evolve as we get more samples on the walls, but for now we love that it is crisp and not over crowded like the main shop!

Customers trying out the Handi Quilter Fusion 24

Jacqui already working with customers to learn more about quilting with Westalee Rulers.

Staffer Pam with the Handi Quilter Fusion