Bookmarks

My back hurts and my cutting hand is throbbing. Life could not be better!

You'll recall that I had a large stash of remnant fabric when I made a batch of tote bags. Well, I finally found the time to cut some bookmarks for the November 12, 2011 craft show I'm organizing with Shandell.

 

That's a lot of bookmarks!

The frightening thing is, I still have this much fabric to cut:

*sigh*
I should probably stop blogging and get back to cutting.

House Warming Gift

A blogger friend recently moved. I asked him to send me his address, once he was settled in, so I could send a housewarming gift. He has teased me in the past about my fabric napkins, so I'm sending him some of his very own. An appropriate gift, as he's an environmentalist.

I did stipulate one thing. He couldn't blog about my napkins if he hated them. I can take criticism, but national humiliation I can't. I'm shallow that way.

I like to brag about my napkins. Each one is hand-sewn (alright...I use a machine) using heavy twill fabric. What I'm most proud of are the mitred corners. Napkins that you buy in the store have corners that are folded over. To me, it's cheating. And lazy. Mitred corners are much more time consuming--one napkin, from cut to finish, takes about forty minutes--but the result is decadent.

Here are a few highlights:


Three metres of fabric, ready for cutting. Yes, that is a pattern under there. You'd think a square product wouldn't need a pattern, but there is more information on a pattern than just the size.



Cut and ready to go. Whoever invented the self-healing cutting board and rotary cutter, should be canonized. Eight twenty-one-inch squares of fabric cut in minutes!



After pressing the seam allowance, the corners are sewn, trimmed and turned over. Then the seams are topstitched.



One final press and they're ready to go.



Sorry, my friend, but the plate and placemat stay here.


Soon, I will create a post that shows the time and care taken to create these napkins. It will explain why I charge $35 for a set of four napkins.

I also thought of a way to use the leftover fabric. There isn't enough to make full-sized napkins, but I thought of creating a set about half the size, to be used when having friends over for tea and dessert. You use delicate tea cups, and smaller flatware and china, why not have dainty napkins to go with it?

But more on that on a later post.

Celebrate Ajax by the Lake - 2011

Some day I'll win the lottery and spend my days preparing for and attending craft shows. In my spare time, I'll write. That's the dream, anyway.

Until then, I'll drag my sorry self through my days as a legal assistant, get my writing and sewing done at night.

It does make craft shows that much sweeter.

The Artisan's Market Place at the Celebrate Ajax by the Lake festival was so much fun. I have yet to attend a craft show that isn't. Crafters are happy people, so the vendors I meet are always nice. And craft Buyers are equally happy and love to chat. It's really a win-win situation.

As I was the only vendor selling these products, I did very well. And since the table was free (it was, after all, the first year vendors were invited to participate), the day was a win-win-WIN.



Of course, Shandell, my partner in crime, had the table beside me. We scoped out the vendors and handed out applications for the DRCC Sale in November.

Most exciting for me were the vendors behind my table. Fellow WCDR members, Vilma Blenman and Bonnie Beldan-Thomson were selling, and autographing, copies of the anthology, A Second Cup of Hot Apple Cider. Of course, I bought a copy. And it's signed by both of them. I will add it to my collection of signed books. The collection is getting quite large. I should probably count it out one day. Perhaps when I win the lottery.

(In case you were wondering, my writing can be found here.)

Almost Ready for August 27

I'm almost ready for the Celebrate Ajax by the Lake - Artisan's Market Place. I know...quite a title, isn't it?

If nothing else, you know exactly what you're getting. A celebration. By a lake. An opportunity to buy stuff. What more could you want for a Saturday afternoon?

The weather is expected to be nice and sunny on Saturday. Take a stroll along the beautiful Ajax waterfront, wander through the Market Place and get a jump start on your Christmas shopping. Be sure to stop by our booth and say hello.

I've been busy making tote bags.



And tooth fairy pillows.

Pinned and waiting for stuffing, these ones are looking a little flat.



But now that they're stuffed, they just need to have their bottoms sewn shut.



In anticipation of more sewing tonight, I filled a few bobbins.



And I'm ready to go.

Craft Show - Saturday, August 27, 2011

This year, for the first time, artisans are invited to participate in the Celebrate Ajax by the Lake Waterfront Festival.

Needless to say, Shandell and I snatched up that opportunity. Not only is it a chance to sell our product, but it's an opportunity to get vendors for our craft sale in November.

Sneaky. I know. But a crafter's gotta do what a crafter's gotta do.

So...if you're in the Durham area on Saturday, August 27, 2011, swing by the lakefront and take a stroll. We will have tote bags, placemats, tooth fairy pillows and our one-of-a-kind bookmarks for purchase. Remember...Christmas is only four months away. And we all know how fast that will go.

If nothing else, it will be a lovely walk. Stop by our booth and say hello. I'm always up for a chat!

Still Toting

I know you're going to get bored of the tote posts, but I have a craft show coming up on August 27, 2011 and I need to replenish my supplies. I think I'm going to keep it to tote bags, tooth fairy pillows and whatever placemats I have.

You may recall that I purchased fabric for a co-worker who wanted a black and white bag. Well, when I brought my supply of totes for the sale at work, she decided she wanted the martini glass print. Who could blame her? It's an awesome print.

I assured her that I would find a buyer for the other fabric. Don't worry about it. And sure enough, another co-worked asked if I could make a bag for her with dark colours. I said I had just the right fabric. And she liked it.

So...



Now I just have to sew about fifty more for the craft show on August 27, and make about forty tooth fairy pillows.

More Totes

I took some time off from sewing. Just a small break. I knew I needed it. But every time I do it, and get back to sewing, I realize how much I miss it. And need it. It's right up there with writing for me.

I spent this morning cutting fabric for totes. As I've mentioned, Shandell and I are organizing a craft show for November 12, 2011 and since I know I'll be attending other craft shows before that (and after), I need to build up my inventory.




Cutting is half the work, so I'm glad that's out of the way. If I don't get to sewing them throughout the week, I'll spend most of next weekend sewing. And I just realized that my life is pretty lame if I'm excited about that.

The third pile of fabric from the right, the green fabric (it's green to me...I am, after all, colour-blind) was a remnant I bought.



When I unravelled it, I found this.



Really? What in the world am I supposed to do with that???



After a quick calculation, I realized they gave me more fabric than I asked for: two metres instead of one and a half. So I'm good. I simply cut up the centre of the zigzag stitch and I'll use the extra fabric for bookmarks. Which is what I use the leftover fabric for anyway. Waste not, want not.

After all the totes I sewed the last few months, I have a large stash of fabric for bookmarks. I don't know how I'm going to cut and sew them all, but somehow I always manage to get it done.