A Grand Day Out!

I am not one to turn down the opportunity to spend money and Sunday was no different!  After a little hiccup due to illness (poor Mum) me and my friend Jo headed off to the Manchester Antique Textile Fair at the Armitage Centre in Fallowfield, hosted by The Textile Society.  We had never attended before and it sounded pretty interesting so we decided to see what it was all about.  Initially I thought it would be very much lots of old fabrics (the antique bit!) and it had said on the website that different society's would be there, but nothing prepared me for what met my eyes when I entered that sports hall!  WOW!  Overwhelmed did not describe it.

The hall was packed with a variety of different stalls.  Many of them where selling vintage fabrics, clothing and other such items, which to be honest I was not overly interested in, but there where a number of stalls that caught my eye and caused me to spend way too much money!


Jo admiring the beautiful Inidan textiles! 



There where several stalls selling Indian textiles, which we swooned over longingly, thinking about the different ways we could use these very beautiful, and very expensive, items in a costume for tribal bellydance.  We also gazed longingly at those stalls selling African textiles, batik and wax printed fabrics standing out from everything else.  We found stalls selling sewing accessories and other such exciting items for keen sewers, knitters and crafters alike!  I  purchased some African fabric, a stash of beautiful pink fabrics, some hand crafted elephant buttons that have been made by ladies in South Africa, some gorgeous handpainted buttons (I bought so many the lady gave me a discount) some sari yarn, henna stamps, felt brooches, Indian hair sticks and, oddly of all, coloured masking tape!  I was, obviously, very restrained!

After the excitment of all that shopping, we felt the need for a brew and a sit down.  This is the part, unfortunatley where I need to moan!  One very small, what can only be described as a hatch, was all there was to purchase something wet and a snack.  Jo will tell you that her said cup of tea was bad, very bad!  I was glad I had opted for the Fanta.  Our second dissapointment was the lack of seating to rest ones weary feet from too much shopping.  However, we soldiered on, leaning against a wall to drink and eat crisps and chocolate, before taking a look at some of stalls upstairs.
Representatives from various societies could be found upstairs.  We admired spinning wheels, talked to some lovely ladies from the Quilting Society and Gawthorpe Hall, and admired the work of students who had been awared bursaries, wishing we had studied textiles at university so that we too could make all day! The Knitting and Crochet Guild/Society taught me, and others, how to finger knit and I have been practising since I got home. 
All in all we had an enjoyable afternoon.  We spent some money, swooned over beautiful textiles and learnt how to finger knit.  Yes, it cost £6 to get in (my husband was a bit shocked when I told him this), the parking was difficult, some stalls did not put prices on ther items (which really bugs me) and the refreshments where limited but will we return next year?  Of course we will!