Weather couldn't dampen spirits of our bargain hunters!

2008 Summer Sale

It was cold. It was rainy. It was a barrel of fun! “What a day! It feels like winter, but it has put me in a mood to buy fabric. Great prices.” This was heard from one of the quilters who lined up alongside knitters and needle workers as early as 1:30 on the morning of Friday, June 6th, for the first day of the annual summer sale. The weatherman had promised warm sunshine, and he delivered cold rain. Did that spoil the mood of bargain shoppers? Not one iota!

“I have to tell you; the staff has been wonderful. Every time I turned around, I saw a person in a green Keepsake shirt helping someone, talking with someone or entertaining.  It was a great, festive event.” What this shopper may not have realized is that the staff looks forward all year to this exciting event and has just as much fun as everyone else. The early-bird shoppers who lined up on the boardwalk to get into the tent played games; won great prizes; and bid on fabrics being auctioned off the back of the Keepsake Quilting truck. It was one big party, with hundreds of new-found friends in attendance.

To occupy some of the time while waiting to get into the sale tent, shoppers also made their own $4.99 scrap bags from the boxes of fabric scraps placed along the boardwalk.

Eager scrap-bag makers quickly scoffed up zip-closure plastic bags. The trick was to be able to fill the bags to capacity and still be able to zip them up. Some say the secret to getting the most fabric into the bags is to roll the fabric. Others are convinced that folding is the only way to go. Some even poke a pinhole in the corner of the bag to let the air out.  Heaven forbid that there might be a pocket of air taking up valuable fabric space. There are husbands who come with their wives every year for the sole purpose of stuffing these scrap bags.

Customers were allowed into the sale tent in the order in which they lined up in the morning - with three exceptions. Everyone on the boardwalk was given a number. Three lucky numbers were drawn to determine the first three people in the tent.  First in the tent this year was a young Massachusetts girl, one of our quilters of the future. Twelve-year-old Katie, who loves fabric, got some great buys, but there was plenty left for two days of bargain shoppers. There were returned items, damaged items, over-stocked items and fabric, yarn, and cross-stitch kits galore. Whether you were a quilter, a knitted or a needle worker, you found all sorts of exciting treasures from the three sister shops (Keepsake Quilting™, Keepsake NeedleArts™ and Patternworks™) in the tent. However, we did overhear one complaint --“You need a bigger tent!” Guess those shoppers just couldn’t get enough.  Many reserved hotel rooms in the area and came back on Saturday, the second day of the sale, which was another day full of fun, games and fabulous buys. Saturday brought an added bonus of warmth and sunshine.

“I have been to six summer sales,” said one visitor, ”and this was the best! My friend and I are already planning our trip for next year!” If you couldn’t join us for this year’s sale, be watching for 2009 dates, so that you can put the sale on your calendar. We wouldn’t want you to miss out on the fun!