A Rainbow of Colors...

Pick a project, pick a stitch, pick a color...
machine embroidery and embellishment stitching...

 cotton quilting thread for a finishing touch...

silk ribbon for hand-stitched needlework...

Where to begin...

It's been a very long time since our last post here on the blog. So much has been going on at The Studio... lots to share with everyone!

The biggest & best news~~we are comfortably ensconced in our new private home-based studio in the heart of Vancouver! It took some time (not to mention fuel and hours spent with online searches) to find space that was suitable for both living quarters and work space.

Photo courtesy S. D. Jackson Photography

We have a wonderful amount of natural light coming from a beautiful picture window... I absolutely love the pink canopy of cherry blossoms lining the streets of the city... There would be room to sit in the window when the stitching bug hits, but it is already filled with chachkas & trinkets & family pictures... we most certainly need to add a couple of cozy chairs for tea time! 

Photo courtesy S. D. Jackson Photography

With the sewing & stitching room ready to go, the set up for the office is underway... not having a proper office for the last 3 months sure took it's toll on the stack of paper work! Catching up is a definite priority before any new projects... even if I'd rather have a needle & floss or a crochet hook keeping my hands busy...

In other news, you can now follow Carla's Victorian Heirlooms on Twitter and we are working on our company page on LinkedIn... and we're in the planning stages for our own web page as well... needless to say it will be a very busy Spring! 

In between all the moving and upheavals, I did finish hand-stitching the "Love Birds" counted cross stitch project... now to find "just the right frame"...

14-ct. Black Aida, DMC Floss, finished size 8" x 10"
Stitched by Carla Thompson, Creative Artisan

In the Feature Gallery: Trinket Bags

Photo courtesy S. D. Jackson Photography

Wow! it's been a busy few days again here in the studio... we've managed to get some decorating done and our miniature tree looks so pretty... the last bit of sewing is winding down for The Commons Christmas Craft Fair... only the hand-stitched embellishments left to do... then on to the dry run for merchandising the show table.

Photo courtesy S. D. Jackson Photography

Our last product for the upcoming market is a Trinket Bag. These bags are wonderful for holding smaller gifts that are so hard to wrap... perfect for those little stocking stuffers or for hanging on the tree...

 

...Limited edition for 2011~ the prints and fabrics we used are the left over pieces of fabric from the gift bags and bread bags 

...Eco-friendly ~ no need for wrapping paper

...Reuseable; sturdy; versatile

...Finished size is approximately 5" wide by 8" tall

      

Photo courtesy S. D. Jackson Photography

So that ends our showcase of some of the cloth gift bags available at Carla's Victorian Heirlooms for the 2011 Holiday Season... there are so many we possibly couldn't photograph them all! We hope you enjoyed the sneak peek... it certainly has been fun sharing with you!

Make sure the craft market is on your "to-do" list this coming Saturday December 3... all the information can be found under the "Craft Market" tab on the right. Stop by to say "hello" and mention you read our blog... we have a special "Thank You for reading" gift just for you...

Until next time... the countdown is now 25 shopping days left 'til we hang our stockings... keep safe, be happy.

Gift bags galore...

Photo courtesy S. D. Jackson Photography

Good evening to all. We are up to our elbows in cloth bags here in our Gabriola Island studio! These are the first round of gift bags, with another stack being prepped for stitching... and more bread bags and some trinket bags to follow... and our countdown days are at 8 to our opening market at The Commons Christmas Craft Fair...

In the Feature Showcase this evening: a versatile Gift Bag

...Choice of print or plain outer fabric (poly/cotton) 

...Lined with contrast fabric to compliment the outer fabric 

...Built-in handle for easy transport or for hanging on a stocking hook 

...Attached ribbon tie 

...Plain outer fabric also has a medallion embellishment hand-stitched to the front ...Trimmed with decor stitching along the handle

Photos courtesy S. D. Jackson Photography

...Finished size approximately 6¼” wide (12½” diameter) by 14½” tall ...Large enough to hold a bottle ...Smaller version measures approximately 10" tall 

...Either version makes a great bag to fill with jams & homemade preserves, bath salts, an assortment of candles, or anything else you may be able to think of to put in it 

...Environmentally & tree-friendly; reusable 

...A gift in itself!

What features do you look for in a cloth gift bag? Sturdiness? Uniqueness? Versatility? What features would you like to see in our gift bags? More colors? More print outer or plain outer with embellishments? Bags for other holidays and special occasions? Please feel free to leave your comments, suggestions or questions below... we are open to all feedback regarding our blog and our products. Join us on our Facebook page too! Or if you prefer a private communication, please email Carla's Victorian Heirlooms at the address on the sidebar (use the @ symbol in the address)... And we are accepting orders for Christmas and New Year's delivery. 

Until next time... one month today is Christmas Eve! who's left on your shopping list?... stay safe, be happy.

Feature Gallery: Cotton Bread Bags

First an update...

Good evening to all. It was a long day spent behind the desk to catch up on paper work again... finish one file and on to the next. Plans have changed for the weekend... no Vancouver trip to visit the Make It! show... no Parksville visit either. We are instead going to stick closer to home and visit a couple of the small local markets going right here on Gabriola Island... The Feedlot Studios is running a market Friday November 25 (5pm – 9pm) and Saturday November 26 (10am – 4pm)... As well, the 2nd Annual Gabriola Artisan Christmas Fair is taking place Saturday November 26 & Sunday November 27 at the Rollo Seniors’ Centre, 685 North Road.

That’s the news of the day from the studio... now on to our feature of today... 

cotton bread bags! 

Photo courtesy S. D. Jackson Photography

The bags are ...Reusable and environmentally friendly (no extra plastic in the landfills) ...Made right here in our studio, with 100% cotton fabric (toss them in with regular kitchen laundry instead of washing bulky plastic containers) ...Have a drawstring at the top for easy open and close (no more broken plastic clips or worn twist ties) ...Finished measurements are 8½” wide by 15½” long to fit a loaf of artisan bread nicely ...Add a unique touch to your kitchen decor ...Each bag is completed with a finishing "artisan's touch" of the hand-stitched embroidery “Bread” in a contrasting color to compliment the fabric ...Makes a great bag when you want to take that fresh bread to your next dinner invite!

Photo courtesy S. D. Jackson Photography

Up next in our Feature Gallery will be the small version of a gift bag with a built-in handle... until then...

stay safe, be happy.

Heirloom: a definition of

As defined in The Free Dictionary:

heir·loom n.

1. A valued possession passed down in a family through succeeding generations.

2. An article of personal property included in an inherited estate.

3. A cultivar of a vegetable or fruit that is open-pollinated and is not grown widely for commercial purposes. An heirloom often exhibits a distinctive characteristic such as superior flavor or unusual coloration.

Photo courtesy of S. D. Jackson Photography

Carla's Victorian Heirlooms creates household items and gift items and individually embellishes each one for a unique finishing touch. As a very young girl, Carla was taught to sew and embroider, working a threaded needle before she could print her full name. Some of the hand tools used in the creations at the studio are heirloom sewing and needlework tools passed down to the artisan from her great grandmother and her grandmother... the very same tools Carla used as a small girl.

Until next time... stay safe, be happy.

Studio update...

The last few days have seen us without power for a stretch of 27 hours. A freak wind storm blew through unexpectedly Friday afternoon, taking down trees and branches and a couple of power lines close to us. In all, it was reported that approximately 50,000 hydro customers lost power. Of course, with the power went the internet... out came the extra blankets and all the candles we could find. Stitching without decent light and heat was not option... the bit of paperwork that I worked on ended when I began to consider putting gloves on to continue... you know it's cold when...

Today is the weekly tea & stitch session in the city... the carousel horse will be finished and the first Victorian heirloom decoration for the booth display will be ready to go for our upcoming show in December... details are in the craft markets listing below... Watch for a picture of that ornament to be added to the gallery this week...

The next couple of weeks will be spent sewing and stitching for the Christmas market... with some business workshops in between... only 20 more sleeps to go until market day... and hard to believe it's only 45 days until Christmas morning! (sure can sneak up on a person when there is so much going on around the studio...)

Until next time... stay safe, be happy.

After some trials and tribulations...

After a couple weeks of waiting and some tribulations, as of late this afternoon, Carla's Victorian Heirlooms has a web page under construction. We have also obtained the domain for the .com address to make sure everyone can find us on the net. Plans are for the website to be up and running for late spring 2012, with a full-color online catalog of product and ordering information. We will keep you updated with the progress as it comes together... and we can always be found on Facebook

In the meantime, our talented photographer from S. D. Jackson Photography will be busy building a supply of product shots to fill the catalog with... including detail shots of the embroidery or beadwork or other hand-worked embellishment that make each and every item created in our studio unique.

Tomorrow is a production day in the studio to build inventory for the upcoming market in December... good thing we have a steady supply of green tea around here...

Until next time... stay safe, be happy.

Wonderful weekend...

Good evening to everyone...

Hope everyone had a fantastic weekend. Did anyone have snow over the weekend? It sure felt like it was going to drop some big, fat, wet flakes on us yet all we got were cold raindrops overnight and a bitterly cold wind that is out of the norm for this area. Felt like I was back on the Prairies in winter...

The Nanaimo Professional Craft Fair was a delight to attend. Many talented artisans and crafters filled the room with everything from soup mixes to welded nuts on metal sculpture with several choices of sweet treats for dessert... including melt-in-your-mouth shortbread! It was well worth the hour & a half spent wandering the aisles. Christmas 2012 will be our turn to be behind the table instead of wandering.

Next fair on the list for us is the Parksville Kris Kringle Craft Market that runs November 24th to 27th. This one has almost twice the vendors so I'm thinking it will take about twice as long to wander... As soon as we are finished in Parksville, it's down to Departure Bay ferry to cruise over to the Lower Mainland for Saturday's (November 26) visit of the Make It! Vancouver market...

Photo courtesy of S. D. Jackson Photography

 Now for the best news of the weekend's ventures... Carla's Victorian Heirlooms has secured a table for our first ever Christmas market! Yay!!! Stop by the Gabriola Commons' Christmas Craft Fair on December 3 between 10am and 4 pm and check out our growing selection of reusable bags... 

These particular bags are suitable for a bottle of wine (or other smaller gifts) and another bag will hold a yummy loaf of artisan bread. The bag collection is only the beginning of our household linens selection that will be available over the coming months...

Photo courtesy of S. D. Jackson Photography

The best part about all the bags we will be making here in the studio is they are reusable, time and time again. This line of gift bags is made with poly/cotton fabrics... we have a range of jewel-toned colors with contrast prints to choose from available year-round... each one can be ordered with a hand-embroidered monogram for a more personal touch... and they cut down on waste in the landfill sites...

Until tomorrow... stay warm, stay safe, be happy.

Updates from the Studio...

The last couple of days here in the studio have been full of internet wanderings and discussions about the upcoming Christmas craft market season. Today, the itineraries were planned and the budgets set for 3 markets for us to visit in November. (which, of course, means a couple of road trips *gosh, darn*)

The markets are in Nanaimo, Parksville, and Vancouver... the links to the web pages are below if you wish to check out some more information. It will be hard not to shop but it will still be fun to look. We're going for business-related purposes instead of as shoppers. The preparations for market season 2012 are underway with plans to participate as vendors in our first show as early as spring... very exciting! More on that subject down the road... back to the current upcoming markets...

First stop is Nanaimo Professional Craft Fair tomorrow (Saturday November 5). The show runs from 10am to 5 pm at Beban Park. An early ferry sailing and a short bus ride will get us there and home. A Serious Coffee stop in between is definitely in order. As always, my handsome roustabout will be accompanying me on the expedition. (Must remember to check the weather forecast too...)

Some new photos of our product gallery are on their way as well... keep checking back to see those and to see some of the hand-embroidered artistry created in the studio. We are also on Facebook with regular updates on the studio events and musings... we’d love to hear from you so feel free to stop by there and say hello or reply to a post... 

Until next time... have a great weekend... be safe, be happy

I learned something new today...

It is said we should make an attempt to learn something every day that we did not know yesterday. In my internet travels today, I found some interesting information that was unknown to me yesterday... I located a local chapter of an embroidery guild here in Nanaimo... the Island Stitchery Guild. They meet once a month from September to June.

The Guild is part of the Embroiderers' Association of Canada Inc. whose aim is "to preserve traditional techniques and promote new challenges in the Art of Embroidery through education and networking". The Association came into official existence in Winnipeg, MB, in 1974, and to date has almost 2500 members in Canada and other countries throughout the world, making up 46 chapters and 17 youth groups. Through membership, correspondence classes are available for various stitching techniques at all levels of knowledge. Certification may also be obtained upon completion of individual courses, ranging in length from 12 months for the beginners and 18 months for the intermediate and advanced stitchers. There is even a 5 day seminar coming up in May of 2012, in Victoria, BC, (just down Vancouver Island from us...) for members of the EAC~all about embroidery and stitching!

I am most certainly going to contact the Island Guild to find out more details about the Nanaimo chapter. Great Grandma S. and Grandma S. would both be so proud to know that I am choosing to carry on with the disciplined stitching they taught me as a little girl before I could even print my full name.

Until next time... keep your needle threaded... be safe, be happy.

Happy Hallow's Eve

photo courtesy of S. D. Jackson Photography

Good morning to all,

Hope everyone had a great weekend with all the parties and festivities. As today marks the end of October, tomorrow marks the official grand opening of Carla's Victorian Heirlooms. Long hours and hard work to get to this point, and it won't be slowing down anytime soon. It certainly has not been without its challenges but that has just made it a bit more interesting. Challenges help us to see if we are actually up to the task. They can also guide us down a different path to the same result; I like to think of it as "taking the scenic route". It may take a bit longer to get to where we intended, but we get there eventually with a bonus of seeing different sights along the way. So even though it took us almost 25 years to get here, it was definitely worth the detour of twists and turns along the way.

The weekend had its challenges as well. A new project went smoothly up until a point. The bags were cut with casing lines and buttonholes marked in no time. However, the transfer pencil took its sweet time transferring to the fabric. It eventually showed up after about 5 minutes under the hot iron and the motif is ready to be hand stitched today before I stitch the seams. Another challenge is the fabric has a pattern that is somewhat hiding the lines of the transfer... easily dealt with under good light. The 'scenic route' again.

Stitching time yesterday was fun. I met some ladies that also have a passion for needle and threads. I also had a quick lesson in lace making. I have heard of it but had never seen it done so now my curiosity is satisfied. The results are absolutely gorgeous to behold... an heirloom art for sure. I am still undecided as to whether I will attempt to learn the technique. It would definitely fit with the repertoire of the studio...something I will ponder. I actually didn't get much stitching done on the little project I took with me as we were too busy chattering about threads and patterns and the different cloths we use for our art... next week's sit & stitch will see the finish of the first piece in a set of Victorian Christmas ornaments in the works for the craft market booth display. 

Today will be a stitching day as we have sunshine and a break in the rainy weather... A day of work and then over to Twin Beaches tonight for some cocoa by the bonfire and watch the Halloween fireworks. To all the ghouls and goblins out there... safe trick or treating and have a Spooktacular Halloween!

Exciting news in the studio...

The internet is full of amazing resources for anyone's mind wanderings. Hours worth of information is absorbed with time flying past and making you wonder what you did all day.

From our wanderings these past few days, we are very excited to have been accepted to a network strictly for embroidery stitchers. The Hand Embroidery Network (or HEN) is a site that showcases talented thread work from beginner to advanced level, from traditional to contemporary, from all over the world. It is both an honor and a privilege to be included in such a gifted group of skilled artisans.

Wander over to the site by clicking on the membership badge below... See for yourself some of the amazing creations and beauty that are the result of a few threads and a plethora of stitches... an art form dating back to ancient times...

Cheers! to our new friends on HEN and to our old friends that have known us for many years... be safe, be happy.

Some time ago...

Good evening,

We are running a little behind today with posting to the blog as we have been working on finalizing the financial forecasts for the upcoming year~a tedious task but necessary none the less~the behind-the-scenes part of the business that is only a fraction of daily operations here in the studio.

As I was sorting through a box of keepsakes the other day, I came across an embroidery project that I completed for my junior high home economics class. Ahh, the memories that one can find in the long-forgotten corners of the mind...  this mini sampler showing some of my stitching talents for the teacher has been tucked away for so many years I had even forgotten about its existence.  

Until tomorrow... be safe, be happy.

a Work In Progress...