Fibrefest Finds

Last weekend a gang of us packed into cars and headed off to Almonte's 19th annual Fibrefest to see what we could see. I had gone for the first time a year ago and enjoyed it, but thought that this year it was even better. Of course a few bags of goodies were to be had...

I had a very pleasant surprise just after we entered the show - Mad About Patchwork had a booth again. They weren't posted as a vendor on the show's website so I wasn't expecting to see them, so this made my day. I picked up this lovely collection of fat quarters...

And this bundle from Up Parasol. I don't normally buy collections but I couldn't resist the turquoise print that was sitting on top, so these 9 fat quarters came home too.

BTW, they recently moved to a new, larger loft space and are offering a giveaway to celebrate - you might want to check it out.

I found a great tool for tightening the wing nut on my quilting frame. The one that came with the frame is horizontal and a little awkward at times, but if you look closely you will see that this one has a slot in the far end so that you can use it much like a screwdriver. Ingenious.

And I picked up a hook for wool rug hooking hoping that it will provide the incentive to haul out a cushion project that I started years ago (does that sound familiar?) and is languishing in a bag in my sewing room. The soft foam handle really appealed to me and the gal that I bought it from waxed poetically about it, so we'll see if it can work its magic on me too.


I'm excited about my last find too - lavender scented crushed walnut shells for filling pincushions. I've heard about this on various blogs but had never seen it to buy - apparently its is great for keeping your needles sharp; the fact that it's lavender scented is a bonus.

Again there was an fabulous textile exhibit at the Mississippi Valley Textile Museum - Japanese influenced pieces by Reiko Sudo hung in the gallery on the ground floor. It runs to November 22 so you still have time if you want to see it. A stop at the farmers' market, a delicious lunch at the Palm bistro, and a tour through General, an inspirational downtown gallery, were more than enough to offset the rains that persisted all day....M