Sorry it has been so long between posts. I have been busy stitching and looking for materials here in Western Finland. Stitchers (and really all crafters!) please don’t ever take your local suppliers for granted. You don’t realize how easy they make it for you to craft until you no longer have access to them.
Take simple stranded cotton floss, like DMC. In the states, you can find this almost everywhere. Wal-Mart carried it until a couple of years ago when they decided it wasn’t a big enough profit-maker for them. Just about every town has a Michael’s, Hobby Lobby, JoAnn’s, or other major craft chain nearby. Don’t ignore those awesome full-service needlework stores either!! I was so used to being able to just drive about 10 minutes to get my DMC floss. Well, guess what… that isn’t possible here in Finland.
Finland is a small country of about 5-1/2 million. It has a strong tradition of handwork. Everywhere I go, I see lots and lots of yarn. I just don’t see embroidery floss. We live about 4 hours north of the capital, out in a small area called Eura. I was complaining to my husband about my dwindling DMC stash, and he suggested we try the local fabric store, Kangas Paulina. “What? They have one in this small town?” Yeah… and it is pretty good too. Problem is, no DMC floss. They carry a brand called Mayflower from Denmark. Okay. The price is reasonable and I can match the colors. Then he got to thinking – what about the yarn store in town, Luovat Langat? Great. Nice store, but only Anchor floss. So, one day last week, we went into Rauma – about 45 minute drive from our home. Kajava, the yarn store there in Old Rauma carries DMC but not all the colors. I did locate sources for fabrics, so that is great. I have both DMC and Anchor threads, so I will make out.
Still… it has taken a bite out of my stitching time. We went through the same thing with the small magnets that I use. Even getting a new glue gun was a half-day search to find a store that carried it. I have just learned to keep my eyes open and to always ask. You never know what you will find where.
So, now.. on to the good news. I have 9 magnets with witty sayings going on to Etsy:
These are all on soft blue 18 count fabric. I may have more of this fabric, but will probably have to order it. I have hundreds of these sayings, so if I have not stitched your favorite, I can easily do so.
I also managed to find all of the finishing materials I needed for my Cutouts.
These are all stitched on 18 count cotton Aida fabric, and then treated with a finisher that seals the stitches. I then trim them close to the stitching line. Everything but the gumball machine is backed with the black pindot fabric. The angel and gumball machine have a beige muslin backing so that it doesn’t show through. The angel is not a refrigerator magnet – she can be hung anywhere from the golden cord that she holds in her hands. She can also be stitched in any color you wish. The two coins are included for reference – a 2 euro coin and US quarter from left to right.
So… I promise it won’t be so long between updates. Remember to visit the shop!! Even if you don’t buy anything, you are allowed to like it.
Thanks for stopping by!
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Here’s the first crop of tiny designs. What are they going to be? Well, originally I was going to make them into small pins or button covers. The bunnies make cute earrings, too. But then… times change and our tastes for bling change. These are about the size of a US quarter. So.. you will just have to check back to see the finished products. I was hoping to have some ready by April 1st, but it may be just a few days later. 
