A best day of the year

One of my favorite days of the year is today, the day of our Bizarre Bazaar. It started years ago and I've been in attendance for years too. My kids too. They remember the old days when it was truly a bunch of alternative artists (also called hippies). Today there are many many more artists, in a much larger venue. It retains it's very creative ambiance and I do think this year was the best ever.

This year my daughter Betsy went with me. We show each other things we like. Then we buy them for each other. We buy gifts. We occasionally buy something for ourselves. And we are so inspired by all the creative ideas. Here are a few I liked that I think you might too.

I looked at these aprons for a while, wondering how they came to be. Marilyn Pilkey of Ottawa told me she works with the local theatre company and that the painted backgrounds came from the backdrops of earlier shows. They are sturdy canvas, just perfect for aprons. She also used quilt blocks for apron tops.

 

I bought a present for my husband (the surprise in the sack) from Boho Girl Creations. They also had piles of crocheted rugs, all made from recycled t-shirts. Aren't they cool?

Our quilt guild buddy Sammie Messick got creative with recycled t-shirts too. She stitched the bottom hems together, cut the tops of the shirts into straps and sold them to use as shopping bags. She recommends putting meat you buy into them, as they are so easy to wash. She used child size shirts to make smaller bags that could support what you put inside. Betsy picked some out.

I was happy to see Sandra Fos there. I've admired her quilts so much - today she offered punked out pillows, hand sewn scarves and enlightened recycled lampshades. Her daughter Laura came along to help. When I asked if I could take a picture, she said no but relented if she was in the background (you will note I complied.....)


Best of all, I came home inspired to get to work on a few holiday presents. Ho ho ho!

(Note: you can click on the Bizarre Bazaar link in the first paragraph to contact these artists.)