Hobbies and Crafts

Re: Needlework/Sewing Shows or Conventions

Edey — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 17:00:09 GMT

Joyous:
How did you figure out it was bugs if you never saw them?

I couldn't have been anything else. What else would/could have made the yarn disappear in sections. Nobody in the house was doing it. The cats didn't do it. And being as it was wool yarn, I figured it had to be bugs that ate it. Had it disintegrated on it's own there would have been wool residue somewhere below the picture and there wasn't. Edey

Re: Needlework/Sewing Shows or Conventions

Joyous — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 16:42:03 GMT

Edey:
Over time bugs ate away the yarn. What is really strange is we never saw the bugs. Just that the yarn, little by little disappeared from the picture. I've had the same thing happen with the bristles on artist paint brushes stored in a plastic shoe box, and, believe it or not, the plastic feathers on arrows. We must have super bugs hiding somewhere in the house. Edey

Holy cow. How did you figure out it was bugs if you never saw them?

Re: Needlework/Sewing Shows or Conventions

Virginia Needlewoman — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 07:50:39 GMT

The Mid-Atlantic Quilt Festival used to be held in Williamsburg. These days it is in Hamprton.

I attended it for the day a couple of times prior to 1995. It was worth going to in those days. They always had good vendors. You could get really good deals on Bernina sewing machines then.

It started out smal and it expanded into a wonderful event including a quilted fashion show in addition to the wonderful classes with national quilt teachers and designers plus a fantastic quilt show. People came from all over the USA and from different countries to attend it. It brought a lot of business to Williamsburg at local needlework shops plus Cracker Barrel was packed to the ceiling with people in town for the festival.

Re: Needlework/Sewing Shows or Conventions

Edey — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 04:44:07 GMT

Lynnea Berr:
learned from a gallery to always frame a picture

I could probably do it myself; I learned how to stretch canvas for oil painting, so it probably isn't that much different with a cross stitch picture. Getting the correct mat for it would probably be the most difficult.

The one and only needlework picture that I did finish and get framed was made with crewel yarn. Over time bugs ate away the yarn. What is really strange is we never saw the bugs. Just that the yarn, little by little disappeared from the picture. I've had the same thing happen with the bristles on artist paint brushes stored in a plastic shoe box, and, believe it or not, the plastic feathers on arrows. We must have super bugs hiding somewhere in the house. Edey

Re: Needlework/Sewing Shows or Conventions

cheapChic — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 01:29:57 GMT

I go to quilt shows and knitters show just to show up I never made any knitting stuff except one blanet and I just show for the quilts only I don't no me and my sewing machine are not getting along lately so laided off sewing for the rest of the year...

Re: Needlework/Sewing Shows or Conventions

Edey — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 01:13:18 GMT

We have 2 quilt shows in my area, one in March and one in April or May. They both are very well attended, which also means very crowded in the aisles. They have some beautiful items at shows that you can't always find elsewhere. Edey

Re: Needlework/Sewing Shows or Conventions

Edey — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 00:31:08 GMT

My Dh and I tried making rugs when first married with the idea of selling them. We got half way thru one very complicated pattern and never finished it. The type we were doing used yarn and worked from the back, like punch needle. We found it really strained our backs to stand over the frame and work the tool. The tool was the type that slid up and down, driving the yarn thru the burlap. We decided that doing that kind of project wasn't for us. Edey

Re: Needlework/Sewing Shows or Conventions

Lynnea Berr — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 20:30:50 GMT

From time to time, someone will put on a quilt show and there is always a room where you can go in and try your hand at quilting. Of course, any trip to Lehman's usually finds a quilt set up and people working on it there. I believe there's a quilt shop in a nearby building. Not a show but almost.

There is a group of people who do old-fashioned rug hooking, and the youngest was 50 when I met her several years ago. This is the kind done on monks cloth or burlap with very thin strips of 100% wool material. There are usually six hues/shades of any color and often the wool is hand-dyed for the project by the person who will do the rug hooking. The hooks look like crochet hooks, often set in a piece of wood, similar to a latch hook but without the latch since the pieces of material are quite long and make several stitches. There is also a hook that you can crank, just feeding the yarn/material strips into it as you hook your rug. They meet every Monday in a local church. One time they held a show and the work was so beautiful! (A similar but less complicated craft would be punch needle embroidery.) I let my subscription to Rug Hooking magazine lapse but I remember there are gatherings all over the country. I am interested in this because one of my aunts used to do this, drew all her own patterns, cut and dyed wool. The whole family saved well-worn wool garments for her to use in her rugs.

Re: Needlework/Sewing Shows or Conventions

Lynnea Berr — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 20:16:58 GMT

Edey:
I have several pictures done that just sit in a drawer because I can't decide on how I want them framed.

Edey, I learned from a gallery to always frame a picture (any type of piece) to it's best, then it will look good anywhere. I have taken pieces to Joann or Michaels with their coupons -- they always have ones for framing -- and the department has worked with me. We try different matting colors, and also different frames. I have never been disappointed doing this, even if the woods are different, etc.

Re: Needlework/Sewing Shows or Conventions

Joyous — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 19:37:29 GMT

http://www.aces.edu/pubs/pubIndexes/heca.php

Look what I just found on the Alabama cooperative extension website. If you scroll down to "Marketing," you'll see online versions of several pamphelts about marketing and establishing a sewing business, including how to market yourself better for craft fairs.

Re: Needlework/Sewing Shows or Conventions

Toni B. — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 00:42:27 GMT

I too have a trunk full of finished but unframed pieces. I agree about fitting needlework into "standard" size frames. Sometimes you can find larger antique frames at garage sales. You can take smaller size square pieces and stitch them to decorator pillows.

Re: Needlework/Sewing Shows or Conventions

Gigi — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 23:24:17 GMT

Re: Needlework/Sewing Shows or Conventions

Edey — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 15:03:47 GMT

I liked the detail of doing cross stitch, but not doing the finishing touches, like the back stitch outlining or paying someone to frame it for me professionally, which I never did due to the expense of it. I have several pictures done that just sit in a drawer because I can't decide on how I want them framed. Edey

Re: Needlework/Sewing Shows or Conventions

Toni B. — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 12:13:34 GMT

I gave up on a couple of cross stitch subscriptions a few years ago. IMO the designs seemed repetitious, too delicate and too much emphasis on the frames the needlework was displayed in. One magazine in particular takes the same few images: houses, hearts, cats, hatboxes, and patchwork quilts and rearranges them so nothing changes. I do go to one website called 123 stitch. They have a good selection and a very active message board.

Re: Needlework/Sewing Shows or Conventions

MarthaMFI — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 03:26:51 GMT

I usually find them in thrift stores for a quarter. mostly old british ones. But subscriptions here in Canada are too expensive unless they are Canada magazines. I get Today Parent with an airmiles reward of 100 airmiles and mil does that with Chateline and airmiles.