Coming in October!

We feel very honored to be hosting Kaffe Fassett next month!  We're getting ready by featuring a fabulous selection of his fabrics - his books - and other items that help you create! 

Although his class on Tuesday, October 22 is full with a waiting list, we still have openings in his lecture and trunk show on Monday evening.  Come be inspired by his use of color and shapes! 

We're also working out the details on a new block-of-the-month program using Kaffe's fabrics and Kim McLean's design, "Flower Garden".  Details will be posted on the website this week, and featured in next week's newsletter!

For all our knitting friends, we're also hosting Brandon Mably with his "Concentrate on Color" class on Monday, October 21 from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm. 

Following the visit of Kaffe and Brandon, we'll be featuring a trunk show in the shop by Dawn Heese of Linen Closet Designs.   Dawn will be returning from Fall Quilt Market will all her new designs!  This will be a real treat, as she will be available to talk to you all day on Wednesday, October 30 from 9:00 to 5:00 pm! 

On Thursday, October 31, Dawn will be teaching two half-day classes -- in the morning will be a wool and velvet applique class.   She'll share her techniques and tips for working on both these fabrics.  This design is one of her new series of dresser scarf patterns.  

In the afternoon, Dawn's class will be on her method of Big Stitch Quilting.  She is finishing a brand new applique quilt design with this. 

Keep watching the newsletter for updates on everything happening at the shop! 

Exciting Week!

With the "official" end of summer -- Labor Day -- we look forward to an exciting week!  First, we are participating in the "Jingle Bell Hop" on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.   This will be great fun, and shops will be ready to inspire you for the upcoming seasons and holidays!  Purchase a $5 passport and receive a portion of the fabric from each store to complete the "Smashing" Jingle Bell Hop wall hanging!  Complete passports will qualify for the drawing to win the Grand Prize of a Brother SB3129SM - or a $50 gift certificate from each shop!  All participants will receive goodie bags!  Join the fun!

During the shop hop, we'll have a special trunk show of quilts, wool applique and punchneedle designs by Missie Carpenter of Hallbrook Designs.  Missie will be in the shop to meet you on Saturday, September 7, in the morning, and then teaching her class on "English Paper Piecing 5 Ways!"  Her class is full, but we are taking a waiting list.

You can see a variety of Missie's patterns on our website Here.

Missie's popular quilt "Life in the Midwest"  features LOTS of hexagons -- surrounded by applique -- it's a stunner!

Among her designs for wool applique is "Indian Summer Little Woolie" -- make in time for Fall! 

Combine techniques in "Primitive Pineapple Welcome" -- punchneedle takes the place of applique in this small quilt!

Come see us if you can -- or shop online to enjoy Missie's patterns!

More next week!

Keep stitching!

What a Great Year!

Okay -- we're embarrassed!  For a variety of reasons, posting new blogs fell off our radar!  But, we're re-committing to using this wonderful method of bringing you pictures and information about the shop.  We know Facebook is also a great way to do this, but our blog can give a more in-depth look at the shop.  So, don't give up on us yet!

We recently moved the yarn from upstairs to downstairs, and then mixed it into the fabric area.  The colors and textures look great all together -- and we're all happy!

We love to have special trunk shows in the shop!  We currently have several -- The Cottage at Cardiff Farms features wool applique --

Pink Sand Beach Designs features Jo Morton's fabrics "Blue Variety" and "Madison Manor" in some of their new bags  --  

 And Kimberbell Designs is helping us get ready for Christmas with fun and easy patterns -- "Merry & Bright Tablerunner and Tea Towel" is just one of them! 

In the fabric department, we just received hand-dyed ombres from Marcus -- These will be very popular with our applique lovers --

And some great taupe and neutral colors from Yoko Saito and Lecein Fabric -- 

You'll be able to find these on our website soon!

In just a couple of weeks, we'll be hosting Missie Carpenter of Hallbrook Designs!  She'll be here on Saturday, September 7, with quilts, wool applique and punchneedle for you to admire, and then teaching a class in the afternoon on "English Paper Piecing 5Ways!"  Don't miss seeing her and her beautiful work!

Mark your calendar for the "Jingle Bell Hop"  -- more information on our website Here. 

More next week!

Keep Stitching! 

Where does the time go?

The New Year was off to a great start!  We've been so busy settling in to the new space, enjoying it and sharing it with others -- our Blog got neglected.  We've recommitted to updating it every week and hope to give you new ideas and inspiration! 

Our big news for the start of the year is that we will be one of 11 featured shops in Quilt Sampler Spring/Summer 2013 issue!  It will be available on the newsstands around May 9, or you may preorder a copy of it on our website Here. 

Each shop has an original quilt design in the magazine, and our quilt was designed by Candy Hargrove and uses all Jo Morton fabrics by Andover.  The simply pieced blocks are border with an applique vine and berries, and, of course, a rabbit! 

We are taking preorders for this beauty with a deposit; kits will be shipped as soon as we can after the magazine is received.  The 70" x 70" quilt is the perfect size for a wall or throw.  Preorder the kit now Here. 

Spring is FINALLY arriving in NW Arkansas.  That means everyone will be venturing out and starting to travel!  What better way than to join in a shop hop.  This weekend is time for our annual "Spring Fling Shop Hop" -- We hope to see you soon!

It's Fall in NWA!

It's been a busy few months, and we're all settled in our new home!  We love the atmosphere of the high ceilings, wood detailing and being all together in one building!  Our sitting and stitching and classroom areas are awesome and the Yarn Shop upstairs enjoys all the benefits of natural lighting.

We continue to carry a wide variety of fabrics -- Jo Morton, Renee Nanneman, Kaffe Fassett, Amy Butler just to mention a few.  We still love to help friends choose fabrics for quilts and create samples to provide inspiration!

Our wool room is a favorite spot -- right now we have lots of kits for the holidays!  Designs for fall and Christmas are so much fun in wool applique!

This month we began "Freedom Rings" -- a block-of-the-month design from Paula Barnes and Marcus Brothers Fabrics.  Rheba made the incredible quilt hanging in the shop.

Beginning in November will be two more block-of-the-month designs --

 "Baltimore Folk" Quilt designed by Dawn Heese, Linen Closet Designs --

and the "Flower Basket Medallion" quilt -- designed by Kim McLean, created by Brenda from Kaffe Fassett fabrics.  We'll have details posted soon! 

In the Yarn Shop, we're having fun with classes using the "One Skein Wonders" book -- next up is the Baby Gnome Hat -- what a great Christmas gift!

Bring your knitting and crochet projects in every Monday evening from 5:30 to 7:30 pm for "Knit Nite" -- Danielle will be here to help you and other friends will encourage you!

Check out all our Classes posted on the website Here.  Learn some basic machine piecing skills and more in the Technique Tabletoppers Classes. 

We'll be back soon with more new things!
Only Because of His Grace,
Mary Elizabeth

What a Summer!

Five years ago, we bought The Rabbit's Lair.  It was a wonderful shop next to the building we owned that housed Poor Richard's Art.  That was the start of our adventure!

For two years, we enjoyed our home in what had been a bank -- it was cozy and charming, but we were quickly outgrowing it.  We needed more space for classrooms and fabric.  Committed to remaining in downtown historic Rogers, we moved around the corner on Walnut.  This shop had all the light we were missing, plus a wonderful mezzanine for class space. 

We enjoyed both locations and especially enjoyed meeting all the friends we made as we learned about the wonderful world of fabric and fibers.  Mary loved to embroider and create in wool, and Clarice soon found that her passion was knitting.  The front of the shop became the yarn area, but it kept encroaching on the fabric space.  So.... when Poor Richard's Art moved out of their space on First Street, we opened our yarn shop in February of this year and called it RL2

The setting was perfect for all the beautiful colors of yarn -- it sparkled in the original glass cases! 

As much as we loved the new home for yarn, the two shops were in separate locations.  So we had an inspired idea -- why not have them in the same beautiful building!  We moved the yarn to a bright and airy room upstairs and brought all our fabric, wool and stitchery supplies over to the first floor.
Here is a picture taken in the new yarn shop:

The downstairs is filled with the beautiful fabrics we carry -- and our quilt samples are hung high on custom made racks.

The wool has it's own room, filled with samples and shades of wool for your favorite project.

There's lots more to see -- we'll hope you'll visit soon and enjoy the shop as we do!  Stay tuned for more pictures soon!

Only Because of His Grace,
Mary Elizabeth

Spring Quilt Market Part 3

We stopped by Dawn Heese's booth -- Linen Closet Designs -- to see her new patterns.  One of them is a Folk Art Baltimore quilt -- we loved it and asked her to teach a block from it when she visits The Rabbit's Lair in July.  You can see more about her Market time on her Blog -- we'll have info about her new patterns next weekend at "Quilt Market Bash."   

Here is the block she will be teaching in her needleturn applique class -- "Pomegranates All Around"

The class will be on Saturday, July 7 from 9:30 am to 2:30 pm -- Click Here for details!

We found a new quilt designer from Canada that uses a lot of Jo Morton fabrics in her designs -- we think some of these will make great classes, and of course, wonderful quilts! This company is Prairie Quilt Mercantile. 

Also using Jo Morton fabrics in many of her designs is Clothesline Quilts.  We will be receiving a trunk show of 6 quilts from the Civil War General Series next week -- Be sure and stop in to see them!  Shown in "General Longstreet." 

If you love English Paper Piecing and simple applique, you'll love this design by Sue Daley of Patchwork with Busyfingers from Australia!  "Antique Sampler" will be worth the effort, and we're working on scheduling a workshop at a later date to get you started!  Here's Sue in front of her masterpiece quilt -- she says it took her only 6 weeks to complete this! 

Sue has a number of items designed for fun with hand work -- we'll also be showing you her template for making this sweet basket quilt! 

Much prettier in person (aren't they always?) is the "Mill Girls" block-of-the-month design hanging in the Marcus booth!  You can sign up for this now for shipping in the fall! 

Have a great Memorial Day weekend -- Our shops will be closed on Sunday and Monday.

Only Because of His Grace,
Mary Elizabeth