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!  

My First Drawstring Bag - I Love It!

I have a very old apple tree in my garden however it still manages to produce a few apples each year, good to eat but even better in pies.  However my favourite bit is the blossom, I love the pinky shades it produces every year.

So when I found this lovely bit of embroidery in one of my favourite Highland antique shops I had to have it.  It was a small tray cloth with stylised flowers on each corner but what caught my eye was the colours, lovely shades of pinks. It was not sewn on the usual linen but instead a soft cotton so not really suitable for a cushion.  So I thought I would have a go at a drawstring bag.  

I had already looked at a number of patterns but none were quite what I wanted so it I had a go at producing something to my own design.  I wanted a cuff at the top so I got a bit of a frill when the bag was closed plus a neat finish around the top of the bag on the inside. 

The final version is very pretty but it took some time as I had to rework the top so this ones a keeper!  






Having now been through the process I have worked out how to do it, giving me the finish I want but taking less time.  Now to hunt through my fabric stash and look for some suitable embroidery and fabrics so I can make some more.  So watch this space for news on my new range of drawstring bags which I hope to add to my collection in the next few weeks!  

Love My Work Table

My new sewing machine is going well.  It's slower than a full size one and I wouldn't want to make curtains on it but for the short lengths of stitching that I do most of the time it's ideal.  It has a large foot but being clear plastic its easy to see what you are doing, great for when you need to stop stitching at corners etc.  Also the spool is drop in and has a clear cover so you don't get caught out when the thread runs out!

My other great buy is a cake stand from http://www.dotcomgiftshop.com.  I was looking for something to store my reels of ribbon and this has proved to be ideal.  

So having set up my worktable in the conservatory I have a great place to work with a lovely view of my garden.  That is what I call inspiration!