Mulberry Street Art and Craft Show in Macon, GA

Every year the city of Macon hosts a festival called the Cherry Blossom Festival. It occurs just as the Cherry Trees begin to bloom. It is truly beautiful. The festival lasts about ten days. The last weekend of the festival the Middle Georgia Art Association hosts an Arts and Craft Show on Mulberry Street. For the last two years, Saturday was a wash out; but, Sunday was beautiful. This event is heavily attended and even in this tough economy sells were brisk. I started accepting credit cards last year. I use a company called ProPay. I found them to reasonally priced. They charge a small annual fee and the transaction fee is competitive. This has really increased sales. In this day and age most people do not carry cash. The debit card and credit card rule.

This event has a wide variety of crafters and it is closely juried. This is great. Only crafters are allowed to participate and each crafter's booth is checked by members of the Art Association to make sure nothing manufactured slips into the show. (I wish other Art and Craft Shower Sponsors were this diligent.)

I asked for and received a corner spot for my booth. This makes it sooo much easier for me. I have lots of stuff and I like to have two sides open for shoppers. I was also located next to an ice cream stand. As customers lined up for ice cream they browsed in my store. (Soweeet).

I am looking forward to next year. I hope I get the same spot.

CheckBook Covers (In-The-Hoop)

I found the cutest in-the-hoop quilted checkbook covers at FiveStarFonts. I know checkbook covers seem a little old fashioned; but, I think most everyone still uses a checkbook occasionaly. This certainly is cuter than those old ugly plastic ones that come with your checks.

This embroidery pattern is done in the 6 x 10 hoop or the 7 x 11 3/4 hoop. It is done all in one hooping. There is absolutely no other sewing required. They take less than 1/4 yard of fabric and you can complete one in about 20 minutes. These will make great gifts. I have made several and plan on selling them at craft shows or on Etsy. (See link in the right hand column.) This pattern comes with a complete alphabet so you can personalize it. I used a dog, I cut from some fabric in place of the monogram on one. The other one, I just left plain.

FiveStarFonts site has lots of really cute embroidery designs. On most Friday's, a free design is offered. I have purchase several designs from this site and I could not be more pleased. Check it out.

How to Print on Your Own Fabric

I have always wanted to print on my own fabric. The specialty fabric designed for printing is very expensive and I was looking for a more economical method. I purchased some Jet Set a while back; but, I wasn't quite sure what to do next. I found this article at Hewlett Packard. It gives great detail on how to print on your own fabric. You need an ink jet printer, freezer paper, Jet Set (I found this item by doing the old google search) and cotton fabric.

I have copied the general instructions below; but, you can find more details by clicking on the words Hewlett Packard above. I have also included a YouTube link about general inkjet printing at the bottom of this post. I hope some of you will share of your ideas.

Use inkjet printers
Inkjet printers spray ink, they can evenly and beautifully print on fabric.

TIP: When creating fabric arts and crafts, don’t use laser printers. The heat can melt fabric sheets. Pre-made inkjet fabric sheets can be purchased at local craft and fabric stores. They load into the paper tray of any inkjet printer.

Make your own printable fabric
You can also make your own fabric sheets using cotton fabric, Bubble Jet Set, a liquid fabric soak that helps set ink, and freezer paper. Here’s how:

1. Soak fabric in Bubble Jet Set.
2. Allow to dry, then iron to the shiny side of a piece of freezer paper (never use steam).
3. Cut to a size just slightly smaller than what your printer will accommodate (e.g., 8.5" x 11") and cut any stray threads.
4. Print according to your printer controls.

Image guidelines: Stick to these image guidelines and you will print beautiful fabric art every time.

Photos: Use high-resolution (300 dpi or greater) digital photos. Otherwise, your photos may turn out pixilated (that is, objects will appear speckled and blocky). Photos can come from your digital camera, a photo CD, or you can scan prints with your scanner. Digital photos copied from e-mails or the Internet may not have high enough resolution to make good prints.
Text: Text prints well onto fabric. Use any standard font, or scan in a page of your own handwriting. Again, be sure to scan at 300 dpi or greater for good quality print.
Artwork: Drawings work great. Use free clip art from an Internet search, clip art from one of your programs like MS Word, illustrations from an HP Activity Center project, or scans of your child’s latest artwork.

Original patterns: Finally, you can print your own patterns. Gather household items like paper clips or marbles, arrange them on a flat surface, and take a digital photo or scan the items to make a cool pattern for fabric printing. Any combination of photos, text, plaids or stripes, colors, or illustrations can be used to create a one-of-a-kind printed fabric.

Colors on fabric
Since printers don’t print white, the white parts of your image will be the same color as your fabric—choose accordingly.
Avoid using photo inks when printing on fabric; the colors they produce are not as vivid.

Sizing your printed fabric
TIP: The maximum width of your fabric sheet is limited by the width of your printer’s paper tray. However, printing in banner mode can vary the maximum length of your fabric. Refer to your printer manual to learn how to use this function.

Prepping your fabric sheets
To prevent fabric paper jams be sure to do the following:
Cut—don’t pull—loose threads from the fabric sheets before inserting into printer.
Always make sure the leading edge of the fabric is securely bonded to the backing paper before inserting into the printer. If the fabric has separated from its backing, it could jam inside the printer.

Wrinkled or bubbled fabric sheets can cause printing problems, so be sure that you load only smooth, wrinkle-free sheets.

Printer tips
Always practice printing with a piece of plain paper before using fabric sheets. Make adjustments if needed.
Remove all paper from the printer’s paper tray and insert only one fabric sheet at a time to avoid jams.

Related content
10 ways to get creative with your printer
How to print iron-ons
Quilting and scanning basics

You Tub video Link
There are some great tips on this video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UEBozgQAxCE

Wow, It's been a while

I can't believe all of this time has passed. Christmas has come and gone and so has the New Year. It is February already. Today is Abraham Lincoln's 200th birthday.

I wanted to post a picture of my grandchildren wearing the Georiga outfits I made them last fall. They look really cute in them.

Carlie got a Cabbage Patch doll for Christmas. I was able to find a clothes pattern for her doll. I hope to pick the fabric and have it done in the next few weeks.

Sewing for Grandtwins

Today I decided to sew for my grandchildren. The college football season will be next week. I wanted to make them something to support The University of Georgia. I bought some UGA themed fabric last fall; so, I took a break from preparing for this fall's craft show. They will look really cute in their new overalls. I am not sure these will be the correct size. Carlie does weigh a few pounds less then Grant; but, I made the both the same size. I am sure they will be a little to long.

GO DAWGS!!