Hen and Chicks Studio ~ Conrad, Iowa

My friend Heidi Kaisand opened her Hen and Chicks Studio Quilt Shop last month but last weekend was her Grand Opening. I was invited to come and help and let me say ... it was a grand time with lots of laughing and talking and fun!

Conrad is a charming town ... it's like many you'd find scattered across America ... buildings that make you think of the turn of the century ... strong community ... hard working residents. There's a beautiful new library across the street ... a florist that was getting ready for Christmas ... a cute gift shop on the corner. And a brand new quilting and scrapbooking store! It's in the Marshalltown area ... about a half hour from I35.

Heidi had buckets of things for people to do! They could learn how to paint on glass.

Pound out a design on a metal charm.

Learn about zippers and make a fabric rosette with direction from Terry Atkinson.

Or they could make a glittered snowflake and learn about the Sizzix die cutter. Lots of choices!

Upstairs is The Nest ... a getaway spot for when you and your friends need time to sew or scrapbook or create! And who wouldn't love sleeping over the store? It's all self-contained with a kitchen, crafting area and dorm style sleeping. The beds are separated with hand painted doors ... who wouldn't love waking up to this in the morning after a night snuggled under a handmade quilt?

The building Heidi bought for Hen and Chicks is steeped in history ... and so is her own quilting! When you first come in the store there's a large display counter ... it's filled with quilts that her grandmother made. It's such a great reminder of how the love of creating is often handed down from generation to generation. It makes me smile to think of how Heidi will transfer that to her own kids!

Wouldn't this make a fun family quilt? Heidi had so many interesting displays throughout the store.

Repurposed wine rack ... fat quarters look just as pretty as bottles!

I loved all the other things for sale besides the fabric and scrapbooking supplies. Like the jewelry!

Artwork from an area artist ... one of many pieces scattered throughout the store. They looked so nice with the quilts!

Candy cart with old-fashioned treats ... you never know when you'll want something sweet!

But I think one of the favorite items was the wine! Heidi purchases it from a cousin nearby who owns a winery. Talk about keeping it all in the family! Loved the artwork on the labels ... plus all the wine tools you could buy.

I loved that hundreds of shoppers showed up for Heidi's opening! She was great at the door greeting everyone and making them feel at home. She had friends throughout the store telling some other aspect ... people could take the tour of both floors and really get a feeling for all the creativity within the walls. The laughter and talking and friendship that was flowing was unbeliveable. I can't wait to see Heidi's business grow into the space! And I'm sort of thinking it would be fun to sneak away and spend a few days up in The Nest!!

 

Happy Thanksgiving!