More of Melbourne

 Carol and I both being quilters, it is surprising that we have not yet been in a fabric store.  Some of you will know about my fascination with the fabrics from M & S Textiles.  They are reproductions on cotton of the art of Aboriginal artists, especially those of the dot paintings. I had first bought some in Alice Springs in 2011, as well as a few packages of small bits at the quilt show we went to in Brisbane in 2024.  I do not think I have ever seen this fabric in Canadian quilt shops, but it has been in several in the US.  (Now off-limits for purchases!) 

I had located the head office of M & S Textiles in Melbourne, but did not know if it was their business address or their retail address.  It was a fair distance from the hotel, so to avoid a possible wasted trip, I telephoned.  I did not get an exact answer whether it was a store, but the man I spoke to said we were welcome to come.  After about 15 minutes, our Uber driver stopped in an alley.  An alley that seemed to be for warehouses or storage facilities, and certainly not store-front retail;  nor did the adjacent streets look anything like a shopping area.  Before either of us got out, we double checked the building number, as did the driver.  I think he must have wondered what kind of business we were looking for.  We knocked on a solid metal door that had the correct street number, but turned out to be the wrong business, although we had a nice chat with the woman who answered.  Just the other side of the big metal transit door was M & S.  I had ignored it because it had no outer door handles or buzzer. 

A gentleman answered, and agreed that he was the person I had spoken to earlier.  We were in a huge warehouse with industrial shelving and other random tables and equipment.  Not very tidy, not very organized, not very much of anything but warehouse.  Stacks and stacks of bolts of fabric, a few finished quilts hanging on the wall.  He took us to some shelving where there were bins of ends and odd-shaped pieces of fabric as well as various small pieces in plastic bags with the yardage identified.  The quintessential fabric rummage sale.  We admired many, but chose few to buy.  I was cognizant of the many metres of this fabric I already have, so tried to choose patterns that might play well with those at home.  Carol chose several in a colour scheme for a quilt.  Our selections made, we went back to the front area to settle our purchases, and there met an older man and woman just arriving.  I think they were surprised to see strangers, but we explained our presence and conversation ensued that the woman was the maker of a couple of the sample quilts.  "Would you like to see our showroom?", she asked.  Nothing fancy but a few cabinets and hangers showing finished items from the fabric:  some clothing, bags, purses, scarves, placemats.  A couple of (probable) gift items were chosen.    

Carol and I have wondered why this fabric or items made from it do not seem to ever be in gift shops here.  It would seem to be sufficiently unique to Australia to be popular.  A few small dishes with similar patterns were in the Brisbane art gallery shop, and I have seen a few scarves here and there. And it was these patterns on the items we bought at the West End Market in Brisbane.

There are a few fabric copycats, but all the M & S product is identified with the name of the pattern and the name of the artist.  The shop in Alice Springs had printed notes of the meanings of many of the symbols in the art:  this one means people gathering, this means walking, etc.  All of the names are descriptive:  Bush Medicine, Gathering Bush Tucker, Spirit Place, Butterfly Dance Dreaming, for example.  

Here are the fabrics i bought. 

 

When we returned to the hotel, the men had decided we should return to the Sherlock Holmes pub for lunch, since we had enjoyed the food there on Tuesday.  This was probably not the smartest suggestion, because it delayed us somewhat, our next stop being Queen Victoria Market, which opens early but closes at 3:00 pm.

 

The market is huge and one could spend a day there if you wanted to see all the lanes of stalls.   Brian took some photos of the vegetable displays as he always does at markets.    

We alal got a few gifts.  This is one of the gifts I bought.  You might make a logical guess to its significance.  But that story is not for here.  

Just ouside the market was this creative art from pallets.  

At loose ends after the market, we found a gelato shop for comparison to Anita in Brisbane.  And then, completely at loose ends and no sufficient time for the aquarium or a gallery or museum, we decided to ride the rails again and figured out the tram to St Kilda which is a 30-minute ride.  From the tram and our walking, we saw more outstanding buildings.  

We stayed on the tram to its terminus at St Kilda, and then walked a couple of blocks to the esplanade along the water, walked along the esplanade and admired the sights and sounds.

This is the entrance to the oldest continually-operating wooden roller coaster in the world.  It opened in 1912.  It has a 967-metre track and can reach speeds of 60 km/h.  

There were many bars and cafés with tables spilling out onto the square but many were very crowded and very loud either from music or dense crowds of people.  Australians do seem to enjoy meeting after work for a drink and/or food and TALK. As we were trying to decide on a place to eat, we passed many cake shops all within a block of each other.  

 

Wes debating a treat.

There were lovely buildings in St Kilda too.  

This was a memorial in the park to Edward O'Donnell who was a councillor for 44 years and a mayor for six terms.  

We took the tram back to Collins Street and our Collins Street apartment.  We should have planned more time in Melbourne.  If there is another trip to Australia in our future we would like at least a week or more here.  I want to walk into every old beautiful building that will allow me entrance.