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Handmade Bags, Judaica & Other Accessories
Many items featuring repurposed & rescued textiles
Latest Craft Fair, Remnant Scores & New Products
Latest Craft Fair
Not quite the last Saturday, but September 28th, I had the pleasure of being at the Foxboro Jaycees Craft Fair as a vendor. I consider my sell rate a success and was able to introduce a new product line (which I do say with a bit of chutzpah, I know) of tote bags, which went over very well. It was a great day, with wonderful weather, a very hospitable staff in the Foxboro Jaycees, and friends visiting for moral support.
I left, however, promising to revise my craft displays. I’d visited another bag maker (and I’d credit her here if I could properly remember her business name) whose display absolutely rocked it. She and I had similar products, but our aesthetics were so different that we can’t be said to be competition. Whereas my style is more preppy and restrained (which is odd if you knew my love for The Cure, Tom Waits and The Clash), hers featured darker leathers and vinyls and fabrics in bold, dark colors and patterns. They were a look I would definitely want to buy but can’t seem to pull off design-wise. Design is like a voice. We each have our own, and while we may love to listen to others unlike ours, we can only sing in our own unique style.
That said, my display needs some help y’all. There is no disputing that. Keep checking for for pictures of the new layout as time moves on so you can be amazed at the HGTV-like before and afters! With more realistic goals, though, I promise.
This was the pegboard display on the six foot table at the Foxboro Jaycees. Signs were put on the top later.
New Products
Springtime Floral tote bags with front pocket from the Foxboro Craft Fair.
These will be posted to the site this week.
As mentioned before, I’m now producing tote bags, which are available for sale on the website as they are finished. I’ll also be working on smaller items such as doggie poo-bag holders and catnip cache bags. Here’s hoping I can get my inventory of those latter items out of the house unscathed. I have a feeling some may be lost to household quality inspections.
Lola, this means you. And don’t act like the morning and evening cuddles will get you out of trouble. They probably will but allow me the dignity of thinking I have some authority left around here.
Remnant Scores
My business is based on rescued and repurposed textiles and fabrics, except linings (which I can’t always find as remnants) and the Judaica line of products which require material off the bolt. This is not absolute, though. While I do occasionally am gifted used clothing or home decor items for repurposing, most of the time I’m sourcing remnants at deep discounts. Joanne’s is a resource when I’m in there for thread or notions — I’ll always go and check out their remnant bin and find something. I have, however, scored remnants at a more unusual place: Ocean State Job Lots. It’s a regional chain here in New England, and comparable to Big Lots, which I recall (and miss) from the Southeast, but the former isn’t quite as glamourous as the latter. I picked these up in a New York Minute at #2 or $2.25 per yard. My expandable shoe bags are made from a three-yard cut of upholstery material from there. The past two days, though, they’ve carried different fabric and this week’s score has impressed even me.
Final Serious Note on October 7th significance
Trigger Warning: this is not product related and mentions the events of Oct. 7, 2023. Please feel free to “change channels” if you feel this would be something you’d prefer to avoid. The following does not include any discussion of politics.
Today marks the one-year anniversary of the attack on Israel.
The best thing I heard was on CNBC (a financial channel rather than political) when they had one guest speak to today’s significance. To paraphrase the guest, this is not the day to debate global politics with your Jewish friends, loved ones or coworkers. The Jewish community is always only a few degrees of separation from Israel. It’s likely someone you know has friends or loved ones in Israel, be they Jewish or not. If they don’t, then they have a friend or relative who does, and they’re worried in this someone’s behalf. Also, not everyone with ties to Israel is Jewish.
Today is the day to simply ask of your Jewish friends, loved ones and associates and/or those with ties to Israel: “are you okay?” Your concern would be appreciated more than you will ever know.
Please remember those slain and pray for their loved ones. Regardless of the politics involved, today we remember in grief the children, parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, brothers, sisters, cousins all ranging from the elderly and to infants lost that day.
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