Washington City Paper and Urban Outfitters want you to vote for your favorite Crafty Bastard! All 2009 vendors are in the running for Craftiest Bastard of 2009. The three vendors with the most votes cast in their favor will be awarded one of the following prizes:

• Grand Prize: $500 gift certificate to Urban Outfitters + Winner Promotion in one City Paper 1/4 page print ad + 1 Crafty Bastards eblast
• 2nd Place: Washington City Paper advertising ($500 value)
• 3rd Place: Crafty Bastards prize pack filled with City Paper goodies

Votes may be cast online until Sunday, October 5. Online voting is limited to one vote per email address. Anyone may use the various widgets provided to encourage others to vote. Votes may also be cast in person at the Crafty Bastards festival on Saturday, October 3rd. There will be ballot boxes located at the City Paper booths and other locations on site.

Vendors! Promote yourself by getting folks to vote for you with one of our helpful widgets! Go here to find your name on the list and get started!

The DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities in partnership with The Textile Museum invite you to attend:

Story Quilt: An American History

A lecture given by Master Quilter and World Renowned artist Faith Ringgold as part of The DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities’ American Masterpieces Program

The American Quilt 2009: Weaving the District’s Future.

Where and when?
The Philips Collection
1600 21st St., NW
Sunday, September 13, 2009 3:00pm – 5:00pm
For more information or to RSVP call 202.724.5613
Seating is first come first served and is subject to availibilty

Checkout www.theamericanquilt2009.com to enter their virtual quilting competition! Submit your idea for a quilt block! Write, draw, or illustrate your unique story and win fantastic awards from the Textile Museum!

The competition to get into Crafty Bastards is fierce. Usually only one in four applications make it to the show. This year we have a pretty large crop of new faces setting up their tents on October 3rd. There are over 30 new vendors and my goal is to tell you about as many of them as I can in the ‘You Will Love’ series.

But first, I wanted to spotlight one of last year’s new vendors. Final Approach take vintage hardshell suitcases and redesign them into traveling pieces of art. Jon Pemberton’s clever recycling of old suitcases combined with his use of color and sense of humor make him one of my favorite vendors at the fair.

The case that I got from him last year is my most prized possession. The awesome thing about Final Approach is that every piece is one of a kind and his booth has something for everyone. No really, I’m not just saying that.

You will totally love Final Approah. Find them in Booth #86 at Crafty Bastards on October 3 from 10 am to 5 pm at the Marie Reed Learning Center in Adams Morgan.

The 2009 Holiday Heap will be held December 5th from 10-5pm at 2640 St. Paul Street (St. John’s Church), Baltimore, MD 21218. The show is produced by the Charm City Craft Mafia.

The application is now available!

Because they receive many more applications than they have spaces for, please be sure to fill out the application ENTIRELY and pay your $10 (NON REFUNDABLE) application fee in order to be considered!

All correctly completed applications are DUE OCTOBER 5, 2009 at midnight. They will be juried and applicants will be notified of their status by October 10, 2009. If you have questions, please email charmcitycraftmafia@gmail.com.

Accepted vendors will pay an additional $65 for an 8′ space. (includes one 8 foot table & two chairs).

Locally, the vendor opportunities for holiday shows seem to be pouring in. The Handmade Mart is going to be teaming up with Downtown Silver Spring and the FRESHFARM Market for the first annual Holiday Shop-n-Stroll.

Handmade Mart at the Holiday Shop -n- Stroll
Saturday, December 5, 2009, 10am-3pm
Ellsworth Drive (Between Fenton Ave. and Georgia Ave.)
Downtown Silver Spring

This one-day, outdoor, holiday extravaganza will feature 50+ independent crafters, local farmers selling fresh seasonal produce, workshops, carolers, a tree lighting, and much more to get everyone into the holiday swing of things.

They are now accepting vendor applications for crafters to participate in this unique shopping experience along the bustling Ellsworth Drive in Downtown Silver Spring.

Apply Now!

The Handmade Mart is a juried craft show. If you’d like to be a vendor, please download the application, and send it to them along with three photos of your craft. The deadline to apply is October 19th. Vendors will be selected based on quality and uniqueness of their craft.

There is no fee to apply, but all accepted vendors will need to pay a $65 booth fee + an additional fee if electricity is needed. More information can be found on their FAQ page.

Tomorrow my twins start Pre-K and my life as I know it will change. No more dragging around a huge Target canvas bag full of fish crackers, potty seats and changes of clothing.

My life needs a new bag. I need something big enough for an embroidery project, ipod, cell phone, audio recorder, etc., but small enough that I don’t look homeless. Let’s see if any Crafty Bastards will have what I am looking for on October 3rd.

I have totally wanted one of the awesome messenger bags from Pear for a few years! Pear creations are designed and sewn by twin sisters Mary and Tracy Kruger. Check out Pear in Booth #84 on the Vendor Map (pdf).

Oh! Wait! I have also been coveting these bird bags by Jennyjen42. I love the little stories that her bags tell. You can find her in Booth #115 on the Vendor Map (pdf).

For a more sporty feel, I would go with one of these messenger bags. Vaya Bags is a one woman company that makes handmade bike messenger bags and accessories out of recycled bicycle tubes and recycled sailboat awnings. Find Vaya in Booth #149 on the Vendor Map (pdf).

For a day when I am just going to go for a walk, I could take one of these super cute clutches by Moth Designs. Find Moth Designs in Booth #17 on the Vendor Map (pdf).

Check out these and over 120 more vendors at Crafty Bastards on Saturday, October 3rd, 10am-5pm. The fair is outdoors on the grounds of the Marie Reed Learning Center at 18th & Wyoming in the Adams Morgan neighborhood of Washington, DC. And even if you aren’t in the area, you can still shop from all of these amazing vendors online, right now!

Oh! And I couldn’t help but show you a few of my favorite bags on Etsy right now. Take at look at these!

Here’s an interesting local opportunity that came through our email box this week:

The National Cherry Blossom Festival is searching for designers, artists, and crafters to present items for consideration for the 2010 National Cherry Blossom Festival Merchandise Boutique. The National Cherry Blossom Festival is Washington, DC’s premiere springtime event, attracting over a million visitors annually.

They are currently searching for items of a retail prices up to $50. Items that have done extremely well are jewelry portraying realistic cherry blossoms with a retail price below $50.00, but they are open to all submissions and price ranges presented to them.

For priority consideration, submissions should be received by October 1, 2009. For more information, please contact Soyini George at 202 638-8364. Visit their web site for more detailed information and the official application form.

To find out more about the National Cherry Blossom Festival, please visit www.nationalcherryblossomfestival.org.

The vendor gallery for Crafty Bastards 2009 is up and ready for your browsing pleasure. Use the options at the top to sort by category and vendor name.

Click an image to see the artist statement, additional images and website (Etsy Minis and social media links coming soon, too!).

Vendor booth numbers and event map will be added soon so you can plan your shopping route with ease! Stay tuned!

Talk Shop is the series where Hello Craft interviews independent store owners from across the country, to get their inside take on running an independent business that supports the handmade community. This article was originally posted by Kim Dorn on HelloCraft.com.

With yarn shops few and far between in the Washington, DC area, knitters, crocheters and spinners can now rejoice in the brand new yarn shop, Fibre Space, owned by Knit-a-gogo founder and Crafty Bastards sponsor, Danielle Romanetti.

Romanetti is a knitter-extraordinaire, who’s love for yarn crafts led her to create Knit-a-gogo – a series of classes and workshops for would-be knitters, hosted at various locations around the DC Metro area. Her success with Knit-a-gogo has now morphed into her brick and mortar shop, Fibre Space, located in Alexandria, Virginia.

Fibre Space sells an awesome array of yarns, wool, cute gifts, knitting supplies and how-to kits, and also hosts many classes and events for beginners, advanced knitters, and everyone in between. In this interview, Romanetti shares how a love for what you do, combined with carfeful planning, can turn into a successful and fun business.

Do you have any sort of background in crafting or the arts?
I do! I ran my company, Knit-a-Gogo, for almost three years before opening this retail shop. I taught knit and crochet classes around the DC metro area.

How does your business support independent artists and crafters and/or the handmade community?
I provide supplies for several independent crafters who sell their finished knit, crochet and weaving objects at local craft shows. I also buy my knitting project bags from local crafter this chickadee, who I met at Crafty Bastards last year.

Who are your favorite yarn spinners and local knitters?
Some of my favorite local yarn dyers are: Three Irish Girls and Woolarina. My favorite local knitwear designer is Olga Buraya-Kefelian.

How can crafters get involved with your shop?
We have a regular “Stitch in Space” night on Thursday evenings from 5-9 p.m. which is a great way for local crafters to network with the shop and with each other.

What’s the most unusual item(s) for sale in your shop?
We have roving! There doesn’t seem to be a source for roving in our area, so we knew that we just had to carry it for spinners or needle felters.

Any advice for those interested in opening up their own boutique?
Planning. I started working on my business plan for this shop last August. It took almost a year to get it open. Careful planning allowed me to manage through the tight economy and still open with a bang. Having had the previous company already set up was a huge help. I already had a customer base and an established business with credit.

Where do you shop, besides your shop, of course?
My local Alexandria favorites are actually featured in the “community” section of my site. A few from that list: A Show of Hands, Bellacara, La Fromagerie, Potomac Bead Company

Any exciting upcoming events or sales going on at your shop?
This weekend we are hosting a “Dog Days of Summer” event. To celebrate the amazing new dog sweater patterns we just got from Style Hounds, we are throwing a doggie themed bash.

Bring a PHOTO of your doggie and get a 5% discount on your purchases that day. Meet and greet all day with the local Italian Greyhound rescue, who will be out front with some of their dogs.

Featuring a Contest:
Join us for a dog sweater contest! Knit up a dog sweater with fibre from our shop and be entered to win a $30 gift card. Sweater can be your own design or from a pattern. (extra points for unique versions of an existing pattern or for original design). Entries due by August 22nd and will be judged during the event on August 23rd. Don’t want to enter? Join us and vote for your favorite!

Note: Due to the potential for fibre related disaster, dogs will not be permitted in the shop during this event. We are happy to host them outside with the italian greyhound rescue.

Next month, we are featuring two new “yarn tastings.” These are an opportunity to try out a yarn company and their fibres while enjoying a tasty treat. We will have: Imperial Stock Ranch yarn tasting, September 18, 7-9 p.m. featuring the Columbia sheep yarn and sheep cheeses from La Fromagerie. Blue Sky Alpaca Yarn and ACKC chocolate Tasting, Sept 27, 3-5 p.m. – featuring Blue Sky Alpacas smooth and lucious fibres along with the tasty smooth chocolate of local chocolatier ACKC.

Fibre Space is located at 102 N. Fayette Street, Alexandria, VA 22314

Check out Fibre Space online at fibrespace.com.

Another holiday application is up, this one for Indie Craft Experience, Atlanta, GA.

The 2009 Holiday Shopping Spectacular will be November 21st at Ambient Plus Studio.

They are taking applications until October 5th. Apply online today!