Ready for a Renegade Craft Fair L.A. re-cap? Okay! It can be tough to sneak away long enough to get photos of everything I'd like to, but here's what I got while running around in the heat.
This year was a family affair for me -that's my mom helping out in the booth while holding my niece. No one does PR for you better than mom. (That is my tried-and-true DIY business advice for the day.) No one made it past the table without her putting a promo card in their hand.
Mat Daly and his absolutely beautiful silk-screened posters. He does the Renegade posters every year and spent most of the money I made buying up old ones for Renegades I did, but didn't get a poster. He still had some from the very first one in Chicago which I very foolishly didn't get back then. Aaaand snag. Along with about six others.
Swap-o-Rama-Rama's tent is always crammed with people throwing elbows for the best clothing swap e-var. (No, not really. These are all very nice people. Just look at them.) I'd better get back to my booth...
Hey, hey Christine! This is Christine Haynes, who I shared a booth with. I met Christine several years ago at one of the Renegade Craft Fairs in Chicago and we've been friends ever since. Christine is the author of Chic and Simple Sewing and she also teaches sewing classes at Urban Craft Center and Sew L.A. It's obvious that she's a really good (and beloved) teacher, because her students were coming by her booth all day long saying "I took your awesome class...do you remember me?" blink blink?
♥ Christine has also launched a > > Kickstarter Campaign < < to fund her first line of sewing patterns. I wholeheartedly urge you (staring at you like I mean it) to check out her work and help get her line going ♥
O HAI! That's me with my niece Fiona who's eating a baby Mum Mum (which I was so hungry at this point I nearly ate it myself, but she's got quite a grip on her). The name of those crackers makes me very very happy. I'm an aunt! It's nice.
Might I interest you in some embroidery patterns and supplies and kits an' stuff? My table. I never have the cutest booth on earth, just straight-up embroidery goodness. If you look real hard you might find some new items that are not yet up on the site (hint: they come in pink, blue, black and white).
Why, hello there! Whatcha got there on your bag? This is Lily. She stopped by the booth to say hello and show me her wonderfully stitched-up bag! She said Sublime Stitching got her started and now she is addicted to doing her own thing in embroidery. Made my day. Can we see that work up close?
Do you see what this is? It's Frida Kahlo as a Day-of-the-Dead sugar skull! (The uni-brow is the giveaway.) But, I especially love how she did the braids. I had to get a closeup because I knew you'd want to see Lily's work. Noice.
This looks like it's Lily's own wonderful design. But, if you want some sugar skulls and other Mexicana stuff all ready to go, I have Dia de los Muertos patterns right here.
And last but certainly not least...my youngest customer to date. Tegan's mom approached the table, threw up her hands and said "I don't even know how to do this, but she does, and she keeps asking for more patterns!" Tegan, that's so freaking awesome I can't even tell you. I hope you'll send in some of your work so I can see it! (hint, hint)
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The rest of my time was spent gabbing with longtime DiY friends and spending practically every dime I made. If you weren't able to make it to this Renegade, here are some links you might want to check out of some of my favorites:
Mahar Dry Goods - Nice by Caitlin Holcomb - Fawa - Kattuna - Pop Pop Portraits - Heyday Design - Uppercase - Leighlena - Ryan Berkley - Paper Pastries - Queen Puff Puff
. . . and too many others to name! If you want to see even more photos, check out the 3rd Annual Renegade Craft Fair L.A. Flickr Pool.
And ♥ THANK YOU ♥ everyone who came to see me! That was the best part. xo