Camberwell Market

The family made it down to Camberwell Market last Sunday and picked up a few odds and ends. Jennifer from The Mark Makers had 10% for Northside Makers Members, so that was motivation enough to get out of bed and out of the house at an ungodly time!

I bought a few patterns to make some summer dresses for Tori, an Aztec book for $2 (my Humanities kids are doing Ancient Civilizations) and a shadow box for $5 ...

Rather pleased with my shadow box, which will magically turn into a prop for my market stall! While strolling around the market a number of stall owners asked me where I got it from.

Voila! With stock! It fits my coin purses and pendants rather nicely. A few adjustments with some foam will stop them sliding under the particians and lots of space out the front to put price signs.

Close up! The big question is, should I paint it black or red?

New Japanese Fabric

I am on a massive sewing frenzy at the moment trying to stock up for all my Christmas Markets that are occurring. The embroidery machine is doing overtime making labels and also small jobs for other crafters.

I have to steal my husbands external flash so that I can take better pictures of my Market Bags. I took a whole stack the other night and decided that they needed far too much photo-shopping to get them looking right. I work on the philosophy that if I spend far too much time in post production, then it takes away my time from actually sewing the products.

So I shall tempt you with the Japanese Fabric that I used to make the bags ...

The challenge is getting a lining that doesn't distract you from the lovely prints. So I am going for basic matching or contrasting colours at the moment.

Quilters 2010 Diary Give away

I have a copy of the Quilters 2010 Diary and a copy of Quilters Companion to give away to a creative blogger ...

What do you have to do to be in the draw?

1. Blog about my give away on your blog and tell me your "favourite quilting memory". It could be a memory associated with a quilt, about one that you made or about a quilting disaster. Include pictures as well please!
   
2. Leave a comment on this post, with a link to your blog post and I will read it and put your name into the hat.
3. Give away ends at the end of November and I will post it to anywhere in the world! An early Christmas present from Konstant Kaos ...
   

Pictures of the magazine and diary are taken on a quilt that a friend made for my daughter before she was born. The character is Gigi from Kiki's Delivery Service and my daughter now loves this cartoon. It has been through many washes, been thrown up on, wee'd on and snuggled up under ...

Inside of the Quilters Diary .. lots of inspiration!

Konstant Kaos Christmas Markets

Looking for a little Kaos this Christmas? You can find me at the following markets ...

via Northcote Kris Kringle Night Market

Thursday 26th November
5.30 - 10pm Northcote Kris Kringle Night Market

Saturday 28th November
10.30 - 3.30pm Northside Makers Market

Thursday 3rd December
5.30 - 10pm Northcote Kris Kringle Night Market

Monday 7th December
7pm - 10pm Borders Carlton Craft Fair

Thursday 10th December
5.30 - 10pm Northcote Kris Kringle Night Market

Saturday 12th December
10am - 3pm Made n Thornbury

Thursday 17th December
5.30 - 10pm Northcote Kris Kringle Night Market

Feeling unproductive and hot

It is both fortunate and unfortunate that my sewing room is at the front of the house. On lovely days I can gaze out to my garden as I cut out things on my ironing board. But on 30 degree plus days, it gets hot ... very hot, even with the blinds drawn. Once introduce a hot iron to a room that is already warm, it heats up quick.

So on Saturday we ended up seeking refuge in one of the many shopping centres with underground parking. I figured that if I had to do shopping, it should be in air conditioned comfort.

Someone liked the fact that Nanna met up with us and fed us chippies ...

But at the end of the day we were far too exhausted to even take the cracker out of our top before collapsing in the car seat on the way home.

Borders therapy

The husband was given a Borders book voucher as a gift for being a guest speaker, so we headed to Borders in Carlton for a bit of retail therapy.

I bought Handmade in Melbourne and Jane Austen's Sewing Box.

It is freaky reading through Handmade in Melbourne and knowing that you have met a few of the artists highlighted. Looking at how crafty Melbourne people are is truely inspirational. I'd love to think that my work might be in this book someday, but sometimes I think that my stuff is a bit too practical and not enough "arty". I might have to start designing my own fabric methinks ...

Jane Austen's Sewing Box has lots of stories and incidental patterns and inspirations from the regency period and Jane Austen's books. I have already earmarked a few projects, just need to nut through how they might work with skull fabric ;-)

It was a hard decision to make, I had to choose two books, but next time, I hope to pick up Kelly Doust's "the crafty minx". Some great projects in there, I love the subtext - "creative recycling and handmade treasures".

Another book that I flipped through was the "Made in France: Linen and Thread" by Monique Lyonnet. A gorgeous book.

I love clicking through blogs and have a quite extensive blogroll, but I also love taking time out to read through a well compiled craft book with beautiful pictures and lucious text.

Borders have quite a good range or craft books, some along and check them out at the Borders Craft Fair on 7th December @ 7pm!

Fabric Obsession

I got through some nice fabrics from the Halloween sales around the net. Most of the fabrics are only a metre in length, so I will have to choose my projects wisely!

bought from Melladoree on etsy

I am sure to have plenty of skull stuff for the up and coming Christmas markets ... but not too much!

bought from McKains Quilting Fabrics

I only got a metre of the "bat" fabric, is is so delicate and it needs to be used on something delicate ... just have to think what. I got two metres of the bodice fabric, so I might make a bag or two or some wardrobe potpourri bags ...

I buy most of my fabrics retail and I notice that not a lot of the good quirky designs make their way to Australia. There was one fabric that I tried to hunt up and I even contacted the distributors and they said that none was shipped to Australia at all!

Borders Craft Fair

After a slow start, the Konstant Kaos Christmas craft fairs are starting to come together. It will be a busy season, with teaching and juggling Tori, but hopefully worth it.

The latest one through is a new initiative from Borders in Carlton. I think the best bit about this fair is that we can wander through Borders and spend our earnings ... or maybe not! Borders are keen to support crafty peeps and encourage local groups to meet at their Gloria Jeans cafe for coffee and craft.

This is a lovely intimate craft fair and I am excited about the range of designers that they have lined up;First Morning Textiles, Cat McInnes, CSerpent Art, Mrs Beckinsale, Finki Handmade, Found n Bound, Betty and Hamish, Our Sweet William, Konstant Kaos, Made by Sarah.

So come along and enjoy the twilight (not in the horrible movie sense) craft fair and support Borders in this wonderful initiative.

Local textile designers

I love working with textiles that have been designed and printed in Australia, or even Melbourne. If you haven't checked out Ink and Spindle in North Melbourne, then head over to their web site and see all the lucious prints that they have. Mattt Bags, uses a lot of their fabrics ... if you are in the general area of Fitzroy, his studio is located on Gertrude Street.

But last week, I ordered and received these two lovely prints through the mail. They are not earmarked for anything special through my etsy shop or a market stall, they are for me! So they go into the chest of draws in my sewing room that has "special fabric just for Margaret" in it.

The first one is by Spin Spin, a lovely typography print. I saw her prints at the Sisters Market recently, and then eventually ordered online via her etsy store. She has an interesting blog to follow documenting her crafty adventures.

The second print is a print of an Eyechart by Shannon Lamden aka Aunty Cookie. I keep on missing opportunities to hear Shannon speak. I love her range of fabrics and avidly follow her blog. She makes the most beautiful craft panels. My first exposure to her fabric was when I made Trudi's knitting bag. I bought the length from Patchwork on Central.

Not sure what I will do with the eyechart, I might make a pillow or I am thinking it might become a good diary or journal sash, which of course wasn't what it was intended for. But I like to think differently....

New security door

At long last we have a security door on the front of our house! Overwrought in Daylesford do custom security doors. They are expensive, but check it out!

We bought this one not for what it looked like from the outside, but what it looks like from the inside.

Tori has already tried to feed the birds on the door by pushing through bird food!

I love having the front door open now. The cats sit there and watch the world go by ...