• I’ve been thinking about this for oh 4-5 years!  We were never really happy with how Sweetwater was presented online.  We had a whole bunch of sites, with a whole bunch of products.  Of course, we had our blog.  Then we had our main website.  Which no one ever looked at.  And if they did, it was way out of date.  Then we had a different site if you wanted to sign up for the Sweetwater Label Crew.  Oh and then we had our Etsy site.  It was all too confusing, too disjointed and it drove us crazy.  I’m sure it drove some of you crazy too.
• Etsy.  Oh I do love Etsy.  And it has been very good for us.  It is simple to use, new people discover us and we love being a part of the Etsy community.  But we have almost 400 products.  And about 15 different product categories.  And the way Etsy is set up, it is hard to separate those categories in an attractive way.  So one of our quilt patterns may be right next to one of our art prints, which is right next to an iron-on label.  There is no rhyme or reason to it- the way the products are displayed totally depends on what the last product we sold was.  That product goes to the front page, at the top of the list no matter what.  That’s why everything is just jumbled up.  We hope you have a more enjoyable experience with this new site.
• Then there are the Etsy fees we pay for each sale.  Yikes.  Need I say more.   But don’t worry if you love Etsy.  We are keeping our shop over there just as before.  We just wanted you to have the choice.
• Everything is finally in one place.  Our blog, our products, the Label Crew- everything!
• We will be able to do more things here- like having a Block of The Month- which is coming soon!

So this is a very happy day for me.  When we first started doing this, I kinda thought it would be easy.  Um, no.  Was I ever wrong.  We always have to do things ourselves.  It doesn’t cross our minds that maybe we should hire someone to do something we have no idea how to do.  But we’re stubborn like that.  I have learned way too many things about web hosting, page creation, SSL certificates, html, coding, page cache, etc……..  Yuck!  I’m excited to get back to doing what I do best.  And it’s not website design!

So because I am so happy and in a great mood, I thought we would celebrate our new site with a couple of things.

First of all, we would really love to have you subscribe to our new blog (on the right side of the screen).  We have so many subscribers to our other blog, and we don’t want to lose any!  So, if you would be so kind to subscribe, just leave us a comment at the bottom of this post.  We will then enter you in a contest to win some fabric!  And it will be from The Boat House!!!

And, we will be giving away some of our new jewelry from our Sweetwater Marketplace:

So again, to enter the contest you need to do two things.  First, subscribe to our blog in the box in the upper right side of this post.  Second, leave us a comment letting us know that you did.

But that’s not all.  We are feeling so happy that we want to do something special.  Every order placed this week (ending next Friday) will receive something extra in their package.  We call it our Random Acts of Kindness Week.  It’s all random, so you may receive a mini charm pack, a cute label or even some scraps from The Boat House.  Here is a couple of conditions, though.

• Purchases must include at least one physical (not downloadable) item to receive the gift.  You can include a downloadable pattern in your order, but it must be combined with a regular item so we can ship your gift.
• To receive the gift, the order must be made through this site, thesweetwaterco.com.
• One gift per customer.

Hooray!  I’m done.  But like I said, probably not.  If you have any problems with the site, just send us a message using the “contact us” tab.  But I’m done for today!

We are just fine- nobody died, we are still in business and believe it or not, we have lots of things happening here.  There are probably lots of reasons we haven't blogged lately, but I think the biggest reason is sometimes you just need a break.  You know how you can sometimes feel overwhelmed, over tired, and just need a break?  Well, I think that's it.  For us, it starts way back in November when we do our "12 Days of Christmas".  It is definitely the most hectic time of the year.  And the most fun.  But it is exhausting.  And we have promised ourselves to start planning a little earlier this year.  Like July.  Yeah, I'm sure that will happen.  

But now that we feel a little more energized, we can get back to it.  The blogging, the designing new projects, everything we usually do.  But since we haven't said anything for so long, here are a few things that have been keeping us busy.

1. Basketball.   My sister has watched more basketball games in the last 6 weeks than I thought was humanly possible.  

I must be really old, because never did I ever get up at 4;45 AM to go to basketball practice. In the seventh grade.  And then have games almost every single day of the week.  But the thing is, both of her kids do this.  The younger one is in the 4th grade, and he travels all over the world (sarcastically) playing basketball.  When I was in the 4th grade, we played each other.  Meaning kids from my school played kids from my school.  In gym class.  That was it!

Oh no, no, no.  That's not how we do it now.  But they do have lots of fun.  And I love watching them when I get to go to their games.  

2.  My mom went on a cruise.  This is big news, because she claims she is not a "vacation person".  She started complaining and agonizing about it just right after she signed up to do it.  It was a Moda-sponsered event, and she taught a class, where each student made a quilt.  Well, now I think she is a "vacation person".  She had a great time.  Mostly because these two went with her:

Barb and Mary from Me and My Sister.  I would have to agree.  Going anywhere with them would be a blast.

3.  This one is a little hard for me.  And I know I'm ridiculous.  And my sister thinks I need a new hobby.  But this isn't  "hobby".  This is what I do!  Here is my typical day:  I get up, check twitter for any sports news.  Turn on ESPN while I'm getting ready.  I simultamously turn on my local (Denver) sports talk radio station to make sure I'm not missing anything.  Get in the car.  Turn on the same sports radio station.  Which I really don't have to turn on.  It is permanately set at that station.  When I get to work, I have to reluctantly turn off any of that stuff.  Mostly so I can get something done.  But also because I would annoy everyone else.  At noon, I'm checking twitter again.  And at three o'clock, my sister leaves to pick up her kids.  That's my favorite sports time of the day, because I'm free to turn my radio back on.  Then at night, if there isn't a game on that involves one my teams, I'm a lttle disappointed.  

You may think I'm a little obsessed.  And I am.  But it's just going on in the background.  I'm never just watching the TV or listening to the radio.  I'm working, cleaning my house, doing laundry, fixing dinner and designing fabric while I listen.  So my "hobby" isn't taking up extra time.  I just incorporate it into everything.  

Which brings me to the Super Bowl.  Or as I refer to it, the day of darkness.  I will never get over it.  Ever.  Well, maybe.  In 2054.  But before the Super Bowl, I had one of the best days of my life.  My husband knew that it would mean the world to me if I got to go to the AFC Championship game in Denver.  Of course, we didn't have tickets.  But he said he would try.  Which in my mind, meant we were going.  Proabaly not reality.  But at least I had hope.  The night before the game we still didn't have tickets.  They were seriously expensive.  We decided to check the internet in the morning.  

7:00 AM.   We thought the price may go down closer kickoff.  And they did, but not enough.  So I resigned myself to staying home.  And honestly, I was sad.  I feel guily about being sad about that, but I was.  I mean seriously, there are about a million thing worse in life than not getting to go to a football game.  So I got over it pretty quickly and just started going about my day, excited to watch it on TV.  

Then at 10:45, my husband, who had gone to work earlier,  walked in the door.  He had 2 tickets in his hand.  I thought it was a joke.  But apperantly, the ticket price had lowered to a semi-resonable level.  The only problem:  The game starts at 1:00.  And we live more than 2 hours away from the stadium.  And I hadn't taken a shower.  Or fixed my hair.  Or put a stitch of makeup on.  Or put on my favorite Broncos gear.  It didn't matter.  We were going!

And because it was a Sunday, the traffic was awesome.  And because my husband has no problem driving fast, we made it with 10 minutes to spare!  And when we got out of the car, it was 68 degrees. In Denver.  In January.  Are you kidding me?

Definitely one of my most favorite days.  I will always remember how much fun we had.

And the Super Bowl?  What Super Bowl?  I don't want to talk about it.  Told you I will never get over it.  I will just choose to remember that beautiful day in Denver.  

4.  Fabric.  We are almost done designing a new collection (which won't be out until December or January).  I can't tell you what it looks like, but I love it!  We also have 2 other collections that we will be showing in the next few months.  We are hoping to get the first one any day now.  As soon as we have it, we will be posting about it.

And finally, here is our new Label Crew project for March.  It's all about Spring.  And I think we all need a little spring right now.  Especially if it has been as cold and snowy where you are as it has been here.

So now you are up to date.  And we promise to do better.  We are pretty good when it comes to Instagram.  We know not all of you are on Instagram, so if you are not, all of our Instagram photos show up on the lower right hand side of our blog in case you want to check it out.  Have a great week!

Then…I go to the mall!  On a Tuesday.  When hopefully, all the pressure of trying to find something is over, and I can just enjoy the experience.  Keep in mind that I live about 2 hours from an actual mall.  I can't just hop on over there.  But I do love going during the holidays- the decorations, the hustle and bustle of shoppers, the music.  And going to my favorite stores like Pottery Barn, J Crew and Crate and Barrel.  Just to see their holiday displays.  It really gets me in the mood for Christmas.

But sometimes on that carefree trip to the mall, I still don't have a gift for someone.  I walk around aimlessly with a blank look on my face because I.  Have.  No.  Idea.  I'm sure everyone has that one person (or 10 people) they just don't know what to get.  

So here is just a suggestion.  For your Grandma, who doesn't need another candle.  For your Christmas party hostess that will pile all the baked goods she receives in a "don't have time to eat that" pile.  For your son's first grade teacher who has a lifetime supply of bookmarks.

Our personalized canvas art prints take very little effort but make a big impression.  Like you actually took the time to think about the gift- even though it is sooo easy.  We have shown these in year's past, but just to remind you, we have selected a few to show you again.

 Here is our customized "Hometown" print:

The Custom Zipcode Print:

One of my favorites is "The Top 15".  Great for a family.

My most favorite:

Here are some that celebrate the season:

These look great in the kitchen:

One of our most popular gifts is the custom recipe print.  In black and white or color.

These are fun for the kids;

And for the sewing lover in your life (like yourself):

These are just a few- we have lots more in our shop.  

Now, for the good part.  We are having a huge deal on our prints!  You can choose any three 8" x 10" from our shop for $39.95.  The prints range in price from $19.95- $24.95, so you are could actually get $75  worth of prints for $40!  

If you would like to order, make sure to find the listing that starts with "Christmas Special".  If you can't find it, simply put "Christmas Special" in the search box and it will come up.  Make sure to leave us a comment when ordering which 3 prints you would like- any of the 8" x 10" ones are eligible, including anything that is personalized.

This offer ends Friday, December 6.  Have a great week and good luck at the mall!

We started Sweetwater about 12 years ago.  Back then, Sweetwater wasn't a fabric/pattern company (although my mom had her own company where she designed fabric and patterns).  Some of you will remember Sweetwater as a scrapbook company.  That's what we did- we designed and produced products for the scrapbooking industry.  Which is really different than the quilting industry.  I won't get into all the differences, but a major difference is that scrapbookers are always demanding new products.  New, new, new.  If it has been out for 2 weeks, it is now old.  Which, in turn, put a whole lot of pressure on us- and we came out with a new line every single month.  Yikes.  Those were some good days, but some crazy days.  Not that designing fabric doesn't come with crazy days, but it is whole different kind of pressure.

Anyway, in 2008, we were invited by Moda to submit a fabric line.  That line was called Authentic.  We were over the top thrilled when it was actually produced.

But we also knew we had a decision to make.  We knew we couldn't have a fabric and pattern company and a scrapbook company without one of them suffering.  That was a hard choice.  But it was Moda.  We have always wanted to design for Moda.  So that is what we chose, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

But I was sad.  We had put everything we had into Sweetwater, the scrapbook company.  I was emotionally attached.  I remember when our very last line of paper was printed, I had tears.  I knew we would never design another paper collection.

But I got over it.  The first time I saw and touched the Authentic fabric, I was over it.  Mostly.  I still remembered the scrapbooking days with fondness.  And we still got the same question from scrapbook stores and customers- "Are you ever going to have another paper line".  No, no and no.  Not going back to that craziness.  

But then about a year ago we had an idea.  Wouldn't it be great if we could turn all these fabric collections we have into paper collections, without having the job of manufacturing, advertising, selling, etc., etc., etc. Ya, that would be great.  It would be great to design for a company that would take care of all that.  But it couldn't just be any company.  And I know what company I wanted to ask.  But I had to ask.  And believe me, it was pretty intimidating to ask.  After all, this company is huge in the scrapbooking industry, very respected and already had amazing products.  But it doesn't hurt to ask, right?  

So about 9 months ago, I finally got the guts to ask one of our favorite scrapbooking companies, Bazzill, if they might be interested in us designing a paper collection for them.  And guess what?  9 months later we have 2 collections coming out!  Just in time for CHA (the huge craft and hobby tradeshow).  We will show the products on our blog next week, but tomorrow (Saturday) Bazzill is having a huge product release party on their blog, where you can check out the collections.

You will have a chance to win prizes every hour.  But if you aren't the winner, come to our blog next week and we will have a contest of our own.  

So that is our big news.  We are over the moon excited.  And we want to thank Bazzill for giving us the opportunity to do this.  Thank you, thank you, thank you.  

Now, on to more big news.  News you quilters might want to know about.  My most favorite ever, ever, ever fabric collection ( I know that I say that a lot, but this time I'm serious) is now just hitting stores.  If your local quilt store ordered Noteworthy, it should be there now (or any day now).   We actually have some pre-cuts and a limited amount of yardage in our store.  

You may want to check out fatquartershop.com, as they were so kind to feature us and Noteworthy in their blog.    

If you forgot what Noteworthy looked like, here is a reminder:

I'm posting those pictures not only as a reminder but because they make me happy.  It is snowing and cold here, so I need a reminder of summer.  Noteworthy reminds me of warmth.  And sun.  And everything I love.  Well, not quite everything I love.  I have one more thing to say about something I love in this marathon blog post.  

GO BRONCOS!

By the way, my sweet husband somehow managed to get us tickets to the game.  I'm so excited I already have butterflies in my stomach.  If you watch the game on TV (because I'm quite sure every quilter is a Bronco fan), you will notice that it is very cold.  Very, very cold.  Like around 10 degrees cold.  Doesn't matter.  I'll be loving every moment of it.  Unless, of course, they lose.  In which case I won't be able to blog next week because my heart will be broken.  I'm counting on blogging.  See you next week!

• First of all, we are still getting orders out from our 12 Days of Christmas.  If you haven't gotten something yet, please hold tight.  We are sending everything as quickly as we can.  And if there is something you want, but haven't ordered, we still have most everything in stock (or will have it back in stock).  I'm thankful we started this in early November- it gives everybody more time to get things done before Christmas!
• There was, of course, Thanksgiving.  We didn't do one ounce of work on Thanksgiving.  Not one. It was a nice break.
• The day after Thanksgiving we did a whole lot of work.  Work I never, ever want to do again.  We moved our office/ studio to a new location.  OH. MY. GOSH.  How we could possibly have that much stuff is beyond me.  I would have taken a picture but it was too embarrassing.  We are still not done moving/cleaning up, but at least we can do a majority of our work in the new place.  Except for a couple of computer problems- we're doing good.  
• We are on a deadline for submitting patterns for a new fabric collection.  Yep, new.  I haven't even mentioned this one.  We actually got sample yardage yesterday.  We will get around to photographing it soon.  I will tell you the whole collection (the theme, colors, etc,) could be a surprise to you.  The whole thing is even kind of a surprise to me.  Don't worry- we do LOVE it- just different for us.  I will tell you all about it later.
• We didn't forget about the Label Crew.  We are just late in telling you about it.  It will still go out on time, but we just got the sample done.  The December Label Crew project is a cute little bag:

Just a note on the Label Crew.  You know how I mentioned that we are experiencing a few computer problems since the move?   Well, it just so happens the biggest problem deals with the computer that has all our information for the Label Club.  For instance, we can't easily add new subscribers and make account changes.  Don't worry- the information is all secure.  We can't even connect this certain computer to the internet- so trust me, it is secure.  We are trying to get everything fixed- it is just taking longer than we thought.  So please bear with us!  

For more information on the Label Crew, please click here.

So that is what we have been doing.  But I have a couple of other things to tell you.

First, we did an interview (well, I did an interview) with Pat Sloan from American Patchwork and Quilting Radio at Quilt Market in Houston last month.  You can listen to the interview here.

Last thing for today, we wan't to have a contest since it has been so long.  Just tell us what was your favorite project from the 12 Days of Christmas, and you may be the winner of that project.  Here are a few of the choices:

Good Luck.  We will pick a winner in a few days!

They are available in our store now.

Happy Election Day!  Hope everyone voted- I sure did.  But I would never, ever tell you who for.  It looks as if half of you would agree with me and half of you wouldn't- so I'll just keep that a secret!

See you tomorrow!

Anyway, I will show you all four.  If you have forgotten what Noteworthy even looks like, here is a quick reminder:

Now for the quilts.  Here is my favorite.  It is called "Find True Love"  (we named the quilts after phrases from our "bucket list" fabric in the above picture):

The second one is called "Fly A Kite":

The one that is almost done is called "Be Happy".  It is similair in style to this Mama Said Sew tablerunner, but it is super-sized:

And the final one is called "Plant A Garden".   The only thing I have to show you is a quilt block:

and the digital image:

I think it will be super cute when it is finished, but you may have to give us a couple of weeks.

Now for the fun part.  As in the past, we are offering kits for these 4 new quilts.  The only catch is you have to reserve yours now.  Now as in you have one week.  This worked really well last time with our Mama Said Sew quilts.  We need to place our order for Noteworthy fabric next week, and we will get enough for everyone who wants a kit.  You pay half now and half when we ship the kit.  We expect to get the fabric in January and we will ship them just as soon as we get it in.  To reserve your kit, just visit our store.

Now back to packing.  it will be nice to get to Houston.  We have been having winter here in Colorado. Snow and cold.  It's been so awful.  Well, truthfully, it has been awful for approximately 6 hours. Yesterday is was 80 degrees.

Speaking of packing, I have nothing to wear.  NOTHING.  Story of my life.  I could write a whole blog post on that, but it would take too long.

If you are going to Houston- see you there.  We actually have a make and take in our booth!  

Oh- almost forgot.  Leave a comment telling us your favorite new quilt and you could win all 4 patterns.  We will choose a winner when we get home.  Good Luck!

A pumpkin.  One pumpkin.  There is a story that goes with this.  I think it is pretty funny so I will give you a short version of it.  

Back in the beginning of May, my husband and I were in Lowe's. That could be a story in itself because my husband doesn't go to Lowe's.  He doesn't go to any stores.  Ever.  Unless he is with me and I absolutely need something.  I can't remember what I needed that day, but my husband immediately found something that he fell in love with.  The garden seed display.  

He had big ideas.  Really big.  He chose about 26 different seed packets.  It included everything from sweet corn to cucumbers, radishes, green beans, lettuce, peas, watermelon, carrots, peppers and pumpkins.  And we had to have different varieties of each of these.  He was so excited about this gigantic garden we were going to have that I didn't even mention that I really didn't have time for another job. Which I knew I just got.  

Before I go any further with this story, an important part is to know that he is a farmer.  A farmer with a capital F.  Not just "I have a few acres" kind of farmer.  A huge farmer.  That is what he does for a living, and he has been doing it since he was about 4.  A backyard garden should be easy, right?

Wrong.  Everything that could go wrong with this garden did.  A few highlights:

• We have about 3000 bunnies.  That might be an exagerration, but not by much.  We knew this going in.  That is why we put up a bunny-proof fence.  Well the bunny fence was about as effective as air.  They ate everything just as it was coming up.  Didn't get a carrot, radish, pea or green bean all summer.  They got them all.
• The bunnies didn't seem to like the pumpkins, so we had hope.  Until a wind storm in early June wiped out all the pumpkins.  We then had to replant.  And again they got a very good meal.
• The most important part of the garden was the sweet corn.  My little boy loves sweet corn and that is the only crop he cared about.  The day we planted, I counted 216 corn seeds we put in the ground.  5 came up.  We couldn't figure out what happened, but some kind of animal kept eating the seeds.  Every morning, we could see little holes in the ground where they snatched them out.
• So at least we had 5 corn plants.  When we saw that the few ears were getting ready to pick, my little boy and I decided we would do it the next morning when my husband was there.  Well, our freindly raccoons decided the corn was ready, too.  By the next morning they had them all.  Except for one little ear left on a stalk.  My little boy grabbed it, cleaned it a little and ate it right there.  He didn't even want to cook it.  I think he was afraid a raccoon would come back and snatch it out of his hand.

A lot of other things happened, but those were the biggies.  So we are left with this one pumpkin.  The prize of the summer.  And I am thankful we have it.  My little boy thinks the garden was a huge success because of this one pumpkin.  

So my plan next year- keep my husband out of Lowe's.  Just kidding.  He will have big ideas again.  And we will try it again.  Goodbye summer.  Can't wait to see you again.

As for our contest last week, we have a winner:

Mary Ann who wrote:

EVERYTHING !!! I LOVE EVERYTHING about Fall !!!!! The colors, the weather, sweaters, wool plaid skirts, knee socks , the food !!! NO HUMIDITY !!!
…. and I LOVE every single thing you gals come up with !

Congratulations, Mary Ann.  Just e-mail us and we will get the scraps to you.  

Hope you had a great weekend.  I did.  The Broncos won and everything is right in my world once again! 

This was just last night at Hobby Lobby.  Christmas.  Isles and isles of Christmas.  Noooooooooo!  It is August, people.  Cash didn't seem to mind.  He would like to have Christmas every day.

I'll get over the pit.  I always do- it just takes a few weeks. Actually, something came by UPS today that helps.  New fabric.  Brand, spanking new.  Our next collection (after Mama Said Sew) is here.  I think it is my favorite collection we have done.  We are just unpacking and getting it ready to photograph.  We should have a sneek peek later this week! 

That is what we are around here.  Olympic Junkies.  We all looooooooove the Olympics.  Which is why I haven't blogged yet this week.  I usually blog late at night when I am by myself and can concentrate.  The only thing I have been concentrating on this week is the TV.  Only the TV.  Not the internet.  Because I absolutely, positively don't want to know what happened in London until I get to watch it in prime time.  Which is why I get so mad when I accidentally find out the results.  The home page on my internet is MSN, and yesterday when I went to do something online, I happened to glance at the front page.  And it ruined my whole evening.  So I have officially sworn off the internet (except to write this blog) and and radio/TV program which will give results I don't want to know.  I'm also a news junkie, so this seems to be hard for me.  Good thing the Olympics only happens every few years.

Anyway, I might be better at blogging when the swimming events are over.  I'm so addicted to them. And Missy Franklin.  Love her.

Anyway, I had to blog today to let you know the fabric kits for the Jar Sewing Kits are in our store now. You can get them in black, red or gray.

Have a great day.  And go USA!