We are thrilled to have Harriet Goodall join us in June for a two-day workshop before she heads up to Squam Lake to teach at the most heavenly art escape, Squam. Harriet is an Australian fibre artist who's creations will take your breath away. Her basketry will turn whatever preconceived notions you have about basket weaving on end. From baskets to furniture to gorgeous baskets of light, Harriet's pieces are a celebration of nature and the artist.<PREVIEWEND>

Day One of Harriet's workshop will focus on random weaving with a pop of fluoro. In Day Two you'll learn traditional open weaving techniques with the opportunity to incorporate recycled materials. In both classes students are encouraged to experiment and explore their own notions of art, craft and object. You'll make two vessels over the weekend and have the opportunity to spend time with an inspiring and talented artist.

We'll be transforming the studio space to accommodate tubs for soaking cane, buckets of fluoro and racks to hang the weavings from. There will be music and cake. And plenty of time to dream as you weave. All you are required to bring is your paint clothes or apron and perhaps some recycled fiber/paper/etc to weave into your vessels. 

We wouldn't be able to host Harriet without the generosity of Elizabeth Duvivier and Squam. Thanks to Elizabeth's outreach we were introduced to Harriet and we hope this is one of many future collaborations.

Check out this vimeo to see what's in store! And don't forget to register HERE!

Fluoro Basketry at Megan Morton's The School from Caroline McCredie on Vimeo.

If you didn't know that Pansy Maiden aka Laura Collins has an Indiegogo campaign going on right now hurry and check it out! Laura's expecting her first small person and really could use YOUR help to keep Pansy Maiden moving forward. I love makers. I love creative entrepreneurs. I love Laura. And I love her bags. <PREVIEWEND>

To help make this happen for this incredible woman that I find so inspiring I'm going to give away my "Octopus Garden" prizes (1 Roadrunner tote, Canteen Pouch (I love mine!), free shipping for a year!, a mystery perk & so much love) to a contributor. Yep. One random contributor will be chosen and my prize will become his/her prize. So if you have $5. $10. $25. $50. how about $100? Then help a girl out. She wanted to raise $12,000 but would be thrilled to raise $6000. I don't see why we can't meet that goal in the next 11 hours. Let's do this.

The yet to be released, Roadrunner Tote! EEEEP!

We have developed a number of classes and workshops this year dedicated to helping folks "finish it!" Not everyone sews/knits/crochets quickly. No one is perfect. Sometimes life gets in the way between two class sessions and you don't find the time to do your "homework". We get it. But you aren't going to finish your project in class. Which is fine with us. But perhaps you need more assistance? Perhaps you've put a project on the back burner and now that you have it in hand you have no idea where to start? These projects are perfect for one of the FINISH IT! workshops. <PREVIEWEND>

Or say you took the Weekender Bag workshop but despite your best efforts just struggled to get the exterior together and still have to put in your lining? Well, why not sign up the Weekender Bag Office Hours workshop? The instructor of the class is available to assist you getting through the final steps of your bag. Or provide you with feedback on how to make the bag better next go around. And if you are the kind of person that won't do your homework between sessions then sign up for those Office Hours and get the work done so you can be prepared for the next meeting.

And these workshops are not just for sewing. We have a Knitting and Crochet Finish It workshop for anyone who has ever stashed an unfinished project in the bottom of a bag or deep in the closet. Pull that project out and get the professional advice your project deserves. Figure out how to set your sleeves. Add that last bit of edging. Make that i-cord. Heaven forbid you made a mistake (gasp) but no need to fear, you can tackle that mistake with some assistance. And get back on track.

Finish It! isn't just for beginners. It's for the person who just isn't "getting it" from a YouTube video. Or the kind of learner that needs hands-on instruction. It's for anyone that could use a pep-talk because "going it alone" really doesn't need to be how we craft. And sometimes you can't get any of our attention for long enough to help you "figure it out" because when we're in the store not teaching, we're helping customers make informed choices about products or stocking the shelves or checking the inventory so our online shop can launch without inventory mistakes. We created these workshops because everyone deserves one-on-one attention.

Join us and get it done! Challenge us. Share with us. Above all, FINISH IT!

March 5th Sewing Finish it! (pants still need a hem? never put in the buttonholes? all the pieces are cut out but the instructions don't make any sense?)

March 12th Knitting Crochet Finish It! (you can't just make one sock... and you might want to weave in those end...)

March 23rd Weekender Bag Office Hours (perfect for getting your homework done or getting through the last steps of your bag that you started last year!)

March 24th Modern Drunkard's Path Office Hours (took this class in 2012 and haven't quilted it? Need assistance binding? Sign up!)

You have probably seen the lovely thread follower stuffie kits we've been carrying for over a year in the shop and at our Bazaar Bizarre Boston show table. Designed by Cynthia Treen in nearby Rhode Island, they are one of our most popular gifts. These small hand-stitching projects are a wonderful introduction to sewing for all ages and use products sourced in New England. We're huge fans of Cynthia's!

But did you know that Cynthia is the author of Last-Minute Fabric Gifts? And you may not be familiar with Cynthia's other talent - appliqué. We are truly honored to have Cynthia be the next special guest teaching in The Annex. <PREVIEWEND> Cynthia's one-day workshop on Saturday the 23rd from 1 to 7 PM will focus on layered appliqué - something we have never offered at gather here but we think will be a great addition to anyone's arsenal of skills. You'll learn how to utilize appliqué in your work and how to take your class creation and use it as the cornerstone or centerpiece of future projects.

Here are some amazing examples of Cynthia's work. We hope you'll join us on March 23rd for what we hope will be one of many workshops with Cynthia Treen.

All images by Cynthia Treen.

Thursday, January 24th is Visit Your Local Quilt Shop Day and we wanted to say thank you! We aren't "just" a quilt shop even though we sell some awesome quilting fabric and teach a number of quilting classes. We also consider ourselves a pretty fabulous knitting, crochet, needlecraft and sewing shop. (Have you seen the two dozen wools we have in stock? And the new Spud & Chloe yarns?)

I think nearly every single person that works at gather here has patchworked something - a tree skirt, a laptop case, a baby quilt, a potholder. Every new order of fabric that arrives inspires me to make another quilt. I'm currently sneaking in a few minutes each day to work on my Scrappy Trip Around the World quilt that was inspired by Aneela Hoey. <PREVIEWEND>

Abby Glassenberg wrote the absolute NICEST blog post about why she loves Gather Here for the Visit Your Local Quilt Shop blog-hop and we hope that you feel the same way. We hope that we've been providing you with inspiration, quality products and a community of makers that was missing from your life. Because honestly, that's what you've provided for us. We get to share our love of craft with YOU every single day. We not only teach the crafts we are passionate about but also learn from the talented folks that come to the store. We are blown away with all that YOU manage to create and how awesome everything is.

As our way of saying thanks for making us your local quilt shop, we're offering 25% off all quilting cotton. And for just this day only, buy 4 fat quarters and get 2 free. PLUS, with a $50 purchase you can enter to win a fat quarter bundle of our favorite Lizzy House Pearl Bracelets (pictured above) or a fat quarter bundle of our favorite prints from Carolyn Friedlander's Architextures! We can't wait to see what you make!

You may not realize this but every single day something arrives. Sometimes it's just a new notion. Or that long-awaited box of Clover seam rippers that every distributor in America seems to be out of.  We get to unpack it all and forget that you don't so we thought perhaps you could use an update on Friday of what you might find in the shop! So without further ado:

left: Daisy Janie's 2013 kick-off collection - New Leaf,  right: Carolyn Friedlander's first collection - Architextures <PREVIEWEND>

left: New Liberty Art Tana Lawn florals,  right: Lizzy House's Pearl Bracelets in a rainbow

left: Cascade 220 Sport in all their glorious colors is back in stock,  right: Fibre Co's Acadia Asparagus is back!

This weekend is our Debbie Bliss Sale! All Debbie Bliss Yarn is 25% off! Buy a pattern booklet and a project's worth of yarn for 30% off! Always fashionable with so many weights and colors to choose from.

Also, in this week: backordered colors of Cascade 220 Superwash and plenty of Magnum. Moda's French General in natural and Honey Honey have arrived as well as Noteworthy. And we're excited to announce that Spud & Chloe Sweater and Outer will be on the shelves on Monday, January 21st!

When we received the 18 bolts of Lizzy House's most recent fabric collection, Constellations, there were audible gasps as each bolt was unwrapped. I had been lucky enough to receive some sample yardage from Lizzy to sew into dresses to wear to Quilt Market in Houston but that had just intensified the desire to share it with everyone. Whenever I wore my Supernova dress people asked if we had the fabric yet. It's just that awesome. Even back in late Spring when I saw the collection on paper I knew it would be incredible.

Above: the "fabric" cards that we order collections from. There's A LOT of trust going in when you see "fabric" on paper since colors can and do change sometimes. But I knew immediately that this was too amazing to not purchase every single bolt.

Above: sample yardage that arrived in October. And the stack of actual bolts. The progression of blues takes my breath away. <PREVIEWEND>

In a moment of madness, swept away by the collection stacked on the cutting table waiting to become something I embarked on a sewing quest. Because it arrived near the holiday, I decided I'd do "Twelve Days of Constellations". A project a day that featured this fabric that I love so much. Designed by one of the loveliest women I've met in my lifetime. And as you all know, with each stitch I stitched I'd be wishing on a star, dreaming big dreams for the new year.

Here are those 12 Days:

Day 1 - Supernova in Black V-Neck Shift Dress (I love how my dress sort of matches the Bazaar Bizarre Boston Poster...)

Day 2 - Moon Phase Polka Dot in Purple Scoop Neck A-Line Dress with 3/4 length sleeves (you could make something similar using Sewliberated's Schoolhouse Tunic pattern)

Day 3 - Twinkle Twinkle in Black V-Neck sleeveless dress with gathered skirt inspired by this Merchant & Mills Madison Dress

Day 4 - Constellations in Blue Virginia Skirt (This pattern is totally going to be available this spring! Yay for local printers!)

Day 5 - Constellations Asterisks Skinny Tie (come join us for the class sometime...)

Day 6 - Constellations in Purple and Asterisks in Light Blue Wide-leg Lounge Pant (make a similar pair using Amy Butler's Lounge Pant Pattern in her book, In Stitches)

Day 7 - Star Chart in Black Pajama Pants

Day 8 - Supernova in Purple Uptown Dress

Day 9 - Star Chart in Blue and Twinkle Twinkle in Natural Blue Cotton Ric-Rac trimmed pillow cases

Day 10 - Twinkle Twinkle in Natural Pendrell Blouse

Day 11 - Cotton/Mohair Twill with Constellations Asterisks in Black Cynthia Rowley Skirt

Day 12 - Constellations Asterisks in Purple Washi Dress

Thanks to everyone that followed along on Instagram. Thanks to Lizzy for designing a collection that was too difficult to resist. And thanks to Nita, my grandmother, who taught me to sew. Resting my head on my new Constellations pillow case is perhaps the sweetest thing. And obviously leads to the sweetest dreams.

Don't worry, I've ordered more Constellations... and I can't wait to see what you make in 2013.

This fall we instituted handmade week at gather here (it had been a joke for about a year but Sammy finally said it was time). If you happen to be lucky enough to be employed here on the first full week of the month you have to wear something handcrafted. It can be as simple as a scarf or as complicated as a shirt-dress but it has to be visible to everyone. And boy do you feel silly wearing an infinity scarf when someone else comes in wearing a stunning colorwork sweater.

<PREVIEWEND>

It's also great incentive to make things for yourself which many of us are guilty of NOT doing. We're so busy sharing our craft with others that we forget to embrace a little selfish making. It's also really inspiring to see what the folks you work with every day have been toiling over. And how they've used yarns, fabrics and floss in their own unique way.

We'd like to encourage you to also make the first full week of every month a handmade fashion week. Come in and share your "handmade by you" wardrobe with us and receive 10% off your purchase (one discount per month). And we'll also stamp your frequent maker card because if you rock handmade for all 12 months of 2013 you will win an awesome prize AND a handmade fashion badge. For realz. Like in scouts. (Every single month no exceptions... you have to earn that badge!)

Here's some gather here fashion from this fall:

I just love this so much! We have some talented folks with great taste at gather here. I'm giddy just thinking about what everyone is going to be wearing next week! And we can't wait to see what you stroll in wearing. No one gushes like we do... Happy New Year! And here's to a Handmade 2013!

photo details from top: Sammy in the Samantha Skirt, Noah in Skinny Tie, Danielle in Washi Dress AND Hipster Cowl, Marissa in the Rae, Maggie in a Washi, Maritza in a Schoolhouse Tunic adaptation, Noah in Negroni, Virginia in one of her made up shifts, Sammy in a Washi AND Hipster Cowl, Sophie in a Kitty Hat and a peplum cardigan, Stacie in a Hiro-Grinder (FYI - this is Stacie's photo from her Flickr account and she requested that be clearly noted - if you click on the image it will take you to the original), and Carla in self-designed silkscreened t-shirt and cowl.

We make every effort to support each maker that walks through our doors so that she/he can realize his/her making potential because we believe that makers are essential members of the community. And as we build a community of makers we know that it is so important to give to others. Not just our friends and families but those who are facing difficult times. In our current economic climate there are more families than ever that could use our help. That's why we've made it part of our gather here culture to make for others each holiday. We know that the gather here community is a generous one and that the greater community can depend on them to help out.

This year we are collecting handmade items to donate to a wonderful organization, Solutions at Work. Solutions at Work serves over 6,000 individuals living in poverty annually through their programs. These programs assist those that are homeless or living in poverty gain self-confidence, professional skills and financial stability. Solutions at Work was found in 1989 by a group of homeless individuals and every single day they work to create a community where homeless and poor people have the resources, opportunities, and partners they need to achieve self-sufficiency. <PREVIEWEND>

We have gotten to know a number of folks that are not only actively involved with this organization but are also passionate about making and the value of creative process in fostering inclusion and self-confidence. We are happy to help them in their efforts by collecting handmade goods for their children's services. And we're excited that we may be giving the gift of handmade to some of these youngsters for the very first time in their lives.

We hope that you will take the time to "make something" for those less fortunate and for those that will truly appreciate your efforts. We'll be collecting items right up to Friday, December 21st when we would like to deliver a bundle of handmade goodness to the Roosevelt Towers Housing Complex before they close at 3 PM.

If you are wondering what to make and what you can donate:

Knit/Crochet Hats, Scarves, and Mittens - no fiber restrictions though superwash is always smart! The Autumn Hat pattern by Jane Richmond is super quick and so warm.

Blankets/Quilts - baby and throw sizes are awesome

Softies - we've had so much interest in our softies and amigurumi classes we figured folks must be just whipping these up in all their spare time so why not share your love for toys...

Children's Clothing - We have six pairs of pj pants that some of the kids in our afterschool program have made for others! And Virginia has whipped up another 6 pairs... plus we're donating some simple skirts in fun fabrics that we no longer have in stock. If you've made clothing for your own children that they've outgrown this would be a nice way to pass on those handmade efforts.

Solutions at Work encourages all of us to work together to end homelessness. We encourage you learn more about their volunteer opportunities and hope you'll find a way to make this holiday season a little brighter for those less fortunate.