Saturday, April 6, 2013

Brisbane Stitches and Craft Show


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Hi there everyone! Hope you all had a great Easter (if you celebrate it) and are having a wonderful weekend.

My email account was hacked yesterday - I'm so sorry if you received a strange email from me. Well, stranger than usual. Hotmail was onto it fairly quickly and shut my account down - it was really hard for me to verify I was the account owner because I hadn't changed all my alternate contacts since leaving France. So learn from my mistakes here - make sure all your security details (phone number, alternate email, etc) are up to date as it makes account reactivation so much quicker.

But back to the crafting! The weekend before Easter I convinced Marg to come out again and we headed off to see the Brisbane Stitches and Craft Show.

We met up at South Bank Parklands, with its gorgeous bougainvillaea arbour:

Arbour at the South Bank Parklands, Brisbane, Australia

And then marched on to the Exhibition Centre (straight past the markets, no stopping, how's that for dedication):

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I was still wearing a moon boot for my broken foot at this stage, so marching is probably a little over-exaggerated. However, we got there all the same.

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There were 25 or so quilting/sewing related stalls (out of 100) which isn't a bad ratio.

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We enjoyed looking over the exhibited items such as the Queensland Lace Guild display:

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This was made by a man, baby! *said in an Austin Powers voice*

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There were the Challenge Quilts which had to include this source fabric:

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Lots of interesting techniques to study (but for the love of Liberty, don't you dare touch):

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Once a Goddess, always a Goddess: Jeannie Henry

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Plumage: Sue Byrnes

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Fleeing in Fear: Lyn Barber

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Egyptian Delight: Jane Rundle

We also spent some time perusing the Texstyle Exhibit, which showcased fabric based design projects created by Year 12 (graduating) high school students.

We loved this dress (for its techniques - we are both past our ra-ra skirt wearing days):

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16th century Russia inspired dress with hand felted bodice and nuno felted skirt-
Brittany Thompson.

Nuno, you say? Why yes, the technique of felting loose fibres to a lightweight, gauzy fabric. And did you know it was developed in Australia?

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Fabulous

After all the lovely fabric:

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Textures:

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Ideas:

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Finally a use for all that bubble wrap

And seeing the guts of a Bernina machine:

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We were very hungry and decidedly parched:

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A late lunch on South Bank.

Then we wandered down to the Brisbane River:

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And caught the ferry upstream:

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Ye-olden-day version we saw from our modern ferry.

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The Brisbane Customs House (c. 1889): it's not a French medieval town, but it'll have to do.

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Dark clouds were brewing and a storm warning was issued. Marg's lovely daughter offered to drive me home, saving me a train ride. Or even a bike ride:

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Great idea, although not sure if they get much use?

Lipton Ice Tea. Gee, that reminds me of something:



Oh Hugh, never stop dancing. Or taking your shirt off.

Have a great weekend, tout le monde!

P.S. I was doing nearly the exact same thing in Marseille this time last year.

24 comments:

Teresa said...

A great post, as always! The city photos looked kind of familiar and then I remembered by sister has some in-laws living in Brisbane. It's a small world.

Katy Cameron said...

That Marg, always eager to lead people astray! Looks like fun, and love the displays, that dress is fab!

Sarah - Red Gingham said...

Long time no see or hear!! I've missed you. Love your post. Sorry to hear about your poor foot - silly sausage. I do love the beach area in Brisbane, they really have done a great job of it. I could have bought so many of those fab fabrics in your photos. Love all the dotty ones at the mo. What did you buy? I do hope you didn't disappoint. Totally LOVE that bubble wrap raincoat. Our girls used to call that stuff pop paper 'cause of the sound it makes when you jump on it. You really must blog more often, I need your laughs way more. Hope you are well otherwise.

Cath said...

Seeing my city through your eyes is definitely an experience. Beautiful photographs had me ooing and aahing! I now see there was so much at the Craft Show that I missed.
Cath @ Bits 'n Bobs

Lauren said...

Thank you for your great pics of the Craft Show, South Bank, the city, the river AND the video of Hugh. I have never seen the full length version before. By the way, I think the Queensland government or tourism promoters should employ you as a photographer. If you photos don't evoke an emotional response in potential visitors, I don't know whose can.

**Anne** said...

It's love to hear from you, I was wondering how you were getting on now you are back in Australia.
It certainly looks like you had a lovely time, all those fabrics and textiles!
Anne xx

Salley said...

Boo Hoo...maybe no mediaeval towns...but your blogs are still a delight. Thanks for the quickie HJ fantasy!

Maaike said...

Lovely blogpost Kirsty, great seeing bits of Brisbaine through your eyes! I am really intrigued by that bubble wrap rain coat. So cool!

oh and I was hoping you would spot the tea towel :) it is being used very well and always remembers me of you!

Have a lovely weekend
xo
Maaike

Monika Kinner-Whalen (MySweetPrairie) said...

OH the LACE and the BEADS! oh my. how lovely!! I want a transparent sewing machine!! lol

beautiful post, like i was there...

~Monika
Saskatoon, Canada
fibre artist

Susan said...

Tell me Kirsty, when are you making a bubble wrap coat!!! I was only thinking of you and Marg yesterday!! I am very jealous of the fab time you are having together!

Miriam said...

Gorgeous photographs, Kirsty!

I hope your foot is healing well.

Aidan said...

Oh how I love your Austin powers voice.
Is there nothing Hugh Jackman can't do? I was waiting for him to rip off his shirt, hough.

Nicola said...

They have Velibs in Brisbane - it is French after all! Ok, off to find some bubble wrap to run through the sewing machine!

Lindy in Brisbane said...

Ha, I was just thinking how nice it was to have you back, how interesting your photos were, how I missed the craft show, how I love an Austin Powers reference, and then BAM! To put the icing on the cake, you find the perfect segue to give us Hugh. Ahhh... you are too good to us!

Marg said...

Pffft

Marg said...

I must agree with Lindy, gorgeous photos of BrisVegas, fabric, bubble wrap, Austin Powers, and to top it off, Hugh, swoon. What more could I want in a blog post, hmm, maybe George, but this is pretty close to perfection.

blandina said...

I love seeing the world through your eyes (or, I should say, lenses).
I thought Nuno was developped in Japan, it is a great technique, although it takes forever (therefore not for me). The dress is beautiful and I like how the skirt is done.
When you said that you were doing the exact same thing last year, I thought that you had been dancing in a hotel too!

Sara Louise said...

When did you break your foot??? xx

Sew Create It - Jane said...

I really enjoyed the video of Hugh! Thanks for sharing :o)

Annie Cholewa said...

Ooh Hugh ... no such thing as Lipton Ice Tea here ... what a pity if that's the effect it has! ;)

And yes, when did you break your foot? Have I missed a post, is my memory failing, or did you forget to mention it?! Heal well :)

Karen @ Pieces of Contentment said...

How wonderful to have a peek at the Stitches and Craft show - I've wondered what it would be like. If ever I have the chance I'll try to go one year. So many fabric delights.

kat129 said...

This sounds like the perfect day!!!

midge said...

The one thing you failed to disclose in your post is how much fabric loot you toted home. hmmmm. lovely look at brisbane through your lens. sounds like a fun day.♥ mxx

Eva said...

This really sounds like such a nice day! It's so great you have a crafty friend to visit this kind of thing with you! Twice the fun! :-) About the advert ... you mentioned shirts being taken off so I was expecting well ... shirts being taken off, but I guess the dancing is nice, too ... ;-) :-D

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