March is National Craft Month in the U.S. And, while I am not American, I am happy to embrace anything that urges us to celebrate the crafts we love, that help us remain sane, and that feed our souls. A few times this month I will highlight a designer who’s pattern I am working on and who you can support yourself if you decide you like their work. I’m going to try to pick Canadian designers, for that added bit of patriotism. (Go Canada!)
Because my first love is cross stitch, I’ll begin with it. (Really, my husband is my first love. Right? *wink*)
Canada is home to many talented designers, such as:
- Jeanette Douglas (who has a lovely new design in issue 50 of The Gift of Stitching)
- Thea Dueck of Victoria Sampler
- the ladies of X’s and Oh’s
- Gitta’s (along with Timeless Designs and Little Sparrow Designs)
- Dragon Dreams (Jennifer Aikman-Smith)
- MarNic Designs
- Northern Pine Designs
- Charland Garvin of Charland Designs
- Lynn Nicoletti
The designer I am specially highlighting is Laura Dickson of Enchanting Lair. She is known for her dragon and fairy designs, along with her fabulous hand-dyed fabric. She also has a line of medieval designs that includes her Once Upon a Stitch Journal (you can see my version here). Laura is a busy lady, teaching every fall at the CreativFestival in Toronto, regularly travelling to trade shows in the US, taking part in a retreat in Gananoque, Ontario this spring, and exhibiting in the bi-annual Online Needlework Show.
Right now I am stitching her Kitchen Blessings design, using more traditional colours than it was charted with. Like all of Laura’s designs, it is a pleasure to stitch and works up quickly.
Kitchen Blessings - March 4, 2010 Progress
I’m also going to stitching Mirabilia’s Winter White Santa on a piece of Laura’s hand-dyed Blue Frost fabric.
If you would like to support Luara directly, her charts are available for purchase from her website. Your LNS should also be able to obtain them easily from her or from Hoffmans. Her fabric is available directly from her, and in several Canadian needlework shops (including my LNS, Gitta’s).
For more information about Canadian cross stitch designers, you can go to the Needlework Designers of Canada website.
Needleworker, Knitter, Crocheter, Sewist, Cricuteer, and more!
