Stitches - - - yeah!!!!

Please tell me my head is going to stop spinning sometime soon - wow - what a show.  I am not sure the Goat knows what hit him - once he got sketching even Kuretake had him on their stand experimenting with their pens.

Soooo many things to tell you - it will have to be in bite size chunks as I will be working my way through it for the next couple of weeks.

I saw loads of people - caught up with my very fave suppliers (and you know who you are - xxxx) - got loads of new ideas - found new stuff for the shop - caught up with a few old friends - actually met my boss (HI Linda - xxx) - found a couple of fantastic, new - oh-so-very quirky - design studios for new kits - projects and supplies.  Settled on my new cross stitch supplier - sooooo much to follow on that one!  Chatted to my new Jewellery supplies chappies - it will take me a while to find my way around the new site - but  - loads of new stuff coming! - more details to follow. 

Quick first impressions - the craft world is changing again!!!!  After 3 years of shoving everything 'baking' down our throats (sorry - bad pun) - there was not one single baking / icing / cupcake (cakepop) company to be seen - not even a sugar crafting flower - or a soft icing sculpture in sight - what a turn around.  And - - - a lack of 'technology' type stuff.  No fancy printers or sculpting printer / pen tools - no big CD launches - no airbrush equipment - very much no big 'buy-in' techno type stuff.  Yeah up for that - bring craft back to it's roots.  Visitor numbers - seemed much quieter that I have ever seen - and they pulled the plug on free parking - to save outgoing costs????? - one has to wonder.  I also noticed - there was a lack of foreign languages - over the years I have got used to (and love the look of) several strange tongues and costumes - this year I heard one French speaker  - nothing else - no arab or african groups in all their regalia.  Scared to travel these days?  Who knows.  I expect all the hype will tell you it was the best event ever - they always do ;-) .

And - the new 'what's hot ' theme? - sewing.  Yep - good,  old fashioned, stitching is gaining the high ground.  Huge increase in the sewing / fabric section - and that includes sewing patterns and kits.  Sewing kits have expanded from cutie little kits for the kids - to much more sophisticated kits (still for the kids - but for you as well) which consist of fabrics as well as felts - and buttons and embellishments - - to fabric aprons / bags / purses / cushions / home accessories and even clothes!  The range of clothes patterns from the small design houses is growing  up - and is just amazing

So - First Showcase - Clara

Lovely felt kits that are a natural step up from our 'kiddies easy kits with pre-marked holes' - BUT - also have lovely little details so that the teens (and - dare I say 'bigger people'? ) can get involved in too.  Felt is an amazing fabric to work with - no fraying - and you can embroider and add beads / sequins to your heart's content,  You can seriously go to town with these - if you have the experience - the basics are there - but they have added extra layers - and buttons - to the kits - - and if you want to embroider or add fancy stitching - who am I to stand in the way of personal creation.

I loved the seaside range - and the little bags with handles too - brilliant change from a toy.

I have ordered a good selection will let you know as soon as they arrive here.

Love
kitten

www.princesskitten.co.uk
www.thekittenandthegoat.co.uk
kittenandgoat@gmail.com