Today, we bring you a giveaway from SouleMama Sponsor, Alewives Fabrics. In Rhea's words:
"Alewives Fabrics is a family-owned business located in a big red barn in Midcoast Maine. The shop has been open since 1978, but for the past decade has been owned by the mother/daughter team of Barbara Neeson and Rhea Butler. We opened our webstore about 4 years ago and now we sell fabrics from our carefully curated selection to sewing enthusiasts from all over the globe!
Alewives Fabrics can be found on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Rhea keeps a blog that is equal parts shop and family life at www.alewivesgirl.blogspot.com."
SouleMama: What inspired you to start your business?
Rhea: I began working at Alewives Fabrics for the shop's previous owner when I was just 19 years old. The motivation to turn my part time job at Alewives Fabrics into a full blown career came from my desire to work in an environment that was fun, friendly and offered a lot more freedom than a traditional job. And if I'm being honest, from pure stubbornness as well. A lot of people asked what I was going to do after leaving Alewives, because there was no way I could make a career out of owning a fabric store. Not only has it become a career for me, but it's a living that supports my family financially, allows me the flexibility required to be a mother and wife, and nourishes my creative side as well. To be able to do all of that in a state like Maine is as good as it gets; I just can't imagine anything more fulfilling than being right here in this big red barn, so full of history, surrounded by beautiful fabrics in a beautiful neighborhood, working with women (and men) I respect and admire.
SouleMama: What inspires you?
Rhea: What continues to inspire me are the gorgeous fabrics that can be found nowadays. The designs are so much fun, you don't have to do much with them to create something gorgeous. When I first started working at Alewives, fabrics were very traditional. In the past few years, fabrics have gone from unassuming calico prints to provocative, edgy, modern designs. Fabrics are so much fun nowadays and all the new designers and companies are creating amazing things. I could have TWO stores the size of Alewives and still not carry all of the textiles I love, but what a fun challenge to pick and choose what I do want to reflect my store's style!
SouleMama: What's the offering that you are most excited about in your shop right now? Tell us about it.
Rhea: I'm a big fan of vintage machines, and at home I stitch on my Great-Grandmother's 1961 Kenmore. Most of our customers have at least one trusty vintage "work horse" machine in their collection, but these are getting harder and harder to find and maintain. This fall, my husband Oliver took a leap of faith and left his full time job to come join our team here at Alewives Fabrics as our vintage sewing machine sales and service division! Ollie is a wizard at fixing machines and he's assembled a terrific collection of vintage machines for sale at our shop. If you have an older machine that isn't computerized he can fix it or even just maintain it with a proper cleaning and oiling. If you're in the market for a vintage machine, he's got a great collection to choose from or he'll track down and fix up a machine that you've got your eye on. It's been so much fun for me as a fabric lover (and wife) to watch my husband develop a whole new set of skills that pairs so perfectly with what I do. Welcome on board, Ollie!
For today's giveaway, Alewives Fabrics is generously offering the following gift to ONE lucky winner:
~ A selection of 20 different fat quarters of quilting weight cotton, chosen especially for Soulemama readers!
The "Goldenrod and Thistle" fat quarter set has a neo-colonial vibe; prints pulled from historical textiles, then reinterpreted in modern colors. Fun shades of purple, cream and mustard from designers like Anna Maria Horner, Amy Butler, Kaffe Fassett and more mix and mingle quite nicely in this collection.
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To enter today's giveaway, please leave a comment (one entry per person, please) in today's post. I'll close comments by 8:00 am EST on Saturday, and announce the winner, chosen via Random Number Generator, shortly after. Comments closed! The winner is...
What stunning fabrics...such vibrant colours. Thanks for the chance.
Posted by: Wendy
Thank you, Alewives Fabrics!
