Encouraging one’s creativity and tapping the Melbourne market for hair accessories, hats and fascinators has stood the author in good stead
looking at a creation I have just finished gives the biggest adrenaline rush to a crafter like me. The place I am in today is not via a carefully thought out plan, but due to going with the flow on what inspired me next.
Settled in Australia, I had taken a year off from work when my daughter was born. After working all these years, being at home with the little one was a welcome change. My husband encouraged me to get in touch with my creative side and take up some hobbies. Whilst in the past I had worked on glass mosaics, I was apprehensive to get back into it with the little one around. Nothing else seemed to catch my eye.
It all happens for a reason, as they say. I started using the time my daughter would sleep, to make hair accessories for her as I was disappointed with the ones in the market, which would fall apart after a few uses. The ones I made were an absolute hit and being one of a kind, other mums in my neighbourhood asked me to make some for their daughters and friends, too. I would be up until odd hours of the night but had never felt this charged up!
Once I was into it, I forever wanted to learn to make different kinds of accessories. I came across the wonderful world of Kanzashi, which are folded cloth flowers that traditionally adorn hair ornaments in Japan. My mother-in-law encouraged me further, when she asked me to make some brooches as thank you presents at her club, and I started manipulating different kinds of fabrics and material to get the effect I was after. I discovered materials such as Sinamay and Shantung, which I had never worked with before. Who knew there were such a variety of cottons, silks and satins, just waiting to be manipulated into the shape of perfect flowers? Different materials mould in their own way, thus creating their own little magic.
Australia and New Zealand, the two countries hosting the ICC Cricket World Cup, are going hoarse screaming for their favourite teams, at present. But during quieter times, horse racing carnival is big in Melbourne, and I have always admired the lovely hats and fascinators, which dominate the racing season. I went and learnt how to make silk flowers from a milliner and my love affair with flowers intensified! Before I make the flowers, the fabric is treated to retain shape better. Then, each petal is hand cut and shaped before being assembled into a flower. No two flowers are the same, since each takes on its personality with a twist here and a bend there.
Besides word of mouth, I often sell my creations at craft markets. Being in the midst of other crafters has been extremely humbling and rewarding. It never fails to provide me with inspiration. Melbourne is truly a melting pot of different cultures and I have had people from several different countries as my crafty neighbours at the markets.
In the beginning, I was shy and it took a bit of encouragement to set up a stall. My old manager, who is incredibly talented, had also been toying with the idea of doing a market and together, we took the plunge. To watch people come by your table, some looking at your work with admiration and others indifference, you truly put yourself out there. I do sell some of my work through a shop, but the face-to-face interaction in a market is absolutely magnetic. My favourite part of a particular market was the time a six-year-old girl would come to my stall. She would spend nearly half an hour every time looking at what I have made closely, and requesting me to teach her. Her mother brought her over for a class in her school holidays and those few hours were absolutely magical.
Unfortunately, with manufacturing being done in countries where a fair wage is still a dream, many people are used to paying next to nothing for items they buy. They don’t mind if the toy breaks or the seams of the dress rip, since they have little sentiment attached to it. Our society has become so accustomed to the use-andthrow philosophy that we are surrounded by cheaper options that we are happy to discard to the landfill.
Having said that however, I have also seen a growing trend of moving away from mass manufactured items, with people choosing to buy quality over quantity, and supporting small businesses. The more money we put into these individuals, the more it comes back into the economy, instead of going to multinationals who dictate how little a worker needs to get paid. I have learnt to truly value the time and effort each artisan puts in her craft. Handmade is not cheap, since there are hours of love and care that have gone into every step.
Between my day job and my daughter, I am not sure which keeps me on my toes more. I try to find whatever little time I can to create something. Sometimes it is an easy order and at other times my most demanding customer, Ms 3 throws a challenge for her mum!
I am lucky to have such a wonderful support network that has helped me unleash my creative spirit. My day job pays my bills, while my hobby repays my soul. So, the next time you have to get a gift for someone, try making it yourself or have a craftsperson make it for you. The recipient will know that you have put a lot more thought into it than just going to a shop and picking the first thing that caught your eye. Remember that the little bit of love that goes in every stitch is priceless!