Crafty Christmas Market Joy

With lots of super craft markets coming up in the lead up to Christmas, I thought it was time to have a round up of crafty offerings. 

The photos above were taken by Jen of Utterly in Love at the last Encraftment Market.

Coming up soon is the Craft Love Festival. This is being held to celebrate the launch of the first print - as in paper - issue of Hazed Magazine. Hazed is a celebration of all things made by New Zealand independent designers and crafts people. The craft love Festival is being held on Friday the 29th of November from 5pm to 9pm at Mairehau High School. 

Encraftment have a Bambino Market scheduled for Saturday the 7th of December at Rangi Ruru in Merivale lane, and an exciting Christmas Market planned for Saturday 14th and Sunday 15th of December in the Cathedral Square. Its going to be a great event - sure to bring craft goodness and community spirit back to the central city.

Anyone who follows my blog will know that I am an enthusiastic advocate for all things crafty and all sorts of craft disciplines. My Nana was the queen of creating things back before a trip to the shops could buy you anything and sweatshop labour hadn't been invented. Natural fibres are my passion and I love making crafty projects accessible for everyone. 

 Here is a new design I am working on developing: cute as a button 100% craft cotton sun hats for babies and children. Little Miss 4 just loved this one. It is fully lined and can be worn on the reverse for a change of pattern and colour - or to hide a stain if required!

Christmas Bunting was a great seller last year. Everyone loved the cotton print, gold thread and super washable quality. 

Bring on the old fashioned toys for Christmas. 100% NZ wool crocheted balls with polyester filling. Super washable and great for little hands.

I just love putting together colour combinations for these cute little clutches and pencil cases.

100% New Zealand wool knitted sprout hats. Always in style and loved by small ears country wide.

Little rat toys: ready to sneak around your house and guaranteed not to nibble the wiring! 100% hand crafted quilting cotton outer with a washable poly fill centre.

Super cute crochet baby blankets in girls and boys colours. These are 100% NZ wool hand crafted future family heirlooms.

Carrying on the blanket theme: hand woven 100% New Zealand wool with cotton boarders.

These knitted tea cosy with the crochet flowers are so cute. Perfect for any tea party. 

More bunting. Unisex colours to compliment any interior.

 

Come on Christchurch, time to get crafty for Christmas!

Vintage Love - The Encraftment market is back!

The next Encraftment market is scheduled for the 7th of September. The Vintage theme is just made for us. We love vintage, and vintage loves us. Mum is always searching out vintage fabrics and apron patterns to make and I just love hand knitting, wool crafts and cute little vintage accessories. Call me old fashioned, but there is nothing better than a lovely hand-knit or piece of weaving. It speaks of love, a investment in time and attention to detail; all the good things in life when the only take out was fish and chips and big-box retail and imported tat hadn't been invented...

This is just a little selection of vintage love; made by Mum and I especially for you.

This is a 100% cotton and lace apron with back ties and side pockets.

A cuddly 100% New Zealand wool hand woven blanket worked in a traditional check. The ends will be bound with a floral fabric.

More apron love. This time it's paisley trimmed with bias binding. The bib goes over your head with the ties going through the body of the apron.

Pretty butterflies in 100% cotton with a handy front pocket.

Both tea cosies are made of 100% New Zealand wool. The cream one has crochet flowers. This one has crocheted openings and is drawn up at the top with a chain.

Snuggle with a 100% New Zealand wool crocheted blanket. This is the girly version.

More vintage aprons. This one's got a cute cross-over and lace trim.

Thinking vintage toys, back before plastic was invented and the only toys you owned were the ones your family made.

As well as all this great vintage inspired stuff, we will have all our usual crafty goodness on sale.

Thanks to all our friends who came to the Great British Market. We loved seeing you there. 
Thanks Encraftment team for considering our application. We would love to contribute to another great market. 

What a great day at the Craft Market!

What a great day at the Great British Craft Market! Loads of Christchurch craft lovers enjoying all the creative stalls, food, coffee, music and happy atmosphere on offer.  Thanks so much to the Encraftment team: Kirsten from The Make Cafe, Bronwyn from Baby Bird and Hazel from Hazel Loves Design, for organising such a successful market.



Thanks to all out friends who came along. It was lovely to see you all, and I hope you enjoyed the market as much as we did.

The Great British theme was everywhere. All the small children loved the woollen Fox Cushions!

I still have a couple left if you would like to give a crafty fox a home.



Vintage was the favoured style of apron on Market Day. I'm sure you will all be cooking up a storm in your new pinnys.

As you can see by my depleted tree, little sprout hats were definitely a hot favourite. There is nothing better than seeing a happy little face in their new cosy hand-knitted wool hat. I love making these, so it's always a pleasure to see them go to new homes and know they are keeping little people warm.

So many thanks again. Mum and I had a great day meeting all you craft loving people.

Great British Craft Market - here we come...

So excited.... Mum and I have been accepted for the Great British Craft Market! Tonight was the stall holders' meeting at The Make Cafe. The place was buzzing with enthusiastic crafty types chatting about their projects, drinking coffee and nibbling the sweet treats - thank you Kirsty, we so love the chocolate brownie!

It was lovely to meet the organising committee and all the other enthusiastic crafters. This is Hazel from Hazel Loves Design. When she is not helping to organise the craft market, Hazel is the visual design and graphic arts expert behind the Hazel Loves Design blog and it's associated publication Hazed.

It's shaping up to be a rippingly good market with over 60 top quality stands, a great venue and, best of all, no admission fee. They have also organised a 'Crafty Cash' eftpos facility to help with those spare of the moment must haves.

Hopefully the rain stops tomorrow, because I'll be out with my hammer to put the sign up!