Get your sneakers ready for the next Montpelier ArtWalk on June 6, from 4-8 pm. The schedule and venues information is available on the Lazy Pear Gallery web site. See products from Strange Dolls, Laura Johnson, and many more.

Barnyard Quilting in West Fairlee is sponsoring a “quilt camp day get-a-way” Saturday, May 10, 2008, 9:00 am - 4:00 pm at the Gove Hill Retreat Center in Thetford Center, VT. For more information, go to Barnyard Quilting’s event page.

Got extra building materials after you’ve built your new shop, or have some extra computers after updating your equipment? Put them up for sale or to give away on the Vermont Business Materials Exchange (VBMeX). On the other hand, if you’re looking for equipment or materials, as varied as fabric to a furnace to storage racks and hangers, there are listings for products at modest prices and even for free.

The Vermont Business Materials Exchange has the mission to “reduce waste by promoting the exchange of reusable commercial materials. Through VBMeX, companies with surplus or by-product materials connect with other businesses or individuals who can reuse these materials productively. While businesses save money on disposal fees, they can also reduce their impact on the environment.”

Membership in the VBMeX is free.

This past Friday, WCAX’s Made in Vermont feature again highlighted a company that makes sewn products in Vermont. Laura Z Designs is based in Jericho, and makes colorful bags, totes, checkbook holders, and more. If you missed the feature, go to WCAX.com and click on the Made in Vermont tab to access the full video. While you’re there, be sure to also watch the video about Flashbags, a sewn-products company based Burlington that makes tote bags and other accessories. Flashbags was featured on the show in November 2007.

company name: Susannah Allen

web site: http://www.susannahallen.com

home base: St. Johnsbury

founded: 2004

owner: Susannah Allen

Vermont sewn products: Bags, Handbags, Dolls, Bears

Susannah Allen makes each of her carpetbags herself. She makes handbags from the leftover scraps of the larger bags. All bags are lined with cotton duck, and zip with a good sturdy brass zipper.

“I found a piece of an old tapestry at a flea market. I loved its muted tones and the feel and drape of its worn fibers in my hand. I took it into my studio and had no idea what it might become. I turned it into a carpetbag. The reaction I received was so positive it became a small business.

“Occasionally I find studio time that allows me to experiment and play. The dolls and bears you will find on the website come from those rare moments when I can reach deep inside to the child inside my heart. They all differ depending what scraps I find around the studio. They tend to reflect the artist’s mood at the time.

“The bags have made their way around New England’s assortment of craft shows, art festivals and a few farmers markets. Now they are for sale on their own website and can also be purchased in The Vermont Apron Company store in St. Johnsbury, VT.”

company name: The Vermont Apron Company

web site: http://www.vermontapron.com

home base: St. Johnsbury

founded: 2006

owner: Susannah Allen

Vermont sewn products: Aprons, Hats, Teacozies

The Vermont Apron company bills itself as the “fun and pretty” Apron Company. The Vermont Apron Company makes two lines of aprons.

“We have build our reputation on our collection of full-length aprons; created from colorful contemporary cotton. We like to mix purple chicken prints with orange and maroon stripes. We mix pretty circles with pink and yellow diamonds. Every apron is a mix of three prints, combined with a quilter’s eye and a bit of amusement.

“We also make a homespun collection for the dirtiest work; popular amongst men and boys for cooking. We then pretty it up a bit for women who need a hardworking homespun gardening apron. And yes, of course there are hats to match…and did we mention the teacozies?

“If you’re in the area, come visit our new store.”

The Vermont Apron Company
10 Eastern Ave, Saint Johnsbury, Vermont
1-802-535-3332
Open 10-5 Mon-Sat