Holiday Card Exchange for Carlene
We decided this year to do a “card” exchange amongst our members. Ann M. drew the partner names and I got Carlene’s name. I decided that since Carlene likes to weave, that I wanted to include some needle weaving on her card.
I wanted a wintery feeling so I chose this piece of nuno felt cut to 4″ x 6″. I can already see birch trees in the background so my go to trees this year were an easy decision for the design.
I used a stitch technique that is usually used in cut and drawn thread embroidery. Since my background was felt, I couldn’t cut the surface to get my base threads so I stitched them on the felt base. It’s a very simple stitch as you just take the thread and move over and under each time filling in the “woven bar”.
Here’s the first one completed. I used white perle cotton in different weights for all the trees. If you look closely, you can see that on this first tree, I was catching the wool fibers that were coming through on the silk surface of the nuno felt. I was a bit concerned with this but then when I looked again, the wool just adds in the “spots” on a birch tree.
I used some yarn to work out the tree placement before I went any further. I cut a piece of nuno felt to cover the bases of the background trees which I would stitch down after completing all the trees.
Then to continue on with the weaving. This isn’t a hard stitch but it’s a bit time consuming. I was able to hold the thread away from the surface to prevent catching the wool fibers but it really wasn’t necessary. Now I needed to add in the “spots” on the trees. 
I could have stitched them on but I decided to use dark brown ink. You can see I cut down the foreground nuno piece a bit and then I stitched that in place.
Now to add some snow. I stitched random French knots over the trees and background.
And here it is matted as a “card”. I made it as a small frameable artwork instead of a card. I sent it off to Carlene in Canada and she received it quickly. I’m always hesitant about the mail service these days, but all was well! Happy Holidays Carlene!
1 The Glebe Community Centre, views from the outside. Large Palladian-style domed church a community centre.
2 Inside the Main hall. Transom windows around the base and an octagonal apex window in the dome.
3 part of the tapping and table and Chair crew. (a blur of activity)
4 Wendo arrives first with her car full of Felting.
5 Co-0p Booth Spindles, orifice hooks, stitch markers, Tapestry, Coasters and Mug mats
6 Co-0p Booth Handwovens, hand died yarn, Pine needle baskets, Felted sheep heads, felting needles.
7 Co-0p Booth Felted Soap, Dryer Balls, Sheep earrings
8 Flying Dinosaur!
9 her booth and the glowing bole
10 felt picture and roles of felt (I think they were scarves)
11 Combed Top, Kid Mohair Locks and Died Yarn
12 fibre arts tools made by Don and Judy and some of Judy’s fibre
13 Handwoven shawls, scarves, stoles, hand died and hand-knit Mitts, tam and scarf
14 Fine yarn, Art yarn sweater with skeins of art yarn behind, Fleeces from Rhinebeck
15
16 small bats in a hat box and with her business card. There is a depth of colour that flat colour batts can not match.
17 Janet’s booth, rag rugs, jackets, shells, close-up of lace inclusion and fringe.
18 a hank of flax sitting on a woven linen mat, explain the stages of using hackles, small pouches of linin seeds in a handwoven linen bag.
19 weaving cane between the ribs of a small basket.
20 Hand knit gloves, Hand Natural dyed yarn
21 Many baskets and containers of raw and washed fibre
22 Laurie’s Booth, with tools and baskets. A basket of Kumihimo bobbins
23 Lap rugs, a purse, and rag rugs.
24 Tea towels in Linin (lozenge twill pattern!!)
25 a few shots of the exhibition
26 the table showing the moridi and samples, the necklace tapestry pieces and the parts to make Turkish spindles.
27 the demo team changed over the weekend but had weaving, and spinning (wheel and drop spindle). It was quite busy most of the time.
28 Ann took her new spindle for a spin!
1) Mr. Mer is napping in his project bag before the big drive. I promise I will get him a bigger project bag!
2) in line at Twist, handicapped parking is adjacent to the line, now that is close parking!
3) the first outside tent
4) Inside the Arena (lots of knitting yarn but looking for those elusive locks)
5) Half of the Black Lamb’s booth. They have mill-end fibre.
6) AH ha! We found some locks, not as long as he wanted but a good colour.
7) Success!! We bought a bundle of green and a bundle of orange-red for his daughter or wife’s hair.
8) Mr. Mer met another Mer from a different branch of the family. (from the same Sara Felt along!)
9) Richard Hanna’s booth at Twist
10) Janet Whittam’s booth
11) needle storage
12) These mice were so cute but I have no idea what they cost, I could not find a price and the vendor seemed very busy so I didn’t ask.
13) This is a prin to skene winder.
14) A few of the specialty blends at the Black Lamb booth
15) Mostly superwash merino but other blends of fibre too
16) a few of the Felting supply’s at the Olive Sparrow
17) A Majacraft dealer booth
18) A booth of mixed weaving equipment and weaving yarn
19) This booth is Fibres of life
20) It was good to see such interest in spinning from a range of ages
21) this year the majority of the booths did seem to be more knitting oriented.
24) Sheep dog demonstrations
25) Exotic lunch options
26) Having a chat with Mr. Mer, who has retired to the car to recover from his shopping trip.
27) He checked out Mr. Mer. (Safety first- always wear your seat belt), Fish fatigue from shopping!!
28) I admired the Baskets from Big Blue Moma’s booth but didn’t get one.
29) I stopped to admire the Kromski wheel
30) Kromski makes a drops spindle, which is more in my price range!
31) La Toquade restaurant, with Club Sandwich au confit de canard (comfy duck served on apricot Raisin and sunflower bread, garnished with bacon, onions, green apples celery and mayonnaise, with a side of your choice of French fries or salad.)(this explains why the duck is so comfy)
32) Mr. Mer shows off his shopping
33) My loot!