Giveaway - Sisterhood Sewing

Hello, here I am yet again, and you must be too if you're reading along.

This time, I'm here to announce, cue the trumpeteers.... a giveaway!
Hoorah!


Ellie from Sisterhood Sewing has generously offered up one of her cute-as-pie Owls to be given a new home with one very lucky fan/follower/reader, however you would like to term that.

Here he is, little darlin' ...

Just look at his big Owl eyes, so full of hope and anticipation, ready for you to love him all up.

You need to be a fan of Sisterhood Sewing on Facey to enter the giveaway, so click here to do that, then come back and leave a comment under this post for your chance to have a scrumptious new little Owly friend.

Thanks so much to Ellie for her generosity

Much love
Hatch ..xx

In their own words - Sisterhood Sewing

Hello again,

I prepared a lovely post for you all, featuring an interview with the lovely Ellie from Sisterhood Sewing and yesterday it was supposed to appear on the blog for your reading pleasure, but it somehow got swallowed up by the great (and sometimes quite unfriendly) web monster.  I wonder where it went, certainly not here that is for sure!

So, here today, I bring you an interview with darling Ellie, an apology for this not arriving as expected, and a note to say that I will also be posting the wonderful and exciting Sisterhood Sewing giveaway today, in a separate post.

So read, enjoy, be inspired.

Thanks to Ellie for taking the time to share with us, and be sure to check out her lovely wares, and show her some support http://www.sisterhoodsewing.com/ and on Facebook here


When did Sisterhood Sewing begin? 
Sisterhood sewing began 2009 . I belong in a group of fabulous women from Generation Church who have monthly events called Sisterhood.  One night we had a guest speaker from teen challenge queensland ( which helps young people to get free from addictions).
I  thought how can i use what God has given me to help others,,,, from there my mind was flooded with creative ideas and i started my first range of babushka dolls. once my friends knew what i did they started ordering them and telling their friends.

How did you learn your craft?
mainly self taught, trial and error.

What was the motivation to start creating? What was the push that saw you decide to start selling your items? in my spare time, ha ha ,being a stay at home mum i had made a stock pile of babushkas and owls. My sister helped me run my first market stall at the coolangatta beach markets. it did sell products but it was so exhausting that it took me about  year to do more markets.

How did you decide on the best forum for showcasing and selling your wares?  Which have you found the most successful and why?trying different local markets to see which ones attract my kind of shopper.
The village Markets are great because they promote their stallholders and advertise well.

What are your favourite materials to work with?beautiful cotton fabric,luxurious furnishing fabrics.  and my personal fave Cool VINTAGE fabric which i find so hard to part with.


Where do you get the inspiration for your pieces from?i look for trends eg babushkas and owls at the moment and i try to make mine a bit different and extremly cute.
i  have lots of creative friends of all ages and they often have some fantastic ideas and i work on the pattern. for example the pirate owl idea was from a friend who is a graphic  designer.  I made 5 of them for her nephews for christmas with their initials sewn on the wing.

Who do you imagine to be a buyer and lover of your items?my range at the moment is ALL ages. i have people buy mainly for themselves but so often for gifts for friends and family of ALL ages, to people tracking me down for baby gifts.


What has been the highlight for you since it all began? What about the most challenging bits? the popularity of  handmade has helped, and FACEBOOK is the best way for showing people what you are up to.

What was the last thing you created?am in the process of a vampire owl.... stay tuned.

What new things will we be seeing from Sisterhood Sewing in 2011?different styles of owls


What is the best thing about living a creative life on the Gold Coast? so many markets to choose from
meeting other friendly helpful creative stall owners

What is the most Challenging?most challenging is keeping work, life, family balance.

Thanks Ellie!

Much love
Hatch ..xx

In their own words - Alipink

Today my little darlin's you can find out even more about the delightful Ali from Alipink! 
Hooray, I hear you say!
She is a super-dee-dooper lady indeed, with a crafting conscience, an artistic view of the Gold Coast's future, and best of all, a huge love of creating! Read on my merry men, and find out for yourselves!


How long have you been in business, and what was the light bulb moment that made it all begin?I have been in business since late 2008.  Prior to then I was making and selling items to friends and friends-of-friends.  On-line markets such as etsy have made selling handmade goods more achievable for little businesses like mine.  Oh, and my children got a little older which gave me more time at the sewing machine.

What do you think makes alipink unique? When it comes down to it is is the fabrics that make alipink products unique.  alipink is part of the movement towards a more thoughtful use of resources.  I believe that by using beautiful and unique fabrics in products then this encourages 'mindful' use of these products.  Choosing to purchase a handmade item rather than a throwaway mass-produced item also fosters mindfulness.  It is great to see so many artists and crafters with the same philosophy.

What are you influenced and inspired by when creating? I am inspired by the fabrics themselves when I am creating - the size of the print, the colours and the need to avoid holes or marks often dictates the size and shape of an item.  I also love to browse craft books and magazines and have a growing collection of vintage craft books.  I don't really read blogs but I do pop in to check out http://www.meetmeatmikes.blogspot.com/, http://www.whipup.net/ and http://www.designspongeonline.com/ every now and again. 

When did you last create, and what was it?
The last major project I undertook was a coin quilt for my friend's new baby boy.  Each 'coin' was a different vintage or retro fabric in shades of blue, red and yellow.  I knew she would appreciate the time and effort that went into the quilt and I can imagine her little one choosing his favourite 'coin' when he is older. 

What will you be creating next?
I have four unfinished quilts in my sewing room at the moment so hope to be completing them over the Christmas / New Year break.

Where or how did you learn your craft? I have been sewing and crafting since I was a child. I can remember being taught to embroider and knit by my grandmother.  My mother is a great sewer and made all our clothes when we were children.  It was a while before she'd let me near the sewing machine though!  I bought my own sewing machine in my early twenties and have been developing my sewing skills since then.  I still knit and embroider and have recently learnt to crochet (thank you YouTube!).

What has been the best moment since it all began? What about the most challenging?The best part of alipink is getting positive feedback from customers.  I also love the nostalgia that my fabrics produce in buyers.  I often get comments like "I had sheets with that print when I was a child" or "My grandma had a table cloth like that".
The most challenging part is trying to make this venture self-supporting.  At the moment I can justify my expenditure as I have a part-time job but I am always conscious to avoid being a drain on the family budget.

What are your favourite materials to work with? Where do you source them? I love all vintage fabrics but am particularly enamoured with vintage bed linen at the moment as I have recently started quilting.  My fabrics are sourced mainly from op shops but I have kind family and friends who pass pieces on to me.  When I am looking for new fabrics I go to local online sellers http://www.ijustlovethatfabric.com.au/, http://www.voodoorabbit.etsy.com/, http://www.funkyfabrix.com.au/ and http://www.fabric4u2.com.au/.

Describe the Art/Craft community of the Gold Coast as you see it?It is constantly surprising.  I am originally from Sydney and moved to the Gold Coast about four years ago after a period of time in regional NSW and in London.  The Gold Coast is not all shopping malls, canal developments and bogans -  there is a diverse population here with a definite creative and environmentally and politically aware thread running through it.  I love living here!

What do you wish there was more of available for crafters and artisans on the Coast?
I would love the Gold Coast to host a dedicated handmade market.  There are lots of great markets here now and it would be great to be able to showcase artists and crafters without competition from mass-produced / imported products.

What do you wish for the future of art, creativity, and culture on the Coast? 
I can see the creative community growing here on the Gold Coast, especially through groups such as Crafty Coasters and The Hatchling Society Crafternoons.  The push against the giant shopping malls has begun! 

And what about the future for alipink?There are some new ventures ahead for alipink in partnership with other creative friends here on the Gold Coast. I am always looking for opportunities to reach new customers too and would love to be stocked in some local shops.  Hopefully 2011 will be the year that alipink becomes self-supporting.


Here's where you can find more of those truly scrumptious Alipink goodies....
Etsy http://www.alipink.etsy.com/
Facey www.facebook.com/alipinkbags
Web http://www.alipink.com/
Tweet http://www.twitter.com/alipinkbags

Thanks so much to the wonderful Ali for taking the time to share with us! What a gem she is! Tis nice indeed to find locals with the same creative, handcrafting ideals, perhaps this 'Gold Coast artistic Utopia' thing I keep rattling on about is not implausible after all!  Ali is on my side!

Be sure to check back tomorrow, to find out you can get your hot little hands on a FREE piece of Alipink treasure all for yourself! Nice, Thanks again Ali!

Love Hatch
..xx

GIVEAWAY - Onceworn Twiceloved

This weeks Local Creative, Sue from Onceworn has been oh so kind and generous, and has created a very special one-of-a-kind little leather purse which is going to be given away to one lucky reader.

Here it is.....

All handcrafted using re-purposed materials, so not only is it a little stunner, it has an environmental concience too, and it could be all yours!

If you haven't yet read about Sue and all her creative wares, you can do so here and here

For the chance to win, simply comment below, and Random.org will be drawing out the lucky winner next Friday morn. Only one comment per person please, but be sure to share this little gem with all your friends and fam. so that they have the chance to snap up a little piece of Gold Coast creative treasure too.

A great big Thanks to Sue for her wonderful generosity!
Show your support for the Creative Uprising of the Gold Coast, and support handmade, and the local community.

Love Hatch

In their own words: Onceworn Twiceloved

Here my fine feathered friends, you will find some Q&A with the lovely Sue from Onceworn all about what she does, why she does it, and what life for her is like on the (not so sunny of late) Gold Coast

You can find Sue's
Etsy shop here:  http://www.etsy.com/shop/onceworn
Madeit shop here: http://www.madeit.com.au/onceworn

Darling Sue has kindly donated some handcrafted, upcycled, made with love goodness which will be up for grabs to one lucky blog reader tomorrow, so be sure to come back and check it out!

But now, lets see what Sue has to say....

What was the motivation behind starting up onceworn? Onceworn twiceloved is the outlet for my creative side, satisfying a passion for op-shopping, design and sewing.  It all started with needing a new handbag myself, and has just grown from there.  I make one-of-a-kind handbags and accesories from secondhand and vintage leather jackets and fabrics.
 
Who do you invisage as a buyer/wearer/lover of your items?
I design things that I like to use and wear myself.  I see onceworn appealing to women who like something unique and quirky, but still practical, well designed and well-made.  I hope that the fact that I am re-purpposing things that might otherwise be thrown away is also a drawcard from a sustainability point of view.  My bags come with a tag showing the original jacket that they were created from so you can see what they started out life as.
 

How did you learn your craft?
I have sewn on and off for my whole life, making lots of my own clothes and things for our home.  My mum taught me to sew when I was really young.  She's the best seamstress ever, and has way more patience than me.  She tolerated many a tantrum when the sewing machine chewed up the cotton and jammed!  
 
What is the best thing you have found to repurpose?
I recently came across my best find ever, a vintage steel grey-blue full length leather ladies trench coat for $10!!!  It would make the most beautiful bag, and I won't lie, I'm tempted, but there are some things that are perfect just as they are.  I can't bring myself to cut it, so I'm going to wear it in winter! 

 
Describe the art scene of the Gold Coast through your eyes? I've only been on the coast for 10 years, but over that time I have definitely seen the arts, crafts and design scene on the Gold Coast grow, slowly but steadily.  There are new markets showcasing handcrafted items, and arty, different shops and galleries popping up all the time.  There isn't really one spot where these types of shops/galleries and venues are concentrated here though, like in alot of major cities, and that makes it difficult for them to get discovered.  I love it that blogs like The Hatchling Society are able to give these people and places the exposure they deserve, and I'll certainly be checking back in regularly.
 
What do you dream for the future of onceworn?
I would love for onceworn to become a full-time job and have more time to create. I have alot more ideas for things I'd like to make, homewares and other things.  If I could sew full-time it would be great!  

Be sure to show your support for this wonderful Gold Coast lady and her wares, and from The Hatchling Society, a great big THANKS SUE!!

If you, or someone you know would like to be the Showcase seller (or even the one asking the questions) you can contact us on facebook here or by Email contact.hatchling@gmail.com

Don't forget to share and be a part of the creative uprising of the Coast

..xx Hatch

Showcase Wednesday - Onceworn Twiceloved

This weeks local artisan is the lovely Sue from 'Onceworn Twiceloved', a fantastic local crafter, who finds and repurposes vintage and second hand leather items, and gives them a whole new life, and a whole new somebody-to-love. Just like this...

She inherited her love of sewing from her Mama, and her passion for re-purposing began at the tender age of 5 when said Mama unpicked and resized a dress of her own to fit her darling daughter.

Sue never knew quite what she wanted to be, and has dabbled in everything from Zoology to Computer Graphics, but like so many, the call to get creative took over, and this, combined with her lust for all things vintage saw the beginnings of onceworn. 

Her focus on creating beautiful yet sustainable items makes them all the more delightful, and her self-confessed perfectionism means that every item is finished to a superstar quality.





 Sue's gorgeous wares can be found in the Onceworn Etsy Shop, http://www.onceworn.etsy.com/, which is consistently updated with new and delightful treasures, and also on madeit www.madeit.com.au/onceworn

Seller Showcase - Buttons Dior

Buttons Dior specialise in one of a kind, unique, quirky and beautiful clothing and accessories for all ages.
Every single item is handcrafted with attention to detail by the amazing Nic Dior, often using vintage fabrics.

Nic realised that her obsession with beautiful vintage buttons was beginning to rule her life, with thousands of boxes of  said buttons taking over her craft space.  What else is a girl to do, but share them with all of course! And so, Buttons Dior was born.

Daddy's Boy Singlet

White Crochet Singlet

Ranging from Infants through to Adults, Buttons Dior features something for everyone who likes to look unique. From singlets and skirts....



Through to adorable and whimsical Button Dolls...

Pepper Button Doll

And delightful button Accessories...

Buttons Dior can be found here on Facebook, and you can contact the lovely Nic by email at buttonsdior@gmail.com

She is a very busy lady indeed, as she is also Mumma to three little Babekins, AND the heart and soul behind SraoK but there will be more all about that to come at a later date....

Show your support

With love, Hatch