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Text by Mary Forsell •
Photography by Stephanie Richardson
It's not your typical Craft fair Crowd. Instead, you’ll find hipsters
looking for silkscreened T-shirts alongside parents shopping for something
whimsical for their child’s bedroom. “It was the first craft fair I ever
attended, and I’m so glad I did,” says Amanda Graff, a Wisconsin artist who
learned about Renegade through craft blogs. “I met so many interesting people.”
Established in 2003 by jewelry maker Sue Daly, this juried event also has
outposts in Brooklyn and San Francisco. “It definitely seems like indie fairs
are expanding,” says Boston-area crafter Alison Gordon. “They draw a very
specific mix—people not interested in shopping at the mall. If you have
something totally unique and well made, it’s not hard to make the sale!”
(a) Crocheted animals from enfant-terrible look like they drifted out of a
surreal cartoon. (b) From 60,000 to 80,000 people attend the fair, which showcases
about 220 vendors from here and abroad. The symbol is a psychedelic owl, also on
T-shirts at Renegade Handmade, the Chicago shop that spun off from the fair. (c)
Belt buckles with images from vintage children’s books and dictionaries under
resin from Bossa Nova Baby. (d) Here come those owls again: Palm-size
screen-printed hooters from Craftpaca Handmade are show stoppers. Creator Julie
Hollifield has degrees in fashion design and merchandising.
(e) Once you set eyes on a silk-screened orange octopus lunch tote (top shelf)
from Blue Thimble Handmade Designs, you’ll wonder how you got by without one.
Crafter Allison Ross also makes pillows and circus wall hangings with
embroidered details. (f) Drink in these pillows from SODA by Amy. (g) A Japanese
children’s book, of all things, inspired Amanda Graff of Smarmy Pants to craft
these two furry alien creatures. They’re made by needle felting. (h) Papered
Together produces letterpress greetings and custom correspondence by hand on
antique presses.
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