I enjoy the annual Spinners and Weaver’s Guild fall show,
which proved to be a big success this year from my perspective. While I always sell a few weavings and get some commissions, I did
get to show off my newest item—Swuppets!
These are puppets made out of old felted sweaters. They’re a lot of fun to make, and they
were well received by the local crowd.
On Friday evening, a mother and daughter came to the show and the
daughter just loved the Swuppets.
She bought one with visions of putting on puppet shows with it. The next day she was back with her dad
and her little sister in tow, who also decided she needed one. The sister was delighted too! I’m sure there will be some fun Swuppet
shows at that household. I also
had one of my first patrons come by and try them on. Usually by that point they have to buy one.
She discovered that when she bent her
fingers down the eyebrows moved too.
She was tickled and just had to have it. I’m pleased it will be appreciated in its new home. If you're looking around Bloomington for Swuppets, they're in the giftshop at Wonderlab. My other big holiday item, sweater
petals, have taken off this year.
These are flower petals made out of felted sweaters. I have them on sale at Bloomingfoods East above my card display too, and so far they have been selling briskly. I even came up with a nifty display
trick by packaging them in units designed for single pie wedges. The leaves attached to the sweater
petals give them a triangular shape, so the whole thing fits nicely into the
pie protectors I found at the Recycle Center.
On the art front, I launched into making the peppers for my
big pepper commission. This is a
piece modeled after ‘Some like it Hot’, which featured dozens of peppers of all
sizes and colors. My first purple
pepper, a request from the patron, really turned out well with its indentations
from felting. It’s good to feel
that project moving along as I move through my Holiday art show series.
This Saturday I travel to Columbus
Indiana for the Déjà Vu Art and Fine Craft Show at the Commons from 10-4. Stop on by if you want to see the
Swuppets, Sweater Petals, or my latest 3D weavings.
My family has been very supportive of my fall work
schedule. Jim came by on Friday afternoon to
help me set up the lights (he’s tall, which helps!) and all my boys came by on Saturday evening for
a one-hour speed takedown. I
wasn’t the last one in the room this year! I think Marla, the show organizer, was genuinely
surprised. To celebrate we went to
Lennie’s for pizza and a glass of wine for me. That was good, but on Sunday morning as I read my newspaper
and sipped espresso, a strange aroma began to waft into the living room where I
sat.
It was a pie! An apple pie, with Mutsu apples from
the farmer’s market! Boy am I
lucky. I even went into delayed
gratification mode, holding off on cutting into it until after dinner that
night. It was great, but I think
I’ve been spoiled a little with the raspberry and peach pies of summer and
fall. I do know I’ll have pie and
espresso in the morning!
Until next week,
Martina Celerin
Posts
