Exciting News!!

For those of you who don't know, I only started sewing seriously last year and took part in my first craft fair in September. In the run-up to Christmas I took part in several more fairs, during which I met some fantastic fellow crafters and got lots of lovely compliments on my work from members of the public. I always feel very honoured when someone chooses to spend their hard-earned cash on something made by little old me.

The rest of the Magpie clan have been very understanding about Mum's new hobby. Mr Magpie has taken the younger two out for days out without me so that I can 'make' in peace, the attic, and then the dining room have been cluttered up with ever-increasing amounts of supplies and stock, dinners have been less exciting and there has been a constant whirr (or clunk) from my sewing machines, not to mention some choice expletives inserted at regular intervals.

My daughter has been brilliant at accompanying me to fairs (although she usually manages to spend some of the profits for me at other stalls) and the other Magpies have coped very well in my absences, although I have missed them.

One excursion Mr Magpie took with the younger two boys to give me craft time was to Latitude Festival. Walking around the market place, he noticed a distinct lack of the type of things I was making and texted me to say that I should be selling there.

As a family (and occasionally as a couple)  we have been fairly regular visitors to Glastonbury Festival, our last time being an ill-fated family attendance in 2007 (gallons of mud, not much sleep and lots of bands missed due to that). On the whole though, we love the festival experience, and decided that it would be great if we could combine festivals and sewing.

We thought carefully about where to apply for this year and decided on Larmer Tree as it is fairly local to us, but also a long-established and successful event. The cost of having a stall is very much more than you would pay for a normal event, but comes with entry to the whole festival for two adults and two children. The idea is that one of us will man the stall while the other spends time enjoying the festival with the children.

The application was a pretty nerve-racking experience for me as it was a little more involved than for the other events I have done.Then there was a nail-biting wait for a decision, as applicants are told that stalls are always over-subscribed.

This morning, I am deliriously happy to announce, I received my confirmation email. I'm in!! Miss Magpie will be off to the festival come July, installed in the Artist's Quarter no less!! I am really, really looking forward to the event and a new chapter of Miss Magpie. Even if I don't sell a thing, just to be at the festival, with my family in the English summer time will be brilliant.

You may be hearing a little less from me for a while as I have to get busy creating the stock I want to take with me, but I will still blog little bits of my progress. Wish me luck!!

Thanks for stopping by,
Beth x