Everything and nothing

It's been one of those weeks where I thought not much has been happening.

Weird, but there's actually been a bit on.

First on my list of news to report, is that the fabulous Finders Keepers are back in Melbourne at a brand new venue for 2012. Yay! 

And, double yay, I'm so excited that I'll be part of this great market once again!

I love these events. Love, love, love!

There's food and music, and an amazing array of independent designers and makers. Many from interstate that we don't get to see that often down in the south.

So, if you haven't been before...well, pop it in your diary now.

Other nice things that have happened this week are a couple of new stockists for Frankie & Ray goodies. One is a sweet little shop of handmade goodness called Gathering (great name!). You'll find this shop in Newstead - a little town between Castlemaine and Daylesford in regional central Victoria. 

Pop in if you're out for a drive in the country!

The other is the shop of the girls behind Finders Keepers, Follow Store. From late March Frankie & Ray scarves will be travelling north to Sydney for the first time. So, it does get cold up there too!

And....just one more thing....if you're after a tea cosy for your pot, then the Foodstore have some more in store this week as well.

All in a week's work!

Back in town

My first Melbourne market for this year is on this Sunday. 

My most regular market, and certainly the Abbotsford Convent is one of my favourite places to be.

I'm feeling a little like a kid going back to school - there's lots of excitement to see some friends I haven't caught up with since before Christmas, tinged with a bit of that 'holidays are over' feeling!

Pulling up my socks then, I'll see you there!

Shirt & Skirt Market

Abbotsford Convent

1 St Heliers Street, Abbotsford

10am - 4pm

New love

On this valentine's day, I've been spending time with a new love!

I've been avoiding meeting with Pinterest, but once we were introduced, I can't seem to stay away.

For a bit of visual inspiration, enchantment, and a wonderful tool for keeping and organising all those fabulous images, I couldn't think of a more exciting place.

I'm also finding it fascinating to see how recurring themes are popping up in my choice of pictures.

Patchwork, hello there!

Join me if you dare...

Making a start part 2

No market today. 

After 7 weeks of near perfect weather for our market on Saturday mornings, Apollo Bay turned on a day that's been a little bit drab.

It's raining again now, and grey and dull. I'm resisting lighting the fire.

Not your typical mid-February day at all.

Never mind, after feeling a little at a loose end, I decided to just go down to my workroom and see what took my fancy.

Nothing too strenuous this afternoon, but an enjoyable play around with some jumpers and fabric.

(Summer still seems to be having an influence in my choice of colour I think)

And now I have 2 new scarves to add to my box of things to come when the time is properly right!

  

Which, hopefully, won't be for at least another month.

I still have swimming to do.

Making a start

It's a little bit limbo land here at the moment.

Even though the calendar says we still have a whole month of Summer to enjoy, my thoughts are slowly turning towards those cooler days that'll be here soon enough.

Thankfully, it's never a chore to have a play around with some new fabrics!

And so, I'm making a start.

And that was January

Phew. January's been busy.

It's gone fast and slow if that makes sense.

And I've loved every visitor, every swim, and every market Saturday.

There's a funny end of Summer feeling about town this week.

It seems everyone's thoughts have turned to kids going back to school, and all the beginning of the working year things that need to get done.

The carnival's packed up and gone from the foreshore, there was nobody on the beach walking this morning, and getting a park in the main street is a case of choose your spot for the first time in a month!

It's a little bit melancholy.

But I know soon enough we'll have the February travellers here to enjoy what's usually the nicest weather of the year on the coast. 

To lift my spirits today, two big fat parcels of new fabric arrived in my post office box.

Beautiful soft corduroy, in gorgeous Autumny colours.....skirts!

Addicted

I couldn't stop at one.

I'm dreaming brightly coloured and patterned linens and cottons!

Someone should have warned me.

This one's surplus to requirements, but by golly, I'm loving making them.

You can find this one in the shop!

Smitten!

What, you may ask, am I doing inside on this most ridiculously perfect Summer day?

I couldn't keep my fingers off my little tea towel project, that's what!

I used some Ink & Spindle fabric I had plenty of for the backing.

I decided not to quilt, but just to topstitch the two layers of fabric.

I'm so pleased about that, the weight and thickness is perfect.

I found this sensational set of instructions on how to bind quilts (and look at those corners!).

I did find a wee little hole in one piece, now covered with an unusually placed label.

And here it is in it's new home.

I love it, and I think I understand now why they say patchworking is addictive....!

Having a crack!

Ok, so I realise I've been on a tea towel bender.

It's the time of year when I'm making lots of cushions and bags for the weekly market.

Using so many of them lately has meant lots of offcuts to add to my stash of tea towel pieces left over.

I always keep the ones that appeal to me, even if they're an odd small size.

So, last week when I was obsessing over some patchwork, I thought there's something I could use those pieces for! 

After all, the colours and images I love.

And, I had them there already....

And here's the result so far!

This is destined for a corner of my sofa that sits right up under a west facing window. It's suffering in the afternoon sun from a bit of fade, and I think this might do the trick for a little protection.

There are some corners in that bottom row that definitely don't stand up to close scrutiny!

But, I'm feeling pretty pleased with this little arrangement for a first go.

I need to decide now if I just want a cloth throw with a backing and some topstitching, or do I go the whole hog and try the full quilting thing?

A birthday, a bag, and more tea towels

In the heat of yesterday afternoon, it was a pleasure to go downstairs to my cool workroom and get to work sewing some more tea towel bags.

This bag was actually destined to be a birthday present for one of my local gal pals. Sal's a total sweetie, a maker of some lovely resin jewellry and bowls, and a market/coffee/drinks buddy, who along with another girl, has really helped a city girl transplanted to the coast to settle in to life down here.

After some texting and being vain enough to read the reply without my reading glasses, I ended up making a bag with the wrong year on it! Ooops.

Ah well, it was kind of funny at the time, and I'm on a promise to make another with the right year on it (1974).

Who needs a friend like me who can add a year to a girl's age so carelessly?

Everything has a happy ending today with this bag and 2 others newly listed in the shop this afternoon.

I'm sure it'll find a good home!