Market Wrap-Up

Could I have picked worse weather for my first foray into markets? Possibly, but it wasn't the best. Overcast all day, then 20 mins before closing, a massive thunderstorm. The weather seemed to keep the crowds away and it was pretty quiet, though I managed to make enough sales to make the cost of the stall worth it, and the advertising for my business was priceless.

I'm happy with how my stall looked, and I certainly had plenty of kids interested in my toys, but not so many parents willing to open their wallets. Finances are still quite tight following the GFC.

I've got chrissy stockings to offload, so if you were interested, now is your chance. $35 each including postage within Australia, $40 overseas (though they prob won't arrive in time for christmas). Email me at kate@bellaspatchwork.com.au. All the stockings are quilted on the front, have batting front and back, and are fully lined.

Bliss--Whimsy--Hunky Dory

12 Days of Christmas

12 Days of Christmas

Peace on Earth

So the market wasn't quite as scary as I thought it might be, and I'll probably have another go. Just need to cross my fingers for better weather!

One Last Stocking

I've had a bit of a break from sewing after going into full production mode for the maker's market, and just been taking it easy. But I'm heading into my old work tomorrow and wanted to drop off a gift for my friend's little boy.

So, I whipped up another stocking; this one using scraps of 12 Days of Christmas left over from the other stockings. Just 3" squares, then quilted on the diagonal.



Backed with another 12 Days fabric, and lined with Bliss tonal green. I love it!


I've also quilted and bound a second cot quilt for the market...I'm liking this one a lot.

New Website!

I'm very excited to announce that Bella's Patchwork has a new website! After months of nothing but trouble with my previous website courtesy of the hosting company, I've moved hosts and put together my own site.

I'm really pleased with how it looks, and hopefully it will be a little more user friendly. The shopping cart is 100% secure and operates using Paypal as before.

If you notice anything that doesn't seem right, let me know and I'll fix her up.

Simple Summer Pasta

I'm a pasta-lover, and could quite happily eat is several nights a week. The warm weather brings a dilemma however, and it gets too hot to be making and eating yummy warm sauces with my pasta.

For days like today I prefer a cool pasta, and this recipe is a sinch!

You just need:

• tomatoes; either diced large tomatoes or halved cherry toms.
• basil; grab a handful and tear the leaves.
• a clove of garlic, sliced thinly or crushed. This adds a bit of bite to it.
• olive oil. I usually add 6 glugs, but it would depend on how many serves you want.
• a dash of red wine vinegar; I usually use about 1 teaspoon.
• Salt and pepper to taste.

Let it sit for about half an hour, cook your pasta, drain, then toss it into the sauce. Mix it round then serve it up! The pasta will be slightly warm, but far more pleasant to eat when its hot.

It's hot enough here that Bella has taken to lying on the kitchen floor...looks a bit akward!

First Day of Summer...

...And its pouring with rain! Admittedly, it's not cold; I'm wearing a sleeveless top. But it's not really the start to summer we've all been hoping for.

Not much sewing action happening here. I've finished up most things for the market, bar one cot quilt. I'm hoping to start something with Fandango shortly, but I'm not sure what pattern to go for, so suggestions welcome!

I did a final harvest of my silverbeet yesterday; the plants had bolted and were now taller than me! All the leaves have been washed, blanched, and packed into baggies in the freezer for use in quiches etc.

Just a note on Bella's Patchwork too; the shopping cart is currently malfunctioning, so if anyone is looking to place an order, please email me at kate@bellaspatchwork.com.au. I'm getting very frustrated with my provider and am looking into alternatives...not what I needed in the lead up to christmas!

Mulgrave Farmers/Makers Market

With three weeks until I'm due to be at the Mulgrave Maker's Market, I thought I'd better go check out this months to see how it all works. Unfortunately the weather was less than helpful, being both cold and rainy. And I forgot to take my camera..

But the farmer's market has a great selection of fresh veg, fruit, meats and cheeses, which I'm sure I'll be returning too.

The maker's market section also looked quite good; a nice selection of fabric craft, as well as jewellery and other assorted items. It also gave me some good ideas on how to display my items.

(pic from the market blog)

The crowd wasn't huge, but I attribute that to the weather; hopefully next month the weather is on my side!

Trolley Make-Over and some Hunky Dory

This weekend just gone, I decided I needed a project which didn't require hours hunched over the sewing machine; with all the preparation for the maker's market, I'm all sewed-out, plus the weather was just beautiful. Instead I decided to makeover a trolley which I plan to use at the market.

Unfortunately, the trolley has been out in the backyard for most of its life, and the paint has faded and flaked away, leaving a few rusty patches.

So I got the trolley out on the lawn, brushed it down, and applied a coat of undercoat which is suitable for metal, left over from the filing cabinet I painted a few months back.

Then I took to it with the remaining pink spray paint. It's not perfect, its a bit bumpy where the metal had rusted, and there were a few missed patches where I couldn't get in behind the wheels. But overall, a much nice looking trolley than before; far more suitable for market. I'm not sure my mum is too impressed with her pink front lawn though....

Last night I got around to putting the binding on the Hunky Dory cot quilt. If I wasn't planning on selling it, I'd almost want to keep it!