Craft Fair Preparations

Well, preparations for the craft fair are coming along very nicely. I've had a bit of a dilema knowing whether what I've got is sufficient or whether it's too much. I guess I won't know until Monday when it's all over and finished.

These are the little girls tote bags that I've made. They are available with either a matching or co-ordinating purse. They really are a sweet item for those little girls who just love to be all grown up and carry a shopping bag 'just like mummy'.

I've embroidered a few bibs that will be available for sale at the weekend. These look so cute and most would suit either a baby boy or girl.

I've also got lots of PE bags made up ready, I hope that they will sell as well as they have from my website. Keep your fingers crossed!

I am also taking some ceramic items that I've painted which I hope will sell.

I'll update early next week and let you all know how the fair went.

To digress a little .....

I've set up an embroidery gift section on my website. It is up and running, and orders can be made on there. We have found a few teething problems that I hope to sort out soon.

I'm also hoping to set up a Personalised Ceramic Gifts part within my website soon - watch this space !!!!

Busy few days.

I seem to have been suffering a little from insomnia over the past week. Two nights I've not actually got to sleep until around 5am, and the others it's been at least 2am! You'd think going to bed at that time, that I'd still be there around noon, but no, I was actually up and around no later than 8am all week. It all well and truely caught up with me yesterday.

I decided yesterday was the day that I was going to go in and sort out my sewing room. Over the past few months, things have been steadily creeping their way in there and generally making the room a dumping ground. Well no longer, I've sorted through everything. Thrown out loads of rubbish that seems to have been accumulated in there. I've moved all of the furniture around (with a little help from hubby). All my U.F.O.'s are now neatly sitting in a drawer rather than all over the cutting area. I've found material that I didn't know I had, that is now neatly folded in another drawer. I have now also got a drawer for scraps that Genevieve has already claimed for her crafting projects.

I have a few things left to do in there, which I'll hopefully manage to finish tomorrow afternoon. I'll then take a couple of snapshots for all to see.

I spent 6 hours in there sorting and sifting and moving yesterday. After I had finished, I was feeling really tired and my back was aching. I laid down on the bed about 5.30 and promptly fell asleep! I woke up when Jon came to bed around 10.30. I laid awake for a while and considered getting up as I was now wide awake, but decided to persevere with it and after a while, I fell back to sleep and didn't wake up again until 8.30 this morning! I think I had around 13-14 hours sleep. I obviously needed it and I do feel a lot better today.


On a high note today - Ferret's book arrived! It certainly hasn't disappointed, the book is absolutely fantastic! Check it out http://ferfab.blogspot.com/2009/08/theyre-here-and-they-are-ready-to-go.html

When do you stop??

I've been extremely busy this week making items for the Craft Fair. I've got loads done. So far, I have about 12 PE bags made up with about another 5/6 that I've embroidered and are sitting waiting to be made up. Hopefully I'll get round to doing these over the next day or two.

Today, I've embroidered 12 baby bibs. I have taken pics, and will hopefully get them posted on here soon. I have updated my other blog with PE bags that I have available for immediate despatch. These are limited in availability as I will be taking what I have left to the craft fair.

I went to my local fabric store this morning and purchased some wonderful material. I have the same design in 2 colours (pink and yellow) that I'm going to make some tote bags suitable for little girls complete with matching purses. I'm also thinking of making some drawstring bags with this material, as it is sooooo pretty.

Secondly, I got some 'camouflage' material in blue that I thought would make some nice coin purses for boys. I've cut this up to also make 2 little tote bags for the 'tomboy' girls too. And lastly but certainly by no means least, I purchased some denim to make purses with.

All of the material is currently sitting on my table, all cut up and waiting to be either sewn up or embroidered onto. This is my job tomorrow.

Once I've finished sewing, I then need to pack everything back upstairs so that I can get some glazing done. I've got loads sitting waiting to be dipped from recent events. I've been putting it off because I've had all my sewing stuff all over the kitchen table. But if I don't get into the swing of it soon, I won't have them all finished for delivery when the kids go back to school.

Jon has next week off work, we were hoping to get away for a few days, but unfortunately, that's not going to happen. I'm going to sewing class as usual on Tuesday, then hopefully we're going to go out for lunch somewhere. I've got a pottery painting workshop booked in for Wednesday, and as it's in Grimsby, if the weather is nice, we're going to take Gen to the beach (don't tell her though as it's a surprise!).

Thursday is going to be the best day of all next week. I'm off to the Festival of Quilts at the NEC in Birmingham http://www.twistedthread.com/pages/exhibitions/viewExhibition.aspx?id=22. Originally, I arranged to go with the ladies from sewing group, however when I mentioned it at home, Jon said that he would like to go too. Maybe he's making sure I don't spend any money lol. Anyway, I knew that Genevieve would love to go too, so we're having a family day out. It's going to be a very tiring day, but well worth it. I can't wait to see Ferret's creations (http://www.ferfab.co.uk/). I know she has been working extremely hard to get new creations made in time for the exhibition. One in particular she was working on when she was up here to teach. From viewing her blog, her ideas and designs look as amazing as always, but photographs, especially when they're only snippets do not do the finished articles any justice whatsoever.

Will take lots and lots of pics (where I can anyway).

C x

Purses :-)

As some of you know, I've decided to do a craft fair over the Bank Holiday weekend at the end of August. I'm planning on making a few PE bags to sell on there, along with various other embroidered items. I realised in my planning that I didn't have many 'pocket money' items that children could purchase on their way around.

With this in mind, I purchased an 'in hoop' purse embroidery design. I was a little unsure when I downloaded the design - I hate instructions, those who really know me know that I would much rather do things, and look at instructions when I get stuck. But this needed careful reading as I had no idea where to start. I cut all my material to make a purse and set to sewing. WOW how easy they were to make. Once you've cut to the desired lengths, that's completely it. ALL of the hard work is done for you. There's even a little 'notch' to show you were to position the little 'money pockets'. I've made 16 of these today in various colours, some with little embroideries on the flap and some plain.

I really did enjoy making these, and hope that they will sell well at the craft fair.