SUMMER MARKET STARTING

It is that time of year again. Can't believe it has been a year already! My local summer market season is starting this Saturday and the good old weather man says it is suppose to be sunny and 60 degrees which is unheard of for the opening day of the market. Normally it is cold and rainy and we are all sitting in our areas with coats, hats and gloves on. I sure hope he is right!

I will only have one market a week this year as the one in the nearby town is not happening this year. Last year the city said they were going to remodel the park that we used and we couldn't have the park this year and of course are they going to do that now.......NO! Too bad because that park was right by the river where all the salmon run so in July we had lots of tourist coming to fish and stopped by to see us. I did fairly well there. :(

I have a few new items I am taking this year. I need to come up with new stuff as the locals always stop by and if you have the same things they just walk by you as they already know what you have.



These bags did really well at the Christmas shows and I sold the few I had last summer so I thought I would make several different colors and see how they do.  



I did a few springs shows that weren't very good, but these really sold pretty good so I am hoping they will do good this summer.



Going to try some mug rugs also. I don't have the Alaska one's made yet, but that is my mission for next week. The tourist don't show up really good until the middle of June so I should have time. :)

My husband worked all winter to get his supply of cutting boards done as last year for the year (which includes the Christmas shows) he sold 178 cutting boards so he said he didn't want to spend all summer making boards like he did last summer. :)


My hubby does three different designs of boards. We call these "mutts" as there are several different woods in them. :)

 

 

So hopefully the season will be good. Will have a hard time topping last year as that was amazingly successful, but we will see.

 

 

Also wanted to remind you to visit the Old Farmhouse Gathering Team Summer Celebration that is going on right now. Just click here to join us. :)

 

 

 

 



Thanks for stopping by and have a great weekend! :)

 

TUTORIAL: COFFEE COZY

So how is everyone's week going so far? I have been pretty busy this week. I am trying to get things finished up for the upcoming spring show we have in two weeks. I am about done with everything. I have a few more tote bags to finish and then I should be good to go. Then I can get back on the items I need to finish for the summer markets. :)

Last week I showed you the coffee cozies that I am making for the shows and I told you I would show you how to make them. So here we go on making these cute little things.

The first thing I did was get a coffee sleeve from Starbuck's to have a template. Well actually my son did as I don't drink coffee. Making these cozies was actually his idea, so if they don't sell I told him he was going to get them for Christmas! Between him and my daughter (who doesn't drink coffee either) I should be able to get rid of them. OK...back to the instructions :)

 

When you make the template be sure to measure an additional 1/4 inch to it for the seam line. After you make a template from the sleeve, you cut out the fabric for the front and back of the cozy using the template. I have embroidered Alaska on mine since I am using this for my summer customers that are mostly tourists, but you can use any fabric you like. These work great to clean out your "stash". :)

 



 

Next you need to put the padding in the inside. Now I use fusible fleece because I just like it better. You can use any kind of batting or interfacing you like.

 

After you finish the batting you need to sew the two parts together leaving an opening for turning the cozy inside out.

 

 

After you have sewn the two sides together and clipped the curves you turn the cozy inside out. Now I cut the fabric next to the seam line a little bit so it isn't so bulky. Once you have turned the cozy inside out you need to top stitch it.



 

You can close the cozy several different ways. Some sew it closed or use Velcro, but I use buttons. I have a stash of vintage buttons I use to add a little something to them.

You can use a large button attached to the cozy, which if you do be sure to add the elastic to the cozy before you sew the two sides together.

Or you can attach two buttons to the sides to close the cozy. I just sew the button to close it and do not put button holes in.

 

Whalla....................you have a coffee cozy, but the most important part still needs to be done. CLEAN UP YOUR MESS!!

 

 

 

So now you have a coffee cozy. Hope you liked my tutorial and hope I didn't bore you too bad. :)  They actually are really easy once you have done it. They are kind of fun to make. I think they will make really nice small gifts like for teachers, stocking stuffers...you know....those kind of gifts.

 

 

Well off to finish the tote bags! Check out the new recipe I have for you too. You can make it for your Easter dinner. I make something similar to this...we call it "company potatoes" because we only make it when we have company. :) Thanks for coming and enjoy your week! :)

 

BLOGLOVIN/HAPPY SPRING

So I hear the the Google RSS feed is going away in June. Well since I didn't use it and do not know too much about it I guess I am lost on that subject. But that got me to thinking....I wonder how everyone that follows me actually sees my blog....hmmmmm......? So I had heard about Bloglovin and thought that maybe some of you would like to be able to follow me that way. So I headed on over there and got signed up, got the little logo to put on my left sidebar and whalla...................now you can follow me that way also.

Today is the first day of spring at my house as you can see right here. What is it like at your house today? Spring is suppose to mean crocuses and daffodils and warmth everywhere. Well as you can see I am far from there today.

I thought I had a few months still to get my products made for my summer market season that starts in May. Well I got a call from the coordinator that runs the market and they are having a spring market this year in April and I was invited to show there. I was very happy as it is by invitation only. One problem tho.......I procrastinated at the first of the year so now I am in "hyper-speed" to get things done!! Of course....as usual!!

Every year I try to come up with new items for the markets and this year one of my new items are coffee cozies. My son gave me the idea of making these. He was at Starbuck's one day and a lady pulled her own cozy out of her purse and he thought....hey, mom can make those! I thought hey that would be great for the tourist we get here if I make them with Alaska on them. Most of the tourist we sell too love to have Alaska on everything. I made some without Alaska in case they don't want that on them and for the local people. The locals drink a lot of coffee up here as we have drive-thru espresso everywhere! They are on every corner!

Here is the basket full of the one's I have made so far.

 

  

 

 

A few of them "on display"

 

 

I still have to do the one's with Alaska on them. I will take a picture of them when they are done. I think next week I will have a tutorial on how to make these for you so stay tuned. I will have to put it together when I do the other one's.

  

Well hope you all have a great first day of spring. I know I will as I go for my "spring" walk and it is 6 degrees out right now!

  

Check out my new recipe on the left hand bar and please follow me by Bloglovin or any other platform that you use. :)