Innocent Crush Home Dec

We've got Anna Maria Horner's new Home-Decorator weight prints from her "Innocent Crush" line in the shop:










































































These are all printed on 54" home-decorator weight sateen and there's lots more where that came from!



What's that???


You wanna see more???



Oh, alright...


















































































There ya go... enjoy!


XO,

Rhea

Liesl Lecture

If you are a regular reader of this blog then you probably know that Liesl Gibson is coming to visit us this Saturday to teach a "Sewing with Knits" workshop, but did you also know that Liesl has agreed to give a little presentation/lecture/q+a session on Saturday night?

If you wanted to come to the class but couldn't because it was sold out, tickets to the lecture are only $5, and (though I say it myself), the timing of Liesl's visit couldn't be more perfect: she's just announced that the very first Oliver+S book (called Little Things to Sew) will be released this Spring.





















All photos courtesy of the Oliver+S blog

We are calling this evening with Liesl "An Evening with Liesl" (real original, huh?) and it will begin at 7:30 on Saturday, November 13th. The evening will take place here at Alewives. There had been talk about holding the evening some place else, in a larger venue, but then the whole "wedding thing" happened and I'll admit I completely dropped the ball and never found another place to meet up, so we will be nice and comfy-cozy here at the shop!

The evening will be pretty casual: I've asked Liesl to share a little bit about her background in sewing, from her college days at F.I.T. to designing for Ralph Lauren. I'm sure Liesl will have lots to say about what it's like to design and develop and direct your own children's clothing pattern company (also known as Oliver+S). Personally I can't wait to hear all about her process designing fabric for Moda. Liesl's current line, "City Weekend" has been a huge hit here at the shop.























I've got tons of questions about her upcoming line, "Modern Workshop", which Liesl tells me is based on the Weiner Werkstatte. I will admit I have no idea what the Weiner Werkstatte is, but Liesl assures me it has nothing to do with Hot Dogs.

Aaannnddd, now that the cat is out of the bag, I am hoping she will give us the scoop on Little Things to Sew and any other upcoming projects.

If you have never met Liesl in person (and I'm assuming that most people in this neck of the woods haven't), then you should come to our evening presentation if for nothing more than to meet an incredibly nice gal and one of Modern Sewing's leading ladies.

I know I use the term "One of Modern Sewing's leading ladies" a lot, but it's true. If it weren't for gals like Amy Butler, Heather Ross, Denyse Schmidt, Anna Maria Horner, Heather Bailey and Liesl Gibson, stores like Alewives probably wouldn't do as well as we have. It' s these leading ladies and their creative work that helps us be successful. To me, this will be like spending the evening with a celebrity and I am so glad that Liesl can join us.

Plus it gives us a good excuse to have wine!

We are encouraging people to purchase tickets ahead of time, but tickets will also be available at the door. If you think you would like to come, please let us know so we can be prepared.















The "Evening with Liesl" will begin at 7:30pm, will be held here at Alewives Fabrics, will include time for a Q+A session (so come prepared with lots of questions!), will include food and wine and tickets cost just $5 each... we would love to see you there!

Please call me at the shop (207 563 5002) with any questions or e-mail me (alewives@alewivesfabrics.com) and I will get back to you ASAP!

XO,

Rhea

Late Riser's Sale this Saturday from 9 to 5

It is a fact that here in New England certain traits are valued above others.

I think one of these traits is the ability to get up early.














Too bad I'm not so much of a morning person: my Grandmother is probably most ashamed of me.

Working here at Alewives I don't have to be in the shop until 10:00 am and about 85% of the time I make it by then, so it all works out okay.

But there is one day a year when I get out of bed at the crack of 4:30-ish to be showered and dressed and ready-to-go with a cup of tea in my hand for Damariscotta's annual Early Bird Sale.

The shopping mayhem begins at 6:00 am and the earlier you shop, the bigger your discount is, so there is quite a bit of strategy involved determining which shop you want to visit first.

A lot of store give an extra discount if you come in your PJ's.

Trust me, NOBODY wants to see me at 6:00 am in my PJ's.

But I do like to get up early that one day of the year and score some deals (usually most of the scoring happens at Darling&Delisle and I know theoretically you are supposed to be buying gifts for other people and then squirreling them away for Christmas, but I always end up buying things for myself!)

Then every year at around 8:30 I shoot back over to the store here in Damariscotta Mills and we hold our annual Late Riser's Sale that same day.

We open a whoooooole hour early, at 9:00 and everything is 20% off that day.

It's usually pretty crazy and everybody is in a good mood and Mom has to work that day (which tickles me to no end), so the Late Riser's Sale is always one of my favorite days of the year.


The Late Riser's Sale is the official kick-off to the Holiday shopping season, and it is also when we kick-off our annual Food Drive.

This year, anyone who brings in a non-perishable food item or toiletry item for the food drive gets a free surprise gift from us, so please donate early and donate often!

Last year we were able to donate over 200 lbs. of food to our local pantry, but this year I bet we will be able to donate even more.

If you are local to the area we would love to see you here!

XO,

Rhea


PS... For those of you who visit us via the internet, don't forget that we have a special sale coming up just for you! From Thursday, November 18th through Sunday, November 21st, all internet sales will be 20% off (we will manually adjust the price after your order has been placed). You won't need a coupon or a code or nothing... It's our way of saying thanks to you for a phenomenal first year and a half with our online store!

Back (Sort of...)

Ollie and I are back from our Honeymoon in Charleston, South Carolina but we are not quite back at work yet.

I think we are very wise to be milking the whole "Honeymoon" thing and taking a few days to ourselves, just here at home (or at least very nearby) before we get back in the saddle again.

Right now we are enjoying a piece of leftover wedding cake (Thanks, Pam!) and some tea and the prospect of sleeping in our own bed again.

There's no place like home.

In the meantime you should all know that I popped in the shop this afternoon and saw the complete collection of new Echino fabrics by Etsuko Furuya sitting there, looking all luscious.

Plus some new Nani Iro double gauzes and some of the dots from the ongoing Echino collection.

Dee-lish.

They're not up online yet but I have an inkling that they will be tomorrow.

I am far from being back in the swing of things, but I did want to pop in and say "Hi."

Maybe I will see some of you at the Early Bird Sale or at the Late Riser's Sale on Saturday!

(After that I will be back for realz.)

XO,

Rhea

PS..




















We visited Drayton Hall while we were in Charleston, and learned all about the differences between "Preservation" and "Restoration." Thanks, Kathy!

For the record, Charleston, South Carolina is the most jaw-some-est city ever. I liked it a lot. I really wish it wasn't so durned far away. I wish it were possible to have two of me: one to live here in my little house in Maine and manage the shop and one to live in an Ante-Bellum that survived the War and the Earthquake of 1886 and I would eat at the Cru Cafe on Pinckney Street all day long. That is all.

First Married Lady Post

Thanks Erin for this amazing photo... can't wait to see more!

Off to South Carolina for the next few days but I will see you when we get back home.

Thanks for all the love on my last post!

XO,

Rhea Butler

Last Single Girl Stitches

... And my last single girl post!

Well, there were times I never thought I would say this, but I am leaving today to get married.

And before I leave this space for a few days, I wanted to share with you my last single girl stitches.

I have made a "Guest Quilt" to have people sign at my wedding.
























Originally this was a much, much, MUCH more complicated design, but as the days ticked by it became more and more apparent that the quilt I had originally intended for my Guest Quilt was just not going to happen, so I had to go to Plan B.

Plan B was some "Turnover" Triangles that were leftover at the shop and some Martha Negley for the border... all I had to do was cut some off-white muslin squares into triangles and stitch everything together... easy peasy.

























I won't be posting for the next dew days, but please do check in with my lovely photographer (Miss Erin of BluebirdBaby) for shots from the big day, and when I get back I will share some pictures with you as well.

Thanks everyone for all of your wishes and support... they mean a lot to me, probably much more than you know.

See you again soon when I am Sadie, Sadie, Married-Lady.

XO,

Rhea

PS... Came home tonight after a hard day's work of stitching the Guest Quilt followed by Mani/Pedi's and Mexican food with some of my friends to find this Jack-o-Lantern waiting for me on the front step, which made my heart melt. It took a long time to find him, but I am definitely marrying the right man. If you are single, please don't "settle" for just any ol' man... I am glad I didn't. And that is my last single girl advice!

Lots of events at the store (and one big event that is NOT at the store)

Hello all,

I wanted to drop in here and let you know that I have updated the website's events page.

There are lots of good events coming up this fall.

We have an "Evening with Liesl" (her class is now full, but you can still get tickets to her presentation for just $5!)...

We have our annual "Late-Riser's Sale" for all our locals...

We have a 4-day "Thanksgiving Sale" that is just for our internet fans...

And we have a "Holiday Craft Swap," among other things!

For more information on any of these events, please go and check out the events page as soon as you get a chance.


And as most of you know, the nuptials (that would be the one "Big" event to which I am referring) are taking place on the 23rd.

Of October.

Also known as "9 days from now."

I will be checking in between now and then but I wanted to let you know that as the big day approaches, I am getting more and more excited and it all feels very much "real" to me now and I am so crazy that I don't know how I am going to live with myself for the next week and 2 days.

All it takes is one lovey-dovey, happy-sappy song to play on the radio and I am a wreck.

All tears, this one.

I'll pull it together for the big day, though.

And here's a juicy tidbit for you...

In true Carrie Bradshaw fashion, I had a very dramatic last-minute "change of a dress" and I am no longer wearing this little number ...
























but have decided to go with this lovely frock instead!
























I love it!

It is so comfy and has the loveliest details, like a sweet golden zipper that matches my ring and other baubles quite nicely!

Now I just have to rustle-up some killer boots and I can get myself hitched in style!

(A huge "thank you" to Jessica in the returns department at J.Crew for dealing so nicely with a *slightly* hysterical bride who may or may not have misplaced her receipt and may or may not have adhered to the 60 day return policy... if you were an angel, you would have earned your wings by now and I am forever in your debt!)

And file this under "strange-but-true", one of my dearest friends just took a whirlwind trip to LA for her brother's wedding, and the bride in that instance had also recently returned a dress to J.Crew in favor of the exact same dress that I chose!

Don't believe me?

There are pictures here!

(Wowee-weewah!)

I will see you again soon... say a little prayer for good weather on the 23rd!

Don't forget to check the events page!

XO,

Rhea