My purple Celebrations tote bag from last year packed with my pattern inventory book, bigger than most current community phonebooks printed in fonts as small,
travel project, a book, and my checkbook - as there are some vendors who are not set up to take charge or debit, I set off in the wee traffic hours West -
South - North. These are the 'you can't get there from heah' parts of New England. True to form, I missed the exit again. I always miss this exit
no matter how many years I have been taking this route to Celebrations. Of course the next exit is 3 days travel further North, not like the previous 8 which are all 10 feet
apart. I pay the toll then take the scenic route on the parallel old route 3A, avoiding another toll, back down to nearly miss it again.
I made it this time. I was early for the Shopping Floor. I could have joined the pre opening walk through but I didn't. I didn't expect there would be any vendors I wanted to stake out, unlike last year. From the crowd I saw leaving the ballroom to descend packlike on Olde Colonial Designs, it looked like fewer people than last year were taking part in the walk through.
The shopping area is set up like a cup with an unattached handle. You enter into the area of the handle bottom. On your left is the booth to pay the entry fee, drop your name into the door prize bag or buy raffle tickets for the raffle items lined up on the tables along your right. There were some really nice bundles then there was also one basket which made you go "huh? who had the gift card to spend on the dollar bin of kid's coloring craft items at ACMoore and why did they think this was a good idea for a stitching raffle item?" I didn't buy any raffle tickets this year. I never won in previous years though that wasn't my only reason. The real reason was that I forgot. I was so shopped out when I left that I completely forgot. I also forgot to travel a long bit further North to visit ABC Stitch Therapy in Grantham which had extended hours and a sale this weekend. Being on the north side of Nashua, I was already halfway there but I was shopped out.
Continuing up the cup handle, the first shop encountered is Olde Colonial Designs . Many frames, boxes, stitching caskets, tuck pillows. Many great models. Fantastic Drawn Thread models. That casket holding the newest patterns is amazing in person. Toccata 4, the alphabet series, Marriage of the Minds, Toccata 3, were amazing. If the entire line up of DT wasn't there I would be surprised. It certainly seemed like it and they were all wonderful. I love those designs. There were models from Hillside Samplings , Homespun Elegance , Carriage House Samplings, La D Da, Erica Michaels ,the Olde Colonial designs and some others I am probably forgetting in the primitive or sampler vein. Stitching tools, cloth, thread, most of the pattern lines from the designers already mentioned plus some of some others. All the brass charms you ever needed for Homespun Elegance seemed to be there. I love these. I have collected some in the past just to collect them. I wish I had remembered to measure some of my pieces I could have gotten some good frames here.
Next stop was Yankee Cross Stitch . More models including some flowers from The Silver Lining , the huge Flower Power from The Crossed Wing , the stunning Alpine Garden Mandala from Chatelaine Designs , Stitchy Kitty , By the Bay ,and others. They had a number of small kits from Heritage. Patterns from Landmark. More cloth, threads and stitching necessities. They were the only vendor to carry Gloriana silks at the show. They also had felt and models for Penny Rug applique things. Could this be the "new" stitching thing to replace Punch needle. I might have missed the punchneedle at Yankee if they had it. I know some other vendors carried punch needle.
Now to the left, into the cup. Our cup has a divider and a top. Shops are lined up along the left, facing them is a center strip with shops along both sides so a person can circle the room then find 2 more shops in front of them (the top) as they turn right to head for the doors .
The left side:
Heart's Content Stunning models. All over 1 thread. Cloth of the ghods: Glenshee linen. Scissors, pewter pin cushions, wooden scissors blocks, laying tools, beaded pins, beaded threaders and according to the brochure: scrimshaw. I missed the scrimshaw in the mix of wonderful things and stunning models.
Brit Stitch Models weren't so stunning as many were just framed laminated chart pictures, something I admit I have been tempted to do at home because I don't stitch fast enough. Oh heart be still! Michael Powell charts and kits. Amanda Loverseed Cut thru's! There were Valerie Pfeiffer, Historical Sampler Company, some needlepoint kits from Vervaco, Tiddles! , lights, magnifiers, cute perforateds from Nutmeg along with some tiny model houses, bellpull hardware and Rowandean embroidery kits. Of course they were sold out of 1 Cut Thru I absolutely LOVED but didn't have yet.
I'm not mentioning it here because I
don't want to cause a run on it. I'll tell you AFTER I get mine. 
Otherwise, just check out the series and pick your own favorites.
Crossed Wing Models of THE best bird cross stitch. Ever. Brit Stitch has cute birds doing cute things. These birds are wonderful in more realistic detail. Also present was their line of fantastically dyed cloth. The only thing about their packets of cloth was that the cuts were smaller than most of my projects which would use them. They were most likely cut for Crossed Wing projects which is understandable but they would be great colors for so many other patterns.
Scandinavian Stitches Most things Danish was next. There is a relaxing simple elegance to these designs. Mostly kits. There were some scandinavian reproductions including some charts from Essamplaire. There was a wall of amazing tiny knotted Teresa Layman pieces. Absolutely wonderful but as much as I love many of them: probably never in a million years could I finish one...but then I say that about many of my stitching projects where sadly, that is very true. I prefer to start things.
There were some Olde Willow threads and patterns, not, however the 1 pattern I was looking for. This was a recurring theme for me.
There were fat quarters of assorted Zweigart fabrics: most in the 28-32 count range. There were some issues of At Home with Zweigart magazine which were
surprisingly good content. The first couple of issues were, to put it kindly, not my taste. These later ones were pretty good. I would have bought them as they
came out if I could have seen them then. If you needed bellpull hardware, this was the stop that had the single greatest collection in metal. There were linens
prefinished as placemats or table runners.
We are now standing at the bottom of our 'cup.' We are staring back at 3 rows of shops. We just walked through the row now on our farthest right. Whether we go back up the way we came describing things on our new left or whether we go up the most left we will have to retrace our steps somewhere. That wasn't a problem while shopping. I made at least 3 separate trips. Each was fun. All right, lets go back up the aisle we just came down. The following shops were across from the ones I just mentioned. These upcoming shops are now on our left as we retrace our steps.
Across from Scandanavian Stitches was Doodlin' Around Designs which had THE most wonderful wooden scissors blocks, needle holders, thread holders, laying tools, bellpulls..yes! wooden bellpulls! In addition to scroll frames and patterns of visually serene landscapes. I keep forgetting to get some. I had intended to get some patterns this time but I awestruck at a 7" birch stained Castle bellpull. I don't need to stitch anything to have this beautifully done piece on my wall. Forget the stitching. I am hanging the piece though the piece would be absolutey stunning with some sparkling european styled Martina Weber pieces. Their website doesn't have this piece picture. I felt guilty about being an early shopper, a 1 day shopper and buying their 1 instock piece. I can imagine this wonderful piece flying out of the shop many times over. As it was I barely beat another stitcher to it. Wonderful pieces, fantastic prices for the great workmanship and some very thoughtful design elements. Maybe next time I will remember to pick up the patterns I forgot to get, along with another scissors block or 2 or... I will have to scan the castle bellpull and insert that picture into the blog. I swear I almost squealed when I saw it and heard the price. I am not a squeal kind of person. I couldn't say MINE fast enough but it seems I did because it is sitting beside me right now.
Across from Crossed Wing was Thread Express with lots and lots and lots of threads including threads used in Brazillian work, Alyce Schroth silks, and eterna silks which I haven't seen for a long time. There were general embroidery books on a number of skills. There was punch needle, red workish things and crazy quilting. I came thisclose to finally falling down the rabbit hole of crazy quilting. There was this kit for a crazy quilted chatelaine...it was so very tempting.
Across from half of Brit Stitch was The Bagstitch . The name makes you do a doubletake; the bag -wha? Nevermind the convention sign up in the back of the booth, the front table, side tables, back tables, curtain walls were lined with all things Sajou (Sah-jew) and some felted, mounted tribbles. I didn't ask. I was too busy ooohing and aaaahing over reprints of HTF Sajou accordian cards and old DMC pattern books. Many came home, more will be coming home later. I know some generous french bloggers have posted many of these from their own antique originals but there is something to holding the hard stock books in your hands. The prices aren't that bad. They are certainly more affordable than the antique books and much less fragile. There were also blank booklets, postcards, thread holders, needle cards with assorted Sajou pictures and labels. The 2008 catalogue is impressive in its scope with many more things than were in the booth. I'm saving the catalogue like I have saved catalogues from sampler exhibits, besides, I have a few more reprints I want to order. I still don't know what the felted tribbles were all about.
Continuing along across from the double sectioned Brit Stitch was the double sectioned Needlework Antiques with antique samplers, antique sewing tools, sewing kits and some...antiques in general. Good thing there were some placards reminding the browser that there were layaway plans available. The antiques were wonderful to see but...
Next was Dutch Treat Designs with their great way of using afghan cloth without having to stitch a whole afghan. The models are wonderful. They look like a lot of fun to do. I keep meaning to get a kit and try it but I keep forgetting. I admit, I have some TableTopper patterns in my stash but I have to track down the cloth. Remind me to just buy some of the kits! It would be easier. These would also be a welcome break from the 36 and 40 count projects I work on. Also present were charts and kits to reproduction victorian perforated paper mottos. I am sorry I forgot to come back for at least 1 kit before I left.
Holding down the corner just across from the first door was J Designs where I get my annual first scissors of the show fix. I pack my checkbook for this stop. Aside from assorted stitching notions, lotions, there are lots and lots of Hardanger patterns. Wonderful Hardanger models.
We are back at the top of the cup where the handle meets the cup and its lid. Do you want the 2 shops in the lid first or do you want to go down the next and last row? Bwahahaha neither. We're walking back to the bottom of the cup and we will walk back up from there to the top then out. Why? Because its the way I remember it best. Its the way I did it each of 3 trips into the ballroom. It makes sense when you're walking it. I just didn't want to play a zigzagging ping pong game working my way down in the descriptions.
Back at the bottom of the cup, imagine that we've just visited Scandanavian Stitches and scored the Castle bellpull from Doodlin', we are now on the other side of the curtain from Doodlin' but we are starting at the wall on the far left because it has...drumroll, please... DISCOUNTED THINGS! Oh yessss.
Chris's Collection, a shop in Southwick, Masschusetts has their overflow a few feet away from the actual booth. I was mourning the absence of the legendary boxes of discounted patterns and kits from the absent Sunflower Samplings shop which used to come to Celebrations along with tons of discounted Vera Bradley bags which was literally an opening stampeded every year. No Bradley stampede but this discount table held a number of treasures. Those of us who found them and may still be finding them can gently fondle them and chuckle. Or gloat. I couldn't get near one of the boxes until my third and last trip into the room and there were still treasures to be found. The shop's booth held assorted patterns from themed patterns through the primitive design spectrum including many cuts of cloth for the likes of Blackbird Designs, Glendon Place, Birds of a Feather and others. There were threads. There were stitching accessories and notions. There was also an intriguing new use for "our old roach clips" as said and demonstrated by a surprising source. What do you mean 'our,' Kemo Sabe?
There are now such things as thread separators. These
are in effect, un-corders. In these cases, decorative heavy enough metal pressed motifs attached to an alligator clip which holds one end of a twist fiber
while our fingers hold one ply at the other end. The fiber magically untwists without leaving a scrunched up wad'o thread.
Next to Chris was The French Needle This was the single most dangerous stop for me. Surprisingly so. The same books and charts pictured on the website look okay but one can't see the contents. I don't know about you but I am not about to drop between 20 and 40 dollars on just a cover and a short subjective blurb. Having some of these wonderful books and charts in my hands was a totally different matter. I could have easily spent much more here if it was in my budget. There were the most amazing antique scissors here. Some of the prices of the reproduction scissors were in line with Dovo Scissors prices which I will have to remember in the future.
Gitta's from Canada was next. I know I have used amazing a lot but there were AMAZING models stitched on 40 ct silk gauze this booth. There were sets of displays showing the same pattern stitched on different counts and kinds of cloths. The Bird of Paradise on black was dramatic to say the least. I loved the giant bird on 28 count 2 years ago. This one, stitched on gauze was something else again. This was the only shop to have an assortment of small Italian pattern booklets. My brain is starting to melt...was this the booth with the beautiful sparkling biscornu? I think it was. While I love designs used on biscornu I am not a fan of biscornu. Seeing these I could become one if I had stopped to stare at them much longer. Let's move along.
Mimi's Attic has always found ways to part me from my funds. They had many models for Rosewood Manor , Fern Ridge Collections (hit mute before you click, trust me), JBW , and My Big Toe Designs . The models, as always, were great. They are always different from the rest of the shops. Were there notions here? By this point around the room some memories are starting to blur.
It could also be from forgetting to eat all day, never getting to my second cup of coffee and it is now past 9:30 pm EST. That's what a great day of shopping, running into stitching friends, putting online names to faces and making new acquaintances will do! We're not done yet.
The rest is quick.
Last stop in this row, now back at the top of the cup: Jar Designs A new line of cotton threads and cloth that I discovered at Celebrations last year. They certainly do have a wide range of colors and a set of values in each color. That is very handy. The fabric is lower counts and aida. They also have a design line. Now I understand the fight between y'all and ya'll.
The top of the cup, the room, contains two shops. Starting with the one closest to us right now, farthest away from the entry doors is a new shop: Sweet Pea's out of Plymouth, MA. Another reason to bring your checkbook. Here be beaded jewelry, beaded fobs, silver charms, sewn tote bags, aprons, great quality hoops, assorted Tristan Brooks items, crewel kits, models and kits from Elizabeth Designs , and ...WTH?
socks? Not knitted. Socks. Socks with things written on them. Sorry, but I'm not
getting close enough to read anybody's feet. I don't care who you are.
Running away from the scary socks heading towards the door, continuing on the left is The Quilted Crow Lots of Quilty stuff, cloth, etc and Punchneedle. Since I do neither of these and my budget has been spent, I am out of here. If you quilt or want to quilt, this stop had a lot of interesting cloth. I was talking to a stitcher who wanted to get one last dash into the vendor area to hit this stop again.
I made three long trips in, divided by trips to the car, talks with other stitchers and a visit up to the stitchers lounge. First trip into the room was shopping and drawing my map of shops. Second trip in was note taking and just a little bit more of shopping. Third and final trip in was soaking in as many models before my eyeballs fell out and just a last little bit more of shopping.
I was originally planning on heading up to my first trip to ABC but I also thought I would have been done with Celebrations by noontime or 2 at the latest. It was 4 when I was climbing into the car. If I had any budget left I would have taken the pilgrimage up to ABC but that will have to wait for another day.
If you are reading this and Celebrations is still running and you are withing driving distance: stop reading, get in the car and GO. If it's too late at night, wish me goodnight and plan on going tomorrow. Now I'll also bid goodnight before I press the wrong button and lose 3 hours of typing.
I made it this time. I was early for the Shopping Floor. I could have joined the pre opening walk through but I didn't. I didn't expect there would be any vendors I wanted to stake out, unlike last year. From the crowd I saw leaving the ballroom to descend packlike on Olde Colonial Designs, it looked like fewer people than last year were taking part in the walk through.
The shopping area is set up like a cup with an unattached handle. You enter into the area of the handle bottom. On your left is the booth to pay the entry fee, drop your name into the door prize bag or buy raffle tickets for the raffle items lined up on the tables along your right. There were some really nice bundles then there was also one basket which made you go "huh? who had the gift card to spend on the dollar bin of kid's coloring craft items at ACMoore and why did they think this was a good idea for a stitching raffle item?" I didn't buy any raffle tickets this year. I never won in previous years though that wasn't my only reason. The real reason was that I forgot. I was so shopped out when I left that I completely forgot. I also forgot to travel a long bit further North to visit ABC Stitch Therapy in Grantham which had extended hours and a sale this weekend. Being on the north side of Nashua, I was already halfway there but I was shopped out.
Continuing up the cup handle, the first shop encountered is Olde Colonial Designs . Many frames, boxes, stitching caskets, tuck pillows. Many great models. Fantastic Drawn Thread models. That casket holding the newest patterns is amazing in person. Toccata 4, the alphabet series, Marriage of the Minds, Toccata 3, were amazing. If the entire line up of DT wasn't there I would be surprised. It certainly seemed like it and they were all wonderful. I love those designs. There were models from Hillside Samplings , Homespun Elegance , Carriage House Samplings, La D Da, Erica Michaels ,the Olde Colonial designs and some others I am probably forgetting in the primitive or sampler vein. Stitching tools, cloth, thread, most of the pattern lines from the designers already mentioned plus some of some others. All the brass charms you ever needed for Homespun Elegance seemed to be there. I love these. I have collected some in the past just to collect them. I wish I had remembered to measure some of my pieces I could have gotten some good frames here.
Next stop was Yankee Cross Stitch . More models including some flowers from The Silver Lining , the huge Flower Power from The Crossed Wing , the stunning Alpine Garden Mandala from Chatelaine Designs , Stitchy Kitty , By the Bay ,and others. They had a number of small kits from Heritage. Patterns from Landmark. More cloth, threads and stitching necessities. They were the only vendor to carry Gloriana silks at the show. They also had felt and models for Penny Rug applique things. Could this be the "new" stitching thing to replace Punch needle. I might have missed the punchneedle at Yankee if they had it. I know some other vendors carried punch needle.
Now to the left, into the cup. Our cup has a divider and a top. Shops are lined up along the left, facing them is a center strip with shops along both sides so a person can circle the room then find 2 more shops in front of them (the top) as they turn right to head for the doors .
The left side:
Heart's Content Stunning models. All over 1 thread. Cloth of the ghods: Glenshee linen. Scissors, pewter pin cushions, wooden scissors blocks, laying tools, beaded pins, beaded threaders and according to the brochure: scrimshaw. I missed the scrimshaw in the mix of wonderful things and stunning models.
Brit Stitch Models weren't so stunning as many were just framed laminated chart pictures, something I admit I have been tempted to do at home because I don't stitch fast enough. Oh heart be still! Michael Powell charts and kits. Amanda Loverseed Cut thru's! There were Valerie Pfeiffer, Historical Sampler Company, some needlepoint kits from Vervaco, Tiddles! , lights, magnifiers, cute perforateds from Nutmeg along with some tiny model houses, bellpull hardware and Rowandean embroidery kits. Of course they were sold out of 1 Cut Thru I absolutely LOVED but didn't have yet.
I'm not mentioning it here because I
don't want to cause a run on it. I'll tell you AFTER I get mine.
Otherwise, just check out the series and pick your own favorites.
Crossed Wing Models of THE best bird cross stitch. Ever. Brit Stitch has cute birds doing cute things. These birds are wonderful in more realistic detail. Also present was their line of fantastically dyed cloth. The only thing about their packets of cloth was that the cuts were smaller than most of my projects which would use them. They were most likely cut for Crossed Wing projects which is understandable but they would be great colors for so many other patterns.
Scandinavian Stitches Most things Danish was next. There is a relaxing simple elegance to these designs. Mostly kits. There were some scandinavian reproductions including some charts from Essamplaire. There was a wall of amazing tiny knotted Teresa Layman pieces. Absolutely wonderful but as much as I love many of them: probably never in a million years could I finish one...but then I say that about many of my stitching projects where sadly, that is very true. I prefer to start things.
There were some Olde Willow threads and patterns, not, however the 1 pattern I was looking for. This was a recurring theme for me.
There were fat quarters of assorted Zweigart fabrics: most in the 28-32 count range. There were some issues of At Home with Zweigart magazine which were
surprisingly good content. The first couple of issues were, to put it kindly, not my taste. These later ones were pretty good. I would have bought them as they
came out if I could have seen them then. If you needed bellpull hardware, this was the stop that had the single greatest collection in metal. There were linens
prefinished as placemats or table runners.
We are now standing at the bottom of our 'cup.' We are staring back at 3 rows of shops. We just walked through the row now on our farthest right. Whether we go back up the way we came describing things on our new left or whether we go up the most left we will have to retrace our steps somewhere. That wasn't a problem while shopping. I made at least 3 separate trips. Each was fun. All right, lets go back up the aisle we just came down. The following shops were across from the ones I just mentioned. These upcoming shops are now on our left as we retrace our steps.
Across from Scandanavian Stitches was Doodlin' Around Designs which had THE most wonderful wooden scissors blocks, needle holders, thread holders, laying tools, bellpulls..yes! wooden bellpulls! In addition to scroll frames and patterns of visually serene landscapes. I keep forgetting to get some. I had intended to get some patterns this time but I awestruck at a 7" birch stained Castle bellpull. I don't need to stitch anything to have this beautifully done piece on my wall. Forget the stitching. I am hanging the piece though the piece would be absolutey stunning with some sparkling european styled Martina Weber pieces. Their website doesn't have this piece picture. I felt guilty about being an early shopper, a 1 day shopper and buying their 1 instock piece. I can imagine this wonderful piece flying out of the shop many times over. As it was I barely beat another stitcher to it. Wonderful pieces, fantastic prices for the great workmanship and some very thoughtful design elements. Maybe next time I will remember to pick up the patterns I forgot to get, along with another scissors block or 2 or... I will have to scan the castle bellpull and insert that picture into the blog. I swear I almost squealed when I saw it and heard the price. I am not a squeal kind of person. I couldn't say MINE fast enough but it seems I did because it is sitting beside me right now.
Across from Crossed Wing was Thread Express with lots and lots and lots of threads including threads used in Brazillian work, Alyce Schroth silks, and eterna silks which I haven't seen for a long time. There were general embroidery books on a number of skills. There was punch needle, red workish things and crazy quilting. I came thisclose to finally falling down the rabbit hole of crazy quilting. There was this kit for a crazy quilted chatelaine...it was so very tempting.
Across from half of Brit Stitch was The Bagstitch . The name makes you do a doubletake; the bag -wha? Nevermind the convention sign up in the back of the booth, the front table, side tables, back tables, curtain walls were lined with all things Sajou (Sah-jew) and some felted, mounted tribbles. I didn't ask. I was too busy ooohing and aaaahing over reprints of HTF Sajou accordian cards and old DMC pattern books. Many came home, more will be coming home later. I know some generous french bloggers have posted many of these from their own antique originals but there is something to holding the hard stock books in your hands. The prices aren't that bad. They are certainly more affordable than the antique books and much less fragile. There were also blank booklets, postcards, thread holders, needle cards with assorted Sajou pictures and labels. The 2008 catalogue is impressive in its scope with many more things than were in the booth. I'm saving the catalogue like I have saved catalogues from sampler exhibits, besides, I have a few more reprints I want to order. I still don't know what the felted tribbles were all about.
Continuing along across from the double sectioned Brit Stitch was the double sectioned Needlework Antiques with antique samplers, antique sewing tools, sewing kits and some...antiques in general. Good thing there were some placards reminding the browser that there were layaway plans available. The antiques were wonderful to see but...
Next was Dutch Treat Designs with their great way of using afghan cloth without having to stitch a whole afghan. The models are wonderful. They look like a lot of fun to do. I keep meaning to get a kit and try it but I keep forgetting. I admit, I have some TableTopper patterns in my stash but I have to track down the cloth. Remind me to just buy some of the kits! It would be easier. These would also be a welcome break from the 36 and 40 count projects I work on. Also present were charts and kits to reproduction victorian perforated paper mottos. I am sorry I forgot to come back for at least 1 kit before I left.
Holding down the corner just across from the first door was J Designs where I get my annual first scissors of the show fix. I pack my checkbook for this stop. Aside from assorted stitching notions, lotions, there are lots and lots of Hardanger patterns. Wonderful Hardanger models.
We are back at the top of the cup where the handle meets the cup and its lid. Do you want the 2 shops in the lid first or do you want to go down the next and last row? Bwahahaha neither. We're walking back to the bottom of the cup and we will walk back up from there to the top then out. Why? Because its the way I remember it best. Its the way I did it each of 3 trips into the ballroom. It makes sense when you're walking it. I just didn't want to play a zigzagging ping pong game working my way down in the descriptions.
Back at the bottom of the cup, imagine that we've just visited Scandanavian Stitches and scored the Castle bellpull from Doodlin', we are now on the other side of the curtain from Doodlin' but we are starting at the wall on the far left because it has...drumroll, please... DISCOUNTED THINGS! Oh yessss.
Chris's Collection, a shop in Southwick, Masschusetts has their overflow a few feet away from the actual booth. I was mourning the absence of the legendary boxes of discounted patterns and kits from the absent Sunflower Samplings shop which used to come to Celebrations along with tons of discounted Vera Bradley bags which was literally an opening stampeded every year. No Bradley stampede but this discount table held a number of treasures. Those of us who found them and may still be finding them can gently fondle them and chuckle. Or gloat. I couldn't get near one of the boxes until my third and last trip into the room and there were still treasures to be found. The shop's booth held assorted patterns from themed patterns through the primitive design spectrum including many cuts of cloth for the likes of Blackbird Designs, Glendon Place, Birds of a Feather and others. There were threads. There were stitching accessories and notions. There was also an intriguing new use for "our old roach clips" as said and demonstrated by a surprising source. What do you mean 'our,' Kemo Sabe?
There are now such things as thread separators. These
are in effect, un-corders. In these cases, decorative heavy enough metal pressed motifs attached to an alligator clip which holds one end of a twist fiber
while our fingers hold one ply at the other end. The fiber magically untwists without leaving a scrunched up wad'o thread.
Next to Chris was The French Needle This was the single most dangerous stop for me. Surprisingly so. The same books and charts pictured on the website look okay but one can't see the contents. I don't know about you but I am not about to drop between 20 and 40 dollars on just a cover and a short subjective blurb. Having some of these wonderful books and charts in my hands was a totally different matter. I could have easily spent much more here if it was in my budget. There were the most amazing antique scissors here. Some of the prices of the reproduction scissors were in line with Dovo Scissors prices which I will have to remember in the future.
Gitta's from Canada was next. I know I have used amazing a lot but there were AMAZING models stitched on 40 ct silk gauze this booth. There were sets of displays showing the same pattern stitched on different counts and kinds of cloths. The Bird of Paradise on black was dramatic to say the least. I loved the giant bird on 28 count 2 years ago. This one, stitched on gauze was something else again. This was the only shop to have an assortment of small Italian pattern booklets. My brain is starting to melt...was this the booth with the beautiful sparkling biscornu? I think it was. While I love designs used on biscornu I am not a fan of biscornu. Seeing these I could become one if I had stopped to stare at them much longer. Let's move along.
Mimi's Attic has always found ways to part me from my funds. They had many models for Rosewood Manor , Fern Ridge Collections (hit mute before you click, trust me), JBW , and My Big Toe Designs . The models, as always, were great. They are always different from the rest of the shops. Were there notions here? By this point around the room some memories are starting to blur.
It could also be from forgetting to eat all day, never getting to my second cup of coffee and it is now past 9:30 pm EST. That's what a great day of shopping, running into stitching friends, putting online names to faces and making new acquaintances will do! We're not done yet.
The rest is quick.
Last stop in this row, now back at the top of the cup: Jar Designs A new line of cotton threads and cloth that I discovered at Celebrations last year. They certainly do have a wide range of colors and a set of values in each color. That is very handy. The fabric is lower counts and aida. They also have a design line. Now I understand the fight between y'all and ya'll.
The top of the cup, the room, contains two shops. Starting with the one closest to us right now, farthest away from the entry doors is a new shop: Sweet Pea's out of Plymouth, MA. Another reason to bring your checkbook. Here be beaded jewelry, beaded fobs, silver charms, sewn tote bags, aprons, great quality hoops, assorted Tristan Brooks items, crewel kits, models and kits from Elizabeth Designs , and ...WTH?
socks? Not knitted. Socks. Socks with things written on them. Sorry, but I'm not
getting close enough to read anybody's feet. I don't care who you are.
Running away from the scary socks heading towards the door, continuing on the left is The Quilted Crow Lots of Quilty stuff, cloth, etc and Punchneedle. Since I do neither of these and my budget has been spent, I am out of here. If you quilt or want to quilt, this stop had a lot of interesting cloth. I was talking to a stitcher who wanted to get one last dash into the vendor area to hit this stop again.
I made three long trips in, divided by trips to the car, talks with other stitchers and a visit up to the stitchers lounge. First trip into the room was shopping and drawing my map of shops. Second trip in was note taking and just a little bit more of shopping. Third and final trip in was soaking in as many models before my eyeballs fell out and just a last little bit more of shopping.
I was originally planning on heading up to my first trip to ABC but I also thought I would have been done with Celebrations by noontime or 2 at the latest. It was 4 when I was climbing into the car. If I had any budget left I would have taken the pilgrimage up to ABC but that will have to wait for another day.
If you are reading this and Celebrations is still running and you are withing driving distance: stop reading, get in the car and GO. If it's too late at night, wish me goodnight and plan on going tomorrow. Now I'll also bid goodnight before I press the wrong button and lose 3 hours of typing.
Last edited by: Mips 04/30/09 18:27:12.
Edited 3 times.
Comments
Posted: 04/30/09 19:55:15
Posted: 05/01/09 04:00:40
I almost didn't go this year. The past couple of years I went around the vendor area within 2 hours and I was done. There were some different mixes of vendors and wares this year. Although there were some I had absolutely no or very little interest in there were others where I spent a lot of time. Unlike some previous years, the time was not spent in checkout lines. Maybe most people were in classes but I don't think even the preshow walk around had as many people as last year. I am so glad they opened the market area on Thursday. It was an easier day for me to schedule.
Posted: 05/01/09 09:24:20
Your Local Independent Shops need your support!
Posted: 05/01/09 14:21:34
The items I bought would not have been available through a shop order. One of my shopping criteria was in not getting something that my local shop could get for me. The exception to that was something that was deeply discounted at Celebrations.
A few points you should consider are that some of the shops at Celebrations ARE local shops in other parts of Massachusetts, NH and across the country. Festivals do suck some of the available local discretionary funds but there were a lot of people in from across New England and farther out. There were PA, NY, NJ plates just in the small area where I was parked. People fly in to see their friends from other parts of the country. Now whose local shops are you thinking about?