Sunday 31 August 2014

After the Craft Fair



Wow! I thought I was a late night trouper, with lots of experience at the Burwell Bash but these last two days of the Letheringsett Craft Fair have left me really, really shattered! Early nights both days and still I have been tired today. It's amazing how standing around for seven hours can tire you out!


                    Thanks Sue for this lovely photo of me - not the most photogenic of people!


However, I can say it was well worth it. We had fairly reasonable weather - lots of sunshine but with much cooler than usual temperatures for August. The open barn we set up our stalls in was a little windy at times, but on the whole it was a decent venue. The staff at Back to The Garden were very pleasant and set us up with a free tea/coffee making station in the shop, and also came round taking requests and bringing us drinks out to the stalls, which was jolly decent of them.


I made this little chap at the last minute on Friday, based on a Mexican folk style bird. I could have sold it several times over, and eventually it did go to a lovely little boy for his bedroom!



The bangles sold well, and I sold the little sampler with the lime green ric-rac down the side. The lower "Wingèd Heart " was repeatedly mistaken for an owl so I shall have to re-think the placement of the motifs!

Red Sanderson, who organised the event through North Norfolk Arts and Crafts had put a lot of thought and hard work into getting it up and running, and was there with us most of the time, checking things were ok, sussing out how things were going and being generally supportive.This was a new
venue for Red's events so it was an interesting exercise, with lots of lessons to be learned along the way. I had no idea there was so much to running a craft fair!



                             I have a commission for another of the top version of the Angel Panel


The small blue, red-bound  quilt folded over the towel stand at the front was purchased by lovely Jane-Ann, and is to be hung in her bedroom. To think that one of my quilts has joined the works of Janet Bolton, Mandy Patullo and other noted textile artists is very gratifying indeed!

There were more visitors on the Sunday, which was nice, as it makes the time go faster, and it is always lovely to chat to people who are interested in what you do, whether they buy or not. Most of us did pretty well, if not overwhelmingly so. I sold two quilts, a large wool/felt cushion, some bangles, some fat felt pin-cushions, a stitched sampler, a Mexican folk art style bird panel, and some post-cards. I was pretty pleased, I have to say. Also there was a lot of interest in the quilts, with two possible pending commissions, and a commission for three large wool/felt appliqued cushions. Well worth the two days of selling, plus the preparation, and of course, the hours and hours of designing and stitching and - finishing off - my least favourite part of the process!


My sewing table, covered with a round two dozen flower shapes already for appliquéd to three cushion fronts, should the tentative commission be firmed up. And if it doesn't, I have more stock for the next two craft fairs!

I know there are things I would do differently, and there things about my presentation which need a good tweaking, but I was pleased with the way the Textile Treasury stand looked. Thanks to lovely Nell Pols for her photographs, and to all my friends who toddled across county to come and see and support me - you know who you are! Big thanks too to Yvonne who came and helped out for both mornings - so good to have our company Yvonne, greatly appreciated. An especial thank you to my Other Half, Jim who packed all the stands and crates into his car - no room in my little Ford Ka once the quilts and cushions were in - and who helped set up, and take down at the end of Sunday. Thanks too to Red for giving me the opportunity to take part, let's do it again some time!!

20 comments:

  1. Glad you had an enjoyable, if tiring time and did well with sales and commissions. I do remember how tiring it used to be and I was younger then. Certainly don't think I could do it now but when you make such lovely things, it is nice to sell them to be able to make more!

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    1. Thanks Dc, it was fun, and despite being tired, I think I will do it again! Curious how much nicer it is to have someone buy something you have already made than to make to commission - gratifying though that is!

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  2. Wow Lynne your stall looks fabulous - really colourful and diverse. That Mexican bird is a real treat - I can understand the interest! I must admit that I too thought the winged heart was an owl (sorry) - but only the bottom one and only because the large circles look like eyes! Great idea to take commissions - I'm sure they'll be followed up. It's funny how tiring it can be though - I mostly sat down when I did one and couldn't understand why I was so tired the next day. I think you have to factor in all the hard work that goes on beforehand - not just physically but mentally - and the fact that you are 'on show' for a straight seven hours. Looks like it was a great success though - well done x Jane

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    1. Ha Jane, yes, I have to admit to the owlishness of that winged heart! And you are right, being "on show" is quite tiring in itself, not ALL your stoppers-by are lovely people and there may be some gritting of teeth at times! But in the main I enjoyed chatting to people who stopped- even if they didn't buy. You never know when you may meet them again, or they may contact you weeks later. Lxx

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  3. bless you - i am so pleased that it all went so well for you and i can completely understand how you felt at the end - i hope you have time to take a breather now to recharge before the next sale - we were up at 5.30 this morning for what may be my last car boot sale of the year - we didn't get home until 1.30pm and i've spent most of the afternoon "sorting out" - we are off for a pub quiz in a mo - i can also understand that you much prefer people to buy something you have already made - it is so much easier me that way with my cards (i always worry that they will be disappointed if the finished card isn't quite up to their expectations!!!!) also what a lovely venue - very rustic - wish we lived closer so that i could have come to look at your lovely things!! take care xxxx

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    1. Oh thanks Lynne, yes, you could pop in for tea too if you lived closer!! Car boot sales can be even more tiring I think, though they start early and finish at a sensible hour! Hope the quiz went well - amazed you had the energy! Lxx

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  4. Well done, it can be soul destroying standing behind a stall, not to mention a killer for feet and back. To sell lots and get commissions is a pointer to how appealing your work is. I am hoping to get over to Brechfa next Saturday, Dawn from Doing it for ourselves in Wales should have a stall there.

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    1. Thanks Pam, I have done a REALLY soul destroying craft fair - badly run, poorly publicised, and very poorly attended; fortunately this was none of those things, and the tiredness was well worth it in the end. Hope you will pop some photos on your blog when you get back from the craft fair in Brechfa. Lxx

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  5. Congratualtions on such a successful weekend!
    Take care.

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    1. Thanks - Jane isn't it? I am in danger of repetitive strain injury as I'm stitching away like fury trying to finish a cushion or two - before I start on building up some stock for the next two craft fairs. Phew! Lxx

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  6. Your stall looks amazing - you've obviously put an awful lot of work in, so glad the weekend went well for you.

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    1. Hi Tawney, thanks, I stood and looked at the stand and felt it looked a little cluttered in comparison with some of the other (Non-textile) stands, but don't know how I can change it. I think with all the colour it is going to be hard to make it look cool and minimalist anyway! Yes, it was a really good two days. Lxx

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  7. What an amazing array of creations.....wish. I lived closer! :) xxx

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    1. Thanks Ada. I'm now hard at work preparing for the next one and a couple of commissions. xxx

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  8. Being nosy... the quilt on the very right hand side of the chair back, on the photo of your stand... is that the one we've seen little snapshots of now and again, when you have added bits to it? Did we ever see a full photo? Did you sell it?
    And how is your Mum these days?

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    1. Hi Edwina, yes that is the Sunflower Farm quilt, which I have taken and posted quite a few photos along the way! No it hasn't sold, but there was a lot of interest on it - one little tot loved it, she kept staggering across to point out various animals on it - she was under one and just walking! Her parents had the ceramics stand. Both days she was transfixed by it, and her grandmother took one of my cards - but nothing was firmed up. Another chap came to see it twice and muttered something about his granddaughter .. but again nothing was said. So it will be on the stand at the next craft fair!
      Mum is doing quite well, much more settled in and happier. She told me the other day that she had no worries now, nothing to worry about at all. So I guess we have got through the worst part; it was terrible, Edwina, I never wish to live through those weeks again. But happily we have turned the corner I think, thanks for asking. Lxx

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  9. Can you remember where you posted the photos of it? I'd love to get a look at it in its entirety. So pleased your Mum seems much better, settled... that makes such a difference to all of you, not just her. Shame you don't seem to have visited your caravan much, any chance of a trip before it gets too chilly? Bit nippy first thing this morning wasn't it? But gorgeous sunrise....

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    1. Edwina, there was't a full length photo and I tried to do one this morning but it is too bright. However I have just uploaded a new post ........ Lxxx

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  10. I'm finally catching up here! It all looks fabulous Lynne and I'm glad you had a good if tiring day. I'm not surprised your work sold to a Janet Bolton fan, the style may be different but the sensibility is very similar :o)

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    1. Hi Annie - it doesn't take much for me to get out of blog-reading, et alone blog POSTING! Thank you so much for your comment - it does become difficult at times to avoid recreating (albeit to a lesser standard!) the work of your heroes, and I do try to develop my own style. Yes, Jane-Ann collects the work of Jane Bolton and several other well known textile artists, and I was thrilled when she purchased that wall quilt. Lxx

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