Back in February while the HH and I were out on one of our date day adventures, we stopped off at Alewives Fabrics in the small town of Damariscotta Mills, Maine {well, actually he stayed in the car while I went inside because seriously, isn’t that how all trips to the fabric store go with your husband?} 😉
Over the winter I had asked if any of YOU knew of a good fabric store or two in the area, and so many of you mentioned Alewives Fabrics, that I just knew I had to sneak work it into one of our trips.
So THANK YOU! Not only did Alewives Fabrics have some of the most amazing quilting fabrics, but it was HUGE! So big in fact that I ended up getting totally distracted and stopped taking pictures after a minute or two in the store. 😉
What I especially liked about the store was all the different patterns it offered from smaller companies. They even had a nice yard collection too!
Look at this sweet little turtle pin cushion! I think I need to make one of those.
In addition to oodles of fabrics, there were also lots’ of everyday clothing patterns to choose from as well {both children’s and adults}. And ton’s of kits! Apparently they are big on English paper piecing. Who knew?
A picture of the back room where they keep most of the sewing notions and thread.
There was also a nice selection of quilting / sewing / patterns and magazines in the back as well.
Don’t have time to sew? They even offer HANDMADE QUILTS!
The basement studio where classes are held. How cool would that be to have that much space all to yourself to work on your projects? Talk about a dream space.
Here’s the stack of blues and whites I ended up purchasing. The plan is to get all my “house projects” done by the end of the summer so I can spend the fall and winter months rug hooking and working on a quilt for our bedroom. Fingers crossed all goes as planned.
These little chickens, they were my favorite find. I might have make a little something for Mrs. HB though because she just LOVES her hens.
So if you are a quilter {or a knitter} and ever make it out to Damariscotta Mills, Maine, be sure and stop by Alewives Fabric store. You’ll be so glad you did.
Wishing you the BEST of Fridays,
~Mavis
P.S. Due to the current shut down in Maine, Alewives is temporarily closed but it will be back up and running again soon.
Alewives Fabrics Gifts Gallery
10 Main St, Nobleboro, ME 04555
Karin says
I LOVE that chicken fabric! Any idea if it can be purchased online? Or the manufacturer name?
Mavis Butterfield says
Yes. https://www.alewivesfabrics.com/fabrics?cat_id=152&prod_id=16619
Mel says
My husband usually waits in the car (to keep the dog company) when I go into fabric stores, but the roles are a little reversed now. He’s choosing fabric online and has done socially distanced curbside pickup in order to get me supplies since we’ve burned through my entire fabric stash making masks for his coworkers. He’s even cutting some of the fabric for me and done ironing duty. We should be wrapping up his coworkers’ masks this weekend (about 50 masks), and then we hope to supply our CSA’s workers with masks next. Since the fabric I used was earmarked for projects for my job, we will be going on a massive fabric shopping spree when this is all over.
Mrs HB says
Now you’ve gone and got me all excited about the hen print and what’s to come !!!!!
Linda Sand says
Those pincushion turtles reminded me of the bean bag frogs we made back in the 1960s. You could pose them sitting in various places around the house. Ours used three pieces of fabric (right top, left top, and bottom) and were easy to sew.
Michelle Counter says
I checked out their website. They have so many exciting prints available! I wish I knew how to sew. Maybe this summer I can learn. I have always wanted to. Making a quilt would be amazing to learn to do someday. Wonder if they have a way to purchase the premade quilts online? I didnt see it on their website.
Renay Bennett says
I just emailed them to see if they sell the turtle pin cushion. Love that!
Stephanie says
My husband shops with me and picked fabric for last 3 quilts.
E in Upstate NY says
Used to work in a fabric store in a mall. The husbands used to sit outside the store, patiently watching their wives move about the fabric store. Then one day, we had to move lots of fabric: half the store front was converted to sewing machines! And suddenly all those “lost” husbands could look at the insides of a sewing machine. The sales lady sure knew how to sell to men. Many wifes discovered that not only were they going home with fabric, but a new sewing machine!
Catherine Ernst says
When I lived in Indiana and was visiting in Maine, we stayed at a Bed and Breakfast in Rockland. The lady who ran the B&B is an avid quilter too, so I asked what her favorite fabric store was. We had some time on our hands and were thinking of moving to Maine, so we ventured in that direction. That is how I discovered Alewives! I thoroughly enjoyed my shopping there while my patient Handsome Husband (that is what I call him too!) stayed out in the car on that rainy day. Alewives have fabrics you don’t find anywhere else. I still have some great fabric in my stash that came from there, and I am having a hard time using it for anything because of the great memories I have of that trip. We ended up not moving to Maine, and ended up in Michigan instead, but my heart still gets tugged in the direction of Maine.