Christmas Fabric

I couldn't resist this Christmas fabric at Avonport, NS a few days ago. I do like some of the non-traditional colours and designs! It's difficult to see but Merry Christmas is written above the houses.
At the moment, I have no idea what I'll do with it. Maybe a mug rug, needlecase .  .  .

Stitching!!

In honour of World Embroidery Day, I hope you managed to do some stitching. It was 31C in the shade at my brother-in-laws house here in the valley, NS , so I sat out on the deck and stitched for a short while.

Now for your pleasure, here are a few stitching links:

• Let's make a hussif tutorial (lots of stitching projects)
• Feeling Stitchy
• Stitch School
• Mary Corbet's Needle 'n Thread
• Sublime Stitching
• Embroidery as Art
• Racaire's Embroidery and Needlework
• DMC Threads
• Polka and Bloom
• French Knots
• Make It Coats
• Stitchin Fingers

My friend, Verna, made this beautiful Temari Ball for my birthday mid July.

More Inspiration From Nature

Here's a few more nature shots from my walk a couple days ago. I rather like the close-up of the pine tree branch. Next winter (did I say the W word), I might want to reference it for a piece of embroidery. It's very easy to see the direction of the needles. I like to use my own photos instead of relying on someone else's interpretation of such things.

Don't forget to do some stitching for World Embroidery Day!

Enjoy

Linky Tuesday!

Today, I've linked up with Free Motion by the River for Linky Tuesday! Have a look at the interesting projects others have posted.

World Embroidery Day

In 2011, a local group of ladies belonging to Broderiakademin, Sweden's embroidery guild, took the initiative to plan and create a special day to celebrate embroidery. "They wanted to acknowledge embroiderery as an act of free creativity, which can lead to free, creative thoughts and ideas." This small part, was taken from the Embroidery Manifesto . Please scroll down the page to get the whole manifesto in English.

As a result, July 30th became World Embroidery Day. This has now become an annual event around the world.

What will you do to celebrate? Will you stitch with friends, stitch in public or will you prefer to do it privately, in the comfort of your home? Whatever you decide, I hope you enjoy the day.

Thanks, M. for telling me about this.
Here's a few embroidery blogs to also check:

• Mini Cat Cross Stitch (these are cute)
• Inspiration
• Needle Lace
• Previous Post on Hand Embroidery, another HERE

Enjoy!!

I haven't touched this piece of hand work all summer. Maybe I'll do some on Thursday?

Variagated Yarns

I posted about Wool 'N Tart a few days ago. Of course, I just had to purchase some yarns! You can see my purchase below.

As I usually do surface embellishment on textile and felt, my eyes are always drawn to variegated yarns and threads. I will often unwind a ball of yarn and cut into its center. As a result, I do have lots of odd lengths of yarn to use in projects.

I just love the olive variegated bundle. Can't you just see some sea weed in that yarn! These three colours will be perfect for needle felting. I can't wait to get started.

Two Done, One to Go!

So far this summer, I've knit two scarves as Christmas gifts. With the lack of summer in Newfoundland, they could be used now! The temperatures on the island are way below normal. Hopefully August will be better.

I've started on a third scarf. The yarn is Sakura silk and sooooo comfortable to wear. My sister gave me one last year and it is my favorite. HERE's that one. In fact, I am knitting one like it next. You can see the colours of the two just completed below.

Annapolis Royal Market

Market Day at Annapolis Royal during the summer, has lots of local products including fresh fruits and vegetables, baked goods, and maple syrup. We came away with some of the maple syrup. A home made cookie was sampled as well but not by me!

The art community is thriving as was evident by the various vendors selling their craft. Wooden carvings were in abundance. This comes from the strong Acadian influence in the area. A few potters and jewellery makers also had work for sale. I also saw some craft from other countries. 

Of course, I zeroed in on the gorgeous hand dyed yarns from the Farm Wool Shop. There I met Cheryl den Hartog, of BarnKat Knitter. She designs her own knitting patterns - the mittens and tea cozy. She said she prefers to experiment with new patterns on smaller projects such as the mittens. The idea for the tea cozy motif came from a cookie cutter. Quilters have been using cookie cutters for applique motifs as well.

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The Lunenburg Makery

The Lunenburg Makery, located at 228 Lincoln Street, Lunenburg, NS, "is a place for learning, making and gathering around craft. It is a multi-purpose craft space including sewing facilities, a library and reading area, a retail space and studio. They offer workshops and courses as well drop-in projects, sew by the hour, evening craft circles and studio space. "        

The retail space carries unique products to get you sewing and quilting, doing hand embroidery and knitting, needle felting, paper craft, kid's crafts and much more.

Visit their blog HERE

This is a destination spot for anyone interested in craft, so if you are in the area, drop in and have a look around. Kat was in the shop when I visited . She was very friendly and helpful.


Locally made kits



Textile art on display

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Embroidery floss, notions and wool felted sheets 

Fabric, patterns, cut fabrics

Wool roving, felt kits, hand embroidery patterns and kits

Photos and The Needle & Thread Network

Today I've signed on to The Needle & Thread Network. The sign-up begins for Canadian bloggers at noon on Tuesday and goes until noon Thursday (Saskatchewan time). So please check out all these blogs to find out what's going on in the different parts of the country.

Here are three photos from my photo excursion this week.

I like to take photos of windows and doors. Often, in older buildings, there are interesting design elements that might come in handy for applique and stitching.

I took a photo of a hedge of leaves. Below is just a small bit of the original photo. Note the light and dark of the greens.

I can see some dimensional work with a combination of hand and machine stitching developing from the close-up of the tree.

Enjoy!

 

Wool 'N Tart

Wolfville, Nova Scotia, has a unique yarn shop called Wool 'N Tart. It is part of the Farm Wool Shop. You can purchase yarn, get help with knitting, sit and knit as well as have a cup tea / coffee and dessert. On beautiful sunny days, there is seating outside under colourful patio umbrellas.

The shop features yarn and fibre from their own flock of Cotswold sheep as well as other yarns suitable for knitters, weavers, spinners and fibre artists. If you are ever in that part of Nova Scotia, pay them a visit. If you don't knit, then have some dessert and a cup of something!

Have a look!

Delicious Dessert!

Stitching Outside

It was a nice, warm afternoon. The light under the awing was perfect, so I decided to get in a bit of quality hand stitching.

Yes, I do sometimes stitch when on vacation! I attached my portable embroidery hoop holder to the picnic table and started on a piece of red work using blue thread. I posed in the sun for the photo and then got back under the awing. To bad I didn't look in the mirror before having my photo taken! When I took off my hat, a strand of hair was standing straight up.

I will post a photo of my work later.

More from Nature

I've gotten a lots of great inspiring photos so far this month. One of the things on my list in the next few days is to do leaf rubbings onto tracing paper. Last winter it was one of the things I wished I had done. Enjoy a few more of my nature photos! I am also having network connection difficulty.

Here are a few more bits of inspiration:

• Seagulls
• Kitten
• Fish



A Summer Evening

Stone Horse Cafe

I was sitting in a little café at Dunromin Campground, NS yesterday. It is the only place to get decent internet access at the park where we stayed. It's a quaint little place with lots of interesting things on the walls. I apologize for a couple of the photos as they are a bit dark. I couldn't fix them. We are moving on to another place in the next hour for the next two nights. However, we are spending the morning in Annapolis Royal. I'm hoping to get there in time to visit the market.

Atlantic Fabrics, part two

Here's a few more photos from Atlantic Fabrics in Truro, NS. Trust me, there are lots of fabric bolts to choose from but my focus was Christmas in July and other theme displays.

Atlantic Fabrics, Truro, NS

On Monday, I visited Atlantic Fabrics, Truro, Nova Scotia. I must say, the staff was very friendly! Thanks for the interest you showed when I explained why I wanted to take photos around the shop! As you know, whenever I travel, I like to post about the shops I visit. This fabric shop is located in a very well lit building. That's important when you are shopping for fabrics and yarns. When you walk in the door, you feel welcome.

Christmas in July is the focus at the moment. They have several displays showing the newest Christmas prints, books and patterns. Summer and animal themes were also visible. The shop has everything you need to start a quilt, knit a sweater, embroider a cloth, make a bag . . .

Have a look around:  (I'll post a few more photos soon)