"Busy Hands" in Prince Edward County is happening this weekend, December 12th and 13th in Wellington at the Essroc Centre, at 111 Belleville St. There will be 70 vendors at this fantastic community event which over the years has evolved into one big County party where you can buy stuff! Really cool stuff that's made by hand by all local talent. And ... we sure do have a lot of local talent. I am really looking forward to this weekend! This past month I have been busy cooking up some new hats and a few other interesting little items especially for "Busy Hands". This show couldn't have a more appropriate name.
'Left Bank' ~ wet felted merino wool & silk
'Clare de Lune' ~ wet felted merino wool & silk
'Slate' ~ wet felted merino wool blended with silk
'Valentine' ~ wet felted merino wool with feather
Arthur's felted boots ~ size one year
Felted boots and slippers for littles are possibly the cutest things ever. At Rosehaven Yarn Shop (where I work) we sell the most adorable crocheted boots and slippers for little ones which I have always wanted to try to make but not being a crocheter I decided to try felting a pair. Then while on a Facebook I discovered the most exsquite felted baby slippers by the amazing felter Vaida Petreikis from Lithuania. You can find her work here on Etsy and she ships all over the world. I was so inspired by her that I really wanted to make a few pair (similar but different) myself. Since I'm a ribbon fanatic of course I have put bows on mine. This was mostly as a challenge to see if I could do it at all and to see how much work is involved in the pattern making, felting and shaping process. I will not be making lots of baby slippers and boots because I make hats so if you love these check out Vaida's site and order there. In the end I love how these turned out and I thank her for the wonderful inspiration which also helped me improve my skill... but ... just so you can appreciate her work (and mine) it's important to understand that one tiny pair are almost as much work as a hat (and that's a lot of work)! Mine are made in four sizes: newborn, 3 to 6 months, one year and two years.
Baby Boots ~ newborn size
Baby ballerina ~ two year size
Baby ballerina ~ one year size
Boots ~ 3 to 6 month size
Baby ballerina ~ 3 to 6 month size
Baby ballerina ~ newborn size
Baby ballerina ~ newborn size
Jelly bean slippers!
iPad or tablet cover
Felted wallet size pouch
These unique felted bags can be used as pouches, purses or for whatever you can think of carrying inside (your lunch?). They are nuno felted using fine merino wool on beautiful silk fabric and embellished with silk, wool ribbon, and little bits of colourful sari silk.
Here are some of the lovely ladies who visited CakeTin Hats at the Maker's Hand show and sale last month. Some took home their perfect hat while others just had fun trying on various styles and colours! Either way it is always a delight to have so many people visit the booth.
Sandra came all the way from Toronto for this perfect hat!
Gabby looking angelic in the floral headwreath!
Elizabeth in her lovely Downton Abbey look
Gabby with the flower pin she bought for her pretty headband
Below are just some of the hats that will be at the "Busy Hands" show and sale. These are photos I took yesterday (yes ... I was outside on December 7 taking pictures) of hats that have already appeared on the Blog. Sometimes it's nice to have a second viewing from a different perspective. The gray, overcast December skies offered up the perfect light to capture the elusive, sometimes subtle colours and eliminate any concealing shadows.
