Templates

This has been a very busy day. Unfortunately, I have not been in my studio until late evening and then only to search the web. However, I did find some free templates for using with card stock. BUT why not cover the card stock with fabric to make a small artist trading card envelope, a butterfly card, or a candy box. There are lots of templates to choose from. Have fun!

Pumpkin Tutorial - crazy quilting

Happy Thanksgiving to our American friends! I just found this neat site, The Painted Quilt by Kaaren Johnson. One of the first things that caught my eye was the crazy quilted 3-D pumpkin. Other tutorials include a  sewing box and tomato pincushion. On the first Friday of each month there is a free pattern for you to use. Lots of stuff to check out.

Hand Embroidery

I found this neat site called the Hand Embroidery Network or HEN. "The website's aim is to encourage and pomote the practice and knowledge of the art of embroidery in all its forms and to bring together like minded people who enjoy needlework and wish to learn and share their knowledge."
You will find the following:

• An illustrated hand embroidery stitch A to Z
• Focus on embroidery basics such as threads, tools and fabrics
• Free projects such as design templates and creative backgrounds
• Take part in online exhibitions
• Embroidery events
• Embroidery techniques
• Members gallery
• Embroidery forum
• Video tutorials

The network also has a blog. Check out the listings for October's Stitch A Day. The stitch samples are quite well done.

Connecting Threads

I just came across this free pattern for making gift bags from Connecting Threads. It's fat quarter friendly! I can see doing these in a variery of different fabrics to suit the season or special occassion.  For those who enjoy crazy quilting, this pattern could certainly be used for that purpose. In fact, this very simple pattern has lots of potential.

Cathedral Windows

One of my mini guild friends,Verna, makes wonderful cathedral window projects. This is the table mat she made by hand, for my birthday last July. She knows turquoise is one of my favorite colours!

Well, I just came across a tutorial on making cathedral windows. So if anyone wants to give it a try, check out how to make one here.

I have to clarify the term mini guild. We are six quilters (we were seven until one friend moved to BC) who belong to a larger guild. We meet once a month at one of the members houses. As we couldn't come up with an appropriate name for our group, we decided to call ourselves the mini guild.

Check out this Tutorial

This evening, I've been working on several fibre lace scarves. These are special orders and have to be completed by early December. While taking a break, I came across this tutorial on making a sewing organizer. Since christmas is only a few weeks away, it might make a nice gift for that special friend.

Cabot Quilters' Guild

I've been a member of the Cabot Quilt Guild since 1997. This guild 'is a non-profit organization which aims to preserve the heritage of quilting, to be a source of information and inspiration, to encourage a high standard of excellence in quilting and related arts, and to provide a forum for fellowship and sharing.' We meet the third Tuesday of each month except June at St. Peter's Parish Hall, Mount Pearl.

Tomorrow, November 17 is the guild's annual auction. Preview of the items begins at 6:30 with the auction starting at 7:30. There will also be a Chinese auction and Silent auction. The evening is always a hugh success with guests and members going home happy with their purchases of beautiful quilted pieces, some baked goods, preserves and christmas decorations.

Canada's Search Engine

I'm now listed on Canada's search engine, Canadae.ca. Just click on arts. This site has lots of blogs from across Canada. In fact, I found it by accident last week and haven't really searched through it yet. I'm always trying to find things that are Canadian whether it's a list of shops or textile / fibre artists. I'm interested in finding more Canadian sites related to textiles.

Part Two of the Fair & Other Stuff

This has been a week of recovery! The Fine Craft & Design Fair was a grand success for me this year. In fact, it was the best I've ever had!  However, it was very exhausting to say the least. I went back for the opening of the second part as a potential customer and didn't walk away empty handed.

Now I'm searching for some simple quilted Christmas projects. Something that could be used at a quilt guild meeting. I revisited About.Com for quilting stuff. I used to search that site quite frequently. This time I found some free Christmas patterns! I found lots of ornaments at a site called All Crafts. For the stitchers, here's a Hardanger ornament. More christmas patterns here but not really what I'm looking for. The search goes on and on and on...

CBC's Weekend Arts Magazine (WAM)

Saturday, November 7/09, CBC's Weekend Arts Magazine was held live at the Fine Craft & Art Fair.  It was an early morning as the show started at 7 am. All of the exhibitors in attendance had their moment of fame!! When the show opened at 10 o'clock, I was totally amazed at all the people who said they heard my interview. One elderly lady came by in the afternoon. She told me she had never bothered to go to any craft fairs but was curious about the 'shimmers' I had mentioned. She was delighted when I explained a bit of the process to her. She did purchase a couple to send to relatives.
Here are three starfish shimmers. These ornaments can be put on a tree or hung in a window. The fine metallic threads just 'shimmer' in the light thus their name.

Craft Fair

This was day 2 of the Fine Craft & Art Fair here in St. John's, NL. We began setting up on Tuesday and finished about an hour prior to the 2 o'clock deadline. To the left is a picture of my booth and the other picture shows a view from my booth.

Tuesday was hectic but today was a bit more relaxing. I did get some time to visit the other booths. At the King's Point Pottery booth, I had a chance to watch the slide show of photos taken by Linda Yates and David Hayashida, at the world's biggest craft exhibition, the Cheongui International Craft Exhibition (CICB), South Korea. Linda Yates and David Hayashida (King's Point Pottery) and Isabella St. John (Blue Moon Pottery), travelled there in October for the opening.