Hunt and Gather at The Workroom

I love The Workroom. Karyn lives craft. It can't get much better than that. And she's created such a welcoming space; it's airy and cosy, which is quite a feat. Too bad it's on the other side of town from me, but that makes it more of an event for me when I do get down there.


And the fabrics! I do my best to only buy second-hand fabrics, but I think the biggest compliment I could give to Karyn's fine eye is that her selection has tempted me many a time to fall off that particular wagon ;-) (I haven't given in yet, but I think it's inevitable....)


The show today was lovely - not quite as hopping as the last one, which was actually good because I'm fighting whatever cold nastiness Mr. S. has and I'm feeling a little lopsided. This allowed me to peruse many of the craft books that Karyn has for sale (and perusal :-) So, my pictures may be a little lopsided too - for a better idea of the whole day and to check out the other vendors' loveliness, check out Karyn's pics.


All of the vendors (links here) are truly talented and it's a joy to see all the jewel-like cases of goodness spread out like a specially selected, intimate, and well considered bazaar. My case was a jumble, as usual - I've really got to work on my visuals, I think. I got to hang some stuff (thanks Becky!), which helped a lot.


Mr. S. is unwell, and since I was feeling it coming on, Safiya stayed home with him, which was just as well, but I did miss her. Lately Mr. S. and she have started a tradition; whenever I do a trunk show here, they make a new piece of clothing for the resident doll, something which Karyn very kindly gave her blessing to. Miss Doll will have to wait until next time, sad to say.


I slipped out a bit early, slugged home, and am curled up pathetically in the spare room. At least most of the day was really nice :-)

Preparing to Love and Rummage

Did you know that I have precisely twenty-seven vintage aprons? What is that? A flock? A pride? A.....parliament of aprons? (Oh yes, definitely the last one ;-)


These ladies are taking over, so I will accompany some of them to the Love & Rummage Trunk Show in a week so that they can find new homes. Also finding new homes will be packages of fat quarters,


some of my usual wares, and a small project that I've been working on......


hee hee! Please come by and spread the love!

And in that spirit, of the money that changes hands between us that day, I will donate 10% to help make the weekly community lunch in our neighbourhood (the P.L.O.T. lunch coordinated by Shoelace Collective) a little more sweet for Valentine's.

See you next Sunday!

The Queen West Art Crawl (in Which There is Mention of Artists)

We (shows around here are always we - it's pretty much a family affair, as I suspect it is for many people) were at the lamp-post. Thanks to everyone who came by!

Safiya took pictures, including the one above, while Mr. S. and I put the tent up Saturday morning. Which means that there were a lot of pictures that looked like this:


and this:


Midriffs and feet. I'd like there to be a movie shot entirely from the perspective of a young child. What a different world view. Do you remember being little? I mean, are your memories from that view? All I remember is not being able to reach the top of my dresser.

Anyway, as you can see from the pictures, the weather was miserable on Saturday, which was why I was so happy when this happened today:


Everyone was happy, because Saturday had been a struggle with the rain all day, with many vendors tents' roofs filled with water and a few collapsed overnight, and there was the threat of an evening deluge today, so we were all just whooping is up.

I was thrilled to be accepted into the QWAC. I am of two minds about applying for it again. The reason being that it is outdoors. This is not a problem when the table fee is $30. The table fee for the QWAC was $175. This is the most that I've paid for an outdoor event, an event which is, of course, weather dependent.

However, (besides the cool-factor...my ego inflated a couple of times when I got accepted) my criteria have not changed. Did I make my table money back? Yes. Did I get lots of work done? Yes. Did I get to meet some very cool people? Yes. For instance, the wonderful Lisa Pijuan-Nomura, who was across the way. And wonderful is a staid word for such a girl. You know those people who, when they cross your path in life, provoke in you that awareness that you are lucky to have met them? Lisa's one of those, and I think it will be fun getting to know her. Which I must. Besides which, Safiya's taken with her ;-) Lisa was there supporting her husband Dave's work, some kick-ass amazing photography.

I also have a new felt love. James Fowler was kind enough to chat for a bit. He has a neat technique for joining little squares of felt together. I wish I would have thought of it. Check out his amazing throws.

Also, I got to meet and ahem, gush a little, over the artist Peter Schacht. Back in April I wrote a little about his work, and the images in that post are postcards of his at which I never tire of looking. He still has the farm painting I pine over. He was kind enough to reciprocate my visit and come over for a chat. That's the thing about these shows. I've found the community to be warm and helpful and full of really interesting people.

The other favourite artist of mine that I mentioned in that post, Shaun Downey, the one whose sketch I have, was also there. Now, from my purchase of his sketch he remembered me (there's a small, slightly humiliating story on my part in there somewhere. I'll tell it to you one day...) and I found out that he was there supporting his partner, Kelly Grace. Obviously I wanted to check her work out. Good painter + another painter = probably another very good painter. He couldn't remember her booth number, so I asked what she looked like. He smiled and said "pretty" (and blushed ever-so-slightly?)

Life should be full of kind, sweet moments like that.

I went and checked her stuff out. I like it very much.

And he was right. Pretty :-)



That's my mish-mashed table - it was much better organised (and better lit) today. There weren't very many people doing textiles. And certainly not much geared towards younger kids. (Oh - swapped stuff with Fish on Fridays - her stuff is clever and cute - good combination!)

Maybe I fit in, maybe I didn't - who cares! I had fun :-)

We're Back

We did this. For a while. And as it is said: it was good.

Now, much too chill air bookends the days. I'm already wearing woolen socks. But in the spirit of a just-passed-us-by-and-much-too-quickly August, this evening we took part in quite possibly the most urban thing ever: we roasted the last of our vegan marshmallows in the kitchen, over our stove...using chopsticks as sticks.

Seems like a strangely Canadian thing to do, too, although I hear generations of campers rolling over in their graves. ha!

There are many stories to tell, much to catch up on. Including my work for this weekend's Queen West Art Crawl, into which I was accepted. So now, on to a some late night crafting.

I hope you have been keeping well this summer's end. Good to be here again.

Loot

This morning it was imperative that we have a tea party, first thing, with the loot we brought back from the Kids Trunk Show yesterday. It was at the workroom, and packed full of local artisans who had made things just for kids, so this of course was a dangerous situation (check out Karyn's blog make something, for details on vendors including some cool interviews). I swapped a playcape with Kelly of Leilabug Toys for the awesome anarchymobile, perfect for our friends' baby due soon, and Shannon Gerrard had come up with delectable crocheted treats (hence the tea party this morning), and I finally got to meet Tania of tania (makes sense, I know), which was one of the first blogs I ever started reading. I was very excited and tried not too talk to much and make an ass of myself (hard to do most days, especially when ravenously hungry and hopped up on illicit coffee).


And do you see that ridiculously cute teeny-tiny cake? From the youngest vendor at the fair, Ella. She makes genius little sculptures, each with its own story, and she's a cool gal to boot. Organised, laid back, and getting right into it - she was teaching other kids to make sculptures throughout the show. Very together for 10 years old.

As for the four-year-old in our midst, this was her custom-made display:


That was the "trunk" she wanted. She decorated it, worked on the sculptures, made the sign (noticed the upped price from 2 cents to 25 cents? that's quite the price hike! :-) and then proceeded to accost anyone who walked by to see if they wanted to buy one of her items. I had visions of Covent Garden, a la "My Fair Lady", and I was pretty proud of her. Oh, and notice Safiya's newest prize possession, a cactus from Shannon:


She had talked about it for months, earning money, spending it on ice-cream, then saving up again, and then Shannon, in true good character, swapped her the cactus for Safiya's last two sculptures. That's good people.

My own trunk was packed full, cheerful, overflowing, and slightly throw-together, kind of like I've been feeling lately:


Sold a few things, including:


had a good afternoon (except for an incident involving Mr. S. arriving mid-afternoon carrying a bloody-mouthed Safiya in his arms after an almost-bit-through-her-bottom-lip-little-fall in the park - she's o.k. - lots of noise and blood, very small trip), met new people (some first-time-vendors, which is always cool), and came home really tired, although not as tired as Mr. S., who had lugged all my stuff half way across the city.

So now today is cleaning up and catching up. You'll notice that there are pictures again. It's a new-to-me camera, and I'm happy, but it's not my camera yet. I'm still getting used to it and am in the awkward elated-hesitant stage. Even though I don't have a choice now, I still look at it and say, "Well, we'll see. If you behave, you can stay." So, we'll see......

Oh, and for your delight, when I was looking for the link to Ella's etsy site, I found this bit of awesome-ness by the girl herself:



Enjoy!

Head Above Water, Isn't the Sky a Pretty Colour....

Well, it's been a little busy and for once it has felt o.k. to be away from this space for a couple of days, which seems important, all of the sudden. The past little while has been good. There was the Leslieville Tree Festival on June 7th:

If you're a Torontonian crafter looking to start doing fairs, I highly recommend it. Leslieville has great foot traffic, the set-up has a good flow, the table fee is quite reasonable ($25!), and any festival that comes with music and a pile of compost is alright by me :-)


Right after that Safiya and I left for the week to go up north with friends. We missed Mr. S., but it was really good to get away and commune with the horseflies and blackflies and mosquitos and no-see-ums.....Poor Safiya looks afflicted.....But honestly, it was precious time spent with a great friend and kids galore, so Safiya and I both came back home very happy campers....Of course, my camera's batteries died the first day (and I was too lazy to recharge them), so the only pictures I have are the ones that Safiya took of her friend Finn's beloved Thomas the Tank Engine, and I'm going to post it here, if only selfishly to invoke memories of that week, so there :-) A week of playing, gabbing, snuggling, reading, eating, some sleep, a hike in the woods, and very very very muddy children.....


We got back, threw all our stuff on the floor, and I promptly started making cupcakes. My little brother is getting married next Saturday (yay!), and - gulp! - I'm catering the wedding! Thank goodness it's a small elegant get-together outdoors and not a 200 plate dinner (to which I wouldn't have agreed anyway, 'cause although I love my little brother to bits, I'm not that crazy :-) So , there's going to be baking and cooking galore for the next week, and I'll probably be away from here until after that....

And of course I left my extra batteries and charger up north, so I can't show you the latest development (and no, I'm not pregnant!). So, all this sewing, and does Safiya have any clothes? Of course not! Because Mama, despite the smock and the skirt a year ago (both made without having to read a pattern), manages very well making things that are variations on squares, but is afraid of patterns. Patterns contain lingo.

Yesterday, seized by this-shoemaker's-daughter-having-no-shoes-thing-is-too-ridiculous, I used a pattern to make a dress. And then shorts. And, as I said to Mr. S.,

"Dude! I can make clothes!"

I think I'm hooked, and now a whole new world of sewing awaits!

Yippee!

It Was Not a Craft Show

I was up to my ears for a while, there! The Children's Trunk Show was lovely. The organizers were lovely, the space was very very lovely. There were a couple of glitches with the "Green Room" idea (nobody knew where we were - no signs! and nothing like nibbles and drinks to entice people in on the Thursday gala night, so it was a bit lonely for a while...) but Friday was so packed that there was a stroller traffic jam wherever one looked. When we were setting up, the people next to me very kindly asked how many trade shows I had done before....Ummmm.....this is a trade show? Yikes! Ignorance is bliss, 'cause I would have been even more nervous!

So thank you to all of the people who came by - your encouraging words are why I love to do craft shows. And a few quick thoughts on the definition of success: if I make back the cost of my table, good. If I meet a lot of nice people and have some interesting conversations, good. If I get a lot of work done while sitting at my table, good. Anything beyond that is extra :-)

my rather heaped up and untidy table

(sorry about the graininess - there a lot of hurried photo taking that day...)

That being said, I did work my behind off. Six quilts, five wool blankets, the usual truckload of capes and beanbags, some legwarmers, cutlery rolls.....whew! And looky here! I've been hoarding the silk saris I found last year for too long, and finally worked up the gumption to cut into them - eeep!



Cuddly, cuddly felted merino wool and silk. Scrumptious and so enjoyable to make. There wasn't much balance before this show, but there was some delicious immersion into just making stuff....maybe, just maybe I didn't want to be balanced? Hmmmmm.........

It's Official...

Official that my good friend Janet is awesome in a pinch (if you look at that phrase literally, it's very odd, isn't it? Sorry, I digress...) She's awesome because she put this little business card together in all of an hour for me, fixing my attempt in MS Paint (oooooo, high tech, eh?), covering for my procrastination and soothing my not so concealed anxiety. We had had previous grand plans for a much more complicated card, but she directed me to this, and I like its simplicity. The printer was Warren's Waterless Printing Inc. here in Toronto, who I highly recommend. Not only are they environmentally friendly, when dealing with me, a business card neophyte, they were extremely courteous, informative, reassuring, and quick!

I was so excited to see the little box in my mailbox this morning. Just in time for the Children's Trunk Show, which is the reason I've been awol lately.....any emails that I've managed to get out lately seem to have had this sign-off:

must go sew

Speaking of.......

Taking Her Seriously

(The Spring Thing craft fair - a couple of vendors brought their kids, and you can see Shannon Gerard's cacti there - this is relevant, i promise ;-)

A lot has changed in a year. Whereas last year felt like I was juggling all the time, and trying to "integrate" having a child with my creative life and head-space (which sometimes felt like dodecahedron pegs in round holes), now, with Safiya all grown up at 3 and 3/4 years old, it seems a bit easier. Of course, there are other struggles, but now things just are, and there's not so much trying anymore. Maybe we're just both getting the hang of things. Or, I'm just more tired :-)

For instance, the last craft fair. Whereas preparing for a craft fair before could feel, well, a little bit traumatic (in a fun way, you know) now, while I'm preparing, sometimes Safiya also makes things for the craft fair. "Mama, I need a needle", "and some felt", "and thread". And off she goes, to shortly return with, "This is for the craft fair, Mama". I've never suggested this to her, it's something she does. There are now various soft sculptures and fabric pictures all over the house, and it didn't click until that last craft fair. I had just been saying and thinking "isn't that cute - oh, aren't they lovely, dear". Good grief, how patronising.


Like all kids, she likes to be involved (wants, needs, deserves? substitute your own verb, if you want). During the actual fair, she was making some of her sculptures, when I finally asked her if she wanted to put some of them up for sale. You should have seen her face! She was so excited! We discussed how much she thought people should pay for them, I made a sign, and stepped back (all right - not entirely - I asked my friend Becky to be her first customer because I know how impatient kids are and the sign was kind of small, and she looked so forlorn with no customers ;-) Actually, I didn't even need to step back - Safiya pushed me away! Very seriously, she took command, "Mama, you're in - my - space! I'm selling my sculptures!" (giving me a nudge each time). Awesome - anybody who thinks attachment parenting is going to create anything but independent minded kids hasn't met Safiya.


The sweet topping was her understanding that one way to obtain the cool crocheted cactus that she wanted to buy at the fair was to sell some of her sculptures and save the pennies. This is cool. I admit I'm clueless in the matter of kids and commerce (my own upbringing and experience having been dismally misguided in this area) so Mr. S. and I are just hashing it out as we go, but this is a good start, I think.

Wendy Priesnitz wrote a great article entitled "Children are People Too", which articulates very well something I hold as essential to being a person (just scroll down a bit on the page, it's her post from May 2). Not a parent, not a mother; a person. I guess the short version would be "we belong together" - and by that I mean people, not just parents and kids - in all areas, in commerce, in restaurants, in everyday life. Not just around the dinner table at the end of the day. We would do better to benefit from everyone in our society, children included, eh?

And as a p.s., for fun check out Toronto Life's article "Baby Wars" That's not sensationalist titling at all. Mr. S. and I just laughed at it and kept going about our business.....

Good Spring Things, Part Two

Where would you rather be? Outside in this gloriousness, or inside facing the aftermath of days of craft insanity:


Mr. S asked me why I was tidying if it was just going to get messy again - he said that was the point of having a studio :-) But if even I can't find things, it is no good. At least a little prettiness was added before I girded my loins and set to:


The buttons were part of the loot I scored from Becky. Apologies to her, because the crossed out part is my doing. Just a little something to remind me....well, over-analyzation in favour of actually doing something is a tendency I have (Mr. S. will back me up on that one....heartily....go ahead, ask him, he'll be delighted.....) And while in the decorating mood:


I really love that patch from Dory - it might be the start of a whole inspiration wall or something...


Also, I loved the jewelry in Old Weston Handmade Wonders' trunk, Lesley-Anne Green's little trunk of beautiful stuffed critters (see them in her Etsy shop - they're adorable! she was kind of my table-partner in crime for the day and I think I like her very much - I may have a fellow-crafter crush, she's very sweet and cool), and of course the very interesting Shannon Gerard, whose crocheted genitalia will blow your mind (not hers, she makes them - oh dear, I really messed that one up!) - and her cacti are very cute, too :-) Actually, everything was good and I wanted one of each!

One of the disadvantages of working in haste is that pictures do not get taken. And with my memory being what it is, I came home, stared blankly at all the fabric, and couldn't remember what the cutlery rolls that sold looked like. It seems people like them, so I'll be making more (sorry, no tutorial yet - I'm going to wait until later on in May, as there's just too much on my plate right now). Finally it came back to me and I pieced some of the colourways back together:


I love seeing other people's fabric on their blogs, so that's for all you who like a little fabric-porn ;-)

The second disadvantage to non-stop sewing is - I woke up on Monday morning and couldn't move my legs. "Now that doesn't make any sense", I thought, "sore back, yes, but legs? From what, sitting all day at The Workroom?" Baffled, I went downstairs and then it hit me (or my legs, really). Studio: basement, sewing machine: main floor. Aha!

Good Spring Things, Part One

Before:


After:


Theoretically, one could sew a needle book one's self. But why would one when there are talented and lovely people like Claire from Needlebook to do it? And so prettily, I might add. And she's as lovely in person as her writing led me to believe, so it was very nice meeting her (in danger of exposing my inner craft fair geek, I'd like it to be noted that we actually swapped...kind of....she bought from me eeep!, I bought from her....that's a swap, right? right?). Also scored an adorable patch from Dory (who I just made the connection writes at The Green Peugot) and swapped for some good stash from Becky. I lusted after a good many beautifully made things, as well - which I probably will go over in heartbreaking detail tomorrow. It's dangerous for the wallet to vend at a good craft fair!

Good talk, good venue, good crowd, good people, good snacks and tea, good craft, good Safiya and Mr. S. It was a happy happy day and I am tired tired.

More fun stuff tomorrow.

For the Soul

Sometimes you see a piece of art that makes your heart stop. And you know you don't have to defend your taste or choice to anyone, because very clearly the piece is somehow speaking directly to you. The above is "sheltered" by Shira Sela. Casually scrolling through Poppytalk a couple of weeks ago there it was. I took a sharp breath, and, using a little of my meagre Etsy earnings, soon it was framed and living here. And I'm glad. This I got for me, from my earnings, and those earnings supported an artist. That feels good.


When Mr. S. and I were Double-Income-No-Kids, we got for ourselves a piece of art from local artist Sheila MacDonald Roberts for precisely the same reason - we saw her work and it stopped us both in our tracks. This we considered a good omen, and it came home as a wedding present (for us :-)


When the beauty in our home comes from people that we know or local artists, it enriches us all the more, for these objects have those extra ties, that extra story behind them. I did the art-prints-of-all-the-artists-i'm-supposed-to-
think-are-important-and-reflect-my-true-inner-nature in university, and while I agree with an old professor of mine that prints of "great art" should not be frowned upon because they bring beauty regardless, wouldn't it be even better if the money from our hands went directly to those who worked so hard to create pleasure in this world?


I love Shaun Downey's work. Quite frankly I could never afford one of his oils, but a couple of years ago I went to the Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibit with a mission to find something to commemorate a turn in my life. After a long afternoon I lucked onto his booth and after humbly asking him if he had anything in my price range, he kindly directed me to a box of sketches. I was stunned with the one above.

Someone else local whose work I love is Peter Schacht. He does these works with acrylics on wood:


Being a former farm girl, I'm really, really in love with the one on the bottom right. I ache for it, I pine over it...


The narrative in these is amazing, and I never get tired of looking at these little postcards. They'll be framed and hung, I think. It's the best respect I can give his work without being able to afford it. Affordability does not have to be a barrier to beauty.

And these days it easy to find. Think your local arts and crafts fairs. Think Etsy. There's Tiny Showcase, which supports artists and gives to charity. There are a million different places where you can find something to nurture your soul and support an artist directly...

Or hey, make it yourself, right? :-)



p.s. One of my friends is of the opinion that the art is our house is a little, well, depressing. But that's just the living room (and personally I find them comforting....). But anyway, there's plenty of thrift store flowers and landscapes in the rest of the house :-)