Private Collection and Pre-Holiday Sale

We've been airing out the closets and opening those bottom drawers over here at The Little Thimble That Could!  You may remember that the purging process started a while back, HERE.  Well, we're about to have the culminating event folks.

And, the organizing has bled into our own personal textile collections and we've all decided to let go of a few things.  So, not only will there be major sale prices on things from the shop and the back room, there will be vintage quilts, vintage quilt tops, gorgeous curtain panels, linens galore, vintage bed spreads, flour sacks and much, much more price to sell and only available October 1st - 6th.  Then, it's back to the closets with them (if you haven't all snatched them up!)

In this pile and pile behind are fabulous bedspreads, 1930s quilt tops, a crazy quilted pig.

Hand painted curtain panels from the 1940's from Emma's collection

Lace bedspread, classic early 20th century peach bedding, and darling simple picnic quilts

SO MANY EMBROIDERY TRANSFERS!!

Martha Stewart Living anyone?

GORGEOUS Work Baskets from the 1930s - 1960s.  SO MUCH INSPIRATION!

Pamphlets, pamphlets and more pamphlets!  Dating from the 1930s - 1980s.  Covering everything from tatting, crochet, doilies, hot pads, afghans, sweaters - the list goes on and on!

Flour Sacks!

This picture does not do this basket justice!  Those bags have ADORABLE quilt pieces dating from the 1930s (Dresden Plates People!) to the 1960s.

A few stragglers.  Untreated raffia just in time for the holidays!

This is just day one of setting up so I'm excited to see what day two brings about!

Art Stock 2013

Art Stock is back!  The large format art show that the High Hand Gallery hosts every other year always has quite a few felt and fabric pieces! I highly recommend seeing the show in person, the textures are great!  The gallery is having a reception for the show on September 6th - details HERE.

Felted Furniture by Joan Maxwell & Michele Hurst

Felted Furniture by Joan Maxwell & Michele Hurst

Felted Furniture by Joan Maxwell & Michele Hurst

Felted Rock Sculpture by Patricia Sokolowski

Felted Rock Sculpture by Patricia Sokolowski

Wall Sculpture by Patricia Sokolowski with great felted details

Wall Sculpture by Patricia Sokolowski with great felted details

Fabric covered bust by Susan Cawthon

Fabric Wall Art by Susan Cawthon

Fabric Jacket by Ann Ragland Bowns

Fabric Jacket by Ann Ragland Bowns

Fabric Jacket by Ann Ragland Bowns

2013 Handmade Summer Wardrobe Fashion Show

Hello there!

It's Hannah sharing with you today. It was our Fourth Annual Handmade Summer Wardrobe Fashion Show on Saturday and we wanted to share some photos for those of you who weren't able to make it. It was a wonderful show (they just seem to get better and better every year!) and we were so thrilled to have multiple students participate. Thank you to everyone who did attend, we appreciate your support and sincerely hope you enjoyed yourselves! 

Our loosely translated "steampunk" theme allowed us to use all of our cool, industrial looking pieces from the shop. Mom also constructed some very neat pieces that included gears, wheels, washers, springs and other rusty pieces that looked fantastic in this old packing shed. 

Here are the pictures of the outfits Mom and I wore and the patterns that accompany them. We  love to share how our patterns and fabrics are transformed into the garments themselves. Please feel free to comment and ask questions about the pieces. We love to answer! 

Simplicity #7876 wrap skirt made of 100% cotton Chambray (available at The Tin Thimble) and a t-shirt hand stitched by Emma in Alabama Chanin style. 

Folkwear pattern based on Edwardian fashion of 1910's. Hand dyed 100% silk fabric by Mom. So, so, SO beautiful in person. Here's a detail shot. 

Marian Martin pattern #9005. Adorable culottes made with both Vintage and new fabrics. 

McCall's #8291 for the pants that were made with new cotton denim (available at The Tin Thimble) and McCall's #1254 for the blouse. That cute little number is made with vintage plaid and buttons up the back. 

1970's Simiplicity #9725 made with new fabrics available at The Tin Thimble in store (not online, sorry girls). Adorable double sleeves are fluttery and feminine. 

Feather blouse that was constructed using several different patterns (and several additional alterations by Hannah) and 100% linen fabric by Anna Maria Horner available at The Tin Thimble. New Look #6902 and New Look #6696,

Vintage pattern (that was mail-ordered in the 1940's) and vintage fabric. Mom got all fancy and even made the little hat and completed the outfit with vintage gloves and vintage shoes from the same era!

100% silk blouse (loosely) based on New Look #6784.

Awesome vintage reproduction Butterick #6582 and great vintage fabric. Click here to see a post on Hannah's blog for more info on this dress. 

Reflections

April 7th was the anniversary of an AMAZING 6 years in business for The Little Thimble That Could.  We celebrated with our yearly tradition (since we moved to High Hand) of a Student Art Show and Reception.  It has been such a blessing to have the space to hold this event every year!  We love to see our students/customers/friends/family/patrons admiring the work that is created in and out of our classroom.  We are humbled that our small efforts to teach and share our love of fiber arts culminate in an art show so full of talent and beauty every year. It has been such a fantastic experience to be a part of so many people's creative lives for the last 6 years.  From the bottom of our hearts, Thank You.

Nuno Felted Scarf by Kim

Wet Felted Vessel by Julie

Wet Felted Purse by Ardith

Sharon and Julie

Nika, Lisa, Julie and Ardith

Judy, Emma and Pat

Felt Covered Lamp by Nika

Nuno Felted Scarves

Nuno Felted Adornment by Leslie

Wet and Needle Felted Wall Hanging by Lisa

Nuno Felted Bolero by Denuta

Wet Felted Vessel by Judy

Wet Felted Table Mats by Gail, Jean and Pam

You can view the entire gallery of this year's Student Art Show HERE.

Blog Winner and Preparations

Hello Everyone!

It's Hannah writing to you today. I'm home from school for the weekend and returned to a bustling little Thimble! We have so many guest instructors coming and events coming up that my to-do list was quite long. I love to see the calendar filled with events and classes!

Firstly, I would like to announce our blog giveaway winner from the previous post. Congratulations to "ga447"! Please contact us to tell us what color theme of vintage linens, fabrics and trims you would like us to send you! Our contact information can be found here. Thank you so much to everyone who participated in the giveaway!

In addition to guest instructors such as India Flint, Nicola Brown, and Leiko Uchiyama coming to teach at the Thimble, and events like the Fourth Annual Student Art Show, and our Six Year Anniversary Celebration, I am so excited to announce that Emma and I are planning events for the Third Annual Fashion Week and the Summer Handmade Wardrobe Fashion Show this week! This event will take place July 9th -13th, and Emma and I will have the week's festivities posted here by the end of the week.

I have started thinking about the show and started matching some of my favorite patterns and fabrics! I'm not sure if I'm more excited, or more overwhelmed by this assortment of projects...

Emma is working on a lovely pair of Colette's "Iris" shorts out of a stretch pique. They will be beautiful  addition to her wardrobe and the fashion show when she completes them!