The Handmade Fair

Sophie and I went on a little outing last weekend to Hampton Court for The Handmade Fair to take part in some classes, get some crafty inspiration and shop! It is the first big craft fair of its kind so we were really looking forward to getting involved and meeting fellow crafters. We took advantage of the full experience ticket which meant that we could choose a Supertheatre session, Grand Make and a Skills Workshop as well as enjoy all the other stuff that was going on. We started off with a jewellery class courtesy of London Jewellery School where we learnt how to make a memory wire bracelet; it was a simple project but looked really effective and very relaxing to create. Perfect for a handmade Christmas or birthday present. 

We then went for a browse around the shopping villages where there were over 150 exhibitors, selling everything from wool and fabrics to cake sprinkles and printed cards. Between us we bought a dress making pattern, a ceramic Christmas decoration and some illustrated cards. One of the highlights was The Painted House who sell brilliant patterned paint rollers for fabrics and wallpaper – you can even use them to add a design to a lampshade. Such a great idea and they had some pretty patterns, we’ve definitely bookmarked them for later purchases! Another stall that stood out was Sarah Hamilton Prints who uses a fresh, bright Scandinavian style to create beautiful prints, mugs, tea trays and more.

Gift wrapping with Jane Means was up next; the celebrity gift wrap expert taught us how to make two styles of bow and other tips and tricks to improve the look of our presents. Lastly we headed into the Supertheatre for the Mollie Makes Mash Up which was a Ready Steady Cook style show where two eminent crafters were given a metre squared piece of fabric and told to make a piece/s in 45 minutes with the audience then picking a winner. One of the ‘contestants’ was Momtaz Begum-Hossain who organises The Make Escape, a bi-monthly craft night in Hackney which has a great following. Momtaz decided to go for an apron and head scarf which looked great and have inspired us to get the sewing machine to put together some quick projects. On the other side was Ellie Jarvis who runs print and textile design workshop Clovelly Silk with her parents. Ellie showed us several interesting ideas you could put together with a simple piece of fabric  (no sewing/glueing allowed!) and knots – an over the shoulder bag, a cushion cover and a shrug. It showed us that all those scraps of material we have hanging around can quickly and easily be made into something beautiful!

After all of that shopping and learning, we were ready to hit the road but not before we had a look at the record breaking attempt to create the world’s largest line of pom-poms! #worldpomination

 

2 comments

    • Makery Mill says:

      Thanks for your comment Momtaz! We loved the Craft Mash Up, great fun and inspiration! Hope your crafty projects are going well :)

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