in my farmers market booth

Hand dyeing of cotton yarn...

I've been wanting to do this with some items I have already finished in cream/ecru Sugar N Cream or Peaches N Creme-type cotton yarn. Lo and behold, I found this tutorial at yarngear that looks to have all the elements I'm looking for. If I can get these done this week, I'll have a bunch of new items to sell at market.

Craigslist came through for me.

Here is my new old sewing machine. I'm partial to the old machines made in Japan. They are all metal, have no computers to go bad, but yet have lots of groovy stitches. The person I bought this from (for a song--$40!!!) thought it was too complicated and couldn't figure out how to run it. Hmmm...

Well, this machine is almost identical to my other one, including lots of pattern stitch cams. Also has lots of feet including a bunch of hemmer feet. Since my machines are late 70's and early 80's vintage Kenmores, they have a special "super high" shank and it is hard to get feet that truly work. Yes, you can get attachments from ebay, but they don't fit nearly as well. So I figure just the great army of feet included was worth the money just by itself. Of course, I wished it had a walking foot and a ruffler, but alas, that is too greedy of me.

As much sewing as I do, my online sewing friends were aghast that I didn't have more than one machine. Well, it never dawned on me. At this amazing price, it was well worth it. Did I mention that it was a mere four miles away? I just drove over and got it (hey, it's craigslist, so I was sure to have hubs along just in case).

After a few quick adjustments to the feed dogs and a quick rundown on the bobbin protocol (unlike my other machine but somewhat like the machine of my childhood years) I'm up and running. So far, it purrs like a kitten. I've gotten a fair amount of product done already.

So I'm a happy camper. It's probably not a coincidence that I found it, and I should give a quick shoutout to God and give myself a little credit for looking doggedly for an option that would be good.

It came with a bunch of sewing stuff, some of which I'm going to part with in an upcoming Mary Jane's Farm giveaway. So stay tuned, seamstressmeisters....

Market

We had a very good market this last weekend. Hats off to our new market manager who has got it goin' on, if you know what I mean. I think we all pretty much were busy. I'm very grateful.

I need to get a ton of product made not only for market, but for some other orders. Chop chop, nashbabe, keep workin'...gives me something to do instead of thinking about kiddo's situation. That's not all bad.

Whole Grain Power Bar

This was my attempt to make some breakfast food that hubs will eat as he dashes out the door, which is pretty common. The other goal was to by and large make something where I didn't have to buy anything from the store, to save money.

Made these with the recipe over at Bob's Red Mill. My hubby won't eat coconut to save his soul, though, so usually with a breakfast bar type recipe you can substitute an equal amount of oatmeal and get away with it. I used the old fashioned oats instead because it has more fiber.

Usually you can substitute different kinds of nuts in these things and get away with it. I had walnuts and pecans, so that's what we ended up with instead.

What the heck did I have quinoa in the house for? I had bought a little at Wild Oats which sadly will be swallowed up by the Whole Foods monolith. I don't mind Whole Foods entirely (although I hear people call them "Whole Paycheck", but they're further and further away from the food and more and more into the glitz, IMHO. Their bulk food section, which I always liked, is shrinking rapidly and the "shoppertainment" seems to be all the buzz. Kind of scary really. Hope someone else comes in and fills the void. Even a Trader Joe's would be SO lovely in Nashvegas.

Hubs is NOT into cranberries, but there are many other dried fruits you can substitute. Obviously the easiest substitution is raisins.

I had been warned to RINSE YOUR QUINOA before cooking, and I obediently followed directions. It's so small though, how does one rinse it in a colander? Well, I couldn't make that option work, kids, that's all I'll say. ;-)

My hubs keeps protein powder in the house to make shakes, so that was pretty easy. It is also available at major supermarkets now with no problems.

Lots of protein to keep you going for the morning...

The race is on...

After waiting a while, I did actually get that new account. They had purchased a competitor's products right before I called. Hubs said "didn't you feel intimidated when you saw the other stuff in the store?" I said "no, I figured as quickly as they answered my call to gauge their interest, they knew they wanted my stuff instead." It's kind of an old account, actually, but enough of that...this is a public blog. I ain't going into that here...but these guys are the good guys...

When I brought my first order in there Friday, they actually applauded as I came through the door. I figured someone famous came in behind me...after all, this is Nashvegas! But they were welcoming me there.

They sold a very significant amount of product in the first business day, and I have already had to restock with a bigger amount of stuff. And a third of the stuff I brought over is already spoken for with one customer. Yikes.

This could get good...and also quite tiring. But a good kind of tiring.

The owner went out of their way to let me know how happy they were to have my stuff in their store. That was super cool and not what I expected. Usually it's just business, ya know?

So if I don't blog much for the next month or so, you'll know why... ;-) Lord knows we need the money. It is really, really hard to make ends meet, because kiddo's school bills are so very high. God will provide, somehow...

As sucky as things have been as of late, it is nice to have some positive stuff going on, and I am grateful.

The show went well

Thanks to you fab peeps who helped. About an average total which considering high gas prices and a competing show (Junior League, what WERE you thinking????) is quite good. Didn't sell a lot of expensive stuff, just "cobbled a lot of crumbs together and made a cake" as I used to say as a sales manager. Sold a LOT of aprons though...ten if I remember right. That was cool. There were a couple that I could have sold several times over if I had had backstock. Many thanks to all and thanks God for the moolah, you know we need it major league.

Let's get it started!

Biggest show of the year starts in about eight hours. Yep, it's late and before some shows, this one included, I'm always up late getting ready and feeling as if I missed the mark on lots of prep. But the fact is that I have a ton of product and have worked very hard and prayed just as hard that the show goes well. I have friends and hubs helping me in the booth tomorrow, and I am blessed.

So even though I'm tired, I'm PUMPED! Let's get it started in here, let's get it started in here (do you hear me singing that tune? driving my fellow peeps crazy? well, you will soon!)

Thanks, God for the good attitude going into this, and for all the ways you have helped me. I don't say that enough.

Kiddo stopped by the house tonight after going to a play at their school of their dreams with hubs. Kiddo was in a really tender and nurturing mood. It was good. Nice to see in the midst of all the pain, grief and anger they have to deal with. I am grateful.

Okay, off to a few hours of sleep and an early departure to the show. Ciao...

Something good happened...

it was fun. A new account. Will be a good one, Lord willing.

Market

Guess I never posted about market. I try to cobble as many sales together as I can, but it is difficult with hardly anyone there. Three vendors just GAVE me stuff this week...that's a record. They hadn't been able to sell it. Of course I gifted them with some cucumber soap in return...

So many vendors have little to sell because of the drought. And it's too hot to sell scarves...and it's October! If there isn't a cold snap soon I won't sell them at all, crap...

Market was...

...slow. It was slow for everyone. The vendors had nothing to do. Sales weren't too exciting. I did get to see the mom of an old friend of mine though, and that was nice. Also, I was grateful that my stuff wasn't perishable like the food/vegetable vendors. I can just bring it back next time.

We had an outstanding rainstorm after market was over. Buckets upon buckets! There again, I was grateful for the market shed over our heads. Just an EZUp would have been a major pain. A few things got a little damp, but none of the stock was damaged, so I'm grateful both for the rain (we've been in the middle of a major drought) and for the roof over our heads at the time.

So it truly could have been worse.

Market this last Saturday

It was remarkably good. Not a lot of customers but it seemed that those who came definitely bought stuff. I am very hopeful for the rest of the fall based on these results. Definitely can use the money! Sure enough, getting more aprons in there did spur sales and I brought out the scarves/knit/crochet stuff for its fall debut, being Labor Day weekend and all. Sold a couple scarves and I think as things get cooler and I get some of my more funky designs worked back up, I will sell more. (Honestly, what I had this last weekend was just the dregs of what hadn't sold last fall so to sell a couple of them was gravy as far as I was concerned...I was really low on most colors and didn't have many of my best sellers.)

Thanks, God, for helping us sell stuff at market...and I'm prayin' for big sales this fall. Gonna whip up some more apronage this week, but candles have to come first this week. I have wholesale customers in serious need and all the illnesses I went through put that on the back burner. Glad I'm healing up well and the doctors have helped me get on a good road...

Back to market

It was nice to be back at market. Very few people there and not very many vendors relatively speaking. The drought has really messed up farmers' crops so some regulars weren't there.

Surprisingly I had a decent day. Crawled along at a snails pace and then had a lot of sales in the last half of the day. I'm grateful. Wish I would have sold some aprons today, but had a lot more lookers than usual so I'm getting somewhere. There is such a thing as critical mass. If I can get four to six more done, more people will look at the lot of them. That is the pain in the tookus about retail, you have to make sure the space looks pleasingly full. But hey, that's how it is.

To Market To Market

Market is tiring right now but the people and being with my hubby gives me energy and joy.

Finally, I am seeing interest in my aprons that I have brought to market to sell. I am trying to do stuff I would actually like, and things I can get done in a good amount of time. I will take some pics and add to this post.

It is really nice to get fresh yummy produce each week. We bought a yellow watermelon; that was a new one. The smart aleck vendor next to me sold it to us. We asked him "what does it taste like?" He said, "Yellow." Hokay... *L*

Another good market

Lots of people, good sales, not the same stuff as last time, but hey, it worked. I am very grateful. The good thing is that the stuff that is easier for me to make right now as I don't feel that great is the stuff that is selling. Some things really need to get made, but I have been too tired to spend the many hours needed for the stuff that needs to be done. Market is tiring me right now but things will be better soon...I have faith.

We had a very good market yesterday. Changed the layout a little and it worked like a charm. Hubs and I were pretty busy taking money from people most of the morning. Very grateful for the sales! Did wear me out though..the adrenaline of selling a good amount of stuff kept us both going and after that I was quite tired. I'm still feeling punky and have been for a while. Perhaps it's just that "extreme caregiving" has tired me out. Now's the time to nurture myself. Period. Rest and healthful stuff...that's my plan.

Nifty shoulder bag tutorial

http://tinyhappy.typepad.com/tiny_happy/2006/06/shoulder_bag_tu.html

I've made several of these, of course making a number of alterations and changes along the way to make them my own. I changed them so I could make them into market bags for sale at my farmer's market booth and maybe make some buckage. I'll post pics if I can figure out how to do so.