gounod bizrate: Hobbies and Craft Fair ? Bluewater, Kent ? MarisWorld

Bluewater, our local shopping mall has been busy at work and added on a fabulous event area which hosted the Hobbies and Craft fair last week.

I went along with the fabulous breath of fresh air that is Domestic Goddesque and we were very pleasantly blown away with the awesomeness of the show. It was hosted over the two floors upstairs being dedicated to needlework and painting downstairs to card making and glitter comes to mind :0 here?s the Goddesque herself embroidering a pink lazy daisy on the world?s longest tapestry.

On entering the show we were faced with an enormous knitted cavern called ?Above and Below the Waves,? a display that took 2000 knitters from every age group and ability and from all over the world to accomplish. It took 5 months to sew together and is the fund raising brain child of Alison and Ann Murray. This project which is touring the UK so far has raised over ?13,000 in donations for the RNLI campaign ?Train One Save Many? (now see the sea idea tie in nicely?) You can see it at Newcastle Racecourse 29-31 March and Manchester Trafford Centre 14-16 September

They have also knitted a 30ft high Christmas tree and a life sized Gingerbread House as you do in your spare time

So would you like to get your needles clicking?

I hope so as they have a new project The Big Books and everyone is invited to participate. PLUS they want to include lots of other textiles too this time besides knitting and crocheting, for example felt, fabric which could be embroidered or decorated.

They need squares 8? x 8? in white, cream, pale blue, green, knitted or crocheted in either DK or 4 ply or in felt and fabric can be decorated or embroidered

They aim to create 3 very large freestanding books each with a different theme

Book One ? Mythology can include figures, creatures no larger than 10? Devils, witches, gargoyles, angels or fairies in 2D or 3D
Book Two ? Nature through a Day a book in four parts all about nature and no people included 1) Spring, early morning in a garden 2) Summer, midday beach 3) Autumn, late afternoon woodland setting 4) Winter night, countryside
Book three ? Future & Science ? planning still in progress

Here are some more interesting pieces I loved at the fair?be inspired, I am!