Summer: More Hazy than Lazy

Let's face it. Unless you're still in grade school, summer is just not that lazy anymore. Not only do you have to do all the things you do the rest of the year, there are more outings and events to fit in AND you don't always have that structured schedule that is September through June. It's kind of like jamming all that yardage into a Flat Rate Envelope. You can do it but it's not always pretty. That's my excuse for lapsed blogging and I'm sticking to it.

One thing I've jammed into the summer is the First Big Road Trip for Sew Fresh – the World Quilt Show – New England X in Manchester, New Hampshire. We'll be at Booth 913 in the Expo Center. Stop by and say hi if you're in the area. There will be lots of bundles, kits and Daily Specials including the most heaping, overflowing Scrap Bin you have ever seen.

While the cat's away, you mice get to play... with a spectacular shipping deal! Since I won't be able to ship for the bulk of next week, you get Flat Rate Shipping – US ships for $2.50, Canada ships for $5 and International ships for $8! (Refunds will be made back to your account upon shipment.) Orders placed after midnight EST Monday, Aug. 13 will begin shipping on Monday, Aug. 20. (Shipping special is over now, sorry.) Please allow extra time for your orders to process as I will ship in the order they were received.

Also, if you're looking to get your groove on this summer, check out The Totally Groovy Quilt Along with Pile o' Fabric. The prizes are out of this world man. (SFF Gift Certificate in there).

Don't miss new collections just in:

Madrona Road by Violet Craft

Field Study by Anna Maria Horner

Storyboek Two by Jay-Cyn for Birch Fabrics

Scamper by Rebekah Ginda for Birch Fabrics

Awesome Contest Summer

First a thanks to all who filled out my survey. It was very helpful!

Amy at During Quiet Time is hosting a super fantastic contest "Texting While Sewing" on her blog. One block, text theme, all summer to sew and a boatload of awesome prizes. Judges will be Kerry at Very Kerry Berry and Ayumi from Pink Penguin. How cool is that?

If you've been interested in sewing clothing or already are a pro, be sure to visit the Short on a Line sew along hosted by imagine gnats. Pattern reviews and tutorials for the entire month of July plus another boatload of awesome prizes!

And if you're just looking for some fun summer reading by the pool (with prizes), come on over and join the Get Acquainted Blog Hop hosted by Plum and June.

Stay tuned for another contest coming in August as well. :) C'mon, go wind your bobbins and get to work. (Did I mention boatloads of prizes? Including some from SFF?)

Online Fabric Shopping Survey

Do you have a minute for a quick 10 question survey about online fabric shopping? I'd love your response so I can improve Sew Fresh Fabrics! Thanks!

The survey is now closed. Thanks to all who responded!

Congratulations and some Market Photos

First a hearty congratulations to Diann, the winner of the $50 shopping spree from our Quilt Market giveaway.

Diann

This is all pretty new to me, but I'm looking forward to fresh new fabrics and patterns.

Diann says she's looking for some fresh new fabrics so let's show her some, shall we?

 Anna Maria Horner's divine Field Study

 Amy Butler and Cameo

 Birch Fabrics' Storyboek Two and Scamper (organic)

 Echino Lovelies!

 Monaluna's Havana (organic)

 Juggling Summer from Brigitte Heitland for Moda

 New Kona Color Card with 28 additional colors!

 Robert Kaufman's Kona Modern Quilt line

 Violet Craft's Madrona Road is stunning!

 Melody Miller hits a home run again!

 Heather Ross' Nursery Versary

 Lizzy House's Pearl Bracelets in 26 Colors! Yum!

 Close up of Tula Pink's Birds and Bees quilt. Breathtaking.

 Winterkist by Monica Solario-Snow is gnome-alicious.

What's your favorite?

To Market To Market. Let's get some fabric!

What should I buy? What are you looking forward to this year? Favorite Designer? Favorite New Collection?

Let me know what you're craving. Leave a comment with your suggestions and I'll choose a winner of a $50 Sew Fresh Fabrics Gift Certificate on Monday.

The shop will be open during Market but only updated sporadically. I'll answer the convos as I'm able. I'll shoot some photos of delicious treats on Facebook and Twitter.

I'm extraordinarily grateful for your patience during the shop move and hope you'll stick with me through this trip to Market too.

Doors Close and Windows Open

Ch..ch..ch..changes. (Insert David Bowie vocal here).

Oh, where to begin. We're moving. We're evolving in new directions. You may need a score card to keep track but here are the basics.

Sew Fresh Fabrics will be moving to a new location and will be my (Peg's) solo enterprise. Becca is launching a new fabric venture called Sew Me A Song focusing on Japanese and unique, quirky fabrics.

Sew Me A Song will be the new venue for the Yuwa, Daiwabo, Hokkoh and Lecien fabrics that Sew Fresh has been carrying. But it will be much, much more. Becca's love for Japanese fabrics, paper piecing and small scale projects will be the driving force of this new shop. Text prints, novelties, small scale to name a few yummy offerings. Sew Me a Song is ready and waiting for you to visit. Go on over.

This change has been precipitated by several changes in our own lives.

Becca's husband has just started a new job assignment and will be away for the next year or two, flying home for a couple of weekends a month. It is such a wonderful opportunity for him that their family couldn't ask him not to. One of their daughters is grown and just starting out on her own. Their other daughter is just 9 years old and this will be a bit harder for her. In an attempt to make it easier they will be moving to Maine where they will be surrounded by family and a great support network.

Over the last year or so, my own family situation has been changing as well. I'm recently divorced and my two boys and I are now set up in a great and supportive community, one that I lived in for 11 years previously. It's certainly been a bumpy road but the future is looking bright. Since Sew Fresh will now be mine alone, I've decided to move it into my new home. The flexibility of working at home will be the change I need to keep up the great selection, fast shipping and excellent customer service that we have been striving to achieve with Sew Fresh.

We had no idea where this would lead when we started Sew Fresh with 20 fabric listings a couple of years ago. Your willingness to shop with us has allowed us to expand our offerings and grow our business in ways we couldn't have imagined. We've made so many friends and truly have the very best customers ever! It's a pleasure and a privilege to pack up yummy bundles of fabric and ship it off to loving homes. We have been blessed. Sometimes unexpected endings make for some wonderful beginnings.

Ok, enough sentimentality, we need your help!

Move it out so we don't have to! 

As the move gets underway, Sew Fresh may experience some short shipping delays. It may take an extra day, perhaps two, to get into the hands of the Post Office at certain times over the next week or two. The "Big Move" will close the shop on Monday and Tuesday, May 7 and 8. The Specials section is chock full of fabric yardage that we'd really appreciate not having to move. :) Help a girl out here. This gets a special dispensation from your fabric diet... this yardage doesn't count. Truly. Need a few yards for a quilt back? Look here. And if that wasn't enough, it's high time for a SHIPPING SPECIAL!

Flat Rate Shipping Special from April 25 - 29 - No minimum!

$2.50 US • $6.50 Canada • $8.50 International
Refunds will be made to PayPal account upon shipment. 

Congratulations Refund Winners!

After a number of spins through the Random Number Generator to get a US and and International entry, we have winners! Next year we'll have separate posts for the US and Overseas readers to make this easier.

Both Charlotte S and AlyceB is going to go into a bit of color shock after only using white. :)

Charlotte S (US)
Kona Snow is by far my favorite but I try to get a new shade of green each time I replenish my Snow.

AlyceB (International)
I'm still a newbie at this quilting thing, so I don't have much of a solids stash at all. As in, I have my LQS own brand in white and that's it. But I use it in practically every project - HSTs, sashing, borders. Always buy it in a couple of metres at a time when it's on sale so I always have a supply! (Overseas follower here!)

We've managed to bring in a few Kona Color Cards to send along with their refund so they'll know what they're sewing with.

Happy Sewing Ladies!

Our Second Fabric Refund Giveaway

Last year around April 15th, we decided to give two lucky readers a fabric refund instead of a tax refund (though we all like those too). This year the bin of prints has been depleted recently with scrap packs but the solids bin is overflowing. We stock over 100 Kona solids now and there's a rainbow of goodness that needs a loving home.  Do you see where this is going? 

ENTER TO WIN:
Two winners will be chosen - one US winner will receive a Medium Flat Rate Box filled with Kona solids; one international winner will receive a Flat Rate Envelope filled with solids.

Leave a comment telling us your favorite Kona color and/or your favorite way to use solids. (If you could tell us if you're overseas, that will make the sorting of winners easier. Thanks.)

Make sure we can get in touch with you! If you're a no-reply from blogger, please include your  email address.

Giveaway ends Sunday, April 15th at noon EST. Good Luck!

New Arrivals and an Invitation

Flock by Thomas Knauer.

Karavan by Valori Wells! Matching Kona bundles for each colorway.

 

Hello Pilgrim by Lizzy House. 

Garden Wall by Laura Gunn.

And... want to come to our place and sew on March 24? See details here.

Hello again, glad to meet you!

Yowza, so sorry it's been a month since our last post. There are a bunch of things brewing here in the Sew Fresh world. Some will be revealed shortly, some are just mundane life events that keep us on our toes and consuming too much caffeine. :)

One new and noteworthy event was hosting the Boston Modern Quilt Guild last weekend at our little shop. It's so great to mix and mingle with fellow fabric lovers. We saw so many great quilts and projects at show and tell. Totally inspiring and makes us recommit to finding more time to sew ourselves!

As a result of our playdate, Becca and I were finally outed photographically. We've talked at length about finally showing our faces online and knew the day would be coming soon. We're camera shy and were waiting for the stars to align when we would somehow look as sassy, smart and sophisticated as our imaginations think we are. :) The lovely and gracious Amy from During Quiet Time took this photo that we both are okay with. (Amazing job, Amy! That's me on the left and Becca on the right, packing up goodies for our guests.)

Read more about our day (with lots of photos) at Amy's blog and also Bry of A Blond Quilts, a new arrival from the Houston Modern Quilt Guild.

New Arrivals!

Whoop! A little teaser of new arrivals. Modernology from Art Gallery Fabrics, Barcelona from Alexander Henry, Michael Miller prints from Project Selvedge winner Patty Sloniger and Flower Pots from Patty Young. Check them out!

Something Fun for Mom

 
I made a knitting needle roll for my mom for Christmas using this tutorial from MadebyLoulabelle. I used one of our new Japanese fabrics from Kei for the outside, Live Life Birds in Dusty Purple. I don't know if those are eyebrows on those owls but they're great fun to look at. Add in some Echo Moira in Catalina for an accent because the color just matches that accent in the feathers, not to mention that I adore the print. (Sorry the Catalina is sold out now but we are getting more!)

I'm not good with patterns but this tutorial was very straightforward and I hardly said any bad words while making it. I got all my pieces the right size and in the right places. Admittedly, I didn't look at the direction of the birds when cutting that piece and I totally lucked out that they weren't facing sideways. That would have been a different post all together.

I lined the inside with some Essex linen and an Amy Butler print from my personal stash. The trim is Kona Sage. I'm just pleased that I finished it on time and without much fuss. Love you Mom!

 

Many thanks to our wonderful customers who supported us last year. We hope to bring you more fabric goodness in 2012! Cheers and Happy Sewing!

  
Our flat rate shipping special ($2.50 US/ $6 Canada/ $7 International) continues through tomorrow.