One-of-a-Kind Spring Show

On March 30, I had the pleasure of being invited to the One-of-a-Kind Spring Show and Sale in Toronto. My husband and I made our way down to the Direct Energy Centre and I was psyched to see all the amazing original creations.

As expected the exhibition hall was full of colour and row upon row of goodies. Entering the building I pondered how all the creative energy in the building could be harnessed into a power source, and just how powerful it might be. I hate to admit it, but off-beat thoughts along these line often pop into my head. Well before you think that I am crazy, I will tell you more about the show.

Well, where should I start? Ok, I received a very wonderful invite from my friend Carolyn Barnett, to visit the show. I was thinking of attending, but with Easter holiday festivities, my Mom returning from her tropical oasis, tons of unfinished projects, my new sewing students, and the eve of my son Miles' third birthday; let us just say that I already had so much on the go. However, I just could not pass over her offer of two tickets and the opportunity to see her new designs and all the other wonderful creative goodies at the show.

I stopped by Carolyn's booth first, but she had taken a little break. So I decided to start at the last row and work my way across the giant exhibition hall. I participated in the show many years ago with my other company and I was, and still am really impressed with the quality of the show, the amazing artist and patrons who appreciate craftsmanship. It is also one of a handful of shows that I will suggest to other artist and designers to consider applying for. Having said that, over the years, the prices have increased and the booth sizes have decreased. Many of the artisans' faces are familiar to me and the show has maintained a good reputation for attendance and sales over the years.

Some of the things I observed this year were an increase in children's goods and an increase in clothing. Unfortunately I felt that much of the clothing looked the same. They were well made and from a beautiful selection of textiles, but a bit too similar in nature. Some vendors may also want to refine their customer service skills. I realize that language may have been a factor in some cases, but some of the vendors seemed to have a more stoic disposition. The "dead zone" seemed to be in the corner behind the food section, which made me wonder how well those vendors did at the show. However, a really wonderful addition to the show was the Etsy section, which I think was great and gave some artist who wouldn't otherwise have an opportunity to sell their work due to the cost of a booth.

I was happy to reconnect with Carolyn (Carolyn M. Barnett) and I loved her new felted designs. I really enjoyed our chat and I love the direction she is taking with her collection.

This beautiful pink jacket is my favourite piece, that she had at the show.

I also had an opportunity to chat with Diane Kroe (Diane Kroe Designs) and as usual I am always warmed by her wonderful personality. Her collection is great and the versatility of her designs can appeal to any woman.

My husband Don and I were both impressed by the work of new designer, Marie Armstrong (Krazy Lady Kreations) who designs stunning cotton rugs. She was super friendly and is a retired teacher now artist that works from her studio in Niagara Falls, Ontario. Her work stopped us in the aisle and we just had to chat with her a bit.

Don was also taken by the unique custom Ukulele and Banjo collection created by Ross Stuart (Rosbilt Tin Can Banjo/Ukulele). Ross is a Toronto based artist who makes his instruments from tin cans.

Don and I also had a lengthy conversation about handmade watches and we were both blown away by the amazing handmade watch collection of Scott Wilk (Wilk Watchworks). Scott's designs are beautiful and the craftsmanship is evident in every piece.

I could not leave the show without stoping by the booth of Kailey Hawthorn (Hawthome) to let her know how much I loved her designs and choice of fabric. I love the selection of fabrics she has used in her pillows and ottoman collection. I totally fell in love with a vintage piece she had that was just breathtaking.

The spring show is over now, but the show will be back at Christmas and I am sure you can check out the artist I have mentioned and lots of others. Until then, here are some links you may want to check out.

Carolyn Barnett | Carolyn M Barnett Designs
Diane Kroe | Diane Kroe Designs
Marie Armstrong | Designed Cotton Rugs
Ross Stuart | Rosbilt Tin Can Banjo/Ukulele
Scott Wilk | Wilk Watchworks
Kailey Hawthorn | Hawthome

Home Organization Challenge: Studio

I cannot believe that twelve weeks have passed since the start of the Home Organization Challenge. The final room is my sewing studio, and this past week I was so happy to organize a few things that really needed my attention. I teach sewing classes in my studio, so I vacuum on a daily basis and I am always mindful of putting things in place at the end of the day. However, there were a few things that I have been neglecting. I have also found myself rushing to clean up before my classes and by the end of the week things were a mess.

Over the past few months I have made a few small changes to the room that have made a big difference for keeping things organized. I found that I use my pegboard a lot and the beautiful pattern storage boxes I found earlier in the year have been great for storing the patterns I use for my classes. I also bought plastic bins for my student projects and I find they are great for keeping things separate and within easy reach. The big challenge was dealing with the overflow of fabric and my new fabric boards were really helpful. The boards are easy to make and have been great for folding the over abundance of fabric.

I have a few creative touches that I will like to add to the studio, so I also used this past week to think through some of my ideas. I have a few unfinished projects such as finishing painting the wardrobe and making new draperies. I hope to get my projects done in the next few weeks.

It has been a great time for me, and I hope that it has been helpful to you as well. I will be doing a final round up of the challenge next week, so visit again. Thank you for joining.

Happy Organizing!

Home Organization Challenge: Dining Room

The Easter holiday was fun but hectic, and as you can tell I am a bit behind this week with my post. I am however, very excited that the end of the 12 weeks Home Organization Challenge is in sight and there is just one week left to go. It is amazing to see the changes around my home and I hope that if you are following along, that the challenge has been working well for you as well.

With just one more week left in the challenge, I am looking forward to getting the last bits done and having an organized home that my family and I can really enjoy. Last week the challenge was to organize the dining room. As I mentioned before, my dining room is part of my kitchen. The dining area is small, so there is generally not a whole lot of organizing for me to do except to keep the table free of clutter.

However, the biggest challenge in the space was sorting through all the items from the various rooms that had been gathered in the past weeks. Placing everything in its new home and trashing other items. I also had to find a new place for the hardwood flooring that is meant for the living room, but has been housed in the dining room for way too long.

The idea was to clean things up and remove all clutter. I will be doing a make-over of the space some time in the next few months, so I wanted to create a clean canvas for adding some much needed style and personality. I am happy that my family and I have a place to eat dinner together again and I look forward to further transforming the space.

This week the focus is on my sewing studio. I teach sewing classes from home and the space has to be kept clean and organized. I generally do a good job of keeping this room organized, but I will really like to work on my fabric and notions here. I also have some decorative touches that I will like to add to the room, and getting a bit more organized will make a big difference.

Week 12 - Studio

To-Do-List:

• Sort and purge items into four categories; keep, donate, trash and other room
• Empty cabinets and wipe shelves
• Clean window and door
• Wash drapery
• Clean floor
• Clean light fixtures
• Clean sewing machine(s)
• Organize notions, fabric and other supplies
• Organize patterns
• Create a donate box with fabric and other unwanted supplies

Happy organizing!