60 Days to the Glen Ridge Arts & Eco Fair

There are about 60 days until the Glen Ridge Arts & Eco Fair, which means it’s time to start figuring out what will go on the table this year.

Preparation usually starts the same way. Not with leather, tools, or hardware, but with a simple list in a notebook. What seemed to resonate last year, what people asked about, and what feels worth bringing back again.

Some things tend to make the list every year. Card sleeves are usually one of them. Utility pouches too. They’re practical pieces and people seem to come back for them. From there I add a few other items to round things out and keep the table interesting.

Once the list is written, the process becomes pretty straightforward. Cut pieces, stitch, finish, repeat. Over the next couple of months a small stack of finished items will slowly build up.

One of the things I enjoy about preparing for a local fair like this is that it reminds me what Twenty-one Astor really is. It’s not a warehouse of inventory or a catalog of mass produced goods. Every piece that ends up on the table starts here at the bench and works its way through the same process.

Sixty days may sound like a lot of time, but when each item is made by hand, the calendar tends to move quickly.

The Glen Ridge Arts & Eco Fair is on Saturday, May 16. If you’re local, stop by and say hello.