Material histories: stories of textiles past

New Zealand is a young country, but that doesn’t mean textiles play any less a part in it. Fabric-a-brac highlights the history and stories behind vintage textiles and haberdashery with markets around the country and a high tea fundraiser, Material Histories, in Wellington this month.

Fabric-a-brac, the fabric and sewing supplies market, is holding a high tea fundraiser Material Histories to celebrate their 15th anniversary, and it will be of interest to all artisans who work with textiles – the guest speaker is Claire Regnault, curator at Te Papa. Material Histories will see Claire speaking about the stories of Te Papa’s textile collection and fabrics, dresses, and quilts across time. As always, all proceeds go to Hospice.

It comes in the middle of a big year for Fabric-a-brac, with momentum continuing in the Deep South. Dunedin on 12 October and Arrowtown on 3 November are new locations, and both still open for vendors. 

In the North Island, as well as the Material Histories event, September will see a ‘Mop-up Pop-up’ fabric sale in Waipukurau (selling leftover fabric and new donations to Cranford Hospice in Napier), the Palmerston North market, a Mop-up Pop-up in Palmy, then the Wellington market on 28 September.

“Fabric-a-brac is such a collaborative and emotional event,” says founder Josie Brennan. “Fabric-a-brac stallholders and customers share memories, stories, aspirations, and ideas behind the textiles and items for sale. It’s the stories of textiles that mothers or grandmothers have left behind, of their memories of fabric remnants and what they were made into, fabric that you can’t buy anymore. So often we have people recognising fabric, and even haberdashery and buttons, from their own childhood. Often the containers that items are stored in – old chocolate boxes and beautiful vintage tins – evoke such wonderful memories.

“As well as being a wonderful community event, in the end the event gives people the opportunity to share their personal histories, their personal stories, with others who value those stories.”

Fabric-a-brac is a market that is about ‘things to make things – focused on fabric and sewing-related items’. A fundraiser for Hospice, it is now held in ten locations around New Zealand and has raised $170,000 for hospice in New Zealand since starting up in 2009. 

Over the last 15 years, Fabric-a-brac events have been held in Auckland, Palmerston North, New Plymouth, Wairarapa, and Marlborough – and even some events in Australia. In 2024 there are five new locations joining the Fabric-a-brac family – Christchurch, Nelson, Dunedin, Queenstown, and Hawke’s Bay – which means a total of 10 events around the country this year.

Upcoming Fabric-a-brac dates

WELLINGTON Featuring a talk by Te Papa’s Claire Regnault, Material Histories is a high tea fundraiser in celebration of 15 years of Fabric-a-brac on Saturday September 21, from 10am to 12noon at St Anne’s Hall, Newtown, Wellington. Pre-bookings are essential – get your tickets now »