Felted hat workshop #6?

Felted hat workshop #6?

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Felted hat workshop #6? It’s a fun workshop with Ann, so let’s take it again!

Nov. 29 2025, I was busy teaching needle-felted landscape for the Ottawa guild in the studio. As you saw recently, Ann took the workshop and was making an impressive forest with mist. She was also making funny faces as we tried to get a group shot!! (This was the best option, and really is pretty good…. I was so tempted to show you her best silly face!)

5 students holding up their pictures1) Most of the students from the felted picture workshop (one had to leave early) (Ann sent a shot of her progress on her picture, but I should let her show you in another post!)

 

Nov. 30th 2025, Wet Felted Hat workshop.  Glenn and I were back in the studio bright and early, but not quite as early as Ann. She had the tables set up and was laying out the tools we would need. I was going to be a student today, and she, the teacher!  She had me in the back by the door (out of the way…. I have taken this class a few times before, I think this is hat 6, or was it hat 7? I can make one on my own, but it feels safer to face the water in a group.).

Glenn was there in case I ran out of rolling power, partway through the day. In the meantime, he was working quietly at the back of the room on one of his game boxes (he was building inserts for the game pieces to fit in the box better). He seemed to be having fun and did stay drier than I did.

Husband setting up at table in front of snowy window2) Glenn at the table by the window

Ann with bag of wool balls3) Ann with a bag of balls of wool

More enthusiastic students arrived, and we wound up with a class of 7 students.  With a class size of 6, we usually are done at 4 pm, but adding more students adds more time for everyone to finish. We each chose a wool colour and a hat shape. Like my workshop on the previous day, we had students working on the same topic, but each was quite unique.

white hat with black edged brim and top of hat 4) Sample hat with brim

Ann showed us samples of some basic hat shapes.

a table full of various silks and other augmentation fibers Ann is standign to one side and showing a silk roving.5) showing us various types of fibre we can use to augment our hat

She had a full table of fibre to augment our base colour for the hat.  (Various formats: of silk, small curly locks, and other fibres.)

6) Drawing out the patterns for each student6) Drawing out the patterns for each student

She then adjusted the basic pattern for each student’s head size.

She demonstrated 2 ways to pull out thin wisps of staple lengths of fibre.

pulling thin wisps off the combed top then laying the down like shingles over the resist. pulling thin wisps off the combed top then laying the down like shingles over the resist. pulling thin wisps off the combed top then laying the down like shingles over the resist. pulling thin wisps off the combed top then laying the down like shingles over the resist.7.1-7.2- 7.3-  7.4) pulling thin wisps off the combed top, then laying them down like shingles over the resist.

7.5) A second way to pull off a staple length7.5) A second way to pull off a staple length

 

Our various hats

slightly ball and stick shaped hat resist covered with black wool8) My hat (black, strange shape), side one is done

Ann, helping with dreadlocks to augment this hat.  First lay out one side, then the other.

9) helping a student add dreadlocks to her hat9) helping a student add dreadlocks to her hat

Now time to add the scary water!!

adding water and soap to wet the wool adding water and soap to wet the wool10.1-10.2) adding water and soap to wet the wool

Gently pushing down, making sure the wool is wet all the way through.10.3) Gently pushing down, making sure the wool is wet all the way through.

11.) Side one, turn the edges around the resist.11.) Side one, turn the edges around the resist.

12) My hat is a bit behind the others!12) My hat is a bit behind the others!

 

The second side is placed over the resist and wet. Once wet through, flip and wrap edges. Be neat, or you get a Mohawk line on your hat!!!

13.1-13.2) Adding embellishment fibers over wet wool. 13.1-13.2) Adding embellishment fibers over wet wool.13.1-13.2) Adding embellishment fibres over wet wool.

13.3) Ann explained about rubbing directions, and what happens if you go the wrong way.13.3) Ann explained about rubbing directions and what happens if you go the wrong way.

 

The gentle rubbing (caressing the wool begins.) I am a bit behind the others in class, but I will catch up if I keep working!

14) The Tupperware juice container lid works great as a rubbing tool14) The Tupperware juice container lid works great as a rubbing tool

The water was starting to fight back,  I realized as I discovered my apron had dogged to one side, and let my knee take the wet, dripping attack! It was obviously time for the towels to come out, yes pinch test is a success, so on to rolling!

15) Finally I am rolling my hat!15) Finally, I am rolling my hat!

I am still behind; most of the others are cutting open their felt to expose their resists.

16) cut a hole to reveal the resist.  Then heal the edges.16) Cut a hole to reveal the resist.  Then heal the edges.

 

Once we had shrunk them down partway, we started to try them on.  (Ick!! Cold, wet wool hat….where is the dry warmth I remember from my other hats???)

17) trying the hat on.17) trying the hat on.

One had a flat brim developing; you can see some of the hat blocks.

18) Hat block and brim18) Hat block and brim

19) This was a technique, I did not favor, but seemed to be very effective! Ann is rubbing a hat while its on the students head19) This was a technique I did not favour, but it seemed to be very effective!

I think my weird hat reputation has been surpassed. This one looks like it will be truly intriguing. It’s not finished, I think.

vibrant yellow green hat! vibrant yellow green hat!20.1-20.2) vibrant yellow green hat!

These two hats are done21) These two hats are done

 

5 pm, already?!! I was still working on mine, but the basic shape is done. Next, I will rinse out the soap and do some final shaping. I am going to be run off my feet for the next 2 weeks at least, so maybe I can find time to finish it after that?

22) Packing up the room after the workshop 22) Packing up the room after the workshop

 

I was wiped after all that wet felting! As we headed to the car, Glenn agreed that dinner out at the pub, Rose and Crown, in Centerpoint (west end of Ottawa, which used to be Nepean), would be lovely, which it was. Then I fell into bed early. The next day was December 1st, which was the guild meeting. I was in to the studio early to beat the traffic and set up the library. This month I still have more guild work, including prep for teaching inkle weaving, and then there are blog posts and Christmas! For tonight, heading off to bed to get some extra sleep sounds very exciting. Maybe I will get a real rest in January!

If you have the opportunity to take a workshop with Ann, she is a fun teacher (even if there were no Smarties (candy) in her class!)

Nuno Felt Scarf Class

Nuno Felt Scarf Class

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Last week I taught my final workshop of the year. It was Nuno Felt Scarf.  I had 8 students. Previously, I have been restricted to 6. The old class space at the guild was a snug fit with 6, but since some rearranging of space, I can now teach 8 students comfortably.

This was a fun class; one lady had bought 5 spaces to surprise her family with a Christmas workshop. They had no idea what they were doing until they arrived. They were all game, but I did see some scepticism there too.

I started with a little more explanation than usual to help the surprised students get a better idea of what we were going to do. I had lots of samples to show them to help decide how they wanted their scaves to look. Then I explained all the embellishment fibres. It’s a lot to take in when you’ve just started thinking about it. Most students have been thinking about it for a while and have an idea of what they want to do.

They picked scarf blanks and then base colours. There was a lot of back and forth to pick wool colours, and then the embellishment fibres.  Everyone was encouraging and helpful with colour choices and what goes together. All colours go together, just in case you didn’t know. I always enjoy watching everyone work out colours and often working up the courage to be bold and add all the extra bits of colour they want.

After everyone gets their scarves wet, it’s time for lunch.

Usually, lunch is a bring-your-own, or there are a couple of fast-food places around. However, the student who had bought her family had decided to provide everyone with lunch. It was very tasty, cold cuts, cheese, salad and bread. Then there were homemade cookies and fruit for dessert. I felt very spoiled.

After lunch, they moved on to rubbing and rolling.

I am sure some of them thought it was never going to work. Then they noticed it was really shrinking. Then, when it was time to finish fulling, it was so fast, and they could hardly believe they were done. They were all very happy, and there was talk of doing another class; it was so much fun.

 

Dyed fabric with dark reds/black dye mixture.
Dying Background Fabric for Golden Grove

Dying Background Fabric for Golden Grove

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One of my goals for 2025 has been to finish pieces and have them ready for framing at the same time that the piece is complete. I seem to have missed this by a long shot with Golden Grove. I looked it up in my posts and I finished working on this piece in March. I didn’t have a piece of background fabric for matting so it got set aside.  Now it’s December and I have things to take to the framer so I am doing last minute dyeing, stitching and lacing to get everything ready to frame. I thought I would show you a basic dyeing method for cotton fabric using fiber reactive dyes (Procion MX).

The first step is to mix up soda ash and water to soak the cotton fabric in advance of dyeing. I used one cup of soda ash to one gallon of water. I use the soda ash water for many dye baths and it keeps well at room temperature. I let the fabric soak in the soda ash water for 30 minutes.

I am not a precise dyer. I don’t take the time to try and create a specific, repeatable dye bath. I do have some work I have done for classes where I keep track of amounts, color results etc. but I tend to add some dye to a cup of water until I get the color I want. I put down a wet paper towel, put a cup of water out and then add however much dye powder seems right to me. (Please remember to use proper safety precautions such as wearing gloves and face mask and use containers, measuring devices etc. that are only used with dyes.) I mix the powder into the water and then test the results on a clean paper towel. I used two different colors of red and a black dye. And if you’re paying attention, you will see that one of my dyes is an acid dye. I have used a combination of both fiber reactive that is used for plant fibers and acid dyes which are used with protein fibers. In my experimentation, I haven’t seen much difference between the two dyes as long as you use an acid (vinegar or acetic acid) for protein fibers and soda ash for plant fibers.

Here’s my first attempt. It helps to remember that you lose some of the dye intensity when it’s rinsed. I put a little dye on a clean paper towel and then looked at it near my completed piece. This seems a little too light so I needed to add more black.

And looking again after I added more black. The test on the right side of the paper towel was the final color.

Next up was to wring out the cotton fabric that had been soaking in the soda ash water. Then I poured the dye liquid into another container and added the fabric. You can also do this in a gallon plastic bag. I wasn’t worried about getting a solid dye on the fabric. More dye would have been needed for that.

The next step is to let the fabric “batch” or sit in the dye bath. Normally, I leave it overnight but I didn’t have time for that here so I let it sit for 4-5 hours. I didn’t go back and move the fabric around which would have given a more solid dye but I wanted some variations so I left it. Then on to rinsing. I rinse three times in cold water to get the soda ash out. You can feel it when you’re rinsing, it feels slick. Once that slick feel is gone, it’s time for textile detergent and hot water. The textile detergent is just a few drops into the hot water and then add your fabric. I usually let that soak for a couple of hours and then put it in the drain and spin cycle of the washing machine.

Dyed fabric with dark reds/black dye mixture.

Once it’s out of the washing machine, I iron it when it’s still wet and you can see I got a lot of variation. But I wanted that to look like sunlight through the trees and I was happy with the end result. Too bad most of it gets covered up.

Golden Grove stitched to background hand dyed fabric stretched over matte board.

And here’s Golden Grove stitched down to the dyed fabric and then laced on to matte board. It’s ready for framing (only 9 months behind schedule).

Have you tried dyeing? I really enjoy creating custom colors and getting a piece of fabric that is unique. If you haven’t tried it, you might want to give it a try.

A Tea Cosy and other efforts.

A Tea Cosy and other efforts.

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Hello.

For my post this month, I have made a felt tea cosy, started and completed a quilt, and my grand daughter photographed me in the denim jacket that I have worked on over the last few months.  Tea cosies seem very popular just now – I’m thinking about Lyn’s wonderful cosy from a couple of weeks ago – my cosy is a little more sober than Lyn’s beauty!

I had watched a video tutorial some time ago from Fiona Duthie; she was demonstrating a vessel in a vessel technique,  I thought it looked intriguing and so very effective.  I don’t think I had the skill to make something similar, but I thought perhaps I could make a tea cosy using the instructions.

I made a paper pattern for the cosy, then made a double pattern using some flooring underlay, and made it bigger by about 3 inches all round, for the inside and outside layers.  I was hoping that this would yield the correct size when shrinkage is complete.

I found the layout to be a little confusing, especially the inside out view of one side of the cosy.  I had the tutorial up on my laptop while I was doing the layout, along with a pair of socks – one right side out, the other inside out – to ensure I got it right.  I wanted the outside to be green, and the inside – that would be visible through some apertures – to be purple.  It is even confusing trying to describe the process here.

The felting went well, the shrinkage worked, and the size turned out as I hoped.  I think (know) that I made the green (outer) side thicker than the inside; I thought that the inside would not fit properly if it was the same thickness as the outside.  My other conundrum was where to cut the windows in the outside layer, how many, the shape and size – a one time only decision.  It is now dry and the inside fits very nicely.  I will probably try to do a vessel in a vessel next year sometime, and I hope to manage the challenge of the vessel’s narrow neck that is in the video tutorial.

 

So, onto the next item – my quilt. This has been brewing in my head for a little while, and I needed to get on with it. It is made using the many, many hexagon shapes that I have made and squirreled away over the last few years ‘for a future project’.  These hexies, small and large, some pieces of my old embroideries, and some vintage tray cloths, were used for the quilt top.  All of these various items were then appliqued onto nine rectangle shaped pieces of fabric (an old cotton high thread count bedsheet). These were then joined together using some coordinating fabric as sashing, into one large piece of ‘fabric’. I used some of the same fabric for the border around the quilt edge, and also used some to make the binding.

 I had to find some backing fabric, and batting for the ‘sandwich’.  The backing fabric is actually a deconstructed  king size duvet cover, and it coordinates very well with the quilt top.  Then all I had to do was to put the three layers together and to quilt ‘the quilt’.  I used my sewing machine to quilt in straight lines, in a sort of grid, but not a complicated design, and I drew the lines on with a Frixion pen.  It was quite heavy to move the quilt through the machine, and that was a bit tiring really! I am super happy with the result, and it looks just how I imagined it would. Quilts can be very expensive items to make, both in materials and time. The quilt top materials were all repurposed, and charity shop finds, the backing fabric – a duvet cover, was a charity shop find too, a good label though, so the batting was the only item I had to buy.

I had promised to show my jacket, so attached is a photo of me wearing it, and I am very pleased with it too, lots of compliments given which is very gratifying, there is a little difficulty in understanding how I completed the stitching – even after I have explained how I worked the shapes – eyes tend to glaze when I mention a grid!!

Some of these photos are very large again, apologies.

A stack of bowl cosies
A quick handmade Christmas present: bowl cosies

A quick handmade Christmas present: bowl cosies

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I had this big idea of creating a step-by-step tutorial for this post, but the flu is doing its rounds and I just didn’t have the energy. Sorry! Here’s an abridged version.

A few months ago, I went to a friend’s flat and she warmed up some food for me in microwave at dinnertime. She used a weird sort of mitten that she placed under the bowl, so that when we took the hot food out, we’d grab onto the fabric and not burn our hands.

Mind. Blown.
This thing was, she said, called a bowl cosy and I immediately wanted to make a dozen and hand them out.

 

A hand holds a handmade bowl cosy to demonstrate how it works. The background is blurred.
Now imagine a bowl on top of that fabric. No burnt fingers here!

These cosies are super easy to make, especially if you batch-sew them. They’re also great to use up scraps of fabric (some of mine were made with patchwork bits).

How to make a bowl cosy

  • Cut two 10″x 10″ (25cm x 25cm) squares. Fabric must be 100% cotton or other natural fibre.
  • Cut two 100% cotton/wool batting squares, slightly smaller than the fabric ones. I made mine ½” (1.25 cm) smaller all around.
  • Sew the fabric and batting together by making an X (see images above).
  • Sew darts as shown below, towards the wrong side of the fabric.

Image of a square with darts inserted where they should be sewn

  • Sew the now two bowl-shaped squares of fabric, right sides together, leaving an opening for turning.
  • Once sewn and turned, press and topstitch.
  • Tah-dah!
  • Make sure all fabrics are 100% natural, so they don’t melt in the microwave. I used nylon thread without issues but you might want to use cotton thread to be on the safe side.

I found a great illustrated tutorial by Lovely and Enough here.

These make great handmade stocking fillers and show you care about your loved ones not getting scalded hands. Nifty. You can even use themed fabrics to suit their preferences.

Two bowl cosies, one with cat-themed fabric, the other with dog-themed fabric

That’s it. I hope you found this idea useful, if you do, let me know in the comments or tag me on Instagram @eleanor.shadow 🙂

A stack of bowl cosies

Happy sewing, happy holidays, and see you next year 🙂

the exhibition before oppening
2025 OVWSG Guild EXHIBITION  PART 2

2025 OVWSG Guild EXHIBITION  PART 2

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Let’s return to the Glebe Community Centre, in South Central Ottawa, Eastern Ontario, (Canada). We have checked out the vendors, the demo team and the make and take table; let’s go see the 2025 Exhibition.

The 2025 exhibition theme is “Gathered Threads: Made in Canada”. We were showing work by guild members, with Canadian-supplied materials, most were also on Canadian themes.

blured figure rushes by grids being set up in forgroundpart of display is set up on tables and on grids 8.0-8.1) Setting up the Exhibition on Friday night, again a blur of activity

Last year, we had shoppers unsure if the exhibition was a booth or an exhibit (there were signs, but they were small). This year, Ann and her team decided to get a stand-up banner for the Exhibition. It was to be as neutral as possible, so we could use it for many exhibitions to come.

New Exhibition pop up banner8.2) The new banner for the exhibition that can be reused for future years

2 weavers admiering woven scarf from exhibition 2 people admiering the exhibit suprized look as admiering quilted jacket with woven sleaves8.3-8.5) Let’s join the people who are already looking at the exhibition

larger group looking at exhibition8.6) The crowd of people looking at the exhibition is getting bigger.

There is a lot of interest in the Exhibition, let us see if we can sneak past and get a better view?

the exhibition before oppening 8.7) A quick shot of the Exhibition before we opened

As you can see, the display was divided into 3 sections: Left Grids, front and back, Centre Table and wall, and Right Grids; Front and Back. The pieces represent a cross-section of the guild. Showing the scope of expertise, from those who have just started their fibre arts fun, to those who have been enjoying fibre and yarn for many years. The Exhibition also shows part of the breadth of interests in the guild, Spinning, Knitting or Crocheted with Handspun, Felting, and various types of weaving from tapestry, colour gamps, to complex weave structures. We have examples of individual projects as well as Guild projects.

While there is a break in the viewers, let’s take a closer look, starting on the Left. Since it’s hard to read the tags in the photos, I have typed out all I could read.  The yellow tags indicated the guild has workshops on that technique.

Left Front Grids:

Left grid panels with fiber arts pieces9.0) Left front grids.

9.1) Wild Weaving By Liane.  “maple stems, thistles anemone, False indigo, pearly everlasting and eving primrose are all native to Ontario. Only the dandelion and Curly Havel are not.”9.1) Wild Weaving By Liane.  “maple stems, thistles, anemone, False indigo, pearly everlasting and evening primrose are all native to Ontario. Only the dandelion and Curly Havel are not.”

9.2) Fall Foliage by Marie-France. “Rusted materials collected while hiking in Kanata. Rusted Techniques were learned from Maiwa in Vancover.”9.2) Fall Foliage by Marie-France. “Rusted materials collected while hiking in Kanata. Rusted Techniques were learned from Maiwa in Vancouver.”

9.3) Woven Basket by Molly.  100% Canadian Dorset Wool, Embroidery Floss Sourced locally, a weathered Branch from the woods.9.3) Woven Basket by Molly.  100% Canadian Dorset Wool, Embroidery Floss sourced locally, a weathered Branch from the woods.

9.4) Blue Handwoven tapestry (Sorry, cannot read tag)9.4) Blue Handwoven tapestry (Sorry, cannot read tag)

9.6) Foraged Fairy Baskets, by Liane “All materials were grown and or Gathered locally “  There will be a workshop on making these through the guild.9.6) Foraged Fairy Baskets, by Liane “All materials were grown and or Gathered locally “  There will be a workshop on making these through the guild.

9.7) From Above, by Nicole  “A view from above looking down at the Canadian Landscape using materials sourced from multiple Canadian provinces flown over by the artist.”9.7) From Above, by Nicole  “A view from above looking down at the Canadian Landscape using materials sourced from multiple Canadian provinces flown over by the artist.”

9.8) Reflections: Morning sky on water by Moira. “This piece stems from my love of dying and weaving with silk and the beautiful colours reflected in Lac Tenpenny in Val-des-Monts, Quebec. This Calm little lake reflects the sky, Sun and Surrounding Forest as the day Progresses: it is ever changing”.9.8) Reflections: Morning sky on water by Moira. “This piece stems from my love of dying and weaving with silk and the beautiful colours reflected in Lac Tenpenny in Val-des-Monts, Quebec. This Calm little lake reflects the sky, Sun and Surrounding Forest as the day progresses: it is ever changing”.

9.9) Scarf in Fall Colours, by Bernadette. “Canadian breed Fleece”.9.9) Scarf in Fall Colours, by Bernadette. “Canadian breed Fleece”.

9.10) Summer at King Mountain, by Barbara (description out of focus) this tapestry will be taught as a workshop.9.10) Summer at King Mountain, by Barbara (description out of focus). This tapestry will be taught as a workshop.

9.11) Maureen’s Vacation 2024, by Jan “guild Member spinning on Canadian guild wheel at Gros More Historic Park”9.11) Maureen’s Vacation 2024, by Jan “guild Member spinning on Canadian guild wheel at Gros Morne Historic Park”

9.12) Crab, By Nicole “this piece is intended to convey the beauty and decay of our Oceans. Using all Canadian Sourced fibres combined with two mass produced dollerama Halloween decorations, the crab shows the interplay between our supply lines and sea life.”9.12) Crab, By Nicole. This piece is intended to convey the beauty and decay of our Oceans. Using all Canadian-sourced fibres combined with two mass-produced Dollerama Halloween decorations, the crab shows the interplay between our supply lines and sea life.”

9.13)  Jellyfish, by Nicole.  “Jellyfish Found off the costs of Canada created with Canadian sourced fibers”.9.13)  Jellyfish, by Nicole.  “Jellyfish Found off the coasts of Canada created with Canadian sourced fibres”.

9.14) Mr. Mer by Jan. “Mr. Mer is a Mer-man or Fish-Person, I started with a Youtube Felt-along (Saraphina Fiber Arts) for inspiration but went way off n another direction. I have made a family of Mer-People with family pets. Each is a unique fish. Mr. Mer is based on a Norther Pike, which I saw frequently at my parents’ cottage just outside of Perth, Ontario.” (Mrs. Mer was canoodleing with her husband in the project bag, and seems to have snuck into the exhibition. She has Canadian wool, and hair from Olive Sparrow and other Canadian suppliers, like her husband)9.14) Mr. Mer by Jan. “Mr. Mer is a Mer-man or Fish-Person. I started with a YouTube Felt-along (Saraphina Fibrr Arts) for inspiration, but went way off in another direction. I have made a family of Mer-People with family pets. Each is a unique fish. Mr. Mer is based on a Northern Pike, which I saw frequently at my parents’ cottage just outside of Perth, Ontario.” (Mrs. Mer was canoodling with her husband in the project bag, and seems to have snuck into the exhibition. She has Canadian wool and hair from Olive Sparrow and other Canadian suppliers, like her husband. You can see her in the photo at the top of this section.)

Left Back Grids:

10.0) The back of the left grid panels:10.0) The back of the left grid panels:

10.1) Triangular Shawl, by (Francesca and Jean) owned by Ann S. “Front panel woven separately, and the back was created by weaving the warp of one panel as the weft of the second strand by strand. The piece was designed by Francesca Overend, and woven by Jean Down, both of Ottawa. The materials were provided by an Ottawa shop and it is owned by a Canadian.”10.1) Triangular Shawl, by Francesca and Jean, owned by Ann S. “Front panel woven separately, and the back was created by weaving the warp of one panel as the weft of the second strand by strand. The piece was designed by Francesca Overend, and woven by Jean Down, both of Ottawa. The materials were provided by an Ottawa shop, and is owned by a Canadian.”

10.2) Garden and Field Shawl, by Amanda. “Shawl made with yarn spun from fleeces of various sheep belonging to people I know, and dyed with a variety of plants from the garden or gathered locally. Crochet pattern from 1970’s  McCall’s Magazine.”10.2) Garden and Field Shawl, by Amanda. “Shawl made with yarn spun from fleeces of various sheep belonging to people I know, and dyed with a variety of plants from the garden or gathered locally. Crochet pattern from a 1970s McCall’s Magazine.”

10.3) Snoweflake Scarf, by Kanika. “Quebec Yarn, woven on a Quebec loom 8 Shaft loom, Canadian Weaver, Glass beads from Canada Bead Supply. The scarf is meant to represent snowflakes which is very Canadian”10.3) Snowflake Scarf, by Kanika. “Quebec Yarn, woven on a Quebec 8 Shaft loom, Canadian Weaver, Glass beads from Canada Bead Supply. The scarf is meant to represent snowflakes, which is very Canadian”

10.4) (upper Right) Shawl, by Ann S. “One of two shawls woven for the wedding of a Canadian by her Canadian aunt,. She had a choice of blue or burgundy and chose the blue. Hence I kept the burgundy.” (on Lower Right) Winter Landscape fence with owl, by Jan. “From a Picture of a winter scene found on the internet of a field south of Ottawa. I added the owl.” I teach for the guild, a needle felted landscape workshop. (On Left) Handspun Eva Shawl, by Carlene. “Local fiber made into a shawl.”10.4) (upper Right) Shawl, by Ann S. “One of two shawls woven for the wedding of a Canadian by her Canadian Aunt. She had a choice of blue or burgundy and chose the blue. Hence, I kept the burgundy.”

(on Lower Right) Winter Landscape fence with owl, by Jan. “From a Picture of a winter scene found on the internet of a field south of Ottawa. I added the owl.” I teach for the guild, a needle felted landscape workshop.

(On Left) Handspun Eva Shawl, by Carlene. “Local fibre made into a shawl.”

10.5) (On Left) 75th Anniversary Moose Bag (Glenn’s), by Jan.  “This is a Canadian Moose, it was made with fiber from a Canadian Supplier.” (On Right) 75th Anniversary Moose Bag (Jan’s), by Jan. “This is a Canadian Moose, it was made with fiber from a Canadian Supplier.”10.5) (On Left) 75th Anniversary Moose Bag (Glenn’s), by Jan.  “This is a Canadian Moose, it was made with fibre from a Canadian Supplier.”

(On Right) 75th Anniversary Moose Bag (Jan’s), by Jan. “This is a Canadian Moose, it was made with fibre from a Canadian Supplier.”

10.6) Quilted Jacket, by Maureen. “ Quilted Jacket with Homespun Canadian wool arms and edging.”10.6) Quilted Jacket, by Maureen. “ Quilted Jacket with Homespun Canadian wool arms and edging.”

10.7) 75th Anniversary Moose Bag Landscape, by Jan. “The theme (of the bag) is a Canadian skein winder (Moose), fiber purchased from Canadian vendor.”10.7) 75th Anniversary Moose Bag Landscape, by Jan. “The theme (of the bag) is a Canadian skein winder (Moose), fibre purchased from a Canadian vendor.”

Centre table and wall:

11.0) Center Display11.0) Centre Display

11.1) Fireside Blanket, by Karin. “Blanket was woven Double Width from Canadian Company Briggs and Little 2ply 100% wool. The Red and Orange wool for the warp were hand dyed by Karin Hendriksen. The black for the warp and weft were factory dyed. The colours remind me of sitting wrapped in the blanket by the fireside, reading a book and sipping hot chocolate.”11.1) Fireside Blanket, by Karin. “Blanket was woven Double Width, from Canadian wool from a Company, Briggs and Little, 2ply 100% wool. The Red and Orange wool for the warp were hand dyed by Karin Hendriksen. The black for the warp and weft were factory dyed. The colours remind me of sitting wrapped in the blanket by the fireside, reading a book and sipping hot chocolate.”

11.2) Poppies Remember, by Barbara. “Made at one of the guilds Workshops with Wendo van Esen”11.2) Poppies Remember, by Barbara. “Made at one of the guild’s Workshops with Wendo van Esen”

11.3) Lighthouse with Flowers, by Ann.  “A lighthouse is iconic from coat to coast, appearing not only on both coast but so many lakes between them.”11.3) Lighthouse with Flowers, by Ann.  “A lighthouse is iconic from coast to coast, appearing not only on both coasts but on so many lakes between them.”

 11.4) Northern Lights, by Ann M. “Northern Lights are an iconic symbol of Canada.”11.4) Northern Lights, by Ann M. “Northern Lights are an iconic symbol of Canada.”

 11.5) Heavy Heart, by Nicole.  “Combining fibres from artisans across Canada. The Sculputre brings together the pople and places of Canada. And when displayed on a scale as intended, suggests the surprising weight of our collective awareness—the lightest fibres gaingin weight and trenght when combined.” 11.5) Heavy Heart, by Nicole.  “Combining fibres from artisans across Canada. The Sculpture brings together the people and places of Canada. And when displayed on a scale as intended, suggests the surprising weight of our collective awareness—the lightest fibres gaining weight and strength when combined.”

11.6) the guild group project, the parliament building in various fiber arts techniques.11.6) The guild group project, the Parliament Buildings, in various fibre arts techniques.

 11.7) Polar Pixies, by Paula. “This piece was made in Canada from Canadian wool processed to roving at a Canadian mill. The yarn was hand spun and knitted by a Canadian too!”  (under the polar Pixies) Nova Scotian Shawl by Jean. “the yarn was dyed with plants collected in the Nova Scotian countryside using yarn from  New Brunswick and hand spun sheeps fleece from the Annapolis Valley. The Shawl was woven in Halifax, Nova Scotia. 11.7) Polar Pixies, by Paula. “This piece was made in Canada from Canadian wool processed to roving at a Canadian mill. The yarn was handspun and knitted by a Canadian, too!”

 (under the polar Pixies) Nova Scotian Shawl by Jean. “The yarn was dyed with plants collected in the Nova Scotian countryside using yarn from  New Brunswick and handspun sheep’s fleece from the Annapolis Valley. The Shawl was woven in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

11.8) Summer Table Runner, by Karin. “The summer colours of theis table runner, woven with Canadian made Orlec from Leclerc, was influenced bythe colours of my perennial garden.”11.8) Summer Table Runner, by Karin. “The summer colours of this table runner, woven with Canadian made Orlec from Leclerc, was influenced by the colours of my perennial garden.”

Right Front Grids:

12.0) The Right Front grids,12.0) The Right Front grids,

12.1) Remembrance, by Carlene.  “The red and black design reminds me of both poppies (remembrance Day) and the Red Dress Project which seeks to remember the Indigenous Women who have gone missing.”12.1) Remembrance, by Carlene.  “The red and black design reminds me of both poppies (remembrance Day) and the Red Dress Project, which seeks to remember the Indigenous Women who have gone missing.”

12.2) (On Right) Canadian Muskox, by Jan. “The Canadian Muskox is a source of one of the most expensive fibers on the planet. We have Canadian Muskox in both the East and western Arctic. I made this for the Canadian 150th anniversary art show. Using Canadian alpaca for the top coat.” (On Left) Canadian Linen Cloth, by Lisa. “Since taking up weaving I’ve learned a lot more about textile supply chains, and about how little we still produce  in Canada. The rustic weft of this piece is from Taproot Fibre, who are trying to revive Canadian Linen production and produce a small quantity of Nova Scotia grown and spun linen and are to my knowledge the only producers of machine spun Canadian grown linen. This piece turned out looser than I want it, but, it make a great wrap for fresh bread!”12.2) (On Right) Canadian Muskox, by Jan. “The Canadian Muskox is a source of one of the most expensive fibres on the planet. We have Canadian Muskox in both the eastern and western Arctic. I made this for the Canadian 150th anniversary art show. Using Canadian alpaca for the top coat.”

(On Left) Canadian Linen Cloth, by Lisa. “Since taking up weaving, I’ve learned a lot more about textile supply chains, and about how little we still produce in Canada. The rustic weft of this piece is from Taproot Fibre, who are trying to revive Canadian Linen production and produce a small quantity of Nova Scotia grown and spun linen and are, to my knowledge, the only producers of machine spun Canadian grown linen. This piece turned out looser than I wanted it, but it makes a great wrap for fresh bread!”

12.3) OVWSG Sheep to Shawl 2025, by the sheep to shawl team 2025. “Vibrant, glow-in-the-dark shawl produced for the Almonte Fibre Fest Sheep to Shawl Competition by October (Toby)ASnderson, Jay Perry, Heather Farrar, and Olivia” (I think this was the first sheep to shawl for all participents, this shawl won Second place!)12.3) OVWSG Sheep to Shawl 2025, by the sheep to shawl team 2025. “Vibrant, glow-in-the-dark shawl produced for the Almonte Fibre Fest Sheep to Shawl Competition by October (Toby) Anderson, Jay Perry, Heather Farrar, and Olivia” (I think this was the first sheep to shawl for all participants; this shawl won Second place!)

12.4) Diamond Jubilee by Ann S. “This piece a diamond made of 22 columns and 22 rows of twill weaves creating 284 diamonds to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the OVWSG.”12.4) Diamond Jubilee by Ann S. “This piece is a diamond made of 22 columns and 22 rows of twill weaves, creating 284 diamonds to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the OVWSG.”

 12.5) Aurora Borealis Skeins, by Bernadette. “Fiber Sourced from Canadian hand dyer.” 12.5) Aurora Borealis Skeins, by Bernadette. “Fibre sourced from a Canadian hand dyer.”

 12.6) (Left) Zita’s Yarn, by Wendy.  Made from a blend of our dog’s fur, locally rased border lester sheeps wool and Cotswold hand-dyed by Bernadette Quaide, this skein of yarn was inspired by the Guild’s Summer Fiber Poker Challenge. (Right) Home Spun Skeins by Maureen. “Hand-spun from Canadian Sourced wool.”12.6) (Left) Zita’s Yarn, by Wendy.  Made from a blend of our dog’s fur, locally raised border lester sheep’s wool and Cotswold hand-dyed by Bernadette Quaide, this skein of yarn was inspired by the Guild’s Summer Fibre Poker Challenge.

(Right) Home Spun Skeins by Maureen. “Hand-spun from Canadian Sourced wool.”

12.7) Scarf by Marianne Heggtveit, owned by Ann.S. “the Weaver, Marianne Heggtveit, is a proud Canadian of Austrian ancestry. She is also proud that Tencel-which is drived from wood pulp- was developed in Austria.”12.7) Scarf by Marianne Heggtveit, owned by Ann.S. “The Weaver, Marianne Heggtveit, is a proud Canadian of Austrian ancestry. She is also proud that Tencel-which is derived from wood pulp, was developed in Austria.”

12.8) Aubergine, by Carlene. “I wove this piece between June 30 and July 7th 2024 and it was part of my Celebration of Canada Day Holiday time. this piece is a study of the colour purple with may shades and textures incorporated into the work.”12.8) Aubergine, by Carlene. “I wove this piece between June 30 and July 7th 2024, and it was part of my Celebration of Canada Day Holiday time. This piece is a study of the colour purple with many shades and textures incorporated into the work.”

12.9) (Framed on Right) On the Prowl, by Marie-France. “I live in the Countryside and foxes are regular daily visitors all year round. this art work is based on a photograph I took on my property in Val-due-Monte Qc. I love the 4 seasons in Canada but Autumn is the one that inspires me the most.” (Top Left Yarn) Handspun Yarn - 4 skeins, by MJ. “1 skein of Bluefaced leicester 2 ply gradient from grey to purple to blue. Peach Suffolk yarn  1 skein 3 ply 1 skein 2 ply.  1 skein of fractal spun dorset in various shades of Grey.” (Center basket with yarn) tag not visiable but looks like natural dies on wool.12.9) (Framed on Right) On the Prowl, by Marie-France. “I live in the Countryside, and foxes are regular daily visitors all year round. This artwork is based on a photograph I took on my property in Val-due-Monte, QC. I love the 4 seasons in Canada, but Autumn is the one that inspires me the most.”

(Top Left Yarn) Handspun Yarn – 4 skeins, by MJ. “1 skein of Bluefaced Leicester 2 ply gradient from grey to purple to blue. Peach Suffolk yarn  1 skein 3 ply, 1 skein 2 ply.  1 skein of fractal spun Dorset in various shades of Grey.”

(Centre basket with yarn) tag not visible, but looks like a natural dye on wool, but could be the natural colour.

12.10) Magical Moose Mittens, by Judy. “These Mittens are made from local Shetland wool that I bought raw and then washed and carded. The white is from a sheep called Amber from Karberry Farm. The brown started out as off white fleece from Steve Welch. I died it with black walnut hulls that I collected in my neighborhood. Then spun the wool into yarn and knit the mittens using my own pattern.”12.10) Magical Moose Mittens, by Judy. “These Mittens are made from local Shetland wool that I bought raw and then washed and carded. The white is from a sheep called Amber from Karberry Farm. The brown started out as off white fleece from Steve Welch. I dyed it with black walnut hulls that I collected in my neighbourhood. Then spun the wool into yarn and knit the mittens using my own pattern.”

Right Back Grids: We have reached the final part of the exhibit, the back of the right side grids.

13.0) Back of Right Grids.13.0) Back of Right Grids.

13.1) We Stand on Guard for Thee, by Carlene. “This piece celiebrates the Ceremonial Guard and their bear Skin hats. I created this Piece in 2017 for our Guild art show.”13.1) We Stand on Guard for Thee, by Carlene. “This piece celebrates the Ceremonial Guard and their bear Skin hats. I created this Piece in 2017 for our Guild art show.”

 13.2) Reflections: Evening sky on water by Moira. “This piece stems from my love of dying and weaving with silk and the beautiful colours reflected in Lac Tenpenny in Val-des-Monts, Quebec. This Calm little lake reflects the coulours of the sky, Sun and Surrounding Forest in an ever changing tableau. This scarf highlights the colours as the water ripples in the lake and the sun begins to sink below the “ 13.2) Reflections: Evening sky on water by Moira. “This piece stems from my love of dying and weaving with silk and the beautiful colours reflected in Lac Tenpenny in Val-des-Monts, Quebec. This Calm little lake reflects the colours of the sky, Sun and Surrounding Forest in an ever changing tableau. This scarf highlights the colours as the water ripples in the lake and the sun begins to sink below the horizon“

13.3) Walnut Smudge Sweater, by Carlene. “Handspun and naturally dyed”13.3) Walnut Smudge Sweater, by Carlene. “Handspun and naturally dyed”

 13.4) Tied On, by Joan. “Made from Silk ribbon bought at a (quintessentially) Canadian yard sale” 13.4) Tied On, by Joan. “Made from Silk ribbon bought at a (quintessentially) Canadian yard sale”

13.5) Basket of tea towels (in front)  Rosebud Trellis towel, by Kanika.  “Maurice Brassard a Quebec company supplied the cotton. the weaver is from Ontario, the Leclerc Fanny Loom is by a Quebec company.” (In the back) Canada Day Tea Towels, by Wendy “..Memories of Canada Day picnics with friends and family.”13.5) Basket of tea towels

(in front)  Rosebud Trellis towel, by Kanika.  “Maurice Brassard, a Quebec company, supplied the cotton. The weaver is from Ontario, the Leclerc Fanny Loom is by a Quebec company.”

(In the back) Canada Day Tea Towels, by Wendy “..Memories of Canada Day picnics with friends and family.”

13.6) Scarf with beads, by Kanika.  (I did  not see a description)13.6) Scarf with beads, by Kanika.  (I did  not see a description.)

13.7) Socks, by Maureen. “ Hand-Spun and knitted from Canadian sourced wool.”13.7) Socks, by Maureen. “ Hand-Spun and knitted from Canadian sourced wool.”

13.8)  2 vests and shirts and tapestry of foxes with fluffy tails. (Lower Left Vest) Chiengora Wool Vest 2, by Doreen. Canadain grown, supn, woven and sewn.” (Upper Right Vest) Chiengora Wool Vest 1, by Doreen. Canadain grown, supn, woven and sewn.”13.8)  2 vests and shirts, and a tapestry of foxes with fluffy tails.

(Lower Left Vest) Chiengora Wool Vest 2, by Doreen. Canadian grown, spun, woven and sewn.”

(Upper Right Vest) Chiengora Wool Vest 1, by Doreen. Canadian grown, spun, woven and sewn.”

13.9) Summer and Winter, by Deborah. “Designed and woven by submitter, handspun yarn spun by daughter. Inspired by the guild’s Summer Fiber Poker Challenge.”13.9) Summer and Winter, by Deborah. “Designed and woven by the submitter, handspun yarn spun by my daughter. Inspired by the guild’s Summer Fibre Poker Challenge.”

The Exhibition Team:

It was not an easy job (there is a rumour that getting guild members to fill out a form and drop off their pieces is similar to herding cats.) Wendy and her team got us all organised and put together a very diverse exhibition. Well Done Wendy!!

14.0) Wendy was the head of the Exhibition team, and did a fabulous job.14.0) Wendy was the head of the Exhibition team and did a fabulous job.

I hope you have enjoyed looking through the exhibition and the OVWSG guild sale from the last post. If you would like to make comments, and you haven’t clicked on the post already, please check the top of the post for the comment button (it is hiding up there).

 

 

 

 

A Felt Landscape Class with Jan

A Felt Landscape Class with Jan

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I keep wanting to take this class with Jan, but it always seems to get scheduled when I have a class the next day or when I am at the Farmers Market. I finally got to sign up. My class was scheduled before Jan’s. Then I got the dates for the Christmas markets. The hat class was planned for the day after the last market. It would have to move. I would still be exhausted the day after the market. I don’t want to do that to the students or myself. So now I am taking Jan’s class on Saturday and teaching Felt hats on Sunday. I am sure it will be fine. I got all ready for my class early in the week, so all I have to do is load the car on Sunday morning.

To start, Jan emailed us some pictures so we could choose what we wanted to make. There was one I really liked, but thought it needed something else. So I had a chat with Jan about that. She does say you are the God of your picture. And she never does what everyone else is doing when she takes my classes. I went searching on the internet to see if I could find what I wanted to add. I did not have much luck. Google thinks it knows what I want to look at even when it doesn’t match what I put in the search. I found out later that I should try the in cogneto mode to get better results. Jan sent me a couple of pictures, and I found what I wanted.

I picked the one on the top right, but wanted to add a small shed. I know you were expecting one of the ones with sheep, weren’t you?

At the workshop, Jan had lots of her work to show us, to help us understand what we were doing.

 

 

Jan gave us lots of information about different ways to work. She explained all the needles she had given us to try out. You can see them stuck in the orange noodle. She included different versions of our pictures to help us pick out the wool we needed.

Then we had to pick our wool. She had a lot of wool. The bags covered 3 6-foot tables. There were also several books on the table for us to look at. I have no picture of the books. We were all wanting to get stabbing. I will ask Jan to look at the landscape book she has that I haven’t looked at before.

On to working. I chose to do a rough outline of where things were by holding the thin felt over the picture on a window. It was fun and absorbing, so I didn’t take as many pictures as I should have.

My friend Judy took this picture of me working.

This was my neighbour, she was working on a musk ox picture.

And here is a shot down the tables, of others busy stabbing away.

After adding the fog, I put in a little shack.

As we neared the end of the day, I went to add another layer of trees in front of the fog, but I couldn’t get them right at all. I think I was done with trees for the day. So I added the snow in the foreground. I may add the grass with stitching.

So now it is a few days later, and looking at the pictures, I can see the fog needs to fade out more. And maybe not cover all the trees. I will remove the tree trunks and fix the shack door.  Taking a picture really shows you what you can’t see looking at it live. I am not sure where I will go with the trees. I think I swapped the picture I wanted with a darker one. I may bring the fog down and add a few trees in the mid-ground, maybe with some snow on them.  We will see. I will take it to guild socials and continue.

Jan included a large instruction manual for us( 32 pages) in case we want to do another picture and forget everything we were told (completely possible, there was a lot to learn).

I think we all need to pester Jan to make this an online class or a book.  She has so much of it already done.

Slip knot book binding with fabric covered cover and watercolor paper pages
Decisions on Fabric Book Construction and Binding

Decisions on Fabric Book Construction and Binding

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As my group works along on our year long project of creating a fabric book, we decided it was a good idea to make decisions about construction, size and binding early on. That way we aren’t winging it at the end when we put the book together. Hopefully, the pages that we create will then be a bit more uniform, sturdy and look good bound together. So, I brought a bunch of samples of fabric books to our last meeting.

One of my favorite bindings for a fabric book is the raised chain band binding. The edge of the page that will be bound is stitched every quarter inch with a knotted blanket/buttonhole stitch. The knot keeps the thread from getting loosened with use. Then the pages are bound together with a raised chain band stitch. The pages open all the way and move easily. And I love the look of it. Here you see four different books with the same binding. Most have felt pages, some with a sheer fabric fused to both sides, others, just felt, and one with two pieces of felt, appliqued fabric and stiff interfacing in the middle. The book on the bottom left is a bit of a hybrid. It is embroidery samples mounted on thick watercolor paper. I added an edge of felt to the paper page so that I could do this binding instead of coptic stitch. I learned the raised chain band binding from Gail Harker.

Stick and yarn book binding with chopsticks and silk paper cover.

This is a book binding that I learned in an online class in 2008 by Sue Bleiweiss. It doesn’t look like she is teaching online anymore but she taught us four or five different fabric book binding techniques. If you would like to see more about this postcard book, you can see my post here.

Applique sample book with stab stitch binding

This is a felt applique sample book that is bound with a stab stitch binding. I learned this binding from Gail Harker.

Accordion book of machine stitched color samples with insertion stitch binding.

This machine stitched color sample book was another I made in class with Gail Harker. It is bound with an insertion stitch. There is a heavy interface in the center of the pages and then fabric collages are fused down. The back is covered by a dyed sheer fabric that is fused as well.

Coptic binding on sample paper Edgar book

This was my sample for the book about my dog that I created in Level 3 Stitch at Gail Harker Center for Creative Arts. It is bound with Coptic stitch. I bound the fabric book the same way. I find Coptic stitch to be really fiddly and difficult. If you would like to see the fabric Book of Edgar, there is a video of the full book at the end of this post.

Slip knot book binding with fabric covered cover and watercolor paper pages

Here is a new method that I found on Youtube that is called slip knot binding. There are several different tutorials on this stitch method. It is significantly easier than Coptic stitch. It looks similar and acts the same way as it allows pages to be opened fully and can hold heavy pages with a sturdy enough thread. So this book is made with the slip knot binding.

Raised chain band binding on book with stiffened felt pages and fabric applique.

We decided that we would go with this type of book construction. It is a very heavy duty page, can hold loads of stitching or heavier fabrics. It has two pieces of felt per page with a piece of heavy interfacing sandwiched between. And we’re going to use the raised chain band binding. If you would like to see more of this book, click here.

Raised Chain Band book binding on beaded book (with beads added to the binding).

And anyone who wants to see more about my beaded book, the post is here.

A Yarn and Fiber Artist’s Dilemma

A Yarn and Fiber Artist’s Dilemma

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I will be stepping away from scheduled blog posting in 2026. This has been a hard decision for me, as I so value the friends I have made through Felting and Fiber Studio. I was happy to hear I am welcome to submit articles, to be used when regular contributors need respite. My mother’s Alzheimer’s is in the final stage. She is on hospice care doing fine at the moment: but we don’t know the future, do we? I’m also helping my aunt, transition into assisted living care. Brian and I, of course aren’t getting any younger, either. We are using the information we’ve learned,  to start thinking of our own future. We are definitely looking at downsizing, our living quarters, so that means it’s time to do a purge: “death purge” is what many call it. I don’t like that particular terminology, but I agree with the gist of the concept. As baby boomers, we grew up saving everything, “in case we need it,” down the line. We held onto baggage, because our parents and grandparents, told stories of what happened during wars, or depressions. We raised our children, in times of plenty, and they don’t want any of it! As the dutiful family “storage unit,” I have some really nice fiber related items to find homes for. Example: I have a dainty antique wooden swift with finely turned spindles (UK early 1900’s) in perfect condition: made for ladies embroidering fine linens…what do I do with it? It’s easy to think about listing such items, on social media outlets, but there are so many things to research before hand. It all takes time, that seems at a premium these days. A never ending dilemma

Of course, Brian’s answer to everything these days: “burn it!”

His cynicism is predictable, given what he’s witnessed, as my Etsy shipping clerk for 8 years. He sees customer “requests” in messages. In an effort to deliver, and receive the coveted 5 stars, I spend a lot of time doing things, to “make the sale.” Often, after endless messaging back and forth; the person rarely makes the purchase…or worse, never responds back at all. I am getting better at setting limits, but as I’m sitting here typing my article, another request bit the dust…and proved his point again. Hide the matches!!

Last weekend, I agreed to participate in a holiday craft show. My friend of 60 years is very active with a Veteran’s organization. My participation allows us to see each other, and supports a good cause. Because, so many are struggling financially, I chose my offerings carefully. I decided each item needed to be; visually pleasing, useful, with a low price point. I geared them to be used as stocking stuffers, small gifts for teachers, friends or relatives…maybe a child’s gift to Mom. Brian watched me search Pinterest for small items that met my criteria, and used some supplies I already had. I chose to make the following:

Fabric Wristlet Key Fobs Little Hill Craft video,

Beadable Pens and Beadable Key Chains (Search on Amazon)

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Microwave (Baked) Potato Bags YouTube Potato Bag Sewing Tutorial

Potato print fabric, sewn as envelope pouch, for microwave baked potatoes.
Large size microwave baked potato bags. In order to avoid potential fire, all materials must be 100% cotton; thread, batting, and fabric.

If you are unfamiliar with these Microwave Baked Potato bags, you are missing out on the best way to bake potatoes. They yield soft fluffy baked potatoes in less than a quarter of the time. I purchased mine 15 years ago, while on vacation. It’s been well used, ever since. In addition to baked potatoes, you can steam corn on the cob, warm tortillas, and bread/rolls.

I also took Woolbuddy ™️ needle felted animal ornaments, I had in my shop. They retail for $15 and are worth every penny, but I reduced them to $12.50 each, or “buy 4 get 1 free” (33% off retail). To make certain my prices were fair, I took samples to Mom’s facility. I’ve made friends with other family members: I sold a few potato bags and wristlet’s right on the spot. They felt my prices were too reasonable, for the quality and craftsmanship. I reassessed my prices and realized my potato bags needed to be $14, despite Etsy prices of $11. The specialty fabric I used on the outside is brand new and fetches $15/yard or more. I chose to line the potato bags with a brown fabric, instead of the white muslin my bag has. You can imagine the staining from years of constant use. $12.50 was my initial price: only a bit above supply costs.

I wasn’t looking to make much, as we’ve participated in the show a few years ago. I agreed to share a table this time, and gear my offerings to those attending. I sold 4 potato bags ($14 each), 1 pen ($5), 1 key fob ($6) and some of the needle felted animal ornaments for a total of $137. Once the 1/2 table fee, a raffle donation, and food came out, we probably covered the cost of potato bag fabrics. The foot traffic was constant, and we had a steady stream of lookers at the table. People loved the items, pricing didn’t seem to be an issue: I sold as much as the crafters near me. I’m often asked why I don’t sell my things at craft shows! I’ve always felt the time involved in the making, is rarely valued by those purchasing. Maybe it’s the area we live in? Whatever the reason, I had a plan for any items remaining. We are gifting them Mom’s caregivers. I was very careful to keep the samples, away from caregivers view, and that was a very good thing!

Brian still has his thought’s, about those matches…when I whine “what am I going to do with all this yarn and fiber?” I know he would never think of doing such a thing, while I am alive…but if anything happens to me, you might want to make a quick call!!

Happy Holidays!

Poppy wreath at the Cenotaph
Remembrance and Looking Forward

Remembrance and Looking Forward

Comments 8 comments

As I write this winter is closing in and snow is falling.  However I wanted to start by sharing part of my November tradition.  In 2020 I made 2 poppy wreaths, one for my house and another for the local cenotaph.  Each November I put these out.  It is a small contribution to Remembrance.  But I feel it is important, especially with war and unrest bubbling around the world.

On Nov 8th I attended a Punch Needle workshop.  This was part of an event to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the invention of the Oxford Punch Needle. The workshop was at the Calabogie Lodge, about an hours drive from my house. When I walked into the lodge I was surprised to discover this massive stuffed polar bear in the lobby.  I had to take some photos.

The workshop was put on by Christine Johnson, aka Free Form Fibres. The studio space upstairs was beautiful and so cosy.  There were punch needle projects at each station. We were given the opportunity to try punching with both regular and fine punch needles.

The first piece I worked on was this Christmas tree piece. I learned how to do the outlines.  Then to come back and fill in the background.  You apply the punch needle from the back of the canvas and it forms short loops on the front. The tails from where you start and stop each piece of yarn end up on the front of the piece and need to be trimmed off later. This photo shows the front of the piece.

Punch needle project with Christmas tree
Punch needle project with Christmas tree

Christine had some samples of her work on display.  They were so inspiring. It was also interesting to see that some of the pieces were 3D.  They were very cool. Christine has been working on a punch needle series PUNCHING WITH ATTITUDE. I love that she is using her art to express her feelings.

We rotated through a couple of projects during the workshop and I ended up at this frame with a freeform piece on it.  There really wasn’t much on the canvas when I sat down.  Mostly some neon lines wandering around the canvas.  I started by drawing in some hearts.  Then filling them in.  Then adding a blocky border in the middle of the canvas.  Next I filled in the background around the hearts. I played with filling in space using straight lines and with meandering stitches so that I could compare the results. I was hooked and purchased 2 punch needles to take home.

Christine ended up giving me the Freeform piece and some of the neon yarn to take home.  She also gifted me this awesome skein of Briggs and Little Atlantic (hand dyed colourway) and a nice bag with the colour wheel on it.

The next step down the rabbit hole was to buy supplies.  With some help from Christine and Robin (of Hooking Outside the Lines) some basic supplies were ordered.  I picked up a large frame, frame cover, fancy scissors, a kit, and some blank canvas.  The package arrived quickly. And putting the frame together was very straightforward.  The hardest part was holding the pieces steady without pricking myself on the gripper strips which have many very sharp needles.

After getting the frame together it was time to remount the freeform piece. The monks cloth is stretched on the gripper strips until a nice tension is achieved.  Then a cover is added to protect the user from the needles on the gripper strips.  At this point I was ready to restart, but I must admit that I was undecided about how to proceed.  So I took a break.  (It never hurts to consider your design choices.)

By the next day I had an idea.  I could rip out that lower neon line and move it down to make a larger box.  Luckily I had the spare yarn and so was able to do that. One of the neat things about punch needle work is that you can undo it easily. In the images below you can see the faint line where the original neon line was. This will disappear once I have filled in the piece with new yarn.

After making a larger box I could add the word LOVE below the hearts. I traced out the letter size on some paper, cut them out, then tried them on the canvas.  When I was happy with the size and placement, I flipped the letters over (remember working on the back means text must be mirror image) and traced the design onto the canvas with a Sharpie. Finally I was ready to select some yarn and start punching.  After punching the word Love my next choice is to decide what yarn to use for the background, and whether I’ll do one solid background behind all the letters, or blocks of background as was done with the hearts above. I am still undecided which way I will go.

So this is where the work is so far.  It was really fun to learn something new and experiment with a new way to use some of my yarn stash. I have also signed up for a number of classes at my guild in the first half of 2026 (Tapestry, Art Yarn, Short Draw to Long Draw – Drafting Woolen to Worsted, and Warp Painting). I look forward to sharing my punch needle piece and some of my other explorations with you next year.

Since this is my last blog post of 2025, I also wanted to say Happy Holidays!  I hope you have some terrific time visiting with family and friends and recharging your creative batteries for next year.

I also wanted to share that Christine will be teaching as part of In the Studio Online Workshop Week 2026 which runs from February 5-15, 2026.  Here is the blurb about the class:

Christine Johnson @christinejohnson1959 joins Workshop Week for the first time to teach us:
HOW to say WHAT we want to say. (These days, we all have something to say about our shared world.)

She builds on her punch needle series PUNCHING WITH ATTITUDE. This text-heavy class is for both hookers and punchers.