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    Stitching news

    Here are this month’s stitching in the news links and info CBC The CBC Wool’d Report was aired on CBC radio recently. Did you have a chance to listen? It was fascinating. Check out the recording here! And a link to the accompanying CBC article, ‘Young people are starting to knit and crochet for mental health’ here! Long Thread Podcast: Melanie Falick Season 6, Episode 7: The treasure in a handmade life isn’t just mastering skills and making goods, Melanie Falick says—it’s the power in creation, connection, and expression along the way. Have a listen here! Reflections of Ourselves “Reflections of Ourselves”, a collaborative art project celebrating the rich cultural…

  • Happy Winter

    Greetings, all and a very Happy Winter! It’s December 28 as I write this and I’ve finally grabbed a moment to return to my desk. This year has been a personally challenging one for me. Now, with the new year approaching and much rest, I find my creativity and desire to stitch is returning, slowly. I’m looking forward to new projects and a return to a past project that I had to put off to focus, at the time, on the family emergency at hand and then the long-term outcomes. Now that I have a moment to look ahead, I would like wish you all a wonderfully creative 2023! And…

  • October update

    Hey, all! Time for a quick October update! The Huron County Crafters for Caregivers Project The Huron County Crafters for Caregivers Project has almost reached the finish line! We are now down to 56 items needed to finish and hit our target of 924 hand-made gifts for the 924 long-term care workers employed in our local facilities. It took a lot of teamwork to get this done and so many kind-hearted crafting makers to volunteer their time and talent to create all the gifts that have been distributed to local homes and hospices. This process has been an inspiring one. So many wonderful individuals coming forward to help and support…

  • Rural Creatives Springboard Program

    Great news, everyone! Stitch Revival Studio has been accepted into the RURAL CREATIVES SPRINGBOARD PROGRAM, a new initiative by ARTSCAPE DANIELS LAUNCHPAD in Toronto and the CANADIAN CENTRE FOR RURAL CREATIVITY (CCRC) in Blyth, Ontario. The Rural Creatives Springboard, beginning January 17,  is a UNIQUE URBAN/RURAL collaboration between Artscape and the CCRC. The Springboard spotlights and supports diverse voices of creative entrepreneurship across Canada. The 3-month virtual program connects practicing artists, social entrepreneurs and other creatives from rurally/remotely situated places, and focuses on delivering a balance of technical training, creative mindset-building, with opportunities for networking, industry connections, co-creation, peer support and one-on-one mentorship. Other benefits include a 12-month membership to…

  • Herb Wheeler's Carpentry Shop

    New knitted mitts pattern in the works

    Greetings and a very happy holidays to all! This past year has been one of change, challenges and uncertainties, for myself and I’m sure for many of you too. I regret that some projects I had meant to complete in 2021, thanks to the challenges both of COVID-19 restrictions and personal health issues, have had to be put on hold or indefinitely postponed. I’m sure many of you can identify with this situation. I am looking forward to 2022 with a positive feeling of hope. I wanted to drop a line and reconnect to let you know there’s one project I’ve been able to push through the challenges of 2021……

  • Dress of Many Patterns – lace pattern #1

    I thought it was time to write an update on the Dress of Many Patterns and share my own lace sampler swatch in progress. The pattern comes from PieceWork and is a recreation of a piece in a knitted lace sampler book featured in the magazine in 2016. The first row of the eight-row repeat staggers the diagonal of eyelets formed; the pattern is worked in multiples of five stitches and an eight-row repeat. The stitch count remains the same – five stitches per repeat – for each repeat of the pattern throughout. If you’re interesting in trying it yourself, the pattern is below. Gauge: one 5-st repeat and 8…

  • Knitting History Forum AGM and Conference 2020

    Exciting news for those into knitting history! The Knitting History Forum has decided to stage their AGM and Conference as an online event on Sat., Nov. 7, 2020. This event will be free to attend and open to all, following registration, and will comprise speakers, discussion groups/show and tell and opportunities for research students to give short presentations or present posters online of their current work-in-progress. For more info please see: http://knittinghistory.co.uk/  The Knitting History Forum is an international society, open to anyone with an interest in the history of knitting and crochet. Their website has more info on the latest in knitting history news and forthcoming events, and as well…

  • A dress of many patterns

    Hi, everyone! Today on the blog it’s all about the wedding dress recreation project: a dress of many patterns. Last month, I shared the idea of recreating a vintage wedding dress from the collection of the Huron County Museum & Historic Gaol. The plan is to recreate the basic pattern of the dress using swatches of recreated needlework items. So, it’s a reproduction on two levels. The needlework techniques used in the swatches will depend on the skills of the volunteers that take part. If there are tatting experts, for example, tatting reproduction swatches could be worked up and incorporated into the dress. The backstory to this idea is here…

  • Stitchers invited!

    Hey, fellow stitchers, Would you like to create a wedding dress using stitched swatches of vintage textile items? In 2019, the Huron County Museum & Historic Gaol is planning a clothing textile exhibit! Creating a wedding dress using stitched recreations based on museum textile collection items would be a great way to join in the celebration. Whether you knit, crochet, sew, quilt or embroider, I welcome you to consider participating. The sample you would stitch would be your choice depending on what your interests and preferred needlework technique. Please let me know if you would be interested in participating either by emailing me or signing up for the Stitch Revival…