Time for Aprons and Portland's Picnic Music + Arts Festival!

Long time, no Sew.

A week's recovery after the Clam Festival quickly turned into three weeks of almost zero sewing. I think I managed to get two aprons completed fairly quickly during that first week, still being in that sew, sew, sewing mode. But then came two weeks of working my regular job during the day (my usual hours being from 4-9 PM) and all good intentions to keep up a reasonable sewing pace quickly went out the window. I pooped out once I get home after working during the day and was lucky to manage a few chores before hanging up my apron and calling it a day.

Now that those two weeks of working days are over (hallelujah!) it's time to step up production. August 28th is the 3rd Annual Picnic Music + Arts Festival in Portland and I have some serious catching up to do. In the non-sewing interim I went a bit crazy and did some serious fabric ordering so will have no lack of fun and exciting fabrics to choose from when I get back in the swing of things.

I'm ready now!

Yo Momma’s Apron Strings at the Yarmouth Clam Festival

Aprons on display.

Holy Aprons, Batman!

That ClamFest was one heck of an experience. Prior to this event, Zoe and I sold our wares at local Farmer’s Markets and a very few (two, I think) holiday craft fairs, which were nothing to prepare us for what we were to encounter at one of the premiere craft fairs of the state. We had been given advice and warnings that this is a non-stop, hectic three days and to be prepared, whatever that meant. Well, we found out exactly what that meant and if it wasn’t for the advice and aide of our two neighbors: Allison Bramhall  (festivefish.net) and Arlene Reny Mayhugh (handmade stoneware and pottery), we would have had a much more difficult experience.

All was going along swimmingly until we discovered, upon putting up our brand new, super-dooper King Goliath canopy (I wasn’t going to take any chances with nasty, rainy and windy weather on this 3-day adventure) that the company had sent an extra canopy top instead of the sidewalls. ARGH! With thunderstorms predicted for the next day we scrambled to come up with a solution. To make a long and stressful story short, we managed to get our sidewalls in time to safely enclose our tent in time for the last overnight. In the meantime, we used our extra top and borrowed sides (thank you, thank you Karen Marsden of Bowdoin Baking Co.) to keep our aprons and jewels safe.

A sampling of Zoe's lovely jewelry.

So, my impression? I loved it. Will I want to do it again next year? I definitely do want to do this again. When I hit my bed after that first full day my inclination was to answer no to that question. I was totally exhausted and the thought of two more days was daunting. However, I somehow gained my sea legs and was able to zip through the rest of the fair. Due in part, I certain, to generous the hits of Zoe’s iced coffee.

I do want to mention again how grateful we are to our immediate vending neighbors: Allison and Arlene. Their gentle advice and loaning of a bit of this and a piece of that helped to see us through that first bumpy day and their welcoming spirits made us feel at home and in the company of friends. 

Zoe and I are forever grateful.

Next up: fabulous finds at the ClamFest. 
Stay tuned.

Yo Momma's Aprons Strings at the Yarmouth Clam Festival.

Just a quick post today.

Zoe (Anne Bonny's Booty) and I are setting up our space at the Yarmouth Clam Festival today. Three days of selling and do I have enough aprons and headbands ready for the hords? I have no idea but I have a feeling the answer is "NO!".

I've been sewing steadily, so much so that my poor Bernina gave up the ghost. I borrowed a machine from a neighbor that wouldn't cooperate either so ended up making a late night trip to meet my daughter in Freeport for a hand-off of my old machine. While the old White isn't as perfect as my Bernina (in its prior incarnation, that is) it gets the job done.

My daughter, Nyla, came to my rescue on Monday and we set up a headband production line, managing to increase my total dramatically.

I've made new signage for this sale. Here's a sample:

 I'm off!

Ann Arbor Farmer's Market - Wow!

Ann Arbor, Michigan. Year-round farmer's market.

I was visiting family in Michigan a couple weeks ago and was determined to visit a local farmer's market for a variety of reasons, though what I was most excited about was the opportunity of seeing what other markets have to offer. The best option was 20 minutes away in Ann Arbor. This town clearly values their farmer's markets as there is a permanent structure dedicated to sheltering their vendors, which I was told was built by the WPA during the depression. How cool is that? It was set up as a "T" shape with vendors up and down all the sides (though I notice there were a few spaces empty for what reason I didn't ask).

Being the apron maker that I am, I zeroed in on a vendor who sews and, to my delight, discovered she made unique children's clothing using - get this - vintage aprons as focal points. I wish I had taken a picture of her work as it was beautifully inspired. She used the accent pieces from handmade aprons and transformed them into accent pieces for a child's dress. Simply lovely.

Michigan is the land of cherries and our timing was such that the native cherries were everywhere and imagine my joy when I was able to find an organic option. Super fresh cherries and organic to boot. Man alive! And some vendors had the sour cherries, which are incredibly delicious when made into cherry pie. I remember my mother pitting these tart cherries with an antique cherry pitter and using them in her pies. I haven't had a homemade cherry pie since my childhood and if my family weren't such cherry wimps and if I could get my hands on a cherry pitter, I would have tried my hand at a pie. Somehow the prospect of hand pitting cherries put me off that idea...

Cherries, cherries everywhere!

 I discovered I have great fun visiting other farmer's markets, especially markets in other states. It's fun to see the local offerings and look to see if there is space for me. That would be fun - to be a traveling/visiting vendor to markets all across the country. Hmmm, I think I'll ponder that one a bit.

Sunny and warm for the L.L.Bean Freeport Community Market

...and I'll be there.

It feels like it has been weeks (two, actually) since I was last at Market so am grateful for a sunny Friday forecast. What could be a more prefect setup for a market day than:

1.  Sunny and warm
2.  Beginning of the holiday weekend
3. A perfect location on the L.L.Bean campus

Zoe, in her Anne Bonny's Booty role, will be joining me and bringing along her stunning jewelry.

Be there or be square.

More on Custom Aprons

People ask whether I take orders for custom aprons. While I have many, many aprons in a variety of colors and patterns and styles, there are times when The Right One just isn't there and I'm asked if I take requests. My reply to that is, "Heck, yes!" I love special orders and relish the challenge of making something to fit an individual's personal taste or need.

The process can be quick if I have a suitable fabric on hand or it can take a few days of back and forth communication to nail the right fabric and style that fits my customer's vision. If we can coordinate things just right, I take my iPhone (gotta love it) to the fabric store and send pictures on the spot of the different fabric choices. If my customer is waiting on the other end a decision can be made while I'm still in the store, the fabric can be purchased and I'm off sewing. If my customer needs a quick turnaround because of time constraints, I do my best to accommodate that. With Priority Shipping and if all the stars are aligned, an apron can be sewn and mailed on the same day and the apron is received within a couple days of ordering. That is an ideal scenario, of course, and has happened but if the request catches me at the wrong time (say, when a big fair is looming and I am sewing like a maniac to feel confident I have enough aprons ready) then chances are the custom order takes a bit more time to complete.

A custom order takes me out of my day-to-day apron sewing routine and is greatly welcome.  It puts me in a place where I have the opportunity to take the vision of someone else and make it reality. How fun is that? Totally fun.

Because the nature of my special ordering method demands a certain measure of trust on both sides, I am always willing to take returns of my custom work if, for some reason, we miss the mark. Thankfully (knock on wood) that hasn't happened and all have been happy with the results.

So, does anyone want an apron? Let me know!

Meet BERNINA, a very close companion.

My trusty BERNINA.

She is a vintage sewing machine created sometime in the 50s and continues to be strong and steady and always ready to get down to work whenever I ask. I found her on craigslist, being sold by a man who thought he might like to try his hand at sewing. He never did and rather than keep it unused in a closet, posted it for sale. I learned it was once used by seamstress in California, repaired at one point (detective work: zero - there is a repair slip in the case) and what I learned upon taking it to my local repair shop, extensively robbed of original parts. I can only speculate how and why and under whose watch that happened but despite all the plundering she keeps on going. Straight stitch and zig-zag is all she's capable of and all I need and countless aprons are her current claim to fame.

I like the idea that a vintage machine helps me create my vintage-inspired aprons. It's fitting, I think.

Let us raise a toast: May she continue to accompany me on my sewing journey and stitch many more aprons. Here, here!