Over the Rainbow

She wanted a Wizard of Oz party for her birthday. But we were not too crash hot on a big gathering. Birthday #5 can be big, but the rest can be smallish. So she was given the opportunity to identify a handful of friends and we held a small afternoon tea in the local park.

Even though not many came dressed up, she had her Dorothy dress and that is all that mattered.

The difficulty was actually getting a picture of her, she kept on running away to play on the huge playground.

But we did get a few snaps of her!

I had the most amount of enjoyment with the baking. Making a cake for her on the theme Wizard of Oz. I'm no good at the fondant stuff, so I opted for a smartie rainbow and a meadow of flowers on a vanilla cake with cream and raspberry jam

Outfit Notes:
The blouse and petticoat was from the German Dirndl outfit that I made last year. I popped some light blue Ric Rac on the blouse and I unpicked and sewed up the petticoat so that it was more flouncy. The dress was a simple pinafore style dress with an invisible zip up the back and interfacing in the waste band. the pinafore used about a metre and a half of fabric. The skirt was just a length gathered, no fancy half circles or anything. The top is similar to an apron with straps that crossed over at the back.

Dorothy and friends ...

Little cute pencil cases or cosmetics cases, although the thought did pass through my mind the other day that I could use it as a wallet if only it had a few more features ...

Lots of little pouches, coin purses and media pouches .. all of course limited in production because they are handmade ..

I keep on looking at this fabric thinking, "yes, I want to make a lovely quilt", but I don't want it to be too cheesy. So I have put aside a panel to do just that ... after I finish Tori's quilt of course!

Northside Makers Market Wrap Up

The weather was fabulous, the people gorgeous and the crafts to die for ... but the customers were casual and cautious. Could it have been school fees? Rates notice due in? Economic climate? Not sure, but it was great catching up with people and having some wonderful stimulating and empowering discussions with some fabulous women!

The thing that is great about markets, is that it forces me to make stock.

Picture by Mrs Beckinsale via Northside Makers Flickr

So even if I don't sell all of it, my online store benefits from the energy that goes behind preparing for the market. I love the three Thea and Sami bags that I made for the market, the fabric is to-die-for!

The jewel in my crown was my crime scene and Wizard of Oz range and both were warmly received. The bag with the four friends facing the emerald city was sold before the market opened and I ended the day with someone buying the bag with the Ruby red slippers on it for their friend.

Picture by Mrs Beckinsale via Northside Makers Flickr

Even though some older members of the community thought that the crime scene things were a bit "dark". I enjoyed making them, that is the main thing - right?

I bought myself a gorgeous Finki Handmade necklace... can you see it, isn't it gorgeous!I also got some yummy steampunk inspired badges from Mrs Beckinsale and some felt donuts for my daughters pretend tea set from Miss Rosie (I didn't get a business card?).

A huge thank-you to my gorgeous husband who helped me ALL DAY and my inlaws for babysitting my daughter!

Northside Makers Market

I'll be glad when the week is over. The first full teaching week back is always hard yakka. Lesson plans, parent evenings, very little sleep and lots of photocopying. But in between all of this, I have managed to steal some time to make some stock for my first market of the year, Northside Makers Market. As a Northside committee member, I haven't been much use at all .. and to my team mates I apologise and promise to make it up with cider and martini's!

So here is a sneak peak of what I have been doing ...Firstly, my Wizard of Oz range .... Some Market Bags ....

Each one of course has a surprise lining ... you'll just have to come to the market to see what I have done!

 Some makeup bags or small pouches and some coin purses, these ones a bit bigger than my usual ones, so they should fit a licence.

I was very excited about using the Thea and Sami  hand screen printed fabric. They are a Queensland based business and they hand print it all themselves.

The bag has a bit of a Mattt's bag's feel to it, but the pattern is all mine and it is 100% cotton and machine washable (actually, the Thea and Sami fabric is 55% hemp/45% organic cotton).

And of course some new japanese fabrics have been used as well. I love this print and the colour palette.

So come along to our first Northside Makers Market for the year and check out all the new crafters and some old and trusty ones.

New Handbags on Etsy: Monsters and Cherry Blossoms

It is sweltering here in Melbourne, but for some reason I am sitting in a non-air conditioned room updating my etsy store.

I've put up four bags into my shop with a range of fabrics ranging from Monsters to Cherry Blossoms. I'm rather proud of the Wizard of Oz bag ...

All fabrics are high quality quilting fabrics and the bags are 100% cotton and therefore machine washable (which is good when you have kids).

Straps are extra long and slides are nickel plated.