It's Tuesday and I can't wait to ....

It's Tuesday and I can't wait to ..... unleash this little beauty on the unsuspecting public!

Her name is Elly Fump.

On her right side she's made from Amy Butler upholstery print. On the reverse,
a Heather Bailey pattern.

Those legs? They're bits and pieces:

• an old maroon and gold-flecked paisley I once made cushions from- handmade, as in, I stitched every stitch by hand with a needle. This was in the days before I owned a sewing machine.
• a lovely terracotta polka dot
• a pink and brown oddment
• and the matching chocolate and white partner to the Heather Bailey print on the reverse side

She has lovely Alexander Henry inner ears, and on the outer of those flapping giants is a Michael Miller damask print I intended to make a skirt out of but never got around to.

Elly Fump's coming with me to the Shirt and Skirt Market this Sunday. It's meant to be a lovely day - 23 degrees and no rain until later in the afternoon. Hooray, because I hate it when it rains on market days!

And the best part about Elly Fump? I think it's that lovely pink pom-pom tail.

Why do you like markets?

Right, since I'm at home at the moment (and yes, it's a Saturday night at ten to nine and my life is so wildly exciting that I'm blogging .....) - let's leave that aside for the minute - I have decided to post a few photos that have been longing to make it into the big wide world.

In order, they are "Up All Night" Hoot [primary fabric Tablecloth something or other by Anna Griffin], "There's A Butler In My Garden" Hoot [primary fabric Lotus Garland by Amy Butler and Sway by Heather Bailey on the wings' reverse], and "Mirabella Magic" Hoot [out of Mirabella by Alexander Henry plus some Vintage Dots by Michael Miller on the inside of the wings and Bijoux in Cinnamon on the outside, by Heather Bailey].

I made these Hoots up for my recent Rose St Market, which was a bit of a rubbish day in the end because I was fighting a massive headache on the day. The kind of headache where you try to stay as still as possible - as much to try and not throw up on anyone as to reduce the strobing pain in your skull. Coz, you know, throwing up on a prospective customer is not a good look. It's really not.

I find that on the market days where I can't really engage with people; either because of the sort of incredible pain which is capable of killing a small pony (truly, I never really had an appreciation for what a migraine means, before I had one) .... or simply because I've had a hard week at work and I'm tired, or because it's a cold day and the wind is blowing and I can't feel my fingers anymore, or something equally banal ..... those are the days I don't make as many sales.

Is it because when I'm bubbly I'm naturally more engaging, a better salesperson?

I don't think so. I think it's because when you go to a market - ok, let's take that out of the third person - when *I* go to a market, I like to look at all the stuff on the stall, sure. But what I really like is hearing the artist's story. Why do they make their own particular sort of crafty stuff? What gives them their ideas?

I enjoy hearing about all the curiosities that make up a certain person's approach to things. That's what makes a market personal to me. And so when I'm feeling rubbish, I don't chat about my own individual stories to my customers, and so there's no connection there for them. Just products. And products on their own ... well, they're lovely of course, but it's the stories that bring them to life, don't you think?

What do you like best about markets? I mean, aside from the fantastic and marvellous products we all create, obviously. And our clear and stellar talent, of course. And our patent good looks.

But besides that - what do you love about visiting markets, whether you're a crafty maker yourself, or simply someone out to enjoy the adventure?

Falling into Love at Home

Love Fridays …. Who doesn’t love Fridays? I mean, really? There are SO many things to love about a Friday.

First and foremost of course, is that it's the last day of the working week. So there's no work after today. In fact, there's *two* days of no work. Which ordinarily would mean two more days of sewing, except tomorrow I have the Northcote Market out the front of the Uniting Church on High Street. Which means lots of chatting to people instead. And hopefully some sales! (if it’s not spitting with rain like it is today, and there are people wandering along the street and feeling inclined to browse).

Today I’m hooked on Love and Home, my two new cushions. I think they’re beautiful – I made them up out of Warwick upholstery fabrics and used patterned cotton prints for the lettering. They're going onto the market stall tomorrow - let's see if other people Love them as well ....

Love has the vibrant colours that make me feel like I’m bursting with life. There’s Alexander Henry and Tina Givens and Heather Bailey cottons in there, plus one random print I picked up somewhere, it's a vintage 50s polished cotton. It's cheerful and happy and optimistic and glowing with warmth. It makes me want to hug it!

Home though has Liberty print cottons. Aren’t Liberty prints gorgeous? They make me feel more refined than I really am. Like I should be drinking an elegant cup of tea and lemon with a perfectly arched pinky finger, and living in a perfect home and being much less loud and obnoxious than usual am, not to mention much more polite and patient. They’re such English prints - my half-Englishness (courtesy of my mother) really rises in my throat when I’m around them.

Each cushion has got a feathery-downy insert, which I much prefer to the polyfil ones that go squashed and flat after a while. There’s something very depressing about a sad old cushion with all the life squashed out of it. Feather ones though, they stay plump and fat and purposeful – all the better to fall gratefully onto at the end of a long day.

I think I’m going to continue this series with Smile, and Laugh, and Joy and Relax. Any other suggestions are welcome!