Designer Showcase 2013

The week of Thanksgiving is considered the start of the holiday season, but for me the season always starts  the first Friday in November. That’s when Assistance League of Antelope Valley Designer Showcase is held. This year, the 46th annual, the theme was Moulin Rouge.



ALAV is a member of National Assistance League and Designer Showcase is one of our fundraising events for our Preschool and Kindergarten and other projects.



Our Chairperson Mary prepping the stage,



her husband built the windmill.



Centerpieces – A shoe, a top hat and a bottle with chalkboard paint with the table number.






The event includes a boutique of handmade crafts, local artists’ gallery sales, silent auction items, homemade cookies, luncheon, and fashion show presented by our preschoolers and Models Auxiliary.

So grab a glass for your champagne and I will give you a quick tour.



Artists items – a portion of their sales is donated to ALAV.



Boutique and cookie bar.





I was the Silent Auction Chairperson, we had some great donations again this year. I donated a tablescape for eight. I’ll do a separate post for the table.











 



Students are chosen from the ALAV Preschool & Kindergarten to open the fashion show. Their clothing and that worn by the models of ALAV Model’s Auxiliary is from our local Dillard’s.  Sorry for the blurry photo. Next year I will have to take my longer lens.



The fashion show commentator Colleen was a headline performer with Moulin Rouge in France and also in Las Vegas. Her daughter Michelle is on the right, her best friend, my niece, Briana on the left.



A poster with some of Colleen’s memorabilia .



It was a very successful event and as all of you know who donate your time for events like this, next years event will be here before we know it. For more information on Assistance League of Antelope Valley please click on the logo below:





Stitch at you Soon,

Dawna

If The Hat Fits

There is something about wearing a hat that can give you that certain something. You feel more uptown, more elegant, more posh. 

Oh, wait a minute – it’s Halloween. Maybe that’s not the feeling you get when adorning your head with a witch hat.  I set this table last year but never blogged about it. So the question is which Witch hat are you wearing this year?

Sculpted formal velvet:



Longaberger:



Or sheer with purple swirls and bats:



The mummy likes that one:



Wendy likes her hat to match her outfit.



Now that you’ve picked your favorite, have a seat.



I’ve told the bats they must stay out of the way, so they are hanging out in the chandelier. 



I can’t promise they will behave.



A couple decided to disguise themselves as candy dishes. See there’s one on the corner of the table.



Not a bad disguise.





Every place setting has a pet spider for you to take home. No, don’t thank me. It’s the least I could do as you came for a visit.



My cute napkin rings were a gift from my friend Kim. She picked them up at Tuesday Morning.



I only had one new purchase on this table last year. I found the Happy Halloween plates at Von’s when went to pick up candy. At 50% off they were $2.98. A visit to another Von’s and I had eight.



Have a drink, it’s sure to give you a glow inside.



It’s getting late. Almost the “Witching Hour”.



Have a safe broom ride home.  Don’t forget your pet.



I think I will sit in the corner with Wendy and relax for a while.  Thanks so much for coming.



Stitch at you Soon,
Dawna


Partying with:
Cuisine Kathleen – Let's Dish
No Minimalist Here - Open House Party
I Gotta Create - Wildly Original Link Party
Between naps on the Porch – Tablescape Thursday

Well Hello There.

I’m baaaaack! Since it’s Halloween time I figured that would be appropriate. I find it scary that it has been so long.



Of course there were plans to post before now. I assure you I have taken many pictures in anticipation of  blogging. As I have fallen asleep I have written many fun and witty posts (or they seemed that way). But until someone figures out a way to connect my brain to the computer while sleeping, you guys will never get to see them.

Between sleep & blogging - honestly, sleep always seems to win in the battle.



But, it got to be embarrassing. Friends, family and customers at the store are not shy in mentioning that I haven’t posted.

I have to say that I am constantly amazed at all of you who are able to blog on a consistent basis. Do you not sleep? Or are you so organized that you plan posts way in advance. Am I the only one that always feel as if I am running on catch up? I’m pretty sure that if I started fresh tomorrow, that I would be behind by the end of the day.



So, tomorrow, I will share a tablescape. So pull out your pointy hats and I’ll see you then.

Stitch at you then,
Dawna

Wednesday at Bolts

Some days owning your own business is everything it is cracked up to be. Today was one of those days. Fay was at an Assistance League meeting and Tiffany was giving a lecture to the LA County Quilt Guild.

So it was just Peggy and I. We cut out some more Creepers Peepers kits. The panel is very cute.



As are the silly bats for the border.



Michelle made our sample that is hanging behind the counter. Ours is a little different than the pattern as we used some alternative fabrics. Ours has a great black/grey/white chevron in place of the green.



Three different people came and picked out fabric for the Madison’s Star quilt class that I am teaching. This is the first one that I made.



These are the fabrics for my second one:



These are Diane’s:



Connie’s:



and  Peggy chose these:



It should be very exciting to see how they all come out. There are eight students, so I’ll have to get pictures of the other fabric selections.

One of the best parts of the day was teaching three teenage boys how to sew pockets onto t-shirts. Alex, Paul and Daniel came into the store a few weeks ago to look around. That is one of the greatest perks about our move to The Blvd. New people interested in sewing. After a while they picked out a couple of fat quarters.

Then last week they came in and asked about a class to teach them how to sew pockets onto a shirt. So we spent a couple of hours together. And they were amazing!

They cut out, pressed and sewed. It was so much fun to see how much they enjoyed the process.






































Pockets completed. Next up pajama bottoms.



Those are the highlights of my day. How was yours?

Stitch at you Soon,
Dawna