Mansker Kids' Underwear at iam8bit

Excited to share that Mansker kids' underwear will be making their California debut at iam8bit.

Holiday MADE Fair 2012

Vending for the second time ever, I was lucky enough to get in to the juried Missoula Holiday MADE Fair last weekend. More than a little intimidated to be a part of a show this size (120+ vendors) as a rookie, I can say it was definitely worth it.

This was the scene in the main room at about 7:30am (3.5 hours before the show began).
(looking closely, you'll see the taped off booth measurements on the floor)

Here's a similar angle of the same room at about 12:30pm.

There were stretches of time where it really did look like a river of people flowing around the room between the booths, occasionally one or two would bob from the herd to hop towards a booth. It was pretty interesting to witness so many people. And in usual Montanan fashion, everyone was so casual and courteous.

I rented the smallest sized booth available, 4' wide and 6' deep. I was sandwiched between a seed vendor (with the awesome flower sign seen here) and someone selling handmade bronze belt buckles (he hadn't arrived yet). It was a very very tight fit, but it was a good choice for this here newbie.

Preparing for the show last week, I put my etsy shop on vacation. Much to my surprise when I went to restock it today, I saw that my empty shop had been getting LOTS of traffic directed from a dig this chick blog post. It's definitely a highlight of my week, and it's only Tuesday! (If you're curious, another highlight would be my 4 1/2 year old daughter washing a sink load of dishes by herself. Incredible, right?)

Vote!

As I'm sewing daily for the upcoming Missoula Made Fair, I've been thinking a lot about which direction the Mansker shop should take in 2013. I've gotten so many request for particular sizes or items since I started this venture, that I'm not sure what to take on next. Regardless, whatever comes next will likely require some pattern drafting and product testing. Why not head over to the facebook page and vote on what you want to see next?

Labels

So much sewing, pinning, and cutting is going on here these days. Tis the season to gear up for craft fairs, and I'm doing to best I can to learn the ropes. 

Meanwhile, I figured out a way to make labels out of my Mansker stamps, muslin, and a fabric stamp pad. I'll post some finished pictures in the near future. So far, I'm really happy with how they are turning out.

Suitcase Display

I scored a great vintage suitcase from a thrift store for about $2.

After a thorough cleaning and replacing the interior, I think it will be decent for hauling supplies and displaying merchandise at craft fairs or craft/farmers' markets.

(update: see the suitcase display in action)