May 1, 2007
Newsletter No. 1
"THREADS OF THOUGHT"

Little Blessings Quilt Shop welcomes you to our first issue of "Threads of
Thought", a newsletter for you...about us...our new lines of fabric, notions,
books, classes and special events. If you think the words "jelly roll" and "hot
chocolate" are things to eat and drink, well stick with me on this tour of a haven for your quilter's soul.

I am going to ask you to give me your hand and close your eyes and let me lead you into this bright, colorful quilt peacefulness. As we step thru the door at the front of the building at 9:30 am this Monday morning ....OH! and you can open your eyes now....we see to our left the notions area; rulers of all sizes, needles, pins, blades, seam rip.....okay, you have the idea.

Further up on the left are the books, always presenting ideas for new quilts, and wall hangings. We also see some beautiful colors of thread there also. To our right as we came in the door was the cutting table and the register, the Ranney's office and the "powder room", and let me tell you what is in there besides the essentials. There are extra rolls of t.p. wrapped in material from the shop - the day I was in there it was mouse pattern - if you could love a mouse, these were adorable! Also, on the counter was a large glass vase filled with slivers of all kinds of material, as pretty as any flowers could be.

Now as we survey the main room, we see the isles and displays of beautiful fabric, with the highest price $8.99 per yard! All the colors, all the patterns, where to go first? This is a feeling all quilters have felt in a place that holds so many possibilities, so many dreams of quilts-to-be. There is a calmness and excitement at the same time when you stand there and plan your trip up and down all the isles.

You may meet Julia Ranney or her husband Robert if you didn't see them when you came in. This is their family business and you know right away
they are united in love and purpose. You--as the customer- are the center of their business life, while their marriage and their five children and 15 grandchildren ARE their life. They were dairy farmers from the great state of Vermont, where they had hundreds of acres to farm. Crossville TN is a new venture for them as they opened the doors on October 1, 2004. Just as in dairy farming, the quilt business agrees with them. Julia and Robert know the customer is their most valuable asset.

We also will see a few lovely faces of women helping with classes, cutting, ringing up sales, answering the phone......and one of them would be Yvonne Beckley. We will learn a little bit about the people who work in Little Blessings so we can be all one quilting family. Yvonne made clothes for her daughter and husband, and did alterations for the public, so quilting was right down her alley. She was part-owner of a sporting goods shop in a mall, and a new store opened up by her that sold fabric and offered quilting lessons. Yvonne was smitten! She loves pastels, and her favorite quilt is stack and wack. She teaches classes on purses, jackets, tablerunners and - of course - stack and wack.

Kathy Upp is another valuable assistant in Little Blessings. She says "I used to be a Coke" (Koch was her last name before marriage) and now she is an "Upp". She says she and her husband were hoping for five kids to make them the 7 Upps...but they are going to have to rely on grandchildren for that achievement.

Little Judi, although small, is a very big asset. We consider her a member of our family! She lives in Vermont with her husband Kim and their two dogs Daisy and Annie. They have an accounting business both in Vermont and California. Little Judi has a quilter's heart and loves fabric. She is full of energy and has a real eye for color...and when she finds time, comes to help in the shop; what a pleasure that is for all of us!

Linda Edwards and Pat Troupe are two more ladies who help out, and each issue of "Threads of Thought" we will feature one of the ladies and give you some background in her quilting experience.

Another valuable person and part of the Little Blessings family is Gina Tuch.
She offered to write our newsletter and help get the word out on classes and special events. We are working together and if you have ideas of what you would like included, please see Gina.

Little Blessings is an authorized dealer in Pfaff sewing machines, and invites you to "take a test drive" with one. Lessons and classes in both Pfaff sewing machines and embroidery machines and software are offered the new owner.

There are row after row of gorgeous prints, solids, batiks, landscape prints, fat quarters galore, cat, dog, fish, mouse (made famous in the powder room)
roosters, wildlife, etc. There are flowers, leaves, trees, anything your heart desires in this room of fabric possibilities. Where to start? What to make next? Who needs a lap quilt? Birthdays? Mother's Day, anyone having a baby? Let me tell you from experience I have learned IT IS NEVER TOO EARLY TO START CHRISTMAS GIFTS!

On to the classroom in back.....what a relaxing and beautiful room. Julia says there are shelves to be built when Robert has the time, but with or without anything added, this room is big and bright and has all any quilter could ask for when working on their quilts! Robert and Julia even have a fireplace in the corner with two "husband" easy chairs... rockers, for the darling husbands to wait for their wives to shop, shop, shop! What more could anyone ask?

We will go into classes and plans for the summer in our next issue of "Threads of Thought". Until then, keep those quilt dreams alive and well.

Julia and Robert Ranney