Antique Quilt Frame

I went to church garage sales yesterday--my favorite Saturday activity this summer. I've found a lot of wool at great prices. Yesterday at the Columbus Mennonite Church rummage sale I found this antique quilt frame. $25. I was there during the last hour so prices were very low. I think this quilt rack is absolutely beautiful, and it works. It is exactly like one I remember seeing in an Aunt's home years and years ago. I like that it is narrow, that adjusting the tension for quilting is easy with the gears on the cross pieces, and that it is all there and in working condition.

I have my mom's quilt rack--the one dad made for her. It is essentially four corner posts made of heavy 4x4s. You start with the quilt at full size using four long pieces of lumber. The quilt gets smaller and narrower as you quilt. It is great because you don't have to baste, but it takes up the whole room at first. If any of the nieces or one of my sisters or sisters-in-law wants the four posts, I'll part with them now that I have an option. If no one wants it, I'll keep it, cause I can use it to baste a quilt before putting it in the "new" frame. Not that I'm planning to quilt any time soon, but I might, just to try out the frame.

Does anyone have any idea how old this might be? The hand-forged iron hooks make it look 19th century to me... But I'm no expert. Those are hand-forged iron hooks, aren't they?

My Demographic

I just came home from street fair number three. Jen and I had a great time, again. I'm tired because it was hot and I was on my feet all evening. I was on my feet because people were looking at my things, and buying my things! I enjoy watching faces light up with a big smile when they focus on the mice and rabbits and monsters. The faces that are most often drawn to my table, and most often light up when they see my things are between 5 and 12. More girls than boys, but not by much--maybe 60/40.

Maybe that is part of why my Etsy sales are slow. 7 year old kids are not looking for toys on Etsy.

No worries, though. I had FUN! Sold all of my small bunnies, most of my bed head barbies, and a lot of owls, mice and birds. Sales were way up over fair number two! I'll be pleased if I do this well at the remaining three fairs.

McDonalds has a booth across from us and Ronald McDonald was there for part of the evening. He made a special trip over to my booth to look at the monsters and bed heads up close, and to tell me that he had been eying them all night and that he really liked them.

Should I add that to the Etsy site: Endorsed by Ronald McDonald??? Or does that just prove that my target audience is between the ages of 5 and 12?

Don't forget to comment on the post below for a chance to win your very own bed head barbie. I won't check your age.

Revision to Give Away post

Uh... I forgot to say that I'd do a DRAWING and give away ONE Bed Head Barbie. So, I'm honoring my promise to the folks that responded before I realized my mistake, but for the rest of you, you have a CHANCE to win a bed head barbie. I'll do a random number drawing to pick the winner.

What a domestic disaster moment!

Enter by July 4...

Bed Head Barbie: My first GIVE AWAY

I'm getting ready for another street fair in Westerville this Friday. I made more birds, more owls, and I have the apples all ready. But I've missed making monsters. The trouble is, no one is spending that much on an item. Small items are selling, the large ones are not. So... I made a new kind of monster. Just about 5 inches tall, they are shapeless creatures with very flat feet and really bad hair. Hmmm.... what should I call them. I know, "Bed Head Barbie." Even Barbie is shapeless when she rolls out of bed in the morning, and in slippers her feet and flat and fat, just like mine.

And, what luck, I decided to have my very first give away. A "Bed Head Barbie" give away! Just post a comment below, and be sure you give me a way to contact you, and you will have a chance to win your very own Bed Head Barbie. (I'll even ship to you free!) Or if you prefer, I'll send a Buckeye Bed Head. (If you don't know the difference, you don't live in Ohio.) You can tell me which Bed Head is your favorite, but I can't guarantee that one will still be available when the give away is over. I'll try to make a new one like it. I'll do a random number drawing on July 5th with all the entries that I get by July 4th at midnight to pick the winner.

Barbie is made from recycled, upcycled, repurposed, reclaimed wool garments. She is stuffed with wool as well. Only the thread she is sewn with is new.

So, tell your friends and be sure to respond by July 4th.

Felt Apples

I'm home. I worked hard grading from 8-5 for seven straight days. A
marathon of grading. But I had free time every evening to stitch.
These apples are my newest creation. I really love them, and they are
easy to make. They just take a bit of time.

Yermits

I showed one of this artist's Yermits in my post from a week or so ago of Etsy favorites. I find myself wandering around this Etsy shop, laughing, admiring, grinning, and marveling at the creativity. So many shops, including mine, are full of cute animals. (Well, my monsters aren't exactly cute...) This shop is full of clever, funny, irreverent, creatures that provide a bit of social commentary and a whole different kind of cuteness. You have to read the bios for each doll. It is worth the trip.

Dave? Are you listening. One of these would be a great present for your loving wife...

End of year teacher gifts

Thank goodness for the blog. I couldn't remember if I'd used felt
hearts as teacher gifts at Christmas. I checked the blog to find I'd
done cookies. So tomorrow the boys will take their teachers hearts
with hand made cards.