Yesterday I took the Mothership to the
Millets Farm Craft and Gift Fair. .... Ok, ok, technically she took me because she drove....and paid the entry fee.... Anyway, we went.
We've been going to
Millets Farm for years. When we were small, the Mothership used to take us (my brother, sister and me) there in the school holidays for a mooch around the food shop, and then the garden centre and gift shop bit, and sometimes also the little craft hut, and if we were very good and VERY lucky, we'd get to see the animals down at the bottom of the site and play on the swings as well. Oooh! AND we used to go and have tea and cake in the restaurant too! The best days for that were cold, wintry days when they had the fire going and it was warm and cosy and smelt of wood smoke. I distinctly remember going to Millets Farm for my Birthday Outing one year, and being given permission to choose some sweets from the sweet dispenser in the food shop. I choose some white chocolate buttons which were covered in hundreds and thousands, and I consumed them one at a time over the course of the next two weeks. I knew exactly how to make the treat-y goodness last in those days!
These days, the Centre seems to have lost some of it's magic (perhaps it's just because I'm older?), the gift shop doesn't seem to be as big or as good, and even the craft hut isn't the Mecca-like treasure trove that it once was. The food shop always has lots of things I could eat right there and then though...!
Yesterday's visit wasn't to any of those shops, but to a specially erected marquee just in front of the Maize Maze (another childhood Wantie: "Mummyyyyyyy? Please can we go to the maize maaaaaaaaaze? Pleeeeeeeeease?")
So we paid our £3 (two pounds for me, and one for the Mothership. She had a voucher) and in we went. There were perhaps 50 stalls, all selling arty crafty things and all drawing me in with their homemade charm. Actually, not all of the stalls were selling homemade things; I spotted a couple of stalls where the products has most definitely been bought in from somewhere else, but for the most part, I wasn't disappointed:
Beautiful lace from a lady called Margaret
And we got to see her at work too! Mesmerising.
Jewellery made from locally found fossils by
Fossickers
And some raw fossils from the same people. The dark ones on the left are fossilised dinosuar poo!
Knitted scarves in gorgeous colours (I forgot to pick up a card for this stall, sorry)
More jewellery
Stained glass
Felt and crochet brooches
Buttons! I had to stop myself buying the whole lot!
Cute little hairgrips from The Button Room
More from The Button Room
I also saw, but didn't take any photos, of some amazing cake stands made from vintage china from a company called
Marmalade Button. They were just soooo lovely! And so many plates and teacups to choose from! Too bad that I had stupidly spent all my cash on a (rather delicious) curry the night before so didn't have enough to buy one there and then, plus the Mothership told me I wasn't allowed one. Never mind that I'm 28 and can make my own decisions. She laid down the law and said "No."
China plates and cups were soon forgotten though when I spotted a
Twitter friend and her stall so I popped over to introduce myself. It's the best thing meeting someone in real life who you "see" every day on Twitter, it really is. How funny this modern age of technology is! So we had a lovely chat and I took a photo of all the pretty things on her stall (which you can see over on my
Twitter page @LforLemonade). She also directed me over to a lady called Jeanette who (amongst other things) has a mailing list for people who want to be kept informed of when all the local craft fairs are. I am going to sign myself up to have my very own little stall at some! Eeek! This is most exciting but extremely daunting since I have to make a billion things for the stall first! But something to aim for, yes?
What a lovely, inspiring, exciting afternoon. The Mothership and I enjoyed it very much, and agreed that there should be more arty crafty homemade fairs like this. There are so many talented people out there who should be getting the credit they deserve for their homemade things (and not just selling it on Etsy), be it knitting or crochet, jam or jewellery, and if we don't continue these traditions they will die out and never be seen again, like the lace-making lady said. I have always loved going to craft fairs, and get so totally inspired to make things by them, and I'm sure that there are many people like me! Trouble is, just to secure a stall at one of these things is mega expensive. Maybe if more people got involved, they would be cheaper?
Today I have finished a commissioned crochet project! Hurrah! I shall post some photos later in the week and give you the link to the pattern I used, but to whet your appetite, here is a teeny tiny taster photo:
OoOoOoooh! Crochety yummyness!
Also, I got received a wee little parcel in the post, all the way from Australia! I came across Mikaela Danvers and her
Etsy shop I can't remember how one day, and immediately fell in love with a darling little laser cut wooden brooch and HAD to have it:
Australian stamps are so cool! And Mikaela had stitched up the envelope using her sewing machine!
The brooch itself was in a little brown envelope, fastened with some adorable washi tape
A business card and discount voucher included
And the brooch itself. Isn't it cute?!
I maintain and strengthen my belief that receiving parcels is one of life's Best Things. And it's all in the little details too: the stitched jiffy bag, the washi tape and the little brown envelope, the business cards and discount voucher, and of course the brooch itself, all wrapped up in tissue paper. Perfect.
I'm off to test out different stitches for a new commission now - a crocheted camera case for a very lovely lady - but don't forget to pop back later in the week to see the crocheted scarf in all it's glory.
Love love,
emmalemonade x x
