My First Gift Boutique

Here is a look at my impromptu workplace and some plaques I whipped up today for a gift show I have been invited to participate in. A while ago, someone contacted me from my etsy site and asked if I would participate in her holiday gift show. She is in Utah, so this worked out great. I agreed, and then in true me-lately fashion, let her know I couldn't do it. Thank goodness for her, she talked me into it. I am glad she did, I have been wanting to make my plaques and sew for quite some time, but as all of you know, life gets in the way. So thanks to my lovely husband, he has agreed to switch places with me the next few days so I can add more nursing aprons and plaques to my small stash I already have. Thanks to Heidi's encouragement to bring whatever I have, no matter how little, I am now feeling the jitters of my first gift show. I don't expect any of you to come and buy my things (although you can if you want), but there are going to be over 60 artisans and vendors at this boutique. Please check out the Oh Sweet Sadie blog for more information including a list of participants, spotlights on some, directions to the gift show itself and more. I would go even if I wasn't involved. And thanks again Heidi for allowing me to waffle over this decision.

Flashback Friday!

This weeks theme is music. I have a short history with music, and of course, I wish I had done more to learn it. But I must tell you about one of my piano teachers. I don't remember her name, but her image is seared into my mind. She wore those house dresses (almost a mumu) with dark brown nylon stocking that only went up to her calves. And I could swear she had fangs and horns, but it gets a little fuzzy there. She was so mean, she would belittle me and my little brother. Then if we missed a key she would crack our knuckles or heads with a ruler. My mom didn't believe me until Joe (my brother) backed me up. If only I had had a nice teacher, or at least not an evil one, I might have been someone, I could have been a star!

And, I have no pride because I am going to show you why I kept my mouth closed in some of those group flashback pics. I had some crazy teeth, but hopefully those perfectly formed ringlets distracted from them.

Oh, and wish me luck. My friend Taunya of Taunya Elise Jewelry (formerly Elie B.) who makes AMAZING jewelry, asked me to put some of our Nursing Aprons in her booth at Swiss Days in Midway this Friday and Saturday. So 25 new aprons were whipped up in the nick of time. Yes, they are similiar to some other nursing aprons, but let me point out the important differences. Piccalilli too's are made from quality 100% cotton in the most fashionable patterns. There is 12 inches of boning at the neck so that you can see the baby, the baby can see you. Instead of terry cloth sewn into the corner of the apron, Piccalilli too's has a hook near the neck that snaps a terry cloth into place, used for those errant milk sprays or spit up. You can detach the towel (which comes with the apron) and wash only the towel, and not the whole apron (unless, of course it is needing a wash). Check out some of the aprons. So take a look at my shameless self-promotion, which will hopefully sell like crazy and if not it will be in my Piccalilli too shop. So check them out, and Taunya's jewelry (and she had some cute backpacks and totes) or if you know someone who is going up there to have a look. The fabric I used is from Joel Dewberry, Amy Butler, Heather Bailey and Moda. These pics represent just a few of the aprons.

Check out http://vivikas.wordpress.com/ and see the feature she did on me and my store.

Yum, Yum, Yum

I read in some one's blog the other day (I'm sorry, can't remember who's, but someone really talented) about ZandSFabrics . I checked them out because I am needing to do about 15 nursing aprons for Swiss Days. OH MY! Good selection and great prices. It was hard to narrow down my choices. So about 35 yards later, here is what I got in the mail. So beautiful. I got a lot of Joel Dewberry, who I met at the Quilt Market earlier this year. He is the nicest guy, and great product. I got some Heather Bailey Freshcut , Amy Butler , and Moda Eclectic . And they wrapped it with a cute cut of fabric to boot. C thought it was a present. Time for me to get cutting!


On the other side of the coin, I am one of those mothers. Today, at Target, standing in the book area, C starts crying "oh no, I had an accident!". Yes, that kind. Luckily, just of the liquid type. I wiped her legs down, got the Hello Kitty undies out of the cart, switched them out, and went to the check-out. I know, I know, I am getting there. After paying for our things, including the Hello Kitty undies, we were driving out of the parking lot and it occurred to me "Crap, there was probably a puddle!!!" I am now one of those mothers... the kind you say you won't be, the kind that leave their children's bodily messes for others to clean up.

Don't call child services yet, or Target to rat me out, I did make cookies with E today. I didn't make the dough (I am a horrid baker), but we had fun. We made a Mike (from Monsters Inc.), Pikachu (yep, my kid plays nintendo), a rainbow, and a ladybug for C. They are still sitting on my counter, cooked but not eaten. But E is happy.

Delightful Custom

I had a gal contact me about my nursing aprons, but she doesn't nurse and wanted to know if I could make her a non-nursing apron. This made me so nervous! I make things and then people buy them, but with this there were expectations. What if I didn't meet them? I said yes and asked her to put together a list of fabric options. My mom and I made one, but I decided that we needed to give her more choices. So we made another. I like both but loved one more than the other - but both were good choices. I posted them in my shop so she could see the pictures and descriptions of both aprons, she said when she saw one of them she started crying, good tears luckily. She said that it reminded her of one that her grandma gave her when she was little. That made my day. So now it is in the mail, off to a loving home. Which one do you think she chose?