Handmade Hobart

Hush Little Snoring, Little Black Crow - bought on Etsy (pic courtesy of LBC), Notions (pic ourtesy of Notions).

Thought it was about time I posted some pics of the lovely things I've been buying and trading from super talented Hobart girls at the markets I've been attending. Here is a small selection of what I've been lucky enough to snaffle. Of course there's a lot more thats been eaten and given away. Some of these crafty girls and a lot more will be at Handmade Hobart Market this coming weekend. Should be a good one!

Holly Webber, Whatever Heather, Little Twig

This is my last market for 2009, and while my market involvement this year has been wonderful, it has been a little exhausting. I also couldn't have managed it as a solo effort and while not launching into a Logies speech, there are some notables I should mention. The friendly, hardworking organisers of the markets, supportive stall holders, nice customers, my mum and sisters for child and stall minding, work colleagues for providing a on the spot market focus group (what do you think of this??) and Bridget for being very patient while waiting for dinners and ironed clothes!

Rebecca Roth, Jasmine Rose, Selena de Carvalho.

So for December I'll be catching up with life, friends and just a little relaxed sewing. Also finishing my Christmas shopping at the December editions of The Market and The Beach Market...that's where I'll be, strolling along..admiring all that handmade loveliness!

A hat, a winner and sticky fingers

Back here a day or two late, story of my blog really. So instead of showing you a crumpled piece of paper with the winning name of Sarah on it, here is a hat I made in last week's sewing group. Handy for keeping the sun of your face and drawing blogging giveaways. Sarah was one of the lovely girls who said I should start blogging again, and she was right! Thanks for all your comments and coming by for a visit.

Nothing much else to show except a line of pencil rolls drying in the sun. I'm sure I'll have furnished the whole population of Hobart with one of these, but I still like making them and they are still popular at markets.

Just something different I've been up to, have been playing around with glue, glaze, paper and glass tiles. I ended up with layers of glue on my fingers, and have been peeling away layers of my own finger prints! Everyone I've shown them to has asked what they are, so they might need an explantory note at the next market. BTW they are bookmarks. I'm sure you knew that.

Boo! Anniversary Giveaway

Happy Halloween, and happy 50th wedding anniversary Mum and Dad. They both look soooo young in this photo and still do. I'm hoping I inherited some of those youthful looks. They are off on a river cruise today, before the family get together tomorrow. I have some serious baking to do and probably should get off the computer now!

However, I noted that my one year of back to blogging ticks over tomorrow. A total of 18 posts in 12 months, the plan was to approach blogging in moderation, and I certainly have, I also have this approach to serious exercise. So while I might be a little sporadic, according to John Sands this is my paper anniversary.

To celebrate this auspicious occasion I'm giving away some goodies including a journal to use for what you wish. I enjoy making these and hearing what people use them for. One customer at a recent market told me she was using hers for a guest book in her wilderness lodge and another who had just been to see Julie and Julia was inspired to start writing recipes. I love hearing these snippets.

Anyway, your choice of fabric, cute or a little bit fancy. Your package might also include some tricks and treats.

Would love to hear from you. Leave a comment and I'll do a random draw, around this time, this place, next week.

Not quite with it...

Funny kind of week, maybe it's the switch to daylight savings, but my brain seemed to be functioning in a parallel universe. Keys locked in the car with the radio blaring, trying not to look like a complete idiot when the RACT man turned up. Lost the car by going to the wrong car park, took a wrong turn across a bridge to work/school and ended up on the other side of the river. And then there was poor Franky who had to eat Whiskers Seafood Platter two nights in a row because I'd forgotten the dog food....I did remember there was a party for a six year old today.

Luckily the great directions provided by Curly Pops were fool proof.

I finished the apron late last night while watching gruesome crime shows on the ABC. What's with the programming there, I must be getting to be an old fogey but I liked my double episodes of the Bill.

Anyway, I'm thinking the littlest relations might be getting a set like this for Christmas this year.

So here's to a better week, where I get a little more with it.

Markets are better than Facebook

While I'm not on Facebook and may never will be, I reckon Markets are the place to meet a blast from your past. Probably topping the list was a fellow stallholder I went to Prep with and hadn't seen for thirty years or so. I've also caught up with old workmates, neighbours and a myriad of others. Its funny I always think I've changed so much, a few more kilos, wrinkles and grey hair, but there's no escaping your past, particularly in Hobart.

I had another fun day at the Market today, met lots of lovely customers and stall holders.

I left my camera in my bag all day, and thought of taking photos just as it was pack up time. Will post later in the week with some recent market purchases, unfortunately the cupcakes and carrot cake will well and truly have disappeared by then.

How embarrassment

I didn't think I'd be the source of such embarrassment so early on in Bridget's life. I'm sure I was a teenager before I'd walk three steps behind my mum when we went to town, so while Bridget will still hold my hand, apparently I can be the source of embarrassment. Shh, Mum that's embarrassing she'll whisper to me.

One thing she doesn't yet find embarrassing is handmade birthday presents for the parties she goes too. Last year it was pencil rolls and journals for the kids, this year its library bags and hair clips for the six year olds. For some inexplicable reason she has not inherited my sweet tooth, therefore I always score the lolly bag that comes home from these parties, she keeps the balloon I get the freddos.

Chloe's bag

My mum doesn't really embarrass me anymore, I'm thinking I might employ her as my Public Relations Manager. She's one for saying my daughter made that. Then she'll generally get my name wrong, it could be any family member's name including the dog's. She says she isn't demented, its just that six kids has taken its toll on her. Poor mothers, I reckon we put up with a lot.

Fab Road Trip

To celebrate the last week of school holidays, Bridget and I embarked on a little road trip. It was less in the tradition of the Leyland Brothers and more like an Edwina and Patsy jaunt from Ab Fab. We drove two hours up the highway, did a spot of shopping, booked into a hotel and ordered room service. It was loads of fun, and now Bridget thinks she might like to live in a hotel permanently.

I had done a little research on the fabric shops in Launceston prior to our departure and I managed to visit all of them, plus Spotlight, just to see if it was different from the Hobart shop (it wasn't but it had more stuff). I found gorgeous Japanese fabrics at Sew World and am thinking I'll now be able to shop a little closer to home than just relying on Etsy.

There is bizarre intrastate rivalry between Hobart and Launceston and while I should defend the Hobartians, to be honest the shopping in Launceston has improved exponentially since I lived there. Lots of little interesting, independent shops. Some I visited were Cocoon, Content (no website yet) and Makie G. Also the op shops on Hobart Road, Kingsmeadows were fantastic. The mega City Mission Store was massive and very well organised plus it had a cafe. So an excellent time was had by us, and a rainy morning was also catered for when we dropped into Kids Paradise for a couple of hours before driving home.

I like these kind of road trips, seeing nature from the comfort of the car. On a totally unrelated note, the pic at the top is my newest oldest case, I mentioned to my super op shopping sister that I needed something to display my journals in, and this was waiting on my door step today. Yah for sisters and yah for op shops!