Tag Archives: Cumberland Fair

2023 CUMBERLAND FAIR LEAF CHALLENGE

Calling all Tin Pedlar of Maine guild members! Your challenge is: to hook a leaf.

The following challenge is being made by the chapter, not the fair. Any items made for this challenge will be returned to the maker.

Here’s the challenge guidelines:

Size:  as small as 4” or as large as 8”

Pattern:  your choice!  Use pinterest (Leaf template – 5 leaves / 21 different printable pages – free – download), use RH Magazine free patterns, use a real leaf, have someone draw you a leaf, ask a friend! Tin Pedlars have this printed pattern (6″ Maple leaves) you can trace from.

Coloring:  Your choice!  Make it primitive or realistic.  But if you’d like an additional ‘challenge’, we saved some “poison” wool you can incorporate into your leaf.  It will be available to you at our monthly meetings.

Finishing:  Finish as an ornament. Cut it out as close to the leaf shape as possible (but doesn’t have to be exact). We do not want it finished as a square or circle with background. Ways to finish this edge are hand sew, whipping, crochet or glue up with a felt backing or heavy heat and bond fabric … your choice! You could even attempt a double-sided leaf! 

Label your work: Please make sure you have a simple label on your leaf with your name and the date and “leaf challenge”.

Due date:  no later than the May meeting, so that we can collect them and configure the display well in advance of the fair.

The goal:  Our President is challenging us to have at least 20-30 participants!

Does anyone remember the presentation on hooking a Maple leaf?

Please note the Tin Pedlar will still be looking for other finished hooked pieces to fill up our usually fair exhibit space.

2021 Chapter Challenge

Hello Tin Pedlar Members,

The Board would like to invite you to participate in a “Chapter Challenge” that will be displayed at the 2021 Cumberland Farm.

We are providing you with a pattern that can be adapted in any manner you please as long as the sheep is included in your design! Your sheep project can be any size between 8” x 6”  to 32” x 24”. It can be a rug, mat, pillow or stuffed sculpture. It needs to be done for the collection of Cumberland Fair rugs in August.

Here’s the pattern. It is sized for printing on standard sized copy paper – 10” x 8” without additional borders beyond the flowers.  We will have copies of the pattern at the June parking lot meeting.  Here’s the link to download.  

The pattern is drafted on 1” grid to help if anyone wants to resize the sheep alone or the whole pattern.

**Remember this challenge is about using the sheep design/shape found in this pattern. We included a border option as different Board members thought that might provide inspiration for members.

You can also take inspiration from this rug Donna completed as part of a workshop. 

Or check out the original hooked piece the workshop was from in Rug Hooking Magazine / Nov.-Dec. 2013:  Sheep in the Hills, 18″ x 12″, #8-cut wool on linen. Designed and hooked by Mary Johnson/Designs in Wool, Tujunga, California, 2013.

As always we hope many of you will participate. If you want help with transferring the pattern or getting your idea onto a foundation, please reach out. We have members that are happy to help with design and transferring, you just need the foundation material. We will be together in June at the parking lot meeting, or drop an email and we’ll connect with you to arrange a different time.

Cumberland Fair 2012 ~ Sept. 23rd – 29th

The Tin Pedlars decided to maintain our connection with the Cumberland Fair and to that end we are working hard to provide a strong showing of our art form, as well as demonstrating our craft to others. People are needed to demonstrate every day of the fair from 9am to 9pm. We have broken up the time into multiple hour blocks with a minimum of 2 people for each block. You are paid to demonstrate and you will have a ticket to get in.  A hooking frame, wool and hook will be at the demo site. If you can demonstrate and did not sign up at the May meeting, please contact —.

Part of this effort is the Cumberland Fair Challenge mats. These 10″ x 18″ (minimum) mats will need to be completed by our September ’12 meeting. See previous posting on the Challenge guidelines.

To inspire you ~ one of the pieces members have begun: 

If you want to do the challenge, but are feeling unsure about designing your own piece, different members have offered to help with the designing of your idea(s). Leave a comment here before the June meeting and connections will be made.

Our double booth has room to exhibit rugs of any size. We are looking forward to seeing many pieces of work from rugs to ornaments. To exhibit the piece it needs to be clean and never shown before at the Cumberland Fair.

Forms for fair submission will also need to be completed. The link here will allow you to submit online or print off and send in. (Only one form is used to list all items being exhibited per individual). Be sure to include MAINE TIN PEDLARS with your Name, so the rugs will get to our exhibition area.

Look for additional information as it becomes available.

Wool Challenge 2010-2011

Participants will:

  • Sign up with the chapter and receive a strip of wool 3″ x 18″ provided by the chapter
  • Use the majority of the wool – AS IS – no over dyeing
  • Use cut of your choice
  • May use embellishments of your choice
  • Use a pattern of your choice – original, adaptation or commercial design
  • Bring finished mat to upcoming meetings for a chance at a special door prize
  • Bring finished mat for display at the April 2011 meeting and be entered into the contest for the completed mats

This challenge is not a swap. Your mats may be of any size and theme. You just need to include the provided wool within your hooking.

Update*

It was fun to see how everyone used the wool. Completed challenge mats were displayed at the Cumberland Fair.

Faith Websters’ – the cat that is on the photo album won in 3 categories:

  • favorite “out of the box idea”
  • overall creativity
  • People’s Choice

Marion Gallant – sheep w/ the fall theme – won for most subtle use of challenge wool

Alitza Wildes – rooster w/ the proddy sunflowers -won for favorite mixed media