Stitches and Craft Show, Sydney 2016. I had a mission to accomplish. I was focused and ready. So, off I went by train then bus, with, miraculously, no travel disasters.
I chose to go on the Friday, thinking the weekend would be chaotic. It seemed like a good idea at the time.
In hindsight, you've got to love hindsight, maybe Thursday might have been less crowded. Maybe.
However, despite the crowd, I managed to see some extraordinary things. Sure, there were things which didn't interest me, but also plenty to keep me busy till mid-afternoon.
The HSC Texstyle display was mind boggling. The amount of time and work these HSC Textiles and Design students had taken to create their major projects was astounding.
Pages and pages of description of the initial design to final construction process; every tiny step of the process documented and carefully detailed.
This is one student's written documentation!
The final outfits were just beautiful.
I loved the 70s vibe of this one.
Hand stitched embroidery on silk. Wow.
And the work on the over skirt of this. Hours and hours.
Australian fashion design seems to have a great future.
Right next door to this was a vintage section … Oh, be still my beating heart. Vintage clothes, hats, jewellery which I would love to wear, but do not quite have the courage.
This red dress stole my heart. What a stunner.
After what seemed like 10,000 bobby pins later.
Then there were her workshops on how to tilt your hat just so.
And how it's all about a woman's shape not her size. Great motto, don't you think?
She revealed tips on how to create the perception of shape ...
and how to gain some vintage vibe through a little revamping of charity shop finds.
There were quilts, of course. These modern styles caught my eye.
I thought my older-and-wiser-sister would like this blue one.
Embroidery based around a medieval concept.
Presentations from My Patch to inspire me to make clothes again.
These ones were my picks.
Mad Hatter Millinery.
Mum dabbled in millinery for a short period of my childhood. Classy hats for Sunday School. We looked pretty spectacular.
Monica Poole Designs.
Who wouldn't fall in love with these cute designs for kid's clothes?
But I had a simple mission: wine related fabric and a pom pom maker.
When a friend wants an apron for a friend who loves wine, I need to search for the right fabric. This had to be the place, surely.
And my pom poms from last week's DIY. I wanted to perfect them. One of these stalls had to have a pom pom maker, surely.
Mission accomplished. Not much of a haul, but just what I needed … plus coffee and cake and lunch, of course.
So, now I have an apron to make.
And pom poms to perfect … which I am yet to do. I have watched a video on how to use these contraptions, but haven't done the real thing yet.
Stitches and Craft Show in your city, did you go?
Have you stories to share with me?
Are you going? Check the website here. Brisbane is the next venue.
Are you going? Check the website here. Brisbane is the next venue.
Are you a vintage clothing wearer?
Should I take the plunge and buy, or even better make, at least one vintage-y dress
… maybe like that stunning red number?
Are you, like me, thinking of getting back into making your own clothes?
Or have you already started?
Did you never stop?
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