The Tin Thimble

I never introduced you!

2011-12-15T12:36:00.000-08:00

to the new creature in the shop....

Isn't she fantastical?

The Halls are Decked

2011-12-04T17:21:00.001-08:00

Lindsay and I decorated the house today! Tree from the Plumas National Forest - thank you family for cutting it for us! Hand spun trim w/tinsel. Made a garland: Juniper, Redwood, Toyon & Magnolia. Handmade stockings. Handmade village church from mom. Banner from Moda Home and a Dala Horse. It's going to be a good Christmas this year. Now the four of us are basking in the glow of the Christmas tree drinking hot apple cider. Joy.

Spinning out of Control

2011-11-29T21:33:00.001-08:00

Hello T3 readers! It's Hannah writing to you today. I've missed you all so! I'll be returning to the Thimble here in a few short weeks for winter vacation and am quite excited to see you all. Come on in and say hi to me!
(Most of) the family and I spent our Thanksgiving at our Cabin in Downieville. It's so quiet and cold and peaceful, and it's a wonderful place to take some time and learn something new. Mom and Lisa brought the spinning wheel for me and taught me how to spin! I'm so excited! Most of you know that I love to sew, and I've been experimenting with some paper crafts and a little embroidery lately, but I felt like it was time to branch out and learn something new. And now, I'm hooked on spinning.

Attempt #1. White Corriedale plied with brown Corriedale...I think (remember, I'm new to this).

Bobbins, Blue Face Leichester, and I spun that blue/purple/green yarn as well!

An action shot!! Remember, the Thimble teaches spinning lessons occasionally. Visit the lessons page to see scheduled dates, or give us a call!

Goals

2011-11-22T13:30:00.000-08:00

Over our Thanksgiving holiday I have two work related goals. To repurpose our ever expanding collection of vintage linens into Christmas stockings, tree skirts, totes, etc and to sew myself some new clothing which will also be test sewing for our upcoming beginning garment construction classes. Here is the start of the linen extravaganza:

I am extremely pleased with that first stocking. What do you think?

Delivery!

2011-11-04T15:28:00.000-07:00

We are very excited to now have Lotta Jansdotter's new fabric collection - Echo!!

A Renewal of Vows

2011-10-11T14:03:00.000-07:00

Mom and Dad renewed their vows up on a lookout point backed by the Sierra Buttes this past Saturday. It was a snowy, rocky adventure getting to and from the point but the point itself was absolutely gorgeous and there couldn't be a more perfect place to celebrate their life together. I don't yet have the photos from the photographer but I thought I would share a few of the photos that I took.

In classic Mansfield-Family tradition mom's dress is handmade only mom took it a step further and even made the fabric! It's almost entirely nuno felted with silk/cotton voile and white merino wool. Family heirloom laces and trims were felted right in.

Jill made mom's jewelry, Lisa kept us all very well fed and Ben played the guitar and Daniel, in the High Hand Flower Market, did the flowers. It was a lovely day with lovely people - I can't wait to share the professional photos with you!

Yay for walls!

2011-10-05T11:16:00.000-07:00

Dad and his crew came in last week and whipped out some more walls for our little shop. They will hopefully help in keeping the heat in the shop this winter plus they gave us SO much more room to hang our fiber art pieces. A BIG thank you to Scott of High Hand for doing this for us. We're one step closer to having a ceiling and being climate controlled - woo hoo! :-)

Introducing Marilou Moschetti

2011-09-24T11:53:00.000-07:00

We are thrilled to announce that Marilou Moschetti will be joining us at the Thimble to teach a 3-day workshop November 4-6. She will be teaching a technique that we have never had taught at the Thimble - Nuno Felting with Prefelted Batts! Her work is gorgeous and we can't wait to soak up some of her 16 years of experience with felting and training from some of the innovators of Nuno Felting!

Class Details:

Nuno Felting a Vest or Fabric with Marilou Moschetti - Friday, November 4 6:30pm-9:00pm, Saturday & Sunday, November 5 & 6 9:00-5:00.

A materials list will be available upon registration.

Pre-requisite: 8-10 hours nuno felting experience.

Instructor: Marilou Moschetti

Class Fee: $250

Embedding Stones

2011-08-27T14:59:00.000-07:00

Last Tuesday was our Technique class for embedding stone during wet felting. One of my students makes glass beads and she brought her "seconds" (I thought they we GORGEOUS!) and she imbedded those instead of the boring half-marble-fish-tank-marbles we were using.

Another student embedded these - don't they look like a kind of under-the-sea fried egg? I LOVE them!

And these are the two that I played with during class.

So much fun! Hope you can join us for the next Technique Tuesday class! We will be working with Silk Hankies this coming Tuesday.

The Cake.

2011-08-23T13:29:00.000-07:00

I posted a picture of the cake that I made for my birthday last Thursday on Facebook and I had so many requests for the recipe that I figured I'd share it here. Mom and Lisa gave me the day off from work so I got to stay home and cook and bake a birthday feast for a few of my friends - which was EXACTLY what I wanted to do! I'm in heaven in the kitchen and I LOVE to feed people so it was an absolutely lovely day. So, here's the cake:

The cake is a super yummy gluten-free, chocolate cake. And I mean the kind of yummy that if I didn't tell you it was gluten-free you probably wouldn't know. The recipe for the cake is from Silvana Nardone's cookbook, "Cooking for Isaiah". My husband has health issues that have completely changed the way we eat and we're almost completely a wheat-free, soy-free, cow's milk-free household now and Silvana's cookbook has CHANGED OUR LIVES! If you eat wheat and diary-free this is the cookbook you want for normal, wonderful tasting food that you can actually eat! Okay, back to the cake - it's a two layer cake with a layer of chocolate frosting in the middle (also from Silvana's cookbook), but you could just as easily put the white frosting in between the layers. And, here is the frosting recipe:

Whipped Cream, Mascarpone Frosting:

1 half-pint of whipping cream

1 8oz container of mascarpone

Powdered sugar

Vanilla extract

I poured the whipping cream and mascarpone into the bowl of my stand mixer and whipped at medium speed until it started to thicken. Then, with the mixer at a lower speed, I added the vanilla (about 1 tsp) and powdered sugar (about 1-1/2 cups) until I was happy with the taste. I continued to whip until it was a frosting consistence (it didn't take very long).

Frost the cake, add strawberries and enjoy!!

Summer Preserving.

2011-08-19T11:13:00.000-07:00

Lisa, Hannah and I had SO much fun last weekend canning! It was a first time for both Lisa and I so there was a lot of "Does that look right?" "Do you think that's covered enough?" "Does that look full enough?" If you had been a fly on the wall you would have been giggling at us.

And, of course, we didn't have all of the necessary tools so I had to jerry-rig our rings together to protect the glass from the bottom of the pan.

Lisa was very excited to use her Weck canning jars that she ordered from Heath because of the newest issue of Bon Apptite.

Lisa pickled asparagus.

I made Strawberry Jam.

Pickling Spices.

Summer Colors

2011-08-17T10:03:00.000-07:00

Chris and I went to the farmers market on Saturday! I love farmers markets! I got to pet an emu, talk to a rancher about his Blue Face Leicester Sheep and their wool (I left with a few ounces of roving - I'll let you know how it goes), buy coffee and leave with a HEAP of fresh fruit (mmmmm! Peaches!). I even got a bouquet of flowers. The garden on mom and dad's property is in full swing - pumpkins, basil, tomatoes, zucchini, corn. Hannah's been canning and Lisa and I got to join in the other day on the canning experience (I'll share in another post) and I can't wait to do more. Hope you're all enjoying the summer harvest!

Technique Tuesday: Multi-Layer Flowers

2011-08-16T12:39:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful, little class last Tuesday making lovely little multiple layer felted flowers. Every single one turned out just gorgeous and the girls went home inspired to make more! In today's Technique Tuesday class we're going to be embedding stones into our wet felting - I'll share photos next week!

Fashion through the 20th Century

2011-08-10T15:05:00.000-07:00

Part of our Fashion Week last month was a display of our collection of garments from the 20th Century. It was so much fun to get the collection out and make our choices (*
0960***99995*9999999999999999999*-rtttttttttttttttttttt5899999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999----
32000000000000020033333333333333333333333333333333) That lovely collection of typing was a little gift from Button to you. ;-)

Anyway, our fashion collection. Here is what we put on display:

A lovely 1930's gown that I actually got from our wonderful knitting/crochet instructor, Dana Petersen.

A gorgeous 1940's gown that I've had the privilege of being able to wear to a few formal swing dancing events.

This darling dress was our mother's in the 1960's. Can't you just see her in it with her bouffant?

This one most of our T3 regulars should be familiar with. This was my Great-Grandmother Lorraine's. She wore this down in the Long Beach area during the 1950's.

An awesome 60s/70s bathing suit.

Another great 1930's dress.

And an awesome 1970s i.magnin polyester dress.

Button is getting so big!

2011-08-03T09:50:00.000-07:00

Get the cursor. Get the cursor. Get the cursor.

I love this keyboard.

One of these things is not like the others.

Button hiding!

Ummm.... Could you help me out please? She proceeded to take a nap in there until she finally got herself out about an hour later.

She really likes my purse.

Just one of the many things piled on my desk.

So lady-like.

Getting Ready

2011-07-15T14:48:00.000-07:00

We've been preparing all week for our Second Annual Handmade Summer Wardrobe Fashion Show this Sunday and Hannah and I realized that we never blogged about last year's show. So, I thought I would share some photos. You can see the entire photo album here.

The 2010 show was such a success and we're SO looking forward to this years show! Hope to see you there! If you are planning on joining us please RSVP at 916-652-2134 so we can make sure to have enough chairs!

Christmas in July

2011-07-14T15:43:00.000-07:00

We got a very exciting box today! This is the Isabelle Christmas Collection from Anna Griffin. It's 100% lovely, soft cotton and 44/45" wide.

I have a hard time, as a retailer, thinking about Christmas in April (which is when we ordered this) and now that it's July (and the fabric has arrived) I'm still having a hard time thinking about Christmas but this fabric is SO CUTE I must admit that I have had visions of Christmas Stockings and Pendant Garlands......

Meet Button

2011-06-30T14:19:00.000-07:00

We have a new addition to the shop we'd like you to meet.

This is Button. She's our brand new mouse-killer (in training).

Emma put an announcement on Facebook saying we needed a shop kitty, and low and behold, Button arrived. All of us girls here are cooing and talking in baby voices and being ridiculous. She's so adorable though, can you blame us??

She's been sleeping in all the nooks and crannies behind our counter and she's currently watching the computer screen as I type, about to pounce on the cursor! Come on in and say hi to Button and the rest of us!

Auburn Art Walk

2011-06-21T11:18:00.000-07:00

Lois at The Chocolate Shoppe in Downtown Auburn invited mom to be her guest artist for this month's Auburn Art Walk. It was a great success and mom was able to share her work with so many new people. If you'd like to go take a look, her work is still up!

The Most Fashionable Week of the Year

2011-06-17T12:05:00.000-07:00

Hey T3 Fans! I hope everyone is having a beautiful summer so far. We have some very exciting things to announce. We have officially set dates for Fashion Week and the Fashion Show!

There will be all sorts of fun events happening and a big sale on all patterns and bolted fabric! We are looking for people to show off their handmade garments in the fashion show, so if you're interested in participating, please let us know! Check out the website for all the details and as always, feel free to give us a call or come on in if you have any questions.

Carin's Advanced Nuno Class!!

2011-06-03T10:55:00.000-07:00

We are very excited to have Carin Engen coming to teach an Advanced Nuno Felting class! Here are some photos she emailed over to me as examples:

Carin calls this one Lola. :-)

Here are the details:

Advanced Nuno Felting - Saturday, August 6 & Sunday, August 7 10:30-5:00

If you have taken a Nuno felting class from Carin or Sharon and want to learn more, here is your chance. Some of the things that will be covered are: How to use cotton and other fabrics, printed fabrics too; How to finish the ripped edge if they bug you like they bug me; Other fibers and how they work, such as soy silk, bamboo, tensel, mohair, alpaca and angora; Designs on both sides of the scarf; Add a ruffle not only along the edge; Fringes of all sorts; 3d designs using a resist; Making strategic holes. A materials list will be available upon registration.

Pre-requisite: 8-10 hours nuno felting experience.

Instructor: Carin Engen
Class Fee: $175

Buttons, Buttons, Buttons!

2011-06-01T10:46:00.000-07:00

Summer Stuff

2011-05-30T20:41:00.000-07:00

He T3 fans! It's Hannah writing to you today. I've returned home for the summer and am working at The Tin Thimble. I am so excited about everything that's coming up. We're hosting our first ever Fashion Week (July 12th-17th for those of you who are local and want to come check it out), and our 2nd annual fashion show will be held Sunday, July 17th. More details coming soon. I am so lucky that I love my job and I wake up before work ready and excited to go. I've planned Home Ec classes for June and July and am really looking forward to teaching them. In June the students will be making a pillowcase, tote bag, wallet and an adorable party garland.

In July, they'll be learning how to make coasters, an apron, appliqued hand towels and a kitchen rug. It's SO nice to be back at work and feeling useful again, haha. Come in and check out the shop! We just got a TON of vintage fabrics out on the shelves, the class schedule is full and summer projects are calling.

Day 1 with Nicola

2011-05-14T15:24:00.000-07:00

Nicola's "Felted Accessories" class yesterday was a great success! Four girls decided to make felted purses and Lisa decided to make a wet felted scarf with buttons and beads felted right in. All are coming along beautifully! I also got to create yesterday - a nuno felted weskit - more to come on that process. And mom made nuno felted curtains for the classroom - more to come on that as well. Until later!

And the felting craziness has begun!

2011-05-11T15:27:00.000-07:00

Nicola Brown of Clasheen Ireland arrived yesterday and she and mom are already in the workshop felting away! Nicola is working on a Butterfly Shawl and Mom is making a jacket inspired by one that Nicola brought with her for the trip.

Nicola & Mom

Nicola wearing Lisa's Butterfly Scarf

The jacket that inspired mom's project.

Lisa's Butterfly Scarf.

What mom did with her Butterfly Shawl.

2011-04-30T14:28:00.000-07:00

So, I could see that twinkle in mom's eye for a few days now that she still wasn't happy with the butterfly shawl that she made in Susan Dixon's class last week. But when she popped into the shop yesterday, I could tell she had finally figured it all out:

If you haven't seen what it was before you can see posts here, here and here. Isn't the transformation fantastic!?!

Nicola Brown of Clasheen Returning!

2011-04-26T15:58:00.000-07:00

We are THRILLED to announce that Nicola Brown is returning to The Tin Thimble to teach three fabulous days of felting! She was going to be teaching at our retreat this year but sadly we did not have enough of a response to have the retreat so Nicola is going to be 'in shop' instead. Here is the schedule:

Felted Accessories - Friday, May 13 10:30-5:00

Diana Westin just sent me this photo today so I thought I'd share. These are a lovely example of felted flowers that you could make in this class along with a whole lot of other things!

Fun and funky or subtle and sophisticated, let your imagination run wild when designing and creating gorgeous felted accessories to adorn the body!

During this one day workshop participants will experiment incorporating glass nuggets, stones, fabric, leather, beads, buttons and found objects with wool creating unique wearable accessories. Each person will felt a collection of pieces which may include a combination of rings, bracelets, necklaces, brooches, scarbes, simple belts, small purses (or one large one), neckwraps, sleeveless mittens, flowers or whatever else takes their fancy.

Nicola will bring a selection of unusual fabrics with her from Ireland including metallic meshes and sequin or glitter studded polyester in addition to some of the 'mohair waste' fiber which she is currently experimenting with in her work. Participants will be free to use these as accent materials but are also encouraged to bring alongany old bits and bobs they like from their stash, incorporating these into the felt lead to truly personal one off pieces of wearable art. A materials list will be available upon registration.

Instructor: Nicola Brown
Class Fee: $150

Special 2-Day Nuno Mosaic Workshop - Saturday, May 14 & Sunday, May 15 10:30-5:00

Discover the possibilities of creating your own wonderful multi hued and textured fabric using the mosaic nuno technique. Working over two days participants will have the time and opportunity to plan, design and felt either a beautiful piece of wearable art or else a stunning decorative or functional textile for the home. Suggestions for wearable projects include a large ruffled wrap, mini skirt, folded oragami style top or complex panel perfect for inclusion in any one off piece of clothing, ideas for interior design include a beautiful wall hanging or an unusual and stylish table runner. A materials list will be available upon registration.

Instructor: Nicola Brown
Class Fee: $250

Completed Butterfly

2011-04-22T16:19:00.000-07:00

Well folks, here they are in all their glory!!

Butterfly - Day 2

2011-04-21T14:13:00.000-07:00

Here are progress pictures of the Butterfly Shawls:

In the three photos below they're stretching little silk hankies into about 3 foot squares!! An absolutely amazing process! You can see the web effect that it has in the photo above.

Mom's Nuno Mosaic Shawl

2011-04-20T16:20:00.000-07:00

We're finalizing our class schedule with Nicola and in the process I realized that I never posted pictures of the Nuno Mosaic Shawl that mom made in Nicola's last class. Isn't it lovely?? I'll be announcing Nicola's May schedule tomorrow along with the final Butterfly projects that the girls are finishing up as I type!

Spring Linens Sale - Quick Announcement

2011-04-19T16:53:00.000-07:00

Butterfly Effect

2011-04-19T15:15:00.000-07:00

Susan Dixon is here this week teaching us how to nuno felt with a butterfly wing effect. Absolutely. Gorgeous! Check it out:

I'll post the finished projects soon!

Celebration and Sadness.

2011-04-07T13:59:00.000-07:00

Last year we decided that the best way to celebrate 3 years of being in business was to host a student art show and it was a wonderful success! So, this year we hosted our Second Annual Student Art Show to celebrate 4 years of being in business! How has 4 years passed already?? The Friday night reception was just lovely, Lisa's food was fantastic and the ART WAS FABULOUS!! Thank you so much to everyone who participated!

The sad news of the reception was that Uncle George passed away that night. Many of you have heard us mention George, mom's uncle, who mom and dad have been taking care of for the last three years. He was a boat-building, nature-loving, history-buff, optometrist who was a wonderful uncle to all of us and he will be missed. Mixed with the sadness though is a wonderful joy that he is now with his beloved wife, Charlotte and his family. We love you Uncle George - may you rest in peace.

Here's a little overview of the Art Show Reception:

Jenine's Gorgeous Nuno Felted Journal Cover!

2011-03-29T12:34:00.000-07:00

Jenine brought this gorgeous journal cover to us and we're so excited to have her teach this new technique!! It is nuno felted but in an entirely different way from what we have ever practiced or taught and we're thrilled for our students to start learning! She has been a wealth of information for us and has introduced us to artists such as Jean Gauger and Marilou Moschetti. We can't wait to have you in the classroom Jenine!!

Mom's Arizona Highway Wet Felted Wall Hanging

2011-03-26T15:15:00.000-07:00

I just love it when she takes something like this:

and turns in into something like this:

:-)

Fourth Anniversary and Student Art Show Celebration!

2011-03-23T14:09:00.000-07:00

CALL FOR ARTISTS

In celebration of our Four Year Anniversary we are excited to announce that we will be hosting our second annual Student Art Show! Anyone who has taken a class here at The Tin Thimble is welcome to enter a maximum of three pieces as long as at least two of the pieces were created using a technique that you learned here at the shop (we may not be able to put all 3 in the show though, depending on space).

Please drop off your entries on March 29th or 30th from 10:00-5:00
Please provide a photograph of yourself and a paragraph about your creative self and your experience at The Tin Thimble.
If you have any display pieces that we could use for the show please bring them when you drop off your art pieces.
Please contact us as soon as possible and let us know what and how many pieces you will be dropping off.
A release waiver will have to be signed when you pieces are dropped off.
Pieces will have to be picked up on Tuesday, April 5th, 10:00-5:00.

Summer Fashion Show

2011-03-21T18:53:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! It's Hannah writing to you from Arcata today. Remember last summers Handmade Fashion Show? Well, it's happening again! I am so thrilled, I've all ready completed 3 pieces and am working on a fourth. Check in for more updates on me and mom's pieces!

This dress is made with an Anna Maria Horner Voile and a vintage 1950's slip pattern.

It's fully lined with a natural muslin and has the best side zipper I've ever done! I love that the skirt has some volume and I can't wait to wear it when the weather warms up.

This little shirt may look familiar to some of you. I've previously made it with another Anna Maria Horner voile. Easy to make, easy to wear, easy to love!

This is my favorite piece so far. It was made with vintage 1940's fabric and a 1970's pattern. It's girlie and I feel super confident when wearing it. That's the best!

Exposed back zip.

Renegade Run Shop Hop

2011-03-11T13:35:00.000-08:00

We're joining the renegades again this year! April 13-17 we will be part of a loop of quilt/craft stores offering a 20% discount for all regularly priced fabric on bolts along with a raffle at each store. The participating shops are:

Sewing Cottage in Jackson

JR Flamingo in Sacramento

Shared Stitches in Cameron Park

Runs with Scissors in Citrus Heights

High Sierra Quilters in Cameron Park

We have flyers at the shop with each stores details (hours, locations, directions, etc) along with a map and driving distance chart. We hope to see you out on the RENEGADE RUN!

Beautiful Linens

2011-03-10T12:26:00.000-08:00

I have been going through our massive amount of linens getting some of them ready to post up onto our Etsy shop. I don't know how I do it, but I forget HOW GORGEOUS these old linens are and then every time I go through them I fall in love all over again! The time and love that went into making them and then caring for them - I want to pour myself into something like that!

I always hate to see them go...... Do you hoard beautiful, old linens?

Lisa's Cuffs and Collars

2011-03-09T14:23:00.000-08:00

Lisa will be teaching the Nuno Felted Cuffs and Collars class at the Felt Fest and she brought in her examples for us today! She was in last week working on them:

And then they turned into THIS!

and then she made these too!

Lovely, Lisa!

Feathery Shawl

2011-02-24T15:00:00.000-08:00

High Hand had their Wings, Wine and Art event last weekend benefitting Gold Country Wildlife Rescue and this is the shawl that mom made for the auction:

It is light and airy and the feathers really look just like feathers! She made this on the new silk gauze that we're carrying in the shop and we absolutely LOVE it!

Sandwiches

2011-02-23T12:14:00.000-08:00

We were introduced to the wonderful process of sandwiching fibers by Melissa Arnold and mom is thrilled to be able to teach her version of the technique at Felt Fest! This is the example that she made for the upcoming class:

This is a close-up of the one that she made in Melissa's class:

I can't find a photo of the one that I made so I'll have to take care of that and post it up later. I'm really excited to use this technique to make some fabric to use for pillows and some upholstery. Exciting stuff!!

Happenings of the Day

2011-02-16T15:19:00.000-08:00

Mom felted another beautiful scarf using one of her new hand dyed silk chiffon scarves that she's been doing. I really like the way that it ruched, don't you?

As many of you know, the heating here in the shop has been in a pretty constant state of evolution this year. Here's the newest addition that dad just hung today. Keep your fingers crossed that:

a. It works. (It's a used unit that we haven't been able to check yet)

and

b. It keeps us warmer!!

And, mom is working on one of the examples for her "sandwiching fibers" class that she's teaching at the Felt Fest this year. I'll post the finished product hopefully tomorrow.

New Items from Linda Waddle!

2011-02-15T14:50:00.000-08:00

Linda came in and added some wonderful things to our store the other day! Some fantastic wool applique, screen printed wool and hand painted velveteen - Pillows and Table Runners. Aren't they just lovely?

Felt Fest 2011

2011-02-12T16:39:00.000-08:00

We are thrilled to announce our very first Felt Fest! We have 8 fabulous artists coming to teach a huge array of felting techniques and projects. I just finished uploading the details to the website (where you can also download the registration packet) and there are still a few more details to work out that I'll be announcing soon. Friday and Saturday, March 18 & 19, are going to be solid days of classes and then Sunday, March 20 is going to be "Open Felting" meaning you can reserve a table, bring your supplies and felt away while surrounded by a room full of other felters. We expect it to be a very inspiring weekend. Online registration is not available but you can give us call at 916-652-2134 or visit us in the shop and we can get you all set up. Please don't hesitate to call or email me if you have any questions.

Downieville Mother's Day Fiber Retreat

2011-02-11T09:49:00.000-08:00

We are very excited to announce the dates for our 2011 Downieville Mother's Day Fiber Retreat!

May 13-15 (or 16th)

Downieville, CA

Downieville is a fantastic, little, mountain town on the confluence of the Yuba and Downie Rivers with everything within walking distance. Our family cabin will be where we eat our meals and indulge in all of the fiber goodness. Lisa Classon, Sharon's daughter & gourmet chef extraordinaire, will be cooking for us all weekend. Our guests will either be staying with us in the cabin or in a lodge just across the way depending on how many people show interest in the retreat.

Joining us this year as instructors are Nicola Brown, Carin Engen and Sharon Mansfield.

Photos of previous retreats are here and here.

You can get a bunch of details here and feel free to email me and I'll email you back the packet with the introductory letter and registration form.

We are SO excited to host this retreat again. Every year it is such an amazing group of women and there is so much creativity and good food and laughter - how could you go wrong?

Voile! Voile! We love Voile!

2011-02-10T12:56:00.000-08:00

Anna Maria Horner's Innocent Crush Voiles arrived today!! Aren't they gorgeous? Plus, they feel like butter. Mmmmmmm.

Check out what Hannah has made with some of Anna's other voiles here and here. She tells me that they're fabulous to work with and feel even better on!

If only it could tell us stories...

2011-02-09T13:02:00.000-08:00

A customer brought this into us for some repairs. Isn't it lovely?? It was made in 1929 as a 21st birthday gift.

It says "To Lizabel. May 3rd, 1929. From Grace and Mother."

The two photos above show what we repaired. Can YOU find them? We keep losing them. :-)

Claire did all of the repairs. Her handwork is always gorgeous. We always feel so privileged to be involved with someone's treasured family heirloom. Thank you Daniel for sharing and thank you Claire for doing such lovely, caring work.

Nuno Felting & Dyeing with Carin Engen

2011-02-08T11:59:00.000-08:00

I was lucky enough to participate in Auntie Carin's felting & dyeing class last weekend! It was a wonderful 3 days and we all left with some gorgeous things. Here's what I did in class:

If you'd like to see these up close feel free to stop by the shop and we can share them with you. We're also excited that Carin should be coming back soon to teach the same exact class. I'll let you know what the dates are as soon as I confirm! And....... Carin just started up her very own blog - go check it out!

This = That

2011-02-05T12:09:00.000-08:00

This:

That:

Fabric Books

2011-02-04T14:03:00.001-08:00

We had exciting packages in the mail yesterday! Hannah and her fabulous little business, Palindrome Dry Goods, sewed up our Little Golden Book panel fabric to create a soft and lovable Poky Little Puppy Book:

The next package was a Fabric Beatrix Potter Alphabet Book:

So, if you love these as much as we do we have all of the panels on bolts along with some other DARLING Little Golden Book prints. You can see some of them here on our etsy page.

Nuno Felting and Dyeing with Melissa Arnold

2011-02-03T14:21:00.000-08:00

We had the absolute pleasure of having Melissa Arnold come and teach a three day workshop on her nuno felting and dyeing techniques. Mom was thrilled to be able to take the class and here are the things that she made in class:

Everyone's work from the class was absolutely. Gorgeous. We are so excited to bring Melissa back. If you'd like to see mom's pieces up close and personal feel free to come by the shop and ask to see them! Happy February!

Finally!

2011-02-02T17:23:00.000-08:00

We were finally able to get a new camera after ours was stolen from the shop quite a while ago!! Yay! I had to take some pictures of all of the LOVELY colors around the shop.

So, what this means is that you're going to see a whole lot more blogging around these parts now that we have a way to share some photos with you! And, I think I'm going to be introducing you to a new blog contributor soon. Stay tuned....

New Year, New Walls!

2011-01-04T12:24:00.000-08:00

Hi Everybody! It's Hannah writing to you today. I've returned home for a few weeks during winter vacation, and it's so nice to be back! I came home to lots of exciting things, including christmas, birthday parties, and...the Thimble's new storefront!!

Over our Holiday break my Mom, Dad, and the rest of the family were busy building our vintage looking facade. We can proudly say that we bought pre-used windows, doors and rejected siding.

Mom, Claire and I were most excited about being able to create window displays!! We could finally show off Mom's beautiful quilt the way it deserves to be displayed. I was thrilled to be able to display some of the gorgeous Amy Butler fabrics.

It looks like a whole new shop! The facade keeps the warmth in, looks bright and inviting from the front and gives us opportunities to display some of our most special items. Come by, take a look and tell us what you think!

Pumpkin

2010-10-19T20:30:00.000-07:00

Shipped this lovely little felted pumpkin off to Redondo Beach today. Mom's going to have to felt another one, 'cause this one is going to be missed.

In other news, Hannah just put together a new blog for her little business, "Palindrome Dry Goods". Check out her blog and friend her on Facebook. We're missing her like mad, but know that she's enjoying her time up in Arcata.

Also, just sent out an email. If you didn't get it, here's a link.

Thank you Nicola!

2010-10-01T14:30:00.000-07:00

Hello All!

Sharon here today. We are so thrilled to announce that The Tin Thimble just had out first international fiber artist from Ireland, Nicola Brown. She brought her passion for felting with her in a Big Way! What a joy! Nicola shared her vast knowledge of different techniques and we learned a ton that we can now share with our fellow felters! I almost cried when I put her on the train to continue her touring for three more weeks teaching in the Bay Area and Back East.

We are very excited to start adding more felting technique classes to our schedule - so keep you eye out for an email. If you love to felt, you must come in and see The Nicola Purse (I named it that. :-) - a densely felted, resist-method that is wonderful! It is an complex bag and needs an intense two day workshop to finish. The other class we'll be adding is a gorgeous mosaic nuno felted scarf. It looks a little like stained glass and it's a great way to use you stash of vintage silk scarves!

So, THANK YOU NICOLA! You are a wealth of knowledge and inspiration and we look forward to you next visit here at The Tin Thimble.

Greetings from Arcata

2010-09-14T15:06:00.000-07:00

Hi T3 fans!

So last time I wrote to you, I was putting snaps on Matthew's western shirt. After lots of deep breathing and aching hands, I applied all of them. He surprised me this weekend by showing up at my house, so I was excited to have him try it on!

I used a really awesome 1950's shirt pattern and 100% cotton. I LOVE the yolks, cuffs and all the cool vintage-y details.

And I also love the way the pearl snaps turned out. They're not the strongest snaps, but I would definitely use them again on a project. Matthew has been warned to snap and unsnap them as little as possible.

I'd say my first men's shirt was a total success! I'm thrilled.

In other news, Emma sent me a very exciting package from The Thimble yesterday and I can hardly wait to start sewing! She sent me fabrics and matching bias tape to make our Grandmother's Apron.

In addition to sewing for The Thimble and finishing Matthew's shirt, I've also been doing some sewing for my new little house up here in Arcata. Everything in this house is white, off white, cream or beige. I feel like I'm drowning in vanilla ice cream. As you all probably know, I LOVE color. So the lack there of bothers me.

I whipped up a little yellow curtain to hide our cleaning supplies. (The wall behind the bookshelf is the only wall in the whole house that is painted with color.)

I love this fabric and have used it for so many projects. It's almost gone and I'll be sad when it is.

I also sewed some place mats to match. They look blue in this photo, but they're actually a nice periwinkle-ish color. Any little splash of color helps!

So those have been my creative endeavors! I hope everyone back home is busy and creating away!

-Hannah

Just Some Things...

2010-08-25T11:45:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! It's Hannah giving you the update today. I'm all moved in and settled in my new place in Arcata. It took me a while, but I finally got my sewing space organized and I fired up my machine a few days ago.

Emma asked me to sew some zippered pouches to sell in the Thimble. I love these little projects, they're perfect for using scraps and I love making the different fabric combinations.

After working on a few of those, I decided to attempt to put on my first snaps. I made Matthew a western shirt a few weeks ago, but had been avoiding the pearl snaps for fear I would screw the whole thing up. With him on the phone for some support however, I whipped out my gripper and punched away!

So far, so good. Whew! I finished all the snaps, and as soon as I get a picture of him in his shirt I'll share it.

I hope everyone is doing well back at home, I miss working at the Thimble and seeing all the familiar faces that come in!

It's like Christmas around here!

2010-07-28T11:29:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone,

There are very exciting things happening at the Thimble. Yesterday, we received Amy Butler's entire "Love" line of cottons! They are so beautiful and inspiring. There are so many projects I want to make using these fabrics.

We also received four cotton voiles by Anna Maria Horner!

And I was SO excited that I went home and made myself a shirt with one of them.

This fabric is so wonderful. It's soft and light and breezy and perfect for so many projects!

On top of all our new fabrics, we have been working on our linens. After the yard sale we scored at, a woman brought in her mother's linen collection and offered to sell it to us. We couldn't resist! And now, our classroom looks like this.

There's mom at her mangle. Thank goodness for that machine!

So, we have a lot of work to do. We're soaking, washing, drying, ironing, and pricing. Whew! Come in and check out all our new goods, we're excited to show them off.

Dumpster Diving

2010-07-24T12:05:00.000-07:00

I uncovered these yesterday while diving in a dumpster outside of a yard sale (the owners gave me permission, don't worry :-)

Look at the back!

It's SO sad the things that people throw away. Mom and I are constantly rescuing beautiful family heirloom pieces from a sad, sad ending. This one will be around the shop for a while, you should come check it out if you're nearby!

Such Excitement!

2010-07-21T20:32:00.000-07:00

Hi T3 Fans,

It's Hannah writing to you today. As some of you may know, I'm moving to Arcata (up on the coast in Humboldt County) to go to school. I'm moving in 11 days and I'm so excited! So, in my college-student financial panic, I opened an Etsy store! I have been an absolute sewing maniac for the past few days. I am so thrilled to finally be selling my own things. Here are just a few of the items I have posted so far.

Perfectly Practical Wallet designed by me

Friday Social Cafe Apron

Midwest Wrist Cuff

In other news, our lovely garden at home has been producing away! Emma and I are excited to see corn, tomatoes, zucchini, and LOTS of summer squash...

There's 5 in this picture, but I picked 6 more within the next two days. It's too bad you can't make summer squash bread...

As I type, my students in Home Ec are working on making these aprons from Lotta Jansdotter's book. Here is the one I finished yesterday, I'll post pictures of their finished projects soon.

Speaking of Home Ec, I wanted to share some of my students projects from previous classes this month.

These are Amy's pillowcases from the first class. They matched her bedroom perfectly! The Alexander Henry fabric she used looks lovely.

And this is Brooke's tote bag from last weeks class. Again, the Alexander Henry fabric was a good choice.

The schedule is up for classes into September so if you're interested in signing up for Home Ec (in August we'll be making gardening gloves and a gardening tote. In September we'll be making very traditional projects that include yo-yo's, log cabin coasters, embroidered towels and an apron) give us a call or drop in and we'd love to sign you up!

Anyway, wish me luck in Arcata! I'm going to miss the Thimble and all my relatives here, haha. I'll be back often to visit!

A Summery Feeling

2010-07-08T15:57:00.000-07:00

Hello! I know some people might not agree, but I am thrilled with this hot Summer weather! The vegetable garden has taken off (we picked fresh zucchini for dinner last night!), and I've been inspired to make some summery clothes. I'm always pining for the perfect project to use our vintage embroidery trim on, and I finally found a good one!

I finished this shirt today and I can't tell you how excited I was to discover that there was just barely enough of this vintage trim to use. I took it as a sign that I needed to use it.

I wore my new blouse around the shop for a bit today, and I'm thrilled with it! We have tons of lovely trim similar to this one, so come in and check it out. Maybe we can find the perfect project for you to use it on as well!

Anyway, we here at the Thimble hope everyone is enjoying there summer. Our calender is packed with classes, the shop is overflowing with merchandise and life is good!

Reversible

2010-06-22T13:48:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone!

It's Hannah writing today. I've returned from my road trip to a very busy Tin Thimble! On top of the new merchandise, classes, etc. Emma has been sewing away and made this adorable reversible apron for one of June/ July's Home Ec classes. She used Lotta Jansdotter's book to make it and we now have this book in the shop for sale.

For the front side emma chose a white and black striped linen, and on the other side she used a red print with forks and knives on it by Hoodie. It's so cute! Good job Em, I can't wait for the Home Ec class! As usual, if you're interested in signing up for this or any of the other Home Ec classes, you can visit the website, call us or drop in for more information.

Simple Tote

2010-06-12T15:55:00.000-07:00

With Hannah gone on her road trip to Yellowstone (I'm SO jealous) sample sewing has been left to me and I've been a sewing maniac the last two days! I made the towels that I showed yesterday and then I made pillowcases and now I've finished this tote and an apron (which I'll show you later). All patterns were from this book (which is now available in the shop) by Lotta Jansdotter. We'll be working on these projects in June's and July's Home Ec classes - come join us!

Class on the Cuff/Kitchen Towels

2010-06-10T16:22:00.000-07:00

It was so much fun to sew up these great, simple and useful kitchen towels today! I made them using 100% linen from the shop along with some cotton twill for the loops and I used the directions from Lotta Jansdotter's book, Simple Sewing. I can't wait to take them home to my kitchen! If you'd like to make some of these towels with us join us for our Class on the Cuff on Friday, June 25 from 2:30-4:30 - more info here.

So Much to Share!

2010-06-01T10:04:00.000-07:00

Hi TTT enthusiasts. It's Hannah writing to you today. We've been busy here at the Thimble. We've recovered from the Summer Wardrobe Fashion Show (which was an absolute success! Pictures coming soon) and now were busy rearranging and stocking the shelves here at the shop. I've been fully submersed in projects at home as well. I'm moving to Arcata in a few months and like most people moving away for the first time, I wanted some new furniture and linens. As usual, I'm on a veeeery tight budget so I had to get creative!

I bought this desk at the Goodwill. It was just a plain maple desk with bronze handles. Ew. So I bought a gallon of paint, and some spray paint and now it looks like this!

Then I wanted a bedspread to match (My current bedspread is red,brown, green, marigold, all colors that clash horribly with the chartreuse color of the desk), so I pieced together a bunch of old table cloths, napkins, and some linen yardage to make a Queen sized duvet cover. It was SO much work, but it's totally worth it.

And here's a detail of all the different textures. Because it's white, it's hard to see all the piecework I did on the top.

Oh, and Flicka left my underwear crate to test out the new cover. She approves.

Then this duvet cover lead to the need for matching pillow cases. (By this point my sewing machine is making weird noises and is in serious need of a tune-up)

On another creative note, Emma and I finally got our garden planted! We're excited to see all of our little vegetables in the ground.

Anyway, thats what we've been up to. Come in and check out the shop, we're adding all sorts of new merchandise!

I Just Can't Seem to Stop!

2010-05-11T10:25:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! Despite all the craziness going on (running the shop while the girls are at the retreat, finals for school, gearing up for our upcoming fashion show, preparing for my road trip, etc) I still couldn't wait to get home and sew!

So I finished piece number 10 and 11 of my handmade summer wardrobe. Let me know what you think!

Number 10

I'm in looove with this one. The bodice is a raspberry colored velveteen and the bottom is this awesome vintage rose pattern I've had my eye on for years now. I was just waiting for the perfect project to use it. For this dress I used the same pattern I made the peach dress with. As usual, the dress is too large for our size 2 dress form, but you get the idea. I'm totally hooked on these elastic casing backs. It makes things so easy!

Number 11

My first wrap around skirt! I fell in love with the pattern out of Heather Ross's "Weekend Sewing" and I finally decided just to go for it and make this skirt. I am super pleased with it and I'm looking forward to making more of them. I'm slowly working on the hem, but because it's so curved, I'm hand sewing a rolled hem around the bottom, plus there is a lot of fabric involved so it'll take a while. It's absolutely worth it though!

So, that's what I've been doing! Again, Mom and I have our pieces in the shop right now so you can come in and check them out in person. The girls are coming home tonight from Downieville, it'll be nice to have them back in the shop. It doesn't quite feel the same without them!

-Hannah

Downieville Day 1

2010-05-08T15:23:00.000-07:00

Hello!

We have been having SO much fun up in Downieville this weekend for our 2nd Annual Mother's Day Fiber Retreat. Here's what we've been up to:

AND! Wait until you see the Duct Tape Dress Forms that we made last night!!

I've Been Busy!

2010-05-07T15:43:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! It's a fantastic weekend for the family and our fiber retreat-ers up in Downieville. Hopefully Emma will make a blog post about their creative endeavors soon. While everyone's up at the retreat however, I've been a busy girl! With the sunshine finally making an appearance I've been more inspired than ever to sew myself more pieces for my summer wardrobe.

Piece Number 7

I previously made one of these skirts for a Home Ec class and the New Look pattern was so simple and cute that I decided to make another one! Although I usually avoid red, white and blue fabrics, I happened to have this print in my stash at home and so I decided to put it to use. And I love it!

Piece Number 8

Yes, I finally finished them. These shorts took me about 2 years to finish. haha. But here they are! And I love them! They're made with a great New Look pattern and our Oasis Organic Cotton. My first pair of shorts! I have to admit, I'm proud. Here's a close-up of the pocket and mother-of-pearl buttons I used.

Piece Number 9

Although this shirt is a little more......modern (?) than things I usually make, I really like it. I used an incredibly soft stretch cotton knit and a Simplicity pattern and modified things a bit to make it more me. I really love the racer back. It's so light and breezy that I think it'll make a great bathing suit cover-up.

Anyway, that's what I've been up to. Mom and I have some of our Summer Wardrobe pieces on display in the shop this week, so come in and see them in person!

-Hannah

A Dress and Home Ec

2010-04-29T12:00:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! It's Hannah giving you an update today. I whipped out this little number yesterday, and so far, it's my favorite summer wardrobe piece!

I found this dress online and loved it, but naturally, decided I could make a better one for cheaper! My dress fits me a lot better, our dress form is too small. Anyway, I mixed 3 different new look patterns (one for the bodice, one for the back, and one for the skirt), and I am thrilled with the way it turned out!

I'm thinking this might be a potential Home Ec project. Hmm.....

Speaking of Home Ec....

Look what my girls did!

This is Elaine's picnic quilt that we worked on last session. She finished it on her own and brought it back to share with me, She did a beautiful job!!

Elaine's zippered tote that we made last night. It's so cute!

And here's Victoria with her completed tote.

Good job ladies! I'm so proud!

We Love Him!

2010-04-24T10:54:00.000-07:00

This adorable yo-yo clown was made by our wonderful instructor, Linda Pietz. We just think he is so cute! Linda used all kinds of our vintage fabrics to create the yo-yos for him.

Here's a close up of his adorable fabrics

I love yo-yos. They are so versatile and add great details to all sorts of projects. The vintage fabrics Linda used are just perfect. They complete his vintage-y feel. And there's god news if you love him as much as we do! Linda is teaching a class on how to create a yo-yo clown of your own. May 15th from 12:00-4:00. Call us for details and to sign up!

All of here at the Thimble say hello! As always, we hope you're busy with your spring projects and we always love to see them.

We haven't forgotten!

2010-04-15T09:38:00.000-07:00

Mom and I (Hannah) have completed one more piece each for our summer wardrobes.

Look at these! They're made from a 1930's pajama pattern (yes, an 80 year old pattern). Isn't that awesome? Mom made them out of white linen and a vintage hanky-print cotton. Although their supposed to be pj's, mom and I agree that they would be a pain to sleep in, so she's gonna wear them outside of the house. Here they are without the Jacket...

And a detail of the buttons, ties and fabric...

Well done Mom, they're beautiful!

And here's my piece. Yes, another blouse. I'm desperately trying to finish a pair of shorts but I keep running into issues. I promise you'll see something other than shirts eventually! haha. Anyway, this one's made with a New Look pattern and some really cool fabric I found on sale....at another fabric store (I know, I'm a traitor).

A detail of the fabric and mother-of-pearl buttons I used. This little number actually turned out to be a challenge. I thought it was gonna be easy and that I could whiz right through it, however, that did not turn out to be the case. In the end though, it was worth it. I think it's really cute.

More clothes coming soon! Leave comments, tell us what you think of our wardrobes so far!

What a Fantastic Weekend!

2010-04-13T11:30:00.000-07:00

Our student art show was an absolute success! Thank you so much to everyone who came and supported us and our wonderful students. We had our largest turn out yet!

Lisa's beautiful table of delicious food, the perfect addition to our party.

Thank you Joy and Brian for pouring for us!

We're excited for next years show. Hopefully we'll have more students enter their pieces and even more people show up to see the show!

A Funny Story...

2010-04-06T10:13:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone. It's Hannah writing to you today. I hope your all enjoying this beautiful sunny weather! Before I give you the update on our creative endeavors, I have a little story to share with you and hopefully it'll make you laugh as hard as I did.

So the other night I'm laying in my bed trying to fall asleep and I keep hearing this very loud puuuuurrrrrring sound. I get up and look in all the places where my cats normally sleep; under the bed, near my computer, etc. I can't find the happy cat anywhere, so I finally open my closet door and...

...there is my 18 pound cat named Flicka sleeping contentedly amongst my underwear. Apparently it's her new favorite spot. I had to rewash and relocate my unmentionables because she keeps coming back. Anyway, it cracked me up and I thought i'd share.

In other news, Emma finally finished my pajama pants!!!!!

This is big news because these pajama pants are two christmases and my birthday present. Needless to say, they've been a few years in the making. I came into work the other day and they were sitting on my desk with a note that said "I love you Hannah!". I was jubilated. Emma did such a beautiful job making them and I love them! Thank you sister!

Mom has been workin away on her summer wardrobe, and I'll have pictures of her latest piece soon. My wardrobe has been put on hold because I've been sewing examples for our upcoming Home Ec classes, but hopefully I can pick it up again soon!

Sun Hat

I'll be teaching a class on how to make this hat for one of April's Home Ec classes. This will be the third class in the series. If you're interested in learning about this and other Home Ec projects, visit the website.

Another reminder!!! Our student art show and 3 year anniversary are happening this weekend! The art show starts on Friday and extends through Sunday, come check out the pieces! Please call for details about entering pieces, we would LOVE to have a full show. Join us on Friday at 6:00 for our 3 year anniversary party, there will be local wines and small Hors d' oeuvres. We hope to see you all this weekend!

Rose's Quilt

2010-04-02T14:36:00.000-07:00

Janet, our quilting instructor, has been helping Rose make this fantastic t-shirt quilt for her son.

And Rose, the sweetheart that she is, brought sparkling apple juice and chocolates the other day to celebrate the completion of her quilt!

This was Rose's first quilting project, ever. And she did an absolute FANTASTIC job. Janet is so proud. Here they are, Instructor and Student:

So, if you ever have a hankering to make a t-shirt quilt, Janet is always available for one-on-one lessons to help you along the way! And, her Beginning Quilting Series starts this month! Saturday, April 10th. We'll be making a quilt like one:

Give us a call at 916-652-2134 if you'd like to join us! The more the merrier!

SO Many Sewing Machines!!

2010-04-01T13:51:00.000-07:00

Home Ec was Busy Busy Busy last night! Katie and Hannah were teaching the girls how to make Scrappy Quilts and Scrappy Eye Masks and everyone was having SO much fun! Thank you to everyone who came and joined in.

April's Home Ec series is "Life is a Picnic". We'll be making napkins, a picnic quilt, a sun hat and a zippered tote.

You're Invited!!

2010-03-31T16:43:00.000-07:00

In celebration of our Three Year Anniversary, we are pleased to announce our first Student Art Show Friday, April 9th - Sunday, April 11th 10:00-5:00. We will be showcasing fiber art and hand crafted items made by the students of our classes.

Join us for a Student Art Show Reception and Three Year Anniversary Celebration on Friday, April 9th at 6:00 at The Tin Thimble located in the High Hand Packing Shed at 3750 Taylor Road in Loomis. We will be serving light hors d'oeuvres and local wines.

If you would like to enter a piece (or two or three) in the show please give us a call at 916-652-2134, send me an emma (at) thetinthimble.com or stop by the shop and we'll let you know what the details are! Anyone who has taken a class at The Tin Thimble is welcome!

A quick hello!

2010-03-19T10:09:00.000-07:00

Piece Number Seven

I probably don't have to say it anymore, but this dress was made with a 1940's pattern and material that we're pretty sure is equally as old. The eyelet trim around the collar and arms is so cute! It's the perfect finishing touch.

Out in the Garden

Yesterday, after work and school, I went home, put on my dirty sneakers, and headed into our long abandoned garden to attack the weeds. The weather was so beautiful and it felt so nice to get my hands dirty. And, lucky for me, there was someone in the garden to keep me company...

And no, I didn't put him in the wagon, he got in all by himself. He was a little preoccupied with the hole in the bottom to look at me though.

I can't wait for fresh picked tomatoes and (hopefully, this year) some strawberries as well. And Nissie (the cat) can't wait for more catnip! This beautiful sunny weather has gotten me inspired to spend a little less time cooped up inside and a little more time with my hands in the dirt.

Not to toot my own horn...

2010-03-16T14:14:00.000-07:00

But I reeealllly like the picnic quilt I made for one of Aprils Home Ec Classes!

It's made from our Oasis organic cotton and has a super heavy canvas in the middle. The canvas gives it a really nice weight and makes it a bit more waterproof, perfect to use on dew covered grass! It measures 45" X 45" so it's not too big. I'm really proud of my first quilt!

We'll also be making napkins (like the polka dot one in the picture) for the first Home Ec Class in April. Check on the lessons page for more details.

I was still working on my summer wardrobe this weekend, although I didn't get nearly as much done as I wanted to. Anyway, here's just a wee sneak peek at what I'm sewin up!

Only a few more steps before they're done! Check back soon for a picture of the completed project.

Mom is in the classroom as I type teaching a Nuno Felted Scarf class and the students are creating beautiful scarves. I have yet to see a scarf I don't like. I'm so glad that we can inspire others to use their creativity.

Emma and I also have a BIG announcement to make......

We're having a student art show!! And we're SO excited.

It will be held on our 3 year anniversary weekend, April 9th, 10th and 11th. We strongly encourage anyone who has taken a class from us to enter at least one piece. We're accepting 3 entries from each person (that number may become smaller if we get overwhelmed), and we need those entries on April 6th and 7th. Please call us and tell us what you're planning to bring us so we can plan ahead. Call or come in for more details. Info is coming to the website soon. Please consider entering!!

Anyway, Emma, Mom and I say hello to everyone reading this and we hope you're all enjoying this sunny day as much as we are!

Here on this Rainy Friday...

2010-03-12T16:26:00.000-08:00

I thought I'd stop and say hello to everyone! Despite the rain, business was actually booming today, so all of us TTT girls are in good spirits. We have added some new fabrics (muslin, canvas, beauuuuutiful silk and harem cloth) into our inventory and we're glad to see the shelves filling back up. We all have pretty mellow weekends planned and hopefully we'll get some bread making and clothes sewing done.

Here is the sixth Piece of Mom's Summer Wardrobe

This little honey is made from a wool blend so it's cozy warm for winter here in the sheds. It's pencil skirt is really flattering on and the criss-cross straps make it unique. We love it! Good job, again, Mom!

In Progress

Here is one of Mom's latest and greatest Nuno felted Tunics in progress. Come in and visit us and check out the finished look, it's beautiful, of course.

Here you can really see the fluffiness of the wool and how different the texture is than after she felts it. I really like the black silk used for this tunic, it makes them contrast so much more.

I'm working on sample projects for April's Home Ec classes, the theme of which is "Life's a Picnic". I've already finished the picnic quilt and napkins so I'll feature pictures of the completed set on Tuesday. Check back for an update on that!

Spring is in the Air!

2010-03-09T10:47:00.000-08:00

And I am thankful! My best friend and I went on a bike ride this weekend and we stumbled upon this. It made me wish for sunshine and iced tea and plums picked fresh off the tree. Hurry, spring, hurry!

I've lost count...

But here is yet another of Mom's handmade dresses. I can't help but smile when I see this dress, it just makes me happy! It was made with a 1940's dress pattern and plaid fabric from around the same era. Here's a detail of the cute little pockets in front.

Ephemeral...

I made this shirt over the weekend, and Mom thinks I'm "gaining on her" in terms of how many pieces we've sewn. I laughed because she has made 6 or 7 items now, compared to my 3. I'm nowhere to close to catching up. Anyway, I made this out of white cotton voile and a New Look pattern both available at the Thimble. It's super light and comfy, so it's perfect for summer. And, I thought that the back had to be shirred, or that I was going to have to use elastic thread (which terrifies me) but no! It was simply casings that I strung elastic through. Those pattern people are so clever.

Now we just need to get Emma involved in this sewing extravaganza. Because I'm sure she has so much time between the Thimble and dancing...

Anyway, don't forget that we have a Home Economics class tomorrow from 6:00-9:00 and we'll be making scrappy coasters. It's a wonderful class to take if you're a beginner and the instructor is fantastic. Call or visit our class schedule for details.

We've Been Sewing Away

2010-03-05T11:43:00.000-08:00

Hi, everyone! It's Hannah writing to you again today.

Emma, mom and I get SO much inspiration from Anthropologie and we're always squealing with excitement when we look through the catalog. Everything is just so beautiful and creative, it's so inspirational. So, when Emma and I stumbled upon this picture...

we thought it looked strangely familiar. It looks so similar to the brown dress with the coral roses that mom made! And she made her dress before we even saw this picture. What a trendsetter!

Speaking of her dresses, here is a skirt that she made for her summer wardrobe. It's made with an Alexander Henry fabric available here at the Thimble, and of course, a vintage pattern. The western fabric, big, deep pockets and all the tiny details make it one of my personal favorites. Her wardrobe is coming right along!

And...although I'm a bit behind Mom, I'm still working steadily on my summer pieces as well. So here is my second piece!

I made this one with a Michael Miller cotton and a vintage pattern from the 70's. The pattern I used was actually my Moms and she made herself a shirt from it, as well as one for my Aunt. I guess we like to keep things in the family, haha. It looks a little wonky on the dress form, but I swear it's her that's crooked, not my sewing!

Katie Jean, Home Ec and a Book

2010-03-04T13:56:00.000-08:00

Hello!

So our March Home Ec teacher, and dear friend, Katie Trott was featured in a book! Katie has been featured in Craft Challenge: Dozens of Ways to Repurpose a Pillowcase, but now she's in this book as well.

We are hoping to do a book signing here at the shop, so keep an eye out for that date. Here is the link to Katie's website so you can look at her other goodies.

Don't forget about this month's Home Ec Scrappy Series! The first class has all ready passed but there is still time to sign up for the next three. Because we are so excited about these classes, and we're feeling particularly generous, we're offering a special price to our customers who get our emails. So, check your emails! And if you're not all ready getting them, go here to sign up for the emails.

And here are March's Home Ec projects again...

Scrappy Coasters: Wednesday March 10th

Scrappy Eye Pillows: Wednesday March 17th

And finally, the adorable Scrappy Quilt: Wednesday March 24th

It's our 100th Blog Post!!

2010-03-02T11:17:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone. We are proud to announce that this is our 100th blog post! Thanks to everyone who reads them and makes comments. We feel loved.

Numero Tres

The third dress of mom's new wardrobe! It's made with a deep red/orange dotted swiss. The eyelet border made it perfect for a dress. She even found a way to make the adorable bolero to match. Again, it was made using a vintage pattern and it fits her so cute!

As I told you all last week, mom got me inspired to start working on my summer wardrobe as well. So, this weekend I oiled my machine and sewed away! Here is the inspiration for my first piece.

And here is my version!

I completely altered a New Look dress pattern to get what I wanted and I LOVE it! Thank goodness for mom's private collection of zippers, though. I didn't realize it was going to be so hard to find a separating metal zipper. Anyway, this is hopefully one of my many summer pieces to come.

Mom's (handmade) Summer Wardrobe and Beautiful Antique Lace

2010-02-25T13:13:00.000-08:00

Ta da!

So, as promised, here is the second piece of mom's handmade 12 piece collection.

Again, this was made with a vintage pattern and a fantastic vintage border print cotton. The fabric has this really beautiful smoky grey/brown background which makes those coral roses pop! Mom fell in love with it as soon as we got it. I don't think it ever saw the shelves.

Remember, we'll be showing you more! So check back soon.

Inspired...

So, motivated by mom's sewing marathon, I decided to start making myself a few things for summer as well. All week I've been picking through magazines and my favorite online stores to find clothes I loved and today I found patterns to match! I'm very excited to go home and sew!

In Tin Thimble news, a very sweet customer of ours came into the shop last week and gave us her Grandmother's handmade lace trims and dickie. They are exceptionally beautiful.

The crocheted dickie

Emma and I were doing the math, and these pieces are definitely over 100 years old. The dickie is crocheted with teeny-tiny thread.

The gorgeous trims

The little trim at the top is tatted and the other three are also crocheted with itty-bitty thread. They're to die for!

Nuno Felted Tunics

2010-02-24T11:51:00.000-08:00

Well, Folks, here they are!

She has been a felting machine! These tunics are beautiful, flattering and SO much fun to make! Check out the lessons page of the website to find out when classes are.

Something New

2010-02-23T12:18:00.000-08:00

Hello!

We have decided to mix up our blogs a bit. Instead of Emma writing every blog, I (Hannah) am going to start writing a few as well. So, hello everyone! We are also going to start showing you bits and pieces of our lives outside of the shop. Yes, amazingly enough we all have time to do things outside of the Thimble!

Mom has been a sewing fool lately. She is on a mission to make herself 12 new clothing items for summer, and we're going to keep you updated on how she is doing. So far, over the past 4 mondays (her only day off), she has sewn herself 6 items. She amazes me. Here is the first one! Drumroll....

This beauty is made from a vintage pattern and the most gorgeous vintage cotton and it fits her like a glove. Keep an eye on our posts for more! We'll be showing you a new one each week.

You know you have the greatest boyfriend ever when....

he crochets you a beanie for Valentines day! He even made it out of wool yarn from the Thimble.

A huge thank you to Matthew for making me such a heartfelt gift. I'll take this over chocolates any day!

Home Ec / Scrappy Happiness

2010-02-19T13:47:00.000-08:00

We are so excited to announce that Katie Trott of Katie Jean will be teaching our March series of Home Ec!! The theme: Scrappy Happiness!

March 3rd - Embroidery Hoop Initials

March 10th - Scrappy Coasters

March 24th - Eye Pillows

March 31st - Scrappy Quilt

Check out the lessons page of the website for details on upcoming classes!

Home Ec / Farmers Market

2010-02-05T16:31:00.000-08:00

Hannah had SO much fun sewing up the samples for our Farmers Market series at Home Ec. We started with the reusable grocery tote last Wednesday:

This coming Wednesday we will be making reusable produce bag:

And then we'll be making zippered pouches:

And then, finally, we'll be making skirts!

Come join in on our fun Home Ec classes every Wednesday from 6:00-9:00. Check out the lessons page of the website for further details.

We've been signed.

2010-01-31T14:16:00.000-08:00

For those of you who continue to ask us, "When are you going to get a sign out there??" Well, here it is! And there's more to come! I hope everyone is enjoying the sunshine!

Blog Bundle Giveaway Winner!

2010-01-29T14:47:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to Cecilia who came by the shop the other day to claim her winning bundle of fabric!! Thanks for participating in the blog giveaway! Make sure you're getting our emails if you'd like to join in next time!

Baby Girl!

2010-01-19T16:20:00.000-08:00

My brother-in-law and his wife just found out that they're having a baby girl!! My first niece!! Let the Baby Girl Projects begin!! I'm almost done knitting the Three-Rib Beret out of the newest issue of Piecework - Absolutely Adorable. I'll hopefully have a photo up tomorrow of that. And I have my eye on this pattern for her. And when she's older I want to make her the dress that I saw in this post over on JCasa.

In other crafting projects the garland in this photo caught my eye the other day. Isn't that great? Now I defenitely need to learn how to crochet so I can make one of those.

And, mom finished the first three aprons for the Apron-of-the-Month club! Aren't they cute? All were made from our collection of vintage apron patterns.

Soft Spot

2010-01-16T11:23:00.000-08:00

Mom, Hannah and I all have a soft spot in our hearts for all of the little unfinished embroidery pieces that seem to gravitate their way into our shop. How can you not? All that hard work into a piece that has sat in a drawer or a basket for years because it was never finished. It seems nowadays that the beautiful, finished pieces barely get brought out let alone the unfinished pieces! So, here's some embroidery love for your day:

Sweet Dreams

2010-01-15T14:39:00.000-08:00

Home Ec this month has been all about being comfy cozy. Hannah and the girls have made lavender filled sleeping masks and monogrammed laundry bags so far. Pillowcases are next week and finally pajama bottoms the week after that. I'm so glad that these Home Ec classes are starting to pick up - Hannah and I enjoy planning them SO much!

We were on TV!

2009-12-11T09:59:00.000-08:00

This was really a lot of fun. Bethany made a beautiful felted clutch purse and we had so many new customers call and stop by because they saw us on TV! Doesn't get much better than that! Thank you so much Bethany & Fox40!

And the stockings were hung by the chimney with care.

2009-11-28T17:56:00.001-08:00

These vintage 1930's socks were brought to us a while ago and we were all SO excited to finally be able to put loops on them and add them to our Christmas items in the shop!! Wouldn't they look fantastic hanging on a hearth?

In other news, the craft fair has been a lot of fun. If you have time tomorrow to stop by the sheds I highly recommend it - it's a WONDERFUL group of vendors with SO many lovely things available for Christmas gifts.

Also, just a reminder that our Home Ec/Home for the Holidays series starts this coming Wednesday from 6:00-9:00 and we'll be starting with a cheery pennant garland perfect for holiday decorating!

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! Dear friends of mine had twin baby girls the night before - SO much to be thankful for!

Ha Ha Ha! My plan worked!

2009-11-24T22:03:00.000-08:00

I got SO many compliments on my new apron! :-)

I'm not sure I can let mom sell this one.......

2009-11-20T10:26:00.000-08:00

I was already romancing this fabric. I even made a blouse out of it with the GREAT 1930's pattern for Christmas last year and THEN she goes and makes this ADORABLE apron! With red dingle-balls even!!!! I think it needs to come home with me tonight and I need to wear it at my Holiday Party tomorrow night. What do you think??

Felted Beads and Bracelets!

2009-11-19T12:36:00.001-08:00

We had a fantastic group of home school students and their mothers come make felted beads and bracelets with us! We all had so much fun and they all made beautiful bracelets!

It was a good day!