Here are a few of the stories behind our Christchurch stallholder’s stashes in 2024…
“I learnt to sew at primary school. I still remember I made an apron which we used to carry our scones home that we had made in home economics. Double purpose! I worked at Spotlight for ten and a half years (6 years in the wool department) so as you can imagine, I accumulated quite a stash! I am more of a knitter these days – I used to sell children’s woollen jackets. It’s time to move my fabric on! I am a resident in the Nurse Maude care home so I have less room than I used to have, so looking forward to sharing my Spotlight Stash at Fabric-a-brac Christchurch and being involved in an event going towards such a great cause!”
“My mum used to work from home, sewing, much like I do now. My love of sewing started there. While my mum sewed I would sit on the floor and design clothing for my toys from her scraps. She taught me the basics, then I went on to learn myself – picking up techniques from Burda magazines in the 1980s. But my mum continued to mentor me including helping me make my first ever ballgown at 16 (what a mission!).
When I had my son, I needed to create adapted clothing to help him with his needs, and there was nothing else in the market. So it was either design and make a swim nappy, or he couldn’t go swimming. Then friends asked me to sell/make the items I was making for my son, so my business Picklefish Products NZ was born! Many of the items I’ve gone on to design have been very helpful in our lives and I’m thankful I learnt the skills and developed the talent to hack patterns so I could create them.
I’m ostensibly getting rid of a stash from almost 20 years ago as I’ve been sewing for almost 50 years! The business has accumulated lots of fabric and I am moving away from making non-disability-friendly clothing. My stall will include some self-designed cotton spandex, denims, vintage quilting cottons, haberdashery and 80s and 90s sewing patterns.”
“My mother could do anything…knitting, flower arranging, sewing, you name it. She taught me to sew from a young age, starting with dolls clothes. My early sewing was terrible but I loved it and the outfits fitted the dolls so there must have been some sort of sewing talent there!
Today I am a gatherer, collector, accumulator, fancier of anything vintage. My father was a pharmacist and I inherited his collection and I love antique Christmas decorations, especially glass. My sewing stash is vast to the point that I no longer know what is lurking in my craft room. Time to move things on! I love buttons and although I have already downsized – brace yourselves! I still have: lots of lovely vintage buttons; mountains of fabric; threads; cottons; patterns; buckles; zips; pinking shears (how did I end up with so many? I only need one pair!). One of my recent favourite projects was a patchwork quilt made from vintage embroidery and I’ll be selling the leftover on my stall!
I am a Christchurch local, but a dedicated follower of Fabric-a-brac. I first heard about it from a dearest Wellington friend. It coincided with the start of my button cull, so I booked a stall. It was so much fun I have had a stall in Wellington 3 more times since then! Am so excited to have this event locally – I can’t wait.” Cassandra – stallholder at the Christchurch Fabric-a-brad.
Fabric-a-brac 