I would like to invite you to another swell event at Hello Bluebird!  Starting with a swingin’ opening reception this Friday evening (5-8pm), Hello Bluebird is hosting another terrific 3-day trunk show upstairs (thank you, amazing landlord!).  Olive Park Links and Tea Street Vintage will be featured, as well as some swanky tunes and holiday refreshments!

Ongoing at the shop are our latest exhibit, Sewing Circle, and, of course, a packed house of handmade goodies for everyone on your list…

Please remember to keep shopping local this season.  Support handmade, independent artists and sustainable goods!

Looking forward to seeing you soon!

I am very pleased to announce our second themed gallery exhibition, Sewing Circle.  I have been enchanted by the wave of embroidered and cross-stitched art that has been popping up in the crafty community over the past few years.  The pieces in this collection juxtopose seemingly familiar domestic arts with a modern longing for connection, gender roles, and personal discovery.

Needle arts have been a past-time of women for ages, a necessary domestic skill for mending and sewing clothing and other household sundries.  Traditional samplers provided practice and quiet occupation to prepare girls for marriage and motherhood, and to keep their idle hands out of trouble.

In the age of irony, this art has been flipped on its head to become a means of personal expression–even rebellion!   This domestic, predominantly female art comes of  age in a time when female roles are confusing, complicated, undefined.  These modern works show us that the strange comfort of this traditional medium can help us reconnect our modern soul-searching to the struggles and triumphs of our mothers and grandmothers, and bind our generations together with a common thread as we craft a more meaningful future.

Sewing Circle will feature the creative works of Gillian Bates, Gemma Rodrigues of Amorandstitch, Kimberly Scola of Chez-Sucre-Chez, and Cindy Steiler of Marysgranddaughter.  The show opens with a reception at Hello Bluebird during West Reading’s December First Thursday event (December 3rd) and runs until January 31, 2010.

Today marked the one week anniversary of our Grand Opening! I have meant to post about the event ever since—but, as fate would have it, running a shop is a busy endeavor!
Just to recap the September 3rd event a bit—well, it was nothing short of amazing. Many of our artists and designers were able to attend, and it was pretty great to introduce them to one other, and watch them OOO and AHHH over each other’s work. For example, Janet of Primrose Design took home an adorable apple tree patchwork tote, made by Brooke Harlan of Brookiellen, which she blogged about (with some really great photos of the evening) here.
Besides getting to see so many familiar faces, the overall attendance was overwhelming. There were times (I am told—I never left my station behind the counter!) that customers had to wait out on the sidewalk because they couldn’t get in the door—how cool is that? And I was the lucky (ok—beaming!) recipient of countless compliments about what a great shop it is, how unique all of the items are, how much West Reading needed a shop like mine (for the record–there are LOTS of other great shops in the neighborhood, too!), how they couldn’t wait to come back on a quieter day to take a better look around…I know, I know: talk is cheap, but I have a feeling I’ll be seeing many of those faces again.
I guess it could have been the wine or the SENSATIONAL cupcakes (thanks, Steph!) talking…Either way, it was one of the most memorable nights of my life, and the beginning of a grand, scary, exhilarating, amazing adventure.

We have combined our Grand Opening with West Reading’s fabulous First Thursday event–the Avenue will have live music, gallery openings, in-store events, and later hours in all of the shops.  Kick off your holiday weekend with a night out on the town: eat local, shop local, and support the great things your own backyard has to offer!

Save the Date: Thursday, September 3, 2009. 5pm-9pm. 609 Penn Avenue, West Reading, PA.

Forgotten by spreadthelove

Self Help No. 3 by rollandtumblepress

I have been meaning to post an update for our quickly-approaching opening gallery show.  We have two late additions to the show that I am very pleased to announce: Melanie Linder of Spread the Love, and Roll and Tumble Press!  Both of these artists have been on my list of favorites for some time now, and I am certain you will love them, too!

Please also note that many of the other artists and makers who have contributed work for the opening have included items that feature artful text on jewelry, cards, pottery, magnets, and more!

The Grand Opening of our shop and our opening reception for Show and Tell are both on Thursday, September 3rd, 2009, from 5pm-8pm!

Show and Tell Sneak Peek!

For this first show, we are proud to display fine art and prints by Printspace, Gemma Correll, Stephanie Corfee, HappyGirl and Yardia. We will also fill the shop with gifts and accessories that celebrate the magic of text and words in celebrations, rituals, and every day life.
Show runs from September 3rd through November 4th, 2009. Join us for an opening celebration, as well as our Grand Opening on First Thursday of September, and spend your evening enjoying all of the wonderful shops and restaurants on Penn Avenue in West Reading!