Ever have one of those days where you did a ton of work but don’t feel like you have anything to show for it?
I had one of those days, except it wasn’t just one day – it was the entire month of October.
I’ve been working my ass off preparing for this craft show I have in November. I think I’ve knit more this month than I did all of last year ?
That’s pretty much what my October summary is going to be about: Market prep! I have so much done, but still so much more to do. I’ve been playing with table setups in the living room. I pretty much have a permanent craft show booth in the corner… I still need a decent table cover. Right now my table is covered with a twin sheet from the guest bedroom…
I’m thinking of using either muslin or burlap for a nice, light, neutral table cover. I’m going for a pretty rustic aesthetic, with a lot of notes of nature. I have wooden baskets, shelves, and boxes for displaying my items, and I’m going to be setting up my dress form to show off some finished items as well.
I Saw The Sign
( ? …and it opened up my eyes… ? )
The biggest thing I ticked off my to-d list this month was making my booth sign! My boyfriend and I planned this sign out from scratch and took 2 weekends to pull it together. I had this type of sign envisioned in my head and we hit the nail on the head with the execution!
We used what my dad called “deck spindles” for the frame (I think they’re just 2×2 pine?) and an old piece of plywood for the chalkboards. The plywood was sanded down super smooth, but with just enough texture to give the finished product that beautiful rustic look.
I used a Rustoleum spray on chalkboard paint. It was stupid simple to use and it’s holding up so well. I only needed 3 coats to make it opaque.
Did Someone Say Freebies?
I got back on the pattern writing bandwagon this month. I released the free Allegheny Cowl pattern and chipped away a bit more on my secret project. (There’s your hint ?) I’m hoping to have the secret project done and ready to go by the end of November. It’s a big deal to me to get it out before winter time because I actually started it back in February… Plus it will be much more useful in the winter time.
I forgot how fun and rewarding free patterns and tutorials were, so I’ve made a giant list of free things I want to work on. I’m going to try and fit them in throughout November, but realistically I’ll focus on them more after the new year. I really, REALLY want to write up some sweater patterns, but I always have free time to do that kind of thing in the spring and summer. Hopefully I can squeeze a few in before it warms up!
I released my free printable hang tags back in September and I think I’d like to do some more freebies like that. Branding is something I feel like many makers don’t necessarily think about at the beginning of their journey, so I want to make it easy for newbies to brand themselves like a pro. I’m thinking of doing material and care instruction tags next. I made some for myself that are pretty cool and they were well received on a Facebook group I shared them on last week.
Are there any free printables you would like to see? Leave me suggestions in the comments!
Final Thoughts
I don’t feel like I have a ton to show for all of my work this month, but I know that I have accomplished a lot. I’m looking forward to my market at the end of November, and I’m optimistic that next month will be equally if not more productive.
I can’t wait to share my market experience with you guys and share what I learn from it!
