Renegade Recap
Renegade was a big success, thanks to Jennifer (Mary Jane's daughter-in-law) and Lilly (MJ's granddaughter) and their friends. Jen put together an awesome booth and the ladies even passed out cookies at the booth (we are TOTALLY stealing that idea if we get into No Coast this year!).
Now that we're back, Mary Jane is focused on making tons of fantastic new aprons so you will all have lots to choose from for holiday gifts this year. I've restocked the Etsy shop with tons of goodies -- including aprons made from some of the fabric we picked up in Italy. We already sold one of the Italian beauties and got the following lovely note from Cathleen in Illinois:
"I loved my other apron so much, I need to add another!! Your aprons are creative, fun, and beautiful. I love that this material comes from Italy...also one of my favorite places to visit. Thanks for the lovely work!"
So, check out the store and stock up on aprons. If you're in Minneapolis, you can also see our wares at the Weisman Art Museum Store.
Ciao!
We're back, and we're gone again!
We are back from our trip to France and Italy. What fun! We had a great time hanging out with our friends Doris and Doug (photos will be posted soon!) and we scored some fantastic Italian fabrics in Lucca.
Our Etsy store is still bare while Mary Jane slaves away in preparation for Renegade San Francisco on July 12-13! Come visit us in booth #29! (Our pal Rebecca of Hazel and Melvin's Room will be in booth #106, be sure to visit her, too.)
Big thanks to MJH helpers Jen and Lilly; please stop and say hello to them. (And maybe bring them a snack or a cup of coffee. Selling aprons is hard work!) Chances are good that you'll see Mary Jane herself at the show, too. But you'll just have to head over to Fort Mason to find out.
Ciao, Bella!
Things are rocking at MJH Headquarters! First, we were accepted into the San Francisco Renegade Craft Fair on July 12-13. That's right, in mid-July you West coasters will be able to see Mary Jane's aprons in real life. You'll also get to meet MJ's daughter-in-law, Jen, and another one of her many granddaughters, Lilly. (If you're lucky, Mary Jane herself may make an appearance, but we're not sure yet.) We heard that our friend Rebecca will be at Renegade, too. So that's two Minnesota-licious reasons to visit.
In the meantime, MJH headquarters will be closing down for a summer break while we jet off to Europe. You heard me! We're off to Paris, France and Lucca, Italy for good food, good wine and good times. We'll be visiting our friend Doris*, and checking out Uncle Matt's new Italian house. As a result, our Etsy shop will be closed until mid-June. However, you can still buy our aprons at the Weisman Art Museum Store in Minneapolis, and once we return we'll get the shop opened up again for all your summer apron needs.
Enjoy the lovely month of June. MJ is working on more aprons for you to enjoy when we return!
*Shameless plug: if you are looking to go to Italy this summer, or know anyone who is -- our friend Doris rents out the most amazing properties. They really can't be beat!
Mary Jane, Media Darling
Whew, sorry it's been a while since we updated!
Craftstravaganza was a big success (COLD, but a big success!) and we were featured on Kare11 Saturday morning! One of our elves dropped off a couple of aprons for Belinda Jensen and Eric Perkins; we're told they wore them on air but haven't had a chance to see a clip yet. We're hoping that Mary Jane's granddaughter and PR whiz Nora can get us a copy so we can post it here. For now, we just have this short summary from the Kare11 web site. Mary Jane: supercrafter!
And -- exciting news -- the Weisman Art Museum Store is now carrying our aprons (we're even in their window display -- photos coming soon!). So, stop over to the Weisman, see some great art, and then buy an apron! The U of M is also planning on doing a story about Mary Jane (she is a U of M alumnus); we'll let you know where and when you can see that once we know more.
Keep in touch and we hope to see you this Summer! Sign up for our mailing list and we'll let you know where to come and find us. Oh -- and sorry our Etsy shop is bare; we hope to have it re-stocked later this week.
The Buzz @ MJs
Once in a while, I troll around Google just to see if we're getting any attention anywhere that I don't know about. Turns out that back in November, there was a very flattering thread about Mary Jane's Handmade on MNSpeak (thanks to the talented Leigha Horton!). Glad to see everyone liked the look of our aprons and their retro-coolness. We certainly had a great experience at No Coast this year (despite the snowstorm).
Looking toward Spring, the workshop is chock full of aprons as we continue to prepare for Craftstravaganza on April 26th. We've got about 50 full aprons ready and are working on about 30 half aprons. There are tons of super-cute items on the rack right now: lots of polka dots (a perennial favorite), sushi, tattoos, flowers, some great '40s-looking fabrics...something for everyone! Sorry, no photos yet -- you'll just have to come see our booth!
We also started a Facebook page for all you crazy kids on FB. Become a fan (and hopefully we'll remember to post updates there regularly).
In other news, we're planning to apply for the Renegade Craft Fair in San Francisco this July 12. Applications open up on March 14th; wish us luck!