Embroidery Machines and Shimmer Ornaments

 Pop over to my new Blog for my latest post. Find out where these Shimmer ornaments are going!

Enjoy!

Chester, NS - Farmer's Market

Yesterday, I drove to Chester, NS, to check out their Farmer's Market. It was the perfect day for a road trip as the weather was sunny and warm. Chester is about 30 minutes from my house in Pine Grove. It isn't a large market but did have a variety of vendors selling baked goods, hot and cold foods, homemade jams, vegetables and fruit, small hooked rugs and wall hangings, wooden boxes and other household items, jewellery, prints / cards from original water colour paintings, ceramics, and flower.
It was an interesting morning.

My one purchase was a small hooked rug mounted on a wide frame which makes it perfect for standing on a table or shelf. Debbie Smith & Donna Fleming are the 'hookers' behind Dsquared Rug Hooking.They were very friendly and offered lots of good advice about local markets and fairs.

After the market, I took a stroll around the picturesque town before heading back home. Here's a view of the bay.

Pincushions

It seems The Peekaboos (pin cushions of Hilary Simpson) were a hit by you, the readers, as well as Gale, my granddaughter. She received the gray cat in the purple ceramic dish. Click on the link above to see the one I mean. Gale said it was 'Sooooo cute!'

Here are a few links to other 'cute' pin cushions:

• French Hens 
• 100 + Pincushion Patterns
• A New Pincushion 
• EPP Diamond Pincushion 
• Pincushions on Pinterest HERE,    
• Pincushion Fillings     
• Tilly the Turtle           

  

Pincushions

Do you have a favorite pincushion? I have several that I use all the time in my studio. I prefer large ones when working on a large work surface. That's why my starfish works perfectly.





















The pincushion by my one of my machines is rectangular shaped to fit in front within easy reach. I have velcro on its bottom and on the table. The one below is very old. I made it from melton cloth which was leftover from a coat I made.

My work horse sits on a thick rubber mat. The mat is also my pincushion and scissors holder. As you can see, it works perfectly!

Today, I finished several new pincushions for the Anna Templeton Tea & Sale on December 11 - 13. These are suitable to sit in front of a machine or to carry in a sewing pouch. Stick-on velcro can be placed on the bottom easily or hand stitched in place. You will need a sticky part for the table.  Metallic thread was used for the needles and thimble. 

All designs used in the embroidery machines are all our own.

Perfectly Pleasing Pincushion Parade!

Yesterday, I signed on to the Perfectly Pleasing Pincushion Parade! I posted my starfish pincushions. You've seen these before when I first designed and made them. One of the things I thought about is that each tentacle could hold a different type of needle.

I'm a bit late posting about this parade but I just discovered it yesterday.
Enjoy!

Pincushions

Yesterday I finished stuffing a few new embellished starfish pincushions. I have them all ready for Some Good Market next Saturday. They aren't tiny as I like to be able to stab my needles into a pincushion easily without having to search for it. I have been using one like these for the last year and the size is perfect.

Here's a few links with pincushions.  You might find one or two to make for Christmas gifts or for your own sewing space.

• Craft Passion
• Bella Online 
• Sew Mama Sew
• Connecting Threads Lamb Pincushion
• UK Lass in US Apple Pincushion
• Origami Mommy Tiny Pincushion
• Domestic Diva's Disasters
• Fave Crafts
• Sewing Support 20 Free Pincushions
• With Heart and Hands  
• Monkey Room
• Passionate for Pincushions Pinterest
• Diary of a Quilter

Work Table

I have been working on my Fibre Art Pendants. My work table is filled with beads and other assorted tools. Selecting which beads to use and stitch on the little pieces of fibre art takes time. One of the most useful tools that I have for beading (in my opinion) is the bead tray that I purchased at the $ Shop a few years ago. I find that the $ Shops have lots of cheap, useful items for crafters.

Watch maker cases from Lee Valley Tools

Starfish

I was checking on my stock of pins the other day and realized I didn't have any starfish pins left. Here's some of the new ones I just finished. I love the bright colours as they really stand out on clothing.

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.