Meet the Sponsors: Dots And Loops

With only two more days left till the fair we wanted to let you get to know some of the people who have made the Crafters Winter Yule Tide Cheer a possibility with their amazing support.  One of the newest businesses in Nova Scotia's craft circuit is Dots and Loops located in the heart of beautiful Lununburg. Meet co-owner (and Halifax Crafters sponsor) Melanie Strong:

About Our Store:

We’re a handmade only / indie boutique located in Lunenburg. We’re pretty new on the scene – we just opened in August and we just had our grand opening. We carry designs from artists who call all parts of the world home, though we do carry many local crafters (many of whom will be represented at the Crafters Market!) and many other Canadian makers. We also have the US, the UK and even Australia, Greece and the Netherlands represented in shop. We try to connect and establish relationships with makers based on whether or not we love what they make, rather than where they live. We have a weakness for hand pulled screenprinting, so we are always adding to our print wall and our screen printed textile selection but you will also find pretty much every type of craft represented here (which is pretty easy, considering we have the work of over 120 different crafters in shop.)

Myself and my partner, Stephen Bishop, are the owners behind the shop. Stephen (also known by his studio alias of HelloDaylight) is a graphic designer by trade and a screenprinter by passion, so his contribution to our shop’s aesthetic has been huge. I have a varied background, with my most recent work being the Director of Operations for the Halifax based multidisciplinary design firm Breakhouse. So I handle most of the day-to-day parts of the business but I am also what I call a secret maker – I love using my hands but don’t make anything with commercial appeal. We decided to open the store because we both love anything made by hand and we really wanted to share this love with customers who may not realize that there is an alternative to mass-produced goods available to them. We decided to locate in Lunenburg because we both appreciate the slower pace of life that a more rural setting can provide (and we have 3 pet hens who aren’t allowed in Halifax city limits!). It’s been interesting so far, and we’ve had a great response from both locals and visitors to Lunenburg alike. We really see this small town as being in the midst of a revival of sorts and we’re really excited to be at the forefront.

Why We Wanted to be Involved in Crafters:

Stephen, through HelloDaylight, starting selling his screenprints through Crafters a few shows ago and I got to help out a couple of times. I’d been to Crafters many times before and always loved to see all of the beautiful work made by so many people. We also loved the feel of the Market itself and could see the work that goes into it. The Crafters Market is, in our opinion, the best thing of its kind in the Maritimes.

We realize that the number one way to support makers is to buy their work but, now that we own a store that helps do this as well, we also know that another way to help is to support the venues that give crafters an outlet to get their work out there. We know that the Halifax Crafters Society is run by volunteers, who are themselves crafters, so we know that there are likely many things the Society would love to do but don’t have the time or funds to see happen. We hope that by sponsoring Crafters, more and more businesses will jump onboard and help out and that Crafters will continue to grow and improve for many years to come.

Thanks so much Melanie! We're so excited for you and Stephen and want to congratulate you on opening your (and our newest) dream shop!


 If any readers out there haven't been in to Dots and Loops yet its more than worth the scenic drive.....though when did any one need an excuse to day trip to Lunenburg?  You can also follow Melanie and Stephen in their endeavor on the shop's Twitter and Facebook pages. 

Meet the Crafters: Alissa & Chantal

Meet Alissa: one half of the masterful team behind this year's winter market poster. She shares a little bit about collaborating and gives us all a sneak behind the scenes with some beautiful photos of the printing process.

Chantal and I have collaborated on a few projects now. It's always nice to have another person around to bounce ideas off of and another set of eyes. We were thinking of things we associated with winter while trying to stay away from any religious subject matter. There are so many great winter activites to do (many of them that I haven't tried yet but am very eager too) like dogsledding, skating and of course snow shoeing. We both had really liked the idea of snow shoes and we also were taken with the wonder posters made for the Renegade Craft fairs - I find they always do a good job of making the text interesting. I illustrated the various elements for the posters and than we both sat down and played around with it in photoshop until we got something we liked. Many of the posters you'll see around town were hand silk screened by Chantal and I in my studio here in Halifax. 

Thanks to all their hard work you can see the posters pop up all around town reminding us that the Yule Tide Cheer Winter Market is just around the corner!

Meet the Crafters: Gillian Hyde

We're back with another round of Meet the Crafters! This a chance for us to introduce you to the Crafters behind the tables. To get us started, meet Gillian Hyde of Pip Robins Accessories

Hi! I’m Gillian, owner and operator of Pip Robins Accessories, a tiny company with a big heart.  I create sewn cowls made primarily from reclaimed textiles, which means I shop for discarded yardage year-round from thrift stores, take them home, give them a good wash and then slowly piece them together.  Sourcing these fabrics lowers the environmental impact of having to create new textiles and creates wonderful, limited-edition and one-of-a-kind pieces for both men and women.  Cowls are the anti-scarf: a scarf that you easily slip over your head with no looping, tying or wrapping, but offers the same amount of warmth and style as a traditional scarf.


How long have you been a crafter?

Crafting didn’t really come naturally to me.  My sister, Ambera Wellmann was always the artist in the family and so it was never something that I focused on.  I’m completely self-taught and didn’t know any crafty people until my late twenties. Through the power of internet tutorials and a lot of perseverance I learned some basics and after running Pip Robins for nearly three years I have mastered the art of the cowl.

What is your background/How did you get started?

I’m a bit of a vagabond, a wanderer, and spent about ten years travelling and living around the world.  I’ve called the Caribbean, West Africa, Mexico and Europe my home, and have lived in a few provinces across Canada.  I am a trained Web Developer and that’s what my “career” was focused on for most of my twenties, but I am happy to be out of the IT industry now and focused on my own fashion accessories business. 

I started Pip Robins after seeing a guy with a bandana over his nose and mouth one bitterly cold day in the North End of Halifax. I loved the look of something pulled up over his face but knew that there had to be a better way to keep warm if you didn’t want to wear a scarf. I worked on a few prototypes and eventually settled on a design and started selling them on Etsy. They took off immediately, much to my delight, and it hasn’t slowed down.  I consistently see men’s bare necks in the winter and want to run up to them with my business card and tell them that there is another option! They don’t need to be cold! Let me save you! Women love them too of course, but they’re a lot easier to convince because women often like to wear accessories and they see how diverse cowls are. 


Why do you do what you do?

Pip Robins is my full time job right now. I left my job this summer in part so that I could focus on Pip.  I’ve always operated Pip because I love it: I love the treasure hunt and the thrill of finding a really great piece of fabric, I love how it allows me to tap into creativity I didn’t know I had. I love sending my product all over the world (fashion capitals Paris, France and New York, NY are the top international destinations). I love knowing that I’m operating my business ethically and as environmentally as I can.  I love working for myself and I love having full control over every aspect of my business and what I send out into the world. I also love the crafting community, the kinship that comes with selling your wares.  It makes up for spending so much time alone with a sewing machine and computer.

When you're not selling at Crafters markets, where can I find your work?

This year I started wholesaling my cowls, so I’m carried in about 20 stores across Canada. In Nova Scotia you can find them at Biscuit General Store, Love, Me Boutique, the lovely little new store Dots and Loops in Lunenburg and Flow Boutique in Amherst.  I also have a booth at the Halifax Seaport Market every Saturday where you can find the best selection of cowls in the city. I do most of my business on Etsy and through my own website.


How long have you been involved with Halifax Crafters?

This is only my second show; I was involved in last year’s winter show and had amazing feedback and fabulous customers.


What makes Halifax Crafters different from other shows?

Halifax Crafters is the only show I’ve ever done or attended! But, as a stickler for money, I LOVE that there is no admission fee. You can attract so many more people of varying backgrounds by not charging a dime to get in. Second, I love that it is volunteer based. I can’t even imagine all of the work that needs to go into organizing this event, so I really appreciate every single person that works their tail off to make it happen.  It’s all done for the love of craft, which is totally inspiring and admirable.

What inspires you?

My easiest source of inspiration is from the fabric itself. As soon as I see something while thrifting I envision it as a cowl and can hardly wait to get it home and start sewing.  Once I am finished, I quickly take a few shots of it on myself, put it online and wait for feedback.  Who isn’t a sucker for compliments?

My favorite website for inspiration is pinterest. So many good ideas, so many images and tutorials I never would have come across any other way.

Because Pip is my only job I’ve been able to put a lot more time, effort and creativity into each piece this year, so I’ve started incorporating embellishments like reclaimed leather, studs, wool braids, appliqués and more. This month I was featured in The Coast’s ShopTalk in an article that highlighted my mustache cowls, a fan favorite! I vow to donate 10% of November mustache cowl sales to prostate cancer research.

Three things you need in order to create?

My industrial Janome sewing machine, Padraig slippers and my chiropractor.

What's your favourite way to procrastinate?

Soy chai latte in the morning, a nap in the afternoon, sweet white wine in the evening, loud laughter as often as possible.

Thanks to Halifax and its Crafters for a great turnout; you helped make this our biggest and brightest show yet!