Thread and scrap catcher

I can't believe I waited so long to make this!  It is one of the most useful things I've ever made.  It's a small bag for loose threads and scraps that hangs off the table, right beside your sewing machine.  Much better than having to turn to the trashcan constantly.  It's attached to a pincushion too, so less clutter on your workspace! 

I made mine with scraps of fabric I already had laying around.  The original tutorial I followed can be found at Merriment Design.  I did, however, make a few adjustments to her thread catcher. 

-I made mine shorter: 18 x 9 instead of 17.5 x 11. 

-I also made the pincushion part smaller (5 x 4) and filled it with emery sand to sharpen the pins.  The emery is also hefty enough to sit without any other weights.  TIP: put the emery in a small bag and then put it into the pincushion.  Keeps any of the grains from leaking out.  I bought my emery sand from LoveLaurie on Etsy.

-Because the pincushion was smaller, I chose to only use one strap.  Saved me a bit of time, I like the look better, and it hasn't been any inconvenience.  If I made another, I might consider trying two skinnier straps.  It looks like hers is held more upright by the two straps. 

-I used lightweight boning from Jo-Ann Fabric instead of plastic clothesline.  Not sure which is cheaper, but the boning looks good and is easy to work with. She says the clothesline is optional, but I say it is needed to keep the bag open.

All in all, I am very happy with this project.  It took under an hour to complete, and the instructions were super easy to follow.  Please share if you decide to do this too!

Decoupaging a wig head

So I'm planning to do my first indie wedding show in early 2012, and I've already been making plans for it.  I don't do craft shows with my YesterEra designs because they're so wedding specific, plus my husband and I already do the circuit with our jellykoe stuff. 
I have done a traditional wedding show before, and quickly found that they are not for small businesses.  The booth fees are outrageous, and you're competing with David's Bridal and all the other boutiques.  Plus, the one I did was a huge event, and all the brides were rushing from one booth to the next just taking info.  I sold one veil, and got about 3-4 later sales from it, but overall it was nothing like the craft shows we usually do. 

The sad thing is that indie bridal shows are scarce.  The one I plan to do is hosted by Homespun Parties+Events, based in Chattanooga, TN. 

Anyway, I 've been giving a lot of thought to the way I want my table laid out.  At the last show, I had veils hanging from a hat rack, and accessories laid out on a table.  Boring! 
One of my plans was to bring a few wig heads for showcasing veils or fascinators.  I have two that I've painted faces on and one plain.  I didn't like my first painting attempt, so I used that head as a base. 

We had found an old Dick and Jane primer in a thrift store recently, and I thought it would be fun to use the pages to decoupage.  Add a little Mod Podge and here is the result:

Cute, cheap, and hopefully it will add visual interest to my table!