Melbourne Craft Expo 2009

I love attending craft events with Sharon - it is so much fun spending money with someone who shares your enthusiasm! This Craft Expo is the first time it has been held in Melbourne; we think it replaces the Stitches & Craft Fair, run by the same Event managers. After reading the advertising, I didn't think I would enjoy it as much as the previous Fairs, but I was completely wrong. It was one of the best craft events I've been to in recent years. I don't know if my opinion was influenced by the ambience of the venue - Melbourne's beautiful Exhibition Buildings, which are over 100 years old and set in stunning gardens, alongside the Melbourne Museum.
We arrived early, bought our tickets and waited in the sunshine with other keen crafters for the event to open at 10 am. While we were waiting, Expo staff walked around distributing free tote bags and craft magazines to everyone - nice touch!
Once inside, we strolled around getting our bearings to see where the workshops and seminars would be held, and booked into one on embroidery. Stopping only once for coffee and a bit later for lunch, we enjoyed ourselves immensely - the stands were mostly patchwork and stitching, with paper and other crafts well represented. Here is my stash: Hexagon patchwork kit, with cardboard papers for piecing, template, fabrics, and dear little cutter and cutting board!
This little stitchery was a freebie, thrown in with the Chooks stitchery and pattern book that I bought at one stall.
Fat quarters - cupcakes and teacups - what else would you expect from me? (No new chook fabrics in stock).
Cute buttons to use on stitcheries and patchwork projects.
This photo isn't very clear, but this is the cutest stitchery - "Family Picnic" with a line of Chooks going out for the day! Can't wait to start on this!
This is the kit we received when we did the Embroidery stitches workshop. The tutor showed us how to do three or four stitches that are sometimes a bit tricky to do, and I learnt something from each example, as although I know how to do many embroidery stitches, I am most certainly no expert, and some of my work is not as neat as it should be.
I've been doing cross stitch for so long now, that I'd almost abandoned other forms of embroidery until I started crazy patchwork embellishing, and renewed my love of traditional embroidery. Sharon has been doing these stitchery type projects for a while and I could see why she enjoys them so much as a break from cross stitch. This book contains small easy designs, which I am planning to make into gifts, with some of those cute buttons to embellish each project.
I've got several needle threaders, but had been looking for a really fine one to assist me in threading beading needles. This might do the trick. If it doesn't, it still looks like a good needle threader!
These last two photos show the main reason I attended the Craft Expo. I have been wanting to put my newly created patchwork blocks into some kind of album, and thought I would have to have something purpose-made, but when I saw these at the Expo for $15, I pounced! They are 99.9% perfect - my blocks are about half an inch too wide, but that can be easily rectified by folding one side over and pressing it, so it will fit. I am so pleased with this!!