In Full Bloom

Ummm, excuse me....

To whom do I complain about the weather situation?

The weather man?

Mother Nature?

The Big Guy upstairs?

Believe it or not, the forecast is calling for MORE rain.

Our first chance for a good day is not for another week.

(Come ON!... Can't we just have a good-ish Fourth of July at LEAST?

How about overcast? ... I will settle for overcast!)

Anyhoo, we got some new fabrics in the shop.

They are from the line called "Full Bloom" by Bari Ackerman for Windham Fabrics.

I understand that Bari is a girl's name and it rhymes with "starry."

As much as I hate the weather forecast I LOVE the painterly quality to these fabrics.

I love the Bird print, but I am a huge sucker for birds.

Did I tell you that Ollie and I got Zebra finches?

They make the COOLEST noises.

We call them Cornelius and Mr. Allnut.

Cornelius is a boy (so far as we can tell) and Mr. Allnut is a girl (so far as we can tell).

Why do we call the girl "Mr." Allnut, you are asking.

Oh, it's a long story but it is all my doing.

My little sister refuse to accept these names and has given them alternate names of Bobo and Squawkers.

Not bad...

My friend Kristine let her little boys name their two goldfish and they are now called Pizza Man and Wowie.

The one called Wowie is one of those Goldfish with the HUGE googly eyes, so he really does look like a Wowie.

And I am rambling here BIG time but did I mention that it is raining?

At the very least the rain is a really good excuse for feeling Blah...

Alright, I am off in search of breakfast.

Stay tuned: my 150th post is coming up here and I just might do something cuh-RAZY!

XO,

Rhea

Number Eight

Hello...

If you're looking for all the fabric in the midcoast area, it's in my closet, in the form of Summer Blouses.
















I finished this latest one last night at Kristine's house.





















Of all the Summer Blouses I have sewn, this one took me the longest to finish. Not because of any fancy schmancy stitching, not because of any particular care I took... but because of late nights and Mojitos (this week) or Prosecco (last week). I woke up this morning and thought "let's see how bad this thing turned out..." and to my surprise, it looks just fine.

You CAN drink and sew!



XO,
Rhea

Fru Herland

Hi there.

You are reading the blog of one happy camper, for two reasons...

1) The sun came out (finally) yesterday and it was actually sunny and hot and summer-like for 5 whole hours... now it's gone back to gray and rainy again.

and

2) I got the Ravenhill Doll I had ordered from Etsy. It came yesterday when it was sunny and bright and all was right with the world...

Does anybody else love ordering things in the mail and then playing the "Happy Mail Box Wait And See Game"?

Me, yes.

I've always thought that the one thing brick and mortar stores have over internet stores is the "instant gratification", but there is something to be said for finding a sweet little parcel in your mail box. Which, by the way, is why we do what we do... (Thanks, K for the lovely blog post!)

But, I digress... back to the doll I ordered a few days ago: Fru Herland.

(The following is a letter I wrote to my new doll)

Fru Herland, I love you so. I admired you from afar for a few days before I knew you had to be mine and come home and live with me. I think your friends and family are gorgeous, especially when grouped together, but right away I loved you for your colors and your pretty little face.

I loved your delicate stitches and the heart on your tush.

So I bought you from Emily and she sent you overseas... all the way from Norway!

When you arrived there was a note inside from Emily.

She said she used to live in Waldoboro, which is right next door to me.

I wondered if she went to Medomak Highschool, and if she was ever in any of the plays I went to see there.

She also sent a Licorice candy (which I gave to Oliver, who is kind of like your Dad now) and a teeny little Toblerone which I ate right away.

It was a happy mail experience.

Now you are going to live in my house and I promise to keep you safe from Reuben (he would just love you, but he shows his love in a very different way, being a dog and all...) and I promise to admire you every day.

If I ever have a little girl I probably will keep you safe from her, too.

So, thanks for coming to live with me, Fru Herland...

I am very glad you're here!

XO,

Rhea
(Your new Mom-ish type person)

If you've never seen Emily's blog, you really should go check her out. She is an American living in Norway and I was very pleasantly surprised to find that she's from Maine... Us Maine gals have to stick together and represent. We've got it tough out there: I know from personal experience the pre-conceived notions about Mainers. More than once have I been called "The Moose Whisperer" or been asked if I was wearing Long-Johns (which I probably was, but that's besides the point...).

Emily makes these great dolls and gives them each a name and I've spent a LOT of time perusing her Etsy shop. It is a feast for the eyes. She does what she does and she does it well, and nobody can do better than that.

Thanks, Ravenhill (Emily) for the lovely doll and for the "Happy Mailbox Experience!"

XO,

Rhea

P.S. From Norway to Mexico... for any local gals out there, Sewing Lounge is taking a field trip this Sunday night to El Camino's in Brunswick. I've never been, but I hear it's fabulous. Julie says it looks like Pee-Wee's playhouse on the inside (and she means that in a GOOD way) and they have all fresh, local, organic ingredients and really great Pomegranate Margaritas, too! We're meeting up at the store at 5:00 or, meet us at El Camino's at 5:30-ish!!! Everyone is welcome!!!

Summer Sew-Along

It's coming 'round again...

First Friday Summer Sew Along.

What could be more summer-y than a big, beautiful floppy sun hat?


I am DETERMINED that it WILL be sunshine-y at SOME point this summer. I'm going on a "weather strike" and I'm refusing to acknowledge the blecchy weather and I'm going to wear my flip-flops and sun hats and Jackie-O glasses anyways.

So, Friday, July 3rd we WILL be open until 8:30 for sewing lounge and those who so choose can make an Amy Butler Blue Sky Sun Hat. Everyone is responsible for their own patterns (we have them for sale at the store and you may certainly arrange to share with someone but we are unable to photocopy patterns... I've said it before and I'll say it again: we are MUCH too pretty to go to jail!) but we will all meet up anytime after 4:00 and make Sun Hats together. Perfect for watching the 4th of July parades.

By the by, is anybody going to the Round Pond parade this year?

As a local, I am ashamed to admit that I have never been to the Round Pond parade.

As a Mainer, I claim my fear of large crowds.

Well, not so much "fear of" as "annoyance with..."

But parade or no, the Blue Sky Sun Hat is a GREAT pattern.

I've made a couple-three-four now, but have not yet been successful at making and keeping one for myself.

I think I shall use this fabric.



And hey, you can always use it to keep off the rain, right?

See you again soon,

XO,

Rhea

Real Men Sew

Hubba Hubba Ding Ding...


... Am I the only one who finds this insanely attractive?


XO,

Rhea

PS
Sorry, Ladies... I have been informed that this is as close as Ollie will ever get to letting me post his picture on the blog.

Parlez-vous Amy Butler?

Voila les nouveaux patterns d'Amy Butler...




















Le Mini Dress, Tunic et Tops (includes sizes for les petits enfants!)


Et le Field Bag...



















Voulez-vous adorable?

Ce soir?

Available now dans le shop!

XO,

Rhea

Summer Peonies Winner

Congratulations lucky #36!!!

Jayne said...

I too cut my first bouquet of peonies a few days ago and can't get enough. After all the rain we've had here in Maine, those bright pink flowers are just what I need! With the weather report stating more rain is on the way...UGH....that adorable pack of fat quarters could be my saving grace. I've got my sewing machine ready all I need is the goods!

Send me an e-mail miss Jayne and I will send you your very own Summer Peony fat quarter octet!

Thanks so much to everyone who entered...  I like this "giveaway" business so I wouldn't be surprised if it happens more often around here!

Have a great weekend and I will be back soon.

XO,

Rhea

Summer Inspiration Giveaway: My Little Peony

They are so gorgeous.

It is Peony time here on the coast of Maine.

They are big 'ol fluffy flowers.

I cannot take credit for these beauties:

The lady who lived here before we did planted them.

I most certainly would have killed them by now.

BUT... I am inspired by them every day.

I have a beautiful, fragrant cut bouquet in my living room and a duo of stems in a green bottle perking up my bathroom.

They make me happy when I am blow-drying my hair.

And they inspire me when I am in the store.

Today I put together a limited number of "Summer Peony" fat quarter octets for the store.

That means there are eight fat quarters in each bundle, but you knew that, right?

The new bundles are up on the website but I thought a little giveaway might be in order.

These would make a great small project: a small-ish quilt or a table topper, perhaps?

Just leave a comment on this post by Friday at 10 am and I will pick a winner and ship you your very own "Summer Peonies."

Thanks for stopping by and good-luck!

XO,

Rhea

Comments closed: winner is lucky #36 (chosen at random by Miss Jessica)

Congratulations, Jayne!!!

Lady Slippers and a matchy-matchy Mom

I have some gorgeous pictures from the past 2 days in Sprucehead...


Ollie noticed a couple of Lady Slipper Orchids on the side of the road and then as soon as we started looking we saw hundreds and hundreds more, including the super-duper rare and ever-elusive white Lady Slipper. I haven't seen a Lady Slipper for years and years. To see so many all in one place was a really nice treat... almost ghostly.









And then I came into work this morning where a class was in full swing, and Mom just happened to be dressed to match one of the student's quilts-in-progress.





Not unlike the ever-elusive white Lady Slipper, I persuaded her to sit for a photograph.

Have a great weekend and Welcome to all of you SouleMama readers!,

XO,

Rhea

PS
If by some chance you haven't read SouleMama yet, go check her out... I think there might just be some stuff on there of great interest to you! (Yes, YOU!)

Summer Blouse I love you sooo...

Hi and good morning,

It is a LOVELY day here in Maine.

After the Summer Sew-Along on Friday night I finished Summer Blouse #5 from Heather Ross' Weekend Sewing book. I love this blouse so much it is ridiculous.

The other ladies all finished their blouses as well, but they are much too shy to let me photograph them. Clearly I am not too shy to photograph myself in one of these little numbers but today I was feeling lazy so you got the ol' shirt-on-hanger treatment. Plus it needs to be washed already as I have been wearing it pretty much non-stop since Saturday morning.


I used an Amy Butler print from her Daisy Chain collection. Lately I have been pre-washing. Not because I think it is necessary (although most garment seamstresses would tell you that it is a cardinal sin too NOT wash your fabric before using it), but because I like the way it washes and the way it handles and smells after it has been washed. I truly enjoy the process more when I have washed the fabric. BUT, off the record, I have made plenty without washing first and never had a problem. That's my dirty little secret.

Anyhow, off to work. Tomorrow is my "Saturday" so I will be away and enjoying time off for the next couple of days. Ollie brought home a new-to-me bike the other day (a retro green Schwinn with the wide handle bars and the green and white seat, just like the one I had when I was a kid... I KNOW you know what I am talking about!) and right now it has no brakes but I have been riding it anyway. Dangerous? Yes.

I like to live on the edge.
I love that bike and cannot wait to get it fixed.

I will blog about it, you can bet your buttons.

Wherever you are, I hope the weather is as nice as it is here and that you are having a great June so far.

See you again soon!

XO,

Rhea

R.I.P. S.O.B.E.

Nothing to do with the store or fabric, so be warned!

I would like to begin this very sad, sad post by stating that I do not smoke.

I don't have a problem with drugs or alcohol.

I care not for coffee.

My one SUPER HUGE ADDICTION?

Well, if you know me even a little bit, you will know that I love...





SOBE.

The citrus-flavored SOBE Energy to be precise.

Wherever I am there is a bottle of SOBE somewhere close at hand.

I truly, truly am refreshed by it.

I hate water.

I have tried and tried to make myself CHOOSE water over SOBE but it's just not coming naturally to me.


But this week, the expanding waist-line and the little angel on my shoulder were telling me that it was time to move on from the SOBE and drink something healthier.

I would like to pretend that I only drink a little bit of SOBE each day but that would be a huge lie, because I drink a LOT of it and those calories add UP.

I used to tell myself that all that vitamin C was good for me, but even I know that all the vitamin C in the world will not make up for all the sugar and calories that are in it, too.

AND... it's SOOOexpensive (almost $2 a bottle! Yowzah!)

I will confess to everyone that SOBE has pretty much been all I have hydrated myself with for the last um, shall we say, "few" years.

I can hear you cringing.

BUT: we have a long history together, the SOBE and I...

When I worked at the Greenhouse with Jessica my first summer out of college nothing was finer on a hot day than that beautiful yellowy-orange juice waiting for me in the flowers cooler.

When I was in Design School and if I was cranky the guys would always tease me and say "watch out, Rhea hasn't had her SOBE today, I'm Rhea and I want a SOBE...NOW!"

Oliver filled my Christmas stocking with SOBEs this year and there is nothing more romantic to me than when he comes home and pulls a SOBE bottle out of his sweatshirt.

It is our thing and I'm going to miss it.

Because yesterday I had my last SOBE.

Oliver bought it for me at the Yellowfront Store (sniff....)

I will probably still have a SOBE on major holidays or if I am sick, but the days of "Me and My SOBE" are gone for good.

I am making do with lemon water and honest tea.

But don't cry for me... this too shall pass and I will conquer my SOBE addiction.

We all have our struggles, right?

Do they make a 12-step program for things like this, because I would be all over that.

So, if you come in to the store and I seem a little bit "edgy" that is why.

Goodbye, SOBE... I am going to miss you and your 270 calories per bottle of citrus-y goodness.

All I can say is, if I make it into heaven there had BETTER BE a bottle of SOBE waiting for me.

See you again soon!

XO,

Rhea

Ooh La La!!!

Sooooo many new batiks!




















I love that maidenhair fern print...

I think we got it in every color.

There are MORE new batiks from other companies, too.

Come in and take a look... they're even more beautiful in person!

XO,

Rhea

This just in...

I somehow miraculously received two of these books in the mail this morning...


Just in time for the Summer Sew Along this Friday night!

We have been sold out of the Weekend Sewing book and they have been on back-order and every time someone comes in and wants one I go "D'oh!"

If you want one, may I suggest acting fast?

There are more on their way, but when they will get here, nobody knows!

It has been a circus around here with the new webstore and Summer in general but I am leaving all that behind me and spending the next two days with Ollie and Reuben in Spruce Head.

(A little R+R never hurt anybody)

See you again soon!

XO,

Rhea