Chicago is My Kind of Town!

What a great time we had at the Midwest Fiber and Folk Art Fair!  The Fair was just outside of Chicago in Grayslake, which may be home to the nicest people anywhere.  From the young woman who served breakfast at the hotel to the young man who helped me in Target to the delivery guy from the Italian restaurant, everyone had a smile on their face and a kind word to say.  Even driving across the Midwest at madding (like Thomas Hardy Far from the Madding Crowd) speeds -- not one person was rude until we were within 30 miles of the George Washington Bridge on the way home. (The speed limit here on Long Island is still 55, so the 16-hour trip at 70 mph across Ohio and Indiana was fast and furious for me.  And nobody drives the limit that is posted, lol.)

So here are some photos of the weekend.

Our booth:

The crowds waiting to get in on Friday:

The Foxy Lady Rug Hooking Guild booth:

And some Foxy Ladies:

Beth (in the pink shirt above) hooked this stunning paisley rug.  I wish I had designed this rug! I may have to hook it.

The Foxy Lady Welcome Mat -- how cute is that?

Fantail Fibers is run by Leslie, a New Zealander, who was very sweet and helpful, as was her husband Bob.

Behind Leslie's booth was Sue of Nifty Thrifty Dry Goods.  If you love ribbons, trims and buttons as much as I do, you need to go to her website asap!

Kelly, Eliza and Christine of Tucker Woods Mocha's Fiber were behind us.  It's funny -- they are three sisters from Connecticut, and Barb and I are two sisters from Connecticut.  Christine and Eliza are both scientists who feed the other side of their brains by helping Kelly out when she does shows.  They will be at the New York Sheep and Wool Festival with us again this year.

Rug hooker and basket weaver Kay Kjeldgaard had baskets made specifically for fiber artists.  The rug hooking baskets were great -- they had lots of sections, holes for hooks and magnets for scissors.  The rim of the quilting basket was stuffed fabric so you could use it as a pin cushion -- very clever!

I lusted after these leather handles.  I am thinking of using them on a hooked purse in the near future.

There were other guilds in attendance.

Our friend Toni of The Fold who we know from Rhinebeck was there with her helper Nan.  It was fun to see them again.  Toni and Carol, who runs the Fair, were on the local tv station Saturday morning to promote the weekend.

More booths with fiber and rabbits and pottery and you name it . . . .

The whole cloth quilt above was part of the fiber art show.  I neglected to get pictures of lots of other stuff - the fashion show, the harpist, the opera singer, the many other musical acts, the food . . .  Carol Cassidy-Fayer and her helpers did a terrific job.  The Fair was as exhilarating as it was exhausting and I think we'll be heading west again next June.

Homeward Bound

With half the trucks in America . . . Tired of driving. Looking forward to seeing the shores of Peconic Bay again

Day Two

Another hot day here in the Mdwest. We continue to meet lots of extraordinarily nice people, including Debbie of the blog A Daily Dose of Fiber. It's always fun to meet people who we only know online.

Carol, the Fair coordinator, and Toni of The Fold, had a spot on the local tv station yesterday. They did a great job of publicizing the Fair.

Wish us luck on our last day. I'll post more photos when I get home and can plg into my laptop.

First Day at the Fair

We did the entire 16 hour trip in one day. Exhausting! Yesterday was set up, today the real thing. We had some trouble with our new credit card machine, but that problem has been tackled. We're meeting lots of lovely people, including the Foxy Lady Rug Hooking Guild, who I will blog about in more detail layer. Now it's time for bed so we are ready for day two.

Mobile Blogging

First stop of the trip -- Pennsylvania. The car is packed tight but I can still see out the back window. Long drive across PA now . . .

And I Thought The Last Mess Was Bad

I cleaned up after the last mess, but then made an even bigger one.

I have been working night and day to get ready for the Midwest Fiber and Folk Art Fair.  It is taking an incredible amount of time and energy, which is strange, because I've been doing shows for years now, and more or less have it down to a science, at least in the packing department.  So I was laying in bed last night thinking about the reasons why this show is so different.  Here's what I came up with:

1.  It's the first time we're doing this show and we want to make a good first impression

2.  It's a three day show (all our others are one or two days), so we need more inventory to sell

3.  It's a thousand miles away, so we need to sell more to cover the gas and the extra nights at the hotel

4.  Pete and I just downsized from an SUV to a station wagon, so we can't fit as much inside the car

It's become a giant puzzle for me to solve.  I am figuring out what to leave home and what to take, how much to take of one thing, what I can put under the car seats, what will fit in the car top carrier and so on and so on.  I bought some Space Bags -- those bags you vacuum pack sweaters in for the winter -- to pack patterns and wool in.  And I have decided to use Pete and Clara's ski bags for extra storage for soft stuff on top of the car, since the car top carrier only takes up half the roof.  We'll see how everything fits . . .  

So if you see a charcoal gray Subaru wagon speeding across the green fields of the Midwest with what looks like ski equipment tied to the roof, don't laugh -- wave!  It'll be me and Barb making our way to Grayslake.  Hope we see you there.

Could You Work in this Mess?

I couldn't -- so I spent most of the day picking up my little garret. My needle punch supplies were in a particularly bad mess, so I spent most of the time on those.  I also spent the day learning how to make a mailing list on Excel.  I know, I know --  I'm a day late and a dollar short.  But I feel like I've accomplished a lot today.  Now its time to go read for awhile.  I discovered a Norwegian mystery writer named Anne Holt and I am thoroughly enjoying this novel.

Enjoy the rest of the weekend.

Pass the Butter

I finally decided to add one inch black and white squares round the lobster, and finally finished the binding.  Not liking the wonky edge at the bottom, though . . . I'll have to do something about that.

It's Pumpkin Time

. . . At least it is in my work room. I am getting ready for our fall shows, and for the Midwest Fiber and Folk Art Fair in Illinois on June 22 - 24. Barb and I will be hitting the road in a couple of weeks. If you are in the Chicago area, please come and visit!

A Day in the Dye Pots

I spent all of yesterday dyeing wool.  I need to hook up some pumpkins for my fall shows, and i wanted some purples for a pattern I designed in April called Fairfield Floral.  I love seeing it drying on the line -- I get a feeling of accomplishment.  I was trying some golden brown dip dyes for a chicken mat I'm working on.  These aren't quite right, so I will be in the dye pots again soon.  Hope you are enjoying your weekend.

Unhappy News for Rug Hookers

I recently received this email from Dorr Mills:

On all of the Dorr wool, swatches and stripettes there will be a price
increase averaging about 9% effective June 15th, 2012. This increase has
been caused by a significant rise in the price of wool that continues to
stay high. Any orders placed before the 15th will be honored at current
price based on availability.
We value greatly your support and look forward to providing you with the
best quality of wool.

Have a great summer!
Terry Dorr