Even if some makers had wholesale accounts, stores and other venues were also in lock down.
So as I get excited to start attending the markets this year, I wonder who I will see and who won't be there. For some, two years without any money coming in means the business has shut down. I am sadden by those thoughts because I believe a vibrant craft community is important. The craft produced by artisans and crafters is one of the many languages of our culture, a means to celebrate who we are and the values we share. I am hopeful that this year will see the resurgence of a vibrant and active craft community across Canada.
Help to foster this resurgence by buying local and buying handmade!
]]>I spent the morning making quilted placemats. The why I will get to in a minute. I was a vendor this weekend at a Christmas craft show and as always I had time between waves of people to reflect, this time on how fortunate and privileged we are here in Canada. Even with the terrible floods and slides in BC and the ravage of COVID across the country, we have a government, health care system, disaster relief folks and even the military to come to our aid and lessen the impact of these terrible events. That cannot be said for many across the globe.
As a child I wanted to save the world, particularly kittens and puppies and was heartbroken when my mother forced me to return a cute ginger kitten. As a young adult I wanted to relieve the suffering of children seen in the commercial from CARE, Plan, and other such organizations and was part of my motivation for becoming a nurse. As I matured, at least in some ways, I came to realize that I couldn’t save everyone, not even the puppies and kittens BUT what I did come to understand is that I CAN make a difference to 1 puppy, 1 kitten, 1 child or 1 family. And so that is why I make a modest monthly contribution to the Humane Society, why I have sponsored a child through PLAN for over 40 years, why my kids receive cards in their Christmas stockings thanking them for the chickens, goats, and safe water supply they have contributed to in Africa or the soccer balls and school supplies provide to children there and that is why I have volunteered and continue to volunteer in various ways within my community.
Now we are getting to the placemats. I recently started volunteering for an organization called Helping with Furniture that provides gently used furniture and household items to people in need.https://www.hwfottawa.org/. The organization originally started in response to a need in the refugee and new immigrant community, however, the clients that are being referred today encompass the original clients as well as women and children fleeing violence, people who have lost everything in a fire, homeless individuals moving into a home for the first time in a long time to mention just a few. While we do ask for gently used goods sometimes what we get is often past its prime, but it is better than nothing. We give people linens, bed linens, blankets, pillows etc., as well as linen for the kitchen and dining. Often the placemats are stained and worn. I thought that it would be nice for these people to have something, however small, that was new, just for them. Hence the placemats I am making with material from my “stash”.
What I contribute to my community is not huge, I don’t spend every waking hour volunteering and I am not going poor donating money. But I truly believe that I am making a difference in someone’s life 1 child, 1 person at a time. I also believe that if we all contributed 1 hour, 1 day, 1 dollar, $100 or a combination of any of these, the impact would be so much more than the sum of its parts. And so I wish you a great holiday season connecting and reconnecting with family and friends. We all have had an incredible 2 years and need some hope and love in our lives. By opening up, inviting people and contributing in some small way we make the world just a bit better place to be.
]]>A new year is like starting a new chapter in your life, full of hope and possibilities. My hope for this new chapter is an end to the pandemic and the start of an economic recovery. I am also taking the time to reflect on how I might contribute to the broader recovery from the results of the pandemic. So many people’s lives have been put on hold, like the couple who had to postpone their wedding or have just a ceremony with no guests or family. Others find themselves in limbo, like the thousands of refugees who thought they were travelling to a new home only to be told they have to wait a few more months. This reflection has helped to shape my new year’s resolutions.
So, in 2021 I will refocus my time and energy to supporting a local organization looking at sponsoring refugees to come to Canada. I will look for more ways to support local businesses that have struggled through these hard times. I will remain open to new ideas and ways to contribute to the recovery process because I truly believe we must be the change that we want to see.
So, my wish for you as we welcome 2021 is for you to discover everything you are looking for in this new year right inside yourself!
]]>I never feel prepared and ready for Christmas until the Christmas tree goes up and is decorated. Whether you are a purest and go with a real tree or are like me and like the pre-lite easy to put up artificial tree here are some tips to decorating your tree like a pro!
As you can see from the picture of our tree it doesn’t follow any designer theme but we love it!
At the end of the day the tree should give you that warm Christmas feeling that says home and family, no matter how you decorate it! Happy holidays!
]]>This year has been one that few of us will likely never forget. It has been a year of loss: people losing loved ones through this pandemic, others losing their jobs and others their homes. So, as we prepare to celebrate this holiday season it is easy to feel that there isn’t much to celebrate and yet when I reflect on it, I have much to be thankful for, to treasure: my health and that of my family and friends, my family and being able to spend the holiday season with them, my home and no fear that I will lose it because I have lost my job, and the wisdom that comes with age!
My wish for you this holiday season is for you to take time to reflect on what you have to be thankful for as a reminder to treasure that which you have.
]]>Lengthwise placement is the traditional more formal way to use a table runner. If you want a drop on your table then try to have 6 inches on either end. If using a shorter one than length of your table place it in the center and is a great foundation for a centerpiece like flowers.
Widthwise placement is a less formal placement. The runner can either be used at each place setting in place of a placement or used between place settings with placemats between.
Used with tablecloth can either be formal or informal depending on how the combination. With a white tablecloth and traditional center placement the tone is formal. However you use the combination make sure that there is a high contrast in either colour or pattern between the two.
Round or oval table can be setup with a center runner or 2 that crisscross each other. This creates a great centre foundation for flowers or other centerpiece.
Whether you’re looking to create a traditional table for a special occasion or something better suited for everyday entertaining don't be afraid to experiment with different placements and drop lengths to find a look you love!
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Last year a customer I meet at the Artfest in the park in Kingston, Ontario was just captivated by the pillow covers I had displayed. She loved the pattern and the colours. She wanted to buy one but was afraid that her cats and dog would ruin the cover. She bought it anyway and came up with a creative way to use it..
"My solution was to have it framed (which was expensive but worth it) because now I get to enjoy it everyday without it getting soiled."
As an artisan you work hard and put a lot of time and energy into your work because you love what you do. Sometimes when your energy is flagging and you receive an e-mail like this and it makes it all worthwhile!
Thank you Cathy Taylor Kelly!
]]>Take time to browse my Quilts of 2020.
The word quilt is derived from the Latin culcita, meaning a padded and tied mattress similar to a Japanese futon. Quilting is a needlework technique involving two or more layers of fabric, usually sandwiched with padding of some sort, stitched together in a decorative pattern. Simple definitions for something that is anything but simple to explain.
Quilting is sometimes viewed as an addiction by the non-quilting world; however, for us quilters it is just something we have to do…like breathing. So what is it about quilting that can absorb us for hours and days? For me it is the fabric and colours within, the feelings that a finished quilt evoke and the thrill of looking at the finished quilt that never turns out quite as imagined….it is even better!
In searching various blogs, web-sites and even magazines themes started to emerge as to why we quilters do what it is we do….most of us need to be involved in quilting for even a small measure of time each day…I know I do. So why do we do it? I came upon this list of reasons for why I quilt http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art10198.asp and I am sure most of us can identify with at least 1 or 2 of the reasons listed.
No matter the reason what is true is that quilting absorbs us, envelopes and in some way feeds our soul…so enjoy!
]]>Women around the world consider a purse as a necessity. A purse has a lot more significance and importance than its function, which is carrying money and other items around in it. It is used as a fashion accessory and speaks volumes about the personality of the person carrying it.
So what can you use your "ditty" for? The uses are endless:
Use as a giftbag for the holidays for small gifts