Craft Show Upgrade

Last year I wrote a post about my first craft show HERE. Yesterday was the new improved version of the same show. This time it was in a better location with better publicity and better all around organization. And I did better but it helped that my space was free due to participating in last year's debacle.

These things are fun to do and indoors is definitely less taxing on the back and the nerves due to weather concerns. I set up and took down the whole thing all by myself. Well, some nice high school boy who is required to do some community service to graduate was there in the AM to help me drag some of it in.
You can see Francine on the left wearing a recently finished item. Francine enjoyed all the attention and compliments she drew on her first venture out of the house, but unfortunately no one chose to buy her apparel and undress her so her apron will probably be showing up on Etsy real soon. I was in a hallway and couldn't get in the whole set up. I use a portable baby crib/play yard for all my loose pillows. It was on the lower right out of sight. 
I sold more of the wine gift bags here than at the last show I did at a winery. I only made them up because of that show. I cannot figure out what motivates people to part with their money...or not. Luckily, I am not dependent on them for my survival, just for feeding my creative habit.

 

I thought my location was good because every one entering the show had to pass by on there way in or out. However, on entering they seemed anxious to get into see it all and then on the way out they had spent all their cash.

This is one of two large
areas of displays.


One especially attractive display  was this jewelry table with little baby Francines. I am also attracted to the turquoise and chevron. Being on my own all day, I had no time to shop the show which probably helped my bottom line but not the economy of all assembled here.

Being a very talkative person who can't sit still for too long, I'm afraid I drove the nice "bow girls" next to me nuts. In return for their tolerance here is a blatant plug for their infinite variety of hair ribbons for every occasion and whim.

 

 As, I said, I am too antsy to sit  still at these things, therefore, I do

not sit behind a table. You can see that my space had the table pushed back to the wall so that I could use the front and sides for display. This  leaves me nowhere to stash the cash. My solution is an apron that displays my

work AND serves to hold the change and incoming money in the two pockets.

Images on apron courtesy of THE GRAPHICS FAIRY

Needless to say, by the end of a day I am a bit worn down but I count that as my weight-bearing exercise!



Thread Texting

Last week I was AWOL from the blog due to fun and frivolity with the grand kids. But this week I am going to show you what project  I managed to squeeze in that included them. What I didn't squeeze in was a photo op! If you remember from a previous post my grand-daughter was not a willing model. So I had to get my son to snap a few and these are his iphone results.

 "Yes, I LOVE my zipper bag."

 Isn't Grandma AWESOME to make this for me?"

The text is sewn on with the capabilities of my new Janome machine. I am limited in size but can say whatever pops into my head...even in Cyrillic.
Son did not photo the interior or even think to turn the zipper pull to the right side (extra gift in an order from Zipit.)

The frog bag has a froggy green lining and the bunny bag has a black and white polka-dot lining. The reverse is plain...no time.
Here are a two I have on my Etsy shop.

Side one

Side two  This one has a flat bottom.

 

This smaller model is not.

The typewriter, the frog and the bunny images are all from THE GRAPHICS FAIRY. The keyboard and typewriter+Write images were bought from Etsy seller Graphique.

A Day on the Street

Yesterday was a sunny day that you could sing about.
This summer has had some pretty bad weekends and a lot of rain overall, but I got lucky and The Seville Art Walk was on this day.  This is a small town three miles from me that is becoming a great little hub of antiques and cool little shops.  Last year was the first for the event and it fell on the ONLY day it rained all summer. It was so awful I didn't even mention it on my then new blog. 
I stepped it up this year to a canopy and a fun pennant banner for a sign.

 Here is the setting up. The banner letters are courtesy of THE GRAPHICS FAIRY. The ladder goes from being a set up helper to a display piece later.

I was permitted to span the sidewalk and everyone had to pass through. It made all the men duck a little though!

 











The ladder as display. I splatter painted it with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint and call it my Monet ladder.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1. The vendor next to me displayed her glass flower garden ornaments in the flowery patch we both enjoyed. These are so cool and they have "stems" that allow you to turn the glass horizontally to make a bird bath.

 

Around the corner and all over the main intersection were other cool vendors and shops who I had little opportunity to visit. Too bad, but over all I did pretty well for such a small event which may grow each year.  Visit Seville HERE. And  thanks to Michelle at Funky Junk Boutique on Facebook or HERE

 

Challenge: How many Graphics Fairy images can you find in these photos?

Garage Sale Finds or Assisted Living for Old Machines

My husband can't seem to ignore a garage sale if it is the vicinity which is why he ventured off Thursday morning to see what great treasures might be had.   He used to try flea marketing the stuff, but both  his back and tolerance for the buyers at such events gave out. Now its a good excuse for an old retired guy to get out of the house for awhile.

 

The Thursday sale ad mentioned "sewing stuff" so I told him to look at it for me. and call me if I might want it. When he arrived they said an early bird had taken it all. But they still had a sewing machine!  The price was right at $5 (he is cheap) so he lugged it home without consulting me.

 

It was in a filthy, musty smelling plastic carrying  case which I immediately ditched. But the machine inside was quite clean and smell-free.  Hubby said "They said it runs." Sure, they always say that about anything, but it was only $5. Of course, no manual AND the whole bobbin mechanism was outside the machine in 3 pieces.

 

I have no experience with this type of bobbin and was fumbling around with the pieces when the repairman, rather REPAIRMEN arrived to fix my clothes dryer. One of the guys has visited all of my kitchen appliances at least once, but never been to the laundry room. He was training the new guy in the company procedures but the trainee was already knowledgeable about the actual repair and Shawn (our regular guy) noticed my fiddling with the jumble of metal and said he had no expertise in sewing machines, but in a minute he had all the pieces assembled correctly. When I told him he didn't have to do this he explained how bored he has been just tagging along all week and was grateful for the diversion.

 

When he turned from the foyer where the machine is sitting on the old Singer, also recently acquired, and saw all the other machines among the flotsam, jetsom, and other machines he quiped, "It looks like a sweat shop in here."  

 

 At first reveal I thought it was a PIN Catcher! But it is a White 445. Do any of you readers have one? It is largely metal and the yellow or yellowed parts are plastic. If you look at picture 1 you can see that the yellowing is spotty  like something covered parts up for a very long time.

 

Here is what I like about this machine. It opens without taking out screws from the side.

 

What I don't like about this machine.

 

 

You have to unscrew the needle plate to get it off AND the screws are under the machine making it even more difficult. The Elna plate just snaps off.

Well, with a bit of oil, it is running just fine so this week I will take Elna in and see if repairs to get her zig-zagging again are worth it or if she will be "put to rest."

 

Oh, but more garage sale finds. On Saturday we found another nearby sale ad that told of fabric! I thought all would be gone but, not so. Lots of charm packs, jelly rolls, bags of quilt patterns and fabrics, but I went for the loose fat quarters as I like to do my own combinations. I gathered up a bunch and made a deal for $20. After chatting with the quilter/seller, she offered me another handful to go!

And here is something I would make again using small pieces of cast off fabrics with a cast off machine.

Side 1

Side 2

 

 

Inside

If this doesn't sell at an upcoming craft show, it will appear in my Etsy shop.  Images are courtesy of the wonderous GRAPHICS FAIRY.

 

 

 

 

 

When Thimbles Ruled

After having acquired an old Singer sewing machine (see previous post) I decided to continue in this historical vein and tell you about a book I acquired from my bookseller friend (Garrison House Books or her blog).

The cover is a bit bland but it has real charm inside.

 

The book was published in 1913 by the Butterick Publishing Co. which was housed in the Butterick Building in New York. Wonder if the building still exists.

The book is written for the teacher and not a step-by-step for the student. 

 Thimbles are my thing and they are used but not pictured. There is NO machine sewing anywhere in all the projects right up to a middy blouse at the end. I am throwing a picture in here just for interest. Beneath it is the detailed 11 step and repeat thimble exercise!

In the supplies for your sewing outfit it suggests an aluminum thimble because they are light and inexpensive. "Colored thimbles are pretty, and children like them. Silver thimbles are nice, of course, but children outgrow them, so that there is very little point in getting them." So these little ladies were expected to start quite early.

 Click HERE if you missed out on my earlier post about my first thimble.

She's not in the book but isn't this ad image from THE GRAPHICS FAIRY sweet? I don't think they started THIS young!

Methods (for the teacher)

"Always remember the never-ending patience which it is necessary to use with the dull-witted, awkward child. Some time this patience may be rewarded with a result showing some degree of success."  Is this PC?

 

Miniature clothes

"These small garments are an excellent preparation for the making of full size clothes in the upper grades. "

 



There are instuction for making a baby cap from paper and then using the folded paper as a pattern for a one made of "fine lawn".  Great for the unwed mother! We go right from dolls to real babies.

The book continues with gussets, bias edges, tucks and mending.

 

The best feature of this book are the beautiful line drawings of the sweetest young ladies of the early 20th century. I used one of them to create THIS.

 

I shared these with Karen at THE GRAPHICS FAIRY and she has posted two of them for you to use. Click HERE and HERE.

The book ends with the middy blouse that you see when you click on the first HERE in the previous sentence.

Helpfully the text suggests:

"For the Summer for play dresses or for gymnasium suits the middy blouse is frequently made with a short sleeve. For colder weather and for school, the long sleeve blouse is more practical and comfortable than the one with the short sleeve.”

Duh!

 

                              

So who has ever sewn any more than a hem by hand? Could you complete a whole garment that wouldn't fall apart the first time it was washed?

An Elderly Friend has Moved In

A neighbor is moving away and she couldn't take her.  I felt she would be a great friend and companion to my Elna and me so we are taking in Miss Singer. She was born a model 15-91 in Elizabeth, New Jersey in 1953 so she is still a little younger than me. 

She wasn't free but $50 was a mere token for the privilege of getting what I am almost sure was the same model as my mother's first machine. My dad bought it for her one Christmas and I swear that he said he paid $50 back then!

I have cleaned and oiled her but her table is a bit of a mess. And this is why I am posting her pictures on my blog this week. Could you help me make a decision about how to do a makeover on her? 



With the help of the THE GRAPHICS FAIRY and her fabulous array of images and ANNIE SLOAN CHALK PAINT, the  easiest and prettiest paint ever, I am planning to fix her up. 
Please comment and give your opinion on how this should go. First for the images.

1. Use a frame image like this on the corners (2 or 4) to maintain a clear space in the center for a pot. ( I have lots of nice pottery)

or

2. Use a large centered image like this:

3. Should it be simply decorative like this:

OR

4. Sewing related like this:





5. What color to choose. I have to stay light in order to add images. 

A. Paris Grey

B. Old Ochre

C. Versailles

D. Cricket

OR

E. None of the above. Leave it alone in all its grungy glory.

Please leave your opinions in a comment. Just list the numbers and letters that apply or you can write me a whole essay on why this is wonderful or pointless!