It’s a write-a-blog-post kinda day for me today. From photo editing, to filling out forms, to deciding on the next colors of fabric to order for the fall, I’m doing everything I can to work from home and not have to leave my house. You see, here in DFW, Texas, the average high temp is about 105F. Last week, while taking orders from my workshop to the post office, I ended up with a touch of heat exhaustion that wore me out for the next day and a half. Yes, that was with my car’s AC going as cool as its poor little heart could churn out. Even after the sun sets, it’s in the 90s well into the night.
My typical June/July routine is to set up my dressform in my backyard, bring new product from the workshop to my home to photograph in front of the hedges, and spent at least a few weeks photographing as much as I can to list online before the Halloween rush hits. Unfortunately, it’s extremely dangerous to do that this year. In previous years, I’d attempted to make indoor photo studio sets that inconveniently blockaded the front door to our house, and then I hated how the pictures turned out anyway. And now, with our household having become a cat colony, I don’t feel comfortable bringing product into a cat-hair-heavy location. So indoor shoots at my home are out.
Which now leaves me with shooting at my workshop if I’m to stay indoors. There are very few good spots in my workshop to take pictures. When I say few, I mean one. I only take corset pictures in that spot. The lighting elsewhere in the place is bad, there’s not enough space to bring in my studio lights, and I’m still working toward having the front area of the workshop as a by-appointment-only shopping space. So I’d prefer not bringing anything extra into there, when I’m desperately trying to remove things that don’t need to be there any longer so I can organize better.
As such, my plans for having beautiful outdoor pictures of coordinated outfits to list here and on Etsy, or to post onto social media, have mostly come to a standstill. Additionally, I’m only making once or twice a week trips to the post office to ship orders out. (And taking an electrolyte drink mostly filled with ice along with me each time!) So while I would normally do up to four post office trips per week to ship your items out as quickly as I can, I now have to contend with my health in the heat. Orders are still being shipped in their 1-3 business day window, but I’m taking fewer trips overall.
So, for now, I’m making plans. Doing the things I can do from home. Redoing my former sewing room into a dedicated home office for me to have separation from my husband’s office space. Hoping the power grid doesn’t go down. So I leave you with a picture of one of our kittens, Little Miss Callie, napping in my computer chair.
Sherwood Forest Faire 1883 Old Hwy 20 McDade, TX Weekends March 5 through April 24, including Friday, March 18 Iris Adornments & Apothecary, shoppe 120 www.sherwoodforestfaire.com
Scarborough Renaissance Festival 2511 FM 66 Waxahachie, TX 75167 Weekends April 9 through Monday, May 30 (Memorial Day) Scarlett’s Corset, shoppe 109 www.srfestival.com
Sherwood Celtic Music Gathering 1883 Old Hwy 20 McDade, TX September TBD Iris Adornments & Apothecary, shoppe 120 www.sherwoodforestfaire.com
Texas Renaissance Festival 21778 Farm to Market 1774 Todd Mission, TX 77363 Weekends October 8 through November 27, including Friday, November 25 Iris Adornments & Corsetry, shoppe 44 https://www.texrenfest.com
Steampunk November Amber Inn 492 Cordes Dr. Venus, TX November TBD www.SteampunkNovember.com
I am so incredibly excited to announce that Scarlett’s Corset is now part of Faire Treasures!! For those of you who came by Scarlett’s Corset at Scarborough Renaissance Festival this past season, thank you so much for your support and making us feel so welcomed as the new owners of the shoppe.
Scarlett’s Corset has been bringing high quality silk steel-boned corsetry to the Renaissance costuming and geekery communities for the past seventeen years. Of course, we will continue bringing these beautiful corsets to you! Over the course of the year, I’ll be working closely with the original owner to learn how SC has run, and I will be working toward merging the businesses together.
In the fall, we will be at Texas Renaissance Festival shoppe #44, Scarlett’s Corset. For the 2021 season, expect to only see Scarlett’s Corset items at TRF rather than our Rogue Capes, linen skirts, and hourglass corsets. Keep an eye here on our blog for updates, as well as on our posts to Facebook and Instagram!
Scarborough Renaissance Festival 2511 FM 66 Waxahachie, TX 75167 Weekends April 10 through Monday, May 31 (Memorial Day) Scarlett’s Corset, shoppe 109 www.srfestival.com
Ama-Con Amarillo Civic Center 401 S Buchanan St AMARILLO, TX July 31–August 1 www.libraryamacon.org
Sherwood Celtic Music Gathering 1883 Old Hwy 20 McDade, TX September 11 Iris Adornments & Apothecary, shoppe 120 www.sherwoodforestfaire.com
Texas Renaissance Festival 21778 Farm to Market 1774 Todd Mission, TX 77363 Weekends October 9 through November 28, including Friday, November 26 Scarlett’s Corset, shoppe 44 https://www.texrenfest.com
Steampunk November Amber Inn 492 Cordes Dr. Venus, TX November TBD www.SteampunkNovember.com
It’s been some time since I’ve made an update, so as I try to get back to some kind of normal again, I thought I’d make a “normie” post. (Still in some of my handmade jewelry though!)
This year has already been hard. I lost a family member to Covid at the end of January, and then, just after the funeral, had to deal with the Texas snowpocalypse that knocked out our power for several days. Thankfully we had little to no damage, but we were lucky. I’m extremely thankful for those who were graciously patient while I could not fulfill orders in my normal fashion since I couldn’t print out shipping labels or go to the post office!
I’m now back in my sewing room, cutting out fabric, prepping new projects, and processing orders like normal. My Etsy shop is still ready to ship items only, while I’m accepting all of my current styles as made to order pieces through my website.
Now, with the pandemic ongoing and other obligations coming up soon, I will not be open at Sherwood Forest Faire this coming season. Iris Adornments & Apothecary will be back at Sherwood for the Sherwood Celtic Festival in September!
I’ll be posting more updates soon, so be sure to keep an eye out for those!
Let’s face it, 2020 was a garbage year. Few people will argue that. Every event I would typically sell at in person was shut down due to the Covid-19 pandemic. As a health compromised individual, I’m extremely grateful to every event’s organizers for taking the continuing health crisis seriously. While of course this made it extremely difficult on my little business, I want to thank everyone who purchased online during the past year. It was the most successful online sales year I’ve ever experienced!! So THANK YOU!
Now here it is, 2021. It’s a year of potential change for me, with a significant expansion to what I do on the horizon. It isn’t quite a done deal, there are still more approvals to go through, so I’m keeping my lips sealed at the moment. Here in a few months, I should have quite an announcement, and it is KILLING me to not share. And I need to skip to the next paragraph before I change my mind and spill the beans everywhere.
One of the changes that this year is bringing is an update to how my website versus my Etsy shop will run. My husband and I have been working behind the scenes to do upgrades here on FaireTreasures.com but with those upgrades come side effects. Effective immediately, FT.com will only accept orders from North American addresses. If you are outside of North America (I’m looking at you Australia) and you want to purchase, send me a message through the contact form, and I can email you an invoice for your order. Select items will not be available outside of North America, and I will inform you if one of the items you request is one of them. Or, you can place your order for my handmade items through my Etsy shop. Faire Treasures on Etsy will remain open for international orders, aside from locations who have passed restrictive postal regulations.
An announcement I can make at the moment…
My current stock of Alchemy Gothic jewelry has been added to the website! For those who don’t recall, I became an authorized dealer of Alchemy jewelry in 2018. That was an extremely difficult year, as I lost my sister very suddenly in an accident, so online updates weren’t high on my priority list. Today, I’ve added every Alchemy item I currently have available to FT.com! Several of these pieces are last chance items, so don’t dwell on them for too long.
Aside from this, I know I’ve been promising for years to have a properly updated stock of corsetry available here at FT.com. Each and every time I think I’m closer to accomplishing that goal, it falls further and further away from me. (There’s an unfortunate amount of logistics involved in it that my brain likes to ignore.) Currently, I’m in the process of making custom dress forms to photograph the current inventory on. And of course, one of the materials I need to complete those forms is now missing in transit with no estimated delivery date. My current best estimate is late February for corsets to be available here again. I know, I know, I’m going to end up with my foot in my mouth again for saying that if/when it doesn’t happen.
Another item soon to come here at FaireTreasures.com are blouses by Dare to Wear! Made in California, DtW blouses are a great modern option for adding a bit of historical flare into your everyday wardrobe. With beautiful jewel toned fabrics and black lace accents, they’re a great option to wear with skirts and corsetry, or switch it up with jeans and a leather jacket! These blouses are created with an empire waist making them flatting on a wide variety of body types. Watch for an announcement on their availability!
As the pandemic continues, my husband and I are hunkering down in our home here in North Texas. I hope you all had a wonderful safe New Years, and hopefully we’ll get to see y’all at events again soon.
Sherwood Forest Faire – Cancelled due to Covid-19 1883 Old Hwy 20 McDade, TX Weekends February 29 through April 19 & Friday, March 20 Iris Adornments & Apothecary, shoppe 120 www.sherwoodforestfaire.com
Ama-Con – Cancelled due to Covid-19 Amarillo Civic Center 401 S Buchanan St AMARILLO, TX August 1–2 www.libraryamacon.org
Sherwood Celtic Music Gathering – Cancelled due to Covid-19 1883 Old Hwy 20 McDade, TX September Iris Adornments & Apothecary, shoppe 120 www.sherwoodforestfaire.com
Steampunk November – Cancelled due to Covid-19 Amber Inn 492 Cordes Dr VENUS, TX November 13-15 www.SteampunkNovember.com
Sherwood Forest Faire
1883 Old Hwy 20
McDade, TX
Weekends March 2 through April 21 & Friday, March 22
Iris Adornments & Apothecary, shoppe 120
www.sherwoodforestfaire.com
ArlingCon 2019
E.H. Hereford University Center
300 University of Texas At Arlington
ARLINGTON, TX
June 15
www.arlingtonlibrary.org/arlingcon
Ama-Con
Amarillo Civic Center
401 S Buchanan St
AMARILLO, TX
August 3–4
www.libraryamacon.org
Sherwood Celtic Music Gathering
1883 Old Hwy 20
McDade, TX
September 7
Iris Adornments & Apothecary, shoppe 120
www.sherwoodforestfaire.com
Steampunk November
Amber Inn
492 Cordes Dr
VENUS, TX
November 8–10
www.SteampunkNovember.com
This past weekend, we opened up our newly added shoppe doors for this year’s Sherwood Forest Faire season! It was a rainy opening weekend with a chill in the air, perfect for garbing up and having a great time. We have seven more weekends ahead of us, come out and enjoy the festival!
I’ve only recently been introduced to these sisters’ music, and I love their version of the Pirates of the Caribbean music! Check them out, and subscribe to their YouTube channel to get updates when they add new videos.
