Craft Show Update........

Thank you Denise and Judy for your nice comments.  So here's what I have to report:

Yep. Just as I thought.  In some cases, worse.  Our school show has been reduced to a handfull of crafters; the rest were "Home Party" reps - candles, spices, jewelry and home decor.  There were a couple knit wear booths;  Mostly baby and toddler items, because they can be knitted up quickly. Plain stitches; no designs, no colorwork, no imagination.  (I'm sorry this sounds rude; I'll explain later). 

There was a couple of piecework booths.  I say "piecework" because though the item was created from a quilt pattern, there was no quilting done! The pattern blocks were sewn together and that was it.  Oh the front and back were sandwiched with batting and a border added for the finishing.  No quilting!! But quilted prices!!

There were a couple of floral design booths, very pretty, but outrageous prices!  Moving on........

And, I guess the big craft this year is felted mittens.  Not knitted and felted.  But made from wool sweaters that are felted and cut from a mitten pattern and sewn together with a felted liner made the same way.  Some had a hand-whipped blanket stitch around the opening.  Yeah. They were kind of nice.  If you weren't a knitter, didn't know wool, never designed and felted your own fabric.  Mmeeoorrww...pssst....psssst.  Sorry.

Anywho, it wasn't until the 4th and final craft show that my heart went "ZING"!  Now this was a Craft Show!!!  Oh yeah, there  were a couple of "Home Party" people, but just a couple.  The whole church hall was packed with crafters and shoppers.  Just like the old days!  I was like a kid in a toy store at Christmas.  And I bought a couple of handmade pottery pieces, a huge  covered casserole dish (for moi) and a pedestal cake plate for son's fiance, for Christmas.  Beautiful work! 

I had intended on going back to the quilt vendor (place mats, table runners, pot holders) and the floral vendor (a railroad lantern w/miniture lites inside and surronded by winter florals - gorgeous!), but the pottery lady and I started talking.  She and her husband are retired art teachers.  I told her I was a spinner and knitter.  She asked me if I've been to The Tin Shack in Isle.  "No! No, I haven't, but I've heard about it".   "Oh, you would love it", she says.  "She sells her own wool; all her sheep have names; she's a very friendly, talkative person.  You and her could talk for hours! Besides, she's having a sale today".
I immediately forgot there were any other vendors there.  This lady had just hung a carrot on a stick in front of this donkey's face!

Well, alrighty then!!  BH says "let's go out there".  Hey, I'm already there!!
Off we go.  I had a general idea where it was; the sign said "Isle 35 miles".  Ehhh, more like 50, but who's counting when there's a wool shop I haven't been to, and there's a sale!!

What a nice proprietor!!  What a cute little shop!  And yes, we did talk.....and talk......and talk.  Definitely on my "go back" list.

So what started out to be a bummer turned into an exciting, gratifying day!  Next year we'll only be attending 1 craft show........and a very special fiber store!!

I will explain my rant on crafters in the next post.  Right now I've got a bunch of things to get done.  Time is short today.

You all have a beautiful, peaceful weekend!