I've been up to...

finishing several projects. Yippee. You know how much I like finishing (NOT!). But... the closer I get to my first show of the year (right now the one at the VA Hospital on June 6th), the more I have been thinking "I need to finish some of the items I have started."

So here are some pics (as most are still works in progress):

several fabric and knitted blankets

a slew of paperback book covers in various fabrics

a herd (??) of bears --- Smileville Bears, that is --- preparing to be stuffed and assembled

Another show confirmed!

The schedule is growing.... I just received notification today that I've been accepted into Art on the Green, an annual show organized by the New Castle Hundred Lions Club. I will be selling knit toys and wearables, as well as pinecone wreaths (both general and season-specific).

Details:
Location: Battery Park, New Castle, DE
Date/Time: September 27th (it's a Saturday) from 10-5pm. (The rain date is October 4th since it's an all-outdoor show.)
Booth Assignment: I'll be booth # B19.

In other news, I have been hit by the sewing bug. That's right, except for some special-order items (which I will keep knitting until they're completed and delivered), I'm setting aside the knitting needles for awhile to give my sewing machine some love! I think this mood shift was brought on by a spending day with my sister last week, with fabric and notions spread through the house, altering clothing that we no longer wear into fun and funky pieces we WILL wear!

At any rate, keep an eye out, because I've got a couple of cute "quilted" blankets nearly done (that should be appearing on my web site soon), as well as more paperback book covers in new fabrics, and perhaps some new placemat sets for spring......

Craft Show Displays

This afternoon my husband went with me to the new Lowes that just opened on Marrows Road in Newark. We're so excited --- it's a lot closer to us than the one in Bear, and we like Lowes much better than Home Depot (we had a BAD experience with them last summer while re-doing our upstairs bathroom -- don't even ask!).

I'm, sure you're wondering what this has to do with Smile Creations Crafts. Well, we were buying supplies to spruce up some of my display units. My man worked hard on some folding display stabilizers, and I spent a very cold hour and half on our patio painting a clear protective coat on my little blue corner shelf. I adore that shelf! It's just so cute and eye-catchingly electric blue! With 5 shelves, it's pretty versatile, too. Next project is to sand and re-finish the desk and chair that I use to write out invoices and wrap purchased items. Maybe I'll wait for a warmer day, or at least start when the sun is high, rather than on it's way down. :)

Yesterday was fun, too, and not cold at all. My Mom and Dad both came to spend the day with me, since Dad had the day off. Mom and I worked on more book covers. We kinda worked it "production line" style: she ironed, I stitched the first seam, she pinned, I stitched the second and third seams. We are well on the way to having plenty of book covers for my show in March!

Oh, and yes, Dad was busy all day, too ... as the official fabric cutter. I asked him to measure and cut fabric for a tablecloth for my dining room (yes,totally personal "use" of free labor!). And then he cut some placemats and their backings for the store.

The funniest (and most annoying thing) was that when my parents left, my sewing machine decided it had had enough, and quit working! I guess we ALL hit a wall sometime!

Hooray for Smiley's Yarns!

Yesterday was a great day!

I got an email from Smiley's Yarns, and they are going to replace the skeins of yarn that were damaged in my last order! Hooray! I'm glad they came through, because I was going to be very disappointed if I had to find another place to shop for yarn.

My mom drove to my house and we spent the day together. We worked on a new pattern, and have two successful items to show for it! We are the perfect sewing compliment: I'm good at measuring and am more mechanically minded, but she is great at ironing to make things easier to sew, seam allowances, pinning, and the more technical sewing stuff. What was the pattern, you ask? We are avid readers, and both have paperback covers with handles for carrying. We re-created such a fabric cover, from scratch. It was a lot of measuring, and pretty complicated to figure out how to stitch all the seams so that none of them are visible!
Here're two pictures of how it turned out:

And the third reason yesterday rocks: my husband and I packed for a surprise long weekend. Well, my surprise... he won't tell me where we're going! Most difficult part of packing will be to pick a project to work on during the drive to our destination..... :)

So... I'm off to our surprise vacation!

A day to finish projects-in-process

Today my husband stayed at home with a strained back. No fun. But while he laid in bed and tried to relax, I sat in my "office" and worked on completing some projects-in-process. Nothing is as satisfying as looking over your area several hours later, and seeing finished products where bits and pieces had so recently been scattered.

What did I finish, you ask? Well, many things requiring my sewing machine, which had to be dug out from under the bags of yarn I have purchased this past few weeks (yes, I've been going yarn crazy again!).

I worked on:
A blanket that features a cross-stitch sampler in the middle
A set of four reversible placemats
A knitted snow woman
Several fabric blocks (like this one already in my store)
A pillow made from sunflower fabric
A teeny-tiny bowtie (this means the first of the Smileville Bears is nearly ready!!)