things to do :: fabric + crafts

** vancouver, bc edition **

Mono is a succession of capsule series and projects which attempt to explore the spaces between art, craft, design and fashion. The work stands for more than just a cycle of endless products and seasons, it is a stand against the complacency within the fashion ideal. Designed in Vancouver by Heather Martin, each item is handcrafted locally and this Friday, they are opening their doors for a fabric sale - $3 to $15/meter!

event: fabric sale
date: Friday, March 18th, 2011
time: 3 p.m. to 8 p.m.
location: 207-339 Railway Street (at Gore Street), Vancouver

For more details, visit their facebook event page here.

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Chapel Arts presents the Sunday Bazaar Community Market the first Sunday of every month and they are currently accepting vendor applications! This is an un-juried market for vendors from all over the city to sell their unique creations. You can download an application here and check out their facebook page for full details. 

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Bloom is taking place this Sunday, March 20th, 2011 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Fort Langley Community Hall. In their words, "Shop Bloom in Fort Langley for unique, handmade goods by more than 40 independent artists, crafters and designers from around the Lower Mainland and beyond." For more information and a full list of vendors, visit their website here.

things to do :: Fill a Bag Sale!

photo credit: bad skirt - amy's

Our Social Fabric: Textile recycling in the Vancouver DTES is hosting a 'fill-a-bag' sale this weekend! The rules are simple:

1. You purchase one of 3 sizes of bags (ranges from $25 to $100)
2. You dig, search and swim through piles and piles of fabric notions and clothes
3. You stuff as much into the bag as humanly possible

Date: Saturday, February 5th and Sunday, February 6th, 2011
Time: 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Location: 33 Commercial Drive, Vancouver - the maple leaf storage facility at Powell Street

Our Social Fabric is a group of individuals that work to establish a viable, socially responsible non-profit organization in Vancouver's downtown east side community. Their focus is to specialize in textile collection, recycling and re-manufacturing, while providing employment and social reintegration opportunities for residents of the community. For more information, visit their website here.

got craft :: DIY table

Make sure to check out the Spool of Thread DIY area on stage at the Got Craft holiday show! This year, Spool of Thread will be on hand to teach you how to hand sew flower pins, using felt, fabric and their famous button bowl! Depending on the materials selected, the pins can be festive for the holidays, like the Poinsettia in the image, or less seasonal and great for year round!

On Sunday, December 5th, attendees to the event we'll have 6 shades of felt and at least 10 cotton fabrics to select from, making each pin unique to the maker! There will also be complete instructions and Spool of Thread will be there to help, in case you get stuck in the middle of their making!

Laura Bucci Handmade - feature #40

Name: Laura Bucci Handmade
Website links: Website, Blog

What do you make?
I focus on functional fashion, home & travel accessories. I like to use retro/modern fabrics but lately have started designing my own vintage inspired line. You can see my new fabric in action on the sustainable cup cozies. If I can't produce the fabric myself, I'll use unique indie designed fabric. You'll see this used to make pouches, tea cozies and more. I am very conscientious about waste, so I started using fabric remnants to make fabric pinback buttons.

What or who inspires you?
I'm inspired by the many illustrators of education and story books in what we now call vintage books. Often times the illustrators were not credited but a few were, so I'd to acknowledge Merle Smith and Maud Sherman.



How did you get started?
I studied fine art and photography a long time ago. But what I do now is a real departure from what I studied. I am a self-taught sewer. Sewing was preceded by knitting which is what got me started being creative after a 10 year hiatus. This all came about from feeling a need to be creative and independent after working at regular jobs. I am slowly returning to my photographic roots but now within a new medium -- fabric and functional objects.

What are your favourite materials to work with?
I like fabric with different textures and I favour natural and vegan materials such as linen, hemp, and cotton.



List 5 of your favourite links and why you like them

Advanced Style: A visual and wonderful display of New York's most stylish and creative older folks. I love seeing that older people play with style. It's very positive.

Hula Seventy: Because I love her photographic style and relaxed writing tone. I find inspiration in her doings and started my own list series at my blog after I saw hers.

how 2 draw a cup of coffee: I follow this blog because, well again, I love her work and find it inspiring and also because Michele Maule is wonderfully charming in her honesty and insecurity.

Uppercase Gallery: My god I love this magazine! This is a great Canadian publication with wonderfully curated visual culture. A beautiful magazine to collect.

blushed: A blog by Lu Summers, a charmingly honest mom and mixed media artist from a very flat part of England. I appreciate her sense of humour and I use her fabric in my pouches and pins.



Do you have any advice for those in the biz?
Differentiate yourself from the rest. What's different about you? Why would people want to buy from you? Think about branding, it's really quite important and something I am thinking about right now. When I began crafting, I focused on products and I'm only now thinking about branding. When you think about your brand you are working on a style that you will convey to viewers. Consumers buy because of the perceived style.



Do you consider yourself an artist or a crafter?
Sometimes they are, sometimes they're not. Some work is definitely plain and simple craft with not much artistic intention. Some craft is very much a work of art. Deep down inside I always thought I was an artist but I'm only now getting comfortable with that concept. I believe images on a t-shirt can be art, it all depends on how it's done.

(photo images courtesy of Laura Bucci Handmade)

If you are interested in being featured, please send us an email at info(at)gotcraft(dot)com.

Check out our past features...
Track and Field Designs - feature #39
Irit Sorokin Designs - feature #38
Clockwork Fantastica - feature #37
Divesin - feature #36
Flight Path Designs - feature #35
Plantscapes - feature #34
Olive - feature #33
Uncle Phil / Flipside - feature #32
Kim Werker - feature #31
Haiiku - feature #30
Smidgebox Designs - feature #29
heyday design - feature #28
Smeeta - feature #27
ACageyBee - feature #26
Maked - feature #25
Firefly Notes - feature #24
Florence Ann - feature #23
Him Creations - feature #22
Jenny Hart - feature #21
district thirty - feature #20
tinywarbler designs - feature #19
telly designs - feature #18
Cabin + Cub - feature #17
Rachel Hobson - feature #16
Green Couch Designs - feature #15
Tanis Alexis - feature #14
Sweetie Pie Press - feature #13
Fibre Manipulator - feature #12
Sam Made - feature #11
All Things Paper - feature #10
Owl + Pussycat - feature #9
Bliss in a teacup - feature #8
It's Your Life - feature #7
Faythe Levine - feature #6
Coco Cake Cupcakes - feature #5
pomomama design - feature #4
GroovyGlassGirl - feature #3
Bueno Style - feature #2
The Beautiful Project - feature #1