Hathersage Craft Fair April 2014

Earlier this month I attended the first of my local craft fairs.  They are all in villages very close to where I live and as they usually have a lot of tourists and day trippers I am hoping they will be a success, more on that later!

This was held in Hathersage Church Hall and had a good mixture of stalls including driftwood, baking and handmade leather bags.   

As this was a Spring Fair I made some Daffodil Brooches as well as bring along my Fabric Easter Eggs.  I am especially pleased with my new white tree which I used to display my Easter Eggs.  

I also had my Vintage Embroidered Cushions and Drawstring Bags as well as some vintage style bunting and paper chain kits.  Unfortunately it was very quiet so only sold a few small items, I blame the weather which turned wet at the last minute and the Grand National!

Sewing Essentials

I have been sewing/crafting for over a year and have collected a number of useful bits and bobs over and above the usual kit.  So I thought I would share with you those I use regularly.

Plastic Vegetable Trays

These have no end of uses but in particular I use the long thin one as a rubbish bin.  It’s a great size to sit on a work table and can be moved about as needed.  I find it particularly handy when unpicking as it can sit on your lap directly under your sewing so capturing those loose threads. 

They are also useful to gather together trimmings, buttons etc. for a particular project.  You  have all you need in one place for the duration of your project and you can also easily see if you are short of anything.

Curved Tweezers

I think these are for working with beads but I have found them invaluable when sewing.  When unpicking they are great for picking out any loose threads that are left in the fabric.  They are also useful when turning a narrow or pointed piece of sewing the right way out.  You can use them as tweezers to pull the fabric or hold the points together to get into tight corners.   They also act as a great “finger” if you are trying to sew something narrow on your machine, they hold down the narrowest of fabric.

Curved Scissors

These are usually sold as nail scissors but I have found then great for snipping threads that the quick-unpick can’t get at.  Also if you need to cut a thread close to the surface of fabric you can get a lot closer without the risk of cutting your material.

Reading Glasses

When working small stitches or dark fabric and thread I have found using a cheap pair of non prescription reading glasses at a higher magnification than you would use makes such a difference.  They are far easier to use than a table top magnifier or one of those ones you hang round your neck, they also look a lot better. 

Poking Sticks

Essential for when you are turning things to their right side or stuffing small items.  My father made the wooden ones using the handles of some old wooden spoons.  One has a rounded point like a pencil the other has one side of the point flattened.  Its particularly good for running along the top of stuffing to even it out.  I also have a "00" metal crochet hook which is great for tight corners. 

LED Head Torch

When working with dark fabric or on those too frequent dull days you need extra light.  Rather than having to sew hunched over a table using a lamp you can sit where ever you want and direct the light exactly where you need it.

Glue Gun

Albeit 99% of what I make is sewn there is the odd thing, such as attaching brooch backs, where I need to use glue.  Having struggled with tube glue and sticky drips sticking where they shouldn’t the glue gun has opened up a new world; at last I get the exact amount I need in the right place!

Zipper Bags

I use loads of these.  They are great for small projects, to keep together bits and pieces while you are in the middle of a make.  They are also ideal for storing your trimmings, I keep mine grouped by colour. 

Small Tray

Last but not least is my small gingham tray!  It’s essential if you work with a lot of buttons and beads as you can safely tip them out and sort out what you want to use as well as layout out other sorts of trimmings during the design stage. 

It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

From a personal point of view I have always felt that Christmas should start around 2 weeks before the 25^th December.  I hate seeing mince pies for sale in October and avoid looking at Christmas Decorations until I have to admit defeat in early December.  Where other children wanted to open their presents before the big day I was horrified at the thought and although I am now grown up I would never peak, shake or rip the wrapping paper!

 However as a seller I have learnt that I have to embrace the festive season a lot earlier.  Last year I was a bit late in getting my Christmas Stockings online so this year I had to be more organised. 

Some sellers have had their Christmas ranges up for sale since October but I opted for a mid-November launch to tie in with CRAFTfest, a online craft fair.  This has hopefully given enough time for sales but is not too early for the magic to run out!

So having launched my new range of Mini Christmas Stockings at CRAFTfest they are now available from my Folksy shop. 

This year I found a great range of new retro fabrics as well as some of my favourite fabrics from last year. 

I have also included some individual gingham designs for those who like to be more traditional.

Although I hope I have good sales this year lets hope there are a few left so I can use them to decorate my own home!

Laura Ashley 60th Anniversary

I have always loved Laura Ashley and have used their fabric throughout the years.  So when I found out that as part of their 60th Anniversary they were reintroducing some of their old patterns it made me quite nostalgic. 

My first memory of their fabric was as a teenager in the 1970s, I loved their dresses but could not afford them.  So when I bought two of their milkmaid style smocks in a charity shop I thought I was so cool!  And although that was a great summer I am happy to say there is no photographic evidence!

When I got my first home in the 1980s I went to town.  I made loose covers for my sofa in Mr Jones, made curtains and bedspreads in Louise for the spare room and had blue trellis and red rose bud wallpaper in my bedroom.  I have never seen this wallpaper since and I have not been able to find out what it was called, any ideas?

In the 1990s they were still producing beautiful floral prints and when I moved house again I found myself going back to Laura Ashley.  I made curtains in Somerton and had a lampshade and cushions in Tulip.  I also made beautiful curtains using Beeton (Chambray) and managed to get matching oil cloth so that completed the dining room.

I have also used their wallpaper borders over the years as they were a quick and cheap way to bring colour without the cost of wallpaper.  I still collect vintage rolls when I see them, I would no longer use them on a wall but have some vague idea there must be a decoupage type use for them, any suggestions are welcomed!

In recent years the patterns have not had the same attraction for me the exception being the gorgeous Holiday floral pattern which I only found after they stopped doing it.  However good old eBay came to the rescue and allowed me to get some cushion covers and fabric.  I also love Bunched Roses which I still use in my kitchen having collected an apron, oven glove, seat cushions and table mats!

I still have a lot of my collection and continue to collect Laura Ashley vintage fabric which I now use in my makes.  

But sometimes I cannot resist a vintage cushion cover, piece of Alice china or of course a wallpaper border! 

Autumn or Not

Coming from the north of Scotland and always being a wishful thinker I have classified September as part of the summer.   When others have donned their duffel coats and furry boots I have continued to go coatless and sockless for as long as possible.

I have often been rewarded with good weather and this year was no exception with a trip to Perthshire that demanded that coats and brollies were left in the car! 

However on returning to Derbyshire I was met with rain and mist and autumn seemed to have sneaked up on me.  And my poor garden was looking rather brown and sorry for its self. 

However one bright spot was my favourite clematis which was still flowering its socks off.  It’s colour is so intense, a lovely iridescent purple which never fails come sun or rain, unfortunately photos do not do it justice.  

So this inspired me in my next make.  I was already looking for something small and low cost for my next craft fair as well as something that would appeal to adults and youngsters so why not have a go at making flower brooches?

I wanted something that had the long petals of the clematis but was not too fussy.  I also liked the idea of crochet but still being a beginner I had to keep it simple.  So after a bit of trial and error I came up with a design that combined gingham petals and a crocheted and gingham button centre, stitched with embroidery thread.   

I have now made quite a few and the crochet continues to vary on each one, which I hope gives them charm as well as making each one unique, roll on the next Craft Fair!

My First Craft Fair

I attended my first Craft Fair as a seller last Thursday and it was a great success!  Yes I made a modest profit after expenses but the main enjoyment was meeting the public and other sellers. 

It was a Craft and Gift Fair and held in an old wooden Scout Hut which was rather charming.  It had a good mix of sellers ranging from wildlife photography, vintage jewellery to knitting plus a very nice cake stall (at last someone that does proper Tiffin)!

I was given a corner with two tables which threw me a little as I had planned my layout on only having one; thank goodness I had taken along plenty of tablecloths with me.  Luckily I had plenty of time to rethink my display so it all worked out in the end.  I was also given a chair (which was comfy thank goodness) and had a nice little corner at the end of my table that allowed me to sit and do my crochet during the quiet times.

The Fair was in held in Bakewell a beautiful historic town in Derbyshire that is on the tourist trail.  So a lot of the people that attended were holidaymakers (with children) who had not planned to come along and nor were they looking for anything specific.  Luckily I had lower price items such as my Hedgehog Pin Cushions which proved popular to browsers, adult and children alike.  This highlighted that if I am going to attend further fairs in the future I need to have a wider range of lower priced items, some being attractive to children.   

I also got a lot of positive feedback, as people remembered their grandmother’s embroidered tablecloths and thought it lovely that someone was doing something with them rather than leaving them in a cupboard.   This gave me the opportunity to explain how I had got started and although they often did not buy anything they did take away leaflets and business cards and will hopefully pass these on to friends and family.   

However........

It was hard work and the preparation for such an event must not be underestimated and although I thought I was organised everything took twice as long as expected.   For example I normally only print out labels etc as and when I make an online sale but suddenly I had to do this for 30 or so items plus I needed additional material such as price tickets and carrier bags.

Also you have to have a thick skin!  Some people stood talking about my stall as if I was not there and a couple of times when someone was admiring my stall their friend said they thought my items were too expensive or they had seen something better!

Still I would highly recommend it but you need to be prepared so I have added a check list to My Pages which will hopefully be of help to any Craft Fair novices like me!  

Folksy Summer School 2013

Last weekend I attended the Folksy Summer School, it was held at the Discovery Centre in Ecclesall Woods, Sheffield, a lovely setting and the weather was with us.

Unfortunately I was unable to attend the second day but thoroughly enjoyed the first day.  As well as a great goodie bag we had talks from makers and experts, demonstrations, good food and “nice people” (a Mini Moderns joke)!   

Luckily I took a big notebook as there was a lot of information to take in.  It certainly gave me lots to think about but three things really stood out.

Tell a Story:

• Not just what you do but why do you do it
• Tell people about the journey your projects take, the good and the bad
• Tell people about yourself 

Branding:

• It’s more than a logo
• Use contact opportunities to reinforce your brand, goes back to telling a story
• Reinforce your brand with existing customers

Identify What You Enjoy:

• Look at all elements of the making journey
• Look at expanding into other aspects such at teaching or demonstrations
• But don’t forget you still need to do the boring stuff!

So as part of my forward plan I will:

• Review my online profiles, more "why” not just “what”.  
• Look at the information I send out with my items, make it more personal.  
• Start a “To Do List” making sure the boring/urgent items get done as well as the nice/non urgents!  

And finally this blog, the summer school made me realise that I enjoy writing as well as making so I will be putting aside time to improve it, post regularly, tell the story........