Pumpkins Tomorrow

We will be needle felting pumpkins tomorrow. We currently have 3 signed up, so there is room for 3  more! come on down at 1.

Window displays now showing...

 I am so impressed with the work of this knitter, Janet Duerst, 1920-2013. She knit these in the 1940's and I would wear any one of them this moment, 70 years later! What an artist!

 A closer look at the top to the suit below...

and a little pastel reminder about joining us for Tea at 3 sometime soon.
Slippers will greet you on the way in!

Classes and Group meeting times

I have had several requests to post the following, so here goes;

September/October Class and Meeting Schedules 
                              

Learn to Spin Yarn on a spindle. A ‘drop in’ class. 1 hour long. $5. Open 9-1 Saturdays.

Learn to Sew a pot holder. Basic skills, useful item. Sept. 25^th, 1-3 p.m. $15

Spinning –Sept 7  10 a.m.-3 p.m.

Quilt Club – Sept. 10^th   6-8 p.m.

Spinning Sept. 19^th   3-6 p.m.

Art Quilts – Sept 23    5:30 -7 p.m.

September Block of the Month = Log Cabin. Turn in finished block by noon Oct. 1

 

Quilting 101 – From the beginning, for beginners. 3 week course. $65   9-12 a.m., Oct. 12, 19, 26

Needle Felt a Pumpkin! $10  Oct. 10, 11-12 a.m. and 1-2 p.m.

Thread Flowers- Oct. 22, 1-2 p.m., $10

Mixed Media Art Quilt – Oct. 24 and 31     1-4 p.m.   $75/2 sessions

Free Motion Thread Leaves  Oct. 30, 11-12 a.m., $10

Spinning – Oct 17   3-6 p.m.

Art Quilts – Oct. 28   5:30-7 p.m.

Oct. Block of tlhe Month=Maple Leaf. Turn in finished block by noon, Nov. 1, to be included in the drawing.

Complimentary Tea @ 3 served Tuesday through Friday

The latest new stock...

 Today's delivery included sheep adorning an umbrella!

 At the Molson Quilt Show this past weekend I found these paper-pieced greeting cards!

 More of the hand created greeting cards and a crocheted 'tea service' gifted to me by a lovely weaver person!

Gift box floss and boutique collection floss.  

 Icy blue selection of embroidery floss and a couple Christmas reds and green.

 Notions and pattern board on the quilting side of BHnS.

 I went to an estate sale this weekend and found this lovely sample for the store. Doesn't everyone start their crochet career learning the Granny Square? I sure did!

            Found these vintage pillow cases at the estate sale, pre-stamped, ready to embroider.

 The humongous 8' sign that will be perched VERY securely on the roof of the shop.

 Rick and I wrangled the couch onto the truck and into the store this morning. The sitting area is now complete! Bring your wheels, hooks or needles and try the comfy furniture out!

 Tea cups all polished up, displayed and ready for action Saturday!

 The Vault is coming right along, just need to add a couple of lamps for much needed lighting, and a comfortable chair or two.
We are getting there!

End of August? Already?

August 2013 has come and gone? I had no idea setting up a 1200 sq. ft. shop would take a month-and more! Here are pix of the latest progress. And, ready or not, Bell, Hook and Spindle will officially, quietly, open its door this coming Saturday, September 7th! Please excuse the remaining clutter, and perhaps a slight gap or two in stock. I will receive two large orders in the shop tomorrow, and have yet to finalize one more 'biggie' order for the Quilting side of the store.
In honor of opening, The Charlotte Connection Spinners will come and christen the comfy seating area. They are bringing 'goodies' to snack on and I am providing my famous 5 gallons of ice tea. I may try my hand at the bloomin' tea as well, for my mentor/friend Joann (who used to own a bakery) is bringing a selection of 3 tea cookies, one of which, she told me, is lemon flavored. I might be too busy munching to actually spin?
So, if you have plans to come and see Bell, Hook and Spindle, this Saturday would be a taste of what we will soon be. If you want to wait until I know how to run the till, serve the tea, all the shelves are stocked, and the quilting machine is up and running, wait until mid-October when we will be Grand Opening celebrating with open house, catered snacks, sales and specials. If you would like to be notified by email, just send me your info and I will be sure and let you know a couple weeks beforehand, when we set the date.
Send email to: weber.lindy@gmail.com

 Cascade Yarn is loaded in the bins.

 Rick, since this pic, has the top on the check out counter. We will finish by tomorrow!

Class offerings will be on the wall with date and cost. There will Block of the Month activity as well.
Hope you visit soon!

Shop Update

Bell, Hook & Spindle has shelving! Almost all of it, now. And I have even begun the fun part of displaying and stuffing shelves and book racks. Here is a quick peek.

Shelves waiting for commercial yarns.

Wall of hand spun skeins.

The Quilting Side of things.

Best laid plans...

Progress on the shop refurbishing is coming right along-but not at nearly the pace I had in mind. Still, today I will finish up the vault re-paint and move on to the back room and the painting of those walls. The back room will be Rick's wood working shop. We will wait to do the floors, to match the main shop floors, until the very end of the setup program so it will be in good shape for open house.
Meanwhile, everything that was crammed back there has come out into the main shop. The sheer mass of stuff that was crammed in back there!

Some people have seen the shop space empty and asked how in the world we would fill it all up...

 I can tell them, "No problem!"

 

 And there is still a mid-arm quilting machine to place near the back wall...on its 8 foot table! And don't forget the check out counter, desk, couch, two chairs, two rockers, tea vanity...

And this is my resting/pricing station. Isn't the floor great! Meanwhile, 'back at the home place'.

 Rick has been producing the pieces and parts that make up the shelving units we will use.
My job is to stain it all!

 This is the ellipse Rick has cut and painted for the huge Bell, Hook and Spindle sign that will hang up high above the building. We want people to be able to find us!

Next in line to be fabricated are my 'ladders'. Yardage will hang from them. I will take pix when they are complete and loaded. It will make more sense once you see it.
So, the saga continues and I hope we live to tell about it!

REAL Brick & Mortar!

 

This lovely old building is the perfect architectural fit for the flavor of Bell, Hook and Spindle, with its copper clad windows and literal brick and mortar! The huge 'brown thing' across the front of the building is all uncleaned copper. The scores of small squares at the top of the picture are 4", all original, all copper-clad panes of glass. This building must have been quite a beauty in its day.

This shows the progress of painting away the powder blue walls into the 'egg wash' white Rick chose. There are several stories floating about town about why there is a vault in the store, but all seem to agree there never has been a bank in this building. My aunt and uncle owned this building for a while and told me the vault had been used as a bedroom, an office, storage, and possibly as a vault when there was a jewelry store here. I think Hidden Talents had the best and most innovative use for the vault as an art gallery. Bell, Hook and Spindle will house some art, the spinning wheels, looms and antique wood working tools for sale.

As you can tell, the ceiling was in dire need of freshening!

 And we neutralized everything else.

Until we got to the floor...

What fun I had with the paint and sprinkles!

So, things are progressing! By this weekend we hope to begin putting together all the shelving units Rick has been building. Then all things from the back room version of Bell, Hook and Spindle, and everything crammed into the vault will be brought into the clean, new space. Then the ceiling/walls/flooring refurbishing will be repeated in the back room and a little in the vault. So far we've come. So far to go! But I am still working hard to make a September Grand Re-opening! Wish us luck!

Is it Christmas?

 Stock is flooding in! We love the sound of the UPS, FedEx and USPS vehicles pulling into our driveway...

 I made Meg Hawkey's Winter Wonderland in blues several years back. It is an incredibly beautiful quilt pattern!

 I might have to make a sample of Snow Flurries as well, don't you think? :?}

I am in awe of shop owners that carry a broad selection of totally varied fabric styles. I want to shop for what I like/love! I know I will have to get beyond that... so, what style of fabric do you buy most often?

Things, they are a'changin...

Next week husband Rick and I will sign the lease for Bell, Hook & Spindle's new home. Meanwhile I am finishing up an ending inventory, which becomes our starting inventory. I have begun our wholesale purchasing. Rick has found a couple more antique spinning wheels for us, but is all about store fixture building at this time. There are business accounts to set up or shift, fixtures to buy, books on retailing to read, moments of terror, days of excitement...
Meanwhile, life as we know it continues. Last Saturday was our spinning group meeting up in Tonasket. One of the spinners took this picture of me and Slippers. I had to place a finger behind her ears to get them 'up', as they were firmly planted 'down' in disgust for being held on her backside. Have I told you she is a princess? But such a pretty princess!

Coming soon!

     My 'boss', husband Rick, is a stickler for keeping records and doing things right, so yesterday and today are ending inventory days. When I finish, we will have a fresh start for Bell, Hook & Spindle. The way things are working out, we will sign the rental agreement for August 1st occupation. I will go in and start the eggshell white painting of all the walls. Rick is beginning to construct the display cases I have asked for. We will be closed the entire month of August getting the store ready for its Grand Re-opening. Yay!!!
     I had a customer in the other day that sat on a stool eye-ing the wool batt selection as I told her of our plans to expand into the entire store. She nodded and said, "Good! Because it is a bit claustrophobic back here!" And she is right! You have to be in the actual space to grasp how much I have crammed into that small backroom!  When we spread out, and fill in, the store will still be pretty full! I have purchased a mid-arm quilting machine for public rental. I will have my personal sewing machine set up in a corner for teaching classes and demos. Of course there will be a sitting area with a couch, 2 big chairs and 2 rockers on a carpeted area for spinning, knitting, crocheting, and Tea @ 3. There is space for class tables, 1 or 2 as needed. One half of the store will be quilting related, the other half, fiber arts. Can you tell I am so very excited about working on our dream? 
    Meanwhile, back at home, I have our Angora producing stock, Slippers is in her mansion, being waited on hand and foot. I am looking forward to the day she is ready to let go of her coat! The breeder showed me how to sheer her if I choose to 'harvest' that way, but meanwhile I have been combing her coat to make sure she stays clean and fluffy. She has lovely gray fur, white belly, white tail (if you can find it!), clean face from the Rex side of her breeding. Her 3 colored fur is called agouti. If I sheer her, and carefully lay out the clips to spin from, I am supposed to be able to get a little variegation going in the yarn. How neat is that?
     So, if you ever pass through Tonasket, WA, be sure to stop in and say, "Hi!".

Speed of Light!

I am sure I am not alone in thinking time passes so quickly-even more quickly when the days are packed with activities and tasks! While the ANWG Conference (Weavers) was a 1 1/2 day set up, 3 day show, 1 1/2 day take down and long drive home, it went so quickly-in hindsight!
  
What an exciting parade of people in their woven creations; scarves, shawls, bags, coats, vests, belts, sashes...so beautiful, creative, some absolutely stunning. Had 3 adventurous persons buy the Bison fluff. One plan was to spin lace weight and make a shawl! Would love to see that one! 

I had a doctor appointment upon my return and I was amazed I had not gained weight...not only since last year, but since this last week's cafeteria offerings! It must have been the walking from dorm to cafeteria to vendor mall to cafeteria to dorm each day. I didn't move my truck from its space at the dorm once I had received a ticket for parking any place else. :?{  I met lots of fun people and let them know where to find Bell, Hook & Spindle!
 And, I have installed my first fuzz machine in my office. Her name is Slippers, an Angora/Rex cross, that will provide fluff for me to spin. She is super calm, gorgeous colors and will make an excellent shop mascot. Once she is settled into our new shop and comfortable with me and everyone else, I may have to find a friend for her, who will be named Fu Fu, of course. And then...a date with an English Angora buck, perhaps? A few of Slipper's tales will be posted on the Living With Loki page on this blog.

10, 9, 8, 7...

I am into the countdown mode regarding the Weaver's Conference in Bellingham this week. Tomorrow I pack, I mean PACK, my truck with all my earthly wooliness, all day, until I drop. Wednesday morning I rise and shine and head for the North Cascades route over to the West Side of Washington State. I am more than slightly pumped for this trip and experience. I have never vended a Weaver's Conference before and reading what the other vendors are offering I can tell it might be 'dangerous' for me to leave my booth...it seems there will be many unique treasures available. Oh, dear...
So, wish me luck if you live far away. And come come say, "Hi", if you live close enough to do so!
Have a good evening!
Lindy

Which way is up?

Is there anything more exciting and simultaneously terrifying than deciding to open a brick and mortar to house your dream? We are looking at buildings, doing the math, continuing to research, buying stock and equipment (so far, a rigid heddle loom, and a mid-arm quilting machine).
Meanwhile, back at the back room version of Bell, Hook & Spindle, some classes are being taken from me, some wool is going out the door and a spinning group has been born. Just to make sure I am totally exhausted at all times, I booked myself for four shows to be a vendor at-two down and two more to go. This weekend I babysit Sally's shop (and mine)

Meet Bahb!

while she gets a much needed break. The weekend after this I am at Whitworth College in Spokane, WA at a spinner's conference. Two weeks after that I am in Bellingham, WA vending a weaver's conference. By then we should have a building to come home to and begin filling it up and getting ready to open! Which brings me right back to my opening line regarding excitement and terror... :?}

Gifts and Grammas

This evening I miss my Gramma Keagle...I was a fairly 'good girl' today and accomplished the dishes/dusting/vacuuming mantra which in turn 'entitled' me to spin. I have been working with 50/50 Blue Face Leicester and Tussah Silk. It spun fairly thin and I got to thinking that a two-ply would make lovely socks-if I only knew how to make socks! That made me think wistfully and lovingly about my Gramma K.    
That woman made bread by touch, propagated African violets like nobodies' business, and could/would knit or crochet anything a grand child asked for. Yes, my sister and I really took advantage of that fact as teenagers. Our favorite remembrance is when my sis stopped by Gramma's on the way to High School and asked her to whip up a little 'bun holder' in a color to match her outfit. (The in-thing back then was to put your hair in a pony tail, then place the crocheted little net-like piece over the wadded up hair to make a bun). Fifteen minutes later, my freshly bunned sister was off to school.

My request was much later, and much larger. I was working on appliqueing old crocheted doilies onto quilt blocks and decided this quilt would HAVE to have crocheted lace edging on the entire outer edge... I found a delicate, gorgeous pineapple pattern that seemed perfect and went to see Gramma. She looked over the pattern and said, "I swore I would never work a number 7 hook again in my life!". But she did, for me. There was a slight catch though. She insisted she wouldn't do this lace for me unless I learned to do it as well, in case she died mid-construction. She was in her late 80's then and lived to be 95. We agreed she would do three sides and I would do one side.

What a gift that lace was! Not just the fact she made it for me, but the fact she insisted I learn to do it. I would take my ever growing length of pineapple lace out to a coffee shop or restaurant, order a cup of tea and brazenly lay the work out for one and all passers-by to admire as I crocheted. Honestly, I milked the praise and admiration for all it was worth. I was SO proud of me and my lace! That fall I entered my length of lace in the county fair and won a Best of Section rosette. A real 'chest puffer upper'!

Gramma Keagle is gone now, and I will have to find someone else to teach me how to make my own socks. Miss you, Gramma.

Late night surfing...

It is past my bedtime, but here I sit at the pc, surfing. Started at A, found it but that led to B, which trialed off to C and was worth the wander for this John Ruskin quote.

"The highest reward for a man's toil is not what he gets for it but what he becomes by it."

Good night.

'Baby' Bell, Hook and Spindle

I have a little more to do, but here are some pix of the fledgling BHandS 'brick and mortar'.

This door gets to be painted BRIGHTLY and made into a bulletin board entry to the store.

 Hidden Talents owner, Sally Rose, took this great shot of my newest addition to STOCK, cute lambs. (lambs, stock, get it?)

The shelving for the pincushions is old dresser drawers sanded and stained.

Wall of wool and hand dyed fabric.

VERY tall ceilings offer lots of display space.

The spinning corner will have two wheels, two chairs, and be the space people can try out the wheels and spinning.

Wall of Wool Yarns...

Bins of bumps!
And yet to be homed, roving and braids.
Today is Woolly Day at the store, so I am off to demo all things woolly! Hope you have a good one.