REAL Brick & Mortar!

 

This lovely old building is the perfect architectural fit for the flavor of Bell, Hook and Spindle, with its copper clad windows and literal brick and mortar! The huge 'brown thing' across the front of the building is all uncleaned copper. The scores of small squares at the top of the picture are 4", all original, all copper-clad panes of glass. This building must have been quite a beauty in its day.

This shows the progress of painting away the powder blue walls into the 'egg wash' white Rick chose. There are several stories floating about town about why there is a vault in the store, but all seem to agree there never has been a bank in this building. My aunt and uncle owned this building for a while and told me the vault had been used as a bedroom, an office, storage, and possibly as a vault when there was a jewelry store here. I think Hidden Talents had the best and most innovative use for the vault as an art gallery. Bell, Hook and Spindle will house some art, the spinning wheels, looms and antique wood working tools for sale.

As you can tell, the ceiling was in dire need of freshening!

 And we neutralized everything else.

Until we got to the floor...

What fun I had with the paint and sprinkles!

So, things are progressing! By this weekend we hope to begin putting together all the shelving units Rick has been building. Then all things from the back room version of Bell, Hook and Spindle, and everything crammed into the vault will be brought into the clean, new space. Then the ceiling/walls/flooring refurbishing will be repeated in the back room and a little in the vault. So far we've come. So far to go! But I am still working hard to make a September Grand Re-opening! Wish us luck!

Coming soon!

     My 'boss', husband Rick, is a stickler for keeping records and doing things right, so yesterday and today are ending inventory days. When I finish, we will have a fresh start for Bell, Hook & Spindle. The way things are working out, we will sign the rental agreement for August 1st occupation. I will go in and start the eggshell white painting of all the walls. Rick is beginning to construct the display cases I have asked for. We will be closed the entire month of August getting the store ready for its Grand Re-opening. Yay!!!
     I had a customer in the other day that sat on a stool eye-ing the wool batt selection as I told her of our plans to expand into the entire store. She nodded and said, "Good! Because it is a bit claustrophobic back here!" And she is right! You have to be in the actual space to grasp how much I have crammed into that small backroom!  When we spread out, and fill in, the store will still be pretty full! I have purchased a mid-arm quilting machine for public rental. I will have my personal sewing machine set up in a corner for teaching classes and demos. Of course there will be a sitting area with a couch, 2 big chairs and 2 rockers on a carpeted area for spinning, knitting, crocheting, and Tea @ 3. There is space for class tables, 1 or 2 as needed. One half of the store will be quilting related, the other half, fiber arts. Can you tell I am so very excited about working on our dream? 
    Meanwhile, back at home, I have our Angora producing stock, Slippers is in her mansion, being waited on hand and foot. I am looking forward to the day she is ready to let go of her coat! The breeder showed me how to sheer her if I choose to 'harvest' that way, but meanwhile I have been combing her coat to make sure she stays clean and fluffy. She has lovely gray fur, white belly, white tail (if you can find it!), clean face from the Rex side of her breeding. Her 3 colored fur is called agouti. If I sheer her, and carefully lay out the clips to spin from, I am supposed to be able to get a little variegation going in the yarn. How neat is that?
     So, if you ever pass through Tonasket, WA, be sure to stop in and say, "Hi!".