Markets, moans, and me ...

This is where I've been lately - at local markets, selling all the things I've been making during the year. Or trying to sell might be a more accurate description. For the past 10 years I've had stalls at local markets in the October-December period each year, selling my cross stitched and beaded Christmas and gift items, and they usually sell really well. This year it is a different story. I've attended 4 markets at 3 different venues, and all have been so very slow. I've still been getting lots of nice comments from market-goers, but very few sales. Today's market was my best one yet for sales, but it was way below the worst sales day last year. I only have another 3 markets booked, and I hope that both sales and the weather improve for them (it's rained at 3 of the 4 markets I attended, all outdoor markets - a major hassle). I certainly haven't covered my market costs this year so far, and I'm still out of pocket for the cost of the materials. Right now I'm debating whether to continue with markets after this year. I'll reserve judgement till this year's markets are over. Though, as I have 4 suitcases filled with things I've already made, I probably need to continue with the markets till I sell at least some of my stock.

My mind is now straying to thoughts of all those extra stitching hours I would have for more projects of my own if I stop making items to sell at the markets ... this could be dangerous territory!

Still working with angels ...

This little angel took me longer to frame than she did to stitch - well, almost. The frame has a slide-in back section the same width as the frame opening. Every time I slid the back in, it sent the angel flying around, no matter how carefully I tried to hold the angel in position. I was happy with my last attempt til I saw this photo - the design certainly doesn't look straighrt at all. Back to the drawing board ...

Playing with angels ... again

Here's the batch of angels I've just finished. The three large pink angels are Christmas gifts for three special sisters. There are 8 wineglass angels, two bookmark angels, and one keyring angel. I'm packing the beads away now and moving onto some Christmas cross stitch.

Totally Useless SAL - October

I've had to press down the contents of my jar - it was looking quite full before I did that, but now there's plenty of room again. You can see that most of the threads I've been working with in the past month are in the white-cream range. They were from the skirt of my Angel. There are a few reds and greens from the floral trim, some gold metallics from the Angel's harp, and some blues from the Angel's trailing scarf. There are also a few broken needles, an empty needle packet, and quite a few floss tags added since last pic. It's hard to believe that there are just 2 more TUSAL days this year. The year has just flown by.

Moving on ...

Here is my finished Angel. I decided to go with the shortened trailing shawl and the gold beads for the labels. The pic is a bit distorted - photography is not one of the things I do best, unfortunately. I draped the fabric over the back of my lounge for the photo-shoot, and because the fabric was longer than the lounge-back, the bottom of the fabric spread down over the seat. So it looks as though the bottom of the Angel is uneven, bit in reality, it isn't. Since this photo, my Angel has had a bath and press, and I've dropped her into my Framer. She's getting an ornately carved gold coloured wooden frame, and dark blue and gold mounting boards. The frame and mounts are the same on the ones on my Angel of Love, but the mounts will be cut differently - probably as a rectangle with rounded corners. I have to go back tomorrow for a consult and final decision-making. The Angel of Hope should be back home in mid-November, well in time for Christmas decorating.

I've taken my Angel workbasket back to the craft room, and replaced it with a basket of beads. Tonight I made 6 little beaded angels, and I'll make a few more in the next few days. By the end of the week I'll be stitching tiny bead-decorated Christmas trees to frame, and maybe a few other little Christmas designs to frame. My floor-frame is sitting empty right now, but it will soon have Jolly Old Fellow back on it. I am keen to start stitching on JOF again. Just as soon as I get some of these little Christmas things finished. I'd like to get at least one more page done before the end of the year.

HD at my house tonight!

My Angel is finished at last. She is so gorgeous! I am really pleased with the beads in the floral trim and gold border. I like the way it adds a little sparkle to the piece. I shortened the trailing shawl, and I'm not sure if I've done the right thing there. I'll leave it overnight and reassess tomorrow. My Angel is 65 cm (26") tall, so she's a stately lady. Finshing the shawl as charted will add another 5 cm (2") or so. I didn't really like the long trailing shawl as charted, bt it did give the Angel the impression of being heart-shaped, and I do like that.

I haven't yet stitched my iitials and the year - another job for tomorrow. I think I will also stitch "Angel of Hope". I'm toying with the idea of using the gold beads for the labelling. If not the beads, I'll use a mid-dark blue.

I'll be off to the framer on Monday with my Angel.

On the home stretch now ...

I have to stitch just the bottom section of the flounce, the tail of the shawl, and a few beads and gold straight stitches in the top section, and Angel of Hope will be finished - finally! I'm thinking of stitching her title on the left side at the bottom (possibly in dark blue), and my initials and the year on the right side. I'm undecided about the framing. She will hang in the same room as Angel of Love, so I'll try and find a similar frame - ornately carved gold-coloured wood - and I'll pick similar blue and gold mounts, but I really can't decide what shape to have the mount cut. Sometimes oval seems like the natural choice, other times I favour rectangular, or a rounded corner rectangle. I've got at least till the end of the week before I have to choose, so I'll wait till then to decide.