beauty that moves

to market

A few months ago I began taking my handmade wares to local craft shows. It's something that I'm familiar with, having done the same about ten years ago, with a different craft, however. I do enjoy the process of puttering around the studio on my own schedule, and the "going to work" part being only one full day. Years ago it worked beautifully, the economy was very strong, times were different.

It seemed then that if you made lovely things, people would simply adore them and buy them. It is such a different state of affairs today. I've talked with many artisans over the summer months and it seems I am not alone in my observations. Crafters and artists are struggling a bit out there, some shows just making their entrance fee back. It didn't take many misses for me to begin reconsidering my options. I closed my yoga studio here last spring when I began homeschooling Emily and was hoping to replace that income. But these efforts just weren't proving to be worth the many hours and precious weekend time for my family. What's a girl to do?

It was getting to the point where I was wondering if all the things I make are unappealing. Though some people did not seem to appreciate my use of recycled textiles... oh, they're used fabrics... friends and of course Adam assured me I was not spending all my time sewing up piles and piles of ugliness. So I got over that possibility and just started watching people, walk up and down the rows of crafters with few if any packages in their hands. Nobody was buying. People seem to be holding those purse strings pretty tight these days.

I contacted a kind and generous soapmaker I met at the very first show I did back in May, she had invited me to join a few truly local crafters that were featured at the Coventry Farmers Market each Sunday. She told me she really thought my “customer” would be there, that people would appreciate what I do. And the entry fee? Well, let’s just say they barely charge a thing! The hours were wonderful too, 11-2 pm, three hours! I agreed to give it a try… and it was exactly right for me. Plus, I get to see many of my friends and other folks I know as it seems to be where my tribe congregates on Sunday afternoon. The people shopping at a farmers market aren’t interested in a tote bag for less money from a big box store. They want one lovingly and fairly made, one with a local story. I have found my customer, indeed.

I asked Winter if she had any other dates available, she said yes and guess what? I cleared all other show plans from my agenda and will be doing the market exclusively for the next five Sundays. I'm truly happy, working in all spare moments each day. It'll be worth it though. You know why? Because the two times I have been there already, each person I spoke to appreciates the fact that at least half (if not more) of each bag I make is from repurposed fabric. This tribe gets it. My family loves hanging out with me here too. A quick three hours, during which we get to enjoy great bands, countless demonstrations, yummy samplings, and good times. All the while being surrounded by some of the most important people in the community, our farmers.

So sometime over the next five weeks, starting this Sunday, if you are in the area be sure to stop by. This group is truly the rock stars of Farmers Markets, we are so lucky to have such a treasure right here. The Boston Globe says it is one of the top ten things to do in New England on the weekend. Check out this weeks newsletter, thank you Winter for your great photo of my bags in there, wow!

Okay, back to work. But first, see the stack in the first photo? I tend to design... embroider... patchwork... then cut, cut, cut... make pockets, linings, and straps, then some more straps... days go buy and nothing will look finished, then it all comes together in the final hours. That'll be my afternoon today, and hopefully morning only tomorrow.  And finally, I do hope you noticed the incredibly sweet loopy, cotton, vintage trim on the pocket above and in this last photo here, oh my. After a dry spell for a few weeks, my flea market is back in the game.

May your weekends be filled with autumn hikes, bonfires, simmering soups, and farmers markets...

chasing shadows and sunbeams

How many of you have been following the sweet, soft autumn light around your house? Chasing shadows with camera in hand? I know Amanda has been, I have been, and I'm sure many of you have been. If you choose to post photos of this golden light dancing about your home - would you please let me know? I'd love to be sure to pop over for a little viewing. This really could be a flickr group, why don't I do flickr yet? Here's a sampling of late afternoon light captured around our home lately, enjoy.

And yet another post I think I'll be revisiting come February. I have so many things to share with you all, but so little time to post lately. Our days have been full with school, ushering in new seasons and bidding farewell to others, adding flannel sheets and extra quilts to beds, more time spent in the kitchen, holiday gift making ideas brewing, where does the time go?

I've also been super busy preparing for five straight weeks of shows at the Coventry Farmers Market. Which I am very excited about but not entirely sure how I'm going to pull it off, time will tell. There will be more to share about that tomorrow, or the next day, as daily posting for me lately has been difficult. Of course, if I spent a little less time chasing sunbeams I might find more time for writing. What a silly idea.

autumn

The only thing that can top the first afternoon of autumn spent in an apple orchard...

... is the first evening of autumn spent wrapped in a lovely vintage quilt thrifted on the way home from the orchard. A very happy Equinox to you all.

holding on

Here in the Northeast we are in full awareness mode as the seasons change. Senses are alive and nothing goes unnoticed. Whether it is the first leaf changing color or a beautiful flower still holding on. I feel like I've been doing a bit of that lately, holding on. Yesterday afternoon I was on the deck, soaking in the late afternoon sun. I mean really soaking it in, to the bone. It felt so good and warm. I notice it slipping away a little more each day, sinking lower in the sky.

These photos were taken on a local hike the other day, we couldn't help but to capture this heightened awareness we have of life holding on, everywhere we turned, an animal, a plant, water swiftly moving, not yet frozen, life seemed to be all around us.

 

I'll be visiting this post once or twice come mid winter, when it's cold and gray and I'm needing a reminder that life will indeed return. You know what is really nice about the winter? It keeps the littering types off the trail a lot more. So sad, littering people, it really sucks that you have to leave your garbage all over the woods for others to pick up! Why I ask? Why?

Of course my writing this here is just my way of "putting it out there" to all littering people of the universe... I know none of you eco-conscious stewards of the earth who are reading this partake in such shenanigans. Just saying.

new arrivals

Popping in here on this Friday afternoon with some new arrivals to share. First, autumn, it's in the air here in New England,  here to stay. Sure there will be days of Indian summer, a final debate or two deciding if we should make it a beach day. But there is no real turning back. Sugar pumpkins have found their way into our home, the market is calling with it's abundant selection of mums and kale. Late summer bouquets become mostly green, offering a lush display of rue, rosemary, and sage. I suppose I should consider this next year and plant some late blooming perennials, though our very shady property has a hard time producing flowers.  I'm actually partial to this abundance of green right now as we turn the tide and prepare to hibernate.

Another sweet arrival? My scrap swap package arrived yesterday! The lovely Grace, of the ever so darling Uncommon Grace, was my partner. We were both pretty excited to be matched up with someone we each "knew." You completely out did yourself Grace, thank you! I hadn't thought about this aspect of the swap but I have thoroughly enjoyed looking through the pile you sent me and recalling the projects you've shared in photos on your blog in which these were used. I really appreciate that connection. Your package will be on it's way shortly, thank you again. Would you all care to take look? I thought so...

Elle, Grace's daughter was quite instrumental in the selection and careful folding of this fabulous stack.

There are some serious favorites in here for sure.

Love the blue and white polka dot with pink roses, yummy!

As I descended through the pile to photograph them, I noticed you color grouped them! The details of such a crafty lady have not gone unnoticed here. ;) I can't wait to see as the rest of you begin sharing your Scrap Swap loot! Such fun.

Oh... Elle, I want you to know that as per your request, I will definitely enjoy whatever it is I make. Thank you sweetie.

I love new arrivals, and autumn. It is the reason I can't imagine living in any other part of the country. Autumn in New England is hard to beat. We went for a little hike earlier today and noticed the leaves beginning to crunch beneath our feet, it's almost here. Enjoy your weekend everyone, I'm thinking of baking molasses cookies, maybe a spice cake. I wonder if there will be any cider at the Farmer's Market...

groovin...on a sunny afternoon

Isn't this the kind of thrifted item we hate to love crafty friends? It's sitting there (quite loudly I must say), on the rack at Sal's. It's made entirely of polyester. It's long, all the way to the floor long. It's quilted. Yes, quilted. There is a chance it once belonged to Cher. How can I leave it there in all of it's fabulousness? (I was thinking of wearing it to your wedding Ashley. What? No?) 

Of course it came home with me, and has sat here for months adding some psychedelic glory to our crib. You see, it simply hangs here, as decoration if you will. It is not on the ever growing pile of vintage, tattered clothing to be reconstructed, it is in PERFECT condition. What's a girl to do? Use it as inspiration I say! Hang it next to the inspiration wall and wait... visit the local Mill Fabric Outlet...discover a bolt of mod upholstery fabric sent up from New York's fabric district...and get to work.

Do you think Cher would like this to go with her skirt? I know it doesn't "match", but being ultra groovy isn't all about matching. I should know, I'm totally up on these things. Okay, not at all, but I think I got lucky here. I totally dig these, thank you big, puffy, melting by the campfire, Austin Powers wonder, you totally helped me make these bags. I think you should hang around the studio a while longer. There are three of these in the shop for closer viewing. Hope you all have a groovy, sunny afternoon! Be well.

Added: It took me 6 hours to notice, but has anyone cringed at how many times I used "totally" in the last paragraph? Unintentional I swear, totally.

it's all in the details

I love this scene. I was in the kitchen straightening up and smiled to myself as I noticed this. It captures our weekend, a visual reminder for me. The bottles left from dinner with friends on Friday night, the titanium dishes (spork!) washed and waiting to be put away after a quick but greatly needed camping trip. It's caused me to reflect on a few of the things I love about blogging. The practice of noticing more, the joy of people and experiences that I hold dear, and the habit of picking up the camera and capturing what my eyes have found. Blogging has encouraged me to see the little moments through a different lens, to search for the right words to wrap around an experience, to let that become an almost daily practice, and then part of an archive. This all means so much to me at the end of the day, even those days when I feel life's grand plan has eluded me yet again, that I do at least pay attention to the details. The details of our history in the making.

packed up and shipped out

Good Morning! I first must say thank you for all the sweet birthday wishes and kind words about the song Emily wrote last week, you were all super nice. Thank you, thank you.

Do you remember a few weeks back I mentioned that I received my first wholesale order? Well, it's finally packed up and shipped out, of course I had to take a smattering of photos before it left my little hands. Would you like to see? I must forewarn you, the photos are terribly lit as it was the cloudiest of days, and therefore a little painful to look at. Please be sure to pop over to this page for true fabric colors. I love the new pages feature on typepad, it made visual communication with the shop owner (1 1/2 hours away) easy breezy.

The shop, Emily Clare's Boutique is owned and operated by the most lovely, sharp, patient, and young business woman I've ever met. Emily is a twenty year old lady with extraordinary vision. I say this openly as her youth seems to be a bit of a niche for her, she's received positive press that highlighted her uniquely fresh and young approach to retail. She markets to a younger demographic, which many shops attempt and some are successful, but she nails everything about her line selections perfectly. She knows exactly what her customers are looking for because she is one.

She has quite an eye and was drawn to the Amy Butler choices without knowing previously of her fabric or that she was a hot designer. She gave me complete freedom in design and supported my desire to use vintage and repurposed fabric as lining, pockets, and beads. It was such a fun line to create. The bags in the two photos below are actually huge tote bags, apparently that's "in" this fall. They are about 20" x 16" and are interfaced with cotton batting (can't stand regular interfacing), the bottom is gusseted for depth, they have a large, divided interior pocket and a cute exterior pocket for cell phone and keys. I want one!!

Okay, so that's that. If you find your self on a weekend foliage drive in the hills of Litchfield, CT, do stop into Emily Clare's, you will ooh and ahhh over everything in the shop, but a little extra ooh and ahhh over these bags would be appreciated, and in the direction of the lovely young lady behind the counter. Thanks, that'll be great. 

swooning

Sorry I've been a little scarce around here this week, I hope to return more fully on Monday. We've been busy sneaking in final dinners al fresco, Farmer's Market is in full swing, noticing and pointing out to each other every. single. tree. that is changing color, fall semester of guitar and watercolor getting underway, and lot's of swooning over beauty in the mail. These fabrics are going to be truly perfect for using this time of year. They have a great weight to them, I'm excited to share some finished projects next week! Have you all noticed the vintage fabric to be found on Etsy? Thrifting locally has been pretty slim pickings this last month, Etsy thrifting is my new found love. Isn't this fabric incredible?! Have a wonderful weekend everyone, any apple picking plans?

35

Hello friends, I am here. My internet connection finally decided to show up as well. Hope you all had a lovely holiday weekend and are rolling along into September. Oh, and the title of this post? Yes, I am 35 as of yesterday. Can somebody please tell me when this happened? Because I swear I was just 19. 35 puts me in a new demographic... 35 means the next birthday I'll be blinking twice at will be 40... 35 also affords me the wisdom to know this is as good as it'll likely get and so I cherish a healthy body and decent physical strength... 35 means I am old enough to have a brilliant and kind nine year old daughter who wrote me a song for my birthday, music and lyrics... 35 is old enough to know that my husband truly appreciates a sticky note left on the computer screen that says "I love these!", and the window is open to this page... 35 let's me know the importance of simplifying more and more each day...35...yeah, it'll be fine.

We went up to Northampton for the day and had dinner at Paul and Elizabeth's, which serves wonderful, clean food.  I had the best tabbouleh with garden salad and honey miso dressing, so very good.

There are several metaphors in Emily's song that she and Adam explained to me, some may be obvious, others were surprising. I'll just let it be and share the words she wrote, whatever you understand them to be is perfect.

this is my mommy
she likes the sunny
with love she sews
and the fabric grows

when she takes a picture
she's developing literature
with beauty that flows
the fabric grows

do you like this song
i wrote it for you
it's not always clear
but it's something I knew

beauty that moves
with love she sews
developing literature
fabric grows

beauty that moves
i love you so
painting a picture
of a happy home

Thank you love, I'll treasure it always. 35 is good, really good.

(I know this outfit on her shows up A LOT, the girl really does have other clothes, I swear... oh well, I think all you Moms out there understand this...)