Country Christmas Bazaar

 Cutie Mrs. Claus at the Bazaar.

 I was debating with myself if these were handmade. There's a uniformity to the stitches that screams machine made in a far-off country.

Vintage Christmas

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Clothespin lace and ribbon dolls.

 This was a very cute needlebook for people who sew.
Flip her skirt up to reveal hand-stitching tools.

Rustic wool stockings with button ornaments.

Slightly scary snowmen

Love these transfer cotton towels.

 Tutti Frutti Popcorn. I met the original owners when I moved here years ago.
I love their popcorn although I can't eat it anymore because it's not a non-gmo food (genetically modified). It makes a great gift for others.

The lone airplane spotted - a travel tic-tac-toe game.

Lots of christmas bazaars this weekend in Canby. This one is at the fairgrounds until Saturday.

$79 Dollars

Great holiday bazaar yesterday. I am always overwhelmed with how creative people are. One gal made the cutest purses re-purposing a hard-back book cover. Lined inside with a pocket and bag handles attached- darn cute. There were quite a few jewelry designers who had some pretty pieces. I am intrigued by the Day of the Dead trend. You either love it or can't quite figure out the allure. These showed up at several jewelry tables.

One vendor had the most gorgeous felted garments. I got distracted and forgot (again) to take photos of the other vendors {'cause it's all about me, you know}.

A few of us vendors were cashing in on the Beaver/Duck---everything I own shouts to the world I am a seriously needy fan.
I sent postcards to friends and family letting them know I was selling my 'stuff' so I was one of the few with customers. A new location hindered the drawing in of customers. Since it was free to be a vendor, it was still a win-win event for me.

Kaleidoscope of stained glass mobiles.

 (private) Janine alert: Guess who showed up and bought you a present?

Now it's time to clean my house and (mutter,mutter) clean up the sewing room so I am ready to do my next projects.  I've got most of my gifts planned out except for my kids (20's) who are still too young  to appreciate new pretty hot pads.
If the work schedule cooperates then I am spending time with my mom and the local library hoping the ladies there can entice my mom into wanting a Kindle.  Once she figures out the font size on the screen is adjustable, I know she will want one . But until she wants one, there is no use buying one.

And it also time to get these unsold pretties into the etsy shop.

One last note: On the way home yesterday, I dropped my daughter's chairs off that we used in the bazaar set-up and drove out Killingsworth to get to I-5. Passing the Florida Room - the sign said (something like) "Hey Portland - Occupy this building". (lol)
I almost turned around and took a picture and should have because then the camera would have been out in order to get the photos of several Santa gaggles. I passed three groups of people dressed in Santa-esque costumes walking along Killingsworth - on their way to a Santa fling on a Saturday night?  There was definitely a Wish to be Santa in the air.

Before The Bazaar

Saturday - tomorrow! - I will be at a one day holiday bazaar in downtown Portland near the main Post Office.
Located at 721 NW 9th Ave (Portland 97209), we are supposedly on the third floor of the EcoTrust bldg.
I spent a couple of hours tagging items and thinking about the display.
My daughter is setting up on her own as I have to work for a few hours in the morning. So I took a couple of photos to help her out. She's done shows with me before so whatever display she comes up with will work out.

 

We are going to anchor the 5'(tiny!) table with my mannequin and a kitchen chair.
Secured at the neck with a knit scrap and poked through the chair rail, the broomstick will provide vertical hanging space.

This is my k. chair, but we will utilize my daughters as it is far prettier. I wanted her to remember to cover up the chair pad with the cloth napkins. She is hanging her Stained Glass  Mobiles from the pole.

Down on the floor, leaning against the table/boxes will be some oversized pillows featuring the Oregon State Beavers and the U of O Ducks.

I'm pretty eclectic in my sewing. I dislike making ten of the same items as my attention wanders to something more fun to make. It was pure discipline to sit down and make 36 hot pads. You kinda set up an assembly line and dink them out but after a while. . .

In addition to the hot pads, there are a couple of felted purses, assorted smaller purses, a CD holder for your car visor (I would like to re-visit that project), my bunny softies, and a couple of other plush toys. Appliqued pillows, plus the OSU and U of O pillows (not in the picture). At the far end of the table is some Microwave Potato bags.

The good thing about doing bazaars is that all your holiday handmade gifts are already done. What doesn't sell gets gifted to people on my list. I love to give Handmade but if you wait until December to make it - it just gets bogged down in all the holiday things to do.
Bazaars force me to start in October and November. The only other handmade gifts I still need to make is a pair of pillowcases for my niece who painted her room this summer - a orange-cantaloupe-melon-color. And the doll bed project for my great-niece is being shared with my sis. She and I will make all the bedclothes as well as matching nighties for Phea and her dolly.

Quite a few of these items need to go into the Etsy shop, but that is a project for another day.

 

I was looking for a way to provide a link to the map 

but for some reason -couldn't figure it out. Here's the map image instead.

Very Random Thoughts

In some particular order:

1.  Aahhck! Where did Feliz Navidad come from on my wake-up alarm?

2.  Why are two (2!) radio stations in Portland, Oregon playing non-stop Christmas music at the beginning of November?

3.  Note-to-self: Take photo for blog of where we get our Christmas tree. $2/foot

4.  Nothing to listen to on the radio driving to work.

5.  Should I make candy airplanes or chocolate heart pops for the bazaar.?

6.  Make only one (candy item).

7.  Repeat: small table: Decide which one to make!

8.  Too tired to sew some more of these little purses.

9.   I can sew this weekend.

10. Do I call, e-mail or text Thanksgiving invites to the family.

11.  Phone battery died. Thank God!

12.  Remember to charge phone.

13.  Thank God I learned how to send multiple texts a few months ago on my phone.

14.  Can I get one of those natural turkeys? Remember to stop back in at Thriftway to see if they got any in stock.

15. Make a list of what we need for groceries.

16. How can I get my Mom over to the library to see if they can get my mom comfortable using an e-reader?

17. I wish I knew my work schedule.

18. I wonder if the library is open Friday after Thanksgiving?

19. My mom, if someone could get her comfortable using an e-reader would really love a Kindle Fire.

20. No way! to my sister's request that I take my mom to JcPenney's Bra-fitting sale event. TMI.

21. I would buy my mom a Kindle Fire for Christmas.

22. Library is offering free noon-time e-reader 'get-aquainted' classes through November and December.

23. I wish I knew my work schedule.

24. I wish January would hurry up so I would know my work situation.

25. I have loved not working 6 days a week.

26. My etsy shop, Bonanza shop and ebay have all done pretty good for me these last few months.

27. I am grateful for this opportunity to grow my home business.

28. Daughter is NOT COMING for Thanksgiving!??!

29. She's probably the smart one here. She's gonna be a guest at her friend's dinner which generally means that family will set aside their petty dramas and BE POLITE.

30. Who can I invite for Thanksgiving so I get a polite table???

31. Husband's sister is thinking about it. Whew.

32. Remember to stop by TW and see if they have all the turkeys in yet.

33. Meet friend for coffee tomorrow at Biscuits after I get done with work.

34. Lots of work stuff to discuss.

35. Start picturing how to arrange table at bazaar. Daughter is setting up and manning it while I finish up work.

36. Why is a PO bazaar on a Saturday, anyway?

37. Right -- more  people to come in and buy.

38. This version of Carol of the Bells - I am liking.

39. What can I make for dessert that is gluten-free?
40. Ask Suzi if she has an easier recipe than this one.
41. What kind of activity can we do at Thanksgiving?
42. To keep family drama down to a minimum.
43. I am going to get that door fixed today!
44. It keeps slamming shut.
45. Dog is a whiner.
46. ahh, second cup of coffee.
47. I really hate drinking my vegetables (juicing).
48. But I like how it makes me feel.
49. Need to go make breakfast now.
50. Pear, apple, celery, zucchini, broccoli.

Serious random brain activity today.

Leaving you with Andy Williams, The Most Wonderful Time of the Year.





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Dragonflies

It was a dark and dreary night day.

All of my photos had to be taken under the Ott light.
I finished these hot pads for the bazaar (and etsy).

 I hope you can see some of the luminosity of the paint. I picked up the dragonfly stencil here and the paint here. This fabric is a tad rough so the paint wanted to catch on the surface. When I have stenciled on a smoother fabric the blue-green variations are more pronounced. You have to plan ahead as the paint needs to dry 24 hours before you heat set it with the iron.

Of course that means I have some spare stenciled dragonflies that will show up in other projects.

Our mailboxes are at the end of our private road about a half-mile away. This automatically enters you into the miler's club if you complete one circuit. I usually walk at least two in the early morning but as it was raining and blowing yesterday I copped out. I did not want to go to work start my day with rain-frizzed hair. Instead I walked down to get the mail in the rain and blustery wind later on in the afternoon. Which worked out because one of my neighbors was outside in her garage  painting pvc pipe to create a cold frame for one of her garden beds. A glass of wine later, we drove her car to my house and conducted a bamboo raid on my nearby neighbor's house which recently sold. She had a clumping variety of bamboo in her front side bed which was being overgrown by lanky rhododendrons. I say, "had", because now most of it is in my yard and that of the drinking wine neighbor's yard.

Arriving home, feeling tired (wine?), I caught up on some blog reading. I follow SewMamaSew this time of year because they put together an enticing list of very distracting handmade projects.
As usual, Kathy got immediately distracted with these.

Rather addicting, you are basically 'knitting' on your fingers. These are the two-fingered bracelets. The four-fingers created a huge mess coming out behind my fingers. I don't think I was managing to get it tight enough. V and Co. has a charming video so you, too, can cut into your knit stash and make cute bracelets.
You can also cut the 1" strips from old t-shirts, there-by bringing your latent re-purposing talents to all the people on your gift list.

Bazaar Busy

I get in my sewing room(s) and cannot focus on one job. I want to make it all - at the same moment - on the same cutting table. I pull out fabrics for the next project before I am done with the first.  I end up having to have a severe talk with myself and I end up having to leave the room for a while (time-out) so I can get back to the ONE job at hand.
Which was to finish this respectable pile of hot pads.

Which was difficult because I am a self-imposed "gotta make it better" sewer. That last word could be the sewer but we'll try to keep it a sew-er. Just make the stinkin' simple hotpad. No way, Jose. I have to hand-draw a figure from the fabric - dragonflies - and quilt around that to make MY hotpads unique. That's me, I confess, very unique.
And troublesome.

You gotta admit - it turned out cuter.

I still have four insul-bright squares cut-out and I don't even wanna tell you where my busy brain went with these. I'll give you a hint: it involves a spin on dragonflies.

But, these are DONE.

Can you spot the OSU and U of O hotpads?

Portland PO Holiday Bazaar is Saturday, December 3, 2011 at

721 NW 9th Ave. Portland, Oregon 97209
Eco-Trust Building
Hours: 9am - 4pm

Come see what my undisciplined brain sews up.

Cars Herding Cows

Here is my find. A plan to create a dolly bed with linens (patchwork quilt?pillow? embroidered sheets?) for my great-nieces for a handmade Christmas present. It's the perfect size for a 3 year old to play with.

I went to a church rummage sale in Clarkes this morning after work. To get there, you basically ascend the foothills (of the cascade mountains!) to get up on top, rounding many 10 mph blind curves along the way.
After the sale  - yes - I scored several items - I headed downwards - loving my manual transmission. As I rounded one of those 10 mph blind curves, I came across two cars - one of which was wildly driving backwards. But then I saw the cow. The cow that was loose. The cow that stood taller than my car. The cow that was being herded towards me. Having grown up a polite rural person, I calmly assessed the situation and wisely stopped my car. The cow trotted past, the backward-facing car careened around my car and I finished my journey off the hill.
You never have your camera when you need it nor could I  have reacted fast enough to get a clear shot of what was going on. The cow was taller than my car!

My husband is borrowing my car to drive to Fresno this week (better gas mileage). I gave him cash to go get the oil changed before he leaves and I looked outside to see this.

Do you think he will give me back my cash?

Next Saturday after I get done with work I will head back towards Beavercreek for the first holiday bazaar of the season. I know at least one friend with quilted items at this bazaar. If Molly is reading this, maybe we could meet at the Beavercreek Grade School for the bazaar?

Angel Giveaway

 Since I only managed one bazaar this year, I am left with some bazaar (or is that bizarre? ) items.
When I got home the other night I read that SewMamaSew is hosting a Giveaway Day. How cool.

So here is what I am giving away.

This is a handmade angel, made by me, to hang on the tree or from a doorknob or from your bedpost.  It will arrive with some special angel goodies inside.

The cornet/cone is made from a discarded damask tablecloth in the free box at a garage sale. The previous owners tried to bleach a stain out and they didn't quite like the  resulting 'tie-dye' effect.
Anyway the blue damask is lined with a waffle-weave scrap of fabric. The angel wings are made with some more damask scraps - this time in a heavier white. I took these photos outside and I notice she's a tad wind-blown in the hair-do department. Missy Angel is wearing a halo of small red berries over her curly hair.

If you want it, just leave me a comment telling me your absolute favorite Christmas carol and explain why.   
*** I am on Blogger so you might want to figure out how to leave your e-mail so I can contact you if you win - something like name at something dot com.

I will decide either by agreeing with you 100% or figuring out how to post a random number generator.
Contest opens Dec. 13, 2010 and closes December 17th, 2010. I think the idea is for all of us givers to ship it so the winner receives it by Christmas.
I will ship internationally as well as domestically.

(You do not have to wait until Dec.13 to enter)

There are a ton of Giveaways on the SewMamaSew blog.   Take time to visit the other blogs and enter their giveaways. Don't forget SewMamaSew ships extremely fast if you need something from their shop. I recently ordered some fabric and had it the next day.