Canberra 2012 – Order of Events

Friday Crafty Shopping Trip – Friday 8th June, 2012

Departing the Crowne Plaza Canberra at 1:00pm sharp, we’re off to Addicted to Fabric, Bison and the Shop Handmade. At Shop Handmade, we get some time to slow down, look through the store, shop, have a glass of nice cold sparkling wine and enjoy some delicious macarons. After a long day of travelling for many of you, it’s the perfect chance to relax. {Bus trip is full}.

Friday evening at your leisure.

Run/Walk – Saturday 9th June, 2012

Meet at the Captain Cook Memorial Globe at 7am for a 5km walk or a run (little bit longer). Let me know if you would like further details!

Handmade Market – Saturday 9th June, 2012

Make your own way to the Handmade Canberra market at the National Convention Centre (a short walk from both the Crowne Plaza and the YHA). The market opens at 10am.

Saturday Crafting Session – Saturday 9th June, 2012

Starting at 1pm at the Crowne Plaza Canberra, in the lovely Glebe room overlooking Glebe Park, is the main event, the Saturday Crafting Session.

Please arrive promptly – lunch will be served right at 1pm! If you arrive late from the market, I am not responsible for you going hungry!

Other than that little matter, it’s a relaxed day :-), with lots of opportunities to meet other craft bloggers, take part in some workshops, shop at the pop-up market stalls, do the infamous ‘Sample Swap’ dance, win a prize from the fabulous pool of prizes donated by our sponsors and, if you have time, do some of your own crafting!

You’ll receive a goody bag, with samples from our sponsors, and a name tag and lanyard.

Workshops will take place as follows:

• 2:30pm Beginner Crochet Class (all booked out)
• 3:30pm Sock Owl Workshop (book here if you’d like to participate)
• 5:00pm Granny Square Crochet Class (one spot left)

Mini Market Stalls will take place as follows:

• 1:30pm  – Suzy Hausfrau – yarn
• 2:00pm – Craft Schmaft – craft kits and patterns
• 2:30pm – Craft Junk – crochet and knitting needles
• 3:00pm – Chaletgirl – fabric de-stash
• 3:30pm – Possum Blossom – die cut papers and fabric for paper piecing
• 4:00pm – Polly Pratt – fabric and clothes
• 4:30pm – Silly Gilly – fabric
• 5:00pm – Clare’s Craftroom – patterns
• 5:30pm – The Red Thread – a huge range of crafty greatness
• 9:30pm – Posie Patchwork – fabric

Lunch, afternoon tea and all day tea and coffee is supplied at the hotel, and this year, dinner is also included in your ticket price. We’ll be breaking for dinner at 6:30pm and walking a short distance (for some fresh/cool/cold/freezing air) to the Tongue and Groove for a delicious meal (for more details, see here). Drinks are at your own cost, and can be purchased at the bar as needed.

After dinner, we have a Sew It Together first; late night sewing! We have the room at the Crowne Plaza until 11:00pm, so come back to the hotel for some more relaxed, late night, warm & cosy sewing time.

Midnight activities at your leisure 🙂

Fabric Stencilling Workshop – Sunday 10th June, 2012

Starting at 10:00am at the Corroboree Park Function Room in Ainslie, North Canberra, I’m going to  show you how to use stencils to print your own designs on fabric. You’ll receive a kit with all the tools you need to go home with a fabric panel printed with your own design, and you’ll be ready to keep going once you get home. Cost is $35 and you can book your ticket here. Please see this post here for details on transport for this event.

Sew It Together concludes on Sunday at 1:00pm at Corroboree Park in Ainslie.

Friday Crafty Shopping Trip!

I’ve just opened up bookings for the Friday Craft Shopping Trip!

You can buy your ticket here.

Departing the Crowne Plaza Canberra at 1pm sharp, we’re off for a great afternoon of shopping!

First stop, the fabulous Addicted To Fabric – the best fabric shop in Canberra! There’s an amazing range of quilting fabric, as well as apparel and evening fabrics here and I know you’re going to love it.

Next stop is Bison for some beautiful, handcrafted and durable ceramics. (My local Sydney craft girls threatened to hijack the bus if we didn’t visit Bison whilst in Canberra. You’ll love their colourful products!)

Last stop will be the Shop Handmade for a treasure trove of crafty goodness. We’ll be welcomed with a glass of sparkling wine and delicious fresh macarons! There is so much here to love. You’ll have plenty of time to look around the store and make your purchases.

We’ll finish at the Shop Handmade in the centre of Canberra at approximately 5:30pm.

Numbers are limited for this excursion.

Sponsors, gifts and prizes!

I’m somewhat overwhelmed by the amazing support from all of the sponsors this year, and thought I would start a master list of what’s on offer this year!

What you’ll find in your goody bag (your Innergreen Corn Bag, made from 100% corn!):

• A fat quarter of gorgeous Retromummy fabric
• Something fabulous from Ric-Rac
• A fabric badge from Posie Patchwork
• 2 yards of scrap fabric from Hawthorne Threads
• Pencil Roll pattern, quilt size card and discount coupon from Pink Chalk Fabrics
• Quilt pattern from Chasing Cottons
• Sample pack of fabric from Saffron Craig
• Surprise pattern made especially for SIT from Clare’s Craftroom
• Hello Birdie Pillow pattern from The Red Thread
• Jayne’s Love quilt pattern from Clare’s Place
• Key fob kit from Earthgirl Fabrics

Prizes for the Friday Fabric Shopping Trip:

• 3 gift vouchers from The Remnant Warehouse

Prizes for the Saturday Crafting Session:

• 5 x 500g bags of Innergreen Toy Fill
• 5 x 50cm Innergreen Cushion Inserts
• (possibly) 5 x large quilt squares of Innergreen Quilt Wadding
• “Material Obsession” book from Material Obesssion
• “Material Obsession Two” book from Material Obsession
• 4 x Material Obsession Dolly Quilt Kits
• $50 gift voucher from Kelani Fabric Obsession
• Large bundle of fabric from Saffron Craig
• 5 x pretty bundles of fabric and patterns from Sew Vintage
• 6 x patterns from Clare’s Craftroom
• 3 x felt owl kits from Plushka’s Craft
• 7 x $10 gift vouchers from The Oz Material Girls
• 2 x $30 gift vouchers from The Oz Material Girls
• 3 x Wendy dresses from Polly Pratt
• A set of 5 Sweetie Petite kits from The Red Thread
• A set of 7 quilt patterns from Clare’s Place
• 2 x Owl Mobile kits from Craft Schmaft
• 3 x Baby Owl kits from Craft Schmaft
• 4 x Woof Woof patterns from Craft Schmaft
• A Heart Embroidery pack from Prints Charming
• A Pack of Useful Fabric Scraps from Prints Charming
• Patterns and kits from Nicole Mallalieu Design

Which adds up to over 50 prizes! FIFTY!

If you can think of anything relevant to say to all this, other than THANK YOU to everyone, then feel free, because I am rather speechless at the generosity of our sponsors right now……

Friday Fabric Shopping Trip!

I’ve just realised that I wrote this post a while ago, and I never, um, published it.

It’s still relevant, but it’s a little bit of old news. I’m really sorry!

There are places still available on the bus though if you are interested!

—————————–

I’m delighted to announce details of this year’s Friday Fabric Shopping Trip!

Here’s the scoop:

We’re departing The Menzies Hotel on Carrington St, Sydney at 12pm sharp*. SHARP, I tell you! **

First stop will be The Remnant Warehouse at Alexandria. This is a fabulous shop, and you can read more about it here!

From there we’ll be heading to the exciting, new (and oh so pretty!) Calico and Ivy shop in Balmain. It’s only just opened, and from all reports, it’s a cracker of a shop and we’re all quite excited in Sydney about having it in our midst.

After that, we’ll be off to the Prints Charming studio in Annandale. You’ll have a quick visit here in the shop (opening especially for us!), to make some purchases, before the Friday Fabric Shopping Trip concludes at 4:30pm.

From here you’ll have three options:

• join in the Prints Charming Stitching Session which commences at 4:30pm (separate cost, bookings open now, limited numbers (just 4 left) and open only to those who live outside the Sydney Metropolitan area)
• return to The Menzies Hotel in Carrington St by minibus (no extra cost)
• make your own transport arrangements at your leisure, and at your own expense.

Cost will be $32 per person and includes mini-bus transfer commencing and finishing at The Menzies Hotel. There is a limit of 24 places on this Shopping Trip.

Payment needs to be made in full with your reservation, and can be made here.

*If you think that your flight arrival time into Sydney on Friday is too late to enable you to leave with us from The Menzies at 12pm, then you may elect to make your own way to the first stop (which is not that far from the airport) at your own expense and join us from there. I will not allow too many to do this, since we don’t really have room on the bus for more than a couple of large bags so please contact me first. Also, you will not receive a reduction in the fee for missing the first leg.

** I will leave without you if you are late. Trust me.

Bookings opening for Friday’s Events TODAY

Bookings are opening today at 11am Brisbane time, 12pm Sydney time for the Friday Fabric Shopping Trip and the Friday Prints Charming Stitching Session.

I admit, I should have given you more notice here…I completely forgot, sorry!

You can join our Facebook group for more notifications, although I will always notify you here as well (hopefully with more than an hour’s notice next time…oops).

See link at top post for Big Cartel shop. Good luck!

What’s in store for Sydney 2011?

I know that you’re keen to know what’s planned for Sew It Together in Sydney, so here’s a rundown of what’s on offer. Keep times in mind before you book any flights to and from Sydney!

Remember, before you reserve your place at any of these additional events, you must have reserved your place, and paid your deposit for the Saturday Crafting Session. You cannot attend any of the other events without attending the main event on Saturday 26 March, 2011. You can do that here.

• Friday Fabric Shopping Trip will be visiting The Remnant Warehouse in Alexandria, the brand-new Calico & Ivy store in Balmain and the Prints Charming studio in Annandale. The bus departs The Menzies Hotel in Carrington Street at 12pm sharp and will return at approximately 5:15pm on Friday 25 March, 2011. Only 24 seats available on the bus. Cost is $32.
• Friday Prints Charming Stitching Session will be held at the amazingly gorgeous Prints Charming studio in Annandale, Sydney. You’ll spend two hours learning how to embroider one of their beautiful panels, and just enjoying the inspiration you’ll find all around you. If you catch the ‘stitching bug’, you’ll be able to purchase any extra Prints Charming products before you leave. Places *strictly* limited to 15 people. The Session runs from 4:30pm to 6:30pm on Friday 25th March, 2011 and the cost is $70. This includes the lesson, the panel and transfer back to The Menzies Hotel via Maxi Taxi; and the Prints Charming ladies are throwing in some champers so we’re all very relaxed. Bookings are only open to non-Sydney bloggers. {Sorry, but Sydney girls can go anytime – this one is for the visitors only! Please don’t pay if you live in the Sydney Metropolitan Area – I will return your money straight away if you do}. You will need to make your own way, at your own expense, to the Studio at 2 Young Street Annandale if you are not on the Friday Fabric Shopping Trip.
• Saturday Night Dinner will be held at the Heritage Belgian Beer Cafe, 135 Harrington Street, The Rocks. There is a  3 course set menu (which includes their awesome Mussel Pots), and drinks can be paid for on a cash basis at the bar. You can view the current menu here, although I am advised that it will change slightly between now and March. There are vegetarian options included in the set menu, but if you are even stricter than that (ie vegan), please let me know loud and clear at the time of booking. Saturday 26th March, 2011 at 7:30pm. Cost is $59.00 and includes food only.
• Sunday Morning at Material Obsession – bus will leave The Menzies Hotel at 9:30am and head straight to Material Obsession for a private shop opening and demonstrations by Kathy Doughty and her team. Come along and explore the store, do some shopping, admire the sample quilts and be inspired by what Kathy and her team are going to show you. The minibus will leave Material Obsession and go directly to the domestic airport for your transfer back home. Please do not book a return flight out of Sydney before 2:30pm. Cost tba and will include the minibus transfer from The Menzies Hotel, and the return trip directly to Sydney Domestic Airport. Numbers will be limited, but will be advised.

I have tried to think of the best of Sydney to show our visitors. I hope that you enjoy any of these options that you decide to attend! Remember, they’re just options – it’s up to you if you come to all of them; or none of them.

Numbers are limited for everything except the Saturday Night Dinner, so I suggest that you do not hesitate reserving your place if you have your heart set on attending something. If you later change your mind, and I can fill your spot, you’ll be entitled to a full refund (excluding the Paypal fee).

Bookings will open for the Friday Fabric Shopping Trip and the Prints Charming Stitching Session soon, so stay tuned!

The Remnant Warehouse

This week I did a reconnaissance trip to The Remnant Warehouse in Sydney, to see if it qualified as a fabulous-enough fabric shop for our Friday Fabric Shopping trip, and I am pleased to report that it did!

The Remnant Warehouse is a large (pink!) shop with plenty of patchwork and dress fabrics, notions and supplies. I found some fabric that I had been looking for (on the sale rack too!) and also some lovely Japanese fabric that I hadn’t seen before. I really think there is something for everyone here and it will be a great stop on our bus trip.

While I was there, I spoke to the ‘man in charge’, Joe, about our visit next year, and he very kindly gave me 3 gift vouchers on the spot for our Friday shoppers! So, when you sign up for the Friday Fabric Shopping trip (details still to come) remember that we’re off to The Remnant Warehouse, and there will be 3 vouchers up for grabs on the bus before you get there!

Thanks very much, Joe, and everyone at The Remnant Warehouse! See you in March!

Amitie – Our Last Sponsor

What a delight it was, at our first stop on the Friday Fabric Shopping Trip, to arrive at Amitie, to be greeted by Jenny and her staff with such a warm welcome!

There were tea, coffee and delicious slices laid out for us to nibble on.

And lots of gorgeous quilts, and fabrics, of course!

Jenny also very kindly offered a generous discount to all our shoppers.

And if that wasn’t enough, Amitie donated 3 divine bundles of fabrics as prizes for the Saturday Crafting Session. These prizes were amongst the first to be claimed, and I was not surprised in the slightest.

That’s a huge bundle of lovely robot fabric, including a pattern, on the top left. This found an absolutely perfect home with Mary Jane, who blogged about it here.

The other bundles are piles of buttery-soft Anna Maria Horner’s Little Folks voile. From memory, one of these went to Donna (who declared it the perfect weight for a Brisbane winter scarf), and the other to Tanya.

A huge thank you to Jenny at Amitie for her lovely warm welcome and generosity. I don’t think any of our shoppers will forget Amitie in a hurry. Thank you for making it just the perfect shopping experience for our excited ladies.

(Photos stolen from Retromummy because I was too busy shopping to take photos).

The Details

Here’s where and when you need to be:

Friday:

• Fabric Shopping – Citigate Hotel, 270 Flinders St, Melbourne at 12:45pm sharp.
• Friday Night Drinks – Nicole Mallalieu Studio at  420 Victoria St, Brunswick (off Sydney Rd, past Brunswick Railway Station) from 5:00pm. Late-comers will need to call from the security phone for access. Nikki will leave the number on the door for you. The building is an old school and the front door is in the middle of the building that faces the street.

Saturday:

• Saturday Crafting Session – Conference Rooms, Citigate Hotel, 270 Flinders St, Melbourne from 9:00am to 4:30pm. (Tea and coffee available from 8:30am).
• Saturday Night Dinner – Cafe Italia, 56-66 University Street, Carlton at 7:30pm. Please only come along if you have already confirmed and paid.

Any questions?

Leave a comment below and I’ll answer as soon as I can. I’m outta here before dawn tomorrow, but I am bringing my favourite tech gadgets with me, so I should be able to stay in touch.

See you all soon!

Friday Fabric Shopping Bus Trip

This one is for the ladies coming on the bus trip!

The bus will be departing at 12:45pm sharp on Friday from the front of the Citigate Hotel at 270 Flinders Street, Melbourne.

Please note that this time has been brought forward by 15 minutes to accommodate the extra travel involved in getting to Ink & Spindle. The majority voted to drop GJ’s Discount Fabrics. I wish we had time for both, but I think you chose well in picking Ink & Spindle. Teegs and Lara are excited to have us and will be able to show you a demo print run.

I think that part is worth the trip to Melbourne alone!

I have spoken to the girls who are arriving the latest into Melbourne and we have them all sorted. If you think that 12:45pm is tight for you too, and you would like my mobile phone number to communicate on the day, please feel free to email me at chaletgirl13@gmail.com and I will pass it to you.

If you miss the bus, you may want to catch up via a taxi to Amitie at 281 Centre Road, Bentleigh. We’ll be there for about 40 minutes. Their phone number is (03) 9557 8551 in case you really get stuck.

Don’t forget that the bus does not return to the hotel. The bus will deposit us at Nikki’s studio in Brunswick and your return trip to the hotel, or onwards for dinner, or whatever you have planned, will be at your own expense.

That’s about all I can think of that I need to tell you. If you have any questions, leave a comment below and I will answer it below for everyone else to read too.

8 sleeps to go!