HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

We hope you all have a lovely Thanksgiving meal with family and friends tomorrow. There is truly so much to be thankful for. This is a beautiful time of year.. crisper air and merry making. We're all excited to decorate, string some pretty lights and stitch sweet gifts for those we love! We have some special things planned to help you with your gifting and decorating...

In SHOPPE

For BLACK FRIDAY:

Our doors will open at 8AM until 6PM this Friday. We'll be offering many awesome deals for your holiday crafting...

Laminated fabric... 30% off
Knits 20% off
Select home decs... 20-40% off
Select prints 20-40% off
Select Japanese 30% off
Select wool 20-40% off
Liberty of London lawns 40% off
Several fabrics 1/2 off

For SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY:

Many prints will remain 20% off
Plus 20% off ALL patterns!

ONLINE SALE

We are giving 10% off your entire order ALL WEEKEND starting midnight Thursday until midnight Sunday. Plus we will continue our FREE SHIPPING for all domestic orders!

* * * * * Enter "GIVETHANKS" in the coupon code box * * * * *

Blog Fun + Giveaways

Starting next Monday we'll be kicking off our Ruby Star Wrap-Along on the shoppe blog! We'll be having fun and helping you package all your freshly bought goodies in creative and loving ways! Joining us for this 2 week-blog-along event is Meg McElwee from Sew Liberated and Rae of Made By Rae and several more amazing bloggers. Plus there'll be 2 chances for winning the book and bundles of beautiful trims!

Happy Thanksgiving,

April, Anita and the Sew To Speak Team
4610 N. High St. Columbus, Ohio
614-267-3011

www.sewtospeakshoppe.com

This weeks special Holiday hours:

Wednesday: 10 AM - 4 PM
Thursday: CLOSED
Friday: 8 AM - 6 PM
Saturday: 10 AM - 5 PM
Sunday: Closed

Suzy Snack Sacks and a VISIT!!!

Suzy Ultman will be visiting the shoppe this Saturday from 1-4PM. This is a wonderful opportunity to meet a local artist who's worked hard to get where she is and who's joyfulness and whimsy comes pouring through her craft. Suzy's work is unmistakably her own. She designs fabric for Robert Kaufman, has been published by Chronicle books, designed for Crate and Barrel and launched a very fun new line of dolls with Land of Nod!!

In preparation for her visit we've all been crafting fun little things using the fabric from her latest line, Handle with Care! 

You might remember the tea towels I made before her last visit.. Well, I once again wanted to make something useful for someone close so I decided to fashion Snack Sacks for my little girls lunches. We've really been trying to reduce our waist and also save a bit [$] and one idea we've embraced is skipping the zip-locks and using cloth pouches for snacks. We have a few already but it seems one (or all) of them is always in the wash cycle while I'm packing their lunches in the evening. Therefore I've been meaning to make more. 

SUZY SNACK SACKS!

They are very simple.... I start with 2 rectangles. I find starting with two 8"x14" rectangles (makes for a good sandwich size) or use two 6"x13" pieces (for smaller crackers and such). 

I sew the 2 pieces right sides together and leave a small opening for turning out. 

Once turned and pressed I attach my hook&loop (velcro) tape, 1/2" from the top edge on the lining side of the fabric and 1/2" from the bottom edge on the exterior side of the fabric. 
You could also use snaps or buttons if you prefer.. 

Next I fold the bottom up 5 1/2 - 6" ( matching up my velcro) press and pin.
Then I edge stitch from the bottom left corner across the left side over the top and down the right side finishing at the bottom right corner, back-tacking at the start and finish. 

The appliqués on the smaller pink sack were done using the same method as the tea towels in which I used wonder under to adhere them to the fabric before machine stitched around the raw edge!  

While I feel proud of their cuteness and can't wait to send them to school they'll be on display at the shoppe first. I had to hide them from my 5 year old or she'd want to use them right away. If I know her, once they're home she'll choose that pink one every time it's clean.

Finally, in case you didn't catch this info in our newsletter I've pasted it bellow... Note: the time is in-fact 1-4PM this Saturday! (not 3PM as I mistakenly announced in the newsletter). 

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

SUZY ULTMAN Visits!! Saturday, October 20th from 1-4PM After placing our order for her latest line, Handle with Care, Anita and I delighted at the idea of having Suzy back to the shoppe, little did we know she was thinking the same and emailed us the very next day :) Truly serendipitous! And how lucky are we here in Columbus to have such a talented lady living right down the road!! If you haven't yet met the local designer Suzy Ultman, you really need to come! And if you have, well then you'll want to come again because not only is she lovely but she also brings adorable giveaways of her paper goods and we'll have several bundles of her new fabric line fresh for the winning!!! - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Made Monday

This gorgeous Jewelry [as art] Organizer is officially on my "must make one" list! 

Erin Eckenrode made this stunning display with prints by Anna Maria Horner, then she shared it with us on Flickr and even told us how she did it on her blog: here!!

You are very cool Erin (and so is your jewelry and everything you make)!!!

Fabric Friday

Felt!!!

Amy Butler is IN, TONIGHT!

We are super excited about this very special event with the brilliant fabric/pattern designer, and author Amy Butler.

What: An Open House, Meet and Greet with Amy!!

When: Tonight from 6-8PM

Where: Sew To Speak
            4610 N. High Street
            Columbus, Ohio

Come join us!!!

Fun

Well the Shoppe's second birthday party was a major success.

We had a very big turn out and gave away gobs of great fabric! It was such a joy to watch people as they came to claim their prizes. The whole shoppe team was able to be there (including helpers Anne and Martha) and thank goodness for that. We were all needed. It was pretty crowded and somewhat chaotic that day, but in the very best and most festive way possible.
My wonderful dad and sister brought us all a homemade lunch. We took turns, some helping customers while the others snuck away to enjoy the picnic style lunch they set up of us. It was so kind. Plus there were lovely desert and refreshments for all to enjoy, including these delicious and adorable mini cupcakes, homemade by our dear shoppe friend Anne. Anne is an amazing and generous baker, not to mention all around beautiful person. She and her husband are great family friends and Anne willingly makes a cake for every single birthday in our family!

Some customers even brought birthday cards, gifts and flowers! :) 

Sadly I didn't shoot many photos, but after the festivities died down a bit we were able to get our Anne to snap a great group shot of the Sew To Speak team.

From left: Janelle, April (me), Anita, Megan and Emily. Our sixth, Sheila had left a few hours before.

This last shot was taken a few days later.. with the space still adorned in our party decor.

I wish I had shot some pictures during the party to show just how jam packed it was. It would have been fun to share with you, but those of you who were there, know.
Thanks for coming out. And thanks for all of the kind happy birthday wishes via the blog, twitter and facebook too!

'til next time,
:) April

You're Invited

To a party! Wahoo!! 

This Saturday

March 27th

We will be celebrating the Shoppe's second birthday,

from 10am -5pm.

There will be lots of exciting door prizes for sewers, including fantastic (and hard to get) fabrics, books and more. Plus fun gift ideas for toddlers and other sewing inspiration. 

We will draw door prize winners ever hour. Come get your name in the hat early for a better chance to win! You don't have to be present to win. 

Janelle's Scottie, Fabric and The Paper

Made as a gift and soon to be shipped, I had to steal away this little scottie for a quick photo shoot. Super cute softies must be shared.

The pattern is a freebie from the wonderful Denyse Schmidt. You can get it from her site or simply click here. Janelle opted not to embellish her scottie with eyes and a scarf or collar. She said she couldn't find the right buttons for his eyes that didn't make him look scary. I laughed, but only because I'm familiar with this dilemma. Anyhow, I support her design decision to leave him this way, because he's super cute just as he is!

Designer Denyse Schmidt is also the genius behind my current favorite fabric line Hope Valley. And now that I've mentioned it I realize that I never shared photo's of these beauties with you here (only here and here and here)... oops, sorry 'bout that.

Here you go.

These prints have been in the shoppe for a few weeks now but a bit newer, from Denyse, are 4 great quilt patterns. Traditional with a vintage-modern charm, they make me look forward to my up coming quilt class with Mary, even more than I already am.

And one last share before I go...

My awesome mom (Anita) is in the paper today! Yay! I am so happy and proud.

She was interviewed last week for a Q&A article about our little shoppe. Find it in the Life and Arts section of today's Columbus Dispatch under "Shop Talk". Or view the article online, here.

That's all for now,

:) April

Fresh out the box...

An Organic Arrival!

My Happy Garden, yippee! These beauties just came in, this very afternoon.

We are so excited to be broadening our selection of organic materials. Cloud 9 is an awesome new company we are very happy to be carrying. Soft, sweet and whimsical their prints are made with eco-responsible solvent-free inks and dyes and printed on 100% certified organic cotton. Read more about Cloud 9 Fabrics and their inspiring goals here.

More new goodies in our shoppe include...

Andover Fabrics:

Red Letter Day by Lizzy House ,

and these cute little birds from a collection called Frippery by Kathy Hall.

Plus Moda's most recent shipment:

Odyssea by MoMo!

For the love of gauze

After some hesitation toward working with what I assumed would be a fussy or delicate fabric, I have come to the conclusion that double gauze is absolutely amazing!
This stuff is just gorgeous. It is not a bit fussy. Light and airy, while not too shear, perfectly designed for wearing in warm weather. It's unbelievably soft and available in the dreamiest of prints, specifically those by Nani Iro, Heather Ross and Echino.
Yep, I've fallen in love! again.

Double gauze is, as it's name implies, two layers of gauze fabric. Created by the brilliant textile industry of Japan, this fabric is wonderfully breathable and made to be worn in the hot summer months. The two layers of gauze are held together by row upon row of teeny, evenly spaced stitches. These tiny connecting stitches are practically invisible on the right side of the fabric, but when you look closely at the reverse you can just barely see the continuous grid that they create.Though designed specifically for use in clothing, double gauze is also stunning and luxurious when used in quilts, simple blankets and other linens. Because, like I mentioned before, it is unbelievably soft!
I think that if I were expecting I'd make a dozen receiving blankets and burp cloths to pamper my baby in waiting.
Mmmmm... I can just imagine swaddling a brand new little one in this sweet speckled print and smelling that new baby smell...

But while I'm not expecting I'll just have to make stuff for myself and my awesome little toddler.
Dresses and skirts and bloomers oh my!!!
I'd even make sheets for my king size bed if my husband would approve of the splurge.
I'll be honest, double gauze is usually pricier then your typical cotton print due to the additional layer of fabric, the more time and labor intensive manufacturing process and of coarse the fact that it's an import.
However in my opinion, it is worth every penny...
...and if you have not yet touched the luxury that is double gauze, you'll have to come in and feel it for yourself! :)
'till next time,
April

Oh p.s. Take a look at this lovely dress in a double gauze print form Echino's newest line (made my beautiful mom, Anita).

Delivery

Yippy! The first boxful of Japanese fabrics arrived today. We oohhhed and awed while Mom quickly pulled them out. Each print was just as special as the next.
I always love being in the shoppe with mom but especially when we get deliveries like these!
I just LOVE Japanese!!!

And I think Aelyn might like it too.

Here she is taking her pick of the bunch :)

Ummmmm, wow!

The delicious fabrics were barely out of their plastic before being cut off their bolts. Emily Westenhouser, an awesome customer and talented creator of Umbrella Girl Productions, took the first few tastes.

And of course I couldn't go home without taking some of these new goodies for myself!
Oh man, I can't wait to sew them up. I must make a dress for AV with that adorable little deer print. And this blue beauty (the matryoshka dolls, above) needs be my new summer bag, with red and white polka dots on the inside.... smile.... sigh....

Okay yeah....
.......so I'm a little fabric happy.

What more can I say.