Top Shelf Quilts in Mokena recently expanded and almost doubled the space for the store at 19801 Old La Grange Road. (Bob Bong / Daily Southtown)
Having “too much stuff and not enough space” was a problem for Top Shelf Quilts owners Ron Conran and Michael Pawlisz. So, they decided to take action and expand their existing retail shop located at 19081 Old La Grange Road, Suite 100, in Mokena.
They added 3,000 square feet, almost doubling the size of their shop to 7,100 square feet.
They unveiled the new shop on Saturday with what they called their Grand Expansion Reveal, which included two new dedicated classrooms, according to Conran.
Now they will be hosting a three day sale and a store retreat August 24-26.
Top Shelf Quilts is an authorized Bernina sewing machine dealer that carries over 3,800 bolts of fabric, holds classes and events, and is a service center offering sewing machine repair and quilting services.
“In 2012, we bought our first longarm machine to finish Michael’s mom’s stack of quilt tops. We purchased the shop in 2015 and became a Bernina dealer in 2017,” said Conran.
Top Shelf quilts is also an authorized dealer for OESD, Quilters Select, Kimberbell, and Arrow and Kangaroo sewing furniture. Their fabric selection includes an extensive basics wall, 1930s prints, batiks, Civil War reproduction prints, novelty, and seasonal fabrics. In addition, they sell an extensive collection of thread, patterns, quilt kits, books, notions, wool and gift items, according to Pawlisz.
“We have a wonderful quilting family here at Top Shelf Quilts. The customer and staff all share a similar passion for creating. It is a pleasure to work with our customers and assist them with their creations,” he said.
“Sales have been good, and we did well during the days of COVID. We sold a lot of supplies for mask making,” said Conran. “We are thrilled to be able to expand our shop, make room for all of the new fabrics and supplies, and add two dedicated classrooms for teaching and training.”
Store hours are 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, from 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday, and from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday.
Iconic toy seller Toys R Us is making a brick-and-mortar comeback just in time for the holiday season.
Macy’s, in partnership with Toys R Us new parent company WHP Global, announced the toy store in a store would open in five Illinois Macy’s locations including Louis Joliet Mall in Joliet, which opened in July.
Also on the announced list as coming by mid-October are a flagship store at Macy’s Loop location, and stores at Oakbrook Center, Woodfield Mall, St. Clair Square, Old Orchard Mall and Gurnee Mills.
Although not listed, WHP had announced it planned to open a Toys R Us inside of every Macy’s store in the United States, which would include Orland Square Mall in Orland Park and River Oaks Mall in Calumet City.
The flagship stores may be as large at 10,000 square feet, while the suburban stores would be about 1,000 square feet. According to Macy’s, the footprint of stores may flex up to an additional 500 to 3,000 square feet during the holiday season to offer an even wider assortment of products.
The Toys R Us shops will also feature a life-size “Geoffrey on a Bench” photo opportunity for families, the company announced.
To celebrate the openings, all Macy’s stores will have in-store events Oct. 15 to 23, including activities and daily giveaways, Macy’s officials said.
Toys R Us filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy 2017. A year later, the toy chain permanently closed all of its remaining U.S. locations, after 70 years in business.
The fifth event in the NXL season is returning to Gaelic Park in Oak Forest for the 2022 Windy City Major on Sept. 9-11.
The National Xball League’s Windy City Major will host over 200 teams from all over the world with over 4,000 players and fans expected. Aside from the professional and amateur paintball competitions, other attractions for participants and spectators alike include music, food and drink vendors, bean bags and volleyball as the competitors vie for the Midwest Championship Title. A vendor trade show will also be on-site selling equipment.
The event has free options for spectators the entire weekend. To watch the professional competition on the Pro Main Stage, grandstand and VIP seating options are available. Adult tickets start at $10 per day, or $25 for three days. Children’s tickets are $5 per day, or $10 for three days. Information is with NXLPaintball.com.
Bob Bong is a freelance columnist. He can be reached at bobbong@hotmail.com.