New Beginnings

Welcome to the brand new blog for Aurora Quilts. Aurora is the goddess of the dawn and a very colorful lady at that! She also presides over new beginnings, which is exciting for us who are beginning a business and for you who we hope will begin a new quilt or two. Or three!

While our shop's owner, Jean Schachner, rushes around seeing to the infinite details small businesses demand, I will be her off-site editor, taking care of whatever literary needs she might have.

Jean is tireless, the only way to be, it seems. She's enlisted her husband Jimmy's help in remodeling the store. He's been painting, installing new floors and building shelves. In the meantime, Jean has been busy with the business details: purchasing and learning to use a Point of Sale (POS) system and setting up a merchant account at a local bank, setting up accounts with several wholesale vendors, ordering stationery, and signing up as vendor a local guild events. WHEW! Oh, and the fun stuff: attending markets and festivals. TAKE ME!!!

Personally, I think the woman needs a Toy Hauler, an RV built to take your motorcycle along on vacation. I saw one of those turned into a quilt studio, but Jean needs one to lug her shop from one event to another. Of couse she'd take her Harley along for quick trips around the parking lot during breaks. But, I digress.

A couple of years ago when Jean mentioned that she was going to turn the store front she owns into a quilt shop (and, after I stopped whining, promised me a job), I suggested she provide supplies for the Civil War re-enactors who frequent Manassas on their way to the Bull Run Battlefield. Quilts were important to the war effort: some were raffled to raise money; some were sent to soldiers to provide warmth and comfort. There will be plenty of repro fabrics so you can make your own version.

Don't misunderstand. There will be plenty of variety and fabric to please every taste. Jean is very fond of bright contemporary quilts. In fact, Jean has taught me that orange is a neutral.

Plan to stop by for the grand opening on January 29. Take your camera along and send me some photos to post!