Craft & Quilt Fair

If you haven't been to the Craft & Quilt Fair at least once before, then you're not really a crafty person. Held this past weekend at the Melbourne Exhibition Center in Southbank this years fair was fantastic. I think out of all the trade fairs i attend this one would be my favorite. The Craft & Quilt fair brings together not just quilting and craft vendors but also beading, jewellery and scrapbooking, there are plenty of brand new gizmos and machines on display for you to try out and just as many over eager sales reps happy to take your money for them too. It's basically like going to a big crafty shopping center, and they don't just sell "granny style" products either, there's plenty on offer for all ages and personal tastes. Kelani Fabric Obsession are one of my favorites, though a little pricey i find there boutique designer fabrics very inspiring.


But the Craft & Quilt fair in not just about the shopping. Whilst at the show you can participate in more then 65 workshops from free seminar-style classes featuring plastic garden chains and poorly rigged up mics which either give constant feedback or are set to quite. Here you can listen to experts talk about new product and how to use them. The fair also features something called "The Craft Circle" these are small school group-like hands on tutorials set up at the back of the fair, where participants buy a "kit" from a vendor and are shown how to create the kit. This year i signed up for something called "Air Dry Enameling". I have always wanted to learn enameling but the cost had prevented me in the past, so when i read about this new way of applying enamel i had to sign up. The "kit" basically contained a large alloy silver pendant and shared use of the enameling products. I choose this super cute daisy, the petals provided a great surface to work on and practice my new skill.


So happy was i with the finished product, i spent a small fortune on new enameling products and because i participated in the class, i was given some for free. As soon as i got home i began colouring my own settings, pendants and charms. Expect to see some very colourful creations coming up soon.