I'll be watching...

Want to read about something good happening for a change?

This link will lead you to a great story about my friend (and good customer) Jayne's son, Jackson.























(Photo from the Kennebec Journal)

Jayne, for all of you super-locals, is from West Gardiner and she was the gal who made the patchwork belts and matching watch-straps at the Craft Swap.

She is also the gal who told me about the Pyrex Lady at the Monstweag flea-market.

Good luck, Jackson... I'll be watching and I know you'll be great!

XO,

Rhea

Good News/Bad News

The Good News: My computer is all fixed and brand new and spiffy.

The Bad News: I am sick. Again. Third time in three months. Must complain to someone about this.



The Good News: The Summer Sew-In with members of the New England Modern Quilt Guild is on for this Sunday, 12-5.

The Bad News: I may not be there. Probably most likely definitely will not be there.




The Good News: Lots of new (and new to us) fabric has been coming in to the shop lately.

The Bad News: Far Far Away 2 will not be arriving until July. Feel free to e-mail Seven Islands and complain about what a gross injustice this is.




The Good News: There have been lots of pre-orders for Far Far Away 2.

The Bad News: I didn't even know that we did pre-orders. (Apparently we do!) Here's hoping there's some left by the time it actually gets here.



Have a great weekend and if you are coming by the shop, please bring me a milkshake. (Seriously).

XO,

Rhea

City Weekend Sneak Peek

Hi my friends:


















Just a warning that for the next few days posts may be sparse (-er than ususal)...

My personal computer needs a new power cord and has (surprise, surprise) run out of batteries so I am out of commission when not at the store and using the store's computer, which I am right now.

I got a surprise package in the mail today from Liesl...

She sent me some of her new fabric line, called "City Weekend" which will be coming out in September through Moda fabrics.

My sister Johanna and I stitched the squares she sent into a cute little quilt top this afternoon.

I told Liesl to be on the lookout for our Moda rep when she was at Quilt Market this past month...

He is a handsome dish.

I know I have described him before as a cross between Mandy Patinkin and George Clooney, and while that is still true I have also decided that there is something about him that looks a bit like Anthony Bourdain.

Francesca says he reminds her of Mr. Big.

(For the record, Ollie is aware of my fascination with the Moda rep.

Moda rep and I have been friends for a loooong time and Ollie has made his peace with that.)

And today in my surprise package from Liesl I got not only a sampling of her new fabrics but also a note telling me that she had indeed met our Moda rep and she confirmed his good-looking status.

You know, some days I think that ordering online is the way to go: we would get our fabric faster, it would save a lot of time, probably save a lot of money, yadda yadda yadda...

But then I remember how much fun I have when the reps come to visit: especially the cute ones who bring me brownie pie.

Ordering online has got a ways to go before it can top that, don't you think?

XO,

Rhea

PS...

When our Moda rep was here this past Monday he did indeed bring me brownie pie and I did indeed order the BEJESUS out of the City Weekend line... look for it in all its glory in September.

Congratulations, Liesl!

New patterns for rainy days

Flea marketing season has begun...

Too bad they are forecasting a chance of showers for this coming Sunday.

Maybe I should whip up one of these new patterns from Miss Butler and then I can flea-market in style, rain or shine.


















The Rainy Days Hooded Raincoat and Runabout Jacket can be made with one of our gorgeous new laminates for a raincoat or it could be done-up in a heavy cotton for a great jacket.

The pattern even comes in a children's version as well.

























I have an umbrella that is an excellent candidate for re-covering.

If I could figure out how to do that I would be sitting pretty (and flea-marketing pretty!)

Have a great weekend, whatever you end up doing!

XO,

Rhea

I loved...

Went to see "Sex and the City 2" this weekend and I loved.

I loved that the movie was just like the series: all about being true to yourself and about
friendships.

I loved that Magda was in the movie even though it was just for a little bit, because for some reason I am fascinated by her character.

I loved that we got all dressed up for each other more than we ever would have done for our fellas.

I loved that we had the best sushi ever and that the restaurant served my plum wine in a cosmo glass and that we were served green tea ice cream "on the house."

I loved that we got to the movie fashionably late.

I loved that after the movie we went out for fondue and more wine.

I loved that I have such great friends to share the evening with and that we will get to do it all over again in a couple of weeks when "Eclipse" comes out.

And I loved that at the end of the night, I got to come home to my very own Mr. Big.

Fabulous!

XO,

Rhea

Fish Ladder Festival pictures

Well, it is such a dreary Sunday here on the coast that I thought I would post some pictures from last weekend's Fish Ladder Fest, when it was (thank goodness!) nice and sunny for the holiday weekend...


























This gorgeous little lady is my good friend Jan's granddaughter Kinzie after she had a little Alewife painted on her cheek by yours truly...






































There was a puppet show on our lawn with local puppeteers telling lovely, magical "fish stories."

The lawn naturally slopes downhill, making a kind of amphitheater and the fountain was trickling in the background for low-tech stereo sound effects.





















Here's a picture of Olive and her mama Francesca enjoying the puppet show.

Francesca, I do believe this is your blog debut ('bout time, don't you think?)

It should be noted that Olive's wardrobe was entirely handmade by Francesca.




















Throughout the day our neighbor Nick was giving horse-and-carriage rides around the Mills.

I really wanted to go for a horse-and-carriage ride but the store was way too busy.

I had a good time watching them go by, though.





















And of course, the alewives themselves were on display in all of their glory.

(Full disclosure: this is an old photo that I keep using over and over again because it is actually really hard to photograph the alewives when they are in the water)

It was a great weekend and I'm a little bummed it's over, but I will look forward to the Fish Ladder Festival being just as wonderful next year... hope to see you there!

XO,

Rhea

Tufted Tweets

Ho ho ho...

All you customers who BEGGED me to let them know when Laurie Wisbrun's debut collection, called "Tufted Tweets" for Robert Kaufman fabrics was released...

Look what we got in the shop today:






































































And there's much, much more where that came from.

In fact, we have ordered the entire line of "Tufted Tweets" and you can find them all on our "Alewives Favorites" page of the shop.

And since I know somebody out there is going to ask me, due to an error in the shipping, this particular fabric from the line has not come in yet:
























BUT...

The situation has been remedied and the truant fabric will be here soon, I promise.

In other news, I am going to see "Sex and the City 2" tomorrow night (can't wait!!!)

Also Ollie is off camping so I am alone in the house tonight and there is an escaped convict out there on the loose (for real), so if I don't show up for work tomorrow please come looking for me.

Guess I'll be sleeping with my cell phone and the mag lite to keep me company (romantic!)

Edited to note: I made it through the night safe and sound.

Have a great weekend!

XO,

Rhea

A little birdie told me...

...That there are lots and lots of new summer events up on the Alewives Fabrics events page!

Why don't you go take a look?

XO,

Rhea

vicious circle

Sooo...

Here's my food for thought today...

In this little fabric world of mine, it seems to me that Americans think Japanese fabrics are the bee's knees.

For example:

A google search for Japanese fabrics will yield approximately 918,000 results and I consider my own little shop one of those results.

I am a huge fan of Japanese fabrics.

A quick browse through those Japanese fabrics will reveal that a LOT of those designs are inspired by Scandinavian style and French style.

Little Dutch boys, milkmaids, tulips and water jugs, little Eiffel towers, poodles and "Je t'aime" sprinkled all over everything.

And I love those, too!

But here's the kicker:

Having lived in Europe, I know firsthand just how much Europeans look to the United States for their style clues and cues.

Levi's are very big in Europe and sell at an alarmingly inflated price: every kid has to have a pair.

In France there are clothing boutiques called "Friperies" where merchants sell vintage American clothing.

(We have those in the USA, too, except here they are called "Goodwills.")

Here's my point:

Does all this admiration for the Japanese who are admiring the Europeans who are admiring us mean that in a roundabout way we are influencing... ourselves???

Oh, I do hope so!

XO,

Rhea