FabMo Textile Art Boutique

Last October I visited FabMo Textile Art Boutique for the first time, and was greatly impressed by the creativity evident everywhere. The participating artists, who happened to be mostly women, used fabric in very imaginative ways, creating numerous beautiful commodities. I remember walking around mesmerized. I wished I could have bought something at each and every booth, and left with an array of unique handmade gifts for my family. It did not occur to me then that only a year later I will join the ranks of displaying artists, but this is exactly what happened!

This past weekend I had the pleasure of setting up my own stall at the Boutique. While the perspective from the other side of the booth table was slightly different, one thing hadn’t changed: I was STILL awed by the amazing talent and imagination surrounding me. Close to fifty artists exhibited this year, making every conceivable fabric product: clothing, jewelry, accessories, decorations, toys and, of course, bags and purses, to name some. Yet, even when making the same type of item, different artists put their own twist on the results. There were many handbag booths, for example, but each had its own, unique style.

Here is but a tiny taste of the diversity:

Carol Cruise’s booth was full of adorable stuffed animals, which she calls Carol’s Zoo. When passing by her display I had to suppress the urge to snap them all:

At the stall of Rodi Ludlum of Featherweight Fabric Pottery, I saw something I have never seen before: vases and bowls made of fabric!

Judith Content’s booth, across the aisle from mine,  was bursting with color and warmth. Judith makes pin cushions in ceramic bowls, and also colorful necklaces made of buttons she paints herself:

The latter, especially, were so deliciously colorful that they stopped many visitors in their track.

As a shopper last year I was oblivious to the efforts that go into preparing a show of this kind. As a vendor I now know of--and appreciated!--the many months of planning and preparations, the marketing efforts and the numerous hours put in by Marty and Holly, the two organizers, as well as by many other wonderful individuals, all volunteers. I also know first-hand what it takes to prepare inventory for such a fair, and as a result I appreciated many fold the months of intense work put in by all forty-something craftspeople. These combined efforts paid off, for everything was very well thought of, well organized, well stocked and beautifully displayed, making this a pleasant experience for vendors and shoppers alike.

I enjoyed chatting with common-minded individuals on both sides of my stall. But the thing that really stood out for me was the creativity displayed on the other side of the booth table as well. Many of the visitors who came to browse were fabric-lovers themselves, artists, quilters, sewers and the like. The warm sense of support and camaraderie both among participating artists and between artists and visitors was truly heartwarming!