AlewivesGirl

Velveteen Throw Instructions

2012-01-31T05:17:00.000-08:00

Hello all,

The hot new thing at the shop has been, without a doubt, the Loulouthi Velveteens from Anna Maria Horner. Everyone loves them and we are already on our second shipment of bolts.

I couldn't help but notice how soft the velveteen is, soft, but a bit heavier than the quilting weight cottons and voiles that we are so used to working with.

This being winter in Maine, the heaviness combined with the softness is a wonderful thing indeed.

And then I began thinking what a nice throw the velveteens would make.

One of my friends had been in the shop a little over a year ago, when the Innocent Crush velveteens first came out, and she had purchased 1.5 yards (which coincidentally makes a perfect 56" square ) of the velveteen.

My friend paired her velveteen with a home-dec weight fabric to make a simple throw, and this really got my mind racing, but it wasn't until the absolutely gorgeous Loulouthi velveteens came in that I put my little plan into action.

So, without further adieu, I give you Alewives Fabrics instructions for the uber-popular "Velveteen Throw."

You *should* be able to click on the images and download them to your computer as full-sized (8.5" x 11") JPGS, but I am not the most computer-y of people, so if you have any troubles let me know and I will see what I can do.

In the meantime...

Here is a link to our selection of Velveteen (you'll need 1.5 yards).

Here is a link to our selection of Voiles (you'll need 1.5 yards. The link is to our "Garment Fabrics" page... just make sure you're purchasing a voile and not a corduroy or something else!).

Here is a link to our throw-sized wool battings (You'll need 1 per throw). I must insist you use the wool batting. It is light and fluffy and machine washable: the PERFECT foil to the heaviness of the velveteen and the delicate smoothness of the voile... plus it keeps you the most snuggly!

And a word to anyone who places an order for the Velveteen Throw supplies: leave us a note in the "Special Instructions" section of the order form if you'd like us to add a coordinating color of embroidery floss to your order. Just let us know what color you prefer or leave it up to us! We can also add some embroidery needles if you need them.

I plan to leave these instructions up as a free tutorial in my sidebar from now on.

If you are local stop by the shop to see the two samples we made up: they have been VERY popular.

It's not a matter of IF you make one of our velveteen throws, it's a matter of WHICH fabrics you'll use and HOW MANY you will make!

Enjoy and I'll see you again soon...

XO,

Rhea

Bursting at the SEAMs!

2012-01-25T05:27:00.001-08:00

Hello all,

Here's what the shop looked like this past Saturday when we held the inaugural SEAM meeting:

I'll admit it: I was a little frightened that the floors in our old building wouldn't hold out.

We had a LOT of people at the inaugural SEAM meeting: so many that I was actually thankful for the snowy day.

Amanda, who was our guest of honor, signed many, many books and met lots of her fans.

Thanks, Amanda for making the journey in the snow with your lovely little Annabel.

And of course, a big "thank you" goes out to everyone who came to the meeting, despite the snow, and to those of you who were there in spirit.

The next meeting is March 24th at Fiddlehead Artisan Supply in Belfast.

Anyone want to carpool with me?

XO,

Rhea

A stitch in color

2012-01-18T17:26:00.000-08:00

I was so jazzed for these new fabrics by Malka Dubrawsky to arrive and now they are here in all their glory...

And I bought extra yardage of this cheater print, because I predict it is gonna be a hot commodity...

A Stitch in Color is also available as jelly rolls, layer cakes or fat quarter bundles.

Our order of charm packs are held up at the factory and that makes me sad :-(

But I do love that Moda is not afraid to try new things and are printing collections like this one.

They did a great job bringing the hand-dyed look to a commercially printed fabric.

Thank you Moda. Thank you, Malka!

XO,

Rhea

PS

In unrelated news, Ollie and I bought a new mattress today. Our old mattress was literally older than I am and I'm 32. It was time.

Sunday nights...

2012-01-15T18:34:00.001-08:00

I have a date with Downton Abbey.

Also with the wood stove and a glass of wine.

XO,

Rhea

PS

I knew that Lavinia was up to no good...

Sewing Lounge canceled tonight

2012-01-13T11:28:00.000-08:00

Hey all,

Just a heads-up that the roads are supposed to be pretty icy tonight, so we will be canceling sewing lounge and closing up at 5:00 pm. Stay home and stay safe!

This is also a good time to remind people that even though a few of us live very close to the shop that we do close down in bad weather. If the weather outside is frightful, please call the shop at 207 563 5002 (or check our facebook and twitter pages) to see if we are, indeed, open.

No risking life and limb for fabrics... at least not tonight!

XO,

Rhea

Spring 2012 Stitch Magazine in stock!

2012-01-09T11:44:00.000-08:00

Hello all,

Just popping in to let you know that the latest issue of Stitch Magazine has arrived.

We've got lots of copies available in the shop, or purchase right here.

Lots of bird projects in this issue (I am a sucker for anything with a bird on it) and some really cute baby projects and a very cool pear pillow that I might have to make.

And if you are hemming and hawing about purchasing this issue, let me just tell you it is worth it just for the last page, which is a fun and interesting little article written by my gal Lu Summers... whose debut fabric line should be arriving any day now from Moda.

Exciting!

XO,

Rhea

Christmas Crafting Revealed

2012-01-07T08:05:00.000-08:00

Today I wanted to share a couple of Matryoshka dolls that I made as a Christmas present for my sister Johanna.

I didn't make too many things this year, and these dolls were by far my biggest effort, and they were a LOT of fun to make.

You might remember from this post about the Craft Swap a few weeks ago that Johanna made a couple of these herself, and they went home with our friend Donna, who was a Russian language teacher, and we all thought it was quite serendipitous!

Well, the whole time Johanna and I were crafting together and she was making those dolls, I kept thinking about the Heather Ross Matryoshka doll fabric that I had in my stash and wouldn't that just be perfect for one of these soft dolls and wouldn't that be a wonderful Christmas present for my little sister?

So, one night I dug through my stash, found some of that precious, precious fabric and set about stitching up a pair of dolls for Johanna.

The basic pattern for these dolls can be found in the Winter 2011 issue of Stitch magazine (we still have copies available here), but, in true Alewives Girl fashion, I made a couple of changes and added some embellishments.

I drew my own faces and hand-embroidered the features. I think in the magazine the facial features are made from felt and/or stitched on by machine with a free-motion foot.

I used linen and quilting weight cotton for the face and "scarf" and hair, but the pattern calls for felt, which doesn't need a seam allowance, so I did have to add a seam allowance in a couple of spots to get the circles to come out to the right size.

If you didn't do this it would still look fine: you'd just have a smaller circle for the face and the "scarf." No big whoop.

I borrowed some ideas from the Wee Wonderfuls book as well, and hid some of my seams with ribbon that I top-stitched onto the necks. Here's what they looked like before stitching the fronts and backs together and before I embroidered the flowers:

The fabrics for these dolls came completely from my stash, but I did break down and purchase both sets of Anna Maria Horner embroidery floss for the flower details.

Like a moron, I drew my faces on with water-erase marker, then spritzed the marks away and proceeded directly to the iron, where I knew I was probably being too impatient and would end up scorching the faces, but I pressed my little heart out anyways, because I wanted to see what they would look like when they were all dry and un-marked.

Surprise, surprise... I burned the faces, as you can see in the above photo if you look at it closely.

Guess subconsciously I really wanted to buy those embroidery floss sets, huh?

I'm psyched to have them: they're really pretty and will last me a looooong time and keep me out of trouble, right?

I mean, who needs a cookie or two when they can be embroidering?!?

I am very pleased with how the dolls came out.

I highly recommend the magazine and the pattern: there are lots of other great projects in there, but this pattern by Heidi Boyd is by far my favorite. It's so easy to adapt and change and personalize. She gives a lot of different options in the magazine pattern for changing things up.

And here's one final thought for you...

It's true what they say about handmade gifts: Of all my gifts this year, I was the most excited to give these to Johanna and I truly did think of her and wonder what she would think of them the whole time I was making them.

And she seems to like them very much, so everybody wins!

I'll be back again soon with a couple more Christmas Crafts revealed.

XO,

Rhea

PS I'd be crazy not to mention that Anna Maria Horner's "Loulouthi" velveteens came in this week... *love!* Truly, they deserve their own blog post so I will have to add that to my list of things to blog about!

Amanda Blake Soule to be guest of honor at inaugural SEAM meeting!

2012-01-02T13:50:00.000-08:00

Well hello and Happy New Year!

I apologize in advance: this post is most definitely geared towards locals (or those who are local-ish) and is bound to make lots of you out there jealous!

Perhaps you've notice a little something new in my sidebar lately...

A little pincushion-y something?

Now that 2012 has rolled around, I am so excited to announce the culmination of a project I have been working on for the past few months with some of my colleagues...

It is my pleasure to announce a new group called S.E.A.M.

S.E.A.M. stands for Sewing Enthusiasts and Artists of Maine.

It's a new group I have started, along with my good friends Abby at Fiddlehead Artisans Supply in Belfast and Mary at Z Fabrics in Portland.

SEAM is for anyone who loves fabric and sewing. It's a bit like a guild, and yet very different at the same time!

Where guilds are generally geared towards quilters, SEAM is open to anyone who is enthusiastic about sewing in general.

You could be a quilter, a seamstress, a maker of bags, a cranker-outer of soft toys, or all of the above!

And unlike a guild, SEAM is free to attend. We don't have officers and dues to pay: we're keeping things simple and open to everyone. If you are someone who likes sewing and/or someone who likes fabrics, you're already in SEAM!

SEAM will meet bi-monthly at one of our three shops.

And speaking of meetings, the very first meeting will be held here at Alewives on Saturday, January 21st at 4:00 pm with a very special guest of honor...

We are certainly kicking things off with a bang: our very first guest of honor will be none other than Amanda Blake Soule, author of the popular blog Soulemama! For anyone who has not yet heard of this amazing lady, here are some words from Amanda's publisher...

Amanda Blake Soule is a crafty mama of five. Her days are spent in her hometown in Maine plotting ways to avoid laundry, dishes and mopping in favor of knitting, sewing, baking, playing with her children, and visiting the beach.

Amanda created SouleMama.com in early 2005. Since then, she's shared her adventures in family, craft, thrifting and life nearly each day. She is now joined by her husband Steve, a.k.a. Soulepapa. Amanda is also the author of The Creative Family: How to Encourage Imagination and Nurture Family Connections and Handmade Home: Simple Ways to Repurpose Old Materials into New Family Treasures. Her third book, The Rhythm of Family: Discovering a Sense of Wonder Through the Seasons was written with her husband, Stephen, and was published in the Summer of 2011.

The meeting will take place at 4:00 pm on Saturday, January 21st at Alewives Fabrics in Nobleboro (directions available here and phone number available here).

A small warning for anyone visiting Alewives for the first time: sometimes GPS systems do not work very well in the area, but we are very easy to find by following the written directions on the website. Also, we are very good at taking phone calls and "talking people in."

Anyone is welcome to attend this meeting and there is no charge for attendance.

The meeting's agenda includes:

• A casual meet & greet and book-signing with Amanda (copies of Handmade Home and Rhythm of the Family available for purchase at Alewives, or bring your personal copies and have them signed). We are keeping things decidedly low-key! Amanda will be around to mix and mingle with attendees and sign books as well. Feel free to ask her questions and share your inspirations with her!

• Show and tell. Bring a completed project you'd like to share so we can all "ooh" and "ahh" over it. It could be a garment, bag, quilt, tablerunner... anything you have stitched yourself! If you don't have a completed project you'd like to share, bring a project that's still in the works. Or, bring your favorite book, piece of fabric or even your favorite sewing gadget and tell us all about it!

• If you have a handwork project, please bring it with you to work on as we all chat. This can be knitting, embroidery, crochet, applique, paper-pieced hexagons, nearly anything you'd like. (To keep things simple, portable and at a dull roar for this first meeting, we won't be doing any work on sewing machines, but in the future we would love to hold special meetings where members can bring their machines and stitch the day away!)

• Please feel free to bring food and drink to share if you feel so inclined! Alewives will be providing some light refreshments for all to enjoy.

Remember, ANYONE is welcome to attend this meeting. There is no fee for attendance and we don't require that you be a "master" seamstress or an "amazing" quilter... just someone who likes fabric, sewing and/or the writings of Amanda Blake Soule!

This first meeting is sure to be a hoot: if you are able to come and visit, we would love to see you there!

If you have any questions, please feel free to ask away.

Next time I'll be back with something locals and non-locals alike can enjoy, I promise!

XO,

Rhea

Happy New Year!

2011-12-30T18:12:00.000-08:00

See you in 2012 with some BIG changes at the shop... so excited to share them with you!

Tomorrow night, Ollie and I will be just up the street with our buddies, doing the wish lantern thang again.

(I can't wait).

However you celebrate the new year, here's to a wonderful 2012!

XO,

Rhea

New Nani Iro brushed cottons in the shop!

2011-12-29T17:31:00.000-08:00

Ohhhhhh...

Oh so in love with these three new Nani Iro brushed cotton fabrics that came in.

If you are a Nani Iro fan you will totally die for these.

They are even prettier in person and soft as a cloud.

Brushed cotton and flannel are, if I am not mistaken, the exact same thing, but I think "brushed cotton" probably sounds a bit more high-falutin'.

(Does anyone out there know if there is a difference? I've always heard that you make flannel by "brushing" the fibers in the cotton.)

I wish I had bought more yardage of these three fabrics.

These would be perfect for a cozy and heart-breakingly lovely simple quilt or even a super luxe nightgown, but it's officially wintertime in Maine and I would love to make myself a Tova top from one of them.

I would be so warm and comfy and fashionable.

I even have the pattern and everything... hmmm...

I don't think these brushed cottons will be around for very long, so if you like them it would be a good idea to pounce.

Nani Iro's have a habit of disappearing quickly and then not coming back in stock again for a loooong time.

The Brigadoon of fabrics.

XO,

Rhea

Sixteen

2011-12-26T19:31:00.000-08:00

Sixteen.

That's the number of new classes we are offering over the next few weeks and you can view them in all their glory on the classes page of the website.

I highly recommend the Winslow Market Tote class.

Or the Superstar quilt class.

And not just because I'm teaching them, but because... umm... yeah...

XO,

Rhea

Around the house: Christmas edition

2011-12-21T10:42:00.000-08:00

It is very gray and very cold and very icy out today, but I am happily installed by the wood stove with a roaring fire, feeling a bit Christmas-y and nostalgic.

Wanna be nostalgic with me?

When I was in grade school, I had the kookiest choral teacher ever.

I was a bit young to appreciate his kookiness at the time, but now I look back on those crazy, wacky lessons with fond memories.

One of the kooky things he did was to re-write his own version of "We wish you a Merry Christmas" so that the song went a little something like this...

We wish you a Merry Christmas,

We wish you a Happy Hanukkah,

We wish you a Blessed Solstice

And a Happy New Year!

Now that I am 32 I really appreciate that whole sentiment and think he was on to something.

With that in mind on this first day of Hanukkah, with the Solstice and Christmas very near, I thought I'd share with you some photos from around the house...

Last year for Christmas my friend Julie gave me a single vintage ornament and she has NO idea how much I loved it...

This year I was on a mission to get some more lovely little vintage ornaments.

They are super-easy to find and not that expensive (especially compared to NEW ornaments) so I highly recommend starting a little collection.

And of course the vintage ornaments, they needed their own tree.

The needle-punch Santa pillow is from my friend Nadine. It's handmade and it's stuffed with balsam needles and I love it. A lot. It's one of those things I look forward to getting out of the "Christmas Box" every year.

A couple different garlands and some mistletoe for smoochin'...

These are some vintage ornaments I got from my friend Meredith this year (she gave me permission to open them early) and they are the COOLEST things ever.

I don't think you can really tell in the photo, but there are the most intricate little winter scenes inside each of these ornaments: European villages, snowy woods, skating ponds.... good stuff.

I'm trying to decide what to do with them, just hang them on the tree like regular ornaments, or maybe I can make some kind of a fun display with them... we shall see!

They actually remind me a lot of the Jake Day dioramas which are a REALLY big deal in my town and one of my favorite Christmas traditions is to go at night and check out the dioramas.

If you are local, you should mos def go see the Jake Day dioramas with your family. They are free to go see and have no "hours" (but it's the most fun to go and see them at night) and you will definitely love them: they are really special.

I didn't realize it until just now, but some of my favorite ornaments are in this picture:

The handmade bell was the favor at Betsy and Andy's wedding (Betsy and Andy are the friends who introduced me to Oliver so they will ALWAYS have a special place in my heart... they actually missed our wedding because their baby girl Hadley was born that day, which is the most excellent reason to miss our wedding ever!).

The dove was handmade by my friend Chris a couple of years ago. It was such a lovely surprise and I truly treasure it and think of her when I see it.

The turquoise bow came from my best friend Kristine at our first ornament swap among our little group of friends five or six years ago. This year she got my ornament at the swap and we didn't even cheat! I like that she has a little bit of "me" on her tree and I have a little bit of "her" on mine.

The origami paper crane is from one of my first Christmases in my own apartment when I was super poor and super single. I enlisted my brother's help with his MAD paper-crane-making skills. My brother can make a paper-crane from the teeniest, tiniest scrap of paper ever. He always leaves them at restaurants as his "calling card."

If he were a criminal, he'd be the "paper-crane bandit."

5 bucks worth of origami paper, some gold thread, a couple strings of white lights and a tree that my Grandpa chopped down for me was all I had that year, and of course I look back on those first "independent" Christmases with very happy memories.

And lastly, the pottery angel: an ornament I bought the first year Oliver and I spent Christmas together as a couple. I got it to remind him of his mother.

And speaking of Ollie, he took this photo of Reuben and I laying down in front of the tree the other night.

I think Reuben heard a reindeer and got up to investigate, which is why he looks "whooshy" in the picture.

I will be back after the holidays with tales of my handmade gifts that I have actually remembered to document this year.

It's funny, of all the things I bought for gifts, I am the most excited to give my handmade items, and of course I am excited to share them with you all as well.

In the meantime, as Mr. Wingard would have said(sang):

I wish you a Merry Christmas,

I wish you a Happy Hanukkah,

I wish you a Blessed Solstice

And a Happy New Year!

XO,

Rhea

Virtual Christmas Open House Winners announced!

2011-12-18T11:43:00.000-08:00

Hello and thanks so very much to everyone who "attended" my Virtual Christmas Open House on the blog on Saturday. What a lovely crew we had: I truly enjoyed reading through each and every comment to hear about your wonderful Christmas traditions!

Without further adieu, here are the winners of the "big" prizes from the Open House...

Tamie said... Merry Christmas and thanks for hosting a virtual open house for those of us who are too far away to be there in person.

(Tamie, you win a $50 gift certificate to alewivesfabrics.com!)

Barb said... Merry Christmas to all! The best part of any holiday is decorating the tree and remembering something special about each ornament and then sitting back and enjoying the beautiful tree full of so many memories.

(Barb, you win a "Kew Gardens" fat quarter bundle!)



















Rene said...: Working on the next Craft Swap project and a Winslow Market Tote is under the tree for my Mom. Be sure to try out the new Mint and Dark Chocolate Chips from Nestle - they are to die for! The day started out at Popham Beach and has ended snuggled on the couch with Hank by my side. Cheers!

(Rene, my local girl! You win a "Flurry" by Kate Spain charm pack... you didn't leave me an e-mail address, but I know I will see you in the shop so I will set it aside for you!)

And to everyone else, as long as you left me your e-mail address, you should be checking your in-boxes for an e-mail from me with a super-secret code for a free fat quarter with your next order from alewivesfabrics.com

Thanks again very much to everyone who attended and I will see you all again soon with some more holiday cheer!

XO,

Rhea

Virtual Christmas Open House is today!

2011-12-16T15:10:00.000-08:00

Comments closed! Thanks very much to everyone who attended... winners will be announced shortly!

Welcome to the 2011 Virtual Christmas Open House!

I'm so glad you could make it...

Come on in, pull up a cushion by the fire and settle in.

If you were here last year, you know the drill.

If you're new, let me show you around...

Just make yourself at home, leave me a comment with some holiday cheer (and your e-mail address so I can get in touch with you) and you'll be entered for a LOT of great prizes.

You might win a $50 gift certificate to alewivesfabrics.com, a stack of fat quarters, a set of charm squares, or any number of fun surprises.

Everyone who doesn't win one of the big prizes will receive a promotional code for a free fat quarter (up to $3.00 value) in their next order from alewivesfabrics.com, so remember to leave me your e-mail address so it's easy to contact you.

Need some inspiration for your commenting?

Tell me...

Egg Nog or Cocoa?

Tinsel or no tinsel?

White lights or colored lights?

Naughty or nice?

(That's what I thought!)

Please enjoy each other's company and let it be known that all of us at Alewives Fabrics are so thankful to our wonderful customers for a fabulous year (even in a not-so-fabulous economy!) and I, personally, am so very thankful for my wonderful blog readers.

I will be back in here on Tuesday to announce the winners... good luck (and don't forget to leave me your e-mail address)!

Enjoy your weekend and thanks for attending the 2011 Virtual Christmas Open House!

XO,

Rhea

Some sure-fire last minute gift ideas

2011-12-13T05:25:00.000-08:00

If you are starting a handmade holiday gift in the next few days, I'm with you.

I always have the best of intentions, if not the most realistic.

And personally, I would not exactly classify the second week in December as "last minute" (guess I am a bit more literal... and a bit of a procrastinator...).

So I don't want to send anybody over the edge, but aid my fellow dreamers in their hour of need, so here are some fabulous ideas for those of us who are still adding to (rather than taking away from) our to-do list:

No shocker here: the Winslow Market Tote will always be a fave, last minute or not! Free pattern available here (thanks, Kathy!). Lots of our in-store customers have been stocking up on fat quarters lately to make these for Christmas gifts. You can make one of these in just a couple of hours, and all you need are five fat quarters and 5/8 yard for the lining. If you substitute some of our cute twill tape or cotton webbing for the handles then you could skip the whole "handle-making step" and things would go even more smoothly. The Winslow Market Tote is a great gift on its own, but you could always toss in some lotion or a cute little pencil case or a nice pair of gloves to sweeten the pot.

And the knitting bug continues with these super-cute, super-easy, super-quick mug snugs from Amy Butler's Midwest Modern Knits book. I can get one of these done in about a day, working on it here and there when I have a spare moment. Just one ball of DK would make quite a few of these mug snugs, making this project extremely affordable as well. And I love a chance to show off a cute button or two. What an awesome gift this would be with a pretty mug, some tea and maybe a gift card to a local cafe thrown in? Totally do-able!

Hope that is helpful to you all: good luck in your last-minute crafting endeavors... see you again on Saturday for the Virtual Christmas Open House!

XO,

Rhea

PS: don't forget that tomorrow is the online men's shopping day! Tell any of the special fellas in your life to shop with us online tomorrow, Wednesday December 14th, and use the code MENSSHOPPINGDAY for 20% off his entire purchase (does not apply to shipping).

Men's Shopping Day and Christmas Open House for both online and local customers alike!

2011-12-09T07:01:00.001-08:00

I have so much to share with you all, so let's dive right in, shall we?

In a (probably useless) attempt to keep things simple, I've written events for ONLINE customers in green and events for LOCAL customers in red... hope that helps you divide and conquer, because there is a LOT of information in this blog post!

First up, I need to let our online shoppers know that this year's Online Men's Shopping Day will be held this coming Wednesday, December 14th. Tell any of the special guys in your life to shop at alewivesfabrics.com on that day and they will receive 20% off their entire order (this includes gift certificates!). Make sure to tell him two things: Thing you must tell him #1: he MUST use the code MENSSHOPPPINGDAY to get the discount. Tell him to enter the code into the promotional code field on the checkout page. Only MEN who use this code will get the 20% off, so we'll be looking for a guy's name on the order! Thing you must tell him #2: the 20% discount will NOT show up in his order or his confirmation e-mail, but rest assured, the little elves at Alewives Fabrics are working hard on this end to ship things out in a super-speedy fashion and we will MANUALLY change the price of his order here at the shop. Of course, if he has any questions, ask him to e-mail us (alewives@alewivesfabrics.com) or call us (207 563 5002) and we'll be happy to answer any questions.

Local gentlemen get their own Men's Shopping Day on Tuesday, December 20th... we will be open from 10:00 am to 7:00 pm that day and local men will also get 20% off their purchases (does not apply to clearance items, food items, or long-arm services... but DOES APPLY to gift certificates!). He'll also get free gift-wrapping, food, and lots of shopping help from the ladies at Alewives. However, if your local fella prefers to do his shopping online, he can also shop at alewivesfabrics.com on Wednesday the 14th for our online Men's Shopping Day, too! Just make sure he uses the code MENSSHOPPINGDAY and ask him to leave us a note in the special instructions section of the order form telling us he'll pick up his order in person. We'll omit the shipping charges and set his bundle of goodies aside. BUT, if he's shopping online he has to do it on the 14th and absolutely must use the code MENSSHOPPINGDAY... otherwise he'll have to hit us up in person on the 20th!

Next on the agenda: our annual Christmas Open House!
For onliners, the Virtual Christmas Open House was so much fun last year that I have to do it again this year, and it is coming right up! Visit this here blog on Saturday, December 17th and leave me a comment with some holiday cheer. You'll be entered for a number of great prizes, but everyone wins something! A note about leaving comments at the VCOH: I am doing things a little differently this year! In order to keep things "simple-ish," everyone just gets one comment and one chance to win... everyone has an equal shot! A note about VCOH doorprizes this year: I've got lots of great stuff for you! There will be one lucky attendant who will win a $50 gift certificate to alewivesfabrics.com, one winner of a pretty stack of fat quarters, and other assorted goodies, but EVERYONE who attends who does not receive one of the larger doorprizes will receive an e-mail with a promotional code good for one free fat quarter (up to a $3.00 value) with their next online order. And if you "attended" last year, you know that I had a few tricks up my sleeve, including some charm packs that my Moda rep gave me to pass along. I *might* have a similar trick up my sleeve this year, too... you never know!

For local-customers, we have a whole weekend's worth of holiday fun planned for you! On Saturday, December 17th from 10:00 to 5:00 we'll be starting a new tradition and holding our first ever "Finish It Up Day." Think of "Finish It Up Day" as an extended Saturday Sewing Lounge to help you finish up your holiday sewing. Our classroom with all it's irons, design walls and table space will be at your disposal. We'll have goodies and fun Christmas music and lots of energy to help you finish up your holiday stitching. "Finish It Up Day" is free and open to anyone who would like to attend: you can come and go as you please, just like a regular Sewing Lounge. If you think you'd like to attend, please try to call ahead so we know what to expect... thanks! The in-store Christmas Open House will be held from 12-5 on Sunday, December 18th. We'll have food, music, holiday cheer, doorprizes (you might win a $50 gift certificate to the store, a lovely stack of fat quarters, a gift certificate good towards a long-arm quilting service, or you might win a free fat quarter... it's anyone's guess!) and as a special gift to you, all in-store purchases that day will be 10% off (does not apply to clearance items, food items or long-arm quilting services). The in-store Christmas Open House has become one of my favorite events of the year: it's just busy enough to put a fun little energy in the air, but just quiet enough to truly enjoy and visit with everyone who attends. (I love this time of year!)

So, I think we have covered the holiday events schedule! If you see any mistakes in there or have any questions, please let me know in the comments. I'll do my best to correct/answer right away!

I have one more blog post in the works for you between now and the Virtual Christmas Open House, so be on the lookout these next couple of days for my tips and tricks and brilliant ideas for last minute gift-giving.

In the meantime, happy holidays and we'll see you around!

XO,

Rhea

I have been cheating...

2011-12-02T16:04:00.001-08:00

I've been cheating on sewing with knitting...

(with this yarn and this book...)

And oh yeah, we got our woodstove up and at 'em and I can make one heck of a fire.

And last but not least, Ollie and I have been renting our house for the past 3 years, but this Wednesday, we signed papers and became home owners.

It feels really good to knit by the woodstove in your own house.

See you all again soon...

XO,

Rhea

Holiday Craft Swap photos

2011-11-26T11:12:00.000-08:00

Damn it feels good to be a swapper...

I was so pleased... and a bit frightened marriages would end and friendships would dissolve, but in the end I think it all worked out okay!

There were 31 swappers total: 3 of whom were guys... way to represent, men!

There was lots of great food and everyone made amazing goodies for our Holiday Swap.

It was lovely to see new faces and veteran swappers and see what people made and what people stole... very fun.

See anything you would like to steal?

XO,

Rhea

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-22T07:31:00.000-08:00

Hope you've all got something fun planned for Thanksgiving...

I am looking forward to our annual tradition of dinner with my Mom's family in the morning and then dinner with my Dad's family in the evening, then coming home and crashing hard with Ollie.

I am nothing if not a champion eater and have been training for this day all year since last Thanksgiving.

It's hard work.

In other news...

The shop will be closed on Thursday to spend the day with our families.

However, we will be open from 10:00 am to 8:30 pm on Black Friday (we're holding Sewing Lounge as usual) and open from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm on Small Business Saturday.

In the meantime, have you seen a little something on our classes page?

Or rather, I should say a BIG something, as this is our busiest class list ever, I do believe... and those are just the classes for January!

Be on the lookout after Thanksgiving for the February and March class lists, and our Holiday Events schedule as well.

Tell Santa: classes make wonderful Christmas gifts!

I'm excited for the upcoming winter season: time for sewing, knitting, stitching, all of the above.

And switching gears a bit, let me take this opportunity to send out a great big THANK YOU to my readers and all of our wonderful friends and customers.

This small business couldn't do it without you: not only do we appreciate your business, but we appreciate your KINDNESS (I've said it before and I'll say it again: we have the BEST customers in the world).

Your support means that you're providing a wonderful life for not only myself and my mother, but for four other women here on the coast of Maine as well, and we truly are grateful.

Bravo and well done, you!

See you again after the holiday...

XO,

Rhea

Safari Sweet

2011-11-18T04:38:00.000-08:00

I have been waiting and waiting and waiting (a long time: really!) for this debut collection by Alyssa Thomas (the creative mind behind the "Penguin and Fish" embroidery designs) to arrive.

Alyssa's collection for Clothworks is called "Safari Sweet."

Even though I don't usually get super-excited for nursery-themed collections, I was rather smitten with these designs, because a lot of the prints (particularly those stripes!) are just great fabrics, and I can see a lot of uses for them outside of the nursery.

And it doesn't hurt that these fabrics are all GOTS certified organic, super-soft and extremely well-made.

You can see all our "Safari Sweet" fabrics (along with the rest of our organic fabrics) right here.

Enjoy: I'll be back soon with pictures from our big Craft Swap tonight!

I'm excited, because both my husband Ollie and my sister Johanna are participating in the Craft Swap this time around... should be a riot!

XO,

Rhea

Thank you!

2011-11-08T05:10:00.000-08:00

Hello all,

Thank you to everyone who took part in our annual Late-Riser's Sale this weekend.

I am very thankful for our wonderful customers and a little flabbergasted.

We were exhausted when we finally went home from the in-store sale on Saturday and we are STILL cutting fabric and trying to get caught up with the orders from the online sale on Sunday.

(Well, to be more accurate, the other gals are trying to get caught up: Tuesdays and Wednesdays are my day off, so I'm home in my PJ's, thrilled to see the weather report says 65 and sunny today, because I've got some fall planting to do!)

And one last thank you to everyone who donated food to our food drive.

On Saturday alone, we collected almost as much food as we did during the entire drive last year!

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

The box is full so I'm going to take the food to the pantry this week, but don't forget, the food drive goes until December 21st, so there's still plenty of time to donate a non-perishable food or toiletry item.

Any time you do, you get a free gift, so donate lots and lots!

I will see you all again soon: have a good couple of days.

XO,

Rhea

The Superstar Quilt from Practical Guide to Patchwork by Elizabeth Hartman

2011-11-01T12:16:00.000-07:00

Remember when I wrote about this lovely little stack of fat quarters from the "October Skies" line by Verna Mosquera for Free Spirit and wouldn't tell you what I was making?

Well, now that it is November (how did THAT happen?), I've made a little progress on my "October Skies" quilt and wanted to share with you!

I was really inspired by the "Superstar" quilt on page 104 of Elizabeth Hartman's book, The Practical Guide to Patchwork, and when I saw that the quilt required 32 print fat quarters and 32 plain/solid fat quarters, I knew I had found a perfect match for the "October Skies" bundle.

(Full disclosure: there are only 30 fat quarters in the "October Skies" bundle, but I bought another half yard of this fabric and cut it into two fat quarters for the extra 2 fat quarters required)

(I'm using my cookbook stand to hold the book open in front of me while I sew. Why did I not think of this before? Duh!)

I love how this quilt is just the right balance of plain white background and busy, happy prints... just the right balance of traditional and modern: It's exactly what I was looking for for these fabrics.

The Queen-size version of this quilt has 64 blocks and over 1,600 pieces to cut.

That's right, over 1,600.

Now, before you run screaming you should probably know that most queen-size quilts have at least that many blocks and pieces in them, if not more, so really it's not too big a deal-i-o.

As you can see below I have 9 of my blocks done:

Having said that, it does help to keep yourself organized.

Elizabeth suggests using "organizer cards" to keep the fabrics together for your blocks once they are cut.

I must confess at this point that I had no idea what she meant by "organizer cards" but figured they must be like index cards.

I went looking for index cards and had a hard time finding any before it dawned on me that I could use (and re-use) some paper plates instead.

So, off to the dollar store I went: I bought one package of red plates for my "A" blocks and one package of yellow plates for my "B" blocks and went home feeling pretty satisfied with myself.

Now, you KNOW how much I hate to cut, so I do have to admit that the idea of cutting all these pieces out was a bit daunting to me.

Normally, I just "suffer" through the cutting part and get it all over and done with, but I am trying lots of new things with this quilt.

Instead of cutting all the pieces out at once, instead I cut for a while and I sew for a while.

I've found that this not only helps me to stay organized (have I mentioned there are 1,600 pieces to keep track of? MUCH easier when they are still in whole-fat-quarter-form!), but this keeps me from getting overwhelmed as well.

But: this quilt had a double-whammy.

And if there is ANYTHING I hate more than cutting, it is marking the backs of squares across the diagonal when I am sewing half-square triangles.

It. is. so. boring.

I am not a big "gadget" person but one gadget that I absolutely love and could not live without is the Angler 2.

The Angler 2 is this little piece of plastic that tapes right to your sewing machine with just regular scotch tape and eliminates the need for marking diagonal lines on the backs of your fabrics when you are sewing half-square triangles.

You keep the "diamond point" of each end of the square even with the line in the middle of the angler 2 and the diagonal lines on the side help you keep everything in line and even.

It takes a little getting-used-to, but once you get the hang of it it's sooooo easy and certainly saves you hours of time.

I've been using my Angler 2 for this project, but I've also used it on lots of others: any projects with flying geese, saw-tooth or eight-pointed stars, or half-square triangles.

Elizabeth has also got me pressing my seams open (something I never used to do) on this project.

So far, I quite like it!

It helps keep things super-neat and flat, but it does take a bit more time.

(Here we go: I have reached a whole new low in my blogging-narcissism and have actually photographed the BACK of one of my quilt blocks, but my GOD, I think those nice, neat seams are beautiful!)

I'll be working on this quilt here and there for the next few months, trying to get it done before and after work and on my days off.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: sewing can be so therapeutic!

It just feels good to work on this one.

I'd love to teach a class on it at the shop after the New Year so that will be a good motivator to keep chugging along, and now I'll have you all to report back to as well!

And speaking of things I've said before and will say again: Elizabeth's book is such a wonderful resource for knowledge and inspiration: I cannot praise it enough.

It's so well-written and thought-out (with barely, if any, errata to the instructions) and provides a lot of healthy sewing tips that I think will give people encouraging results and avoid the dreaded "bad sewing experience" that some people seem to have (remind me to re-write my "For the Beginner" post to include The Practical Guide to Patchwork as my go-to reference for beginning quilters!)

The Superstar quilt is in the intermediate section of the book: I suspect not because any one step is hard in and of itself, but because there are a lot of steps to making this block (which is why it looks so fabulous) and of course, there is the whole 1,600 pieces to cut and keep track of thing, and lots of seams to line up.

It goes without saying that you could always make this quilt in a size smaller than queen: the blocks are 12" square finished, which means that with a mere 25 blocks you could have yourself a good-sized throw of 60" square.

But, you know me...

I like big quilts and I cannot lie, so a queen-size this shall be.

If you'd like to make one, too, here's what you'll need:

• 1 October Skies fat quarter bundle (or 32 print fat quarters total)

• 1/2 yard of this fabric, cut into 2 fat quarters (only if supplementing the "October Skies" bundle, and of course you could always choose another print or even two if you liked those better...)

• 8 yards of 200 thread count BLEACHED muslin, cut into 32 fat quarters (it's what I am using for my solid white background, and can I just say this is a dream to work with!?! Don't let the word "muslin" fool ya! It's from Moda and they can't make anything that isn't fabulous, I swear! You can use any background fabric you like, though I suggest something with a bit of contrast to the prints...)

• A copy of The Practical Guide to Patchwork by Elizabeth Hartman (you'll find the instructions begin on page 104)

• 7/8 yard for binding (I'm going to wait until the quilt top is finished to see what I'd like to use for my binding)

• 9 yards total backing fabric, or if you have a 108" wide fabric in mind, you'd need 3 yards of that. Elizabeth does a really cool pieced backing in the book that I am going to have to try, don't ya know!

and lastly, I highly, highly, highly recommend:

• The Angler 2 ( so you don't have to draw a jillion lines across the backs of your half-square triangles that eventually become the points of the stars)

I will post pictures periodically as I make more progress on this quilt.

In the meantime, wanted to share my findings and notes with you all, so thanks for reading!

XO,

Rhea

Edited to add: Looks like Elizabeth has a new book coming out that I can look forward to as well: congratulations, lady!

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T11:30:00.001-07:00

No tricks for you this Halloween: just treats!

Treat number one: we got our shipment of the new gift issue of Stitch magazine in the shop today.

All work STOPPED as we each grabbed a copy and browsed through the pages.

Just in time to inspire me before the Holiday Craft Swap!

Treat number two: You asked, we listened! There is now a search engine feature on our website... should make finding things a LOT easier.

For all those who harassed me: thank you!

(I respond well to being harassed.... eventually).

XO,

Rhea

This week's ad

2011-10-29T09:46:00.001-07:00

Tee hee...

(It's zombie chic!)

She's Helena Bonham-Carter meets Bride-of-Frankenstein meets the upcoming Holiday Food Drive.

Every year it's a bit tough to do the ad this particular week: I want to do something Halloween-y but I also need to push the Late-Riser's Sale, and I want people to remember to bring food for our Holiday Food Drive...

That's a lot of info to cram into a space the size of a business card, plus some cute little drawing, but as GOD is my witness I make it happen!

In other news, please DO bring a non-perishable food or toiletry item to our upcoming Late-Riser's sale and we've got a free little goodie for you as our way of saying thanks.

Even if you don't bring something in on Saturday we'll be collecting food until December 21st.

Donate early and donate often, I always say.

And if you haven't already done so, go check out Amanda's blog today: there's a giveaway for one of our "Sense and Sensibility" fat quarter sets and a promotional code for 10% off any online (or in-store) purchases.

Go say hi to Amanda, tell her I sent you, and best of luck!

XO,

Rhea

PS. I promised Jacquline I wouldn't blog about this yet, but I just can't help it: Lotta Jansdotter's new fabric collection "Echo" has arrived and is up in the shop! Can you find it in your heart to forgive me, Jacquline?

Newest Echinos have arrived and then some!

2011-10-27T14:35:00.000-07:00

Today was one of those days when I was just on the computer for too. damn. long. and yet here I am, plugging away at the computer again because I wanted to let you all know that some truly awesome stuff has arrived at the shop lately.

You can see it all in our new fabrics section, but here are a couple of highlights:

The entire Echino Fall 2011 collection is up online.

A bunch of new Nani Iros came in as well. I've said it before and I'll say it again and again and again these are so beautiful they break my heart.

When we first invested in these Japanese fabrics, my Mom was doubtful. She loved them and thought they were gorgeous but was a little dubious about the price.

I'm so glad they have sold well for us: not just because I love them and believe in them and want to carry them in my shop and make things with them myself, but also because I love to be right.

And in other news...

Don't forget the Late Riser's Sale, the Holiday Food Drive and the Holiday Craft Swap are right around the corner.

I have a crafting date (specifically geared towards the Craft Swap) with my sister on Saturday night. She is coming over to our house to spend the night and I am so excited it's completely ridiculous.

Everybody should be lucky enough to have a little sister they can completely corrupt (in a good way... I mean "corrupt" in a good way...)

Just a quickie: I'll see you all again real soon, I hope!

XO,

Rhea

They had some big shoes to fill...

2011-10-24T16:33:00.000-07:00

Amy Butler's newest fabric collection arrived on Thursday and is finally, finally, up in the shop.

I liked Amy's last collection, Soul Blossoms, a lot but I think that Lark is my favorite collection yet. I love that it's a little schizophrenic.

And I love this shirt. I assume the pattern will be forthcoming, Amy?

And speaking of shirts, I bought the Tova shirt pattern from Wikstenmade.

(Don't judge. I feel better about spending the money on that pattern than I do about most purchases I make...)

When it came in the mail it was like Christmas morning and I hugged it to me and read it like a book for the rest of the evening, sewing in my mind.

I think I will actually make a muslin for this one before I make it from nicer fabric and get everything just so.

I'ma go all Goldilocks on that shirt: this one is gonna be juuuust right!

And speaking of just right...

The new "Footloose" movie is really good.

I am a big fan of the original. I can pretty much spout the entire thing, word for word.

So I went to this newest version expecting to be disappointed, but I was pleasantly surprised.

My cheeks literally hurt from smiling so much.

But that new girl who plays Rusty, she's pretty cute, but she ain't no Carrie Bradshaw!

Aaaannnddd...

Fabric sighting!

Ariel's bag was made from this older Anna Maria Horner fabric.

I looked for a better picture, but this was the best I could come up with:

(See it? See the strap right there? AMH all the way, baby!)

I give the movie two thumbs up!

I will see you again soon, enjoy your week!

XO,

Rhea

PS... One year ago I was doing this! So far, so good!

Sense and Sensibility Fat Quarter Sets

2011-10-14T13:43:00.000-07:00

Sigh....

My favorite fat quarter bundle yet...

I know I say that every time but this time I really mean it...

The Sense and Sensibility fat quarter bundle...

Officially named after the book by Jane Austen...

Un-officially inspired by the movie by Ang Lee and Emma Thompson...

Which stars Kate Winslet whom someone may or may NOT have told me once that I looked like...

Soon to be given away on Soulemama...

A very few available here in the shop...

Would make a great Lucky Stars with some simple white muslin in the background...

Just sayin'...

XO,

Rhea

PS

The figurine in the photo was my grandmother Priscilla's and it wasn't until after I pulled this FQ set together and cleaned some of my things out of my Mom's old house that I realized she was a perfect match.

Spaz McGee

2011-10-10T17:26:00.000-07:00

October in Maine is the bestest. I may be the teensy, tiniest little bit biased, but it's hard to drag me away during this month, so you'll have to excuse me if the blogging mojo has been a bit sparse lately.

I shall return, and I shall return with a vengeance!

The good news is, I have been getting lots of stuff done at the store.

Also have been getting a lot done away from the store: camping with Ollie, cleaning the bejesus out of my house, organizing my sewing room, drinking buckets of tea with my Grandma, getting ready for that woodstove, decorating a giant pumpkin yet again, taking lots of walks during this Indian summer and even getting a lil' sewing done.

Time management will probably never be my thang, or at the very least there will always be room for me to improve that aspect of my life, but sometimes I get it right. Or I give myself permission to let go of the whole "being organized" thing. Not sure which.

Tomorrow when I am fresh I'm starting my first quilt in a long time: I'll be sure to share it with you.

My intentions with this new quilt are good: I'd love to make a sample for the shop and then hopefully sell a few books and some fabric and teach a class after Christmas. It's been a while since I sewed-up something for the shop myself or taught a quilting class myself, so we shall see. Gotta make sure I still got it. And you know what they say about good intentions!

In the meantime, I can show you the fabric I am using:

(This is a dyed-in-the-wool, honest-to-goodness fat quarter bundle. Straight from the manufacturer, one fat quarter of each design from the "October Skies" collection by Verna Mosquera for Free Spirit Fabrics. If you read this blog regularly you know that I don't usually use a collection straight up, but every once in a while there is a collection that really snags me. This one hit the spot. I'm really inspired to use it and can't wait to cut into these lovelies tomorrow morning.)

And the book I am using:

(The Practical Guide to Patchwork by Elizabeth Hartman, AKA OhFransson. Now that the book has been out for a while and the hype has died down a bit I'm pleased to report back to you that this book is fabulous. There are minimal corrections to the book {a feat in and of itself!} and the tips Ms. Hartman shares are absolute pearls. I'm a strict non-believer in pressing seams open, but she's got me rethinking my policy. I'll report my findings back to you. But, keeping in mind that I have been quilting for well over a decade and sometimes like to think I have seen it all, this book is an excellent resource. Well done, Ms. Hartman.)

Can you guess which pattern from the book I am using? I'll keep you in suspense for a bit.

In the meantime, I am sure you are wondering where the Slow Sewing Retreat pictures are, and I will share them with you, I promise! It's just that uploading pictures to blogger takes so. durn. long. I cannot bear the thought of uploading all those images when I know I could be wasting time some other way, but I will upload them one of these days when you least expect it, so watch out!

Also in the meantime, I want to thank you if you are one of the people who came into the shop and/or otherwise encouraged me to keep writing this blog, reminding me that you are reading. I sometimes forget these things! I probably won't ever be able to update this blog as much as I would like to, but please know that in between posts, I am having a helluva time.

And also, also in the meantime, don't forget to check the events page: our customers have some sales coming up to look forward to! If you are local, please spread the word about the food drive... There are people out there who fall through the cracks in the system, so this cause is always going to be very important to me.

Whoa. I apologize for a spazzy post, but man that felt good!

I'll be back again soon(ish)!

XO,

Rhea

small, medium and large

2011-09-28T07:14:00.000-07:00

::Small::

Prettiest iron ever. Got this at the Antiques Mall at Fort Andross in Brunswick this summer and I've never seen another one like it. I love it way more than a person should be allowed to love an iron.

I actually use this iron every day. As a doorstop.

A bouquet of dried flowers that I picked up at the Common Ground Fair this past weekend. I wanted one of everything at the Common Ground Fair but for once in my life exercised a little restraint. This was the one thing I bought. Well, I feel I should specify this was the one thing not food related that I bought :-)

When I visited the Blueberry Hill Inn last summer, the ceiling of the dining room was a huge collection of dried bouquets, and I haven't been able to get it out of my mind since. Perhaps this small thing is the beginning of something big!

A small collection of Denyse's new fabrics from JoAnn's. I have no idea what I'm going to use them for, but I do love to make piles of fabric.

Plus a strawberry ornament on top, because, you know... it's a strawberry ornament!

::Medium::

I got these Paper Lantern flowers from a house on a side street in Camden on one of my days off. The gal had one of those signs that said how much the flowers were and a coffee can to hold the money. Honor system. I circled the house three times before I got up the nerve to stop, because for some crazy reason I am shy about these things, but I really wanted those flowers. After I put my money in the coffee can the lady came out of her house and told me all about how to keep them for years and years, and not to plant them in my garden because they will take over everything. I listened intently but the whole time I wanted to tell her that I had paid: my 5 bucks were in the coffee can. Just in case she was wondering. Guess it's the Catholic guilt.

We finally have a woodstove! I have had woodstove envy for many, many years now. I grew up in a wood-heated home and I tell you there is nothing like it. So we've been scheming and dreaming about a new woodstove and chimney since we moved in. I knew I wanted a small, off white enamel Jotul, because our living room is very small and doesn't get a lot of light. A big, dark, heavy woodstove just wouldn't look right.

Well, I have indeed been blessed by the woodstove gods, because our neighbors (the same ones whose home was destroyed in a fire this spring*) gave us their woodstove, and who would've thunk it, it's a small, off-white (almond!) enamel Jotul. They even gave us some touch-up paint!

*For the record, the fire in my neighbor's home had nothing to do with the woodstove (it was electrical, I believe...), but understandably, they no longer wish to heat with wood.

If you know your woodstoves you know that this is quite the score. I am beyond thrilled and so grateful to our neighbors.

What I won't show you is the HUGE hole we've had to dig outside to house the footing for the new chimney. Can't wait for that thing to be filled in.

::Large::

The LARGE mess in my sewing room. I wish I could say this was due to getting a lot of sewing done, but sadly this is due to being a horrible picker-upper. Ironically the most sewing I have gotten done this summer has been of the hand-stitched variety.

See all the piles of fabric in the picture? I told you I liked to make piles!

And perhaps the biggest thing of all: the UPS truck appears to be over at the shop at this very moment. You know what that means! Today's my day off, but I might have to wander over and see what arrived...

That's all for this version of small, medium and large.

Hope you had fun!

XO,

Rhea

Link-a-dink-a-doo

2011-09-20T06:08:00.000-07:00

• My kitchen: been canning a lot lately using the water bath method. It's our first time and we are loving it!

• Ollie and I went out on the Schooner Olad with Captain Aaron the other night for the sunset cruise. We had a great time. Ever the professional, Captain Aaron spent most of the cruise racing the Schooner Appledore. We literally sailed a circle around them... *loved it*

• Saw a great post over at crazy mom quilts and was inspired beyond words. Can't wait for the instructions to be available! (Was also inspired to repaint my studio).

• Ollie and I are going on vacation here at the end of the month (Phiona we're coming to see you, girl!)... anyone from that area (Cindy) have any great recommendations for what we should do? I'm all ears!

• Here's a great link from the Ink and Spindle girls explaining the pricing formula used by many shops and why it's important for shop owners to use it. A must for anyone who's ever wondered why certain prices at certain places are so high. (Guess I am personally affected by this, therefore found it fascinating... thanks, ladies!). I'm not out to make anybody feel guilty for buying less-expensively priced fabrics, but it is important to understand the price differential.

• And speaking of such things... here's a link to the newest Echino collection, which should be arriving in a few weeks. We've ordered the entire line, plus 4 bolts as laminated cottons. Can you guess which 4 we ordered as laminates? But seriously, folks... very excited about the newest Echinos. I'm a sucker for anything with birds on it. And anything Echino for that matter.

• Have you seen the new fabrics section of our shop lately? I was surprised when I sat down to take a look. I've been out of the shop for 24 hours exactly and there was a LOT of good stuff that arrived yesterday, including the Anna Maria Horner Needleworks fabrics. But I think my favorite is this one from Moda. What is Nankeen Buff, anyways?

• Brooke is opening up her Etsy shop again soon... Can't wait to see what she makes with some of our fabrics and some of her stash!

• Ollie and I watched Sucker Punch the other night. I was surprised it was only rated PG-13 but upon a second viewing I see the potholes that lead to an "R" rating were carefully avoided. Confession: I liked it. Guess I don't mind violence if it's completely over the top and stylized (see also: "Desperado," "300," "Sin City" and "Shoot 'Em Up"). Not saying I would want to watch this with my little sister, but I liked it a lot.

Alright, off to buy some carrots from Brady to make Amanda's Carrot Tomato Soup and see what other kinds of trouble I can get into on my day off.

See you all again soon!

XO,

Rhea

Sewing Retreat photos coming soon...

2011-09-13T05:17:00.001-07:00

But in the meantime there are some awesome photos that Sue took of the day at this link here.

As you can see, we had a great day and a great time!

I need a couple of days away from the computer (we shall see how that goes...) but I will be back before too long with my own photos of the day.

In the meantime, enjoy.

(Thanks, Sue!)

XO,

Rhea

My apologies...

2011-09-07T17:08:00.000-07:00

I have been a boring blogger lately, but I have a good excuse...

We have been learning to machine-quilt on our new long arm quilt machine!

If you like drawing (and I do, I do!), you would like quilting on a long arm.

Some things have gone really well...

And some things have gone not so really well...

But it has been a great learning experience and we are all having lots of fun.

Right now, we are accepting long arm customers locally, but pretty soon, we will be accepting quilt tops from all over the country (the world!).

Stay tuned to see how this new adventure turns out!

XO,

Rhea

Slow Sewing on Sprucehead Island

2011-08-31T04:57:00.000-07:00

I am so pleased to tell you that there are some fabulous new classes (as well as some tried and true favorites) listed on the classes page...

Aaaannnddd you will also find something not class-related but very special, exciting and different on that page as well...

My business associate (Mom) and I are so pleased to announce our very first sewing retreat on Sprucehead Island from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm on Saturday, Septemeber 10th!

(The view from the private beach on my parent's land...)

(The view of Mussel Ridge from the front porch at sunrise...)

My family is lucky enough to own a gorgeous piece of oceanfront property on Sprucehead Island. The house and land have been in my family for years and years (my step-grandfather's wonderful advice on buying real estate was to "buy everything a long time ago." For the record, this was also his advice in regards to the stock market...) and we are so pleased to be holding our first sewing retreat there.

Our retreat, of course, has our own special spin on it...

At a traditional retreat you would spend the night at a facility and there would probably be sewing machines and long, expansive tables for cutting and pressing. While we may build up to that type of retreat one of these days, for this our first sewing retreat we are holding a "slow sewing" event that will last for just one day.

What constitutes slow sewing? Well you might ask!

Slow sewing can be anything you do by hand: English paper-piecing (my current fave go-to project) applique, embroidery, hand-quilting, hand-piecing, finishing the binding on that quilt that has been poking around unfinished for the last couple of years, etc.

OR...

"Slow sewing" in this case could also mean non-sewing projects: knitting, crocheting, tatting lace if you feel so inclined...

if you enjoy painting watercolors or sketching or have friends that might enjoy the retreat but don't necessarily sew or knit, they are invited to attend as well... the more the merrier!

This is a rain or shine event, but we are hoping for shine, shine, shine!

There won't be any place to set up a machine, but that's the beauty of holding a slow sewing retreat, isn't it? Hand projects are almost always perfectly portable and we want people to get out there and enjoy the day with their projects and a few good friends as well.

Bring whatever form of stitching you please and sit on the private beach (pack a towel and your bathing suit if you are particularly daring, but be warned: even in the height of summer, that ocean water is cold!). You may prefer to perch on one of the many granite outcroppings that gently slope out into the ocean, or you may be happy to pull up a rocking chair on the wraparound porch that overlooks Mussel Ridge.

A delicious catered lunch will be served, and there will be lots of fun nibbly tidbity things and plenty of refreshing beverages served throughout the day.

The whole idea is to get away, relax, celebrate the close of summer, usher in fall, enjoy the scenery, have lots of good food, and get some stitching done while we're at it!

I don't know about you, but to me this sounds like heaven and we are so excited to be holding this retreat.

Here are some things you should know if you would like to attend:

• The cost of the retreat is $45 per person. This includes use of the house and land for the day, a delicious yummy lunch, snacks and also plenty of beverages which will be served throughout the day.

• All retreat participants are responsible for transportation to and from the island. Sprucehead is easily reached just about 2o minutes off Route One at the Montpelier Mansion exit in Thomaston. There is plenty of room for parking cars, but carpooling is always encouraged.

• The retreat will take place from 9:00am to 4:00pm on Saturday, September 10th. You can come and go anytime you please!

• The retreat will take place inside the Neeson's home if we have a rainy day. There are plenty of bathrooms, a full kitchen, a large dining room, a comfy, cozy living room, and a covered wraparound porch with plenty of rocking chairs. We are hoping for a sunny day, but even a rainy day will still be lots of fun.

• Please bring your own slow-sewing projects: knitting, applique, crochet, embroidery, binding, English paper-piecing, anything you like, so long as it does not require a machine. We will not be providing instructions or materials for your slow sewing: just a comfy, pretty place to sit and stitch!

• If you have any questions and if you would like to sign up, please give us a call at 207 563 5002 and we will see you there! Space is limited, and many people have signed up already, so if you would like to attend don't delay.

I think that's it... if I've forgotten anything ask away in the comments section and I will respond ASAP.

Enjoy these last few days of summer and I will see you again soon!

XO,

Rhea

Back open for business!

2011-08-30T04:13:00.000-07:00

We are back open for business and we are some of the lucky ones who have power!

We were without internet for the whole day yesterday, which made it hard to do certain aspects of our job, but meant we had a rearranging party (one of my favorite things to do!), so please do come on down and admire our handiwork.

I'll be back as soon as I'm done playing catch-up... right now Reuben and I are headed for an early-morning walk to survey the damage up close and personal.

XO,

Rhea

Battening down the hatches...

2011-08-27T10:47:00.001-07:00

Edited to add:

It is official: Alewives Fabrics will be closed today due to Hurricane Irene. Please stay home and safe and off the roads! See you again bright and early Monday morning, so long as we have power. If you'd like to call ahead our phone number is 207 563 5002.

Thanks!

Rhea

(Whatever that means...)

We are bracing for the arrival of Hurricane Irene here in Midcoast Maine. She is expected to blow our way tomorrow (Sunday) afternoon and then taper off Monday morning.

If you are planning to visit us in these next few days, it would be a good idea to call ahead (207 563 5002) and make sure we have power. If the power goes out or if we are forced for any reason to close the shop down we will do our best to let people know via facebook, the blog and twitter, but the internet may go down as well, you never know!

Otherwise it should be business as usual.

Good luck to all of you facing Hurricane Irene, please stay safe!

See you again on Monday or Tuesday (knock on wood...)

XO,

Rhea

Lots going on...

2011-08-24T13:09:00.000-07:00

...but I've got too much of the "end of summer" jitters to blog about it right now.

(Lots of loafing to fit in these next few weeks.)

See you again soon when I get some gumption to do something besides the above!

XO,

Rhea

Customer Inspiration: Anne

2011-08-18T16:44:00.001-07:00

I know it's my job to try and inspire my customers, but more often than not it is they who end up inspiring me.

And I don't think anyone would put up too much of a holler if I went out on a limb and said that Miss Anne here is my biggest inspiration.

She gets a LOT of sewing/knitting/embroidery (you name it, she does it) done: that in and of itself is an inspiration.

And not a day goes by that I don't see her around town wearing one of her creations.

She talks the talk and she walks the walk.

Here she is wearing a head-to-toe handmade ensemble.

A really cute sweater knit from our Amy Butler Organic Belle DK yarn in the indigo colorway...

...the pattern is the Spring Garden Tee by Alana Dakos and you can find it here on Ravelry...

And the skirt is from the cover of the book Sew Serendipity.

You have GOT to love those ruffles.

I get excited by a good use of a ruffler foot and I believe we have a prime example here.

I may or may not have ruffle envy.

I believe the focal print in this skirt is an Australian design and the ruffles are made from some Amy Butler quilting weight solid, the beauty of which being that the Amy Butler solids match the Amy Butler yarns perfectly, which is also the kind of thing I find very exciting.

Thanks so much for sharing your handiwork, Anne!

Keep up the good work and I'll continue to document the fabulousness!

XO,

Rhea

Veggie Patch

2011-08-11T17:10:00.001-07:00

Some of this came from our garden and some of this came from Morning Dew Farms.

I love this time of year and the season we are heading into.

I'm going to enjoy every last bit of it.

XO,

Rhea

PS: The online sale is happening right now, why don't you go and take a look!

Online Clearance Sale starts Thursday!

2011-08-09T08:06:00.000-07:00

Alright, onliners!

Your day in the sun is almost here!

The other day, Shawna uploaded just under 100 fabrics that you would normally only see in our brick and mortar store to the online shop so that YOU can shop for them, too. Some of these are older, HTF (hard to find), fabrics and I think you will like what you see. But, you won't be able to see them until Thursday (does that make sense?)

The fabrics will be in our wicked good deals section (along with some sale patterns and other various and assorted goodies) and the price will be a luscious $6 a yard (half yard minimum, must be ordered in half yard increments: yardage will be sent as a continuous piece).

You won't need a coupon or a promotion code or anything like that: just shop the wicked good deals section and I bet you'll find a treasure or two. Perfect for building up your stash or backing a quilt or both!

During this time, our normally speedy delivery may be a bit slower than usual while we get caught up, so please bear with us until things get back to normal.

What else do you need to know?

The sale ends Sunday evening. In the meantime, please enjoy!

We've had/are having an awesome summer, and fabrics have been going out the door at a nice clip, but I am psyched to make more room for the fall fabrics which will start to arrive shortly.

So, if you're interested in a fabu deal, see you back here on Thursday (or maybe even late Wednesday afternoon, hint, hint...)!

XO,

Rhea

All my dreams are coming true

2011-08-04T18:11:00.000-07:00

I always said that if the Flaming Lips ever came back to Maine I would drag my best girlfriends to see them with me, because if you have never seen them live you are missing out.

I don't care if you like their music or not, go see them live.

Attending one of these concerts is like being inside a giant, technicolor Japanese birthday cake and you are guaranteed to leave happy, smiling and covered in confetti.

Did I ever tell you about the first time I saw the Lips live in concert?

It was in Boston and it was one of those concerts with many, many acts and the Flaming Lips were second-to-last.

I guess you could say that the Boston crowd did not quite "get" the Flaming Lips and it was the first time I have seen a band actually get "booed."

Very funny stuff.

Cross that off my list of things to see before I die.

But even though they did not have the crowd in the palm of their hands I was smitten with these weird, weird musicians and I went out and in true Aries fashion bought all of their albums and listened to them constantly and became their number one fan, familiarizing myself with every obscure b-side they had ever produced and pooh-pooing those who only knew about them through their song "She don't use Jelly."

I was soooo much cooler than that.

Imagine my delight when a couple years later they came to Maine and YES! my fellow Mainers (unlike the Boston crowd) embraced the Flaming Lips with all their eccentricities and a good time was had by all.

I even got to meet Wayne Coyne after the concert (he was covered in fake blood and quite sweaty, I assure you).

I asked him why he didn't sing the "Jack White Fiber Optic Jesus Song."

And Wayne Coyne looked at me like I was the crazy one.

Ah well.

Long story short they are coming back to Maine in October (hurray!).

So, look out, dear girlfriends: you are soooo coming with me to this concert and we are stalking the back alleyway outside the State Theater afterward so I can meet Wayne Coyne...

Again.

I've got my early 20's to relive, and I still got it, I tell ya... I still got it!

XO,

Rhea

Midsummer's Clearance Sale starts tomorrow!

2011-08-03T04:05:00.000-07:00

Just a reminder:

The in-store Midsummer's Clearance and Sample Sale starts tomorrow at 10:00 am and runs through Sunday the 7th. There will be lots of fabric on sale for just $3/half yard (must purchase in half-yard increments) and lots of kits and books and patterns and various other goodies on sale for ridiculous prices. This year we are also putting some of our samples up for sale: a great way to get a head start on your Christmas shopping or just nab something for your very own.

The online Midsummer's Clearance Sale starts Thursday, August 11th. No need for a coupon or a code or anything like that: just visit the "Wicked Good Deals" section of our website and bask in the glory that is the online clearance sale! Online clearance sale ends Sunday, August 14th.

See you there!

XO,

Rhea

The Quilt Show!

2011-08-01T17:03:00.001-07:00

Well, it was quite the weekend and I loved it. I look forward to the Quilt Show every year and I love seeing a lot of you there and most of all, I am glad when we come back and put the store back to rights again.

For those of you who aren't familiar, Maine Quilts is Maine's largest annual quilt show, held at the Civic Center in our state capital the last weekend of July. There are hundreds of quilts, thousands of attendees, and about 40 vendors (such as yours truly) who bring their latest and greatest to sell in a booth and hopefully make some new friends and attract customers to our store.

I snapped some photos of our booth:

And here are some of the quilts we hung in our booth:

This quilt block is traditionally called the "Antique Rose," but this particular version comes from the book "Material Obsession 2," which is one of our favorites at the shop. In the book, the quilt has 2 versions: one is called "Jazz Hands" and one is called "Erica's Honesty."

This one is called "Heaven's Stairway" from the book "Quilt Lover's Favorites Volume 4" and we'll be listing kits for it in the online shop later. The background fabric is our favorite bleached 200 thread count muslin from Moda and the half-square triangles are all made up from our favorite signature color here at the shop: red!

The "Alice in Wonderland" Turning Twenty kit all done up as a quilt. I love this one. I think when the kits are gone it will have to come home with me and live in one of the spare bedrooms.
Barbara Commeau did a great job quilting it in that swirly pattern, don't you think?

And here are some of the quilts that were on display at the show:

Can you guess what these are?

It was a whole row of quilts made from wedding dresses, which I thought was a fabulous idea, but you should have heard some of the comments coming from the spectators at the show: yowza!

I guess hell hath no fury like a woman with an opinion about what OTHER women should (or should not) do with their wedding dresses.

If there is one thing I love it is a healthy debate. Preferably among middle-aged Maine women.

This was my favorite quilt. I think it's beautiful and I was glad to see it won a blue ribbon.

This one was interesting. The colors reminded me of Liesl's Oliver+S fabric collections and the pattern started with a simple nine-patch that got chopped and re-stitched into this pleasing composition.

You have GOT to love this Kaffe diamonds quilt: it really stood out at the show in a very good way.

Fabulous use of color in this quilt.

These trees were also from the book Material Obsession 2, just like our Antique Rose quilt.

My friend Meredith made this quilt and there is something about it that I just love.

I like the subtle colors and the patchwork and the mix of photography on fabric and the quilting is lovely and the entire image really just reminds me of Maine. I think she nailed it.

And would you like to see what I bought at the show?

(I got some good stuff!)

I got three pink half-yard cuts from my friend Cyndi's booth, which is all reproduction fabrics.

You've heard me mention how I love to go to Cyndi's shop, the Busy Thimble, when I am cheating on my shop. She has great stuff and Cyndi's my buddy.

I think it's a riot that the gal with the most contemporary shop (me) and the gal with the most old-fashioned shop (Cyndi) would have so much in common (like our mutual love for hexagons: I showed Cyndi mine and she showed me hers!).

The lovely Japanese fabric came from a booth that was all Japanese textiles. Nothing but for as far as the eye could see.

I could have picked at least three more designs, but in the end just chose the plummy flowers.

I like how it looks with the pink repros, don't you?

And the basket!

Every year at the quilt show there is a lovely lady with a booth called "Studio 55" filled with these gorgeous baskets from Africa and ever since I was 19 years old and went to my first quilt show I have wanted one of them.

I am so glad I didn't buy one for myself, because at the very end of the show this year, Mom surprised me and asked me if I would like her to buy me a basket for all my hard work at the show.

Umm, let me think: YES!!!

So this is the lovely basket that came home with me. I love it because it's so pretty but mostly because my Mom bought it for me, which I think was so sweet of her.

Even when you're in your thirties I guess your Mom can still spoil you a little (okay, a lot).

It was a great show. We live in a state filled with very talented, hard-working people, and we are by no means lacking in fabric stores.

Hope you enjoyed the photos and if you were there hope you had an awesome time (I know I did).

XO,

Rhea

PS Read all about Brooke's trip to Maine Quilts here, here and here!

Something to say...

2011-07-26T04:43:00.000-07:00

There's been a lot of negativity in the world of craft blogs lately.

After many failed attempts at blog posts addressing the sources of negativity I've settled with this:

My mom has an expression that if you look for the bad in people, you will find it.

As much as I hate it when she has directed this expression my way, I have to admit that I think it is good advice.

In light of these last few days and recent events around the world, perhaps before we speak out and look for the bad in people, we can all remember (because I am guilty of this, too) that there are enough bad things out there that we can't control.

So I won't point fingers, but instead will point out that:

Sewing is a hobby and it's supposed to be fun (peaceful and meditative, even).

(Carry on).

XO,

Rhea

Getting ready for the show and the SALE!!!

2011-07-23T18:19:00.000-07:00

Busy bees at Alewives Fabrics, I tell you, busy bees...

Just a quickie to let you know that we're all busy here at the shop getting ready for Maine Quilts and cutting, cutting, cutting, prepping, prepping, prepping and all that jazz.

It's the one show we do each year and it takes a lot of prep work from our small little staff of five and kicks off a very busy month of August for us.

We're like worker bees in a fabric-store hive doing our busy bee dance and wiggling our little bee-hinds.

It's fun, I like it ;-)

And if we're getting ready for the Quilt Show, that means we are also getting ready for our annual Midsummer's Clearance Sale!

This year, the sale will start on Thursday, August 4th and end on Sunday, August 7th.

All fabrics in the classroom will be $3 per half yard (must be purchased in half yard increments, i.e., half yard, whole yard, one and a half yards, etc.) and there will also be various kits and patterns and books and notions on sale in the classroom, too.

This year we are also putting some of our samples up for sale: it will be a great time to score a deal on a Christmas gift of two...

And we cannot leave out our internet customers and get away with it, can we?

(No, no, no...)

I'm so excited to hold our very first "Online Midsummer's Clearance Sale" from Thursday, August 11th through Sunday, August 15th.

Our online customers will get their very own selection of sale fabrics, kits, patterns and more.

A phenomenal selection, if I do say so, myself... the locals will be jealous and they're gonna give me a hard time, mark my words!

Details on the online sale to follow when we have ironed out the wrinkles.

In other news and in all seriousness, I am so sad about Amy Winehouse's death.

I cannot believe it and I don't know what else to say.

I'm just so, so sad and I think the world is going to miss out on the music she would have made.

I will miss hearing her beautiful, soulful voice.

She was very talented.

Take care of yourselves and each other, wherever you are.

If you want someone to commiserate with, I'm your gal.

XO,

Rhea

Sarah Jane Sudios Children at Play

2011-07-20T09:45:00.000-07:00

We've been anxiously waiting for this line to arrive at the shop, and it is finally, finally here and up in the shop!

Say hello to "Children at Play" by Sarah Jane Studios:

Look for fat quarter bundles and other assorted goodies very soon!

XO,

Rhea

Craft Swap photos

2011-07-16T13:33:00.000-07:00

Here they are...

We didn't take too. too many pictures this time because we had a hard time locating batteries for the camera and there's of course no picture of the linen bunting that I made for the Craft Swap, but I will get a picture of it up here one of these days: it went home with my little sister!

Enjoy!

XO,

Rhea

Echo by Lotta Jansdotter

2011-07-15T05:27:00.000-07:00

I knew I had a serious textile addiction when a few years ago, despite having an entire fabric store at my disposal, I broke down after a whole five minutes of inner turmoil and bought a bag of scraps from Lotta's studio, and when they arrived proceeded to clutch them to my chest like Gollum hoarding the one ring to rule them all...

The good news is that Lotta Jansdotter has teamed up with Windham Fabrics to make her amazing designs accessible to the masses in the form of 20 delicious quilting weight cottons.

Alewives Fabrics will, of course, be carrying the entire collection.

The bad news is the release date is not until November 1st.

So sorry, my little chick peas, but good things come to those who wait (or so they tell me...).

XO,

Rhea

Quite the coup...

2011-07-08T15:47:00.000-07:00

So, I am exhausted on this Friday afternoon, but very pleased with all the new things that have been arriving at the shop lately.

First of all, I am in love with the new hand-screened fabrics from Umbrella Prints (my friends Amy and Carly in Australia design and print these fabrics all on their own). I showed you their quilting weight prints in my last post, but since then the hand-screens have arrived.

My heart will always belong to hand-screened prints. In another life I did a brief stint as a graphic designer, and these days most designing is all computer, computer, computer, but a couple of years in a row I hand-screened my own Christmas cards and I loved every minute of it.

There is something deeply, deeply personal about hand-screening and I think that shows in these fabrics of Amy and Carly's. They are really something special and I am so proud to be carrying them.

And the second squeal-inducing goodie to arrive at the shop this week came in just this afternoon in a benign enough looking box that I neglected to open for a few hours.

When I finally did open up the box I was (pleasantly) shocked to see our order of Anna Maria Horner Needleworks pearl cottons and embroidery floss had arrived.

Apparently, there was a bit of a flub-dub at Westminster because I had been told we wouldn't get these in until September, but, hey, I ain't complainin'!

And so they are out in the shop and up on the site and for sale, my friends, but I bet they will sell out very, very, quickly.

Enjoy all these new goodies and please do take a moment to check out everything in the new fabrics section, because a LOT of stuff has been arriving lately.

(Keeps us on our toes...)

In other news, I am excited for tomorrow night: I have a date with my sister to make our projects for the Craft Swap coming up on Friday night!

I hope you have a great weekend, too!

XO,

Rhea

Better late than never...

2011-07-05T11:58:00.000-07:00

Did you notice that we finally have a section for new fabrics on the website?

If you are one of the customers who suggested we do this, thank you, thank you, thank you!

(It was a really good idea).

There is some jaw-some stuff in there these days.

Have a look-see!

XO,

Rhea

Happy Fourth

2011-07-02T18:57:00.001-07:00

Hey all,

Would you go off with me on the Fourth?

I'd go off with you on the Fourth...*blush*

Ollie and Reuben and I are headed to Sprucehead for some much needed R&R.

Lobsters and fireworks and the beach and the Fourth.

I tell you I cannot wait.

I'll be back on Tuesday...

Whatever and wherever you are, enjoy the weekend and stay safe!

XO,

Rhea

Far Far Away 3 is in the house!

2011-06-27T10:12:00.000-07:00

As Carrie Bradshaw once said:

"Get it while it's hot.."

Far Far Away 3 could almost be considered 2 collections in one:

The "Snow White" prints (along with the "flowers" and the "laundry day" prints) are all printed on an absolutely delicious, lighter weight cotton/linen blend sheeting that would be perfect for quilts and garments.

The "girls who love horses" and "guitars" prints are only available in the heavier weight cotton/linen blend (the same substrate as Far Far Away 2...), which would be perfect for bags and the like.

I'm in love with both substrates, and although I haven't washed any of these newer, lighter cotton/linens as of yet, I'm betting they wash like a dream, and I know from experience that the heavier weight cotton/linens wash like a dream.

Does that make sense?

(I hope so...)

The rest of the prints from the collection will be arriving tomorrow, along with some other Japanese fabrics.

We'll also post some fat quarter bundles into alewivesfabrics.com as soon as we've got them cut, so check back again soon.

XO,

Rhea

Textiles in my life...

2011-06-22T06:19:00.001-07:00

Sadly this post is filled mostly with textiles that you cannot buy (well, atleast you cannot buy them from me, anyways...), but I thought they would be fun to share.

Let's take a little tour, shall we?

A funny story about this gorgeous table cloth: Mom and I went to the Flower & Garden show in Boston this spring, and there was a man there selling the MOST AMAZING tablecloths from Belgium and France.

Mom bought this tablecloth which was waaay out of my price range, and the whole ride home from the show I told Mom how much I loved the tablecloth and basically arranged for her to leave me the tablecloth in her will, because, as I pointed out to her several times, it would look really good in my kitchen.

Imagine my "surprise" (quote/unquote) when she gave me this tablecloth for my birthday.

(Actually, by my birthday I had forgotten all about the tablecloth so it really was a surprise... and I do love this tablecloth very much which you will find out if you ever visit my house and I yell at you when you try to put something on it...)

My hand-screened fabrics from my new BFF Lucie over at Summersville came in the mail.

I have no idea what I'm going to do with them, but whatever it is I can't wait to do it.

And Lucie sent me these magnets, too, made from some of her fabrics... I love them!

(Locals, the new Thai place in Damariscotta is really good: Ollie and I give it two thumbs up!)

My new ironing-board cover...

This is a "Pockets 2 Go" pattern, all made up by my friend Dawn...

She gave this to me for my birthday this year and I love it so much I don't know how I ever lived without it.

She's got my number: the linen and grey and teeny, tiny bit of orange stitching are perfect!

Currently the Pockets 2 Go is residing in my kitchen, handy for holding birthday cards and the like, but I have grand plans to move it into the office at the store and that will be the key to keeping me organized and on top of these things and I will never make another mistake again ever... all because of my Pockets 2 Go....

I couldn't help myself when I saw this little bundle of Liberty from Purl... it will probably become hexagons one of these days, but for now I just like to look at it and open it up and refold the little squares (*blush*)...

A new set of sheets I found at TJ Maxx, fresh out of the wash and waiting to go on the bed, super-soft with a cute print. Quite the score...

Remember this pile of fabrics from forever ago?

I made it into a quilt, which now needs to be quilted (and ironed, apparently...)

This would make a great picnic blanket, n'est-ce pas?

Throw pillows: the little one is from my friend Emily's shop, Nest, and the big one is part of the schwag Mom brought me back from her recent trip to Finland.

She new she was dead meat if she didn't bring me back some Marimekko.

I think they look nice together, don't you?

And although I am not expecting (I repeat: I am NOT expecting), I couldn't help but pounce on this awesome deal over at Denyse's shop.

The entire collection of baby quilt sets (which include bumpers, a crib-size quilt, a pillow sham and pillow form) are on sale for just $70, including shipping!

I could. not. believe it.

So although I am NOT having a baby any time soon, I thought this was such a good deal I would keep it for when I do have a baby, or for a baby shower gift, or for a throw quilt.

I mean, for $70, how can you go wrong?

I believe that concludes the tour of non-Alewives textiles in my life.

They've been fun to collect over the last few years.

Thanks for going on this tour with me!

XO,

Rhea

On Fathers Day and blessings in disguise...

2011-06-19T12:47:00.000-07:00

Did you ever have one of THOSE weeks?

How about one of those MONTHS?

You know which ones I mean: those days, weeks, months where everything just goes kaflooey all at the same time.

In the last few weeks, Ollie has had emergency surgery on his hand from a splinter (of all things) that got jammed into his palm pretty good at work.

Subsequently we are in worker's comp paperwork hell.

And my car is in desperate need of new tires.

Ollie's truck is on its last legs and every time he takes it out on the road we say a little prayer that he makes it back home again.

I was sick with that crazy morphing cold thing that everyone seemed to have.

And then last night Ollie and I went to the big city of Brunswick, which is a half hour or so south of here.

The power was out at the house and I was jonesin' for some Gelato Fiasco.

Rumor had it there was Pecan Sticky Bun in the case last night, which turned out to be false, which was A-okay with me because come on, it's the Gelato Fiasco and you can't go wrong.

After gelato we went to Wal-Mart to get Ollie some cheap shorts for work (he's a hard-wrokin' carpenter, hence the nasty splinters...) and all of a sudden, the car started making a very un-friendly grinding noise.

Ollie hopped out in the Wal-Mart parking lot and diagnosed the issue as worn-down brake pads.

To which I replied: "My car has those?"

Ollie said that it was not safe to drive home for fear of breaking the roter.

(I guess my car has a couple of those, too.)

Anyhow, we called AAA and it was going to cost $90 (at least) to tow the car home, and we just couldn't stomach that.

So as a wicked awesome present to my Dad on the eve of Father's Day we called him at 10:30 at night and said "Happy Father's Day! Come pick us up!"

And Dad, being the good Dad that he is, said "Sure, where are you?"

And we told him we were in the Wal-Mart parking lot.

Dad started laughing.

"What? What's so funny?" I asked.

"God is punishing you for going to Wal-Mart," he said.

And the whole thing was so funny that all of a sudden I couldn't help but laugh at myself.

The point I am trying to make here is that all of our kaflooey happenings of the past month are really quite trivial in the grand scheme of things, and THANK GOODNESS for hindsight, because I can truly say that I am glad *most* of them happened.

Because of the splinter in Ollie's hand, we got to spend hours in the waiting room together, talking, playing rock/ paper/ scissors, stitching up LOTS of hexagons, reading and just plain old being together.

I realized that there are not many people with whom it is a pleasure to spend time in an ER waiting room, but if I happen to be married to one of them (and he's cute to boot), then I must have done something right along the way...

Plus it was funny when he came out of the anesthesia and was kind of "loopy."

And yes, we are in worker's comp paperwork hell, but I did get to spend the whole week after the surgery with Ollie at home for my days off, which is quite rare indeed: normally he has weekends off and I have Tuesdays and Wednesdays off, so when we get time off together it is a bit of a treat.

Certainly worth a bit of paperwork, I'd say.

My car still needs new tires but that means I don't drive around as much as I normally would so I'm saving a bit of money on gas.

(Can you tell I'm still trying hard to see the bright side of that situation?)

Ollie's truck is on its last legs, but it has been a great truck in the meantime and we got our money's worth out of that thing several years ago, so any extra time is just a bonus.

My crazy morphing cold was not very serious and was probably just my body telling me to take a break for a while and chill the heck out: always good advice.

And although my car broke down, it meant that I got to spend a half an hour riding home in the backseat of my Dad's van with Reuben in my lap, listening to Ollie and Dad pontificate on the many different ways you can love a canoe for the entire ride, and I realized that they are not just my husband and my father, but they are genuinely friends with each other and that makes me disgustingly happy.

Plus Dad's line about "God punishing me for going to Wal-Mart" was priceless.

So...

Happy Father's Day to all the many different types of fathers out there: your little ones are never too old to call in the middle of the night for a bail-out.

And maybe it won't seem like a fun phone call to get at first, but at the very least it might remind you how very much you are loved and needed... even when your daughter is 32 and thinks she's got these things covered.

(Consider yourselves warned...)

XO,

Rhea

What I have found in my travels...

2011-06-14T11:34:00.001-07:00

(Image of hand screened fabric from Summersville's Etsy shop)

I've been a boring blogger lately...

Part of that comes with summer (although it sure doesn't seem like summer at the moment...brrr... Don't tell Ollie, but I've got the heat on for a bit... just to take the chill out of the air, mind you...) and part of that comes with being busier than usual and part of that comes with being sick for a week and a half now with a cold.

As colds go, it hasn't been so bad, but I have been quite tired and sluggish.

I've missed a couple days from work and have been spending a lot of quality time with my computer.

What I've found in my travels on the computer has been quite entertaining...

I've made new friends (Hi, Lucie!)...

Discovered new things that I want to make...

Discovered new things that I think the store should have and that I'll need to take up with my business associate (Mom)...

And did a little armchair shopping...

Discovered old things that are going out of print (we've got a solid stock of these at the shop: catch them while you can)...

Enjoyed one of my favorite movies of all time...

Firmly decided that in my next life I'm going to come back as a Broadway singer...

Gotten some juicy fabric-related news that I'm not allowed to share with you, except to say that there is some veeeeeeery awesome stuff coming down the pike from this fabric company...

Bought a new bathing suit from Old Navy for 10 bucks (look out, Damariscotta Mills!)...

And eaten many, many popsicles.

There.

I think you're all caught up now.

When I'm feeling better and have more interesting stuff to share I'll be back in the saddle again.

XO,

Rhea

Customer Inspiration: Nadine and Barbara

2011-06-05T12:36:00.000-07:00

Today I would like to share with you a couple of fabulous bags made by two of my favorite people, Nadine and Barbara.

Nadine is a customer and close friend (so close, in fact, that she was front and center at my wedding, along with a couple of other frequent flyers from the shop...) and Barbara is not technically a customer, because she works for us here at Alewives (doing the fabulous long-arm quilting, among other things), but she started out as a customer.

Let's start with Nadine's bag shall we?

You all know about my love affair with the Winslow Market Tote, right?

The infection seems to be spreading and Nadine has made no less than three at last count.

Here's the latest creation which was started and completed at Sewing Lounge last Friday night:

Gorgeous, n'est-ce pas?

Nadine made this bag completely from Home Decorator weight fat quarters, all from the new Amy Butler "Soul Blossoms" line.

The home decorator weight fabrics made the bag nice and sturdy and I think these particular fat quarters are so pretty together, but then again I did help her pick them out.

And then we have Barbara's Reversible Sunday Sling, which she made in the smaller size as a diaper bag for her daughter, who is expecting a new baby girl to arrive from Ethiopia very soon...

I love that this bag is completely reversible.

Barbara used the super-cute "Urban Circus" line by Laurie Wisbrun.

Couldn't possible be a more perfect diaper bag, don't you think?

Good job, both of you!

Keep up the good work, ladies!

XO,

Rhea

Hand-pieced Hexagon class recap

2011-06-01T17:01:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it has taken me 2 whole weeks to finally get around to posting these pictures, but that is how the cookie crumbles...

Here's Brooke teaching away at her Hand-pieced Hexagon class...

Is she not the most adorable little pink-haired pixie you ever saw?

I first met Brooke at the Maine State Quilt Show, which takes place every year at the Augusta Civic Center during the last weekend in July.

I have to confess that sometimes, Mom and I feel a bit like oddballs at the Quilt Show: not because the people aren't nice (they most assuredly are), but because we have fabrics that are a bit "out there" for the average Quilt Show-goer.

Having said that...

There are some people I look for every year, and little pink-haired Brooke has always been one of those people...

Except when I first met her, she was little blue-haired Brooke.

Not many people at the Quilt Show with blue hair, but I would have remembered Brooke any which way... :-)

We've been "hanging out" together on the internet ever since.

I think it was particularly brilliant of me to ask Brooke to visit the shop and teach us all how to make hand-pieced hexagons.

So brilliant that I think I'll do it again.

How 'bout it Brooke?

Come back and teach again this fall?

Yes, this was 2 whole weeks ago and I am still enamored with making little hexies.

Thanks so much, Brooke!

Everybody had a great time, including me!

XO,

Rhea

PS For much, much better photos of the class, check out Brooke's blog post on the same topic!

Have a happy Memorial Day Weekend!

2011-05-28T19:56:00.000-07:00

Sadly, not a lot of time for blogging or very much free time at all lately... seems like every minute has been accounted for... :-(

(That's what happens when you procrastinate.)

But...

I couldn't let too much more time go by without wishing you a happy Memorial Day Weekend!

XO,

Rhea

You could go with this or you could go with that

2011-05-24T12:35:00.000-07:00

I should be doing this:

But instead I'm doing this:

My big ol' apple tree is in blossom and starting to go by... I love that thing so much and look forward to when it blooms each year... "springtime snow."

This is what I've been doing the most: making tons of little hexies after Brooke's super-fabulous class on Sunday afternoon...

(These guys are still around...)

We FINALLY got around to planting our little garden... here's our best helper, surveying the rhubarb...

Our lilacs are *just about* to bloom...

And to top it all off I have a super-cute new haircut.

Bangs: who knew?

Very Marion Cotillard, don't you think?

(Thanks, Natasha... I love it!)

Isn't procrastinating grand?

XO,

Rhea

Customer Inspiration: Jaime and Jessica

2011-05-19T07:06:00.000-07:00

In keeping with the theme of my last post, today I have some gorgeous customer inspiration to share with you.

One came to me by way of e-mail, the other came to me in person, on the arm of a customer in our Damariscotta Mills store.

Up first, Jaime was one of my students in my latest online Turning Twenty class, which wrapped up on Easter Sunday.

(Aren't those hangers the sweetest things ever?)

Imagine my surprise a few weeks ago when I saw a last-minute order from Jaime: not for her Turning Twenty finishing supplies, but for the pattern and fabrics for not one, but two Oliver+S Family Reunion Dresses she was hoping to finish in time for Easter.

The Family Reunion Dress is one of three new patterns released by Liesl+Co this spring and I think it's the cutest thing ever: very timeless and classic and simple and sweet.

If I were me, I would totally wear the Family Reunion dress.

Here's what Jaime had to say about her experience stitching up her very first Oliver+S patterns:

Hey Rhea!!!

I thought (since I'm so proud of myself!) I'd share these photos of my girls in their mama-made Oliver & S dresses (from the patterns I ordered from your shop). These were my first dresses to make and I was blown away by the ease of the instructions and how wonderfully the fit & finished look turned out.

(yes, my turning twenty quilt was put on hold but I did manage to finish these in time for Easter!)

Awesome job, Jaime... and your little girls are so sweet!

I can't believe this was Jaime's first attempt at dress-making and that she was able to finish these little numbers in time for Easter... it must have been a close call!

(Doesn't this confirm everything I've always told you about the Oliver+S patterns? Lovely to work with, I tell you!)

And next up, we have a walk-in customer: my friend Jessica who sells gorgeous bags and goodies at her Maine Girl Creations etsy shop and at mainegirlcreations.com (check out her hot yoga bags... I am such a good candidate for one of those!).

I think Jessica was in the shop a full 1.5 seconds before I accosted her and demanded to know all about the fabulousness on her arm, which turned out to be the Cosmo Bag from the newest Amy Butler book, Style Stitches.

If you remember, I have made one of these bags myself and reviewed the pattern here.

It was so much fun to chat with Jessica about the bag and confirm what worked well and what was tough, and discuss our mutual love for the dancing paisley fabric in limestone.

I think her bag is gorgeous.

Reminds me I need to make one of those to keep for myself.

Well, that's it for today... I hope if it's not good "outdoor" weather that wherever you are it's good "sewing weather."

When the forecast calls for rain five days in a row, you kinda have to make the most of it, right?

And thanks so much to Jaime and Jessica for a good healthy dose of customer inspiration!

XO,

Rhea

Rainy days and Sundays

2011-05-15T11:38:00.000-07:00

One of my biggest failures as a blogger is that sometimes I see the most amazing projects made from our fabrics and I get so caught up in the moment that I forget to grab the camera and take a picture for the blog.

But... every once in a while I remember.

Along those lines, my fabulous friend Donna stopped in this afternoon with a Winslow Market Tote that her daughter, Alison, had made for her.

Don't you love it? Super cute.

The Winslow Market tote madness continues...

(Good job, Ali).

And just now, as I was writing this post, our most beloved "frequent flyer" Anne came in the shop, dressed in head-to-toe Alewives Fabrics, including her Winslow Market Tote, done up in Echino's Fall 2010 collection.

Anne made the gorgeous raincoat you see here in Barbara's recent raincoat class.

The pattern is Amy Butler's "Hooded Raincoat and Runabout Jacket," which makes great use of all our gorgeous laminated fabrics.

The class was a huge hit, and I'm guessing there are quite a few ladies in the Midcoast area wearing their Hooded Raincoats these days.

Especially on a day like today when they are forecasting a whole week's worth of rain, I really wish I had one of these stylish raincoats for myself.

Maybe I can whip one up tonight (highly unlikely...), because speaking of sitting out in the rain...

In other news, I won't be back on the blog until Wednesday at the earliest.

Ollie won a pair of Red Sox tickets (much to my not-too-cool-calm-and-collected delight. I was the picture of shear insanity when they called his name and announced he was the winner... restraint has never been my "thing"... and I may or may not have had two glasses of wine and no lunch that day... *grimace*...) and so we are off to my old stomping grounds.

I'm really excited and I can't wait to see the public gardens at this time of year.

The forecast calls for rain, but I am going to pack my cutest splish-splash gear and pray really hard for good weather!

Look for us at the game tomorrow night: we'll be the ones all bundled up right behind first base, trying to catch a foul ball or two, eating our Fenway franks.

Have a great couple of days and I will see you all again soon!

XO,

Rhea

PS Just in case you haven't heard by now, you can find the Winslow Market Tote pattern for free right here. Thanks so much to Kathy Mack for designing such a cute bag, it really hits the spot here at Alewives Fabrics!

Birds and Berries hand-applique for beginners class announced

2011-05-12T11:57:00.000-07:00

We are so excited to announce a new class here at Alewives: "Birds and Berries" hand-applique for beginners, taught by the most fabulous Barbara Martin.

Barbara's enthusiasm for hand-applique is super-infectious, and we're beyond thrilled that she's finally agreed to teach a beginner's applique class (we've been shamelessly begging her for YEARS!).

If you like knitting or binding or crochet or any other type of handwork, you should really give applique a try.

All you need to learn are a few simple stitches and tricks and you're on your way to making any number of gorgeous projects.

On a personal note, I learned to hand-applique a few years ago, and I love it.

For those of you who scoff at the idea of doing a block entirely by hand, think of it like this:

I always equate applique to reading a good book: you like reading a good book because it's so much fun to be "in the middle" of something, and you can read for five minutes here and five minutes there when you have a moment.

Then one day you finish your book and you are almost disappointed to be "done" (until you start another good book...).

To me, applique is the same thing.

It's portable (all you need are your needle, thread, a small pair of scissors and your project) and it's so much fun to have a "go-to" project that will save you from being bored in so many different situations.

You can work on hand-applique in front of the TV, in line at the DMV, at your kid's soccer game, at the beach, in the garden, on the back porch... any ol' place!

You'll really look forward to working on your Birds and Berries block and remember: this class is geared towards absolute beginners, so we're keeping things simple and you'll be able to finish most of your block in class under Barbara's supervision.

The pattern is free (it's a collaborative effort between Barbara and myself... can you tell I'm a proud mama?) and you can turn your "Birds and Berries" block into a pretty pillow, a patchwork bag panel, a quilt block, a wallhanging, most anything you like!

I love how this block would work well in any type of fabric: from contemporary to batik to reproduction. The personality of that little bird could really change depending on your fabric choices and he'd be perfect in anyone's home!

If you would like to sign up for the "Birds and Berries" hand-applique for beginners class with Barbara Martin, the workshop will be held Saturday, June 18th from 9:30 to 12:00. The class is a real bargain at just $25 per student. You can call us (207 563 5002) with a credit card number or stop by the shop in person to reserve your space.

We'll see you there!

XO,

Rhea

Hop 'til you drop!

2011-05-10T04:36:00.000-07:00

Here's a treat for all you locals:

Yes, it's true that the Maine Shop Hop has just wrapped-up for another year, but here at Alewives Fabrics we are gearing up for one more shop hop...

Coming right up on June 3rd, 4th and 5th, we will be participating in our first-ever Spring Into Summer Shop Hop and this hop is a bit different from others we've done in the past...

What makes the Spring into Summer Shop Hop special and fun?

• There are only 6 shops participating in the Spring Into Summer Shop Hop: Maine-ly Sewing, Alewives Fabrics, Mariner's Compass, Cottonweeds, Quiltessentials and the Calico Basket. Each shop will be open from 10:00 to 7:00 on June 3rd and 4th and open from 10:00 to 5:00 on June 5th, which means this hop can easily be completed in one weekend (or even one day!).

• Visit participating shops and have your "passport" stamped: okay, this part is not so different from other hops, but here's where it gets good: prizes include over $1,000 in gift certificates to your favorite local shops, everyone receives a "finishing gift" for visiting all six shops and the grand prize is a Janome sewing machine worth $550. A smaller pool of hoppers means your chances of winning a prize are sky-high!

• Each shop has chosen a different project from the same book to showcase during the hop: see what project each shop chose and get a sense of our different "personalities." Each shop will also have goodies for each hopper to munch along the way to help you keep your energy high!

• Passports are on sale now for $7.50. You can purchase one at any participating shop and each hopper who signs up gets a pretty, bright green insulated grocery tote.

Sound like fun?

Be sure to sign up in advance and get a whole group of girlfriends together: it's going to be a great weekend for hopping!

If you have any questions, fire away.

We also have a facebook page for the hop: make sure you "like" us and keep on top of all thing Spring into Summer...

See you soon!

XO,

Rhea

The white badge of courage...

2011-05-07T07:26:00.001-07:00

Here in the Mills, my neighbors and I sport something I like to call "the white badge of courage."

Or, more specifically, our houses sport the white badge.

Put another way, you know you live in the Mills when:

your roof looks like this for 6 weeks in the spring.

Personally, I kind of like it and get a kick out of the whole thing...

Where else in the world do you have your very own seasonal seagull hotel?

They really aren't very good guests, though...

(View of my house from the back...)

(View of my house from the front...)

(View of the store from the back...)

(View of the store from the front...)

Even the church is not immune! Is nothing sacred?

BUT...

It's not just the seagulls who come and visit us at this time of year.

There would be no seagulls without the alewives, would there?

Confession: I got up early this morning and went poking around the fish ladder to try and get some new, fresh photos of the fish, but the alewives were a bit camera shy and I didn't see a single fish!

Maybe they'll come out later on for the afternoon matinee...

I did take some photos of the fish ladder to share with you, though.

I think a lot of people come to see the fish ladder expecting to see literally a ladder made out of fish, but really the fish ladder is a man-made stream that helps aid the fish from the Great Salt Bay into Damariscotta Lake.

Let me put it this way:

If you were a fish, would you rather try and swim upstream through this:

Or through this:

It's a no-brainer, n'est-ce pas?

And every so often, if you are reaaaallly lucky and get up super-early in the morning, you will catch a glimpse of the elusive and rare ale-husband through the brush:

I'm told you can attract them with Dunkin' Donuts and brunettes who own fabric stores.

Hope you have a great weekend!

XO,

Rhea

Alewives Fabrics is hiring!

2011-05-05T08:35:00.000-07:00

Alewives Fabrics has a full time opening for a friendly, outgoing employee at our busy shop in Damariscotta Mills. The ideal candidate does not need to be a master sewist/knitter/quilter, but passion for those crafts is definitely a plus! The position will be for 35 hours a week: Monday through Friday, 10:00am-5:00pm. In addition to the 35 hours a week, once a month you will be asked to cover our Sewing Lounge, which meets from 5:00-8:30pm on Friday nights.

The position includes maintenance and processing of fabric sales on our website, uploading new fabrics and other products to the website, creating and sending our e-newsletter, updating our facebook page, and e-mail correspondence with customers; therefore, all applicants need to have strong computer skills.

In addition to maintenance of the website, the position includes assisting customers and maintenance in our retail store. A typical day includes aiding customers, processing new fabrics, cutting fabrics for kits, tidying and rearranging the shop and taking inventory. These tasks keep our employees very busy, so the ideal applicant needs to have lots of energy and be able to self-direct. Applicants need to be friendly and outgoing with excellent customer service skills.

Our shop is classified as contemporary: knowledge of modern designers, authors, blogs and fabric companies is also a plus, but not absolutely necessary. The position does not require that the applicant do any sewing or knitting; therefore, even if you do not have strong sewing and knitting skills, you are still encouraged to apply. Conversely, applicants are warned that they unfortunately won't get to do much sewing or knitting at the shop as the other tasks and duties keep us all very busy. If you are interested, please e-mail your resume to alewives@alewivesfabrics.com or drop off your resume at the shop.

Thanks very much and we look forward to hearing from you!

The alewives are here!

2011-05-04T09:29:00.000-07:00

The seagulls have been waking us up at a super-early hour each morning so I knew they were here, but I saw them today with my very own eyes.

Though it's still early and they're not here by the zillions like they will be in a couple of weeks, it still never fails to amaze me when these fish show up each year.

Ever wonder how the alewives got their funny name (And consequently how the store got it's name as well)?

Read all about it in our newest online newsletter right here.

See you again soon!

XO,

Rhea

Giveaway today on the blog "Stumbles & Stitches"

2011-05-02T11:33:00.000-07:00

Hello all,

Do you like free Alewives Fabrics?

I'm assuming you do, so I will tell you there's a giveaway of particular interest over on Angel and Jenny's blog, "Stumbles & Stitches".

(Sorry folks, the giveaway is only open to US residents...)

Go forth and enjoy the gorgeousness that is the Pomegranate Fat Quarter Set!

(I made it myself!)

XO,

Rhea

The Royal Wedding

2011-04-29T08:52:00.000-07:00

So sweet...

I'll admit, I got up at 4:00 this morning to watch the whole thing...

Here's a link to a story that was on CBS Sunday Morning this past week about the Royal School of Needlework, who helped make some of the garments you saw at the wedding.

Enjoy your weekend (especially those of you across the pond!).

XO,

Rhea

Next quilting bee for Russ and Diana Williams

2011-04-25T10:57:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone,

Just popping in to announce that the next quilting bee for Russ and Diana Williams (my neighbors who lost their home in a fire a few weeks ago... read all about it here), will be held this coming Sunday, May 1st from 12:00 to 5:00 pm.

If you came to the first one we would love to see you at this next quilting bee, and even if you were unable to attend the first bee, please feel free to come to this bee as well. Alewives will be providing a pizza lunch for all who attend, so bring your appetites!

Thanks again to everyone who turned out for the first bee: I cannot BELIEVE the gorgeous quilt blocks we turned out for not one, but TWO, beautiful quilts. I know Russ and Diana are excited about the quilts and so touched by the outpouring of support from the community. Let's turn those gorgeous blocks into quilt tops: I bet we can get them all done this Sunday!

If you would like to come, please call and we will write your name down so we know how much pizza to buy, but if you'd like to just surprise us and show up, that's okay, too!

See you there!

XO,

Rhea

Denyse and JoAnn and Me

2011-04-22T17:28:00.000-07:00

File this under "For what it's worth," but I thought it might be a good time to confess that last Monday night, as soon as Ollie got home from work, I asked him to turn around and march himself right back out the door so that we could drive to the nearest JoAnn Fabrics together (it's 40 minutes away) and buy some of the new Denyse Schmidt fabrics.

Now, I know some of you out there might not even know that Denyse has a new line of fabric out that is only available at JoAnn stores (she does).

But I know there are quite a few of you out there who DO know about the new fabrics (it has been all over the internet this past week) and may be a bit confused as to why I would do such a thing as to drive straight out and buy from a chain store when I, myself, own a local fabric store.

And because I feel that everyone is entitled to my opinion (whether they want it or not), I thought I would share my thoughts on the whole situation.

I've seen a few comments on the internet and had a few discussions in the shop where people are concerned that designers like Denyse Schmidt and Liesl Gibson (both of whom are selling their fabrics and patterns at JoAnn stores) may ultimately hurt the smaller local fabric stores.

If you've read my post about "To Mardens or not to Mardens" then you know my feeling on the subject...

In my own weird, warped way, I do NOT believe that this turn of events will harm my business, but in fact, in the long run, it may be a good thing for my business. No need to rehash old posts.

And let us not forget that deep, down, underneath it all, the Alewivesgirl is just someone who loves fabric. If Denyse Schmidt has a new line available anywhere you bet your sweet bippy I'm running straight out to see it and feel it (and in this case, buy it) for myself.

Denyse would never put her stamp upon something that wasn't completely fabulous and the collection at JoAnn's is no exception. I have to point out, the quality of the fabric is lovely and the price was comparable to prices at my own shop.

In fact, I had a great time jumping in the car with Ollie, driving to the big(ish) city, grabbing my shopping cart and piling it up with the bolts from Denyse's new line. It was fun and good for me to be a shopper and not a retailer for a change and bring home some new fabric for the stash.

And okay, yeah, I did feel a little "smirky" when the lady behind the counter admitted she liked the fabrics but had never heard of Denyse Schmidt. My inner fabric snob was all "Mwa ha ha... of COURSE you haven't, you work at JoAnn's!" as I rubbed my hands together.

But I unfortunately have to admit that a lot of my customers and contemporaries have also never heard of Denyse Schmidt. The issue is by no means exclusive to JoAnn fabrics.

And am I super-jealous that I can't carry these fabrics in my shop? Yes! I would have bought this entire collection in a heartbeat (even the pink and yellow colorway that you can only get in Australia!), but them's the breaks and there are puh-lenty of other fish (and fabrics) in the sea.

But, I repeat, I do not think that this cross-marketing with chain stores will have a negative effect on my business. We will always provide different experiences for the customer and just like any other shops in my area, JoAnn's will always keep me on my toes and that is DEFINITELY good for my business.

And speaking of things that are good for my business, Denyse personally has done so much for independently-owned local fabric stores like Alewives Fabrics (remember when she came to visit us and teach her Improvisational Patchwork workshop?).

And I think she had an awful lot to do with a piece of happy news I wanted to share with you all:

I saw just the other day that Free Spirit will be doing a reprint of Flea Market Fancy this Spring.

Exciting, is it not? (I'm super-jazzed: take that, JoAnn's!)

But in all seriousness, chain-stores are not the devil. My goal is not for JoAnn's to fail; my goal is for my business to succeed and to be the best local fabric store it can be. If a new Denyse collection brought me to a JoAnn's store, whose to say it wouldn't bring a JoAnn's shopper to my store in the future?

So if you see me in the shop and you want to jibber-jabber about how cool the new Denyse Schmidt collection is, there's no need to be ashamed (yes, Tammy, I mean you!).

And if you want to call me later and ask me which section of JoAnn's has the Lisette patterns (yes, you again, Tammy) I will happily share that information with you.

Not only am I a rather open-minded and optimistic local fabric shop-owner (if I do say so myself), I am also an equal-opportunity shopper.

Moral of the story:

Denyse Schmidt is a very smart, very talented lady and if she would like to design a line for JoAnn Fabrics, then she absolutely has my support...

AND my 40% off coupon.

XO,

Rhea

New in the shop

2011-04-20T05:24:00.001-07:00

It is quite the production outside my window today: rain, thunder, howling winds, a little bit of hail...

Perfect sewing weather, n'est-ce pas?

These gorgeous new fabrics came in last week and I meant to write about them at the time, but the shop has been sooo busy with shop hoppers that a lot of things I *meant* to do got put on the back-burner.

The good news is that even though this busyness has delayed me updating the blog, it is probably the perfect day to talk about these gorgeous new fabrics from Cloud9 Organics: the collection is called "Cut Out & Keep" and was designed by Heather Moore of Skinny LaMinx fame.

I love!

I want!

I need!

I see a Winslow Market Tote in my future!

Fat quarter bundles of "Cut Out & Keep" can be found right here and yardage of the individual prints, along with all of our organic fabrics, can be found here on our organics page (which is getting bigger and bigger... exciting!)

Also new in the shop is the latest from Carolyn Gavin (remember her debut collection, called "Wild Thyme?" It was one of those collections that came into the shop and within one month was absolutely gone... not a scrap to be had!).

This new collection is called "Spring Street" and bears Carolyn's signature style (in other words, super-cute and colorful).

We gave Carolyn her own page on the website and Jessica cut out fat quarter bundles that would be perfect for a Turning Twenty or a Yellow Brick Road quilt. The fat quarter bundles contain all 15 of the prints that we carry from the Spring Street collection, plus five fat quarters of coordinating solids.

So if the weather is bleak where you live, let's all just stay inside in our PJ's today and pop a good movie on the TV and make ourselves a cup of tea and stitch something up from these new fabrics.

What do you say, who's with me?

XO,

Rhea

Hand-pieced hexagons class announced with guest instructor Brooke Biette

2011-04-16T11:13:00.001-07:00

4/18/11 edited to add: only 2 out of the 10 spots are left in Brooke's workshop. Please do call or stop in if you would like one of them! XO, Rhea

Sooo excited for this guest workshop!

I'm pleased to announce that my good friend Brooke Biette (of AprilTwoEighty fame) will be making the journey from her home in Portland to come and teach our students how to hand-piece hexagons using the tried-and-true English paper-piecing technique.

In addition to being a fabulous photographer (as evidenced by all these glorious images she has allowed me to use), my little Brooke is also a very talented hand-stitcher... take a look at her "Little Hexies" flickr set here.

If you would like to take the workshop with Brooke, spaces in the class are $25 each and can be reserved by calling the shop or stopping by in person. The hand-pieced hexagons workshop will take place on Sunday, May 22nd from 1:00 to 4:00 in the afternoon and will cover the "how-to's" of hand-piecing hexagons and then explore options for using them.

These little hexies are so cute! Stitched together, they would make a great tablerunner, potholder, mini-quilt, pillow... any number of things. Brooke will help her students figure out creative ways to use their hexies. For some inspiration, take a look at the current issue of Stitch magazine, which shows s a sweet little hexagon detail on a tote-bag. So many options for using up these sweet, sweet little hexagons.

What I think has me the most thrilled about the workshop (besides the prospect of spending the afternoon with Brooke) is that students need no previous experience, making this a great workshop for beginners and more experienced stitchers alike. And since the hexies are pieced by hand, you won't need your sewing machine, which means you can travel light! Just toss some fabrics, needles, thread, scissors and your hexagon templates (we've got 'em at the shop) into a bag and you are good to go!

Fair warning: I have sold two spots just this morning and haven't even "officially" announced the class yet (guess I am doing that now...), so please let me know as soon as possible if you would like a space. If you have any questions, feel free to ask away and in the meantime, check out Brooke's blog and Flickr sets!

XO,

Rhea

Happy Birthday to me!

2011-04-14T12:55:00.000-07:00

And now for the winner of the Summer 2011 Stitch magazine giveaway...

The winner is a local girl...

Christine Peters Hamilton(!)

Christine said...

I love this magazine--so inspirational!

Chris, I know you are a local so I am hereby making you come in and pick up your magazine in person, mwa ha ha...

Plus, it's my birthday today and I can get away with these things.

Thanks so much to everyone who entered and who sent me happy birthday wishes.

In about an hour work will be done and it's a gorgeous day out there.

As we say in Maine, "I'm gonna come out of here right sideways."

I happen to know that when I get home there is a mystery birthday present waiting for me from Ollie, plus a bottle of Prosecco and a sunny backyard deck and a grill.

Perfect birthday evening, I'd say.

Year 32: so far, so good!

XO,

Rhea

Have you seen...

2011-04-12T05:34:00.000-07:00

... the ribbon page lately?

Something about spring that makes me think of ribbons.

Here are some of my favorites:

Dala Horse ribbon

Purple Beets ribbon

Cherry double-fold bias tape

My personal favorite is this Marigold bias tape... this would make a great trim on a plain linen tote bag, n'est-ce pas?

Coral Twill (this is 2" wide! Parlez-vous bag handles?)

Marine Blue twill... (also 2" wide)

So as you can see, there's a lot of good stuff and a lot more than ribbons on our ribbons page.

If you visit the shop in person you can find these and other goodies in our "Hall of Notions."

Don't forget that Thursday is the day I pick the winner for the Summer Stitch Magazine.

You can still enter the giveaway here.

See ya then!

XO,

Rhea

New Oliver+S patterns in stock

2011-04-08T04:20:00.000-07:00

If you've been (not so) patiently waiting for the newest pattern collection from Oliver+S, the wait is over! These three patterns are some of Liesl's best work and once again, I find myself yearning for adult versions...

The Family Reunion Dress:

The Seashore Sundress: (So cute! This looks to be a re-working of the super-popular Tea Party Sundress and would be great for beginning seamstresses... Remember my friend Francesca's happy sewing experience with her first Oliver+S pattern? )

And finally, the Class Picnic Blouse and Shorts:

And in case you are wondering, Liesl's newest fabric collection, Modern Workshop, should be here as yardage very shortly. We do still have a few of the charm squares and jelly rolls left, though!

See you again soon!

XO,

Rhea

New Stitch Magazine is here and it's fabulous/wonderful/inspiring!

2011-04-04T12:26:00.000-07:00

Today is a rainy/snowy/windy/generally miserable kind of day.

Just the kind of day where we need a little treat/goodie/pick-me-up.

You can imagine how pleased I was to return from a trip to the bank/post office/newspaper to find that the new Stitch magazine had arrived!

Just what the doctor/therapist/general-sewing-enthusiast ordered, I'd say...

This is the Summer 2011 Color Issue, with lots of fun/useful/inspiring articles, as usual.

You can get your copy of the new Stitch magazine in the online store/brick-and-mortar shop/ leaving me a comment here on today's post.

In other words... if you are still reading... this is a giveaway!

Good luck and I will pick a winner on next Thursday/April 14th/My birthday #32!

XO,

Rhea

Wild and woolly for the first day of the Shop Hop

2011-04-01T05:02:00.000-07:00

5 to 10 inches of snow are forecast for today, which is not the most conducive weather to traveling across the state for the 8th Annual Maine Quilt Shop Hop...

We have already lost power several times today but I have been puttering around here having a grand 'ol time.

(Updated to add that after an outage that lasted a couple of hours, the power seems to be on now, for good! If you are out there reading this and wondering if we are open, we are open! And Sewing Lounge is on for tonight as well!)

Luckily hoppers have the entire month of April to get their passports stamped, collect their free goodies, enter all those door-prize drawings and maybe even squeeze in some shopping!

We've got new kits at the shop and new fabrics, plus we have goody bags to hand out with some fun surprises inside... one of which I will post about next week.

And for each and every shop hopper that comes through our door we have one of these as well:

So hope for better weather the rest of the month (let's get the snow out of the way now, shall we?).

Hop 'til you drop!

XO,

Rhea

Back to basics: "Rhea's fancy-schmancy pinning tutorial"

2011-03-29T13:21:00.000-07:00

(That is the official title.)

Before we begin, let me preface this whole post by saying that there are lots of different ways to pin, and no one way is "right" or "wrong." Certainly there are times when extra-special pinning is called for, but the following is my way of getting the down and dirty, everyday pinning done.

This is excerpted and adapted from my Virtual Turning Twenty class, but fits most any project. Hope it is helpful to you, too!

Now, the whole point of pinning is to temporarily hold your fabrics together in the same way that the stitching will eventually hold everything together. Pinning is not my most favorite thing to do, but I still like it better than cutting (ugh, cutting... you all know how I hate to cut!). Point is, there are times when you have to pin: there's just no getting around it. And as much as pinning might not be my favorite part of quilting, it's much, much better than finding a "gone" place in your stitching and having to go back and re-stitch. Might as well do things right the first time, don't you think?

When quilting, you are normally stitching with a 1/4" seam allowance, so I am going to place all of my pins approximately 1/4" away from the raw edge of my fabrics. If I was stitching with a 5/8" seam allowance, I would place my pins 5/8" away from the raw edge.

I also like to put my pins in parallel to the raw edge (just like the stitching will eventually be parallel to the raw edge).

I also like to weave the point of my pin in and out of the fabric a few times (if you just put it in once, the fabric can pivot around the pin and wiggle and doesn't that defeat the whole purpose of pinning? I mean, if we're going to do this let's DO THIS!)

I also like to think ahead and imagine the direction in which I will be sewing and place the point of the pin so that, as it travels up to the foot of the machine, I will be pulling the pin out towards myself instead of trying to pull it out towards the presser foot.

Whaaaa????

(If that last step has left you scratching your head, the next couple of photos should clear things up for you, so just file that sentence away and keep on chugging with me...)

Here's a photo of how I like my pins to be placed:

There are three pins along the top edge of the fabric in this photo: they are my favorite flat flower pins and they are long and sharp with a nice big flower head that's easy to see and easy to pull out. They're great for quilting when you want a nice long pin, and usually great for garment stitching, too. There are times when a nice long pin is called for and times when a shorter, daintier pin is called for.

I always put the "middle" pin of a section in first, then place the pins on the left and right-hand sides of the fabric. That way, any excess fabric is distributed evenly to both ends of the section.

See how these pins are parallel to the fabrics' raw edge and woven in and out a couple of times?

Here's a close-up:

As I am sewing, because I have placed the pin with the pointy part pointing away from me, I can pull the pins out as I go by pulling the pin heads towards me. Trust me, this is much easier than pulling the heads of the pins out towards your presser foot.

True, this can take a little "getting used to," but once you do it a couple of times, you will be able to think ahead and figure out how you should place your pins so you can pull them out towards you as you are sewing (I promise!).

And because I have woven the pin in and out of the fabric at least a couple of times, that sucker's not going anywhere, unless I want it to.

Although there are a few exceptions to this rule, you should always pull your pins out before you stitch over them. I could tell you some doozies about late-night extractions with pliers from where a needle struck a pin, breaking it in two, sending tiny metal pieces deep into the machine.

And worse, I could tell you some doozies about trips to the emergency room where a needle struck a pin, breaking it in two, sending tiny metal pieces deep into someone's eyes and forehead.

The former has happened to me. The latter, thank goodness, has not.

Sometimes when I am sewing my face is right up in the machine, much, much closer than I realize, and I am probably a good candidate for sewing with safety goggles on, but I much prefer to remove a pin before I stitch over it.

Although there are a few exceptions to this rule (like when I am stitching around a curve or setting in a sleeve), that's my personal "pin removal" policy.

And that's how (in my opinion...) you do "everyday" pinning: with nearly all projects.

Hope the fancy-schmancy tutorial was helpful to you: now go forth and pin!

XO,

Rhea

Community Quilting Day for Russ and Diana Williams

2011-03-26T11:34:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone,

Just a note to let all you locals know that we have decided to hold the community quilting bee for Russ and Diana Williams on Sunday, April 3rd from 12-5. The Williams are our friends and neighbors whose home was destroyed in a fire a week ago. The fire destroyed their master bedroom and spread to all of the rooms on the second floor, including their son's and daughter's bedrooms, so you can imagine that several homemade quilts were lost, either in the fire itself or to smoke and water damage.

Diana is a wonderful quilter and member of Clamshell Quilters, our local quilt guild. She has been a friend, neighbor and customer of Alewives Fabrics for the past 30 years. Just a couple of days before the fire she was in the shop purchasing fabrics for a new baby quilt. Russ and Diana are coping remarkably well: I can only imagine the pain that their family is going through right now. And although it is impossible for me to fully understand what they are feeling, one thing I can do is make a quilt.

If you want to put your skills to action, please join us on April 3rd. Alewives will provide fabric, tools and pizza. We are hoping to be able to piece together at least one quilt top, and will hold subsequent quilting bees until all of the Williams' quilts have been replaced. I have told Diana about the Community's intentions and she will be in on the selection of fabrics, etc. If you decide to come you will be put to work cutting fabric, piecing quilt blocks and stitching together the quilt tops. Our own Barbara Commeau has volunteered to machine-quilt the tops.

Please bring your sewing machine with a 1/4 inch foot, and if you have your own rotary cutter, ruler, scissors, pins, etc. that you are willing to bring, please do so (just make sure to label your tools so they don't get mixed up with anyone else's). Remember, you won't need to bring any fabric: Diana will be selecting from what we have here at the shop. Anything else you would like to bring (food, drinks, tools, etc.) would be most welcome!

And one last favor I will ask everyone who is coming: if you are able, please park either in the lower parking lot or along the road in front of my house as the Shop Hop will be in full swing. Since April 3rd will be the first full weekend of the Shop Hop we want to keep the front parking lot as open as possible for Hoppers who will be coming and going throughout the day.

Thanks so much to everyone who has already volunteered their time. I spoke with Diana yesterday and she and Russ are both overwhelmed and touched with the outpouring of support from the community.

Thanks in advance and we'll see some of you on April 3rd at 12:00 sharp!

XO,

Rhea

PS Thanks also to all of my friends from blogland who have volunteered to help Russ and Diana! As soon as we know what fabrics Diana would like, you can bet I will be putting you all to work as well!

Back to basics: Ironing 101

2011-03-24T17:23:00.000-07:00

Hello one and all,

I have been really busy lately and now I'm having Catholic Guilt about neglecting the blog, so I thought I would share something with you that I have been meaning to share for a while.

The following is an excerpt from one of my Virtual Turning Twenty lesson plans, modified a bit so it makes sense out of context.

My Virtual Turning Twenty class is going quite well, I think (hi, ladies!), but this particular excerpt from the lesson plan could be useful for anyone who quilts...

Think of it as Ironing 101 and I am your professor. I have tenure, too, so don't even think about filing a complaint!

Here goes...

I like to put water in my iron so it is nice and steamy.

The steam not only gives you a nice little semi-facial, sauna-type effect, but it really helps your fabrics to press flat and behave nicely.

For years and years I never used any steam in my iron, because lots of "old school" quilters will tell you that steam will stretch and distort your fabrics, but recently I have been turned on to using steam and now I find it much, much easier to press with a little steam rather than without!

Now I am going to give you a golden kernel of advice that will serve you well throughout your entire sewing career: no one ever taught me this, I think I read it in a book somewhere, and I rarely hear anyone mention it, but it will help you out a LOT when you are ironing and piecing and trying to be accurate.

See this picture below?

These are actually two fabric pieces that were just stitched together and then clipped from the machine. The seam is on the right hand side of the square. I haven't done anything to the pair of fabrics since clipping them from the machine... just brought them over to my ironing board. The two fabrics are right-sides together and you are seeing the wrong side of one of the fabrics:

See how wrinkly this is???

Most people will tell you that after a pieced set of fabric comes off of the machine you can just go ahead and press the seam allowance to one side or the other, but I am going to tell you to "set the seam."

"Setting the seam" is just a technical term for ironing pieced-pairs exactly the way they came off of the machine...

In other words, DON'T FLIP THE PAIRING OPEN, but iron while the two fabrics are still right- sides together and the pairing that was all wrinkly before will get pressed with the iron and will now look like this:

See how nice and neat it now looks?

Let's do a little before and after...

Before: After:

See the difference? It's the weirdest thing, and it seems small, but this helps soooo much later on down the road.

Now that I have passed on that golden kernel of knowledge and you know how to set the seam, let's flip the fabrics open, like this:

We still have wrong sides up, but we are going to press the seam allowance to one side, just like in the photo.

Go ahead and press the seam allowance with the iron.

Be careful when you are pressing that you don't create an extra crease in the seam, inadvertently making your seam allowance larger: you want the seam to lie nice and flat.

Next, we are going to flip the pair over so that the fabrics are RIGHT sides up and give it one last press from the right side:

This is what you should see: a nice, flat, neat, clean pair.

It's so exciting, an accurate, don't you think?

(What can I say, I get excited by these things...)

I know some people don't like ironing (probably the people who DO like cutting!), but personally, I like it a lot.

I like the steam and the heat.

(I am an Aries...)

In my opinion, careful ironing and careful pinning (which we will get to later) are JUST as important as careful cutting.

To review, ironing as I see it is a three-step process:

Step one: "set the seam."

Step two: press the seam allowance from the wrong side.

Step three: flip the fabrics over and give them one last press from the right side.

Any questions???

That's all for Ironing 101, boys and girls... hope you learned something!

If you like, I can follow up with my "Philosopy of Pinning" tutorial one of these days, when I am feeling a similar combination of laziness and guilt...

XO,

Rhea

Winslow Market Tote class added to the roster

2011-03-20T13:20:00.000-07:00

Hello and happy Sunday to everyone,

Just a note to say that I have swip-swapped around some of the classes coming up for April.

Most notably I am going to be holding a class on the Winslow Market Tote on April 10th and 17th. The class will cover construction of the bag from beginning to end: the first weekend we will work on cutting and sewing, the next weekend we will finish up the bag.

If you are a beginning "sewist" in the area and want to try your hand at this bag, I guarantee you will love it! The bag uses 5 fat quarters, plus a couple of coordinating fabrics, so I am predicting the hardest part will be choosing which fabrics you would like to use. Of course, I always think that is the most fun part...

If you would like to sign up for the class, there are some more details here, and you can always send me an e-mail (rhea@alewivesfabrics.com) or call us (207 563 5002) for more info.

See you all again soon, and thanks for your well-wishes for our neighbors!

XO,

Rhea

2011-03-19T19:35:00.000-07:00

Our neighbors house was burned beyond repair in a horrible fire last night. Although no one was hurt, they have lost almost everything they own. This is such a small neighborhood that it feels like it happened to all of us.

The Williamses are going to need a lot of help and support over the next few months.

If you are local, I have been told there is a donation fund set up at the First National Bank in Damariscotta.

We are also planning on holding a community quilting bee here at the shop to help replace some of the quilts they lost in the fire. I will post more information here on the blog and on facebook as soon as we firm up our plans.

If there is a silver lining to the events that unfolded last night, it surely would be that this morning, the entire neighborhood showed up at the Williams' property to help with the clean-up effort...

And that we are all reminded, wherever we live, to take a moment and enjoy our loved ones, our homes and our possessions.

Rhea

Like a gazelle...

2011-03-17T10:40:00.001-07:00

Alewives Fabrics has leapt into the new millenium!

You can now find us here on facebook. Be our friend?

XO,

Rhea