I spent pretty much all day this past Saturday shuttling around from one craft fair to another. Oh, what a wonderful way to spend the day! I had such a great time perusing local handmade wares that I totally forgot to take any pictures. So you're going to have to be satisfied with pictures of my purchases instead. These items will mostly be Christmas gifts for people who I'm pretty sure don't read this blog (or at least profess not to). Of course there were many other pieces that I ooh-ed and ah-ed over, but they were either out of my budget or I couldn't think who would like them for Christmas (other than myself, of course, but this is supposed to be a season of giving).



These two items were purchased at the St. Joseph Church Annual Craft Sale. Coco's Treasures (Les trésors de Coco) had a booth showcasing a wide variety of jams, jellies, and preserves, and I had a chance to try most of them (mmm, samples!). I immediately fell in love with this wild blueberry jam, which to me tasted just like going berry picking down home during the summer. The 125mL jar cost $3.00. You can reach Coco's Treasures at (613) 834-2641. I also picked up two hand-turned wine stoppers at the St. Joseph craft sale. I know a number of wine lovers who could use these. And if they've received too many stoppers over the years as gifts, well, these were only $3.00 each, so it was worth the risk.



The rest of my purchases came from the Cairine Wilson Christmas Craft Sale. The Santa Clause riding a bicycle is hand-painted onto a cross-section of a tree trunk (or a particularly robust branch, I guess). I think that I will give it to my road-biking and spinning father-in-law. I'm not sure who will be the recipient of the lovely green and gold Temari ornament, and it just may end up in my personal collection just like the lovely quilted ball I couldn't bear to part with last year. (As a bonus it's unbreakable, which is a desirable quality when there's a toddler in the house.) The Raggedy Ann I bought for my daughter; my brother and I each had a Raggedy Ann/Andy when we were little, and I fully intend to let my daughter play with those dolls, but I thought that she should have one that was her own. The new doll has the I love you tattoo as well -- I checked. These purchases were $5.00, $7.50, and $10.00 respectively.





Of course, there were people I knew personally who were exhibiting their work at the weekend's craft fairs. This lovely little dress and pinafore was made by friend of the family Lorraine Norstrom, who also made my bridesmaids' dresses, as well as this jumper for my daughter. The pinafore is separate from the dress so it can be worn after the dress itself is too small, and, just as importantly, it can be removed during dinnertime so it doesn't get stained. A close look at the embroidery reveals the shape of a tiny Christmas tree and garland. I'm pretty sure that this will be the dress that Eve wears for our family Christmas pictures. I didn't actually buy this; my mother bought it for my daughter as an early Christmas gift. This dress sold for $35.00.





Speaking of Lorraine, this quilt was not exhibited at a Christmas craft fair, but she does intend to enter it in a quilting competition -- and I do sincerely believe that she should win in every category. Lorraine made this quilt as a gift for my mother. It fits my parents' queen-sized bed. The quilt matches the colours of the room (which I re-decorated as my parents' anniversary gift in 2006) as well as the Japanese art on the walls (not pictured). The back side of the quilt really reveals the intricacy of the stitching (it's hard to see on the front where the pattern of the fabric is busier). A small patch on the bottom of the back of the quilt reads, "Created by Lorraine Norstrom for her dear friend, Dale Hayward. Completed Nov. 2009". I think I'm in love.

Oh, and yeah, the quilt is what I was taking photos of in my previous post.