In the Workroom Recap : Week 266

This week started with a little visit in to check out the amazing craft show in Toronto known as "City of Craft." Hopefully I will get around to doing a post on it in future days/weeks because it was great inspiring fun.

I was happy to come home and get back to work, first sewing a new skirt for myself and next, getting around to bringing some goodies down to Little Bird on Locke St, a great little local shop.

Lots of small things all stocked up! After some holiday fun for myself involving the Christmas tree and other family times, I buckled down to finished filling a few orders and getting to work on applications for shows next year! Paperwork is maybe the most work-y part of any job but I managed to get through it and even get around to taking a few photos for said applications!

I suppose I slacked on taking workshop photos this week. Part of me worries Christmas gifts will be revealed so let's keep a few secrets for the next couple weeks just in case! So the workroom posts might be a bit more sparse than usual.

I feel extra lucky to do this job when someone buys a Needling for a loved one for the holidays. I could get really sappy about it sometime but I'll spare you all that and just say thank you if you are one of these lovely customers, this time of year and year 'round!

I hope to have lots of exciting things to show you in future weeks. Hope you are all having a lovely December!

In the Workroom Recap : Week 265

Back again! December is flying by, isn't it? 

We had a blast at Crafternoon Delight on Saturday and ended the 2012 show schedule happily in the company of some of my favourite Hamilton crafters. It feels like it has been relatively non-stop for shows since the summer so it is a bit bittersweet being able to take a breath and focus on the other elements of Needlings running. 

Last week started with a custom order for a tablet sleeve which is a large version of my owl cell sleeves.



Looks familiar but it's nice to see yet another use for this owl o' mine! I hope it's future owner (who will apparently be receiving it as a gift) will love it!



The worktable was a little messier than usual while I packed up some orders and took inventory of everything I had to bring to the show at the end of the week.

We were lucky enough to be able to head down to the Crafternoon Delight pop-up shop location downtown Hamilton on Friday night which allowed us to set up early (and sleep in the next morning). I'm a big fan of sleeping in, you guys. 



But seeing as how it was pretty quiet for us on Friday night...



Obviously we're dealing with a bunch of morning people!



One last show to document the table display for the year - we'll see what sorts of changes lie ahead for 2013.



I was happy to wear my Needlings owl print outfit again and spend the day with lovely people behind yet another craft table.






Another happy craft week/day!
This week will be spend filling orders and tidying up the workroom and any other things I can fit in to 7 days.

See you soon!

Two Holiday Shows, One Weekend

Yep, two fun holiday craft shows in Hamilton! Two of my favourite shows of the year, even.  I have done Merryberry Market in Westdale and Makers' Market on James St. North for 4 years now I think and they have become a big part of my own holiday season. It really doesn't feel like Christmas until we've had a bit of snow, and I've done these two shows. Happy to say, both of those things happened this weekend! We had so much snow on Friday in fact that the usual 20 minute drive to Westdale on city streets took about 1 full hour. Of course it has all been rained away but I'm hoping for a least a little white on the ground for the 25th.

Anyway, so we had Merryberry Market first which is a cute little show and fundraiser for Westdale Children's School. Only a small amount of vendors and lots of sweet little kids running around and playing Christmas songs.









So much holiday fun! These people are all some of the nicest people I've come across in Hamilton. A really nice warm night to end a snowy day. These are the kinds of shows that make me feel extra lucky I have the coolest job ever.

So we packed up and went home just to head downtown the next morning to the beautiful Christ's Church Cathedral on James St. North in Hamilton to set up for the Holiday Makers' Market show.



We were there and ready to go early so I got a few photos of some of the other vendors setting up in this beautiful space. I almost don't realize just how amazing it is until I look back at the pictures. 





There are these lovely green light covers in the church that give all the photos a sort of greenish glow but it really was a fun day. It was busy for most of the day and I was happy to spend the day talking to familiar customers and new ones as well as some of my favourite crafty vendor friends.



Lisa of Nerdbiskit, one of my loveliest friends, was only a table away. Check out those aprons. And hot beverages. It was a great day but a little coffee/tea pep never hurt anyone! Unless you spill it I guess. Anyway, it worked for me!



See? That's one happy Needlings' maker.

Thank you to everyone who came out to these shows to spend their hard earned money locally supporting local artists and crafters. I wouldn't be able to do this without you. If I could hug you all I would!

I hope to see some of you at our last show of the year this Saturday, Crafternoon Delight, at Dundurn and Aberdeen, 11am-4pm.

Thanks for stopping by, friends! See you soon!

In the Workroom Recap : Week 264

Hey guys! Forgive me for being a bit late with last week's recap. Needlings had two holiday shows that were great fun over the weekend so I rewarded myself with a day off afterwards to hang out and nap and give my holiday hands a rest.

I spent last week filling orders and finishing up a few more goodies to fill up the craft show tables I shared with my favourite knitter (and mom).

Happy to say I'm in need of a little restock this week to stock up the table again for the last show of the year coming up this Saturday in Hamilton.

I'm excited to spend the day craft show-ing it up with crafty friends and family one last time in 2012. I'll do a seperate post to tell you all about the shows over the weekend and I will see you next week after Crafternoon Delight for another update!

Love!

In the Workroom Recap : Week 263

Hello everyone! Another busy week over and another busy week ahead!

I finished up some Owl Cell Phone Sleeves to go along with a big batch of Needlings that were sent off to White Rabbit in Iowa City and now I'm busy getting ready for the last three craft shows of the year!



Lisa of Nerdbiskit came over for another sewing night to work on her taco pillows while I finished up the box for White Rabbit.



As you can see in the background there, Callie the pup was just as happy as I was to have some couch company.



After I packed up the box, I got to work on even more Owl Mamas for the craft shows coming up.



Some new colours in there all ready for their holiday shows! I'll be spending this week hopefully finishing up some Littles of various sorts, cell phone sleeves, and other goodies.

If you are local to the Hamilton area, I would love to see your shining face at one or both of these great markets. I have done both for about four years and they really help get me in to the holiday mood. Any opportunity to shop without entering a mall is great in my books.





It's a Holiday Friday night/Saturday morning craft show marathon! See you there! (or right back here for next week's recap)

In the Workroom Recap : Week 262

Hi guys! I've been busy as a bee in the Needlings workshop getting ready for the holidays! What's a girl gotta do to get some elves?

Anyway, finished up the little stocking ornaments and got them up in the shop!




It was fun to do something a little different for ornaments this year. Still owl related but little red stockings instead of the usual little owls!

Then I got to work on some bookmarks for White Rabbit in Iowa City and some NEW Needlings Colouring Books for my first holiday show of the year at the Woodview Learning Centre in Burlington.





With sewn bindings and everything!

I was lucky enough to take a little break from work to have a little belated meeting with one of my favourite ladies who knows me so well that she got me a new pin cushion!





And delicious apple cider and cake of course!



I spent the last few days of the week finishing up a batch of Owl Mamas and a few littles and got ready to head out to Woodview on Saturday!





It was another fun day with my favourite knitter/mom where we had the nicest table neighbours and passed the time quite happily.



We have a weekend off from shows before the next three but lots of work ahead and some other exciting things so I will see you next week with more! Bye for now, lovely friends!

In the Workroom Recap : Week 261

Another week over for Needlings! This one ended with a little birthday celebration for me but could I stay away from my worktable for a whole day? Of course not!

Next Saturday, the 17th, is our first holiday show!



It'll be a busy week ahead getting ready for it!

But last week started with filling some orders and starting on some things for White Rabbit in Iowa City.



Then pins!





Done! I even stole one of these little guys for my own coat this year.

I spent the rest of the week working on top secret Needlings holiday products. Which I will now show you (in secret). They will be finished up and in the shop this week!



Christmas card prototypes! 



And ornaments! The worktable is looking sort of Santa's Workshop at the moment but as soon and these little guys are finished, I'll be back to bookmarks and Owl Mamas to get ready for the show this weekend!

See you next week, lovely friends!

In the Workroom Recap : Week 260

November! One of my favourite months. Probably due to it being my birth month but I like fall best anyway.

I hope everyone had a fun Halloween! I took a break from sewing early in the week to carve the pumpkin...



Callie the pup enjoyed sniffing the pumpkin guts and barking at the doorbell. It was fun!

Anyway, in addition to Halloween fun, I worked on a batch of goodies for Chapters in Ancaster in addition to filling a couple other orders. 



Owl Mamas and Minou Kitties this time! 

And with my computer dying (don't worry, all fixed up now) earlier this week, naturally my beloved sewing machine should die the same week. Luckily I picked up an almost identical one a year or so ago to be safe.  I have had it since I was 16 afterall.  It served me well.



And after another sewing day with Lisa of Nerdbiskit, I finished up the Chapters batch and dropped them off at the Ancaster store!





I'll have to keep a closer eye on them as we get closer to the holiday season! They tend to disappear a little faster (which I will definitely not complain about).

So that was it for the week! I'm still restocking some stores and starting to get in the holiday season headspace so look forward to some Christmas-y things in upcoming weeks in addition to some restock batches for White Rabbit in Iowa City and Little Bird in Hamilton, as well as a few others. Whew.

See you next week! After some birthday week fun (and work) for me of course!