Sewing, painting, charming….

On the day after Thanksgiving I went thrift store shopping with my girls.  We had so much fun.  We were in the city so the selection was good and we went to 3 or 4 great stores that were all pretty close together.  One of the things that I bought was a framed piece of needlework.  I pictured sewing it to the front of one of these Market Shoppers.  It was too big so I cut it in half, added a little trim to both halves and put them on the fronts of two bags.  They both turned out very fun.

It was perfect timing.  I was hoping to get some of these made anyway for this weekend’s show so this motivated me.

I painted the frame from the needlework and added a RED chalkboard to the inside of it.

These bags usually have just a painted label on the front.  They are a nice, deep bag and fully lined, often with vintage barkcloth.

I found the perfect RED paint!  I’m painting a fun little {Ethan Allen} cabinet that I also bought that day.  All of these goodies will be for sale this weekend. 

A winner has been chosen for the charm give-a-way.  Comment #10, Carole! 

I don’t say it often enough but I really love your comments. There are so many thoughtful gals who visit me here regularly and your sweet words often make my day!  thx.

As the seasons change….

This has been my trusty Market Shopper.  It’s accompanied me to our local farmer’s market and a variety of other happenings lately.

I think that this Friday will be the last Market of the season.

I generally have mixed emotions as each season comes to an end.  I know for some it seems like summer ended a while back but I’ve still been hanging on to remnants of it.  We did have a pretty good freeze this week {30°} so that helps me to make the official transition to fall…which makes me long for a hard, cold, snowy winter!

My own garden/orchard is winding down too but I still have [some] apples and pears and lots of potatoes, carrots, tomatoes and [hopefully] some tomatillos [just waiting for them to do their thing…I’ve been told that you know they’re ready when they drop off the vine…if they don’t freeze first].

I really love pear.

I don’t find it as versatile for my family as apple but I still love it.

It’s a beautiful fruit!

I made this Pear Custard Pie this week.  Oh, so Yummy!…and it just got better on the 2nd, 3rd and 4th day!  Next time I would make it a day ahead.

The goats and chickens are benefiting from the garden clean-up!

Ruffles and Rust Square…

Over the weekend I was able to take some items to Ruffles & Rust Square in Snohomish, WA to sell.  Timi, the store owner, asked if I would bring some aprons and charms for her Friday evening ticket sales ‘kick-off’ for the upcoming show, Ruffles & Rust ..held at the Evergreen State Fairgrounds {Monroe} ~ October 21-22.

www.comejunkwithus.com

I gathered together my aprons {here are some pictures of a couple more I was able to get done}, charms, a few bags and hit the road in my little red Subaru.

{I love this apron…I incorporated a very old, stained and tattered towel.  All of it’s flaws, in my opinion, only add to the fun character of this apron}

Timi’s store, which features several artist/vendors, is a beautiful one.  If you’re in the Snohomish area, it’s worth the stop.  And I was able to leave some items there that will be for sale.   {thx. Timi!}

I feel bad that I haven’t talked about the fun week that is before me.  I leave tomorrow for The Creative Connection held in St. Paul, Minnesota.  This has really snuck up on me but Mr T. has had a lot of practice with goat-milking…so I have been relieved of my duties for the week and will be free to enjoy my adventures in the city!  I will be working as staff this year, which will put a different twist on the event from last year when I ran a booth and felt pretty tied down but still loved it {immensely!!}.

Market Shopper ~ Sweet Rustique

I have had so much fun making this new Market Shopper.

It is a bag that measures 13″ x 27″. 

It’s nice and deep…perfect for that special sale or farmer’s market.

I have been collecting vintage barkcloth {old drapery} for years and it teams perfectly with the rustic burlap.

I always prefer to hi-light any special characteristics…{i.e. time-worn holes, care instructions, etc…}

This one is just too much fun!

I took a part an old oil painting and hand-sewed it to the front of one of the bags.

Oh, My!

This was a pretty perfect way to spend my Mother’s Day…

Chic Rustique Market Shopper

I’ll side-step a bit here from my Retreat Reports as I wait for more pictures to arrive…  🙂  …and show you a fun shopping bag that I made yesterday.

It’s large and perfect for your trip to a shop, show or market.

…and it’s oh, so chic…Chic Rustique!

Farmgirl~Style Market Shopper

I’ve been accumulating these feed sacks for a few months waiting for an opportunity to begin sewing them into Farmgirl~Style Market Shoppers.  They are adorable and a fun new addition to the other {local} designs that I can get my hands on.

I have about 12 of these to work with plus I have been known to switch chicken feed based on the cuteness of the bag so for now I’ve got three of these bags full of feed.

Apparently Purina prints these for a Breast Cancer Awareness campaign that they do in October…they donate a percentage from each bag.  So they are available seasonally.

I almost forgot my favorite touch…a little rosette sewn to the front!

These Market Shoppers are for sale for $28.

You can contact me here to purchase one or see me at The Farm Chicks sale in Spokane, WA  on June 4th {my 28th anniversary} or June 5th!  😉

I’m ready to move beyond Market Shoppers…I guess I could have explained this in my last post but they are made from large woven-plastic feedsacks.  They are fun and functional and oh, so cute!  I sell them for $28.  Oh, ya…I should mention that they are extremely durable!   did I mention how ‘cute’ they are??? 😉

I’m finishing up the last details on a new batch of them.  Then I’ll bundle them up so they’re ready for their journey to Minneapolis…

Maybe I should sport one of these cuties when I go to the Brad Paisley concert tonight…wearing my new boots!

Now it’s time to get a charmin‘…

So much to do…

It feels like I’ve been working on these all summer.

I’m finally finishing up a nice-sized batch of these Market Shoppers with the Palouse brand name on them.

These will be perfect for The Creative Connection‘s, Handmade Market.  I’ll be working with MaryJane and in her booth and, she is from The Palouse!  OH, Yay!

There is SO MUCH more to do…it’s a bit overwhelming!

I really am alive and quite well…

I find it hard to know what to say for myself.  I love it when I blog regularly…love it!  It’s become part of a new norm for me and it’s one of the many things that makes me happy.  I’ve never wanted to write posts because I feel like I have to though.  So {I know it’s all too obvious} this summer I just haven’t been very faithful to this sweet, comfy place I’ve carved out for myself.

It’s true to say that I’ve also lacked a certain creativity in my life which is also refreshing to a certain degree and yet frightening for me in another sense.

Today I asked myself, ‘what if it doesn’t come back?’  …really?  what if?

I’m fairly certain it will…it always does.

If it’s gone forever then I’ll just move {without hesitation} into another dream…having my very own milk cow!

I have a lot going on right now.  It’s my wonderful LIFE but if I shared it all in detail I’m quite sure that I would really bore you and possibly even send you away…forever…so I’ll keep it short.  I’m busily making some Market Shoppers for The Creative Connection which is literally right around the corner.

Also, the cuff that I’ve shown photos of here will be going to Ellen.  She loved the last one she saw posted here and made her own special request.  I’ll be honest…I REALLY love these.  I started one for myself but skipped ahead to Ellen’s.

…speaking of Ellen…

I first met Ellen {in person} when she attended my first art retreat last April.  Lovely gal…but I mention it here to say that I have another one coming up, October 21-23,  and I still have a few spots left.  We will have a wonderful time, guaranteed!  Would love to have you join us…

More information HERE!

buried in bags

It was {thrilling!} to me that my Market Shoppers were a HIT at my last show!

You see, this was their first time to make a public appearance and I just didn’t know how they would be received.

Now it’s {past} time to get some more made.

I was excited and relived when I visited my local feed store, who has been saving them for me, only to find that they had about 25 there.  Some of the employees are now saving them at home and bringing them in. yay!

It feels like my house has been taken over by these little critters.

I’ve made a couple just for ‘me’ before, only to sell them.  This week I made another one for myself with a few extra touches {like using my favorite pair of jeans that I was forced to ‘retire’} and I won’t part with this one.

I have several gals waiting for me to get one done for them and in the mail….so, here I am, getting back to it!