A New Venture

So, what have I been talking about for the last few days, you might ask.

You'll recall that quite some time ago, I organized a craft show. One of the crafters was Shandell Conboy. She helped me out quite a bit and we agreed that we should organize another one.

Then life got in the way. Stupid life.

Since then, we have participated in quite a few craft shows together. The organizers know us now and put us side by side. We have spent a lot of time talking about organizing a craft show. And not just a craft show, but organizing an e-community where other crafters can get ideas, advice and answers.

Shandell and I are excited to announce the launch of The Durham Region Crafters Community.

Follow our blog, Like us on Facebook and join our community. Membership is free!

Craft Show ~ April 9, 2011

The craft show at the Hungarian Culture Club was a lot of fun. It always is.

Anna, the show coordinator, always puts Shandell and I together. This may or may not be a good thing, depending on your point of view. There's a lot of laughter in our area and it's more than a little noisy. It's not just us...our customers have a great time, too. And why shouldn't they? Craft shows are fun and crafters are friendly people.

My table started out quite full.



I managed to deplete a lot of my supply, which will prompt me to get sewing again in preparation for the November craft show.

I met two new crafters:

Saskia, of Baited Hook, makes sock monkeys. They come in different sizes, depending on the type of sock.



Michelle, of Kempton Jones, sews owls. She calls them Owlies of Ontario and names each one after a town in Ontario.



My apologies to Saskia and Michelle for the blurry pictures. Even though I had the anti-shake feature on my camera, I still took fuzzy pictures. I know it's because you were making me laugh!

I'm pretty sure that Shandell and I have convinced them to participate in the DRCC craft show on November 12, 2011.

What's that all about, you ask? Stay tuned...

My New Iron

I have an old iron. It's about 20 years old. It gets the job done, but lately I've noticed that I need a little more power.

By 'power' I mean 'steam'.

Not just any old steam, but a shot that'll smooth out the most stubborn wrinkles. The fabric I use for placemats and tote bags is drapery fabric. When this stuff wrinkles, it leaves a crease that would make military personnel proud. It's a challenge to press it out.

So I bought this beast from Costco:



I may need to buy a new ironing board cover. I mean, I can't use the old one with the new iron! What kind of Contessa would that make me?



The shot of steam this sucker emits makes my heart sing!



The fabric that I'm pressing there is what I'm using for a new tote bag template. I worked on it all day yesterday: drawing, re-drawing, measuring, re-measuring, cutting, sewing.

I wasn't happy. Back to the drawing board.

I've been so busy with my paying job (stupid job!) that I haven't had time to supplement my inventory for this craft show coming up on Saturday. I have enough stock for the show, I just wanted new items to sell.

Oh well. C'est la vie. I know it's not the end of the world. I'll set my goal to have new inventory for the craft show in November.

And what's that, you might ask? Stay tuned.

New Bag Design

I'm getting ready for a craft show coming up on Saturday, April 9, 2011 at the Hungarian Culture Club in Oshawa. If you're in the area, drop by and say hello! Details are on the Events page of our site.

At this show, we'll be selling placemats, bookmarks and totes. I have many tote bags in stock, but I thought I should have a few more. Not to mention that I've been playing with the template and I want to redesign it.

The original purpose of the tote was for vacation. The Contessa Tote takes up the same amount of room as a shirt in your suitcase and you'll look fabulous carrying your pool and beach gear in style. When you get home, throw it in the wash and it's ready for the next trip. Which, we both know, you started planning on the flight home.

Inspired to create a new design for the tote, I went shopping on the weekend and bought some funky fabric.









A co-worker also asked me to make her a black and white bag. More black, than white. It's spring, and not surprising, black and white prints are not really big right now. But I found this:



I know if she doesn't like it, someone will.

The Afghan Project

It took a while, but I finally found a pattern I like. "Like", in this instance, refers to ease of construction. I surfed the Bernat website and found this.

As I said, I'm not a great crocheter, I just like doing it. So, to keep from getting frustrated, and having unfinished projects lying about, I thought I'd go simple.

As you'll recall from my last post, I chose a multi-coloured yarn, which I think matches our sofa and oversized chair in the den. At least Chris said it did. I am, after all, colour-blind, so it's a bit of a crap shoot when I choose colours.

I only have six squares done. I probably need about eighty. But at least the project is underway. It's something to do while I watch tv at night.

Some Me Time

My mother is the Crochet Goddess. She's taught many people to crochet, including me. I'm not nearly as gifted as she is. She'll be the first to tell you that.

"Your tension is all over the place," she'll say.

She's right. It is. But if you're a knitter or crocheter, you know that novices have a hard time controlling their tension. I don't crochet often, so it doesn't come naturally yet. But my mom? She sits in front of the television and crochets. Without looking at her work. And still keeps count of the stitches. It's a gift.

I can't make clothes. I don't even sew clothes. Clothes are hard!

What I like to crochet are afghans. And not just any afghan. I like to work with Granny Squares. You crochet as many squares as you need to create the size of afghan you want, then sew (and by "sew", I mean crochet) them together and voila!, you have a cozy afghan made with love and care. And a little bit of cussing. Well...in my case, a lot of cussing.

I haven't made an afghan in a while. The last one I made was this one, at least five years ago. It lies on our bed and I add it to my side (it's only big enough for that) for extra warmth.



As I took this picture, Fred-the-Cat wandered over for her closeup. Yes, Fred is a girl. We thought we got a boy cat and had already named her Fred when we discovered she was a boy. She was already answering to it, so we left it.



Then she has to show me her tricks. "Look what I can do!"



Good girl, Fred. Mommy has to go and make a new afghan now.

I'll post pictures as squares are completed. Don't expect that to happen any time soon, though. The pictures will be few and far between. Just warning you.

To tide you over, here are a few pictures of the wool I bought today. Use your imagination to visualize how fabulous the afghan will look when I'm done.

Living the Life

Many people ask me if I practice what I preach.

Do I actually use my placemats every day, like I say I do? Do I really just throw them in the washer and dryer, then use them without pressing? Even when I have guests?

The answer is yes. To all those questions. This is not a case of the Shoemaker's bare-footed children.

I made a turkey dinner yesterday. While the bird was baking, I set the table. It looked so nice, I thought I'd take pictures for the site.

I used my own placemats for the general shots.



We have used those placemats and hot mats for about nine years now. They are washed repeatedly and are none the worse for wear.

The other day, we made a delicious ham and corn chowder. Same mats.



And last night, after cleaning up the dishes from a fabulous turkey dinner, and taking the dog for a walk, we came home and had a little blueberry cheesecake and cappuccino.



Though Urban Contessa only makes white napkins of durable broadcloth, I really liked the decadence of linen napkins, so I indulged, and made some mocha-coloured ones for me.

It sounds lavish, but it's not. No matter what we are eating, no matter how simple it may be, those placemats come out for every meal. Even if it's Mac 'n Cheese.

It's a new year. It's time to live the life of royalty. You deserve it.

Happy New Year, everyone!