My news for the fall is an upcoming local craft show in which I will be a vendor, selling handcrafted fabric items. I have spent time in the last few weeks planning, choosing fabric, and sewing small items to sell.
The fabric bowls that I learned to make recently are favorites of mine. The sample fabric bowl shown in these two photos is reversible. They are great as small holiday gifts or hostess gifts. Used alone as a table accent or filled with candy, nuts, dips, or even paper clips, these bowls may appeal to those who prefer practical gifts.
There is a Scandinavian legend that if one sprinkles bird seed by the front door on Christmas morning, it will bring good luck. I made these tiny tote bags to honor that tradition. I will be filling each bag with a packet of bird seed and a card that explains the legend.
A bottle of wine is a typical hostess gift any time of year. My colorful fabric wine totes will allow a gift of wine to be a little more special.
I had fun deciding how to incorporate some inspirational fabric quotes into a small project. After thinking about it for a while, I had a "lightbulb" moment one evening, and the next day I set out to craft the three inspirational pillows that you see here as well as several others.
Although most of my items to sell are small gift items, I can't resist including a small quilt or two. I used some red, blue, and yellow paisley as the focus fabric for this table runner that has a French country feel.
In the craft fair, I am also including this small tea themed quilt which can be used as a table topper or a small wall hanging. In a previous post, I explained both the inspiration and the technique for making this quilt.
So if you live in western North Carolina, please save the date for the OLLI Art Bazaar on Friday, November 10 and Saturday, November 11 in the Reuter Center at the University of North Carolina at Asheville. Friday hours will be from 11 AM-4PM; Saturday hours are from 11 AM-3 PM. There will be 42 vendors selling a variety of handcrafted items. Each vendor has donated an item for drawings throughout the two day show, so by just attending you have a chance to win a unique handmade item. There is free parking, and some of the proceeds from the art bazaar will be donated to a scholarship program at UNC Asheville.
Stay tuned as the date gets closer when I will share more details of my preparations for this craft show as well as a few more items to be featured on my craft show tables.
Linked with: Marilyn's Treats , Wonderful Wednesdays, Linky Tuesday Freemotion by the River, and Needles and Thread Thursday
As I recently looked back over previous posts on my blog, it was hard for me to believe that my last post was one showing how I was getting ready for spring, and now we're close to fall. What happened to summer? Well, I was a caregiver this summer as my husband recovered from major surgery. The bulk of the summer went by in a blur. My routine has regained more normalcy now, and I'm ready to blog again!
Since sewing and quilting are such big parts of my life, my first thought in preparing for fall is to replace spring or summer table runners with a look of autumn hues. Here you can see a quilted table topper that I recently completed. The center is a novelty fabric that includes cherries, but the colors of deep reds, taupes, and olive greens remind me of early fall.
Thanks to the generosity of friends and family as well as a few purchases of my own, I have a small collection of pottery. Fall seems the right time to pull out some pieces of pottery and experiment with displaying them as a centerpiece on my new table topper. Here I try a crimson bowl. It hides most of the quilt's center, but it showcases the pottery.
Next I place a small pitcher with swirls of tans and golds on the table topper. Years ago, I owned a dance studio and taught dance. One of my dance students gave me this lovely pitcher. To my dismay, the pitcher was broken on a cross-country move. I glued it back together, and although the cracks can be seen, I think it might just add to the charm of the piece.
I enjoy cutting flowers from the yard and bringing them inside. Flowers are prolific in my yard during the spring, but it's a little more challenging in the fall to find blooms to bring indoors. However, my favorite flower never fails. Hydrangeas are beautiful during the summer with their bold periwinkle color. In the fall, these blooms turn more muted. The blooms are now green tipped with purples and reds. I can't resist loosely arranging a few of these hydrangeas in my small pitcher.
I am pleased with how well this fall hydrangea arrangement coordinates with my new quilted table topper.
Fall is the last season of the year when we will be able to enjoy our screened porch. I decide to cut a few more hydrangeas and place them in a different pitcher for the table on my screened porch. This pitcher has tones of green and purple, which makes it a perfect vessel for these autumn hydrangeas.
I feel fortunate to live in an area where there are four distinct seasons, each with special traditions to enjoy.
What are some of your favorite things about fall? Do you have special ways of preparing for different seasons? Please leave a comment and share your ideas.
Linked to: Marilyn's Treats
