First craft show done, second one beginning!

So many of you commented on my post showing the pictures of the craft show I was doing last week.  I thought I would update you as it finished on Saturday night and we could pick up the leftovers then.  One never knows what to expect from the shows, in 2012 it was an awesome, spectacular show for me.  But the following years it has went down, however I am happy to report I made more than last year.  The amount of table runners that sold was wonderful, although I wish more of the wall hangings would have went.  It's a win win when you sell-good for the wallet but bad for the next show inventory!!  

Yesterday I dropped off at the next show which starts tomorrow(Thursday) and goes for 4 long weekends, meaningThursdays thru Sundays.  This show is at Kenyon Mn, if you are in the area you should check it out!  This show is also set up boutique style.  She has lots of different vendors then the last show, so that mean different types of crafts.  

In order to avoid paying a registration fee we could make a scarecrow to display in their yard.  People who come to the show can vote on the one they like best.  There is a big variety of scarecrows and yard ornaments.  My DH volunteered to make mine this year.  We didn't need anything fancy so plain and simple it was.  I painted the head after seeing an idea on Pinterest. 

I cleaned the pumpkin, added a layer of Mod Podge to the area where I was painting.  Let it dry, then paint the face and after it dries Mod Podge it again.  I have never done this before and it was a lot of fun!  And DH thought it was pretty darn cute:)

Now today I am inventorying for the 3rd show which I deliver to on Friday.  This one is in Grand Meadow, MN  and is boutique style and boy do they ever do a cute job of displaying! They have 3 big buildings and 2 smaller ones to spread out all the wonderful crafts.  Plus there is always tons of outdoor decorations to buy also.

Can you say crazy busy!!  When I got home from dropping off supply at that show yesterday, I finished wrapping, decorating and tagging 24 candy canes.  

You can hang them on a door knob, stair railing post or on the wall.

It occurred to me that I never showed you the latest batch of snowmen. Meet Mr. Good Cheer!  I made 14 of him.  They need to go to 2 shows. 

The downside of selling so many runners at the first show, and then having to divide the leftovers in half for the 2 shows that will be on at the same time, is that neither of them get a nice supply.  So that means I need to scramble to get a ton more made, and make another delivery, but it is all good as I love to make them!!  And then I had a couple more sales on Etsy, so I needed to replenish that stock so I took from the shows inventory!! 

Linking with Susan, Sarah, and Myra.

New baby in the house

And isn't she pretty!!

This is my first ever featherweight machine.  I have been looking off and on for more than 6 months.  Not sure I really wanted/needed one.  Then a month ago I found a facebook group for RV quilters, so I joined.  They are a really chatty bunch of fun ladies and many of them have a featherweight in their campers so I started thinking I needed one.  So watching Ebay for them and a price I was willing to part with.  Friday night Sept 29th brought this one up for ending in a couple hours, so I diligently watched it and no one upped the bid during that time, they had previously had 13 bids.  I never buy things on Ebay so I was a bit nervous and thinking I won't get it etc.  And Bam Pow Holy Cow it's mine!!!!!!!   It came from Delaware, she runs but needs a good cleaning so I won't use her until that is done. She is pretty shiny and the decals are in good condition for her age. She is a Centennial version and born in 1950.

So not knowing anything about them-feel free to educate me please!!!  I joined a couple FB groups on Featherweights and found some good videos online for cleaning and oiling. Yes there is a book and accessories.   This one's case was not in the best condition but for me that wasn't a factor.  The bottom needs replacing and I imagine we can do that no problem. Anyway just had to share;)

It's a finished purchase so joining Sarah and Myra's Friday linky parties.

Fun two days working

Friday and Saturday for three hours each I worked at the opening of a craft show I am vending at.  It's the first of the season for me.  It was so much fun meeting people who were buying my quilting, purses and sweaters!

See how I hang a lot of my runners-my DH made me 2 of these runner racks several years ago. It displays them nicely. I just wish all that stuff wasn't in front of them, but people seem to be getting them down when they want to buy them.

 When I first started doing craft shows they were all the sit at your own booth kind.  Now all 4 of the shows I do are boutique style. That means you deliver your products and they set it up, sell it and get a commission.  Then you go back and pick up whatever is left.  So everybody's is all mixed up and set up like a retail store as you can see in the pictures.

This is the first year I have taken my machine knit children sweaters to this show.  I saw some people buying them, which is so fun.  I miss meeting my customers.  But since I work at this show I got to meet a few.  Some shows you don't have to work at, but this one I do as it saves me 10% commission fee.











I always wonder how people actually find my stuff in the sea of all the jam packed items.  But somehow they do!  Now, of course, I wish I had even more product.  Well I did come home yesterday and start another wall hanging for the upcoming show.

One example of how do they find my stuff when it is blended in and kinda hidden by something in front of it was this wall hanging.  Yet someone was buying it yesterday, so that made me super happy.

















Since you all seem to enjoy seeing how I work with the panels, here is what the orginal panel looked like.  I used the center Welcome Fall picture and cut all the border off and to the size I needed.  Then added my own green fabric making the new side borders.  The top and bottom border has a different printed strip from the orginal panel.  Then add in the corner squares to complete the look.  I think this came out to about 24" square, I always forget to measure them!

Linking with some of the linky parties on my left side bar for Monday and Tuesday.

Let it snow-no no not really!

No I don't really want snow, not for a long time.  But the pattern for this is called Let It Snow by Snuggles Quilts.  I did a different border than the pattern. HST's are faster than flying geese;)  These pictures have a bit of a blueness to them, ignore that, it is really white white fabric.  When taken on a cloudy day that is what happens for me. 

Once he was pieced I did a simple meander in the background, a quick loopy design on the snowman.  Some continuous curve in the HST's and a diagonal piano key in the outer border.  While still on the longarm I stitched down his felt arms, nose and snowflakes.  His mouth is down with the 'hand quilting 'stitch on the sewing machine, with black thread in the bobbin and invisible on top and using a tension of 8 on my machine I get a hand stitch look.  His eyes are buttons.

  

It's never too early to start making your holiday decorations-I do it whenever the mood strikes.  But with doing craft shows I am always out of season anyway!!  

Linking with Sarah and Amanda Jean.

Prim snowheads

What a crazy two days, all day yesterday I inventoried my quilting, this morning I inventoried my purses and childrens sweaters.  All this is to be delivered tomorrow to the first craft show of the season.  

This afternoon was some dishcloth knitting on the knitting machine.

And when I had done enough knitting for today I moved on to these Prim Snowheads.  The pattern I used for these is from Country Friends.  I have a dozen of these ready.  The snowmen only go to the 3rd and 4th craft shows.  The first two shows are mostly fall related items that sell.   I feel really good about today's accomplishments.  And I only have 21 more snowmen to finish up!

Linking with Midweek Makers, Wednesday Wait Loss and Let's Bee Social

Singing Sam and LittleBits

Feeling good about my accomplishments this weekend.  Fourteen LittleBit snowmen done that measure 16" tall.  Warm and Natural is what I use for their bodies after dyeing it with tan Rit Dye.  His tree is made from green felt.

Singing Sam is singing his heart out.  He is also made of Warm and Natural after dyeing with tan Rit Dye.  I dyed the yardage and then my friend came and sewed bodies and hats while I cut them all out. The hats are felt.

 I finished up these eleven, which measure 11" tall, on Saturday.  There is one more that didn't get stuffed with the rest of them, so I will have to get him done with the next batch of snowmen.  Hopefully I'll get at least one more batch done this week.  Tomorrow and Tuesday are inventory days for the first craft show of the season, which starts on Friday!  I can hardly believe how fast this year has flown by. 

Linking with Beth, Beth and Connie

Can you stand anymore...

Anymore panels that is!!   The reason I do so many panel projects is first, my customers seem to really like them, but also because they are relatively fast to do.  So here are a couple more snowmen ones. 

All of these were on one panel.  By cutting them up, rearranging and adding the shoo fly block in the corners, I added substantial size to the wall hanging.  I didn't measure it before putting it away but I think it is about 34" square.  Did you know that you don't have to have squares to make a checkerboard, I call it elongated checkerboard.  Good thing there are no quilt police I might get thrown in jail, haha.  The shoo fly block size was determined by the size of the little snowman blocks. 

As always the quilting is a fun part for me.  I really am happy with the ruler work in the red border sections. 

Up next is a snowman family-who could resist these happy guys!  The snowmen are the only part that is the preprinted family.  Pulling colors from the panel I began with the red border. Then I let the panel speak to me and it yelled put a tree in the border!  When that was done it wanted friendship stars because there are stars in the sky of the panel.  To pull it all together I used a gold for the outer border because one little snowman has a gold coat and hat.

 When quilting the gold border, I just followed the lines and made a modified piano key border.

Swirling wind is always appropriate for the snowmen.

 Here is where I am going to ask your thoughts...should I add something to this white area between the stars and tree or leave it as is?  It would have to be appliqued since it is all quilted.   If your answer is yes-what should it be?

If I had this one to do all over I would do the stars in gold and add one more star,  and then add a red outer border instead of the gold.  Sometimes things turn out differently than we think they will.  But someone, somewhere will like this version.

Have a great weekend!  I hope to be finishing up more items for the first craft show of the season-it starts one week from today!

Linking with Myra, Sarah and Amanda

Snowmen X 3

You may have seen these next three wall hangings before when I posted HERE.  They were only pieced at that time, now they are finished.  As usual by clicking on the pic you will get a larger one to look at more closely if you want to.

Number one:

           

Number two:

 Number 3:

                  

 These cute snowmen were all on the same panel and I stretched it to make three different wall hangings by adding several different elements to each one. They all measure approximately 19" x 31", Hobbs 80/20 batting and Glide thread.

Yesterday I put bindings on eight items.  So hang onto your hat there is more to come this week!

Linking with Freemotion by the River, Midweek Makers and Let's Bee Social

Entry #2 in Blogger's Quilt Festival

Decisions, decisions on what quilt should be my #2 entry into the 2017 Fall Bloggers Quilt Festival. Maybe I should grab a cup of coffee while I go over some pictures-be right back...

Ok I decided Cheerful should be entered.  

 The pattern is by A Bright Corner

Of course I had lots of fun deciding on the quilting design and executing it!

 HERE you will find out more about this quilt.

OK my coffee cup is empty and it is time for me to get to work-I have a busy weekend ahead.

Thanks for stopping by and checking out my entrys!  I love replying to your comments, but lately I have had so many no reply bloggers.  So if you don't hear from me that is what happened. 

Entry #1 into Bloggers Quilt Festival

You will find loads of inspiration and enjoyment checking out all the quilts entered into the Fall 2017 Bloggers Quilt Festival hosted by Amy's Creative Side.

Here is my first entry.  This is my Freefall Quilt that my friend Sandra hosted a QAL for this past spring.  It was a blast to make. We could hardly wait for the next clue so we could see it all come together.

You may read more about this quilt HERE 

If you have not joined in the Festival yet, you should consider doing so!  There are prizes in the end!

1 panel=3 wall hangings-picture heavy

I stretched one panel into three wall hangings. 

1. Here is a scarecrow and apple cider sign that I framed with checkerboard and pinwheels. Also added some green sashing around them and finished off with a gold border. 

 Did you notice the real acorns laying beside it?  They keep falling like crazy on my deck, plink plink plink!

 Some cute diamonds in the gold border and Xing in the checkerboard with stippling in the apple cider sign.

 Isn't this just the cutest scarecrow you have ever seen?  An echo swirl so it looks like the wind blowing. 

A little continuous curve in the pinwheel with SID around all the blocks.

2.  Three little fall pictures with checkerboard and striped borders with a bigger green border all around.

A freehand allover loops and leaves make for quick but fun quilting.

3.  The last two pictures on this panel-The Harvest and the full scarecrow make up this third wall hanging.  Simple checkerboard and pinwheels set this little guy off nicely.  My version of McTavishing in the scarecrow panel itself.  

And would you look at that I forgot to quilt this little gold pinwheel-I'll get to that tomorrow! Hate when that happens:(

 I hope that I have given you some food for thought to get those panels out that are languishing in your closet, drawer or shelf and have some fun!!!


Linking with MCM,  Monday Making and Linky Tuesday