Market Research: Fabric-a-Brac Redux

It seems to be the season for funky craft markets. Over the last couple of months I've managed to stumble across three different market events selling a variety of crafty supplies and handmade items, and they've resulted in quite a few successful shopping trips. 


One of the nicest bits about the stalls is that most of them have lovely little business cards, and I've had a lot of fun collecting them. I'd never realised how much having a non-standard size or shape makes to help your business card stand out - I'll have to keep it in mind if I ever want to make some.

The first market was  Fabric-a-Brac. I went to the first Sydney Fabric-a-Brac about six months ago and loved it, so when they announced that they were going to have another one I stuck it straight in my calendar. The last one was a little bit cramped, so it was nice to see they expanded this time - it was held at the Petersham Town Hall, so there was a lot of space. It also had a stage, and there was live music playing which gave it a nice atmosphere.

This Fabric-a-Brac didn't disappoint. Seeing as last time I went I had very limited time, I came with every intention of spending a lot of time and money, and spend it I did. I went slightly mental and just bought everything I saw that I thought I liked. And I liked a lot. There were so many awesome stalls packed with brilliant material and supplies.

The best find was Lilypad Designs, who were running an insanely popular stall. They had so much amazing fabric. There was constantly a huge crowd around it, so it was difficult to take photos, but I managed to fight my way to the table. By complete chance I found a repeat of the material from the first Fabric-a-Brac that turned into Steph's laundry bag, which is awesome because it means I can make more of them. I also picked up a lovely grey printed cotton that I'll probably turn into another skirt (with pockets this time!).

Some other notable finds were a big ball of really fat wool that will probably end up being a beanie, a nice stripy black and white cotton knit that I think wants to be a top, and a stall that was letting you choose a bag full of buttons out of a huge jar for a dollar. I ended up leaving with two stuffed shopping bags - I probably bought enough to open my own stall next time!

Next time: Etsy offline

----------
Fabric-a-Brac - http://fabricabracworld.wordpress.com/
Lilypad Designs - http://lilypaddesigns.com.au/
Drawstring Laundry Bag with Lingerie Detailing - http://etsy.me/INxQDi