Shopping in Ballarat

Happy New Year to everyone! It's quite nice to have all that over with but boy is my two weeks off for Christmas holidays flying by. I am trying to get prepared so when big days at work start I can keep up with my sewing, not miss heaps of blog posts & post regularly myself.

 

Here it is a month later & I still haven't got to show you what I brought while in Ballarat. Now a lot of it I can put down to the influence of good friends Melody & Shez but I have to take responsibility for a few buys on my own and the overall damage done with the credit card. I was on holiday! There are lots of pics but I have resized them to teeny tiny so hopefully it all opens quick.

 

So lets start with my premier purchase - the one I should have said no to but just had to have. On the Monday Shez & I went to Daylesford. I can't tell you how much I loved that little town & it wasn't the visit to the chocolate shop that has affected my brain & gives me happy endorphins when I think of this place either. It's so New Zealandish - green, hilly, old style of buildings, flowers and I loved how busy it was.

 

We went to Wombat Gifts in Daylesford as Shez & I both have a love of the French Provincial country style and white or cream wood or iron. It was love at first sight & the only one in the shop (though we searched for one for Shez too - hope you find one next visit!) For $15 I was smitten & sure it would fit in my suitcase. Well it didn't - my case was small, my birdies about 58 cms high & the top stuck out so I had a nice big shopping bag as the third item of my hand luggage (with a white Christmas tree in the bag too! - see further down). It was worth it though...

 

 

 

We visited Threadneedle Craft in Daylesford too. I had wanted these Ric Rac patterns of kitties Jude & Eloise & The Rag Rug before I went away so was hoping I would pick them up around Ballarat seeing Jodie lives locally.  On my second visit to Ballarat Patchwork (yes 2 visits!) Jodie came into the shop too.

 

 

Now Tuesday was the quiltshopathon day so here's the yumminess that found it's way into my suitcase on the day of Mel, Shez & Tracee's 'Big Day Out!'

 

First from our meeting point - Spotlight Ballarat. This shop was so tidy in the fabrics & quilting department compared to my local shop & with adequate staffing too. Two fat quarters & half metre of the floral.

We then went to visit Gail at Gails Patchwork Emporium. That lady is a lot of fun. She was still working from the shed but showed us through the newly rebuilt shop - love to see it all set up & operating now.

 

These hand painted strand of Christmas bells are from New Zealand. There are 9 bells on a string & I couldn't resist them & neither could that epitome of good taste Melody.

The braids with a French General look are divine

These fabrics look & feel like linen & are from Cosmo Textiles Vintage Collection

After all that hard work, girls have to eat to keep up the strength.

After a delicious lunch at Such & Such it was off to Ballarat Patchwork - fabrics & cats - I seriously think Emma needs to adopt me! I had been away from the furboys 4 days by then & that is about my usual weepy-want my furrys day so when Emma went & brought out both of her cats for me to pat & talk too, it was a furry fix that helped a lot. She could obviously sense a furry owner in need....

 

What a beautiful shop, so bright, happy & very busy. We were there when there was a 20% off everything sale too. This ric-rac was half price! My excuse is that is hard to find up my end of Perth especially in the mini size.

I had to have a pattern or two. I thought the fabrics from Gails would look great in this tub design bag of Jodie's from Ric Rac too. It's not often I buy a pattern with the idea of leaving the stitchery off - my stitchery queen crown was drooping that day! The felt Christmas decorations pattern by May Blossum was one of those ones I just had to have. Ballarat Patchwork had a gorgeous display with a white Christmas tree, yo-yo strands, the felt ornaments & Rosie Quinlins angels on it.

Oh, there was a small amount of fabric too...

There is a gorgeous homewares store right next door to Ballarat Patchwork that is worth a visit too. Here's is part of the garden display that Melody just had to have a pic of...

We had a stop at Lincraft where the small white Christmas Tree for $4.99 became my next purchase - again too big for the suitcase but what if I couldn't find one in Perth??? It was worth it, below is my little white tree in all its glory.

A great day out with two lovely friends & one I would love to repeat on a regular basis with maybe a little less of a workout on the creditcard!

That night I kept pondering the yo-yo strands I had seen in Ballarat Patchwork on their Christmas tree. I had brought some stitchery with me but it wasn't inspiring me & the lighting was not the best in the apartment even after I moved the lamps around. Next day when I just happened to find myself back near Spotlight, I went in & brought a small yo-yo maker & some fabric that would include the colours I wanted in such little circles of loveliness.

 

Here's the next night's effort. A much happier Quiltkitty. The background fabric came home with me too - Christmas conversational fabric in silver grey & white with a linen like texture. It looks great with the Robin Redbreast fabric from Ballarat Patchwork & I envisage some red pieced stars in a table runner too.

On a trip to Buninyong about 10 kilometres South of Ballarat I stopped in at Sew Special / Button Heaven in the main street. Buttons, braids & other pretties everywhere. What a gorgeous little shop in a gorgeous little town, definately my kind of place. I brought a few buttons, some for knitting, some for sewing & stitchery and the big silver one for on a bag....

 

 

I also brought my new handbag. It got its first outing today & I got told three time 'love your handbag - especially the flowers on it'. So I talked up Buninyong!

 

 

Now, so back to the admitted second visit to Ballarat Patchwork the day before I flew home. The Christmas discount was up to 25% by then so what could I do??? Two more fabrics (only 30cms) for future yo-yo strands... I do love a good green & you can't go past spots!

 

 

This fun fabric just stole my heart & I am hoping I will be brave enough to make it into a messenger type bag that will hold my epad, headphones etc. Both are from the Havana range by Monaluna.

 

 

I have heard & read so many happy tales about bloggers meets at Millrose Quilting in Ballan (lots of places beginning with B - what is with that Victoria?) so I stopped off there on my way back to Melbourne airport. Another great quiltshop & there was a group of happy quilters all setup at the tables so I got to see what it would be like to be able to sew there too. Bags were all tightly packed so I just brought one little fat quarter to remember them by & it tones in with my messenger bag fabric above.

 

 

So that's my mega shopping from Ballarat & surrounds. What a wonderful place for a quilter to live! So many beautiful shops within an easy driving distance & lots of great places to eat on those days out too. The company of course made it memorable....

 

Happy shopping!

Tracee xx