Natural Dyes

Here's a couple of lists of natural dyes, and how they're used:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_dye

http://www.georgeweil.com/fact_file/fibrecrafts_natural_dyes.aspx

http://www.countrylovers.co.uk/hort/plntdyes.htm

http://www.elaineduncan.com/natural-dye-days/

How To:

http://www.prairiefibers.com/Dyeing%20Techniques.htm

http://polycrafty.wordpress.com/2009/06/22/dye-day/

Felting Ideas

Need idea's for felting?


Springtree Road Blog

Christmas Online Listings- Postage Dates

Things to remember when listing items before Christmas:

- Add christmas posting dates VERY early on! For items that need a week or 2 to make up, they'll need to be ordered before 25th November for some countries! From October onwards, all listings should have Christmas postage dates

- Save a word document with all postage dates on, then copy and paste every time I list an item, to save the last minute inconvenience of having to go through the whole lot!

- Remember that Australia and New Zealand are HOT at Christmas!

Approx Posting Dates:

New Zealand, Australia, Far East: 5th Dec
USA, Canada, Eastern Europe: 10th Dec
Europe: 12th Dec
UK 2nd Class: 18th Dec
UK 1st Class: 20th Dec

Baby Hats

My current design isn't long enough for slightly older babies: they need to measure approx 15-18cm wide, and 18cm tall

Newborns: 40sts, 15cm tall
1-2 years: 45sts. 18cm tall
3-5 years: 50sts, 18cm tall

Market De-Briefing

Summary of Christmas Markets:

Tobacco Factory 18th Nov:
Pitch cost: £20
Total sales: £61
1x mug cosy
1 pair trousers I'd made for myself, selling off cheap
2x knickers kit
1x hood

Tobacco Factory 24th Nov:
Pitch cost: £20
Total sales: £25
1x bunting
1x rose hairband
1x mens tshirt

Magpies & I @ Spiegeltent 2nd Dec:
Pitch cost: £25
Total sales: £34
1x bunting kit
6x blossom clips
2x keyrings
1x scented star

Colston Hall Sunday 8th Dec:
Pitch cost:
Total Sales: £140 (+ 1 order to be picked up and paid for @ £20)
1x baby hat, brown teddy
3x butterfly magnets
2x friendship bracelets
2x keyrings
5x blossom clips
1x knickers kit
3x embroidered laces
1x double-lilly hair grip
1x ski hat (red)
1x panda hat (brown)
1x knit kit
1x knitted hairband, red (made from what was going to be a leg-warmer)
(order for 1 pair boot-tops in browns)

Tobacco Factory 9th Dec:
Pitch Fee: £18.30
Total sales: £46 (+ one order to be picked up and paid for next week @ £15)
1x knitted snood in teal with white fur
6x blossom clips
(order for 1x baby hat- froggy)

IMPORTANTS NOTES:

- Arrive Colston Hall before 8.15am to get a spot, before that seems to be fine, people don't arrive till after, and can't even get in before 8am)
- Most interest seems to be in baby hats, snoods, flowers, mug cosies, knickers kits, bunting
- Keep in touch with David @ Tobacco Factory, remind him I'm coming- he hadn't put me down for today, I booked it a while back!
- Make sure I have order forms with me at Christmas time

Felt Boots (still), Back to Town for More Fleeces and Fur

ACHIEVED TODAY:

- Managed to get up and get on with work despite feeling ill AND having PMT, that in itself is an achievement! Note for the future: thinking about how shite it's going to be having to work when you're feeling under the weather is SO much worse than actually doing it!

- Felted the boots, which must have taken in all around 1 hour, maybe 1 1/2 taking into account the time it takes to get it all set up, and clean up afterwards... maybe even 2... will have to time myself next time I make a pair

- Back into town again, put market profits into bank, bought more micro-fibre blankets for hoodies, and plenty of the expensive faux fur for ski hats and boot linings, so I shouldn't have to go back for more in a few months!

THINGS TO REMEMBER:

- Primark now out of cream micro fibre blankets, and seems to be running low on black too. Will check next time I'm in town but I may not be able to always get them from Primark

- Pound Stretcher shop in the Mall sells lovely fluffy microfibre blankets for £6 (need to check size) which are a thicker pile than the Primark ones, but still good

- Things really do get pushed back when I'm ill! Must keep up to date with 'to do' lists because it feels chaotic right now!

TO DO:

- Need to get tidied and sorted again in the next couple of days: sort out cupboard spaces and do my laundry!

- Must pack van tomorrow- need to put in extra rail, table and tablecloth for Sunday, and need to sort out all the stuff I brought into the house after the last market, including money belt and tool box

- Read market details for Saturday, check set up times

- Rent!!!

- Finish and post boots tomorrow if possible (if they're not dry, I can do it Friday morning, so it's not panic-stations)

- Find out what colour Etsy customer wants her Foxy hat and finish that asap... hopefully during markets this wkend

- Contact Ben about next Wednesday and see if I can do my stall at the Lansdown

- Photos of green hoodie for Charles

- Relist foxy ears hat

- Put all 'to do' things onto my wall chart (sit down for 15mins and get it all straight first thing, then I can attack the day knowing where I am!)

- Reeeeaaallly want a 'fancy pants' day next week... can I manage to fit it in though? Not sure I can, still have ski hats to finish, and hoods, and the fluffy kids hats... as well as another pair of felt boots, another hoodie, the foxy ears hat I've sold on Etsy... hmmm

North Street Christmas Market

Website link here

Remember this one for next year too!!!