Ask Me How I feel?

Well the answer is --exhausted.

I worked seven hours on Thursday setting up the recycle table--very tiring- then back for the official opening at 7.30pm then seven hours on Friday selling the stuff on the recycle table and today it was 6 hours.

Friday was a busy day and we had lots of customers but today was a cold and bitter day so things were very quiet.

Tomorrow it will be nine hours because after it closes we have to pull everything down and pack all the stuff up.

Thank goodness it only happens once a year--I don't think this old body could take another day.

It has been a great time meeting up with old friends who seem to show up annually to check out all the work that the members have done.

I thought I would show a photo that was taken of Stephen and his gorgeous wife (me) at the opening night--and I can tell you that after standing for all that time selling stuff I am even more shorter than him now.

OK I know it is early but I am off to bed.

Diaries

There's no stopping me now-----
I have finished the diaries that I started yesterday and I am happy with the results.
The first ones are made from some of our hand dyed felt overlaid with hand dyed silk organza and then machine stitched for hilights.



These two were made using some of my samples that I had tucked away--there was a third one but I have decided not to go ahead with that one as I don't think it will stand up to the wear and tear that it would get.

Next I have to make some cards and then that's it--I think !!!

Lavender Bags

Something else for the Sales Table at the exhibition--some Lavender bags.
I have made seven of these and I did the embroidery on them when we went to Melbourne in June this year then I finished them off yesterday.
The embroidery is done in either Silk ribbon or Perle cotton and the cords were made on the machine bobbin in Perle thread as well.
I had to leave the filling of them with the Lavender until Stephen was out of the house because he is allergic to it and when they are done I have to put them in a plastic container and store them in the garage until next week--"or else"--------------------

I also made four smaller pillow ones from Silk fabric with Silk ribbon embroidery on them so now I am off to finish covering some diaries (for 2012) that I have started----busy busy.

Another UFO Bag

This is the last UFO bag that I have finished.
It started about seven years ago when I had woven the panel on the front and I sat it on the purple piece of fabric and thought that it was a good match.
I made the length of cord that became the handles (on the sewing machine) at about the same time and that was as far as it went.It has lingered in the same box as the others-only seeing daylight for as long as it took me to decide not to finish it at that stage.
It is not a big bag but it does look nice--my colours- but not my style so along with both the others I will try and sell them at the exhibition which starts on the 23rd September.

Now to finish all the bits and bobs that will go on the sales table.

Every year I say I won't leave everything until the last minute but I still do and I'm too old to change now.

Another One

Another UFO--this time the fabric was pieced together about two years ago and I cut the shapes out of felt and pinned them onto the piece of fabric where it all sat until last week.
Nice to have another one out of the way.

One UFO Done

About five months ago I made a list of the UFO's that I had and I am ashamed to say that there were over twenty of them.Many of them had the stitching finished and only needed to be constructed.
This Sashiko one has been lurking around for about 6 years --I had finished the stitching but I didn't know what to do with it after that.
I didn't need anymore cushions and I didn't want to make it into a wall hanging because I had nowhere that I could hang it so it just sat in a box with the other stuff.
This week I decided to make it into a bag and it is now finished.
The corded handle is made from commercial cord which I zig zagged together and I added a small hand made tassel on one side.

I have another one almost finished--today could be the day.

Silk packs to sell

Previously I had shown you about our dying day where we had dyed silk fabrics and ribbons etc. to sell at the Guild exhibition in two weeks time--well yesterday I packages some of the things into packs in colourways that will be handy for Crazy Patchwork and embroidery.
Each of the colourway items were dyed in one jar together so that they could be used together and it is amazing how different fabrics etc. take up the colours in different ways.

The last two packets had Pumpkin Spice as one of the colours in it and it seems to have taken over but I rather like how they have turned out.

Now to pack all the silk ribbons and threads.

More Stuff

I seem to be only able to manage a post every fortnight at present but it should improve in the future.
What I have been doing is getting stuff ready to sell on the sales table at the exhibition in a fortnight.
I have been busily stitching all the embroidery parts and now I am at the stage of constructing it all.
I first cut out all the little bags etc then I do the embroidery on all of them then I stitch them up and make the cords etc.
Just like a little production line sweat shop.
These little bags are lined and they will contain a little bag with lavender.
The fabric is silk with silk ribbon embroidery and the cords are made using the bobbin method on my sewing machine.

Can't stop here chatting --must get back to it.