Red Hen Fabrics Blog

2011-09-29T14:36:00.001-04:00

Get your daily dose of veggies here!

Click here for more VEGGIES!

2011-09-17T11:01:00.006-04:00

Hi! Here is Maizie, the dearest pom, and companion
of my friend Donna Harlow, come to visit for the Fall party!

Maizie in her new sweater

2011-08-05T21:36:00.010-04:00

Hello out there in Quiltyland!!

Well, the dust has settled after our ultrafun demo day. My favorite kind of day. I love to see everyone learning and munching and chatting and just getting the quilt buzz going.

I must say, I learned a lot, myself, especially about the Hexagon Block Ruler. I used to make scrap quilts in the old “broken dishes” or spider web” style, and this does the job so reliably.

You can see Tracy Windsor, who is responsible for our new web site, was Queen of Kanzashi…and oh boy these little flower templates are so cool. If you’re looking for hand work or car work, this may be the answer.

By far the craziest gadget, to me, is that itty bitty twister, which makes itty bitty blocks…rather simply, but still!!!

I just don’t speak that teeny tiny piecing language, but I admire those who do!

This weekend I’m going to take our check to the Gorilla Sanctuary in Morganton GA. I haven’t been in that area in a while and I can’t wait to see the gorillas.

This month, we will be able to send Operation Homefront over $1000 from several sales and events. Thank you all so much. We just do so little for our vets.

Blessings and straight seams to you all.
mah

Road Trip!

2011-07-29T10:35:00.005-04:00

Here we are after a big day at the Knoxville Show...at a flea market in Lenoir Tennessee looking at...Quilt Books!!!

We had so much fun going through all the dollar stuff and buying fabulous produce!

What a great weekend!
~mah

2011-07-25T18:14:00.003-04:00

We get a lot of questions about where some of our block-of-the-month quilts go.

Many of them are still with us, but it seemed very appropriate for this one from a few years ago to go to Burruss School, where Allie (my daughter) has been so happy. Allie was proud of the quilt and really thrilled…thanks to Alta Miele, who embroidered the school name on the schoolhouse block. This was a really sweet day for us both.

~mah

June's Sew-In

2011-06-27T21:25:00.019-04:00

Summers get busy with school being out and the children home, then there are vacations, and all those fun summer activities, so this sew-in was small but still lots of food, friends, fabric and flowers!

Mary Anne opened her home to us for this month's sew-in. The first thing you see is the beautiful garden. (This virtual garden will play 3 times, if you'd like to view it again after that, just refresh (press F5) your page.)

Sue took some time away from settling in to her new home to come sew and chat! It was good to see her again. I hear she'll be at July's First Thursday.

Nancy took a break from making heaps of YoYo's to help Brenda with her project - she was doing lots of cutting.

I think no matter where you wanted to go in the house you had to pass through the kitchen. Didn't seem to bother anyone. :)

Karyn was in pressing mode. You had to make a break for the iron when she stepped away :)

Mary Anne moved in quickly when the iron was free and showed us the art of multi-tasking!
Nothing better than being able to hang on to a piece of chocolate cake and continue to work!

Annie (did I get the name right?) stopped to pose for me - Such a sweet girl. Mary Anne headed downstairs, Cookie followed and missed her photo opportunity.

Alta was focused on getting her 'fabric books' in order. She was working on fruit and veggie pages. You'll have to stop in and ask her about them. They sound so cute, the perfect gift for small children and babies!

Bo was moving so quickly - check out her hand - it was a blur I had a hard time getting a picture of her. She brought a quilt to finish the binding on - and she finished it! No surprise there.

Mary Anne triming up some fabric for a quilt she's working on for her daughter. Its going to be a scrappy quilt. It's got some fun fabrics, can't wait to see it finished!

Needless to say - it was a good time.

Here's hoping more of you can join us for our next sew-in.

More Shop Hop photos!

2011-04-04T15:27:00.004-04:00

Here is our Shop Hop Quilt!

Lots of treats for quilters!

Here's where the passports were stamped, in

our Christmas shoppe!

Abbey Lane Trunk Show

2011-04-04T15:23:00.003-04:00

In case you missed it, here are some of the quilts from the Abbey Lane trunk show that we had during Shop Hop. They will be here a little bit longer!

March Block of the Month

2011-04-04T15:12:00.003-04:00

Here are the March blocks for both the Battle of Kennesaw and the Christmas programs.

Happy Shop Hop

2011-03-24T15:57:00.002-04:00

Today is the first of four days of Shop Hop!

We have our welcome banner out by the front door

The Quilted car is out front

Stop in and join the party!

Shop Hop starts tomorrow!

2011-03-23T20:52:00.002-04:00

Whew, we are all exhausted and excited tonite! We worked so hard today to get ready to start Shop Hop 2011 tomorrow! The shop looks just wonderful, can't wait to see you all! Stay tuned for pix tomorrow!

February Block of the Month is available!

2011-02-28T11:57:00.002-05:00

The February editions of both of our block of the month programs were released this past Saturday, as always, the fourth Saturday of the month!

You can pick it up anytime between now and the day before the March one comes on March 26th.

Happy New Year! 2011 Block of the Month

2011-01-01T16:12:00.003-05:00

Hope you had a great holiday!

We are excited about our two new block of the month programs for 2011! Our new blocks come out on the 4th Saturday of the month, so the first one will be available on January 22. We have a Christmas themed one, and a Civil War inspired one. Here are the January blocks:

The Christmas block is $20 to join, and as long as you pick up the block on time each month, and show your finished one from the previous month, there is no further charge for the blocks.

At the end of the year we will have a finishing kit available for purchase. This block is only available for in-store pickup.

The Civil War block is $5 to join, then $5 per month. You don't have to have finished the previous block to pick up the new one! There will also be a finishing kit available for these blocks at the end of the year. If you would like to have this mailed instead of coming in to pick it up, there is an additional $5 per month charge.

Call or come in to sign up!

Block of the Month 2010

2010-12-23T14:56:00.003-05:00

Here is the finished quilt from our block of the month program for 2010!

Christmas Cuties!

2010-12-17T14:23:00.003-05:00

Mary came into the shop today with her adorable daughters, Amanda, Maggie and Ruthie, in their adorable Christmas outfits she made for them! They were just too cute for words!

These were made from Moda's "12 Days of Christmas". See, there's lots more you can do with all our beautiful fabric than just quilts!

Houston Quilts

2010-11-22T18:20:00.002-05:00

Yes, there were even quilts there! Way too many to take pictures of them all - but here is one favorite! It is all made of selvedges!

Houston show and tell

2010-11-22T18:13:00.005-05:00

Part of the fun is showing and telling about what you bought and saw -
This year we reserved the conference room at our hotel ahead of time, and there was about 20 of us there, all eager to show our purchases!

Houston fun!

2010-11-22T18:05:00.003-05:00

A little late with the posting - here are a few more Houston pictures!
We found some great restaurants - of course we had to eat plenty to keep up our strength for the miles we walked during the day at Festival!

Houston Bound

2010-11-16T11:34:00.008-05:00

Can you believe everyone was this cheerful at 4:00AM???

Best Positions in Bed!

2010-10-06T11:08:00.014-04:00

I went to a Garden Party...

2010-08-11T14:00:00.005-04:00

At Mary Anne's house this weekend - what fun! Lots of quilts displayed all around, fun people, and yummy food! She had a painted tent on her back deck, which overlooks Kennesaw Battlefield State Park, and makes you feel like you are in a tree house!

Lots of the guests dressed up fancy in the spirit of a real "lady party" - a good time was had by all!

Even Mazie looked adorable in her pink party dress!

Busy Kitties are coming!!

2010-07-26T12:47:00.004-04:00

Aunt Martha's Busy Kitties, my latest group from Henry Glass Fabrics, should be here any day now!
Copy this link into your browser to download the free pattern, and see the whole group!

http://www.henryglassfabrics.com/images/sheet/pdf/12569/busykittiescompleteweb_1276538288_1.pdf

Stuff-a-holics Chapter now forming!

2010-07-26T12:37:00.001-04:00

Hello Out There in Quiltyland!

I confess, I’ve been really out of touch lately. I got eaten by my stuff. I have a fair-sized house, complete with a full attic you can walk around in, but after 7 years of complacency on my part, all my stuff had expanded, had stuff babies, and in the case of my sewing scraps, well they had clearly been multiplying like mice. (I really think all those systems that are supposed to organize your scraps are vain attempts to separate the female from the male scraps so this doesn’t happen, but the trick of telling one from the other has eluded me.)
And it’s not only my problem! My husband is a keeper (well, I’ve kept him for 38 years, but I really mean that stuff sticks to him, too.) Here’s my whole statement about my husband’s stuff:
Wires are to Tom what scraps are to me.
He’s always going to use them sometime. But when that time comes he’d rather have the excuse to go to the electronics store than dig through all his plastic boxes of neatly bound bundles that never seem to be quite the right one or the right length or whatever. He thinks if he puts stuff in a plastic box, it is somehow conquered. Better yet, they should be in a plastic box within a plastic box. I guess this is all just some kind of giant condom to keep his wires from multiplying in the night, but he has no more success than I do. His stuff was out of control too.
And don’t get me started on Allie, our ten year old. Girls invented the whole concept of stuff. Especially stuffed stuff. Allie has a stuffed radio. Stuffed chairs, tiny stuffed couches for her tiny stuffed toys. She has lots of tiny stuff too, which used to be endearing and is now kind of annoying, but she was pretty malleable, as long as I agreed to buy her more stuff.
Over the years here is a partial list of what I have collected at one time or another: beaded purses (I have about 80), buttons, china spice sets, pottery planters, Christmas ornaments, stuffed bears, chairs for the stuffed bears, sequined satin boxes, Christmas tree toppers…..you get my drift.
Now that I design fabric, I’ve gone into the whole world of antique paper goods, (oh yes, I collect antique pull toys), books, fabric and memorabilia.
My name is Mary Anne and I am a stuff-a-holic. I’m just taking it day by day.
Over the last year, and especially the last few months, I have divested myself of a massive rocker, several huge rugs, several small tables (gone to Classy Flea for their dog rescue groups), a bookcase, several receivers, woofers, tweeters, and many boxes of wires, many boxes of fabric, a half dozen framed whatevers, two carloads of girl stuff (teeny tiny tents, teeny tiny bedding, teeny tiny inflatable trampoline, teeny tiny clothes, shoes, books, etc.) a carload of gardening stuff and coming soon, a carload of blankets and pillows to MUST Ministries.
I can breathe again. I have triumphed over my stuff. I have 15 empty plastic tubs and boxes to prove it! (These must be removed immediately because yesterday Tom grabbed a couple of them, feeling they cried out for stuff.) Now I can settle down for the Fall and quilt to my heart’s content. Our Thursday night quilt group is doing a scrap project for the next Humane Society sale and I plan to chew up scraps like a wolverine! Come join us for a sew in at the store August 27, 2010 from 5:00 p.m. until whenever! Produce more scraps! The cycle goes on…

Floorcloth Fun!

2010-07-02T15:01:00.002-04:00

Here is the floorcloth that Jan made, it's right in front of the cash register. Yes, I know its upside down, but when I rotated the photo, it looked like it was hanging in the air! I guess it's that "perspective" thing.

It was easy to do, according to Jan. We have the floorcloth fabric, you don't have to prime it or anything. Just cut out regular quilt fabric in whatever pattern you like, and Mod Podge it down.

We will have a demo on Friday, July 9th, 10-noon. Come and see for yourself!

Quilt Raffle to benefit Humane Society

2010-06-21T13:33:00.002-04:00

Here is the beautiful "Queen and her Court" quilt that we will be raffling off this weekend!

Tickets are $1.00 - still available! Raffle will be at 3:00, on Saturday, June 26th, during our

"Going to the Dogs" event to benefit the Humane Society of the United States.

We have lots of items for sale, made by the owner, staff, and friends of Red Hen: quilts, aprons, totes, placemats, you will just have to come in to see it all!

We will also have a White Elephant Sale with lots of books and patterns looking for new homes!

Hope you can join us!

Our Customers are so Talented!

2010-05-07T14:23:00.004-04:00

Sarah, a high school student, came into the store a few months back looking for a mentor for her senior project. She was so enthusiastic and excited about the prospect of making her first quilt! I watched as this very talented young lady turned out this beautiful quilt! It's an A+++!

Have you seen the pattern for the Birthday Runner in the store? It's adorable. Anne C. added her own touches to the pattern, notice the cute fabrics of the presents, and the extra border she added to the end to make it a bit longer. Also, she zigzagged around the presents and the cake, which made them stand out more, and also was the quilting!

Thanks Anne for bringing it in and sharing with us!

International Quilt Festival - Houston 2009

2010-04-08T21:52:00.002-04:00

We had a great time at Festival last year! A group of us went together and shopped, ate and gawked at all the beautiful quilts! Here's a link to Sue's pictures of it all. We'll be putting another trip to the Festival together! Watch for more news!

Atlanta Shop Hop

2010-03-20T12:32:00.005-04:00

Dogs have given us their absolute all. We are the center of their universe.

We are the focus of their love and faith and trust.
They serve us in return for scraps.
It is without a doubt the best deal man has ever made.
Roger Caras

This weekend our shop is full of dogs and people! The popcorn is popping, the fabric is flying off the shelves and everybody is smiling and wagging their tails. It's a dog gone good party!

Our shop hop quilt was inspired by this small piece.

The quilt is hanging by the door, twinkling lights, yards and yards of tulle and heavenly dogs with angel wings hang from the ceiling throughout the shop.

We all don doggy-themed aprons and dog bone name tags.

Sue and Brenda all gussied up!

And our resident angel, Allie handed out popcorn, treats and smiles to the customers.

Tucked under a table is this lovely angel, Evelyn who, until now, has been patietly playing and waiting for mom to finish shopping. Is there room for me under there? I might need a nap at the end of this weekend!

Beautiful new fabrics arrive!!

2010-02-24T20:21:00.004-05:00

Sitting right by the front door are two new fabric lines that just arrived!
Come in and check them out. They are simply stunning.

Dancing Horses collection by Laurel Burch - 15 gorgeous bolts of horses and coordinates in bright colors!

Marabella by Henry Glass - 10 bolts of sweet florals, paisleys and stripes in pink and bright green! A little piece of spring for those who just can't wait for it to get here!

Another fun technique!

2010-02-10T11:52:00.002-05:00

You all have heard me talking about our First Thursday Quilters. It's a fun bunch and we learn something new each time! Everyone is welcome, so come join us the first Thursday every month from 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.

This month, Lana shared this technique for using up our stash.

Magic!

Pictures for February classes

2010-02-01T14:22:00.002-05:00

A picture's worth a 1000 words! Here are the pictures from some upcoming classes:

The top one is for the paper piecing class, Feb. 17, 10-2. $25 Learn the techniques to make it fun!

The elephant is for the Animal Applique class, Feb. 16, 10-2, $25. You learn the method to create realistic animals, and there are a variety of patterns to choose form.

Machine Quilting Tips

2010-01-13T13:29:00.003-05:00

Is that quilt too big to wrestle through your home machine? We offer machine quilting services. Quilting stitches are done using the HandiQuilter Fusion longarm quilting machine. Our experienced team will take great care of your quilt in our non-smoking shop and treat it like it is the most important quilt in the world!

Whether you tackle that quilt at home, quilt it at a machine here at our shop or have Alta or Jan quilt it for you the following tips are essential for the prettiest quilt possible.

Tips for Better Quilting

Choose good quality 100% cotton fabric. Polyester blends can cause slipped or skipped stitches.
Choose a print cotton fabric for the backing that will blend with the top thread color. A different color thread for the bobbin will usually show on the top.
Backing fabric must be at least three inches larger on all sides (total 6” wider and 6” longer) than the pieced top. Queen size and larger, add a couple more extra inches, especially if using a polyester batting. If your pieced backing is larger than needed, do not trim it down and please be sure that the ends are straight.
Remove selvages from backing seams. Press backing seams closed and to one side. Clip all stray threads from pieced top and back. Stray threads will show through (shadow), especially on light backgrounds.
The batting needs to be at least two inches larger on all sides. Prepackaged batting does not need to be trimmed. We sell both prepackaged and by-the-yard batting. No mid- or high-loft battings please. Cheap batting may have thick and thin spots and can effect the end result of the quilting.
Ensure that all seams are fully sewn. An open seam could catch the foot of the machine.
Bring the quilt top and backing pressed and neatly folded on a hanger.

If you have any questions or want more advice, just give us a call. We're always eager to help!

2009-11-30T15:00:00.000-05:00

Something Rather Lovely Happened

One of the best things about owning a quilt store is the endless stream of wonderful people who walk through our doors. Early on, I became friends with an older woman named Louise Washington (“Everybody calls me Granny”). She is a positive, interesting person and we became fast friends. She always likes to introduce me as her granddaughter since she is African American and I’m not, just to see the confusion!
Being me, I decided Granny needed a dog so I got her a rescued mostly-Jack-Russell she named Scrappy and they are best pals. She of course shared her stories of Scrappy with her mother, who was in her 90’s and lived in Buffalo. Granny is good about providing pictures, etc., and her mother got kind of attached to him long distance. I found a china necklace with a Jack Russell on it and Granny wears it all the time…a true love story.
When Granny’s mother got ill, I kept Scrappy and she went to Buffalo to stay at her mother’s bedside in the ICU. Day after day they talked, her mom rested, and eventually began to decline.
One day she said “Louise, where’s Scrappy?”
“He’s at home, Mom,” Louise said.
“But he’s my dog and I’d really like to see him”
Gently Louise said, “Don’t you remember? He’s my dog at home?”
Her mother was puzzled. “I know he’s yours but I kind of feel like he’s mine? Can I wear the necklace with his picture on it? I want to feel him close to me.”
Louise was a bit upset to have to say that her Mother wasn’t allowed to wear jewelry, especially a necklace, in the ICU.
Just then, the social worker happened by and heard the conversation. “Why don’t you loan me the necklace a minute and I’ll be right back,” she said.
In a few minutes, she was back with an expanded photocopy of the picture, which she taped to the side rail of the bed.
“Oh Louise, now I can have my own picture of my Scrappy,” she said. Granny didn’t correct her.
After that, Granny’s mother rarely took her eyes off the photograph. She would go to sleep smiling back at the typical Jack Russell grin on the face of Almost Scrappy.
One night, when the nursing staff came in to check on her, she was gone. Her open hand lay on the rail where Scrappy’s picture was taped. She had crossed over comforted by the very picture of unquestioning love.
Granny was so happy to have provided that last bit of comfort to her mother. “I left her in Scrappy’s care. He took her home to the Lord.”

2009-07-14T16:17:00.000-04:00

Remembering Edith

The first memory I have of my mother’s friend Edith Rhodes, was when I was in the first day of the first grade at Immaculate Conception School and I took the wrong bus home. I got off at the first stop and called home. Since my mother didn’t have a car, Edith came and got me in a lumbering, black, ancient car (pre WWII) she called “the machine.”
I was so glad to see her face, weathered and seamed even then. As usual, she wore men’s trousers and a blouse she had sewn herself from donated quilt scraps, a montage of pale patterns of no particular relationship. Her thick gray hair was chopped off by her own hand and no makeup had ever touched her typically Appalachian face . Good humor was her only ornament. She lived across the street from us in Kettering Ohio, and so she delivered me safely home, having driven the whole way at about 10 miles an hour.
Her husband, a railroad man, was dead, her son grown and gone and my Mom was her “adopted” daughter. My mother was raised without a mother and Edith taught her
a thousand things about housekeeping…all of them thrifty. She also restarted my Mom’s childhood interest in quilting, all by hand of course. Both Mom and Edith had treadle machines, but would not dream of using them for quilting.

Everyone gave Edith old fabrics and rags. I remember one quilt made of the cut off sleeves of shirts. Some wife had shortened her husband’s long sleeved shirts when they wore out at the elbow…voila a quilt! Edith was from the hardscrabble hills of Kentucky and everything in her life was utilitarian. Her house was plain and simple, her garden had only those things that grew without a lot of help…mostly tomatoes. She cared nothing for food and spent her spare time smoking and quilting and watching whatever came on t.v. When Mom was buried by her three kids under five years old she would send me to Edith’s where I would sort quilt pieces and blab nonstop.
We moved, Edith moved, we went our separate ways until one day when I was visiting my Mom and we decided to try to find her. We made some calls and found a friend
who said Edith had last lived in the hamlet of Pulse, Ohio. Mom and I piled in the car and took off, not sure how to locate her. It was my Mom who had the bright idea of going to the town’s only Laundromat and asking if anyone knew a quilter named Edith Rhodes and sure enough, someone gave us directions.
There was “dear old Edith” in a trailer parked in someone’s back yard. Every inch of the trailer was stuffed with quilt scraps, sorted and piled according to some mysterious system. Edith was hand quilting and watching “The Price is Right” and pleased as punch to see us. She was wizened and nut-brown (she claimed Indian blood) and her coarse hair stood almost on end. Her numerous cats lounged under the trailer, sustained only by their rations of government handout cheese and peanut butter, and the baby rabbits attracted to the tomato patch.
She still had her ancient car, now brush painted robin’s egg blue, by Edith of course.
“Oh Edith, is there anything I can do for you or get for you?” my Mom asked.
“What else could I use?” Edith replied, her voice deep and raspy. “I’ve got everything already.”
Those words hit me like a tidal wave. I was a yuppie with a BMW who wanted everything all the time in every color and here was a woman I would classify as poor who was utterly content. You meet the Buddha in the strangest places.
One last time, maybe ten years later, we found Edith in another small town in Ohio. Her raspy voice had turned into a hacking cough, but she was still the same. She rented a little 4 room house , and still slept in the bed her parents had used in Kentucky, their stern portraits hung over the headboard. The bare living room had only her couch and t.v. and a coffee table with a little lip around it. Every inch of the table was stuffed with threads, all within arm’s reach. Edith had slowed down a lot, and was preparing to visit her son in Florida. She sold us all the quilts she had to finance the trip, which would be her last.
Her cats lounged in the kitchen playing with government issue raisins and the heavy peace of the simple life hung over her old house. I could hear the bugs whirring in the heat and smell the smashed tomatoes she threw out the kitchen door for the “varmints” in the neighborhood. It struck me that she lived a life that would have been much the same even a hundred years ago. What a contrast with the frantic pace I maintained!
One of Edith’s quilts is on my bed. Her utter self reliance and self sufficiency still seem to me remarkable. I often think of her. In my heart, I still think I may live the way she did eventually. My husband and I have offered to sell our house to our son, fully furnished . Some day we may crank up the “machine” and head away, only my fabric and dogs stuffed in the back.
Until then, may the peace of Edith be with you.

2009-05-27T12:24:00.003-04:00

The ballad of Annie and Tom

As many of you know, last year we lost our dog Earl, a noble dog, as so many are.
I tried for a long time to get by on just two dogs. It really did work better logistically and don’t get me started on the folly of having dogs in the store! I don’t believe in it, but I just can’t help it. I’m addicted to dogs.
Then one day I was in my favorite second hand store, A Classy Flea, and I heard one of the women (who has a boxer rescue group) talking about the doggie glut.
“I could manage one more,” I mused. “But I really don’t want a boxer.”
“No problem!” she chirped. “My sister runs a Cocker Spaniel rescue group!”
Oh dear. Open mouth, insert dog.
Now my husband has a little history with Cockers. When he was a boy, he adored his Cocker. Unfortunately, his stepfather, who was truly mentally ill, became angry one day and gave the dog away. To this day, Tom’s mother doesn’t know why she didn’t stand up to her then husband (later divorced.) But Tom never saw his dog again.
So of course I had to look at the website.
Oh my goodness! Beautiful Spaniels one after another. A particularly beautiful Springer-Cocker mix with freckles. Joyous, lovely dogs one and all.
And one rather scruffy black and white flopper named Annie. My mother, whose name was Anna, was called Annie by her family, so of course that was that! The dog Annie had been on the streets quite a while, had been covered with mange, and was a wee bit sad, so of course we contacted the group right away.
Dog day. I was so excited, Allie was crazed, Tom was bemused. (I think he was a bit afraid to fall in love with another Cocker.)
The guy from the rescue group pulled up and opened his car door. Imagine our shock when this glamorous, perfectly groomed Cocker arrived, complete with bows over her ears. She was unearthly beautiful with fat over sized white paws and a dusting of white on her muzzle. She still had her tail, which wagged furiously with excitement, and if I had a tail, mine would have been wagging too. We were all thrilled.
Okay, maybe Cookie wasn’t that thrilled, but on walks in the woods, Annie would turn out to be the playmate she never had. Annie took a shine to Sandy, our large golden retriever mix, and snuggled right up to her on her bed. Apart from a look of surprise, Sandy took it all in stride, as she does everything.
Forward a couple of months.
Here’s Tom, in bed with a 20 pound lump of black curls cradled in his arms. He whispers to her and she gazes adoringly with oversized brown eyes, trying to tell him how awful it was, out on the street, cold, hungry, hurting. He’s a very good listener.
Somehow a circle has closed, peace falling upon all.

2009-05-18T14:26:00.002-04:00

Hello all you quilty ladies!! This is our first blog posting and I'm going to slam it in, because I'm so stoked about this Spring's quilt offerings at market.

I just got back, after a wonderful few days at market, rooming with Mary Ellen Von Holt of Little Quilts and talking and eating until we were dazed. We had drinks with Alex Anderson and went to Moda's sunset dinner cruise on the Allegheny River with my friend Ro Gregg. (A truly spectacular event with all the grand high pooh bahs in attendance...Eleanor Burns at al).

Here's a quick high light of what is coming and what I think was all riveting!

I bought hundreds of patterns, especially a big group from Animas quilts centered around Christmas and we're going to kit at least a couple of those up. They are so rich and classic looking.

I also bought a group of Asian influence patterns that are large scale and fast and just stunning.

Lots of toys are coming! Quilter's toys that is! Fun gadgets and novelties you will have to see to understand.

Okay, I fell for everything yo-yo! Patterns, gadgets. They were all so cute!

A few of the major groups we have coming are:

American Retro from Windham Fabrics. Delft blue and rich red cherries, etc. Very fifties but in a rich palette.

All of the goofy Farmer John veggies

A wonderful Juvenile group from Janet Wecker Frisch , Mother Goosey

Flight of the Dancing Cranes from Northcott, Asian Fusion, mysterious and beautiful.

And of course lots lots more, but I'm so far behind (of course) I have to run!

Happy sewing!!

Thanks for the huge attendance at our birthday party. Hope you all liked your gifts as much as we loved seeing you.

Love from us all at Red Hen

2009-03-24T12:09:00.002-04:00

Welcome to the new Red Hen Blog. I'll be sharing what's happening at the store to keep you up to date on sales, classes and special Events.

Check back often!

Mary Anne

New Store

2009-02-26T13:07:00.001-05:00

From a sow's ear to a silk purse, or why Mary Anne has anxiety attacks!

BEFORE

Here we start with the proverbial sow's ear:

It can only get better from here:

MOVING!

6,000++ bolts of fabric!

WE'VE ARRIVED!!

Our Story So Far

2009-02-25T12:30:00.000-05:00

In 2003 when I moved to Marietta, Georgia, from Florida, I was thrilled to find out that I was living just a couple of miles from a fabric store! Oh joy unbounded!

Unfortunately, when I stopped at the historic Marietta Mill building and knocked on the door I found out that the fabric store which had once been located there was now closed. Too bad, I thought. What a fitting place for a fabric store...a historic textile mill. Not to mention the delicious location just blocks from historic Marietta town square. Oh well, I thought, maybe this is the chance for me to open the fabric store I always dreamed of...

When I got to know the town better, I felt there was a real need for a good fabric store in the area, so I began to talk to various people about renting a small space. At one point, I even took an option on an 800 square foot space. I had visions of sewing peacefully along and stopping to chat when the occasional customer wandered in.

One day as I passed the Mill, I saw the sign..."7,000 square feet for sale or lease." Oh gosh, that cool old building has space available, but of course I could never begin to afford it. Still...

I gathered up my courage and called the sweetest realtor in Marietta, John Hunicutt, a real southern gentleman. Maybe the space could be subdivided? I asked. John arranged to show me the building...and it was love at first sight. The lower floor of the historic mill had exposed floor beams, now painted black, and it seemed to go on forever. Old pipes and giant circuit breakers and roller doors spoke of the building's past as a mill. This was the space I'd always dreamed of ...too bad I was way too poor to afford it!

I babbled on to John about my dreams of the ultimate quilt store.in a historic mill no less. He told me about the history of the building, built in 1946 with double thick walls in case it was needed as a munitions storage area, and since used by the Bentley family to house their textile company. He agreed to plead my case with the Bentley brothers, Drew and Bullet. I think that what swayed the brothers was the fact that I love their building as much as they do. In any case, after some agonizing weeks, John was able to persuade them to make me a wonderful deal for the space. Thanks to their kindness it was, and is, a match made in heaven.

Many gallons of paint later, our grand old lady is polished up and again receiving visitors. The factory has long been relocated, although the company offices are still on the upper floor. When the store is quiet, I can hear my friends walking around on the original creaky floor boards.a sound I find very comforting. In turn, the Bentleys and the other employees of Marietta Drapery can't resist visiting occasionally to see what is new and to rejoice in the old lady's new look.

In addition to 6,000 bolts of fabric, we sell the overruns of drapes and bedspreads produced by the drapery company, at ridiculously low prices. When things are slow, I bore my customers by pointing out the unique brick ceiling, constructed with the same technology as the London underground. The occasional ghost drifts by, interested in all the changes, I suppose, or wondering at our state-of-the-art long arm quilting machine, so different from the primitive mill machines of the past.

In recent months we have added Toys, Gifts, Art, Rugs, Food, and many others. Not to mention Handi Quilter machines and Custom long arm quilting services!

We think we have a unique store -- part bargain basement, part quilt party, part gift shop. We hope you'll come visit us sometime soon. Cookie, the poodle in the picture, will be waiting to entertain the kids. But I warn you, once you're here, time slips away and it's really hard to leave! After all, who wants to be the first to leave a party?