International Neighbours participate for the Sew Cranky’s annual Snowflake Challenge as part of Heikinpäivä.
For those who need a reminder, Heikinpäivä, the annual celebration of mid-winter, is scheduled to kick off later this month. Along with the annual celebration will be Sew Cranky’s annual Snowflake Challenge.
Ginger Alberti, who owns Sew Cranky with her husband, Michael, is also a member of the Heikinpäivä planning committee, said the Snowflake Challenge is a celebration of snowflakes.
The Snowflake Challenge, which Ginger Alberti said is an opportunity for people to use an antique, hand-crank sewing machine, which is very easy to operate, and design a snowflake pattern from their own imagination.
For $3, the cost of materials, people can come into the shop which has dozens of antique sewing machines available to use, Alberti said. The materials include an eight-inch-square of black felt. The felt has markings on it for six points and a center point.
“From there, you dream up your snowflake,” she said, “imaginary or as real as you imagine you can be.”
The snowflakes will then be judged, she said, after Valentine’s Day, in mid-February.
They are judged on authenticity and accuracy which, she said, is one category, the other being creativity. Four winners will be chosen.
Creating the snowflakes is a drop-in project, said Alberti, and people are welcome any time during business hours, 1 to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday. If a group of people is planning to come in, she requests a phone call in advance.
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