Happy, Happy

Christmas came early on Maggie's Farm this year.  My fabulous personal shopper, the fabric artiste Carol Schwartzott, AKA Carol Crayonbox, journeyed to the wilds of Western New York to take advantage of the incredible sale at the Gunlocke Furniture Factory.  She braved crazed sewing professionals and home crafters to climb ladders and pull down rolls of gorgeous furniture fabrics for herself and me.  Carol lives in Freeville, near Ithaca, about two hours from here.  She got me too much fabric to mail and bad weather is closing in.  Matt agreed to meet Carol in Cortland to pick up the fabric.  I gasped when he opened the trunk.  The prints are so beautiful, with so much variety.  This fabric will mostly line my Bundaflicka Totes which I will be sewing all winter.  Some will go to school with me for my students to sew with.  I used to line my tapestry totes with chenille exclusively, but the Gunlocke fabric is colorful, smooth, and wears like iron.  It sews like a dream.  I made my first Bundaflicka tote back in 1994 or 1995 when my assistant in a summer school quilting class, Linda Palmer, needed a bag to take on vacation to Mexico.  She liked her tote but needed a closure.  There was clay in the class and I fashioned a heart shaped button to go with the tote.  It worked fine and the rest is history.  I'll never forget when I first offered my totes for sale at the Garden State Sheep Breeders annual show.  I had sewn some bags from some tapestry drapery fabric I had at home.  A woman with a stroller and two little kids in tow was smitten with the totes.  She asked me if she could have a discount if she bought TWO !  I sputtered a little bit and gave her a price.  My hand shook as I took her money, I was so excited.  I've been sewing Bundaflicka Knitting Totes ever since.  Carol sews her own beautiful totes and we display them at the same shows.  I have to chuckle when I sew people strutting past my booth with her newly purchased bags on their shoulders.  I don't mind a bit.  She keeps me frosty, working on my skills.  Carol's load of fabric came with a goody bag filled with dark chocolate, egg nog cake, home made preserves (I'm sure she grew the berries herself) and recipes.  Thank you Carol Crayonbox for being such a good friend to me.