The highs and lows of a November weekend

The highs... Oxford's Chrismas Lights Night Market

The lows... accidentally letting go of Freya's much loved balloon! (bad, bad Mummy!)

Truck 2012: done and dusted!

Hurrah, the sun finally remembered what it’s supposed to be doing – just in the nick of time. Last week was spent manically stitching while keeping fingers, toes and ears crossed that the rain would stop for Truck Festival... and it worked!

Highlights included: the amazing range of vocal sounds illicited by handmade vintage fabric knickers; witnessing the brilliant sales skills of a 2 yr old daughter (“do you like my mummy’s shop, there are lots of colours...”); meeting our stall neighbour Geoff the Vintage man; and holding a serious sales conversation while wearing a zebra mask on Wild Animal dress up day.

Camping is definitely good for the soul – nothing tastes better than a cuppa in a field or food with grass in it. And as ultimate testament to the restorative powers of fresh air and no showers, Mr Loulabelle has just installed a new outdoor light without either swearing or throwing about of tools!

Made by Zoo-labelle

Bestsellers

ReFashion

Okay, so let's just skim over the fact that I've not posted anything since September and pretend like I've been here, wiffling away as usual... I've got lots to tell you (honestly I had good reasons for the radio silence) but I'll start off gently with a quick report on the fab - and first ever - ReFashion event at Oxford Town Hall last week.  Swishing, swapping, upcycling demos, an ethical fashion catwalk show, and lots of vintage goodies.... seriously, there was nothing not to like!

Not only did I get to spend the day talking about upcycling and hanging out with the lovely Jo of Darn it and Stitch (caught on camera in my quick snap above), I also ended up going home with a big bundle of fabric, and two new-to-me tops - bonus!

O3 Ethical Events Craft Boutique

I'm really excited to be a part of this event at the O3 Gallery in Oxford. Organized by Feng Ho, the gallery's resident ethical fashion expert, the event features some fantastically talented designer makers and I'm all of a tingle to be included alongside them. If you're in Oxford or nearby on the 25th, come by and say hello!  For more information, check out the O3 Gallery events page.

A month in pictures Part 2: Truck Festival

Last weekend I had a stall at Truck festival, and for the first time, I sold knickers. Definitely a crowd pleaser, although frequent cries of "nice pants" kept me checking that my own underwear was well tucked away!

The weather was perfect and the atmosphere was very jolly indeed. After a truly hectic run-up it couldn't get much better than relaxing in the sun, chatting about vintage fabric, underwear and bags with lots of lovely people. My stall was next to Darn it and Stitch so inbetween chatting to customers I got to hang out with my buddies - even more perfect! Other highlights included Johnny Flynn, Gruff Rhys, lentil dahl from the Rotary club (that's food, not another band name) and the "Truck All Stars" finale performance of the Fleetwood Mac Rumours album.

There's some great photos on the Truck Festival website including this photo of your's truly, well and truly caught in an act of last minute preparation. Here are some of the shots I took.

The bow-tie hair clip came into it's own on "sports casual" dress up day...

Pretty things on the Darn it and Stitch stall...

I love this necklace from fellow etsians Delilah and Wild, just one of my lovely purchases (of which, more posts are to come!)...

... and relax....

Ahhhhhh.... That, my friends, is the sound of a deep breath of relaxation and relief after a frantic week of preparation for today's craft fair. All in all - a good day.


It's hard to predict how busy craft fairs will be, but whatever the takings, it's worth it for the opportunity to get real feedback and interaction from people that you know aren't just being nice to you because they have to be! I love seeing which bags people's eyes are drawn to, which ones get the most strokes, which ones remind them of their grandma's kitchen curtains.... I always come away with a massive list of new ideas and things to improve next time.

My other favourite thing about craft fairs is the opportunity to meet other crafters - some friends who came to visit wanted to know if there was any sabotage going on behind the scenes, but it couldn't be further from the truth! My stand neighbour today was Nicola from Marmalade Button who makes the most amazing cake stands from vintage British plates - check out her folksy shop.

photo from www.marmaladebutton.com

I'm off to take another sip of wine now, but before I go, I wanted to let you know about another treasury - it's been a good couple of weeks on the treasury front! This time it's been the turn of the Dorothy and Dot tote and clutch to be featured in fosterbk's collection of houndstooth treats entitled Release the Hounds. Sherlock Holmes has never looked so cool!

Craft adventures #4... and some Craft Fair news

A quick update on today's Crafty Friday session: the brooch necklace is now a nearly finished work in progress - this beading palava is brilliant fun but takes a lot longer than you'd thing - probably not helped by my over-enthusiasm which meant I nearly had a necklace that would reach my knees.

Here's a taster... I really hope it turns out okay and doesn't just end up look like a few bits and bobs on a string!I also have some news - I've managed to book some spots at the weekly craft fair at Woodstock Town Hall near Oxford. I'll be there on the following dates:

Saturday 5th June
Sunday 1st August
Sunday 7th November

It's been a while since my last craft fair - just over a year in fact! A teeny tiny Freya came with me too - I remember feeling like it was massively obvious I was pregnant, but looking back at the photos, you can't see any sign of bump yet!

Anyway, I'm a bit scared about how close the first date is, so, while Freya is napping I'd best stop blogging and start sewing!!