New Baby Gift

This afternoon I am heading out to a Baby Shower for a friend of mine who is expecting her 3rd child - due in Mid April.

I wanted to make something for the "little person" so I decided to applique a White Long Sleeve Onesie and make a matching Giraffe Rattle.

I used a lovely spotty teal fabric & co-ordinating plain teal fabric for the applique as I don't know whether it will be a boy or a girl, and I think it works well. I am really happy with how the onesie turned out and also the rattle. This is the first time I have made any type of "softie" and it was really easy and didn't take long at all. I placed a small bell in the rattle, which I stitched into it's own little pouch, added ribbon loops for ears and embroidered the eyes and nose.

What do you think?

A Perfect Summer's Day in Hobart

After taking the girls to their first swimming lessons for the year, we headed to the famous "Salamanca Markets" to soak up some rays and of course the atmosphere. Where else would you rather be, but down by the waterfront on a beautiful summer's day in Hobart. We really do live in one of the most glorious places on earth!

Hubbie & the girls with their ice creams.

Here's yours!

Salamanca Lawn - lots of people enjoying the shade.

We enjoyed brunch at "Smolt", followed by a mandatory visit to the "Faerie Shop"! With 2 girls It's hard to leave without buying anything, so they both ended up with a lovely parcel of goodies each wrapped in fairy glitter filled cellophane. We then wandered into the market itself, stopping at different stalls and ending up on the lawn enjoying an ice cream. Hope you are having a great day too!

The view thru the markets with Mt Wellington in the background.

Some "Toe Tapping" Jazz Buskers.

Tea anyone?

The Smallest Pancakes in Town - Yummy Dutch Pancakes

covered in Raspberry Coulis & Cream .... mmmmm!

Tasmanian souvenirs for the tourists!

The iPhone for Kids!

I was just surfing around the net, clicking on links as you do and came across this iPhone for kids. Both my husband and I have iPhones, 3 iPods between us, 2 Mac Books & a Mac desktop - you could say we are Mac Fans! Our girls just love to grab the phones and play the games on them, but I think this is a great idea - and much cheaper too! You can even colour in the icons with crayon, texta or paints. This is for sale at "WoodToyShop" on etsy, take a look at it here.

Market Props

I am starting to think about & source some additional "props" for my upcoming markets. I have a bit of a stash going on now and am really happy with what I have found.

Today I bought a lovely red suitcase which I will use for my bags of marbles, dinosaurs & cars - little denim or drill drawstring bags full of goodies!

Then I also spotted the spotty plates and bowls in red and green. I love the combination of red & green together and they will also match the bunting I used at the Barn Market along the front of the table. I also have another couple of plain red bowls and red tin cannisters - not sure what I will use these for yet but I'm sure they will come in handy.

50th Post = A Giveaway!

Well this is my 50th post and to mark the occasion I am having my first Giveaway!

So what am I giving away I hear you ask?

Well up for grabs is a beautiful Reversible Crossover Pinafore in your choice of size (12-18mths, 18-24mths, 2, 3 or 4). These pinafores are made from designer fabrics and embellished with a gorgeous applique on one side. This particular pinafore features a lovely green and pink floral fabric one side & a taupe cotton drill with applique hearts on the other. The applique is fused to the fabric and then machine stitched for added strength. It also features ribbon & button embellishments.

The pinafore can be worn on it's own or over a pair of shorts or skirt in summer. In winter, team it with a long sleeve tee & leggings or jeans for a different look. It's not only 2 in 1 and tran-seasonal but can also see your child through from a dress to a top as they grow. I will also throw in a matching pair of hair ties (2) or hair clips (2) as well (your choice).

The total value of this giveaway is:

Reversible Pinafore = $50

Hair Ties/Clips = $6 or $8

= $56 - $58 (depending on choice of hair accessory)

So how do you enter the giveaway?

It's simple really - all you have to do is be a follower of my blog & leave a comment on this post which equals one (1) entry. If you would like a second (2) entry you can also go and join me on Facebook. And finally if you recommend a friend & they follow my blog then you'll receive a third (3) entry. In order to receive the 3rd entry for recommending a friend, you must let me know your name & the name of the person you have referred - just leave me a comment or email me at sonia@sundayschild.com.au.

For those of you with boys, you won't be left out as I will offer another "boy" giveaway in the near future.

So get Commenting, Following on Facebook and Referring. Oh and you have a week - giveaway entries close next Thursday 25th February at 5pm!

Another Market

I have just been confirmed as a stallholder for the March Handmade Hobart Market. This is normally a 2 day market but on this occasion is being held on the Saturday 20th only - from 10am to 3pm.

The Handmade Hobart Market is normally held at St Peter's Hall on the corner of Harrington & Brisbane Sts, however as the hall is being used for election voting the market will be held outside, next to the hall on the netball courts. Let's hope we have some lovely weather on the day!

All proceeds from stall hire are donated to the Mutaho Children's Foundation - the brainchild of a young, local Hobart woman who seeks to teach sustainability skills to AIDs orphans in Kenya.

So just to recap, my next market appearance is:

Handmade Hobart

Saturday 20th March

10am to 3pm

Next to St Peter's Hall

Harrington St, Hobart

The Barn Market - what a day!

Well what can I say, I had a fabulous day at my first market and the inaugural Barn Market on Saturday 13th February. Having not experienced a market, as a stall holder before, I can only say that this was the best way to start and I am truly thankful to have been involved.

Miriam & Helen did a fantastic job of organising the big day, with plenty of advertising prior, including a write up in The Mercury. The barn looked great and was an amazing venue! Despite the rain people turned up in droves and there was a constant flow of customers all day.

I had 4 or 5 nights of staying up till 12:30am - 1:00am finishing all my garments & accessories and making sure everything was labelled, priced and I had everything for the set up of my stall.

I arrived bright and early - just after 8am (one of the first) and was greeted by both Miriam & Helen who introduced themselves and showed me to my table. They had also left a lovely gift for each stallholder - a mini noodle box with lollipops, musk lollies, a tea bag and some safety pins - how nice!

I was right next to the lovely Courtney from Silver Nutmeg & A Golden Pear Designs with her beautiful girls skirts, dresses, brooches, hair ties, applique singlets, owl softies and more. We hit it off straight away and it was great to have someone to chat to during the day. Check out her blog and beautiful creations.

I met and chatted to other stallholders on the day including, BJ from Junkyard Bugs, Becky & her mum from Miss Chief Designs, Grace from Little Black Crow Studio, the lovely girls from Ella Made That and the yummy TasFudge.

I had my lovely husband & daughters come to visit me during the day (they also brought me some beautiful red roses for valentines day - very unexpected!) Thanks to all my family and friends who came to visit the market and support me and the other stallholders, it was very much appreciated. A big thank you to my brother Tim who took some great photos of my stall and others - you can see his photos on Flickr.

I received some lovely comments about my products and I even made some sales - yippee! I had no expectations of the day and I really just wanted to give it a go and have some fun, so having people like my work and make purchases was a bonus.

There was also several buskers, a sausage sizzle, coffee, yummy fudge, the Party Booth (a portable photo booth for hire) and the paper marbling workshop put on by Miriam.

All in all it was a fantastic day, full of atmosphere, lovely stallholders and customers. The next Barn Market is Saturday 10th April from 10am to 3pm. Unfortunately I won't be able to be at the next one as I am taking my daughter to see The Wizard of Oz at the Theatre Royal but I certainly intend to join the girls again later in the year.

My stall

Girls Applique Tees

Boys Applique Tees

Fabric Cards

Headscarves and Fabric Knotty Necklaces

Quick Post

As promised here is the price list for items available at The Barn Market tomorrow from 10am to 3pm. I still have to make sure I have everything and then pack the car before I go to bed. I really need some zzzz"s but not quite yet! will post some photos of the market & my stall in the next day or so.

Boys & Girls Applique Tees - $25

Reversible Crossover Pinafore Tops - $50 (2 tops in 1)

Fabric Knotty Necklaces - $12

Headscarves - $8

Cards - $4 each or 3 for $10

Bags of Marbles - $10

Bags of Dinosaurs - $10

Looking forward to seeing you all there tomorrow.

Gone Missing

No I haven't gone missing I've just been extremely busy preparing for tomorrow's first Barn Market. I have just about finished sewing & just need to finalise some signage and the layout for my stall. I will post all my items & prices later this afternoon too. The house is a bit of a mess but my wonderful mum has done all my ironing, so at least the place doesn't look like a chinese laundry anymore - thanks Mum! More soon.....

I'm In!

I am extremely thrilled and excited to let you all know that I have been included in the first Mathilda's Market here in Hobart on Saturday 27th March. Not long after my previous post, I received an email congratulating me and confirming that I have a "Fabulous Find" stall spot - Yippee! I can't wait to speak to Danielle tomorrow about all the details.

My focus this week is obviously on The Barn Market this coming Saturday, but after that it's full steam ahead to Mathilda's Market in 6 weeks time. This year looks like being a very busy & exciting one, full of new challenges and experiences - bring it on!

Mathilda's Market comes to town

Mathilda's Market is coming to Hobart with their inaugural market being held on Saturday 27th March from 9am to 1pm at the Hobart Function & Conference Centre on Elizabeth St Pier.

The Mathilda's Market has been running in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Canberra & Perth and this year comes to Adelaide and Hobart. Mathilda's Market describes itself as "Unique, Stylish, Beautiful Kids Stuff. Everything is exquisitely and lovingly handmade or comes from a small production line. It's kids shopping heaven!"

I am very excited about this market as I am currently waiting to see whether I am the lucky recipient of one of their "Fabulous Finds" stalls. I am in the final pool of applicants and will find out by 8pm tonight - so fingers crossed!

More Reversible Pinafore Tops

So I am madly sewing and preparing for my first market this week at The Barn Market at Rosny. I have another set of Reversible Pinafore Tops in a lovely green/pink/brown floral swirl pattern with appliqued hearts on the reverse side.

I really like the fabric and hope that others do too. They are available in one of each size from 12-18mths, 18-24mths, 2, 3 & 4 for $50 each.

Pricing is an interesting topic and one I have read a lot about recently. Things that need to be taken into account are of course cost of materials, labelling/tags, any packaging, the cost of my time to make the item and a small amount for profit. Whilst I really enjoy sewing & creating it would also be nice to make a little money from my venture. Just one reversible top can take me around 1.5 to 2hrs depending on the applique feature and this needs to be taken into account.

Obviously the fact that my items are all meticulously handmade with great attention to detail, unique in design & fabrics used and they are only made in very small quantities is another point to be considered.

Later in the week I will be listing all my prices for the items that will be available at my market stall this Saturday.

The Market - Hobart

I made a visit to The Market at the Masonic Temple in Hobart yesterday. It was a beautiful sunny day and the market had a great, fresh feel about it.

I had a lovely chat to Isis from IsisMade who's blog I follow & who's birthday it is today - Happy Birthday! She had a beautiful range of handmade journals, using old book covers & fabric, all different and very unique.

There was a great range of items from creative designers & artists and it was lovely to see so many people enjoying the market. I managed to keep most of my money in my wallet though and only bought a coffee and some lovely little lolly bags from Flyn at his mum's stall "Wild Creations".

Sunday's Child Now on Facebook

Yes, you can now find me on Facebook. Check it out & invite your friends to join as well. I will be updating with photos, news & additional market dates regularly.

Market Time

I have been away this week both at our shack and in the North West Coast of Tassie, so I have not had much time or indeed access to technology (no internet or mobile coverage on NW Coast - thanks Optus!).

Anyway, upon getting home last night I was excited to read my email and find that I have been successful in obtaining a stall at the upcoming Barn Market. To say I am excited is actually an understatement, this will be my first market and I am just a little nervous as well. I have so much still to do, so the next 2 weeks are going to be crazy busy!

The market is being held at the Rosny Barn behind Eastlands Shopping Centre from 10am to 3pm on Saturday 13th February. It will be full of unique and local handcrafted products, as well as coffee, snacks and fresh produce. The market supports local established and up-and-coming (that's me), independent art and craft makers/designers. Take a look at their blog here for more info, and if you look at the photo preview of stall holders and look down the bottom right corner you'll see my "train applique tee"!

Hope to see you there.

Holiday Fun

Trying to keep the kids busy during the school holidays isn't easy at times, but a day out and about is always good.

Yesterday I had to go into town to run a few errands, so 3 of the 4 kids came with me (my youngest was at childcare). We headed to the mall before catching up for coffee with my brother & mum, and bumped into none other than Bart & Homer Simpson at the T Life shop in the Mall.

We left with photos & balloons and grabbed a mini cupcake each from "Cutie Cupcakes" next door. We then headed to Spotlight for some sewing supplies for me and then onto Officeworks so the kids could buy stickers, pens etc for school. They had a great time running around the aisles with the mini kids trolleys - narrowly missing several shoppers!

That was my day gone and I felt absolutely exhausted!

My niece Rebecca, daughter Emma, "Homer" and nephew Josh.

More Market Fun

I made a quick visit to the Handmade Hobart Market at St Peter's Hall in Harrington St today. It's only their 2nd market and 1st for 2010.

I met the lovely Katrina from Roocke Cookies and bought some of her Chop Chip Cookies to take to a family bbq tomorrow. I used to work with Katrina in another life as a "McDonalds Employee", but I had no idea it was her behind the business. It was Katrina's first time at a market and I wish her all the best for her new venture.

Check out her blog and sample her cookies if you get the chance. It's great to support other small/handmade businesses.

Family Pack (x10) of Choc Chip "Roocke Cookies".

More "Knotty" Necklaces

With keen onlookers today (my niece & nephew), I managed to make another 2 "Fabric Knotty Necklaces" and another new product - a "Head Scarf". This turned out really well, I just might make the ends slightly longer to accommodate larger heads, as they will be "One Size Fits All". I have also started another Reversible Skirt, which I hope to finish tonight, although I am on my 2nd glass of Sauv. Blanc so we'll see how far I get!

Getting Busy

I have been quiet on the blogging front since the New Year but busy doing lots of things.

* Sunny days at the shack

* Catching up with family & friends,

* Tidying up and re-organising around the house ready for the year ahead

Obviously with school holidays I have not been able to get as much sewing done as I would like, especially seeing as I have 4 kids in the house - my two & my niece and nephew. But I am determined to not let that stop me and I have been busy at the sewing machine the last 2 days. I am planning to appear at some local markets this year and have already put in some applications, so I need to build up my stock.

Yesterday I made 9 applique tees - with my "Bird" design and a new "Hearts" design. I decided to add the ribbons & buttons on the hearts because it looked a little plain without them.

My tees all in a row.

I also made some "Fabric Knotty Necklaces" in the same fabric as the tees. I have been wanting to try these for a while now and whilst the first one seemed to take me forever, the other 3 were done in no time at all. I am really happy with them and will definitely make more.

Stay tuned for more info on the markets I will be appearing at this year!

Happy New Year

Happy New Year to all - 2010 already! We have had a lovely time over the last couple of days at the family shack and welcomed in the new year with some local fireworks. I don't have any new year resolutions as such, just to eat less & exercise more really.

This year has seen many changes in our lives, my husband was working in NSW, then started a new job in VIC. As he had been living and working away from home for 18mths, we decided to pack up and move with him to VIC. After only 3 weeks in the job, the main contractor (who employed him), lost the contract and Andrew was out of a job. Luckily we hadn't packed up our house or moved at that stage, but it was a huge shock! So we were together as a family again, but with no income, things started looking a bit grim.

He was offered a job here in Hobart a couple of months later, only to have the company change their mind a week later - very unprofessional! So since May of 2009 we have had no steady income and mortgage and other bills still to pay. I think the longer you are unemployed the harder it gets to find a job. He has put so many applications in, has had some interviews but also many "thanks but no thanks" emails. We are holding our breathe and hoping the phone rings on Monday, as he had 2 job interviews just before Christmas and are feeling positive that at least one will be offered to him.

So 2009 couldn't come to an end fast enough, as far as I was concerned. I am sure that 2010 will see things return to normal and open new doors for both of us.

On a more positive note: - We came back from the shack yesterday evening and I have been busy today shopping for school supplies (already!) and restocking the pantry. Tonight we are all going to the Moscow Circus which is in town, and it will be the first time that the kids have been to the circus - very exciting!

Tomorrow we have a morning tea birthday party for a friends daughter's 2nd birthday, and I am about to start sewing her birthday present - nothing like starting things at the 11th hour.

Anyway, life goes on and there are always things to keep you occupied.

I trust everyone had a safe and happy new year and I wish you all a prosperous and fulfilling 2010.