The first Sew & Tell!

Well, the first Sew & Tell Fair was amazingly awesome! We had the best day ever and it looked like everyone else was having a lovely time too. 

Massive thanks to our stallholders for making and collecting such an incredible assortment of treasures and for creating such beautiful stalls. 

Thanks to the team of volunteers from Heritage House (Bangalow's Museum) for making the tea and cakes. We're so happy that they sold every single one, raising some much needed funds. 

Thanks to the folks at Frankie for donating the posters that we made into bags and to all our mates who helped us out on the day. 

Thanks also to everyone who brought along items for our Free Stall and our Unfinished Business Stall. 

And of course, thanks to all the lovely craft and vintage enthusiasts who turned up to check it all out. We were completely overwhelmed by the number of people that came, from far and wide (Coffs, Port Maquarie, Casino, Brisbane, Tweed Heads etc.) and the incredible feeling of goodwill that filled the hall all throughout the day. 

Sew! It was so much fun that we're going to do it all again towards the end of the year for Christmas. We'll be posting info on here and our Facebook page shortly! Group hugs all round. 

enjoying tea and sandwiches from the Heritage House team 

 our mate Kel was on the Janome making bags from Frankie posters

chillin' in the man cave 

 free chocolate crackles

Thanks to our mates Tim and Caroline for taking these pics. 

Sew & Tell in the Sydney Morning Herald

We're in Metro in the Sydney Morning Herald today! And they said such nice things!

Profile: Carmel Debreuil of "Put a Word on It"

Name: Carmel Debreuil
Stall name: Put a Word on It
What are you selling at Sew & Tell? Paintings and portraits

Q. What is your craft / creative outlet of choice?
A. I paint portraits and paintings in acrylic on ply. I'v done it for years and I love it.

Q. Who is your craft idol?
A. As an artist my idol was my dad, as a crafter it would be my mum - she is an amazing quilter. Plus there are many bloggers who do trashion that I really admire. There is some unreal talent out there.

Q. Who taught you to craft?
A. I was taught to paint and draw by my dad and to sew and cook by my mum.

Q. Who or what inspires you to be creative?
A. My family is all very creative and I'm surrounded by a large group of very creative friends. I create best with music as my companion. And also I come up with a lot of ideas just before bed or while driving in a silent car.

Q. Which talent would you most like to have?
A. I would love to be able to sing.

Q. What is your idea of perfect happiness?
A. Anything with my immediate and extended family and also my friends. But I also love the solitary time I spend while painting.

Q. What is your greatest fear?
A. Loss of family and friends.

Q. What is your current state of mind?
A. Frantic! I'm a bit ADHD so I'm always trying to cram as much as I can in during the day.

Q. What do you consider your greatest achievement?
A. My kids, my marriage and my passion for life and all that comes with it.

Q. What is your most treasured possession?
A. It sounds corny, but love. I recently lost my father and it's amazing how true the saying is "you can't take it with you". I have many material items that I love but to gather around my father's hospital bed and know he was surrounded by love, was an amazing experience.
So definitely the love of family and friends is truly my most treasured possession. And my 20 year old easel from france! hehe

Q. Where is your ideal place to live?
A. Exactly where I am now. I love Australia and I'm so glad to be here. I immigrated from Canada which I also love, but Australia felt like home from the moment the plane touched down.

Q. Favourite holiday destination?
A. Going camping anywhere. Give me a fire and a tent and some water and I'm pretty much happy. I would love to play Survivor!

Q. If money were no object, where would you take off to?
A. Well, I'd take the family and go on an around the world trip. I'd love them to experience Europe, I'd love to spend more time in New York, and I could probably handle some time in a place like the Maldives and Tahiti. And if you send me to Japan or Korea, I'll start eating on arrival and won't stop till they squeeze my fat butt on the plane out.

Q. Can you tell us about your best vintage find?
A. Oh wow. I've got hundreds of amazing vintage items. I recently bought a fantastic vintage Merivale dress for about fifty bucks and I think it's worth about $400! I also have a great handkerchief dress from the 70's that I got at a garage sale in Byron for $10 - I get compliments every time I wear it. I also recovered an old chair that I found under a house - it looks retro and brand new at the same time!

Q. What is your favourite thing to cook for your friends?
A. Lately it's a toss up between Korean BBQ or a sport meal of Buffalo Chicken Wings and Jalapeno popper dip.

Q. What is your motto?
A. Blood is thicker than piss. That was my dad's actually. I think its about family, but it could just be about beer.

How you can get involved!

Two more sleeps! That's all that stands between us, you and a hall full of cool crafty stuff!

And sew…with the event approaching fast we wanted to fill you in on a few new stalls we've concocted that we hope you will get involved with!

UNFINISHED BUSINESS
Do you have a cupboard full of craft projects that you have been trying to finish off for years…like that latch hook project you started in the 80’s? Or the Jenny Kee style jumper you started knitting?

We have asked our stallholders to clean out their craft cupboards and donate their unfinished business and we'd like you to do the same! Just bring any unfinished projects along to Sew & Tell and put them on the unfinished business stall.

All items on the unfinished business stall will be free and you don’t have to return to sender. All you have to do is promise to finish them off and post a pic of the finished item on the Sew & Tell Facebook page. 

THE FREE STALL
Yes, we're going to have a stall where everything is free and you can donate to this one too!

The idea is that we'll put a bunch of items on a table (fruit, vegetables, herbs, chilli's, wool, threads, badges, crafty items etc) and it's all free but if you take something we encourage you to do a random act of kindness for someone at some stage during the day – like pay for a coffee for the person behind you.

If you have something to donate to the free stall (maybe your orange or lime tree is loaded, maybe you have some great vintage piece that you don't wear anymore) then just bring it along and put it on the stall.

What a great way to spread the love and goodwill around the local hood!

THE MAN CAVE
We are having a Man Cave for the men to respite from the craft and vintage worship taking place in the rest of the hall. There'll be comfy seating, Smith Journal mags to read and from about 10.30am we'll even have a barber present - Jack The Snipper - to attend to the fellas locks.

BAGS
If you are coming - and we hope you are! - please bring a bag with you. Try not to forget! But if you do, our mates at Frankie Magazine have very kindly donated some posters to us that we are stitching into simple recycled bags so we will also have these on hand.

Profile: Janne & Angie Scott of "Scott's Are Us!"

Names: Janne Scott & Angie Scott
Stall name: Scotts Are Us!
What are you selling at Sew & Tell? Janne has floor rugs made from antique batik sarongs, hand made sun shelters from block print Indian cotton, second hand delights, fashion samples and random cool stuff! Angie has edible wares for and from urban spaces.

Q. What is your craft / creative outlet of choice?
A. (Janne) Interpretive Dance, sewing, pom poms & painting

Q. Who is your craft idol?
A. (Janne) Too many to list… my Nanna, my Mum, my sister Angie – she’s stalling with me & she’s amazing! Jenny Kee, too many!

Q. Who taught you to craft?
A. (Angie) She would probably disagree but it was our Mum, 4 kids under 5 - we made a lot of stuff, and played a lot of board games.

Q. Who or what inspires you to be creative?
A. (Janne) Kookaburras & Wine… traveling, music, great fashion & good times with my talented peeps who are all amazing at their respective crafts from building, writing songs, creating festivals, designing fashion to something as simple as making a kick arse sandwich – there can be craftsmanship in almost anything.

Q. Which talent would you most like to have?
A. (Janne) Invisibility… I guess that’s more of a magic power…. 

(Angie) I would love to be able to knit and read knitting patterns, but I would also have to wish for more discipline (is that a talent?) ie. to be able to finish all those half done projects.

Q. What is your idea of perfect happiness?
A. (Janne) Kookaburras & Wine while wearing a Hermes scarf and uggies with people I love

Q. What is your greatest fear?
A. (Janne) Beige

Q. What is your current state of mind?
A. (Angie) Panic that I haven't completed my stuff for the Fair.

Q. What do you consider your greatest achievement?
A. (Janne) Haven’t achieved it yet

Q. What is your most treasured possession?
A. (Angie) I have a few bits and pieces from both of my grandmothers, hand written recipes book (full of fruit cake recipes, and notes on how to hand rear lambs), kitchen canisters, cake tins, a pair of earrings, a leather clutch that was my great grandmothers.

Q. Where is your ideal place to live?
A. (Angie) A cottage by the beach, with a big veggie patch.

Q. Favourite holiday destination?
A. (Janne) India is the next one, so maybe India….

Q. If money were no object, where would you take off to?
A. (Angie) I would go straight to New York, then over to Europe to visit friends in London and Italy, home via India for a few weeks (you did say money was no object right?).

Q. Can you tell us about your best vintage find?
A. (Janne) My old Cazal Sunglasses come close to being unbeatable

Q. What is your favourite thing to cook for your friends?
A. (Janne) I don’t really cook much nowadays so… Red Wine, Jatz & Coon on the couch! 

(Angie) I cook a lot of jams and chutneys seasonally, then end up giving them away in a frenzy because I have too much.

Q. What is your motto?
A. (Angie) Well when apprehensive about something I want to do or achieve my sister and I often joke that 'dumber people than us have done bigger things than this'.Sometimes we are our own worst enemies, and it's good to keep in mind that plenty of ordinary people have achieved greatness.

Sew & Tell in the Echo

Hey Hey! We are in the Byron Echo today. Woohoo. Thanks Echo!!

The Rebirth of Craft

Did you read about "The Rebirth Of Craft" in the Northern Star on the weekend? The story featured lots of Sew & Tell crafters including our own Vicky Furber on the cover! Thanks Northern Star!

DIY Banner

Eight pillow slips from the Salvos, a few hours of cutting and sewing and hey presto - DIY banner! Look out for this sign in front of the A&I Hall in Bangalow on Saturday.

Profile: Kathy Egan of "Oiko - Wax Printed Textiles"

Name: Kathy Egan
Stall name: Oiko – Wax Printed Textiles
What are you selling at Sew & Tell? Handmade Hemp Textiles by the metre, wallets, bags, cushions, notebooks.

Q. What is your craft / creative outlet of choice?
A. At the moment its crochet, time effective and I can complete a piece in a sitting which I can later attach to a gift or a bag. A new crush is making paper flowers out of vintage books. I was in Sydney recently and visited Jo Neville’s Paper Couture and walked away completely inspired.

Q. Who is your craft idol?
A. Craft Idol, that’s a tough one to answer, too difficult to choose just one. I’ll start with local artist Helle Jorgensen, she taught me to crochet and inspires me every time I see her wearing a new piece of jewelry she created. I recently brought The New Artisans and I’m completely taken with the work of Severijia Incirauskaite-Kriauneviciene (don’t ask me to pronounce her name) she drills holes into metal objects like fry pans and car bonnets and then cross stitches floral motifs and images relating to the object, amazing is an understatement.

Q. Who taught you to craft?
A. My mother, I come from a large family, I have six sisters and growing up in the 70’s it was a necessity for my mum to sew. She used to make us simple summer dresses out of the most beautiful cotton fabrics. It was also a big part of family life to make our own toys, versions of batman caves and doll houses with secret passage ways all made out of cardboard boxes and found objects. On graduating from yr 12 I trained in Fashion Design, its a long time ago now…..eeek! I learned to draft patterns, and lots of other fun stuff like screen printing and millinery. I then went onto learn skills from the many creatives I have been privileged to work along side in theatre/film costume departments. And, I’m still learning new creative skills from the amazing people I have managed to attract in my life.

Q. Who or what inspires you to be creative?
A. Serendipity has smiled on me and I’m ever so fortunate to have hooked up with three insanely creative women. We meet weekly to discuss, plan and hold creative workshops. We are also working towards opening a workshop/retail space in Murwillumbah this year. We call ourselves Hey Maker! These women really do inspire me to make the time to be creative. I have just stepped out of a three year breast feeding, sleep deprived bubble! Being a mother of two very little people I am grateful for the snippets of time here and there to make something, without it, I do go nuts.

Q. Which talent would you most like to have?
A. Better time management and I wish I could speed type. Sounds boring I know, but just think there would then be more time for the fun stuff like playing with the kids and crafting!

Q. What is your idea of perfect happiness?
A. Happiness is living this family life here in Stokers Siding.
Perfect happiness is finding a balance where all life areas are in Harmony. This would look like a happy contented family, time with friends, time to make stuff, time to muck around with the kids, an organized home and a clear head. Oh, and my sisters living closer to me with their children would top it nicely.

Q. What is your greatest fear?
A. Don’t spend much time thinking about that one so I don’t know, perhaps the opposite of the above answer.

Q. What is your current state of mind?
A. Relief, to be feeling rested and motivated again.

Q. What do you consider your greatest achievement?
A. Bringing two new little beings safely into the world and then working out how to look after them.

Q. What is your most treasured possession?
A. I treasure my two children.

Q. Where is your ideal place to live?
A. I have traveled to many inspiring and cultured places that I could very happily live in but I think Stokers Siding is really my ideal place to live and raise a family.

Q. Favourite holiday destination?
A. Any Croatian Island in the Adriatic for a few weeks, the food, the wine, the cheese……. ahhhh bliss!

Q. If money were no object, where would you take off to?
A. Any Croatian Island in the Adriatic, with family and friends in holiday villas close by.

Q. Can you tell us about your best vintage find?
A. My two 1960’s Singer sewing machines, a portable and a classic model that folds into its own table. Both machines have full sets of discs that you use to manually change the stitch. I love that these discs give an imperfect patterned stitch.

Q. What is your favourite thing to cook for your friends?
A. Rasberry and coconut cupcakes, its quick and easy, reasonably healthy for the kids and yum! I’ve done these to death and keep promising myself I’ll come up with something new….. like the raw strawberry cheesecake I came across today.

Q. What is your motto? 

A. Gosh, I don’t actually have a motto. Perhaps a mantra for when I’m rushing around like a mad woman…….. “Slow down, I have everything I need and I am right where I are meant to be.”

Craft cred

Our Sew & Tell poster in the window of the CWA shop in Bangalow...mega crafty cred!

Profile: Stella Slufinski of STELKA

Name: Stella Slufinski
Stall name: STELKA
What are you selling at Sew & Tell? Unique Handmade fascinators and cocktail hats. Fabric Sunhats made out of hand block printed organic fabric, quilted bags and woman's clothing.

Q. What is your craft / creative outlet of choice?
A. Millinery and creating clothing

Q. Who is your craft idol?
A. Rodarte, Megan Park

Q. Who taught you to craft?
A. Since I was a small child a string of fascinating and talented women.

Q. Who or what inspires you to be creative?
A. It would hands down be textiles, fabrics, colors, prints and embroidery.

Q. Which talent would you most like to have?
A. To be able to sing

Q. What is your idea of perfect happiness?
A. A cook, cleaner, and a massage therapist. Then add good friends, spas and walks at twilight. I would find myself one very happy woman : )

Q. What is your greatest fear?
A. Leeches, flying

Q. What is your current state of mind?
A. Busy

Q. What do you consider your greatest achievement?
A. Getting through my 20s

Q. What is your most treasured possession?
A. My grandmother’s hand carved jewelry box from Poland

Q. Where is your ideal place to live?
A. Right here

Q. Favorite holiday destination?
A. Anywhere there is 5 star day spa retreat

Q. If money were no object, where would you take off to?
A. Europe

Q. Can you tell us about your best vintage find?
A. My wooden hat block

Q. What is your favorite thing to cook for your friends?
A. I always keep it easy and buy chips and dip, and if the occasion merits gelato from Bella Rosa in Byron Bay

Q. What is your motto?
A. Your success in life can be measured by how well you live, how well you love & how well you let go.

Profile: Sarah Ball of Storyline Designs

Name: Sarah Ball
Stall name: Storyline Designs
What are you selling at Sew & Tell? Handmade journals, jewellery, gift cards, mittens, and other treasures made form recycled and salvaged materials according to inspiration.

Q. What is your craft / creative outlet of choice?
A. Anything that involves repetition and simplicity. My making process is very meditative, so stitching, crochet, hammering metal, or weaving feel most rhythmic and enjoyable for me.

Q. Who is your craft idol?
A. Simryn Gill and Fiona Hall are masterful at taking the craft process and landing it on the doorstep of high art. Brilliant.

Q. Who taught you to craft?
A. Friends. I am a craft bower-bird, and have always jumped at the chance to sit down with the lovely folk I meet and share skills.

Q. Who or what inspires you to be creative?
A. The urge to leave a trace behind in this beautiful world….

Q. Which talent would you most like to have?
A. To speak many languages… especially the language of music.

Q. What is your idea of perfect happiness?
A. Being lost in a moment of deep belly laughter

Q. What is your greatest fear?
A. To be a recipient with no capacity to give back….

Q. What is your current state of mind?
A. Curious

Q. What do you consider your greatest achievement?
A. Following the spirit of adventure wherever it leads….

Q. What is your most treasured possession?
A. My antique sewing box

Q. Where is your ideal place to live?
A. Wherever there is a community of like-minded folk and vast expanses of natural space…

Q. Favourite holiday destination?
A. Bolivia

Q. If money were no object, where would you take off to?
A. Everywhere….preferably travelling over several years on a bicycle.

Q. Can you tell us about your best vintage find?
A. My vintage dressmaker’s mannequin makes my heart aflutter…

Q. What is your favourite thing to cook for your friends?
A. Pears poached in red wine with chai spices…

Q. What is your motto?
A. “What is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?” (Mary Oliver)

Profile: Eleanor from "Onefineday Handmade"

Name: Eleanor
Stall Name: Onefineday Handmade
What are you selling at Sew & Tell? Paper, cards and handmade Pretty Things

Q. What is your craft / creative outlet of choice?
A. At the moment it is all about finding beautifully made things, our little shop is filled with the work of crafters, designers and illustrators sourced mainly from within Australia and New Zealand.

Q. Who is your craft idol?
A. My YiaYia (grandma) and all of the talented crafters whose work brings our little shop to life

Q. Who taught you to craft?
A. My Yia Yia

Q. Who or what inspires you to be creative?
A. My kids, you have to be creative everyday

Q. Which talent would you most like to have?
A. To be able to make beautiful sculptural paper art

Q. What is your idea of perfect happiness?
A. At the moment-not having a sore neck!

Q. What is your greatest fear?
A. Fears are usually secrets

Q. What is your current state of mind?
A. Sleepy

Q. What do you consider your greatest achievement?
A. Giving birth

Q. What is your most treasured possession?
A. My Grandmas engagement ring and her collection of enameled eggs

Q. Where is your ideal place to live?
A. Here

Q. Favorite holiday destination?
A. Greece

Q. If money were no object, where would you take off to?
A. Paris or New York

Q. Can you tell us about your best vintage find?
A. A pair of round toed black heels with little gold bows on the heels which I found in Amsterdam and a pair of turquoise and silver earrings from an antique shop in Athens.

Q. What is your favourite thing to cook for your friends?
A. A pot of chai

Q. What is your motto?
A. Hmmmm….

Don't you love our poster! Our friend Hiromi Tango very kindly let us use this imagery of her artwork "Insanity Magnet" that she did back in 2009.

You can check out Hiromi's current work "Pistil" at GoMA in Brisbane until April 21. 

Profile: Victoria Furber of My Modular Heart

Your Name: Victoria Furber
Stall Name: My Modular Heart
What are you selling at Sew & Tell? New and vintage crochet items + other handmade goods

Q. What is your craft / creative outlet of choice?
A. I love crochet and photography. Crochet is my meditation and photography helps me to see beauty in the everyday.

Q. Who is your craft idol?
A. Definitely Tory Bauer and Gabe Cramb.

Q. Who taught you to craft?
A. My mother taught me to crochet when I was very young. Her mother, who was taught by her mother, taught her. I am a 4th generation crochet purist.

Q. Who or what inspires you to be creative?
A. Colours, patterns, words, other creatives

Q. Which talent would you most like to have?
A. Tough one! Is being content a talent?

Q. What is your idea of perfect happiness?
A. I am not sure it exists. Happiness is like the horizon, you can spend your whole life trying to get there and when it looks like it is getting closer, your view changes.

Q. What is your greatest fear?
A. Snakes. I have horrible nightmares about being trapped in a pit of snakes.

Q. What is your current state of mind?
A. Cluttered with thoughts and ideas.

Q. What do you consider your greatest achievement?
A. Travel for sure. There are still so many places I want to go but I have ticked the ones I dreamed of visiting as a child.

Q. What is your most treasured possession?
A. My most treasured possession would be my passport. I would give up everything else I own to keep it and the chance to run away overseas whenever I want.

Q. Where is your ideal place to live?
A. Maybe Mexico – I would love to live in a little beachfront shack where I can swim, photograph and craft the days away.

Q. Favourite holiday destination?
A. Anywhere outside my everyday life.

Q. If money were no object, where would you take off to?
A. The moon – I have always been fascinated by the moon.

Q. Can you tell us about your best vintage find?
A. Every vintage crochet doily I have. I love them!

Q. What is your favourite thing to cook for your friends?
A. Mexican food is really social so I love to BBQ quesadillas or if it is brunch I love making baked eggs.

Q. What is your motto?
A. Fuck societies pressure to conform, I will not live a life of the norm’