‘Sew Much Fun’ at the Vendome craft sale

It’s time again for the annual Fine Arts and Crafts sale sponsored by the Four County Art Guild and the Friends of the Library. The event will take place Friday, Nov. 22,  and Saturday, Nov. 23, at the Vendome.
 The annual sale will feature a variety of arts and crafts from needlework to pottery to jewelry, and even a little something for the sweet tooth from over 40 artists and craftsmen.
 Jodene Maxa of Sew Much Fun Designs is one local vendor who is looking forward to the sale this year. Maxa’s table will feature a little bit of everything, from doll clothes to placemats to embroidered T-shirts and a variety of vinyl creations.
 Maxa has been sewing for over 50 years and has been making and selling homemade crafts for 10 years.  While she learned to sew in her teenage years, Maxa recently added customized and commercial embroidery and with the help of a grandson, custom heat pressed vinyl work to her repertoire as well.  
 Maxa said that she feels her items are unique because they are each hand crafted and she likes to add a personal touch to each item. Sometimes she only creates one of each item, so customers are truly getting a one-of-a-kind piece.
 If Maxa had to pick a favorite item that she makes, it would be doll clothes. She has fun designing each piece from scratch from fun fabrics and then seeing the smile on a child’s face when they get to have that outfit for their special friend. She even takes custom orders for “Dolly and Friend” matching outfits.
 Maxa gets her ideas for her creations from a variety of sources like Pinterest and Facebook forums. Some things she wished she would  have had for her children when they were smaller.
 Maxa has participated in the Weiser craft sale for six years, but since she keeps adding to the variety of creations she has available, each year is different, but Maxa can truly say she is proud of everything she makes.  
 “Sometimes the hardest part is saving it to sell instead of giving it to a grandkid or keeping it for myself,” Maxa said.
 Sometimes, it even takes several trials to get the product just right, like the new heat pressed vinyl coffee mugs that took several tries to get the heat vinyl combination to make sure the vinyl would stay on through washings but that wouldn’t be so hot it would crack the mug as they applied it.
 While busy getting ready for the craft fair, Maxa has recently upgraded to a commercial embroidery machine and has started taking larger logo orders for businesses. She has been able to work with Legends on Main, Maxaboyz Trucking out of Payette, and most recently Camping World out of Meridian.
 Along with Maxa’s creations, and the variety of crafts available from the local vendors, the art guild will also offer a variety of unique fine art pieces through a silent auction. Whether you’re looking for one of a kind art, or quality handmade and locally created crafts, the art show is the perfect place to kick off your holiday shopping.