Easing into Easter

Some upcycled coats and skirts in the works, ready for the BiTM - BrisStyle indie Twilight Market - coming your way if you are local, the very first ever to take place in Brisbane's King George Square on April 30th.

And some pretty cute woolly hats taking shape if I do say so myself...almost cool enough to knit again, and the summer cold that's lingered here makes knitting such a nice option.

Summer sniffles

Naturally as I haven't markets to do for a bit I've now got the worst of bad summer colds, so only slowly putting together new stock for coming market days/nights. I spent way too much money at the Craft Expo on fabrics and trims, including more exquisite Japanese print cotton from the same people I have bought from at past markets...these superlative French and English design reproductions are printed on the finest of weaves in the most subtle variations of colour. Funky Fabrix are also back from a shopping spree in Japan so more joy there to be had I'm positive, except I need to not go anywhere for a bit or face financial disgrace.

Billie has a heap more of my skirts at BelleVille, and some winter jackets like this one with a custom quilted finish, so depleted racks at home. I will have more skirts again by my next market date - the very first BrisStyle indie Twilight Market on April 30th, taking place in King George Square from 5 p.m. - and I'm working on a few more upcycled adult's woollies, knitting needles also going clickety-clack with small people beanies, and a general sense of controlled frenzy happening in amongst family birthdays.

Back to the future

I have just finished a caricature for a sports dinner presentation - haven't done one of these for a long time and it was good to get my pencils out and my sketching eye in again. In one of my other lives I do portraiture but I find it extremely stressful - the caricaturing is a much more enjoyable off-shoot.

March madness!

Well, we all knew we were mad anyway...who else would think they could pull off a successful crafters market in the middle of an extended period of torrentially wet weather but the committee queens of brisStyle, but they did, and they did - with interest!!! And there we all were in our wellies with our shower curtains, our abbreviated supplies of stock, and our reorganised displays, and in fact the weather more or less held off for the duration before the heavens opened again for business bang on pack up time at 2 in the afternoon.

And our wonderful customers, curious passers-by, families, and friends, all came to visit and look and buy, despite the ominous clouds, sticky brissy humidity, and damp footwork. My second BrisStyle indie Designers Market, and just as much a happy, sharing, party-like atmosphere as the previous one last December.

What an extreme pleasure and privilege to be part of brisStyle! And with twilight markets, mothers and childrens markets, eco-markets, and more like Saturday as well, what an exciting year ahead of us (and SO MUCH to do!!)

wimcee in the shops!

Major excitement! Thank-you Cathy, my market pal, for sending me out there in search of Belleville and the wonderful Billie! This is the most interesting and eclectic children's shop in the Annerley Arcade, cheek by jowl with a vintage comic store, second-hand book shop, retro shop, a couple of super-duper op shops and some antique stores, so well worth spending some pottering time. After an email exchange I went to visit Billie and now can boast stock in a shop like a real live couturier. Not Robinson Crusoe amongst the marketing fraternity in this step, but nonetheless a thrill, especially when my last minute inclusion, a tyrollean hat, sold within hours.

This is something I've been thinking about testing the waters with this year - love the markets, but it's difficult at the moment for various reasons so a bit of rationalisation is called for. And I must say I do like the fact that what I've taken to Belleville won't get knocked around to-ing and fro-ing to market and home - get a bit protective of some of the more delicate fabrics and constructions and hate it when things get really crushed or otherwise messed around. Fancy me getting pernickety about such things - !

But what a buzz!!

The BiDM is coming, hurrah, hurrah...

Next touch down, BiDM: the fabulous brisStyle indie designers markets: Saturday March 6th from 9 a.m. in St Augustine's Anglican Church hall and grounds, on Racecourse Road at Hamilton.

And just the first of a number of really exciting events planned for the group by its [voluntary!!] committeewomen extraordinaire, including twilight markets in the city heart, an ecomarket, a mothers' and babies' focussed market, and an exhibition of work by the stylettes and our lone styler-man.

Watch this space - more information coming!