Hello June

Im not sure how it became June already, but it is. Tourist season is picking up and its refreshing to see and talk to so many new faces.

When I opened my shop last year and being very new to the area, I had no idea I would be the first stop for most tourists coming down from Moncton to Alma. I was – to say the least- not prepared! We moved in the end of November and with winter on us pretty fast, we didn’t get to explore much. I was being asked questions I couldn’t answer and only had my Maritime road map to help. It was very trying, but made it through. With lots of research, trying to explore when we could and a few trips to the Albert County Museum, I am now very well prepared! I give a full map tour with lots of fun stops, history & a few hidden gems. I love seeing excited happy faces about to go on adventures.

Quilts in the shop!

Its taken me a bit to get some in, so many things on the go, but here are a few!

First picture is a log cabin with beautiful Liberty florals on a off white background. Florals can become very busy very fast, I find breaking it up with a white shade helps to calm the effect. I make up most of the quilts I make, most are off the cuff creations, this is one of them. I loved making it. Its

71 x 58 inches, fits the top of a queen (shown on a queen) The back is a white with blue rose Liberty print. More can be seen here: Log Cabin Liberty Quilt

Sunflower Baby Quilt

I love doing big statement flowers! Bright colours and fun fussy cutting. It’s 39×35 inch, perfect for the pram, crib or a little play mat. More information here: Sunflower Baby Quilt

There are a few more, you will have to wait for the next post.

Shop Update:

There are a few new lines on their way in, finally! Adel in Summer (bright fun prints), Simply Country (blue & white), Live Love Glamp (fun camping line) & more Bon Voyage nautical prints.

What is going on in the studio?

Bags, lots of bags. I love making useful items, I have two types of small bags and 4 tote sizes. All can be found at my shop. Boxy zippy pouches, everyday totes and market totes can also be found at The Starving Artist in Moncton, Wendy Johnson Pottery & The Outpost in Alma. Simple zipper pouches & book totes are also available at The Albert County Museum.

I have 4 cross stitch kits almost completed too. Finding the time to be on the computer long enough without doing accounting makes it harder to get them finished lol.

Bags in stock are listed here: Sew Fundy

Till next post … keep on stitching!

Shop Updates

Hut Season Starts …

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Its Spring! Flowers are blooming, rhubarb is coming up, trees are budding and the raspberries across the way at Harpers Farm are starting to wake up. I love how big the sky looks here.

Those crosses are to hold the raspberry bushes up.. not graves lol.. I know.. it kinda looks like it.

So what is hut season.. time to stock & open the blue hut at the artisan village for the season! My whole shop fits in here. Lots of fabric (precut into fat quarters/half yards/yard cuts) patterns, notions, rulers, yarns, crochet hooks, knitting needles, cross stitch & embroidery supplies and new this year.. local gifts! I have a few potters, local made soap, maple candy, coffee & more.

I do map tours of the area, point out all the amazing history, landmarks, museums, attractions, best places to eat and stay! I have quite a few highlighted on my website here: Fundy Trail Tourism If you are heading this way this summer, stop by!

My latest make.. a double decker bus! I love this. My bestie Sam came over with this pattern so I made one for each of us. I did a few modifications to the original and love it! Made just in time for the coronation. Speaking of the Coronation, who all watched it?

Sam and I went all out, tea, fizz, dainty sandwiches, scones, coronation quiche, and sweets. Sam did an amazing job, the roses were perfect, we got Cath Kidston coronation plates & tea cups. It was amazing to watch a ceremony so steeped in history.

That is the update for now, its been a busy few weeks of moving the shop & making stock for my shop and a few others down this road, I will do a post on that at another time.

Have a wonderful week! Vall

Exploring & Road Trips · Fundy Trail · Sewing Projects · Shop Updates

Is it Spring Yet?

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Its Easter, finally. This has been a long winter, I can’t wait to see the end of the cold white stuff outside. I have planted tulips & hyacinths in the house, they always cheer me up this time of year.

The runner is one of my favorites. Appliqued orange peels made with vintage feedsack prints on a simple linen runner.

Orange peels can be made in many ways, I like to use the Sue Daley leaf papers. I prep the papers the same way as for any English paper piecing project but once glued I give it a good iron, remove the papers and press again. They are then ready to use.

For this runner I used a marking pen to mark grid lines, laid the orange peels out and pinned down. Then hand sewed them on. Simple & vintage.

Explore Fundy:

Harvey Bank

This is a little gem, a light house, anchor and skeleton of a ship. This sweet spot is in Harvey Bank located on Marys Point Road, just off route 915. If you are heading to Cape Enrage or Waterside its a must stop. Its not very far from route 915, quiet, quaint and well worth the stop. Who doesn’t like finding light houses? Its small but cute!

Shop Updates:

The Liberty of London line London Parks is in and yes there are some London City Prints! I LOVE this line! Along with London icons there are tulips, coronations, and other assorted florals, all those pretty things Liberty is famous for!

I couldn’t wait to use these prints, made a simple pillow with fussy cut center squares of the Tower of London and Big Ben!

There were a few new things in the shop this week, some of the Bee Vintage line by Lori Holt showed up in fat quarter bundles, charms packs and 10 inch squares. New notions like quilt clips in the sweetest tin. Pins with campers & birds are in too!

I leave off wishing you all a very happy Easter! May the bunny come and leave you chocolates 😀

Cheers! Vall

Exploring & Road Trips · Fundy Trail · Sewing Projects · Shop Updates

Winter Blues

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The beautiful and picturesque Fundy National Park.

This past Sunday we packed the pups in the car for a trip down the road, its a beautiful drive from Hillsborough to Alma/Fundy National Park. Scouse and Ellie were happy to get out and smell new things. We all needed out of the house, the weather was good and needed the mental break.

Unlike summertime, you can go to the lookout and be the only ones there. It was quite icy out, the snow super crunchy but the pups didn’t mind.. just happy to look, smell and get out somewhere other then our house.

We stopped in Alma for pizza at Soprano’s, highly recommend stopping to eat there.. YUM!

What’s up in the Studio?

I LOVE this line, its call Reflections by Riley Blake. The prints are very vintage, florals and cherries, happy summer prints. I have tried a few things but didn’t love it, until I did a log cabin sample and now I’m hooked. I’m starting to think log cabin is my favorite block. This quilt will be a mix of log cabin and some applique.

For the applique I’m doing flowers from Cath Kidston’s Sew book.

I’m thinking the inner circles need to be bigger then this test block. Loving those cherries!

8 more applique blocks to go and I can get it all squared up.. woohoo. I really need to get some quilts on the pile quilted before starting anymore lol!

Shop Updates:

In yesterday stock delivery was some of the new Lori Holt line Bee Vintage. The sew simple shapes, charms and tape measures are in. Charms for this line are sunbonnet sue, scottie dog & a house. The measuring tapes are soooo sweet! Faux leather in 4 colours and designs. The sew simple shapes look fun! There is a tea pot!!! The Calico tin mug finally arrived, Sue Daley large rotating mat is back in stock as are black zipper tape.

Its going to be a nice sunny day with a high of 10c so I’m getting off this computer now and taking the pups for a walk before heading to the shop. Have a wonderful, creative day!

Shop Updates

Welcome to Victory Stitches

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Welcome to my little blog! What is Victory Stitches and who am I? Well stick around and find out 🙂 I am hoping to update on a regular bases – wish me luck!

Victory Stitches in my little shop in Hillsborough New Brunswick Canada. I carry hard to find in Canada Riley Blake lines, lots of Lori Holt, Liberty of London & more. Where is Hillsborough? Well its pretty easy to find, follow the FUNDY signs on the highway in Moncton, follow Route 114, otherwise known as The Fundy Trail. you will go through Hillsborough on your way to amazing places like Hopewell Rocks (10 mins down the road), Albert County Museum & Fundy National Park to name a few amazing places.. however there are more.. lots more!

My shop is a mix of quilting, sewing, crochet, knitting, embroidery & cross stitch. I have 2 locations, why? because who wants to be simple? lol! In the warmer months I am in the blue studio hut at the Artisan Village near the visitors center in Hillsborough. The cooler months I’m in the main shop, 2840 Main street, part of the Gateway Market complex.

Artisan Hut – You will find me there days in May & June, all of July & August, most days of September and October. I carry quilting cotton by Riley Blake, Liberty of London, Lori Holt and more in fat quarters, 1/2 yard and 1 yard cuts. Its like a candy store for quilters! I also have lots of local handmade items, cross stitch & embroidery kits & supplies, Sue Daley English Paper Piecing, and this coming year.. some yarn too! I provide tourism information as well.. if you want the full tour of this part of the Fundy trail.. come on by for the full map tour, you wont be disappointed! Be prepared for a full days adventure, or two.. or three.. its worth staying for a few days so honestly just plan to be here for a few days 😀

The Shop – The shop is a full shop, bolts, fat quarters, 1/2 yard cuts, lots of notions, a stitching section, a yarn nook, classes etc. I am there Jan, Feb, March, April & days in May… then back for some days in Sept & Oct, and full time again Nov & Dec. In the summer months I will be open by request on any hours outside of artisan hut hours if you want to see the full place or for any of my local customers.

Stitch & Tea – This is a fun stitch night at the Hillsborough Legion on Tuesday nights 7-8:30. Its bring a mug and a project and chat away!

Who am I? Im Vall. Together with my husband Klaus, we grew up in Milton Ontario and moved here to Hillsborough Nov 2021. My background is not in the crafting industry, but industrial automation, the world of sensors, manufacturing & the supply chain. I have found the change hard and do miss a lot of aspects of my former career, but it was time to move on from Southern Ontario. It was scary to change everything, we miss friends, family & some places but its been for the better. Our dogs Scouse and Ella have much better lives here, we love the area, the people have been amazing and life is much less stressful. I do have kids, they are both grown, married and left Ontario way before us with no hope of moving back due to the high cost of living, I miss them a lot, but we are still a plane flight away, just like before.

I love my gardens here and the history in this area is mind blowing. I’m a history buff with a fascination of 1920s- 1940s. Planes, politics, axis & allies, battles & the home front. I can’t wait to share some of the incredible stories and places around here with you all.

Why open a shop? I have always knit, sewn & crafted but found it hard to get the fabric I wanted in Canada,. When we decided to make the big change I wanted to open a shop so there was a good source for vintage modern fabric. My main creative influences have been wartime home front, art deco, art nouveau, more modern Cath Kidston & Tilda. I browse through my vintage craft books all the time and always on the look out for more.

I’m not sure what all the directions this blog will take but expect a mix of projects, history, places to explore, pretty pictures, a few recipes, what’s new in the shop etc.

Cheers! Vall.