got craft :: DIY table

Make sure to check out the Spool of Thread DIY area on stage at the Got Craft holiday show! This year, Spool of Thread will be on hand to teach you how to hand sew flower pins, using felt, fabric and their famous button bowl! Depending on the materials selected, the pins can be festive for the holidays, like the Poinsettia in the image, or less seasonal and great for year round!

On Sunday, December 5th, attendees to the event we'll have 6 shades of felt and at least 10 cotton fabrics to select from, making each pin unique to the maker! There will also be complete instructions and Spool of Thread will be there to help, in case you get stuck in the middle of their making!

pdx shop tour :: modern domestic

We were in Portland two weeks ago with Miranda for the Summit of Awesome (more on that later) and kept driving past this studio space. With some afternoon free time, we pulled over and went to discover what this place was all about! Modern Domestic is a new sewing / crafting studio and retail space in Portland by the lovely people from Bolt Boutique. They offer classes in sewing, felting, silk-screening and surface design classes for all skill levels including kids and teens.


Modern Domestic is a loft style, open studio equipped with sewing machines for teaching on both floors. If you have some unfinished projects, but don't have your own sewing machine, machines and tools are available for $8/hr US or pre-pay rate of $50/10 hours. They are also an authorized sales location for Bernina and Janome sewing machines and a service drop off point for all other major machine brands for when your machine needs a good clean or tune up.


Here are a few tips and tricks for maintaining a happy machine from Modern Domestic!

• Never sew over pins! They can damage your machine, causing costly repairs and hurt you too
• Change your needle every other sewing project or ever 8 hours of sewing. Do not use dull or damaged needles. This is the easiest and most inexpensive way to keep your machine running smoothly for years to come
• Do not blow into or use canned air to clean out your machine. Lint flies up and may damage the computer boards. Also, the air can cause condensation in the machine and create problems with rust.
• If you have a computerized machine, be sure to not set a magnetic pincushion ON your machine. Setting one next to your machine is safe.
• Oil your machine ever 12 hours of sewing. To oil, squeeze 2-3 drops of machine oil onto a Q-tip and gently rub the hook race. Run the machine first to prevent oil from soiling your work.

shop tour :: Spool of Thread Sewing Lounge

photo credit: Spool of Thread and Handmade Evolution

Have you checked out the block of East. 15th Avenue between Kingsway and Fraser Street lately? If not, you really need to head over there! Awesome shops such as Collage Collage, RubyDog's Art House and Les Faux Bourgeois have called this strip of Vancouver home for almost a year and now, they are joined by a new kid on the block, Spool of Thread Sewing Lounge.

Spool of Thread is Vancouver's first sewing lounge! What is a Sewing Lounge, you ask? Well, in the words of owner Lili and Henry: Spool of Thread is a modern twist on making. Our retail store will provide the tools and the space you need to create your next sewing project. We will also have a wide selection of unique and hard to find fabrics. Our store will have sewing machines available for pay-by-the-hour rental during our store hours. Along with the sewing machines, sewers will have access to large cutting tables, irons, dress forms and other sewing accessories. The store’s Sewing Lounge will also be used for sewing workshops and classes with instruction from crafters and sewing experts.

Want to keep up to date on all the news including upcoming workshops? Subscribe to their newsletter by visiting their website or follow them on twitter at @SpoolofThread!

You can also check out images from their DIY table at Got Craft last May!

crafty kisses to all

photo credit: Studio Jeanie

Thank you to everybody that came to Got Craft yesterday! We had a fantastic turn out and as always, so much fun! A big thank you to all of our vendors including Spool of Thread Sewing Lounge who hosted the DIY table and taught everybody how to many those snazzy pinwheel pins and Jeanie for being our A+ / 5 diamond / #1 photographer!

Did your receive a swag bag? The line up this year started at a record breaking 6:30am! That's 3.5 hours before the show started! By 7:30am, all 30 bags were spoken for. Read one woman's pursuit for a coveted swag bag over on her blog - Travelling the Amaranth Road - love it!

Oohhh... and the kittens! Thank you to Marilyn from Vancouver Fashion eZine who was on-site selling printed issues with half of her profits supporting the Vancouver Orphan Kitten Rescue Association. Got Craft attendees broke her record by purchasing a whopping 50 issues and raising $268 with a few additional donations! Yay kittens!

Mark your calendars! Our holiday show is on Sunday, December 5th, 2010 from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm at the Royal Canadian Legion. Interested in participating? Applications are available online.

artists pictured from left to right starting at the top: telly, Jennifer Conway, Sassy Contessa, Thistle Town Studio, A Farmers Daughter, Uncle Phil, kove, unknown, Laura Bucci Handmade, Queen Bee Luxuries

diy table @ Got Craft

photo credit: Spool of Thread

Feeing inspired by the handmade goods at Got Craft on Sunday? Want to try making a few things yourself, but don't know where to start? Spool of Thread Sewing Lounge will be hosting a FREE DIY table at Got Craft!

Spool of Thread is a modern twist on making. Opening later this Spring, it is part retail store with a wide selection of unique and hard to find fabrics and part sewing lounge with sewing machines available for pay-by-the-hour rental. In addition to the machines, the workshop area will also have large cutting tables, irons, dress forms and all the other sewing accessories you need to help start your next project! Need some help along the way? Spool of Thread will also be used for sewing workshops and classes with instruction from crafters and sewing experts.

Have more questions? Come check out the DIY area on the stage at Got Craft and meet Lili and Henry, owners of Spool of Thread. They will be on-hand to show you how to make your own pinwheel pin and to answer any questions about their shop. Supplies are provided.