Dispatches from Austin: Renegade Craft Fair

Contributor post by Tracy Castro of Fair Morning Blue

Hello, there! This weekend, I had the pleasure of attending the third annual Renegade Craft Fair in Austin. What an amazing and talented group of indie makers from Texas and beyond - all assembled together with their finest handmade goods. I always love attending Renegade, and this year was no disappointment. I was quite impressed with the fabulous selection of handmade jewelry, paper goods, and  textiles. I noticed a few new themes this year: geometric shapes (mostly triangles), feathers, terrariums, succulents, and lots of wild animals. Overall, there was a really lovely Southwestern / Native American vibe. Case in point: I am completely in love with these leather bracelets above from Austin-based shop Son of a Sailor. Swoon!

Don't you just adore these tea towels designed, sewn and printed by Mary & Nell from Portland? My favorite is their gold "Feather Cities" design, displayed on top. Mary & Nell also offers a great selection of pillows, placemats and napkins.

One of my very favorite booths this year was Simply Planted, a Dallas operation that assembles and sells gorgeous little terrariums and planters. Oh, what fantastic gifts these would make!

Circle Street came from Wisconsin with this bright selection of monogrammed & hand-sewn folded cards - so pretty!

Lisa Chow was back at Renegade this year, this time with a lovely set of wanted rabbit prints: I can't help but wonder what these rabbits did to end up on wanted posters, especially that sweet little mime! Lisa also brought along sets of her newly designed and completely amazing tarot card deck.

I was thrilled to meet Gerren and Morgana Lamson, the talented couple behind Austin's own Satchel and Sage. Their booth was positively brimming with inspiring paper goods and textiles. I adore their mix of whimsical patterns, bright colors, and nature-inspired themes. I can't stop thinking about their charming Woodland Creatures. 

The MAKEatx booth really caught my eye. MAKEatx is a member-based workshop outfitted with the tools and space to make all manner of things. Their equipment includes a laser cutter, milling machine, folding machines, sewing machines, computers with the latest design software - and a host of other neat stuff. They also host workshops and events. What an incredible community resource - I feel very lucky to be in Austin right now. Pictured above are MAKEats's amazingly intricate, laser-cut paper cards. Below, cheerfully patterned laser-cut moustaches on sticks. My daughter is quite smitten with her pink moustache. 

Many thanks to the Renegade gang for supporting indie makers, and for putting together another fabulous fair! Can't wait to see y'all again next time around!

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Tracy Castro - a designer and rural Texas Panhandle native - has called Austin home for the last sixteen years. Tracy's new design venture, Fair Morning Blue, features seasonal cards, hand-stamped textiles, and whatever other whimsies come into her head and heart. Find Tracy on her blog, facebook, or twitter.