The Craft Expo

We came, we saw, we bought, we conquered and we had heaps of fun doing it. The best thing about attending a big craft fair is going with friends. The early morning trip to Melbourne was heaps of fun and put us in the mood for a very good day. When we first walked I have to admit to a bit of sensory overload. So many fabrics, so many colours and shapes and gadgets and wool and quilts and all sorts. While looking out our first stall which contained lots of lovely silk and wool tops. I had an almost overwhelming urge to buy all the pretty colours I could see at once. Time to take myself in hand and have a little talk to myself. "Pace myself" I thought. "Don't buy the first thing you see". I tried to keep this little mantra going in my head but by the time I had got half down the first aisle I was spending freely. I have discovered the very old Japanese embroidery technique, Sashiko. As Jodie says "it's perfect for Sue, it's predominantly blue, its hand stitching and you don't have to be able to sew straight." It has an interesting history. The shortage of fabric in Northern Japan meant that the people sewed used pieces fabric together to increase the life of the cloth. They began with a simple running stitch and over time the patterns have become quite stylised and complex but are still based on running stitch. Since the craft expo I found that Ballarat Patchwork have several books on the techniques and also have supplies of thread and fabric. At first we moved slowly down each aisle stopping to look at every stall and so by 1st lunch we hadn't covered a lot of ground. We decided that before proper lunch we would do a certain number of aisles and then wait for each other before moving onto the next aisle. Jenny's crochet stall from Queensland enjoyed our company for an extended period of time has we drooled over the yarns and had all the designs modelled for us. we finally made it to the last aisle with just 20 minutes to go and we didn't leave until the final announcement to don your flouro vest and safety boots or leave the area immediately was broadcast. Jodie's Nanna trolley decked out with polka dots and pom poms (a big hit with everyone with overloaded bags) was full of goodies and our feet were just a little tired. It was great to spend time surrounded by beautiful things and have a chance to talk about them with friends. Thanks girls