Dunster Country Fair T-1 & Some More Makings

Dunster Country Fair
We are off to Dunster Country Fair tomorrow and are busy getting the stall together.  Jeanette from our Thursday craft night is coming to help me as Wendy is working.  I'm determind to travel a little lighter than last time - I think I took everything including the kitchen sink to the Taunton Show - my challenge it to fit everything into the car including Scott.  I've coerced Scott (my son) into helping us with the fetching, carrying and setting up of the stall - no doubt it will cost me dearly, probably a new pair of trainers!

Workshop Results
Although we didn't get enough folk to run our first Taunton workshop, the adverts for the workshop found us a new member called Maria for our Thursday craft get together.  Maria came along to my house on Saturday and we spent a very pleasant day felting under the new gazebo in our back garden.  Maria made a felt bag, she has promised to send me a photo of the finished product and I made a silk nuno scarf.

My Nuno Scarf

Maria Laying out the Wool

As usual Wendy has also been busy, she has finished off her felt underwater scene that she started on holiday.  Its truly beautiful - I don't think the photo does it justice.



Close up

Underwater Sea Scene

Quiet & Sad Week

Workshop Update
Its been a very quiet week - we've still only one person booked on our little felt making workshop on the 23rd.  Its a bit disappointing but we've come to a number of conclusions about this:

• Its the wrong time of year - start of the school holidays
• Financial climate
• Not many people are aware of what felt making is
• A whole day's workshop is too long to start off with
• Cost

So, we have a plan to remedy these issues:

• Hold the next on in the autumn
• Run the workshop for just 1/2 a day rather than a full day at half the cost
• Have stalls on as many garden fetes and low cost events to spread the word about felt making

Onwards and upwards!

Website Update
Stuart, our web designer has been busy putting our website together - he has now produced the first draft.   We still have a few more changes to make - but here is your first preview:

Sad News
Wendy had some sad news this week, her father-in-law Arthur died on Monday after a lengthy illness.  Arthur was a veteran of the wartime Russian conveys and the liberation of Jersey, he was a quartermaster on HMS Beagle and after the war worked for the water authority .  Wendy's husband Mick was very close to his dad - so our thoughts are with him and the rest of the family.

Next Craft Shows
We have two shows coming up, firstly http://www.dunstercountryfair.co.uk/wordpress/ on the 27th July and also don't forget the Coldharbour Mill Wool & Craft Fair on July 30th

Cold Harbour Mill!

Brilliant news - Cold Harbour Mill has agreed to sell our felt making starter kits!!  I left one each of the Deluxe, Hunky Dory and Bare Essentials kits with them.  They are also interested in me doing some mini brooch workshops like we did at the Taunton Show - we have an outlet!!!

My Sister's Wonderful Blanket

Wendy really puts me to shame, she makes such wonderful things, works full-time, looks after her family, walks her dogs and cycles, I just don't know how she does it!  Anyway, she has knitted this lovely blanket - its absolutely amazing and what am I knitting you may ask??  A chicken - hardly in the same league lol!

Wendy's Knitted Blanket

Funny Old Week

Its been a strange week after last weekend's excitement.  The advert for our Felt Making workshop on the 23rd July went out in the Somerset Gazette and we had our first booking - so even more excitement!  We now need 9 more bookings - fingers crossed that there are other crafty people out there.  I've submitted an article about  starting Savvy Sisters to the Gazette in the hope that it keeps up the momentum, lets hope they publish it.

Wendy has been very busy, firstly she held a workshop for the Edith Weston Brownies in Rutland.  Each Brownie made a small, purple and pink brooch:

Edith Weston Brownies Felt Making

Then she made a snazzy cushion and a very funky hat:

Cushion Back

Cushion front



Funky Hat

They put my small mobile phone cases to shame, I must step up my game this week - any suggestions as to what I should make??

My last bit of  news is that I am going down to Cold Harbour Mill to meet with David and to hopefully discuss the possibility of the Mill Shop selling our starter kits, so watch this space on Wednesday for an update.

Amazing Taunton Show

Saturday 2nd - After much effort and downsizing Bob and I managed to pack all we needed for the Taunton Show into the car - thank goodness we could remove the car's back seats else we just wouldn't have fitted everything in.

Sunday 3rd - arrived at the huge craft marquee at Taunton School for 8am and with the help of my son, Scott managed to trail our stuff to position no.7.  It was all a bit overwhelming as I had been expecting something the size of a garden fete and Taunton Show was massive. 

Lesley and her daughter, Millie arrived just as we were unpacking and Tracey arrived a short while later.  We all rolled up our sleeves and got stuck in and et voila our stand:

Savvy Sisters Stand @ Taunton Show

10am - people started arriving and from that point onwards till 3pm we were non-stop, showing folk how to make flower brooches and selling the odd item!

Happy Customer

Lesley & Millie with another happy Customer

Although we didn't sell a great deal and certainly didn't cover the costs, we met some great people.  A reporter from the Taunton People Community Website, took our photos (Photo Link) and later gave Savvy Sisters a great review  (Taunton People Link). 

We were in stitches when one lady told Millie that she thought Savvy Sisters was a convent and that we were all nuns, she suggested that we wear our habits next time lol!

All in all - it was a great day, I certainly couldn't have done it without the help of Bob, Scott, Lesley, Millie and Tracey, so a very big thank you to them. 

And finally - you may have realised that there was one very special person missing from the Savvy Sister's first show - Wendy!!  This is where the 200 mile distance between Wendy and myself proved too much of  hurdle.  Wendy had only just returned from her holiday in Tenerife, she couldn't get down to Somerset and back again in time for work on Monday morning.  So although not there in body, she was definitely there in spirit, we displayed all of her work and had a photo of her and her childhood bestfriend Cheryl on the stand:

Cheryl & Wendy Baking in the Garden