Month: July 2024

what’s on my worktable – and the flea market report – circus edition

vintage notions and velvet

Mini tetra pincushions. Made from little scraps of my most favorite fabrics and a couple inches of twill tape. A last minute project for the songbird workshops in France with French General. They are quick and easy and could also be filled with lavender or lemon verbena. They’re made from one rectangle of fabric – twice as long as wide. For these little guys it’s 2 inches by 4 inches.

mini pyramid "tetra" pincushions with twill tape hanging loops made from scraps

The rest of my time in France is spent wandering around and shopping for supplies for the French Circus workshop in LA and the Imagination Day Camp workshop at Squam (registration for imagination day camp at Squam closes 7/22). And we have just a couple spots on Sunday left in the Los Angeles circus weekend.

hand stitched teal floral bird posed on a credenza

 

group of fabric birds posed on a stone garden wall

This flock was made by the first group in France last week – so much birdness!

vintage notions and velvet

It’s all green lights for the French Circus. Sometimes the universe seems on board for an idea. I keep bumping into gorgeous antique and vintage supplies for costuming the circus folk. And I’m finding treasures and inspiration for the top secret “mysterious box” project at Squam this September.

mini tassles

The good luck started before I left. I bumped into a huge collection of vintage millenary supplies at a guilford tag/estate sale. Tons of mini tassels! And a big stack of cotton velvet.

antique brocade fabric and trim and black lace

My first stop in France delivered antique trim and gorgeous brocades – I see caps for dancing elephants, ragged jackets for monkeys and lions and tutus and bicornes for cat acrobats. And look at that pompom trim! I can’t wait to start experimenting with them.

What’s on your worktable this July? Do you need a mini pincushion? Are you reading anything great- I brought Pachinko to France with me – so good.