We are in countdown mode now. No longer am I looking at the calendar thinking there are weeks or months to prepare for the Farmers Market. It is now all about the days and hours.
I mentioned taking things down a notch this year design-wise. There will (once we are into summer and my Monday-Friday job is over) be embroidered one of a kind patchwork bags, there will be dog collars, there will even be a few mantra quilts and prayer flag sets. All in good time, and probably just little bits of those things here and there. 
My focus this year is on practicality. What handmade goodies can I create that are beautiful, functional, and simple enough in design so they are also very affordable? Well, there are quite a few things that will be rolling out this market season, each week that I am there a new eco and pocket book friendly item debuting!
First up... The Farmers Market Tote!
Why haven't I done this sooner? Well, truth be told I was working on a few designs last year but none that I felt completely satisfied with. This one I love. This one is a wonderful size with a nice boxy shape. This one has purpose.
There will be folks that will ask me to make bigger ones, there will be those that ask for them to be smaller. Some will express wanting a zipper or closure of some sort, others will ask for pockets. One lone soul will definitely ask for shorter straps, and contrary to their request, five others will ask for longer. It's just the way it goes. I try not to take it personally when people check out my work and then suggest 3 different ways it could be made better. I know many of you can relate, having sold your own handmade designs before. It's so hard and edgy to put yourself out there in the first place. I should say though, my experience has always been that the positives outweigh the not-so-positive. And many suggestions do work themselves into future designs. Still, I'll be giving myself a little "go team, don't be so sensitive" pep talk over the next few days as market day approaches this Sunday... and I hope people that stop by will enjoy what they see. (And there will be MANY to see!)
My first offering of the season...
