Our First Market: Yarra Glen
After months of preparing, sewing, packing, planning displays and wondering how everything would come together, Bateman Original Designs finally attended our first market at Yarra Glen Racecourse.
There was one very noticeable difference for me this time. For the first time, I was doing a market without Mum beside me.
Markets were something Mum and I had done together many years ago, so setting up my own stall and stepping back into that world carried a little more meaning than simply attending an event. It felt familiar in some ways and completely different in others.
This time, sitting beside me was my husband, Stephen Greville — and, perhaps just as importantly, the courier responsible for getting all those hats safely to and from the market.
I also made a little room in the stall for one of Stephen’s own projects: his handmade raised timber dog bowl holders. They are designed to help keep food and water bowls in place rather than having them wander across the floor, and they are weatherproof for outdoor use. It was lovely having a small part of his work alongside mine for the day.
I was genuinely thankful for the response from the public. There was plenty of admiration for the hats, cravats and bow ties, and lots of people stopped to chat, take a brochure or pick up a business card.
It was lovely to see the work being noticed and appreciated in person.
Of course, next time I’d also be very happy to see a sale or two.
The day also gave us some useful surprises. One of our largest orange statement hats kept catching the wind and falling over on the display, so eventually I did the most practical thing possible — I put it on.
Once it was safely on my head, it stayed there for most of the day and very quickly earned its new name: Safety Hat.
With its unmistakable witches-cone orange and dramatic size, it certainly wasn’t a piece designed to disappear into the background.
You will never be lost in a crowd wearing Safety Hat.
The day was also a good reminder that markets are about more than what sells on the day. They are about meeting people, letting customers see the work properly, trying pieces on, talking about custom designs and giving people a way to find us again later.
And I would really love to see more of you at our next market.
You may have seen a hat on the website and loved it, but wondered whether it would suit you, how it would sit, or how it would feel to wear.
That is exactly why coming to see us in person can make all the difference.
Come and meet me, try on a hat or fascinator, take a closer look at the cravats and bow ties, and see what feels right for you.
You can find all our upcoming market dates on the Come Meet Us page. https://batemanoriginaldesigns.com.au/come-meet-us
Designed by Hand. Defined by Heritage.