That's Tassie for You

A phrase I hear a lot & say quite often too is "That's Tassie for You!". It couldn't have been more true today.

Whilst sitting in church this morning, I looked over at the kids to see one of the girls holding a gorgeous handmade bunny rabbit, which I instantly recognised as a "Dandelion" creation.

It turned out that little Zoe is the niece of the lovely Beck who creates these beautiful bunnies. Beck lives in Daylesford, country Victoria with her family (5 children I believe) one of whom is called "Sunday". Her brother Ben comes to church with his 2 daughters, one of whom was there today - Zoe.

Here's Zoe with her gorgeous bunny "Eloise".

Zoe, her dad Ben & "Eloise".

Head over to Beck's blog to see her wonderful creations.

Keep Smiling!

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I just wanted to say a quick thanks to all my new lovely followers - I'm now at 53!

Thanks so much for stopping by, I hope you enjoy my blog. Don't forget to mention me to your friends if you think they'd enjoy my blog too. You can also find me on Facebook.

Thanks again, I really do appreciate it, especially the lovely comments you leave as well.

And as my dad always said "Keep Smiling, it'll make people wonder what you're up to!"

At My House

It's a quiet day today. After several late nights last week in the lead up to Mathilda's, today is all about - housework, packing away the market stuff & some relaxation.

My daughter has a "Student Free Day", so there was no need to jump out of bed this morning for the school run.

Here's what I have to tackle:

The mess that is on & around my dining table

The girls have set up a cafe in their playroom, and are also watching "Charlie & The Chocolate Factory".

To play along or see what's going on in other people's homes today visit Buttons By Lou Lou.

Hope you're all having a lovely day.

Mathilda's - Done and Dusted!

Well after heading to bed at 1am and then having a "little person" come in 5 mins after I lay down (sigh), I was up again at 5:30am this morning.

Surprisingly I had plenty of energy as I headed off, car packed & a tired hubbie in tow (to help me set up). We arrived and started setting up whilst the sun came up over the river - beautiful!

The day went well, although it was noticeably quieter than the last Mathilda's Market. I met some lovely customers, and many who follow this blog. Thank you to all of you for your lovely comments, it was great to meet you in person.

I was next to the lovely Amy from Mudd Kids who came to Hobart from Melbourne with her family for a weekend away. She has an online store selling beautiful organic, fair trade clothing & toys. On the other side of me was Helen from TasFudge, whose delicious choice of fudge is hard to pass up (I went home with 3 different flavours!). I also met Eloise from Itty Bitty who made the trip from Launceston with her mum & young daughter. She makes a beautiful range of hair clips, hair ties & more.

Some of the other wonderful, talented and creative stalholders included - the beautiful Cherie & Meg from Elf Dreams, Courtney & Indy from Silver Nutmeg & A Golden Pear Designs, Miriam from Jasmine Rose, Helen from Pili Pala Pieces, Dean from Zanzo Photography, Naomi from Thula Thula, Becky & Tracey from Miss Chief Designs, Rosie from Notions, Edwina from Little Snoring, Angela from Apooki and Leah & Mel from A-Bit-Clicky.

Here's some photos of my stall on the day, lighting was a bit of an issue, as it was very sunny so they put the blinds down (a shame though as it meant we couldn't see the lovely view).

My daughter's Baby Born doll modelling the "Little Legs"

Baby & Kids Leg Warmers.

Lots of my "Little Legs" Baby & Kids Leg Warmers

I'm looking forward to the November Mathilda's which promises to be a wonderful affair with Christmas just around the corner.

Only One More Sleep

..... although I'm not sure how much sleep I'll be getting tonight!

But it's on again - Mathilda's Market in Hobart from 9am to 1pm tomorrow at the Hobart Function & Conference Centre.

Lots of beautiful handmade goodies for babies & kids. Hope to see everyone there and if you can't make it be sure to let your friends know, just in case!

My Creative Space ....

is a mess right now!

It's only 2 sleeps until Mathilda's Market and I've still got a few things left to do. Why is there never enough hours in the day when you have things to do? I think it will be another late night tonight - I was up until 1am this morning.

Anyway, I've finished the last of my Reversible Crossover Pinafore Tops today. The latest fabric combo is a dark stretch denim & a lovely soft pink floral fabric I'm calling "Pink Posy". The applique design is my ever popular bird. I have only made 2 of these (Sz 3 & 4), but still have fabric available for other sizes if anyone is interested in a custom order.

I'm also going to be whipping up some more Dinosaur, Marble & Fairy Goodie Bags, plus embellish some children's scarves - I hope!

Well back to it! For more creative spaces visit Kootoyoo.

Market Madness

Cutting, pinning, sewing, labelling, cutting, pinning, sewing, sewing & more sewing. It's Market Madness week here in my house - the crazy week before a market. This Saturday is the 2nd Mathilda's Market here in Hobart and I'm very excited. The first market was so much fun, and I can't wait for Saturday to roll around. I know it will come fast, so I must keep going with what I have on my to-do-list.

Here's some things I have been working on this week.

Reversible Crossover Pinafore Top in "Zest".

Available in Sz 12-18mths, 18-24mths, 2, 3 & 4 @ $50 each

(Limited quantity of fabric is available for custom orders)

Reversible Crossover Pinafore Top with "Zest" Bird Applique

Lots more Applique Tees - Red Pinspot Bird, Floral Poppy, Babushka, Mini Cars

Long Sleeve @ $30 each

(All designs available on short sleeve tees by request @ $25ea)

Fabric Knotty Necklaces - Red, Black, Apple Green Pinspot & Candy Stripe

@ $12 each

Unfortunately the housework is taking a backseat this week, the place is a bit of a shambles, but I can live with it for a few more days.

Craft and Quilt Fair

Seeing as I was child-free on Friday, I decided to head to the Craft & Quilt Fair at the Derwent Entertainment Centre. I remember going may years ago, so thought I'd take another look. It was very busy, wall-to-wall women and hardly a man in sight!

Lots of lovely stallholders selling supplies of fabrics, yarns, ribbons, lace, patterns and more, workshops & a beautiful quilt display.

Of course I couldn't leave without purchasing just a few things.

I also found some great little bags of buttons for my appliques and a couple of cute little things, I'll keep up my sleeve for a giveaway I think!

If you get the chance, head on down today - it's on until 4pm. Hope everyone is having a great weekend.

My Creative Space ....

Meet "Zesty" Bird!

This is my latest fabric used in my Reversible Crossover Pinafore Tops. The fabric is called "Zest" and it's a lovely burnt orange/red. Makes me feel all warm & cosy during these wintery days. I have 5 cut out & on their way to being finished (by tonight hopefully) - Sz 12-18mths, 18-24mths, 2, 3 & 4 @ $50 each. I still have more fabric, for additional sizes/quantities, but as always my garments are made in limited quantities.

These will be available for sale at Mathilda's Market here in Hobart next Saturday 17th July, 9am to 1pm.

Hope everyone is having a lovely day.

For more creative spaces or to join in the fun visit Kootoyoo.

Ps. A big ..Happy Birthday.. to my Auntie Alison & my hubbie's Grandmother, "Nanny Dot", for today!

A Proud Mum

Emma had a great week at school last week. At the school assembly she was presented with a book for reading for "100 nights". She has always loved books and is already at Grade 2 level, even though she's only in Grade 1.

She was also presented with a "Principal's Award" for "Sticking to a task even though it is hard". Her teacher told me that they had been skipping earlier in the week and Emma was having trouble with it, but instead of giving up she just kept trying until she mastered it. Emma is very hard on herself, and has high expectations so sometimes when she can't do something she will just give up. I was so proud to hear that she had stuck with it!

And finally she also received a Bronze Certificate from the Commonwealth Bank School Banking Program for making "10 deposits" so far this year. I am one of the banking co-ordinators at her school and it's a great way of fundraising as the school receives 5% of all deposits, directly from the bank. The new program this year, provides certificates as children increase their number of deposits - 10 = Bronze, 20 = Silver, 30 = Gold. They also receive a token each time they make a deposit which they can use to redeem for different prizes - bookmarks, pencils, hats, pencil cases etc.

It's so rewarding being a mum, and it's great to see your children achieving, learning and having fun at the same time.

This time last week.....

This time last week we had a a lovely afternoon catching up with some friends who had recently returned from the US. We met at the docks and took a wander round the waterfront towards Salamanca. On the way there I noticed this colourful "knitting graffiti" on the bike racks next to Parliament Lawns. I think it looks great and cheers up an otherwise dreary spot. I wonder how long it will stay there?

We had lunch from the fish punts at Constitution Dock followed by an ice cream. We then took the kids down to the new & improved park at Nutgrove Beach in Sandy Bay, where we sat on the grass in the sun & watched them play.

What a gorgeous day it was - so clear, still & sunny. And it looks like another beautiful sunny Sunday in Hobart. I hope everyone is enjoying their weekend.

New Clothing Labels

I was so excited today when I got home to find that the postman had been and there was a parcel waiting for me at the post office.

The card said it was an international parcel which had me wondering for a moment, until I realised it must be my new clothing labels.

They are exactly what I was after and made perfectly to my requirements. They were also very reasonably priced at $79.90 US for 600 woven damask labels. That was including standard shipping from Hong Kong, but I decided to pay an additional $15 US for express shipping.

If you are looking for clothing labels I would highly recommend Worldwide Labels - find them here on etsy.

My Creative Space ....

Well we are definitely into winter now, although the days have still been lovely and clear & sunny.

In preparation for my next market - Mathilda's on Saturday 17th July, I thought I'd get busy making something which I've been wanting to try for a while now.

So this is what I've been up to:

Baby & Kids Leg Warmers

and some more waiting to be finished

These leg warmers are One Size Fits Most, and depending on the child can fit from Newborn to 6-7yr old. The majority are made from a Cotton/Elastane blend apart from the 3rd picture which are a Wool/Modal/Nylon/Cashmere/Elastane blend - very warm & snuggly for little baby legs!

They are approx. 40cms in length and the baby ones are approx. 23cms. They can even double as arm warmers on older children.

Other features of the leg warmers are:

Protect little knees when crawling

Makes nappy changes easier

Helps keep baby's socks on

Great for toilet training

Keep legs & arms warm year round

Older kids can wear them to dancing or gymnastics

Make a fun fashion statement for any occasion!

They are all $15 each which is great value for money, as they can be worn for several years.

_______________

Here's Emma wearing a pair. She is 6yrs old and they sit over the

knee comfortably or can be pulled up to her thigh.

Here's Sophie wearing the same pair. She is only 3yrs old so the

leg warmers fit all the way up to her thigh,

with plenty of room for growth.

For more creative spaces and to play along, head over to Kootoyoo.

My Girls

The weekend before last, my mum asked if we wanted to take the girls to Kidz Bizzzz Playcentre. Seeing as hubbie was away in Melbourne, I thought it would be a great way to spend a few hours, so after church on Sunday we headed south to Kingston.

The girls had a lovely time playing, running, screaming, smiling, jumping & climbing. I tried very hard to get some nice photos, but it's quite difficult when they won't stay still! Sophie decided to have a lie down at one stage on the jumping castle (not the best place), and lay there with her hands behind her head - very cute!

Then she sat up and started to pose for the camera, finally! Here she is giving Kidz Bizzzz the big "thumbs up"! This would be a great advertising shot for them, don't you think?

Another new activity in the family is dancing. Emma has become very interested in drama and performance - yes she can be a bit of a "drama queen". We took both the girls to the local performance of "The Wizard of Oz" recently at the Theatre Royal and she absolutely loved it! We also knew a couple of the cast (father, daughter & son) and Emma wanted me to find out from them how she could be "on stage".

So we've decided to start with some non-competitve song & dance classes. She has had 3 classes so far, and is really enjoying it. It all costs money though and we had to fit her out with leotard, skirt, stockings, ballet & tap shoes and a bag. Still I'm happy to have her involved in an activity she wants to do and it helps with confidence and co-ordination. It's also happens that there is a girl in her dance class from her class at school, which is great! She's actually picked it up really quickly and is very excited to be involved in the end of year concert. So watch this space - we may have the next Broadway star on our hands!

Here's Emma testing out her dance outfit, only about 30mins after we bought it!

The Ruby Red Slippers

Emma dressed as "Dorothy" & about to see "The Wizard of "Oz at the Theatre Royal

Handmade Hobart & A Surprise Win

I recently participated in the Handmade Hobart Market held on Saturday 15th & Sunday 16th May. This is a 2 day market held in the lovely St Peter's Hall at St Mary's College in Harrington St.

It was a lovely 2 days, although a little quiet but I got to meet some lovely customers and stallholders. One in particular who I wanted to mention here was Sarah from If Only I Had Chocolate. The night before the market, Sarah drew her blog giveaway and to my surprise, I was the winner. I won a lovely piece of fabric plus 2 very cute little wooden buttons - a cupcake & little red riding hood. By pure coincidence the fabric happens to be what I have used on my Babushka Applique Tees, so will come in handy and I'm going to glue a brooch back to the "Little Red Riding Hood" so I can wear her - too cute!

My winnings from Sarah at "If Only I Had Chocolate"

Sarah makes a lovely collection of toys & gifts, softies, brooches etc and is certainly very talented. Sorry it's taken my so long to mention you Sarah. Head over and take a look at her blog.

My stall

Helen from Pila Pala Pieces who is also one half of The Barn Market Team.

Unfortunately, this was the last Handmade Hobart Market, although we didn't know it at that stage. The next market was scheduled as a "Christmas in July" market however due to issues involving public liability insurance, the organisers had to make the very difficult decision of ceasing operation.

I'd just like to say a big thanks to Penni, Sue & Marg for their organisation of such a lovely market and hopefully we will continue to see them and their creative talents showcased at other Hobart markets.