Social Crafting
This post has been sitting my drafts folder since June 2016 (not even last year!). While its tempting to press delete - I really would like a record of the craftying I was able to do while in Melbourne at the start of 2016. I went along most weeks to a meetup for knitters and crocheters in the Porcelain Tea Parlour on Elgin Street in Carlton. It was a bit of a walk but it was nice to have a pre-organised group of people to chat with every week. And trying some new teas each week didn't hurt either!
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRjJokwfr4u8t3qYD0rw7uT3WMqTzDJMbNRLpRXQaqykAKYq6BjycvLVL4s64DntsPDrcIY22wizxA53Sfmtc9dBnX5fV_VbmpnHOPbef1oNsvWNJQ-r4apxTSUkMVZITJWJZJlNiVKTE/s320/IMG_8531.JPG)
I even started to knit a bit more as the group was keent to make pouches for orphaned joeys. Not a bad way to practise my knitting skills as a few inconsistent stitches wouldn't be that problematic for an ickle kangaroo! That really is one of the issues I have with teaching myself how to knit as I'm nowhere near as fast or consistent as I am with crochet so I'm not as tolerant with mistakes as I would have been in the early days of crochet.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhX9B_1QLG21FVMmgPhVjabF_s_5uWSZCVx5gh3Hn_Ps2m8jl8xU8T6fpt7ajKaFIhi1IumGQByrQMm9CRiu0LjMg82F5dN95G0h4p0gQ05FP1BT4mUZN_q3LQI9HMvkasdFtgZYm8jio/s320/IMG_8585.JPG)
I also walked out one day for a sewing group with some wonderful Australian bloggers/instagrammers in GJs Discount Fabrics - Social Sewing. They meet up once a few times a year upstairs. Unfortunately as it was a weekend I wasn't able to go much while I was in Melbourne as we tried to travel while we were there (yeah, for Tasmania and a road trip to Adelaide as well as a few trips to the country side).
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLk9is1d9DCVOEPqt86DhynDyeR5TD5oqlYFSEnc5gu5PN3Zyq5eVyLJzR2cvpyuQ0E4Rg6x9bUcYnJK9qzZBd01-e5vHrHx_ijtk1CERuF4yolU0i36zZLc-zLvYqdXYGmB_0eOpPkQE/s320/IMG_8578.JPG)
It took quite a while but I decided to walk out to Fairfield from the central city where we were staying. I managed to fit in a few stops to interesting fabric shops on the way.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVlxQqW2Xi9JcNH1zkUiyUURp5EMzYp4k9ZJly78bL4e4o9xJ-On1EA59cue4d4ilqBSHwA3orwqYKn5c56otaLZzdS3B7-1ahnAWx3U2tKvxD7tKla2WoLjqdDFSzc3CjDOFcIcCMh6g/s320/IMG_8577.JPG)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtPAQw_4REPEwDk37drcnlMLT3mktpQsDk3AOq9vnRM4giBh8Gy12HOmbAdd8M3jdxAncSmvdbscdh0_V1_8n3iQpj_HMKAN6zkPdbeE7KPzrQrYhWi9jMzD-xA3H8PqiKdjjHUeVPQDs/s320/IMG_8576.JPG)
GJs isn't much to look at from the approach I took but i was more on a reconisance mission and interested to meet other sewists than any thing else.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1Wg0KZ08l15NYa-s-w0JDiBERuD9GIVLjxZy61m4DMCorIY020MWz8iOKDtWBNx6euU_81KdYypyLcgj9m_6OmtGBEj04rh_QlL6X5KltPRgKia9ol92JdD2iQJOJhX7Dm8OdGoADDwI/s320/IMG_8583.JPG)
As a trap for the unwary, there was more than one sewing group using the *hot* upstairs room when I arrived but the social sewists lived up to their name and made me feel more than welcome.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8HwSFsLMZNmY4DXP3-A8IoKxbBIGFMl_69KbnRC2UZSiGEXHglEYlUZWpVKmyMeOptzgBzn69xilqPoPF3SCoaIeUm-sRsJxZTceGL0GxxFERmhvNdin5OAaKSk17KE87SodOdNJCfC8/s320/IMG_8584.JPG)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjivoRt5YdgzxnwJoMrt6MZR8tbC8DpfXmaYZMP5bMN4xrdz9wX27ZQ9Kw48FO9S4rO6JN3eFmbcFSc9Y_eToeO6OAIcHuP5g_vvSM5HL05kJBNFtkONFtHZ0m8nw4-yhruJSiE43tdOE/s320/IMG_8589.JPG)
Some really lovely machines and projects on the go.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJiPZ-ypK6XntAH2EfzGaaGJ9CRT_8fgsU3U0gKillUJGR48Ws2Dzi3Lo8NMwWR7oCkUIGCp57y5N_aT2u0xR5IAx9eiZsV9X-pdNUdAKdJ4BDGs98M_KjPFSfbtzWCAfwUJDGKPMDonc/s320/IMG_8588.JPG)
I would almost want to take up proper quilting!
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWE0hp1tUCLPcvqemCM8MbuvwpZA2bq33qYUQ0fgMEtpu6ffhXI1P4s7EBB_M-ZNJVs2MIX0ycwECblnCNkL_xURZfg4rMbhUzO4eFPGFejAX3wwusHIVDz39_O-Jpi7ZwvNdjGZth5ZQ/s320/IMG_8587.JPG)
The selection of fabric downstairs in GJs was good and I was able to get some muslin for the vintage vogue pattern I was working on at the time. And then happily spend the day figuring out how to size up the pattern! I'm getting better but the pattern changes are still a head scratcher!
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi15KjKkXC_-xh78xLMwNebSVRa5_H2kYpad6bRxUdSMgZv27VdpA5HNXYXpVtweQS1LqTrF4ZhL93ltWMhEm8lWF-QrNEYEzvOGkP-BARr4hQ2DCc3RDl6Of2E_dZAHxtyxKhSH-9opuU/s320/IMG_8586.JPG)
I also wandered along to another sewing meetup group - Sew Melbourne - this one thankfully had machines I could borrow - not having a car made hauling my newly purchased Ikea machine a little too problematic.
I'd happily go back to social sewing if I find myself in Melbourne again! These crafty outlets are so lovely and made my stay very manageable - though I couldn't help missing the lovely fabric hoarders in Wellington!
I even started to knit a bit more as the group was keent to make pouches for orphaned joeys. Not a bad way to practise my knitting skills as a few inconsistent stitches wouldn't be that problematic for an ickle kangaroo! That really is one of the issues I have with teaching myself how to knit as I'm nowhere near as fast or consistent as I am with crochet so I'm not as tolerant with mistakes as I would have been in the early days of crochet.
I also walked out one day for a sewing group with some wonderful Australian bloggers/instagrammers in GJs Discount Fabrics - Social Sewing. They meet up once a few times a year upstairs. Unfortunately as it was a weekend I wasn't able to go much while I was in Melbourne as we tried to travel while we were there (yeah, for Tasmania and a road trip to Adelaide as well as a few trips to the country side).
It took quite a while but I decided to walk out to Fairfield from the central city where we were staying. I managed to fit in a few stops to interesting fabric shops on the way.
GJs isn't much to look at from the approach I took but i was more on a reconisance mission and interested to meet other sewists than any thing else.
As a trap for the unwary, there was more than one sewing group using the *hot* upstairs room when I arrived but the social sewists lived up to their name and made me feel more than welcome.
Some really lovely machines and projects on the go.
I would almost want to take up proper quilting!
The selection of fabric downstairs in GJs was good and I was able to get some muslin for the vintage vogue pattern I was working on at the time. And then happily spend the day figuring out how to size up the pattern! I'm getting better but the pattern changes are still a head scratcher!
I also wandered along to another sewing meetup group - Sew Melbourne - this one thankfully had machines I could borrow - not having a car made hauling my newly purchased Ikea machine a little too problematic.
I'd happily go back to social sewing if I find myself in Melbourne again! These crafty outlets are so lovely and made my stay very manageable - though I couldn't help missing the lovely fabric hoarders in Wellington!
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