The Holidays are Here!

Do you have a favorite advent calendar?  Did you have them when you were a kid? My brothers and I  always enjoyed them when we were little, and my kids are no different.  I was the youngest of 3 and the only girl in my family, and we would take turns each night having a special treat.  One of us would open the advent calendar (no candy involved….), one of us would plug in the electric candles in our front windows, and the 3rd would plug in the Christmas tree.  It was serious business! So fast forward a few years, and with our 5 kids, waiting for your turn at the Advent calendar got really challenging, especially for the younger ones.  So we have ended up with 5 advent calendars…..

Our school’s Holiday Bazaar is coming up in 2 weeks!  I have been busy creating fun stuff for this show, lots of little items, for kids to buy for gifts.  But I had to share The Calendar. I have this one left, but our Bazaar isn’t until the 10th, so it needs to find a home now!…..

This is burlap, with large damask pockets big enough for a goody for each child, (or for you=) so YOU don’t have to have a bunch of calendars.  Trimmed with red, and a rustic twine hanger.  $45 + shipping. Let me know if you are interested, I’ll get it sent to you before December 1st.

It snowed here yesterday, and so let the holiday magic begin!

A Helping Hand

I have been meaning to post this sooner, but I have been busy creating items for our school’s Winter Bazaar that is coming up in a month!  Boy, did I have fun today=) Anyways……

Our family has always felt that it is a privilege to help people in need.  I like volunteering in general—-at school, in our community, etc.  My husband and I have decided that it would be good to start out on that foot with regards to Marvelous Miscellany, in the same way we do with his salary.  We have several projects we like to support: Toms Shoes, Heifer Project, Walkers for Knockers, Sky Valley Food Bank to name a few.  We often help people directly in our community when we become aware of a need. This week we got to buy socks that are going to soldiers in Afghanistan….

Be informed: 10% of the labor fees from each job I complete goes to one of these projects.  I hope that soon that will be more than 10% =).

Thanks for being on this journey with me.  It’s been fun, and I have every confidence it will continue to be.

Kids Getting a Pair of Toms

Child with a goat from Heifer Project

Sit Down!

So I am falling in love with the form and shape of chairs.  How many times have you seen a chair at a yard sale or the thrift store that has the best shape, but the Ugliest Fabric Known to Man on it? Just a bit of new fabric which inspires you and you have a new treasure, a bit of beauty and function to spiff up your room.

In the Meantime

I can sew almost anything.  But computers and pictures?  I am so glad there are people in this world who are good at those talents. We need each other! I have several items from the Ruffles and Rust show that need new homes, so my 12 year old daughter Pearl had fun with a photo shoot on Saturday.  She loves photography, as my computer’s hard drive can attest.  Who knows?  If she doesn’t make it big as an actress in Musical Theater, another passion of hers, maybe she’ll make her mark through the lens of her camera.

I hope to tear myself away from my sewing machine long enough to start up my Etsy store soon.  But now the news is out that the creators of Ruffles and Rust, Come Junk With Us, will be hosting another show in February, so my little fingers better get busy!   In the meantime, enjoy the pics below.  All items are for sale, or I can make any one of these custom for you in your own fabrics/colors. Contact me at marvelousmiscellany@gmail.com.

An Amazing Weekend of Fun and Creativity

Photo credit Tres Birds Photography

So the show was incredibly fun! Thank you, thank you to Timi and Jay from Come Junk With Us , who gathered forces together with a variety of talent to make this event a success! Many people were so happy that they had discovered someone who could cover them OR their furniture=) And Josephine in her Uptown Coat was very popular also. It’s a great coat that looks great on a variety of shapes. Patricia from Tippy Stockton was gracious enough to wear her very own Uptown coat, in a wonderful cream wide wale corduroy and keep a stack of my cards on hand.  So many people came and chatted about sewing.  I got to talk with my booth neighbor, Katherine from Fussbucket, who will be sporting an Uptown Coat as soon as her busy creative schedule allows for fabric shopping.  On the other side of me was the clever and kind Minda from Cedarbough—who had baskets full of vintage fabric!  Wendi from Trendi Wendi wowed my shop companion Betsey Wilson and I with her bright and cheery booth.  Wendi got to spend the show with her best friend helping–they have known each other since they were 7! From them, I learned about Quilt Sandwich….oh my.  I do believe I have  truly rediscovered my inner fabricaholic …..And when I met Rachel from Quilter Girl? There is going to be some collaboration going on!

I should have more pics soon, but just wanted to say what a great experience I had and how much fun it was talking with people about what I love—creating new beauty with fabric.  Thanks for coming along with me on the journey!

Oh, I almost forgot!  Beatrice did get her outfit, which was won in the drawing by Kerri Russell!  The lovely cowl is by my other booth companion, Annie Wilson. She repurposes old knits into new. =)

Beatrice sports Amy Butler's 'Liverpool Tunic'

My Trusty Companions

Meet Josephine and Beatrice.  They will be accompanying me to the show this weekend.  Josephine sports the Uptown Coat, ready for our  crisp fall weather. Beatrice’s outfit is almost ready…..You’ll have to come to the show to see what I created for her.

It seems since my daughter announced her engagement in June, I have barely taken a breath. Finishing up our homeschooling year, planning Ana’s wedding (at our house!), starting school again…..

As soon as the bride and groom left to start their new life, I hit the ground running getting ready for Ruffles and Rust–and it’s almost here! I will have some very fun stuff to pretty your home for the holidays. But what I want people to be able to do when they visit my booth is to think about what is possible when hiring a custom seamstress. (Or as I saw it on an Amy Butler pattern…”sewist”.) What about that well-loved armchair that needs a new cover that is made to order? What about a special gift for a baby or bridal shower, or Christmas?   Maybe a new coat or skirt for the holidays? There are so many patterns and ideas out there to choose from.  I have a list of resources that I love to use, online and local.  I have a 10% off coupon waiting for you when you stop by.  If you can’t make the show, but would like to talk about a project you have, comment here or email me at marvelousmiscellany@gmail.com.

10 Days and Counting!

Next Friday!

It’s Ruffles and Rust Un Marche` Vintage A` Inspire (A Vintage Market to Inspire)—at the fairgrounds in Monroe… You won’t want to miss all the fun.  Friday night is early bird shopping and prizes galore, and Saturday there will be all sorts of goodies for holiday inspiration.

Ruffles are the order of the day in my booth.  They are so fun and feminine =) But remember that I can make most items custom if you need something I don’t have at the sale. I have so many ideas in my head that I couldn’t possibly make them all—I don’t think they would fit in my space!  Slipcovers, curtains, pillows, tablecloths and runners; coats, skirts, dresses…..the possibilities are endless!

Look for my booth in between June Bug http://junebugfurnitureanddesign.blogspot.com/ and Annie’s in Snohomish  http://anniesinsnohomish.blogspot.com/.  You can buy tickets for the classes by Beth Ramos here: http://comejunkwithus.com/ You can also buy tickets for Friday night there, and print off a coupon for $3 off your entry on Saturday.