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!!