Meet the Northside Crafters: Flickettysplits

We thoroughly enjoyed putting together this "crafters" post .. I am sure that you will enjoy reading Flickettysplits response to our probing questions!

Tell us about what you sell ...
I think what I really sell is colours and stories. Those are the things that make each of my pieces unique, and I think it's fundamentally what my customers want to buy. Craft customers don't want a mass-produced item made on the other side of the world and shipped here inside tonnes of packaging - they want something original, something local, something special. Every one of my pieces has a story I can tell you, whether it's about where I found the fabrics, or how I put them together, or what I was doing at the time - boy troubles, work stress, a trip away - it's all there inside my work. It might be just the name, or it might be something deeper. So on the surface it looks like I make softies as well as cushions, tote bags, doorstops, pencil rolls, fabric buckets and whatever else takes my fancy .... but really what I'm selling you are the colours and stories of my life.

What inspires you?
I am fascinated by colours and patterns and textures. There is no way I could ever live in a minimalist house of beige colours with a polished concrete floor. No, if it was described in a catalogue my style would be "Versace Threw Up" - prints and patterns and colours wildly clashing all over the place. But that's what makes me "me", and it's what my customers love. I am never afraid to take risks with material.

What's your favorite medium to work in?
I am a fabric hound. I live inside a fabric house and I eat fabric food and I breathe fabric air (it's quite thick and hard to force down).

What would you be lost without ....
Well, obviously my Bernina!

What do you like to listen to when you craft?
The aching, weighty sound of silence in the house. Punctuated by the occasional snip of scissors, the whir of a sewing machine, and the never-ending stream of babble inside my head.

What crafty forums do you lurk in ....
I'm afraid I'm a completely unfaithful blog reader. One week Blog A is my next best friend, next week I've turfed it outside to sit quietly sobbing by itself, while I'm shimmying up alongside the new and sparkly Blog B. I love you all, you crafty blogs you!

Whats up next for you on the craft front?
I think I'm going to take a detour into clothes for a bit. Every time I wear something I've made I get a nice comment on it, so perhaps that's a talent I can bring to other people as well. It's all about the colours, naturally.

Do you have any UFO's (unfinished objects),what are they?
Well, there's this dress I tried to make in my first ever sewing class, which is a complete and utter abomination - the pattern was WAY beyond my skill level - so I butchered it, but I love the fabric so I can't throw it away, even though I can't finish it either. I'm thinking of cutting the good fabric out to use for something else.....

Where else can people shop for your goodies?
I'm on Etsy along with the rest of the craft world, and you can visit me on my blog All Toile And No Reward. Plus if you haunt craft markets in the Northern Suburbs - Northside Makers, Made N Thornbury, Sonny & Coco, Shirt and Skirt Market, Northcote Town Hall markets - you're bound to bump into me somewhere. Please come and say hi and I will tell you a story

Meet the Northside Crafters: Konstant Kaos Designs

Konstant Kaos Designs make a range of crafty things with an alternative edge to them. Margaret is also one of the crafty ladies behind the Northside Makers.

Tell us about what you sell ...

When I first started to make things to sell I started with baby shoes and bibs. My daughter was 9 months old and it was really out of necessity more than anything else. Since then I have made pouches, wallets, bags, pendants and of button hair ties . I tend to go where the fabric takes me. I will buy a gorgeous piece of fabric and then spend days working out what I am going to make with it. I tend to make things with quirky fabrics, I don't sew with natural linens or pastels. Mostly blacks, reds and purples.

What inspires you?

Functionality inspires me. Having a beautiful hand made object that is functional rather than superfluous. So when I make my bags, I make them with a clip for keys and pockets inside. When I make baby shoes, I make them with a little tag to help the parents put them on. I try and develop each product so that I meet my customers needs.

I am currently working on a design for a new wallet, so for a few weeks I will take my notebook everywhere and sketch shapes, textures and ideas for my product. Then I generally work through the design life cycle about four times until I am happy with the product. Then I sew, sew, sew for markets!

What's your favorite medium to work in?

I am definitely a lover of textiles, but I have also done some jewelry and resin casting work. I love the Kokka range of japanese fabrics.

What would you be lost without ....

My stitch unpick! I generally always have pile of things sitting there to be unpicked. Maybe they are prototypes I am working on, or perhaps they are combinations of fabrics that didn't work out too well.

What's your favourite crafty read

I quite like to grab a copy of Australian Homespun from time to time and I love going through older vintage sewing books such as Golden Hands. I am an avid reader of Frankie and Peppermint. I also have a number of blogs that I subscribe to ranging from local gals to international quilters.

What do you like to listen to when you craft?

A combination of music if I am using the machine through to podcasts if I am just cutting things out. Then it depends on whether my daughter is upstairs asleep. Anything from VNV Nation through to Tori Amos

What crafty forums do you lurk in ....

Etsy Forums, Dust team, Craftster, Meet me at Mikes

Whats up next for you on the craft front?

I want to try my hand at some children's clothes, I just have to the momentum up and running. I have done a number of customs so I have patterns that I have developed and graded and they are ready to go, just need the right fabric!

Do you have any UFO's (unfinished objects),what are they?

Many of them. The crafty graveyard is full of embroidery, crochet and sewing projects gone wrong. I have a little bag full of the prototype's for the shoes that I made, I should really take a photo of how far I have come with those.

Where else can people shop for your goodies?

Konstant Kaos has an etsy shop, we keep a blog, we will also be at Northside Makers and Made n Thornbury.

Meet the Northside Makers: Chuckles Designs

In the first of many blog posts, we will be showcasing the crafters that have a stall at our Northside Makers Market.

Chuckles Designs is a homemade team making homemade stuff for homemade kids. The founders are sisters Jen Briggs and Sally Kingi, along with their lovely mum, Barbara Douglas.

Tell us about what you sell ...

Chuckles Designs sell stuffed fabric toys, sock toys, and baby blankets.

What inspires you?

We make a few designs from Melly and Me, and also Audrey and Maude . Otherwise, our buyers often make special requests and Etsy is a great place to get inspiration.

What's your favourite medium to work in?

Sewing socks and fabric is our thing.

What would you be lost without ....

Chuckles herself and my sewing machine.

What's your fave crafty read?

I love sock monkeys so this book is great inspiration.

What do you like to listen to when you craft?

My daughter, Charlie (aka: chuckles)

Whats up next for you on the craft front?

We are about to launch a clothing range for littlies and I'm currently experimenting with a sock frog.

Do you have any UFO's (unfinished objects),what are they?

Grandma chuckles is playing around with a stuffed pig and I am working on some specialty monkeys to join "Pirate Monkey"

Where else can people shop for your goodies?

Chuckles can be found at our brand new and first ever stockist, Mandrake and Willow, 66 Anderson St, Yarraville, VIC
Our blog: http://chucklesdesigns.wordpress.com
Our Etsy Shop: chucklesdesigns.etsy.com
Facebook Group: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/group.php?gid=70654655691&ref=ts
and the Teeny Tiny Sisters Market on November 7, www.sistersmarket.com.au