Tuesday twitters

Waltzing on to Mathilda's. I'm leaving the fabric collage to one side for a little while...would love to explore that more soon...and focusing now on Mathilda's Market, first round, Brisbane, Saturday 12th March at Eagle Farm Racecourse.

This is the first Mathilda's I've done for a while so can't wait! Plenty of new kiddie couture to present, all in the wimcee boho-chic style, with heaps of colour for Autumn, but some new styles like embellished and appliqued stretch tops with long sleeves, as well as the usual quilted jackets, skirts and trousers. Knitted goods too...just a little cooler weather would be conducive to more enthusiasm for working with wool!

Two new skirts with ruffles.

New camera is teaching me how it works too, added bonus...still early days! 

Have a great week.

Hot in the city...

Monday musings...today is a sewing day, but having lurked in the air. con. in Woollies doing groceries for as long as I possibly could this morning, I have only managed to cut out a bag that it's really too, too hot to sew. If my camera's battery wasn't found to be flat as a tack I could photograph new quilted jackets that I have ready for winter, but could you bear to look at them in this weather anyway? My adult jumper is almost finished in an extraordinarily complicated pattern that I can now call my own because I didn't follow the pattern I had properly...looks like an intentional design, amazingly...but way too hot to finish that off now either.

Instead a look at the St George's craft market in Belfast, and a tee-pee like no other! Made by Emma, a textile artist with a stall at the market, it is the result of years of work, lovingly hand-embroidered and embellished with beads, mirrors, metallic threads and other memorabilia important to the artisan.

This from arbeecards where there's more information about this historic market.

So while we sizzle in Brizzy my sister languishes in London - she actually loves London, but not when it's max. a couple of degrees. She would probably give eye teeth for some good old-fashioned Queensland summer weather right now. Storm's a-coming anyway...I've had my weather alert, the spousal variety a well as the BOM one.

Wimcee at Bleeding Heart

From next week whims from wimcee will be on sale in the gift shop at Bleeding Heart, a cafe, retail and gallery space that is not-for-profit and located in the historic School of Arts, 166 Ann Street, in Brisbane's CBD. (For more information about opening times etcetera see Bleeding Heart)

I plan to install a series of pouches, inspired by the collages of Nami Ogihara, amongst other things, so please visit Bleeding Heart and have a look at the work of a number of local crafters featured in their gift shop display.

collage pouches and candlesticks by wimcee

These little pouches are made partly or fully from recycled and vintage fabrics and it's my intention that they are the first in a number of projects for 2011 exploring different vehicles for fabric/paper collage. However, they're also pretty cute!

Another form of fabric collage that I've really loved working has been cushion covers - these floral collages are other examples of new work for 2011.

(wimcee will be at market again soon, starting with the wonderful Mamma's Market at Buderim on February 19th. )

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!