Category: Craft Fairs and Exhibitions

By the Burn, By the Sea

You find us in the middle of the middle week of the summer holidays.

Summer Book - Misericordia

We have explored the country and the sea and now we are returned home to test the limits of our imagination, patience and co-operation.

Summer Book journal with kids - Misericordia

In the hopes of creating a new tradition, we’ve started a Summer Book. There’s a slight nod to the educational goals of writing and drawing, but mostly I want to promote journal-keeping and delay the inevitable ‘Can I watch something?’ for another 10 minutes or so. It was great while we were away, but it’s suffered a little since we got home and have been surrounded by our familiar pursuits.

Last gasp stash - Misericordia

I did manage to finish my shawl, even though I ran out of both the original wool and the emergency wool just in time for the bind off. I’m hoping that the contrast edge evokes sea foam and not desperation.

Diving In Shawl - Misericordia

As a first piece of lace, I’m very pleased with it, but as a shawl, I’m still looking for the best ways to wear it. Maybe a shawl pin?

Myrtle Leaves in stiffener - Misericordia

There was temporary relief from the willow leaves by way of some myrtle leaves, but I’m hoping to get the last of the willow applied this week. Off I go!

Smoke Gets In Your Eyes

Hello Friday, are you here already?

Matches and candles - Misericordia

It feels like I’ve hardly turned around and this week had disappeared in a puff of sulphurous smoke and a rustle of wrapping paper.

Brass menorah and blue and white ware - Misericordia

Hanukkah started on Sunday evening, and Dragon announced he wanted latkes every night (shortly before deciding he didn’t like latkes). I gamely carried on for four nights, but after suffering intense salad cravings, I’m letting it slide.

The craft fairs were successful, I sold some things and got quite a few enthusiastic commission possibilities, so I’m looking forward to seeing how those shape up.

Scissors and embroidery hoop - Misericordia

I have one piece to finish up and then I’m going to devote my holiday to regaining a bit of making inspiration. I’ve been finding myself aimlessly scrolling through the moderately entertaining dross of the Interwebz instead of making, so I’m going to pull out some family projects that have been neglected of late to see if I can get my needles dancing.

Knitting and Bunhilda - Misericordia

Out of the Blue Arts Market – Saturday 5th December

I will be at Out of the Blue for their Arts Market this Saturday, from 11 am to 5 pm.

Out of the Blue Arts Market

Photo credit: Out of the Blue

This is a great market with lovely music, delicious food from the cafe and lots of lovely stalls.

I will also be running a little giveaway, so if you’re Leith way, pop in and say hello!

Edit: Experts have pointed out to me that this Saturday will in fact be the 5th of December, so I have updated this post in line with recent scientific developments.

 

Now is the Season

I think I’m starting to develop that slightly rictus grin of a person who has realised that they’re carrying one too many plates after insisting that ‘No, I’m fine, honestly!’

I’ve managed to schedule the first craft fair of the season on the same weekend as having folk over for Thanksgiving, so it’s been a little frantic around here.

I’ve got a stand at Dragon’s school Winter Festival, so it will be a relatively relaxed affair (I hope). He’s desperate to help (I think he really wants a name-tag), so we’ll see if I can maintain a calm and happy craft-fair-face while he assists.

Out of interest (and not in the least apropos of my parenting challenges), how often do you ‘water’ your Christmas cake? I think I might have overdone it last year, is once a week enough?

 

 

N+S Wedding Commission

I got just about the perfect email the other week.

N & S hand embroidered wedding hoop - Misericordia 2015

It was from a lady that had seen my work at Out of the Blue Arts Market in December and talked to me about her sister’s wedding. She wanted me to make a piece based on the wedding invitation, and was very organised in sending me some photos of the invitation to look at.

N & S hand embroidered wedding hoop - Misericordia 2015

It was nice to be able to work directly from something the couple had designed themselves, and being the font geek I am, I had to modify one of the fonts to match the rather unusual Western/Art Nouveau font used on the invitation (even though the really interesting letters don’t appear in the hoop text).

N & S hand embroidered wedding hoop - Misericordia 2015

I also got to use a new 20cm sized hoop, which is nice and big for pieces with a lot of detail or that need some space around different elements.

I want to start to tweak my craft fair stands to show more of the commissioning process. Given the other constraints on my time, I need to start to concentrate on that part of my work. Do you think I should recreate the mess on the table next to my side of the sofa?

Thread and Heather

One of my resolutions for this year was to get my work seen by more people in person.

to do

It may surprise you, but it seems that not everyone impulse purchases embroideries!

I was thrilled to learn that a new shop was opening near me, called Thread and Heather, selling handmade craft and supplies. I am particularly pleased that they’re stocking embroidery thread, because I hate trekking into town to get it and sometimes ordering online seems like an awful faff for just one skein.

Unfortunately, I missed the opening, but the photos of the shop look great, and I’m looking forward to stopping by this weekend.

If you’re too far away from Edinburgh to peruse in person, you can check them out on their website or on Facebook.

 

Happy 2015?

I don’t know about you, but I’m having a hard time getting 2015 started.

Our goal over the holidays was to keep things simple, and we largely succeeded, thanks to a series of virulent colds which left us alternately in bed or collapsed on the sofa watching films.

I did manage to make the most obscene chocolate log (I should have read the recipe more carefully before I started) which was almost entirely butter and chocolate combined in ways I never knew were possible.

The best bit was the meringue mushrooms, the worst bit was the feeling of malaise and the guilt of Western excess that hung over you after you’d finished your slice. (Yes, that’s a massive Christmas cake in the background.)

When I wasn’t eating cake, I made a piece for the curator of Thrive Archive’s Away Being, and she very kindly hung it in the exhibition.

There was an awful lot of overambitious satin stitch, which was quite stressful at the time, but I’m very happy with the way it came out.

We went to the opening  which had live music and lots of lovely responses to the themes of the exhibition.

I’ll be doing my best to maintain some sort of posting schedule over the next two months, but seeing as it’s taken me about two hours to write this piece (most of it spent staring vacantly at the spot where the Christmas tree used to be), I’m not making any grand promises. I hope you’ll forgive me if it slips a little.

In fact, in lieu of proper resolutions this year, I’m trying to make my goals a little less relentless. The last six months have been more of a slog than a challenge, so I’m trying to adjust my focus to allow for some gaps in the schedule. Wish me luck!

Craft Fair Crazy

Or – No Goats at Debenhams, a cautionary tale

This weekend  is chock full of craft fairs for me!

I’d love to see you there, it’s an especially good way to support Small Business Saturday (and I’m sure we can stretch it out to Sunday without too much trouble). Plus, Out of the Blue and Gorgie Farm are absolute treasures of Edinburgh.

I’m sure you’re all thoroughly convinced of the benefits of supporting locally run projects and businesses over endless chain shops, but if you need any more convincing, I guarantee that M&S will never run aerial dance classes in their food hall of an evening and no matter how much of a bargain you find at Debenhams, you will not be able to feed a goat on your way out (and I can tell you, it would make shopping with a small child much easier if there were more goats in shops).

So there’s my weekend all lined up, and I hope I can help you knock a few things off your list in the process.

Just a quick reminder that this weekend is the last date for taking commissions for postage within the UK, so please let me know if you’re wanting to bespeak something.

Festive Deadlines Fast Approaching

It’s a strange thing living on a crafting schedule…

For instance, my helpful notes (made many weeks ago as I badgered the bemused man at the Post Office for Christmas Posting Dates) tell me that next week, Saturday 29th November, is the last commission date for guaranteeing that personalised delights will wing their way to North America and (astonishingly) Europe in time to greet whatever gift-giving folk hero you love best.

Commission a Hoop from Misericordia

If you’re planning something, even if you don’t know what you want yet, please let me know so I can make sure I save stitching time for your order.

If you’re posting something a little closer to home, your dates to remember are:

  • Last commission date for UK postage or collection: Sunday, 7th December (I’ll be at Out of the Blue in Leith on the Saturday and Gorgie Farm on the Sunday if you want to order in person)
  • Last order date for UK postage: Friday, 19th December

If you’re in Edinburgh, I may just be willing to meet up for a top-secret handover of embroidered goods a little later than the 19th. False moustaches, pass phrases and furtive glances are a must!

Keep an eye out for some special offers coming up, I’ll be posting on my Facebook, Twitter and Instagram with details!

PS. New letter badges are now available!

Bangles and Brooches

Well, that came around quickly!

It’s time for another Morningside Makers Market on Saturday and I’m just finishing up a few pieces ready to go.

The thing I keep forgetting about making things with glue, rather than thread, is that they require a significant amount of time to dry and cure. Which explains why you’ll have to picture those lovely letters in their final homes, a little like these.

Hand embroidered letter pendant - Misericordia 2014wa detail

 

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