Quilting Challenge -Off-Season November Challenge.

Months have gone by and I just never got around to checking up one the off season quilt challenges until this week. Luckily I had some extra vacation days saved up and took a couple off this week to make for an extra long holiday weekend so I checked in to see what was going on.  Sew something for myself? I can do that. My husband just asked me to buys Christmas tree skirt this year so we don’t have a blanket under the tree again. That’s when I decided to make a tree skirt.

Now I have lots of scraps... see

First I picked out the roll of Christmas scraps and cut out a 36” circle of cotton batting that I was going to use as my base for my scrappy tree skirt. 

I then began to lay pieces of fabric onto the batting and stitching them down in a random pattern. 

 And more pieces... 

And continuing until I covered the entire circle. 

After the pieces were on I put a decorative stitch on all the seams with white thread. 

Next I trimmed away the excess fabric by following around the batting on the back. 

All trimmed up. Next I layered  the circle on top of some red satin type fabric. I pinned it down after smoothing it out, then I basted around the edge to keep the sides together. 

Now I measured the center and drew a 5” circle and a straight line to the edge. I then basted along the line so I could cut out the center and the opening. 

Time to add the binding. I started in the center circle and went all the way around. Not sure how much I used because it was from my stash last year of red binding I made for table runners. 

I added a decorative stitch to close up the binding with green thread. I added two red ribbon ties for each bow on the open sides. 

It only took me about 7 hours to complete this challenge. Hope you enjoyed my runner building post. 

Save Money with EBATES

Wanted to let everybody know the easiest way to save money... When you purchase anything online - go through Ebates first.  You can get here this way:

Get cash back for shopping on Ebates! Use my link below and sign up.

https://go.ebat.es/imsk/uOtdQj8BqC

First off when you sign up with my invite link you will get a $10 bonus when you make your first purchase and shop at over 2,000 stores like, eBay, Macy’s & Walmart - Even AMAZON!!!  I order online at Kohls/Walmart/Lowes and get the free pick-up in store.  Ebates even gives you the most recent coupon codes to use for discounts at the stores.  

When I shop online I always go through Ebates to get a rebate, first I check out the KrazyCouponLady to see if there are any "must have" deals going on at any store.  Recently I purchased 6 small appliances at Kohls for $12 after my $72 store rebate and my Ebates rebate.  Most I packaged up and put in an auction to raise money - the toaster I kept for a friend.  I also purchased two Nutri Bullets for $14 each according to their suggestions.  

Then I go through the Ebates app to shop and it will put me right onto the website to shop (Ebates will still show up on the top bar on each store's page).  After you are done shopping check your cart and check out.  Ebates keeps track of your purchases and gives you the rebate after you check out.  Please stay on the page as you do your purchase and do not exit out and go back.  I think Ebates keeps track of what you put into your cart, so you may not be able to have a full cart first, then go into Ebates, and then check your cart again.  But I could be wrong but I do not want to try it and lose a rebate.

Hopefully you sign up from my invite link and earn your $10 bonus after your first purchase.

Coleen

Tutorials coming soon

I am going to start doing some sewing tutorials soon.  I'll have some general sewing, projects, and shortcuts that I have figured out along the way.  Hope you come back to check them out and follow my posts as they go.

Have a nice weekend - I'll be at a craft show!

Coleen

Fall & Winter Craft Shows

We did a little craft show in Veteran's park in the City of Tonawanda a couple weeks ago and we set a goal of $200 and we had $298, not bad for a $20 show and it was right up the street from my house.
Next show is Tomorrow at Sweethome High School, their fall holiday show.  I have never done it before but I did pretty good at the spring show so I decided to give it a try.  Hopefully I am not sitting there all day twiddling my thumbs, better bring something to do just in case.  I'm bringing the table runners, pot holders, cozies, towels, and a few other things that normally sell at the shows.  Setting a goal of $250.  Got my lunch all ready - bagle & cream cheese and a fruit bowl.

I finally got notified (after months of emails back and forth to the show director) to St Christophers on Niagara Falls Blvd.  That show is November 7-8.  That show cost a little bit more so I set a goal at that show for $500.  That will be all Christmas and household kitchen items.  Hopefully by that date I should have my Christmas oven mitts done and ready to put on sale.  I'll have to look at the stores and see what they are selling theirs for.  I may just buy fabric and sew ruffles onto pre-made mitts if they are a good price and I can keep the price down.  The Christmas ornaments that did not sell at St Gregory last year may be bought at a lower price at this show this year.  I had $4 on the santas - and they were adorable - but didn't sell very many of them (maybe 8) and I had about 40 so big disappointment.  Think I'll lower the price to $3 and see if they move.

Last show for the year will be St Gregory the Great in Amherst.  That is our most expensive show so I am setting a sales goal of $1000.  We hit $900 last year so if we have more of a selection of the stuff that we do make, we should hit our goal.  I am hoping people bring their friends to our booth who bought a table runner from, so their friend could get one too.  They are our most expensive item at only $25 so if we sell 20 of them that would be half the goal.  Regular potholders will be new this year along with the potholder mitt from last year, and I will have new Oven Mitts in Christmas fabrics to pick from too.  I really hope we do well.

My Etsy Store

For those who need to shop, I have a Etsy store here: https://www.etsy.com/shop/ColeenO  !!!  My mom, my sister, and I sell our sewed crafts and supplies here when we are not doing shows.  It pays all of the fees I get from listing items, and sometimes I make quite a bit of money during the holidays.  Gotta like that.

I have been slacking on crafting as of late, but I did keep up with my Etsy orders as they came in.  Just new stuff I have not been making too many.  I probably should get back in the swing.  Maybe the show we are doing this weekend will get me motivated to sew again.  I need to make some table runners that are for the fall and winter holidays, we sold alot of them last November and I am hoping we get a large inventory so we have lots to sell this year.

Until I craft again...

Not a bad little show.

Post about the craft show I did last weekend at Sweet Home High School.  Not a bad little show, even though I only had about 260 customers walk by my table (I counted), my sales were $184 for a show that only cost me $40.  Not sure if I am going to do it again, but if I do I know what to bring.  The good thing about the show (in the gym) is you can park close to the door and unload and load back up since they close that door during the show as the customers enter from the middle of the school.  They have a fall show and if the price is right I may do that one too.

I did get asked about teacozies so I started making some this past week.  I am making the "hat" style cozies for now but I ordered a bunch of teapots so I can make some that cuddle right around the pot too - those you do not remove to pour your tea.  The pots arrive right before Easter so I may make one for my daughter since she drinks tea and not coffee and send it to her, oh Amanda if you are reading this do not remember it!!!

I did sell one table runner! and my sister sold one too!  Very happy for those two sales, and I sold alot of bowl cozies.  Next show is Greene in July, I think I already got the application so I should send it in soon.

Until I craft again, Coleen

First Craft Show of the Year

Hi!

My first craft show this year is at Sweethome High School tomorrow 3/21/15.  I have never visited this show so I am going in blind - that is I have no idea if even people show up to this show.  I am keeping my fingers crossed since it is a parent organization that is running this and they have notified probably most of the students families about the show.

Bringing mostly table runners, potholders, micro bowl cozies, my sistas dammitdolls and towels, and a few other items to fill up the table.  I'll be there alone so I hope I have nice neighbors I can trust to watch the table when I have to go potty!  I'll probably bring a lunch and drinks to save a little money just in case I don't sell anything...  Luckily it only cost $40 for a 12' table.

I did make some Easter/Summer hot pad table runners, my mom made some Easter bowl cozies, and my sister had lots of dammit dolls from last year.  She was helping her husband through a disease last year that claimed his life early so she has not made too many things lately.  I'm hoping she gets into crafting after she cleans out her basement of clutter.

I should be starting to make some tutorials and suggestion posts for everybody to follow.  I already have a bowl cozy tutorial on another blog that I can't remember how to log into it so I will  link it to this page somehow.  My first suggestion post will be how to set up a craft table to sell crafts.  My tables always look too crowded so I am going to section off areas and take a photo of my table this show to remind myself what it should look like.

Until I craft again,  Coleen