Check Out the Midnight Magic Semi-Finalists

The Independent Pattern Company Alliance (IPCA) -- which features some of our favorite independent pattern makers like Saf-T-Pockets, Kayla Kennington, and Petite Plus Patterns -- is excited to reveal the semi-finalists in the Midnight Magic Contest.

If you'll be at Sew Expo in Puyallup, WA this weekend, you can take a look at the Midnight Magic semi-finalists in person. Visit IPCA Member booths on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday to view and vote for your favorite garments, or check out the show on the Expo Runway, 2nd Floor Pavilion on Sunday at 12:30.

If you can't make it to the Sewing and Stitchery Expo this weekend, you'll still have a chance to view and vote on the semi-finalists. Starting March 6th, you can see the semi-finalists' creations on BurdaStyle.com.

Puyallup, Here We Come!

You can catch the Woolen Mill Store staff in two places this week:  at the store as usual and at the nation's largest Sewing and Stitchery Expo in Puyallup, WA!  The fun starts Thursday, March 1st.

The big Pendleton truck left bright and early this morning, chock full of fabric, notions, carded wool, patterns, craft kits, and other delights.

Will we see you in Puyallup?

Truck Report 2/24/2012

Good morning, Woolfans! We hope you had a good week.

It's a beautiful day at the Woolen Mill Store, and we're merrily unloading this week's delivery of scraps from our two Pacific Northwest mills.

This week we received 200 pounds of blanket header and 300 pounds of fuzzy selvage. Have a crafty weekend!

Truck Report 2/17/2012

Good morning, WoolFans!

It's that time again... we've reached another glorious Friday morning and have eagerly opened up this week's delivery of scrap from our two Pacific Northwest mills. We got another 300 pounds of fuzzy selvage to add to our bins, just in time for Sunday's Rug Crochet class.

Want to join us for class? You can call the store at (503) 535-5786 to preregister or just show up around noon -- class is from noon until two. Visit the Classes tab at the top of the page for more details.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Sweet and Easy Poppies

We are in love with this easy peasy poppy flower by flax & twine.  Follow the link for a great tutorial with lots of pictures!

Simple, sweet, lovely!

On a ribbon for a bracelet... an accent on a purse... stitched onto wristwarmers... a cluster of poppies on a headband... where would you put a poppy or two?

Creative Customers: Mary's Quilts and Embroidery Sampler

We talk to customers from all over the world -- either by email, on the phone, or when they visit our store in Portland. Our creative customer Mary from Wisconsin sent us some pictures of her award-winning wool quilts and a sampler-in-progress of her elaborate hand embroidery.


  

The quilt on the left is called "In Praise of Wool". It was made from wool scraps and is heavily hand-embroidered. The quilt on the right is another wooly wonder called "Fan Fair". Mary's quilts (these and others) have traveled to shows around the country. The pictures are lovely, but we bet the quilts are even more impressive in person. 

Each quilt features some amazing hand embroidery, too. The above design is based on a motif from an antique "bed rug" and is the inspiration for Mary's next wool quilt. We can't wait to see it!

Truck Report 2/10/2012

Good morning, WoolFans!

We've reached the end of another week (or the start of another weekend, if you'd rather think of it that way) and the Pendleton truck has dropped off some scraps for your crafting pleasure.

This week, we received 200 pounds of fuzzy selvage and 200 pounds of blanket header!

Have a lovely weekend... will we see you at the store? Select colors of selvage are still on sale for 50% off the usual price.

Felty Frames and Magnets

Quick, easy, and super cute:  felt picture frames (that could also be magnets!) by Lines Across My Face.

This blog is chock full of fun craft ideas designed to be completed in the space of one nap!  A lot can be accomplished in a short amount of time with craft supplies you might already have around the house.

Creative Customers: Jo's Reversible Kid's Jacket

We recently offered a Reversible Kid's Jacket class using the Nituna Jacket pattern from Figgy's. Jo took the class and was kind enough to let us take a picture of the work-in-progress.

Jo chose our Walking Rock fabric in black and white (it's also available in black and red) with silvery grey Ultrasuede trim. It looks great, and we're sure Jo's grandkids will be fighting over who gets the next handmade jacket!

If you'd like to try your hand at making the Nituna Jacket, we have the pattern in stock and plenty of fabric to choose from.

Ducks Rose Bowl Championship Blankets Now Available!

Webfoot alert! Congratulations to the UO Ducks on winning the 2011 PAC-12 championship and the 2012 Rose Bowl Game. We’ve woven a special Pendleton blanket throw in honor of this exciting achievement. It’s a great gift for alums, students and Oregon football fans wherever they are.

Limited edition of 750 individually numbered blankets with commemorative final-score label. Pure virgin wool/cotton, woven in our Northwest mills. Made in America. Blanket throw measures 64” x 72”.

Visit the store or call 503-535-5786 to order.

Truck Report 2/3/2012

Good morning, Woolfans!

The Pendleton truck brought us a fresh supply of fuzzy selvage this week. We've got lots of great colors in the bins... and select colors are 50% off right now!

Have a lovely weekend.

Snowball Fight!

Take away the freezing temperatures, the runny noses, the ice trickling down your snow pants... and can you still have a snowball fight?

You can if you make these quick and easy felt snowballs!  These snowballs are soft and safe for indoor use but sturdy enough for outdoor use... and you can even wash them if they land in a mud puddle.  If you haven't had enough (or any!) snow this winter, these make a pretty good substitute.

Don't forget the best part of any snowball fight:  warming up with hot cocoa afterwards.