Thursday
Apr302009
Stitches & Craft Show gets a makeover...
Apr 30, 2009 at 15:01 ;)
My craft show souvenirsCraft shows here in Brisvegas are often fairly ordinary affairs, with a good turnout from the over 60's. But I'm pleased to report, when my sister-in-law Kia and I hit the Stitches & Craft show (www.stitchesandcraft.com.au) yesterday, we were pleasantly surprised at some great stuff for sewing fans.
Entry was $16, but found heaps of freebies after that...
- Fashion Parades - Burda Style had a parade of very cool clothes made from free and low cost patterns from their website. And as for the Craft Parade - Where else could you see a black-leotard-wearing model carrying a sock monkey down the runway? ( I suppose the crafts can't walk down themselves!)
- Craft Bars - Pull up a bar stool and sew a pincushion with Liberty of London fabrics. You can also embroider a pair of handguns, a drum kit or (my choice) a shhhing librarian, courtesy of Sublime Stitching.
- Incubator - A row of stalls from Indie Craft businesses - my favourite, Thread Den - a great Melbourne Sewing Lounge - had vintage patterns and handmade clothes (fabulous 50's style swimsuits!) for sale. Online store coming soon.
- Reconstruction Zone - Lots of op-shop finds, buttons, trims, tools and a fleet of Brother sewing machines and overlockers to play with, thanks to Wardrobe Refashion. Take a look at the set up here on their website. A great concept, though I do think the addition of a few books like Megan Nikolay's Generation T would've helped some of us get some ideas!
And when you need a rest, head upstairs to the cinema (we took our lunch up there, re-arranged the couches, let Kia's little boy Finn have a run around) and watch:-
- Handmade Nation - a film about Indie Craft movement in America, based on the book of the same name. My favourite bit - an interview with a great little business called Buy Olympia. (Showing footage of their warehouse - " In the days before Pay Pal and Etsy, we'd stand right here packing orders, working out postage...then after 4 months, we bought a chair...) Found that funny, and at the same time, dangerously close to home...
Hope this helps you decide whether to make the pilgrimage to the Show (runs in Brisbane 29 Apr to 3 May 09, Sydney 19-23 Aug, Melbourne - you missed it but it's on again 10-14 Mar 2010.)
Reader Comments (3)
Forgot to mention - met Kelley from eco-fashion magazine Peppermint (see my previous blog entry.) Issue 2 is just about sold out - grab it if you see it - and look out for future editions at Borders bookstores.
oh, it was such a lovely day. viva la {craft} revolution !
Yes, a highly recommended outing. Miss K (Kia) also runs her own Indie craft business -check out her website at www.kiahingfay.com for crocheted softies and adorable hand-stamped applique kits. Very nice - and I'm not just saying that because we're related...