Smile Politely

A taste of The Made Fest

The Made Fest takes place this weekend as part of this little thing you might have heard of called The Pygmalion Festival

Made is a visual smorgasbord of handmade and vintage items. You’ll find beauty, oddness, cuteness, kitsch, and elegance as you browse through the marketplace, which will be held on Saturday and Sunday from 12–6 p.m. in the Highdive Outdoor Annex Lot.

Made features fifty sellers this year, so there will be a lot to take in. Here’s a sneak peak of some of the items that will be on display this weekend. 

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Existitchialism

“I am a first-time vendor bringing my embroidery art and cross-stitch to Made this year. I work with needle and thread to make meaning. I’m often inspired by pop culture: I like stitching up song lyrics, characters from favorite television shows and film, as well as portraits of my various (s)heroes, including Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Maya Angelou, Malala Yousafzai. I’ve also lately been exploring texture and color, working with felt and creating embroidered mandalas, which I find extremely calming and therapeutic.” 

— Rachel Heicher from Charleston, IL 

More designs at Made:

Jodi Lynn Doodles

More texture and color at Made:

  

Liza Michelle Jewelry

More characters at Made:

Bear Mojo 

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Bergfield Clayworks

 

“I take inspiration from nature and create something that fits inside of it.”

—  Tyler Bergfield from Chicago, IL

More nature at Made:

Digikate 

More circular things at Made:

Meditative Mandalas

More handcrafted items at Made:

Norden at Home

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Lalo Clothing

“I make zero-waste, ethical garments for women and children with an equal emphasis on design, comfort and utility. My background as a painter informs my process — I approach each piece as a unique composition of color, pattern and texture. More recently, I have expanded my product line to include intricate mandala weavings. These wall hangings are made from natural fibers, sustainable bamboo and occasionally include my own handmade porcelain beads. I will be bringing children’s pants for ages 6months to 8yrs, wildlife t-shirts and sweatshirts for children, women’s skirts, crop tops and zippered cloaks, and also woven mandala wall hangings.” 

— Anne Bisone from Milwaukee, WI

More clothing at Made:

Weiskamp

More things that go with clothing at Made:

This Loves That

Still more things that go with clothing at Made:

 

Exquisite Corpse Boutique

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Judiee

“I’ll be bringing a children’s book titled Monet and the Waterlily Friends along with some other handmade goods (including plushies, stickers, and buttons). I decided to create the book after teaching preschool art and seeing a lack of picture books about art. The handmade goods were all handsewn, lasercut, or painted by me. I’m so excited to share the book with more friends in Chambana.”

— Judy Lee from Urbana, IL

More art at Made:

Culikarama

More kids’ stuff at Made:

Westmoreland Place

More paper at Made:

Half Hazard Press

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