Turn Random Quilted Strips Into Containers

I love shopping at craft fairs. But vending my own stuff ? Sooner or later, most fiber artists learn that craft fairs are an exercise in masochism. Most shoppers won't pay quilters anything close to what our time and materials costs.

On the other hand, even after a half-dozen craft fair financial failures (but social wins), I still love the idea of doing a craft fair. Whenever I'm invited, I enjoy a few days of fantasizing about best-case scenarios - especially the camaraderie! I love talking to other artists! And civilians! And best of all, being forced to support the bake sale!  I think of all those things, before experience reminds me to sadly say "no." 
This year, while deciding not to do a super-fun sounding community holiday craft sale, I gave myself an extra 72 hours to brainstorm the alluring but frustrating question: What have I made, or could I possibly make that could earn me a minimum of $4/hour + materials + show entry fee (@$50)?

That sent me to my box of "quiltlets" - quilted and/or embellished strips that were intended as wrist cuffs, coffee cuffs, and/or bookmarks. I made a nice stack of them about five years ago, and kept in a  well-sealed box in my sewing room. Here's a favorite. My tutorial for this strip was in a 2013 blog post, here.

Curled into a cuff: 

Back to the present - I decided to try making it more practical/appealing by turning it into a container. I covered a stiff interfacing circle with fabric, then hand sewed it in the bottom with strong beading thread. 

Voila, a cute little container. (The flap is sewn shut.)

It can hold lightweight items by itself; or slip in a small glass to hold fresh flowers.

Then I gave it a decorative yarn topping. (former tzitzit.)

Counting all the hours, past and present, at a hypothetical craft fair, I would generously price it at only $50. Craft fair shoppers, I know what you're thinking: $8. I gave it to my cousins, (free),  who loved it.

Next, I plucked out this 9" x 6" denim, burlap, silk and lace cuff, with a vintage brass button and navy loopy trim all the way around. That was one of the best old lace fragments in my collection.

 Installed a base, and here's the vase! (hey that rhymes!).

At a craft fair, I would want to charge a Justice in the Universe Price of $60, which, again, no one would pay. Last week, I was delighted to sell it to a visiting friend for $15. No entry fee, no booth to set up, she got a bargain, and I received the satisfaction of knowing I'd gotten a small reward for it, and it went to an appreciative home - win-win, in a non-profit sort of way.

Next up is a confetti strip. It was created with a superfun technique. (Strew colorful scraps on a long strip of stiff fusible interfacing with fabric on both sides. Cover with a layer of tulle, then freemotion quilt on top.) Getting this far only took a couple of hours.

I set in a covered interfacing circle in the bottom. It looks really cute with a plant inside. 

The vintage plastic button is priceless,

For extra fun, I used a hot tool to melt holes in old juice/milk carton lids, then stitched them to the bottom as feet. 

This will be a present for a friend who is environmentally-oriented. 

Here are two more denim cuffs that needed a new purpose in life. As bracelets....

...they were pretty darn clunky...

But sewn shut, with a base installed....

They're actually kind of useful and cute, for paper clips or plants! The art deco button on the lower left is one of my absolute all time favorites. It deserves an appreciative home!

Next, one was one of my favorite quiltlets: It features 12 chunky delicious vintage plastic buttons, the cream of my collection. (The plaid fabric button on the upper right was later replaced with a brighter, red plastic one.)

But it was SO stiff and unwieldy as a bracelet. So I went overboard. I stitched a round base in the bottom, made a top lid from fusible interfacing covered with fabric. Onto the lid, I hot-glued an old plastic thread-spool covered with polka-dot fabric. I added two milk-lid pincushions, one decorated with a tassle trim, the other circled with a black-and-white ribbon. 

Let's summarize: 12 of the best buttons from a lifelong collection; fascinating vintage trim and ribbon; 4 hours of work; new double-sided fusible interfacing and new quilting fabric; 25 years of experience as an artist. In The Fair Universe, this item would be valued at $18,843. 

So I sent it to a dear friend who is herself an artisan and loves this color combination. She was thrilled, a priceless reward.  

But I do hope she attempts to insure it for $18,000. And I am happy in the knowledge that even if, heaven forbid, burglars invade her home, they will leave this behind (unless she puts jewelry in it). 

In sum: No matter how many ways I try to talk myself into doing a craft fair, the right answer for my style of labor-intensive fiber art is to gift it to family and friends who will appreciate it. And, of course, I'm continuing to sell my art  quilts on commission to people who appreciate quilts and a fair price. Private sales to art/quilt collectors don't provide the socialization, excitement, or bake sale of a holiday craft fair; but it is potentially a way to be a working artist.

This was a fiber art postcard that I turned into a necklace.

This one I already sent to a friend:

I invited my friend Susan, who has more of a finger on the pulse of the buying public, over for her words of wisdom. "It should be something people should use," she postulated. That got me thinkinga bout pincushions. Before I knew it, I'd bought a sake set at my closest goodwill,a nd used scraps of Japaense fabric to make this:

Yes, they're little sake cup pincusions. What could you (or I) put inside? How about a sewing kit? I also found a scotch tumbler: >I decided it merited silk (red dupioni). 

And a great polka dot ribbon my friend Noelle gave me....

That's a thimble and golden safety pins on bottom. 

When you stuff sewing notions in the bottom, the pincushion wont' sink to the bottom  get it? Time to develop this concept: centures (including sake thinkers). Most I could possibly charge - what, $5 per sake cup?

Two heavily quilted bookmarks. Does anyone still use bookmarks? Each is invidiually freemotion quilted and hand embellished. Labor and spiritual value - boundless. Most I think anyone would pay: $6.

Pendant 2

Some of these are now in my etsy shop, and just to make sure I don't make any money off of them, I'm donating all the proceeds to California fire relief.
Then a new concept entered my life: Cactuses.
Cactus pincushion (plate not included?). Time to make: 1 hour. Curating, aquiring, and in this case occasionally wearing materials (old silk pants): $8. Finding plate: $40. Would like to charge: $1400. Can't charge more than: $3. If they want the plate, is's $4 extra.