July 2008: Mary Flowerday, Fabric Origami
Way back in the 70s Mary Flowerday got interested in making patchwork. So did a lot of us! Unlike a lot of us, Mary stuck with it, and honed her craft. A few years ago, she thought she'd sell her patchwork potholders at Holiday Market. They did sell, but they were a lot of work, considering what she could sell them for. Meanwhile, she always found herself looking for neat new ornaments and not finding them. Hmmm. A stash of fabric, the tools to cut it neatly, a good iron for folding, and the precise skills it takes to work carefully and accurately with fabric... a flash of inspiration and a new product was born. Colorful fabric peace cranes and lucky fishes are now bringing peace and luck all over the world. Like all Market folks, she really loves it when customers connect strongly with her products, and get all excited about having found them!
Mary's booth really is beautiful. The black backdrop and table coverings really highlight the bright colors of the cranes. The bamboo bars add an Eastern touch, while creating an orderly framework for displaying her wares. It would be easy for so many small things to look chaotic and overwhelming, but this method really brings attention to each crane, and peaceful serenity to the space.
The order does give way to a pleasant area of near disarray on the counters, where baskets hold more ornaments, and the clever packaging is displayed.
A gold Buddha and fresh flowers add a nice focal point to the corner, and the starry glitter is a nice little detail.
Mary uses traditional Chinese Take Out style boxes to pack up each crane or fish. A small insert explains the symbolism.
There's also a hint of chaos in the ceiling, with lots of suspended crane and fish mobiles.
Greeting cards are also on offer, and double "Wedding" cranes.
There is even a touch of patchwork in the booth, these beautiful cell phone purses. And here is a detail of the support system for the backdrops.
You can find Mary Flowerday and her fabric origami just about every week in booth R15, which is near the Market Stage. Stop by and feel the peace!
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