Here it is…and I can’t quite wrap my head around it….I am completing 13 years in business as owner of Sun Valley Quilts!!! Looking back, I have lots of great and funny memories, some intentional like instructors and their jokes, sewing screw-ups that we’ve all made, fixes to the screw-ups, our basic “fear” of our new machines until we actually break through and make them our best friends, listening to you all in the classroom discussing all the things that come into our minds, and even the unintentional memories like frustrations at first over screw-ups, wrong fabric choices, handling rip-outs, choosing the “perfect” fabric or stitch, mitering corners, sewing straight lines…..and those are just a few of MY unintentional funnies. Remember that when I bought this shop, I had never made a quilt in my life!!! A few poorly made placemats, perhaps, but that’s it! And you and I have come a long way together in this wonderful adventure! I’m sure I had more to learn than you, but learn I have, thanks to my crew and you. Sometimes you may not even have known that you were helping me with tips and techniques, but you were!!! I truly do love to learn new things, and it seems there is no end to learning possibilities here. Keeps us all young and involved.  

I know some people dropped out because of covid, but please consider getting re-involved, and bring a friend! We have beginner classes and more advanced skill level classes, project classes and techniques classes to help you bond with your machine, as well as machine mastery classes when you purchase a machine from us. No one needs a big paperweight of a machine, so we want to always up your comfort level with newer and better skills and tools. This was very important to me as I began sewing, and as I planned my “mission statement” (whatever that is supposed to be!) and how I would like to see things run, I just thought about how I wanted to be treated, taught and tempted, and moved in that direction for the shop. Even today, if I can’t come in to the shop with a big smile and a big hello to everyone, I’m doing something wrong, and I will try to right it.

 I love being surrounded with color, quality, talent, and creativity, so these are the things I hope you enjoy also. Most of all, it’s just not about me, but it is about you and the crew at SVQ. I have had very minimal crew turnover, for which I am very grateful. As you may know, Lucille at the BERNINA desk, sold me my first machine a year before I purchased SVQ, and I am so lucky to have her here! Conni started with the shop about 6 months before my purchase, Lynn, Luanne, Ruth, Pat, and Jan have all been here shortly after I bought the shop, Sue, Zoltan, Brandie, Cora and Karen have been with us about 5 or so years, and Darcie and Dianna are the newbies at a year or so. My family has taught me a lot, and I am indeed so very fortunate to have them with me here. They all make a difference in the shop with their special skills, their true enjoyment of helping you and talking with you, their sharing of those attributes which make us human. I thank you all for sharing this time in your lives with me and with our wonderful customers at the shop. You all make this LUCKY 13 for me!

And I want to make it LUCKY 13 for you, too!!! So join us June 3 from 9 to 4 for our Open House/Shop Anniversary Party…..you won’t be sorry, since the party is all about YOU! If you shop with us online on June 3, AND you give us the code of LUCKY13, you will be eligible for all the shop savings. Just remember to give us the code LUCKY13. I have gathered together 13 LUCKY GIFT BASKETS for 13 LUCKY WINNERS, and 1 GRAND BASKET PRIZE! Now, these gifts are all gathered to make you smile (in a big way!). Trust me on this…if you’re a winner of one, you will be thrilled. Each item is a great one, useful, high value and specially chosen. You can share the wealth with your friends, or keep all the goodies in your sewing room. And take the time to shop with us, since practically everything will be on sale at GREAT SAVINGS TO YOU; if you’re new to us we hope that you’ll come back because you feel so at home here, and if you’re a regular homey with us, we want to thank you for your loyalty and friendship. The way I see it, it’s a mutual appreciation party from me to all of you, to my friends here at the shop, to Murfee, Katie, Emi and Wee Willey, plus Ditto and Rickie at home who provide so much amusement to all of us, and to God who led me into this purchase shortly after losing my husband and my mom. None of this would have been possible without all of you, and I hope I can do this again in another 13 years! You’re all a part of me now, so watch out, gang, the best is still coming!!!

Barbara

Sun Valley Quilts / 9857 W. Bell Rd. / Sun City, Arizona 85351 / 623-972-2091

To Visit our Web Site www.sunvalleyquilts.com

To Visit our Class Schedule www.sunvalleyquilts.com/classes.htm