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If you are trying to help Santa by getting a jump on Christmas shopping, about 60 elves are more than willing to lend a hand Saturday at the annual Fall Extravaganza and Craft Fair. The event will be held at Everett Recreation Center and will feature 60 vendors with gift ideas ranging from beauty products to birdhouses, candies to candles, dolls to dresses, and quilts to snowmen. In addition, a number of baked goods will be available as well as concessions, door prizes and giveaways. Lora Galluzzi is the event planner.

"This show started out three years ago as a home-based business show," Galluzzi said. "We had 10 vendors and from there, crafters started asking to join in -- as they say, they are work from home people, as well. So I started with some crafters and it has grown now into a craft show. We still have a few -- and I say very few -- home-based vendors such as Pampered Chef and Tupperware. So a show that started out with 10 vendors has grown into a Fall Extravaganza with over 60 vendors."

Galluzzi said she gets requests from over 80 vendors to be in the show, but she doesn't have the room for them.

New faces

Several new vendors will be participating in the show.

"We have The Gate with us this year, and this is a fundraiser that they do to help with cost of items for the group," Galluzzi said. "They will have pasta baskets for sale, I have Sharon Neumann with us, and they also do a big variety of basket gifts. Diana Sims out of Kodak will have her handmade jewelry at her booth, Diana's Jewelry Box."

In addition, homemade edible gifts will be available.

"Misty Anders (will host a booth) with homemade candies along with Brenda Hubbell and her homemade jellies, jams and honeys. There will be a variety of home-baked goods for sale from different vendors," Galluzzi said.

Handcrafted gifts include needlework, crocheted items, woodworking, paper crafting, handmade hair bows, jewelry, memory boards, doggie items, flower arrangements and more. Avon, Longaberger Baskets and Home and Garden and Home Interior products will be offered, and local author Mike Huffman will have his books for sale.

Baby Britches

Mary Thornton, of Baby Britches, will showcase products she makes for children. Little girls' clothes are from newborn to size 8, and little boys' clothes from newborn to size 5. She also makes accessories, such as the hair bows that can be worn attached to a headband, on a crocheted hat or by themselves.

"I got started in this about eight years ago," Thornton said. "I just wanted to create one-of-a-kind items. I don't mass produce, so I probably have one in each size. I limit my quantities, except with hair bows, I have to have a lot of those. But with the specialty hair bows, I do limit the quantities."

Specialty hair bows include character hair bows. "Anything from apples to the Grinch," Thornton said.

Thornton laughed when asked how she discovered her talent with the sewing machine.

"I didn't have the talent at first," she explained. "I inherited my husband's grandmother's sewing machine. I had no clue how to thread it. My husband had to teach me."

Thornton was determined to learn how to sew for their children, the four of whom now range in age from 7 to 18. She decided to start with a simple, A-line dress pattern.

"The pattern said, 'one hour,' and it took me seven days," Thornton said. "I had to rip it apart, put it back together, rip it apart, and put it back together, but my little girl wore it, she loved it, and told everybody that her mama made it."

Since then, Thornton has taught herself the art by reading, researching on the Internet and practicing.

"Sewing is just practice," she said. "You have to practice. You can't just go out and say, 'I'm going to learn to sew,' and then get it the first time. You won't get it. You've got to practice."

The dress styles Thornton makes are T-shirt-style, peasant-style, pillowcase-style and knot dresses. She also makes pillowcase-style rompers. The pillowcase clothing can be worn for two seasons as the child grows: the first year, as a dress and the next year as a top with a pair of pants, or with the rompers, the first year as long pants, the next year as Capris.

The clothing ranges from $25 to $60, depending on the fabric and the amount of work in it. Hair bows range from $2.50 up to $10 for the more elaborate bows. She makes dresses, tops, pants, shorts, pajamas for girls, and rompers and pant sets for boys.

Thornton will have examples of her work at the Fall Extravaganza and will take orders. Her products are also available from etsy.com, at Gingerly Dressed, in Maryville, and at Jack 'n Jill Boutique, in Knoxville.