Meet the stallholders...Christmas Shopping with Megan and Mona

We love new traders..but we adore our regular traders too, like Kate Barlow from Wales who will be selling with us for her third time tomorrow. Please come down to the Guildhall to see her and her fabulous wares.

Hello Kate, for those who don't know, what do you make?

Tea cosies, pin cushions, brooches, cards, cushions and lots of other things.

What is your business/stall name?

My stall name is Megan and Mona, named after my grandmothers.

Where do you live?

I’m from North Wales originally but have lived in Cardiff  for over 10 years.

Have you ever sold at It’s darling! before? 

This will be my third time at It’s Darling! It’s a fabulous showcase for quality handmade items and I find it really hard not to spend all my profits at other peoples stalls!

Tell us about what you sell and the source of  your inspiration?

I use a mixture of new, vintage and up-cycled materials to create unique handmade items. I don’t make lots of the same thing, mainly because vintage materials come in limited amounts and also because I’m always impatient to move onto the next idea.

I love looking through old magazines from the 1940s and 50s, they’re full of crafty projects that can be adapted with a more modern twist.

What is your most affordable/value for money item and what is your most favourite?

My prices range from around £5 for corsages up to £45 for cushions, there’s something to suit all budgets. This year I’ve made some lovely little heart brooches from scraps of wool fabric that would make great stocking fillers, some gorgeous  crochet hook rolls complete with hooks, and lovely vintage inspired pin cushions.

What are your top three tips for Christmas shopping/present giving ?

Get yourself to It’s Darling! this weekend where you’re sure to find all your presents under one roof.

Reward yourself with a mince pie and a large glass of mulled cider.

Then while everyone else is panic buying on the 24th you can feel smug in the knowledge that you’ve beaten the Christmas rush,bought some fabulous gifts and supported handmade crafts!

Meet the stallholders...coffee and cake with Megan and Mona

Kate Barlow aka Megan and Mona lives in Cardiff and first traded with us in Christmas 2010. We're so happy she's back again this Summer. 

HI Kate, tell everyone what do you make/sell and describe your inspiration.

A couple of years ago I taught myself to crochet using hooks I’d inherited from my grandmother. She also passed down a cupboard full of embroidery silks, buttons, lace and craft magazines going back 70 years, so that’s definitely where I get my hoarding habit from. I remember looking at it all when I was little and wishing it was mine. It’s a great source of inspiration especially the magazines from the 30s and 40s, full of interesting projects. I’ve always loved to sew and do embroidery and now I can crochet it’s opened up a whole new world! I sell lots of different things, cushions, tea cosies, corsages, pincushions, and bags …

Kate's glamorous grandparents

Tell us about where you live.

I’m based in Cardiff, where I came to study theatre design at college. That was over 10 years ago and I’ve been here ever since.

What is your favourite thing that you sell and why?

My favourite things at the moment are trios of little crotched flowers made up as brooches. They’re made from vintage rayon thread and decorated with antique buttons and beads. They can be worn individually or all together, pinned to hats and bags or used to brighten up your favourite cardi.

Brooches made from vintage rayon thread

What would you say is your most value-for-money item and how much is it?

I’d have to say all my items are value for money. I use a lot of vintage materials in my work, which usually come in limited amounts. This means the things I make are rarely exactly the same so you’re getting something unique that no one else will have, making it extra special. Prices range from £4 up to around £50 so there’s something to suit all pockets.

Crotcheted tea-cosy

Have you traded at “It’s darling!” before and if so when?

My first "It’s Darling!" Fair was last Christmas and I had a fabulous time. Everyone was so friendly and there were lots of customers and lots of sales. Other stallholders even bought a few items, which was really flattering. Unfortunately I couldn’t go to the spring fair so I’ve been looking forward to this one for a long time.

Remember Kate from last Christmas? Meet her again on the 16th July

What do you love most about Bath?

Bath is a beautiful place, I love the honey coloured stone the buildings are made from and also the Fashion Museum, a wonderful source of inspiration.

Why do you think customers should make “It’s darling!”  their must-visit vintage & handmade fair this Summer?

There’s a fantastic range of stalls on offer and your certain to take home what you were looking for, including a few things you weren’t! And you’re supporting handmade crafts at the same time.

Kate is proud of handmade 

What would you say is “darling” in your life?

My little collection of vintage handbags always makes me smile. They belonged to my grandmother and evoke images of glamorous dances in beautiful dresses. There’s even a cloakroom ticket in one of them for the Royal Lido Ballroom. Definitely a bygone era.

Kate's grandmother's vintage handbags

        

For more information about Megan and Mona please visit www.meganandmona.com

Meet the stallholders: Tea and Cake with…Kate Barlow from Megan and Mona

Kate is a trained costume maker with a fabulous day job touring with the wardrobe department of an opera company. But because that means she’s less hands-on with the making side of things, she’s putting her tremendous skills to good use in her spare time and making all sorts of treats for you to buy. She lives in Cardiff.

Kate - the talent behind Megan and Mona

Hello Kate, do you like tea and cake? And if so what kind?

My friend Bethan makes the best Lemon Drizzle cake I've ever had and you can't go wrong with a good cup of PG Tips!

What do you make?

A mixture of things made from vintage, new and found materials. Cushions, bags, brooches, wrist cuffs, pin cushions.

A vintage-frilled tea-cosy 

What inspired you to start?

I've loved to make things ever since I was little and moved to Cardiff to train as a costume maker 10 years ago. My current job is for a touring opera company in their wardrobe department  which means I'm less involved with the costume-making side of things. I really miss being creative, so I decided to have a go at selling things. A friend told me about Etsy and I've gone from there. I've called it Megan and Mona after my grandmothers, as I get my sewing skills from one and my love of theatre from the other. Megan left school at 14 to be a seamstress and taught me to sew and embroider, Mona's mum was a ballerina and later a dance teacher putting on her own shows and making the costumes.

Handmade bracelet-cuff

Where do you get your ideas from?

All sorts of places - magazines, shops, clothes, vintage items, friends. Sometimes I get inspiration from the materials themselves and can see them made-up into finished items in my head. I love doing hand embroidery and have recently taught myself to crochet which has become abit of an obsession. Another obsession is EBay and I can spend hours searching for vintage haberdashery, embroidery thread and yarn. I'm a terrible hoarder and find it hard to through anything away. Old button tins are often full of all kinds of interesting bits and bobs!

Time for a nice sit-down

Why did you want to be part of “It’s darling!”?

I heard about it from Angharad Gamble, a milliner and costume maker who had a stall at the fair in July. She told me how much fun it was so I thought I'd have a go. It's the first time I've done something like this and I'm really nervous but excited too.

Describe your ideal Christmas day…

In North Wales with my family with lots of snow, an open fire, chestnuts and hot toddies.

Buckle-cuff

What would call “It’s darling!” in your life?

My little niece and nephews are definitely top of my list along with a yellow and cream 1950s kitchen unit that lived in my grandmothers garage for years. It was in a pretty bad state but I re-painted it and now I keep my sewing things in it's many drawers and cupboards.

If you would like to find out more about Kate click here or email her on

meganandmona@gmail.com

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