Handwork and a little hint

One of my little joys is hand sewing, and November is my excuse to indulge in some fun handmade gifts.

For the last several years several of my local fiber friends and I have been a part of the Handmade Holiday Sale here in Eugene, Oregon. For one weekend after Thanksgiving we rent a space in town and fill it with fiber arts that we have made — knitting and weaving, hand spun yarn, felting, bookbinding, hand sewn work, jewelry, paper crafts, and hand dyed fiber for knitting and spinning.

This year there are 7 women involved, and I enjoy the camaraderie and a stolen moment or two to sit and spin or knit as we vend. I will be selling pin keeps, lavender sachets, jewelry, and who knows what else! Here is a little peek at what is going to be there.

I do this more for the joy of crafting than anything else. A good feeling comes over me as I am sewing,. I am sure that it is nostalgia. I suppose I am remembering sitting at my mother’s sewing machine as a girl, and the magic of making something. I am still enchanted by how sewing a couple seams can transform a fabric into your own personal vision.

My hint today is for those of you who work with primitive weave linen, and have leftover scraps. As a rug hooker I have a lot of scraps that I trim off after I have finished the edges. My suggestion is to unravel the long woven strips and save them for other crafts. I wind threads one at a time on an old wooden bobbin.

Among other things, the thread makes a great string for tags.

The pear pin keeps are a Maggie Bonanomi design.

If you live in the area please do come by our festive Handmade Holiday Sale, Saturday and Sunday December 7th and 8th, 676 Polk St (between 6th and 7th), Eugene, Oregon. There will be plenty of free parking in the large lot across the street. Stop in and say hi and shop and eat a cookie!

If you live a few miles out, it might be worth your time to make a day of it and include the annual Holiday Market/Farmers Market at the nearby Lane County Fairgrounds, as well as other open studio sales just a few blocks away. We will have info about these at our venue.

Have a wonderful holiday season. I suggest that you make time to create something special with your hands this month. Consider it a gift to yourself to take part in this simple yet meaningful pursuit.

Have a creative day ~ Karen

Remember to shop local, shop handmade, and make something yourself! Most importantly: keep it simple! A room filled with love is so much more special than a room full of gifts!