Goodnight (Winter) Moon

(This one goes out to all the young mothers out there...)


















Goodnight (Winter) Moon,
You won't be back soon.

We sent you away,
So that quilters could play.


You've been sent to Seattle,
New Jersey, Illinois,


You've been sent to some girls,
you've been sent to some boys.


You've been sent to Colorado, New Hampshire and such,
and to little old ladies who were whispering "hush."


Goodnight (Winter) Moon,
You won't be back soon.


















(In other words, our "Winter Moon" fat quarter sets have sold out. But don't worry 'bout it none... I've got LOTS of tricks up my sleeve...)

XO,

Rhea

The Winslow Market Tote Chronicles: Episode Two

If you read this blog regularly you will know that in the weeks leading up to Christmas I made a lot of Winslow Market Totes.

Something about this pattern has struck a chord with me, and despite having made no less than five Winslow Market Totes in the past month and a half, I'm still not tired of making them!























I wrote about the first Winslow Market Tote I ever made here (when we did our Holiday Craft Swap), but thought that it might be fun to share all of the Winslow Market Totes, so today you are getting Winslow Market Tote number two.

Besides the overall composition and construction of the bag, one of the things I like about this pattern is how it makes use of fat quarters. 5 fat quarters will make the bag's exterior, but if you want your bag to look symmetrical, like mine, then 2 of your 5 fat quarters will have to be the same (so you could look at it as needing 3 fat quarters and 1/2 yard for the bag exterior).























I liked using the Fall 2010 Echino collection to make up this bag, because some of the Echino prints are so fun to fussy cut. I used this fabric for the bag's side panels and made sure to cut the pattern pieces so that I would get an interesting detail in each panel. I love using larger scale prints in smaller applications, because they always make you focus on those little details in the print that you might otherwise have missed... like this hot orange spiderweb!























I must have been drinking when I made this bag, or sleepy, or tired, or something similar, because I somehow made the straps a bit more narrow than the pattern calls for. I definitely prefer the wider straps, but by the time I realized my mistake I was past The Point of No Return, so this bag is stuck with narrow straps for all eternity.

I still think it looks fine, though.























I will share my other Winslow Market Totes with you in the next few days.

In the meantime, the pattern can be found for free here.

(Thanks so much to the pattern's designer, Kathy Mack of Pink Chalk Studios and to Interweave Press for making this great pattern available to the masses!)

See you soon...

XO,

Rhea

Snow Day!

(This is an old picture, but you get the idea.)

Due to the snowstorm we are closing the shop today.

It's my day off and we have told the other gals not to risk life and limb to come to the shop.

Hopefully you're all stocked up on crafty projects and you can stay home and get some sewing done today.

(I know I will.)

See you bright and early tomorrow!

XO,

Rhea

Winter/Spring 2011 Stitch Mag is here!

It just came in today and the girls are gobbling this issue up!






















Subtitled "The Technique Issue," the Winter/Spring 2011 Stitch magazine is chock-a-block full of tutorials and techniques that will give your projects that couture-feel, that boutique-look, that professional finish... that certain je ne sais quoi!

We have re-ordered all of the back issues that are still in print, and those will be arriving soon.

In the meantime, enjoy the new issue!

XO,

Rhea

Wedding Pictures

I have been meaning to post some photos from the wedding for a long, long while now and finally have gotten around to doing so now that the Holidays are over.

Here are the photos... thanks for peeking!












































































































































































































































































Many, many thanks to my good friend Erin over at Freya photography and/or Bluebirdbaby (take your pick). You got some great shots, Erin, I can't thank you enough.

Thank you Jill (Lil' Jibby), for making my hair look so pretty.

Thank you Pam, for making our gorgeous (and delicious!) carrot cake.

A multitude of thanks to everyone at the Jordan Pond House, especially Gabrielle, for hosting our wedding and reception.

Thanks to Kristine for being the most amazing and classy and thoughtful M-O-H ever.

And finally, thanks to all of YOU for your support and well-wishes... how lucky am I to have you in my life?

XO,

Rhea

Why I don't own a hamburger store

I'll bet that some of you who are hot and heavy into the whole fabric/blogland/quilting world have heard that the cost of cotton is going up very, very soon.

As in, prices increased as of January 1st, 2011.

This is in fact true and I wanted to weigh in with my two cents.

Deb over at Whipstitch wrote an excellent post about the reality of the cost increase, as it relates to the failed cotton crop in China.

I cannot recommend strongly enough that you read her article, as I am (quote/unquote) "in the business" and she absolutely taught me a thing or two.

I wanted to add some more info that my dear sweet Moda Rep shared with me.


I will give you the crib notes version.



In 1990 the cost of a loaf of bread was 70 cents.

Today the average cost of a loaf of bread is $2.69.

That's a price increase of 284%.


In 1990 the cost of a postage stamp was 25 cents.

Today the cost is 44 cents.

That's a cost increase of 76%.


In 1990 the average cost of a pound of hamburger was 89 cents.

Today the cost is $3.29.

That's a cost increase of 270%.


In 1990 the cost of a an ounce of gold was $398.00.

Today the cost is $1,338.00.

That's a cost increase of 236%.


In 1990 the average cost of a gallon of gasoline was $1.42.

Today the cost is $2.97.

That's a cost increase of 109%.


What does all this tell me?

(Besides that I should have invested in gold?)

Prices go up.

Prices rarely, if ever, go down.

And unfortunately this is one of the years that fabric is going to become more expensive... for the manufacturers, for me and for my customers.

Nobody is happy about that, believe me.


But here's something for you to ponder:


In 1990 the cost of one yard of premium 45" wide quilting weight cotton was $6.99.

Today the cost is $9.29.

That's a cost increase of 33%.


The moral of the story: It could always be worse.

(Thank GOD I didn't start a hamburger store!)


XO,

Rhea

2011: so far, so good

Want to know what Ollie and I did last night?

We went over to The Cancer Wife's house (whose husband recently found out that he is cancer-free... hooray!) and we sent our wishes into the air in the form of wish lanterns.

Miraculously, we didn't set anything on fire that wasn't supposed to be set on fire.

We did have some good laughs, though.

I made a wish or two last night... how about you?

Welcome home, 2011!

(And thanks in advance, M, for letting me steal your photo!)

XO,

Rhea