聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 Carlyle welcomed large crowds on Saturday, Sept. 19, and Sunday, Sept. 20, to this year鈥檚 29th Homespun Craft Show and Sale at the local rink. Additionally the 13th Annual Quilt Show, held in conjunction with Homespun, was hosted at the Carlyle Memorial Hall.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 This year鈥檚 new Chair of the Homespun board, Nicole Currie, said, 鈥淓verything went good. We had amazing volunteers who helped us out because without them nothing would run smoothly and the exhibitors that came commented on how wonderful Homespun is and how welcoming and friendly our community is.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚 had a lot to learn this year and I always had a lot of respect for Judy [Riddell], but to go and do what she did, I have that much more for her now, she made it look simple.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 In total there are nine members on the board which oversees both Homespun and the Quilt Show.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Homespun鈥檚 slogan, 鈥淭he 鈥楤iggest Little Craft Show in Saskatchewan鈥欌�� rang true as approximately 3,000 people were welcomed to the show, which featured 72 vendors from near and far.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Although the majority were from the Prairie Provinces, Michaud Toys of Jarvis, ON, have attended as vendors for eight years and really enjoy what Homespun offers.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚 always do well here,鈥� the Michaud Toys vendor explained. 鈥淲e have handmade toys by three brothers in Ontario, and you can get all the old classics. I think people here particularly enjoy these game boards because of those long Saskatchewan winters, they鈥檙e great for playing good games with friends and families.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Laurie Kitsch, The Cookie Lady, from Pilot Butte arrived with cookies, tarts, and brownies to Homespun, although she bakes much more.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚鈥檝e been doing this for over 20 years,鈥� Kitsch explained. 鈥淚 really liked baking, so I decided to start baking and selling it.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淢y favourite thing to do is icing cookies. I love it. I鈥檒l ice 4,000 cookies at a time.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Kitsch added that attending such shows as Homespun and other craft shows has become something fun for her husband and her to do. Although her husband was at the Regina鈥檚 Farmers Market, while she was in Carlyle, she explained, 鈥淎 lot of the same vendors go to the same craft shows, so you start getting to know each other and if you are in trouble they will give you a ride or if you left something at home and they have an extra they鈥檒l help you.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 One of the most popular vendors to come back time and again is Geneane Feland with Bells Berry Inc. which creates Redneck Caviar.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淲e love the Carlyle show,鈥� she exclaimed. 鈥淲e love Saskatchewan in general, but Carlyle is so good to us.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Originally from the Pierson/Gainsborough area Feland has ties to small town Saskatchewan although now she calls Brookdale, MB, home.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淭he recipe is my mother鈥檚 from years ago,鈥� Feland explained. 鈥淚t looks like red caviar, there鈥檚 no fish in it though, and it鈥檚 quite expensive to make.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Bells Berry Inc. is celebrating 10 years as a business and in honour of that they created 鈥淗otter,鈥� a spicier version of the red pepper relish so many people have come to love.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淭here were job cuts at work and my hours were cut back,鈥� Feland explained of how she created the business. 鈥淚 was always making the product to take to Christmas parties or I鈥檇 serve Mom鈥檚 red pepper relish when people came over, they always asked for the recipe or told me they would buy it if I made it.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淢y girl friend with Patti Cakes, she鈥檚 here this weekend too, encouraged me to try selling it. So I applied for a government grant in Manitoba and scaled up my operations. My mom would spend all day in the kitchen to make 10 baby food jars of it. I now go through 500 kg of peppers in a day and make 68 jars.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The first year Feland went to smaller shows, mostly in her local area. She decided that because the product sold quite well that she would travel a little further and attend larger shows.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淭his is my ninth show here and we鈥檝e got customers now that come to find us asking for three, six, or a dozen jars at a time,鈥� Feland said. 鈥淲e really appreciate those repeat customers and the new ones we get to meet.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淗omespun is great,鈥� she added. 鈥淭here鈥檚 always amazing food being served at the concession and they offer hostess services which we don鈥檛 find anywhere else.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Next year will be Homespun鈥檚 30th anniversary and Currie says, 鈥淲e鈥檙e getting ideas ready for what we can do.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Over the years Homespun has given to the Carlyle Leisure Complex, Library, Sports Arena, Gordon F. Kells, Lions Walking Path, Food Bank, Memorial Hall, Museum, Carlyle Elementary, Golf Course, Cornerstone Family Youth, and Arcola Rink totalling $127,250 since its inception and continues to give to the local community.
