Vale 2010...

My blog, etsy shop etcetera have been neglected in the last few weeks with so many markets, such challenging weather conditions, and the wonderful trio of events, family arrival from o/s, Christmas all together again, and a major birthday in the family yesterday.

2010 has had ups and downs for the wimcee's personally, but overall it has been a wonderful and eventful year. I have enjoyed my sewing and crafting so very much, and I have delighted in finding others really zeroing in on the wimcee stall too and getting it...not everyone, and that's why an organisation like brisStyle can be so successful, as each creative member of the collective has their own individual style and stamp, and for each there is an equivalent mind-set out there amongst market shoppers that just gets, and loves, what they do.

For one who has spent most of her life painting, thrashing about, metaphorically at least, with the challenges of portraiture in particular, I understand only too well the lack of recognition, and appreciation, that crafting can attract in its public incarnation. Thank heavens for the legions of young women and men who have a very different perception via etsy and brown owls, cath kidston and rowan, kellie doust and yarn bombers, bloggers and city farms, lovers of vintage and retro, and so on and so on...all that is wonderful and exciting out there in the world of art-meets-craft.

Fancy fronting up to a day at the end of this week with a numerical nomination of 1.1.11! That's got to be the starting point for many great things to develop out of the new year!

Happy New Year!

Twinkle, twinkle, twilight fair (for Christmas)!

Lots of new creations from wimcee ready to finish the market year on a high tonight at the BrisStyle indie Twilight Market in King George Square, from 5 this afternoon. wimcee will be by the Christmas Tree so come and visit, but also check out our record number of participating etsy sellers' stalls all through the square and around into Burnett Lane. This is OUR Christmas Party - come and share the love at the hippest, hottest hand-made destination in town!

Sally sunshine sun dress (size 4)

Lots of little aprons for children!

Sensational benita boho sundress size 3

fabric covered journals, wimcee standards!

large journal with magical cover.

Deck the halls!

...and every spare inch of space at the moment - what a glorious time pre-Christmas-BiDM is! The sewing machine hums, the creative neurones spark, the scissors slice through cloth, colours bounce around the room like those 'visions of sugar plums',  and mama in her kerchief, or actually her jaja's, is unsettled and planning unfinished projects at 4 a.m. the day before market day! Come rain or shine the BrisStyle indie Designers Market will leap into action at 9 a.m. tomorrow morning and run all day, until 4 in the afternoon, in the grounds and hall at St Augustine's Anglican church, Racecourse Road, Hamilton, cheek by jowl with all the coffee shops, icreameries, and restaurants - the perfect market venue!

wimcee will be in a Grand Marquee in the grounds, and offering all the usual aprons with attitude and bespoke clothing, one-off accessories and lovesome softies, plus lots of smaller gift ideas, like hip jewellery rolls, funky peg aprons, diary and lappie cosies, and groovy embroidered glasses cases.

Jewellery roll

parisian patch cushion

lavender pillows

So don your wellies and join our rain dance tomorrow!

Christmas carolling coming!

So I missed the Twilight Market, which from all accounts was great fun and a huge success - curse calcified shoulders to pieces, Mr Jinx!! However - wonderful markets coming up as well, including this coming Friday night at BrisStyle twilight market with a difference, being held at St. Augustine's, Racecourse Road, Hamilton, in conjunction with their carol night. And then wimcee's second The Mummy Tree Markets at Morningside on Sunday 28th November.  More bags, plus more head bands and other cute accessories in the pipeline for both markets next week-end - ideal gifts for Christmas! Come and visit!

Twinkle, twinkle, twilight fair!

The brisStyle indie Twilight Market twinkles again this Friday night (19/11) in King George Square, Brisbane CBD, from 5 - 9 p.m. - the perfect venue for Christmas shopping with a big range of hand-made, everything from homewares to hats, bikinis to brooches, softies to scrunchies, and all the way back. wimcee will be there with some really cute new embellished aprons, Ava the Advent girl, embroidered felt glasses cases, fabric journals and altered skirts, as well as all the usual kiddie couture, high tea accessories and bags of bags.

BrisStyle indie Twilight Market

Home again, home again...

The wimcee's are back in Bris, after a wonderful holiday visiting family o/s...lots of wonderful things to see in the craft/fabric/design/art world abroad so feeling highly motivated about the market season in full swing. The sewing machine has been humming ever since we arrived home and I did my first market today at Morningside, the brand new, local, Mummy Tree Markets ... great venue, wonderful market! Next up is the BrisStyle indie Eco Market, next Saturday, 6/11/10. More about this shortly, but for now some holiday snaps.

And the winner is....

Congratulations to Jill for being the randomly chosen winner of the 'flowers for frida' skirt, and a big thank-you to all those who entered their comments!

I so seldom have a photo of one of my little dresses actually being worn so I am sharing a totally unrelated image here of the lovely Indira in a wimcee original, sold at the recent BiDM.

A period of R&R ahead for the wimcee's, but lots of marketing to come in October/November/December, and a crafter/marketer itching to get back to work by then I'm sure!

Market season up and springing!

The spring market season is off and running with the BiDM on Saturday - one of those strange September days when the wind whips up hot and gusty, not so pleasant, so thanks to all those old and new wimcee customers who came out to visit. Wonderful company, as always, great music, yummy nourishment, and family reunion time for the BrisStylers, the 'B' in BrisStyle indie Designers Market, those 170 of so 'crafty ladies' now immortalised in song for the occasion!

To celebrate, and because I can't do marketing for various reasons for a month or more ahead, [drum roll] the first ever wimcee blog give-away!

I am trying to develop a more obvious 'point of difference' at least to give myself some direction to pursue in 2011, so please comment here and be in the running for a very special upcycled denim skirt 'flowers for frida'. Entries close midnight Thursday 16th September 2010. The winner will be chosen randomly, and announced on this blog, Friday 17th September, so overwhelm me with suggestions!

Happy springing one and all!

The flowers that bloom at the Spring BiDM, tra-la...

...bring promise of market delights ahead as well as we hit the market season proper in Brisbane - not too cold, not yet too hot to be pleasant at midday. wimcee will be in the grounds at St Augustine's Anglican Church, Racecourse Road gate, from 9 am on Saturday, with lots of new stock that I've literally made with great affection...you have to love the fabrics, and they seem to get more and more exciting all the time.  This is a particular current favourite, a little dress for a 6-8 year old, with a matching happy bag - the main fabric is an exquisite print from Japan in a combination of mauve, aqua, orange, and a little mustard on a mid-tone neutral back-ground.

Some paper folding too - out of sewing commission for a week or two the family accused me of playing paper dolls at the kitchen table, and there certainly was a lot of inner child involved in choosing the 'outfits'...

There are also lots of father's day offerings from many of the stall-holders so drop by and say hi!

To market, to market...

There's something about the shared buzz that associates itself with a BiDM that's unique...the hundred plus BrisStylettes, some market-active all year in other venues, others new to the whole exercise, and still others who don't come out all that often because of rich and varied other existences that leave them only limited time for their market-craft,  all start to pop up again, in blogs, posts and press. 

Because the BrisStyle indie Designers Markets are the number one opportunity for all these talented creators to mix, meet, compare, catch-up and generally blow each other away with new designs and directions, there is a real and genuine excitement for us all in the anticipation of another BiDM.

So: new pieces from wimcee for the September 4th BiDM, a sample of new spring children's wear, still a bit retro, a bit boho, and still dancing with colour. And more aprons, bags, and brooches on their way, as well as softies and rag dolls, lots of lovely things for both big and little people.

Weeks of thematic living!

First there was the Week of the Ancients - is there the remotest chance that said Ancients may read a blog post and see themselves identified as such? Elderly family members who fly in for birthday celebrations, elderly family members who fly out to remote parts of south-east Asia, elderly family member who delights in a ritualistic visits to coasts north and south during his Queensland stay, much more sadly my elderly neighbours dealing with hospitalisation and the mind-numbing difficulties of traveling across town on a daily basis when you are 93 and rely on public transport...a week of being chauffeur and tea-maker, making easy small talk and functioning at a more gentle pace.


Then there was the Week of the Wonky Wings - or Weeks, as it's on-going. I had my (right) marketeer's shoulder under the knife and number three son had his (right) wrist pinned by our friendly Ortheopod, who is just down the corridor from our new best friends the physios, and they all live together is a little wooden house, or rather a big rabbit warren of a hospital, where the nurses are lovely but the night nurses are to be feared and avoided at all costs. Life here is one great comparing of slings and stretches, remembering appointments and paying medical bills.


But finally some sewing!


I had to miss Mathida's Market, a last minute no-show for wimcee, but am all the more keen for the coming BiDM, that BrisStyle market-of-markets, taking place on September 4th, 9-2, St Augustine's church hall and grounds, Racecourse Road at Hamilton.


Apart from a full complement of little girl's skirts, I have some new boy's bermuda-style shorts, lots of new hand-made gift cards, new bunting and some forays into hand-painted, stitched, and embellished accessories like some cute lavender heart sachets. 


More to come...watch this space.

Boutique Marketing at Portside!

wimcee will be at Portside, Hamilton, in Brisbane, this Sunday, August 8th, for the Boutique Market, from 8a.m., so pop in, browse the new stock, or just say hello! We have been caught up with a large and happy family celebration, but I have new skirts, new bunting, and various other spring-time delights ready for the season's change.

Happy 90th, Harold!

'Boutique Markets THIS SUNDAY - NEW Retailer Sneak Peak!'

'Boutique Markets THIS SUNDAY - NEW Retailer Sneak Peak!'

scrappy bits apron

This jump-up-and-hit-you-in-the-eye version of a full adult's apron has been adorned with a wide selection of the scrappy bits of fabric I can't bring myself to throw out...too small for any other purpose, rescued from   my own stash plus anything my friends and family throw my way, augmented with op-shop treasures, now a way to give them all new purpose! Available at my shop on etsy, or on display at the BiECO this coming week-end.

And something more for the BiECO!

Upcycled cardie with buttons, puffs and embroidery!

Another etsy listing that I've just put into my shop, ready for the BrisStyle indie ECO market on Saturday.

Buzzing for BiECO

There's a great big buzz of excitement about the first ever BiECO this coming week-end! Just the sort of challenging parameters to bring out the champion crafters and creators...genuinely can't wait to see what the girls come up with, including lots of genuine vintage and second-hand as well as repurposed, recycled and renewed goodies.

These cushions now available at my etsy shop are a modern twist on log cabin patchwork, with quirky applique, button backs, and complete with my own calico inserts...little party-starters in groups or singles for the mod lounge room.

Hope to see you on Saturday!

BiECO-lossal!

reconstituted woollies ready for the BiECO

wimcee's next market is something very different - brisStyle's first ever eco market, on Saturday July 10th, at St Augustine's church hall and grounds on Racecourse Road, Ascot. Local etsians will be amazing us all with a wide range of upcycled, repurposed and vintage wares. While most of my usual stock is made from new fabrics and fibres, I have previously offered a few eco-friendly pieces, so the BiECO is a wonderful opportunity to devote extra time and energy to upcycled denims, reconstituted and embellished woollies, and all manner of wimcee-cal numbers put together from my supply of vintage fabrics, buttons, ribbons, trims and scraps. As usual, just never quite enough hours in the day and days in the week to make good all the ideas I'd like to try out, but so much fun -!

Mathilda mayhem

Another flurry of couturier activity, so to speak, with Mathilda's Market this Saturday (19/6/10) at Eagle Farm Race Course, Ascot, Brisbane, from 9 am to 1 pm...the first time I've been at Mathilda in the new venue, so looking forward to seeing how it all works, for them and for me. Lots of colour in my latest work (when was there never) with more skirts, more soft toys, more trousers and knits. Even if you have no small people yourself, Mathilda's really is an ideal shopping ground for gifts that are different and of a  high quality, so worth a look. And a preview of wimcee...

chicka chic

After a long but rewarding day taking part in Brisbane's Saviours of the Lost Arts Fair on Tuesday, fingers and toes are crossed for a beautiful winter's day for the BrisStyle indie Designers' Market this Saturday...and wimcee will be there with more even more fiesta-rama goodies, including more fabric-covered journals for catching the moment in prose or image form, and some new fabric brooches to dress up the most neutral woolly cardie or coat.

Fiesta-rama!

Viva the fiesta! Check out the chicka chic! Limbering up for the lambada round...Baby and Kids Market (30/5), BiDM (5/6), Boutique Markets (13/6) and Mathilda's Market (19/6), plus a possible spot on the co-op tables in King George Square all day on Tuesday 1st June as part of the Saviours of the Lost Arts Fair, wimcee should be in over-drive this week but isn't...

The fiesta mood has mellowed the pace and I've been having too much fun with ruffled skirts and little embellished trews to feel too stressed out about anything at the moment. A few cameo peeks just to set the scene and go-go the co-co cabana!

Skirts with plenty of ruffles, frills and braids will warm up the coolest winter's morning teamed with leggings and boots, and are unique combinations of colourful cottons. Little trousers are embellished with frills and trims, this one in a hooty owl print on cord, and there are plenty of hand-knits in pure wool like this riotous rio shrug! Join the congo line...Mama-mio!!

May Mother's Day Week-End

After the totally brilliant BrisStyle indie Twilight Market last Friday night, madly busy prepping for the BrisStyle Mother and Child market this Saturday at St Augustine's church hall and grounds, Racecourse Road Hamilton, followed by the monthly Boutique Market at Portside, Hamilton on Sunday...arghhh...so much sewing to be done, to be done!! Sneak peak, little jackets and skirts aplenty for the mother-and-child, plus some new upcycled denim and knits for Portside. Come and see wimcee for Mothers' Day week-end!

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More tea cosies with attitude for the BiTM.

Something for superlative tea-suppers and tea party princesses. Tea cosies for cosy teas-for-two (or four or more).