Textile Museum Yardage Sale this weekend in Toronto

A highlight of the crafter's year in Toronto is the Textile Museum's "More than Just a Yardage Sale".

It's a fundraiser for the museum, held in the parking lot beside the building. The Museum collects donations of new and previously loved crafty materials, tools, patterns, equipment, books and so forth. There is a huge variety of crafts represented - knitting, quilting, sewing, embroidery, cross stitch, rug hooking - there have even been macrame sightings in previous years. Knitting stuff was in short supply last year, but there's always a few goodies, and the prices are amazing.

I've found some real treasures there over the years: a partially complete sewing project of a 1960s vintage mohair suit, complete with pattern - for $10. I took it to a dressmaker and I have a one-of-a-kind custom fit outfit. I also got a skirt length of lime green Harris Tweed, complete with matching lining. There's always lots of books and patterns - I've found some great sock patterns dating back to the 1970s for 50 cents, and a copy of The Knitter's Guide to Sweater Design, for the princely sum of $2. It sells online for much more, I was very pleased with this find.

And last but not least, for 75 cents I bought a half-complete cross stitch project - an antique car, if memory serves. I ditched the actual cross-stitch, but kept the two needles and the frame - a bargain!

You'll find a lot of UFOs (unfinished objects) in various states of abandonment - some almost complete, some barely started. They are priced to sell, and definitely worth looking at, not necessarily for the project, but as with my cross-stitch purchase, for the book or tools or materials contained within.

Bring cash and a shopping bag or two.

I'd like to tell you that it starts at 1pm on Friday to give me time to shop, but the website gives my game away - the hours are Friday 11am to 6pm, and Saturday 10am to 1pm.