It's Kalamazoo Week! Which means I have to listen to this song a time or two.
The instrumental intro is a minute long, so if you just want the lyrics, go to 1:00 on the video. It's a clever song. (I love Glenn Miller and Big Band music!)
Craig and I lived in Mount Pleasant, Michigan the first two years of our marriage. He was at Central Michigan University but he also taught classes at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo. Fond memories for us both and so I doubly enjoy going back up to Kalamazoo for this event.
Because they own The Kalamazoo Living History Show, Leslie and Rick need to arrive several days early to set up the Expo Center.
They haul a trailer full of supplies as well as tubs and tubs of block print fabrics for their own sales tables. And, they also take my sales items. (Grateful!)
I began packing up last Thursday in preparation. Les and Rick started packing the trailer yesterday and my things needed to be ready so they could play trailer Jenga as they worked to fit everything in.
My clothing is protected in extra large, extra strong garbage bags - twelve of them in total with 3 - 4 garments in each bag.
Everything is ironed and clean and I want them to stay that way as much as possible. Leslie and Rick will do their best, of course, but things can slide around in the trailer or something can be dropped while loading and unloading. This will help the clothes arrive in good shape.
I'm not taking everything - since I am still under lifting restrictions, I left most of the heavier things at home. A box of maple cakes is heavy but I'll pick those up in KZoo from the friend who makes them for me. (Someone will have to carry them for me, though.)
Beeswax ornaments aren't heavy (and are packed in small, easy to carry labeled containers)
and the weight of the sleeve buttons is negligible.
Actually, I wasn't planning on bringing sleeve buttons until last week. While working on documentation for them (my chemise sleeves all need to be able to accommodate them), I came across a tutorial on how to make them. Curious about the process, I watched it and realized that I could make sleeve button sets myself.
After some experimentation, I had 36 sets ready to take.
As an added bonus for customers, I then made mini haversacks out of remnants of red wool in my sewing stash to slip the sleeve buttons into when they sell.
Sleeve buttons and their pouches, all packed and ready to go, and weighing about as much as a Traditional Breyer - definitely within my current lifting capabilities!
My sales items are ready to go; maybe now I can make that Frances Rump and new pleated petticoat to wear!
