Teresa Schmidt | 10/13/2014 | Fall, Farms & Agriculture, Insider Blogs, Seasonal Travel |   

Find Handmade Goods at the Bellingham Farmers Market Throughout the Fall

Fall is harvest time, and accordingly, Bellingham Farmers Market stands are overflowing with braising greens, winter squash and apples. It’s so rewarding to buy ingredients for homemade comfort food directly from the farmer. And you can get the same feeling by choosing handmade-in-the-PNW goods for yourself or for giving—directly from the artist or crafter. [caption id="attachment_20703" align="aligncenter" width="380"]Bellingham Farmers Market, Crafts, Jewelry, Pottery, Clothing, Art, Mount Bakery, Bellingham Bay Coffee Roasters Coffee from Bellingham Bay Roasters goes perfectly with a brown sugar cookie from Mount Bakery.[/caption] Regardless of the weather outside, you can stroll throughout the covered open-air canopy of the Depot Market Square in comfort, while perusing the goods, trying on hats and chatting up the talented crafters. Grab a coffee and a cookie (like I did) and discover the treasures awaiting you every Saturday through December 20th.   [caption id="attachment_20766" align="aligncenter" width="520"]Bellingham Farmers Market, Crafts, Jewelry, Pottery, Clothing, Art, Jesse Prints Top: Bellingham Farmers Market wearables. Bottom: JessePrints offers great advice on art, like "Never squat with your spurs on."[/caption] JessePrints are sold from a portable art cart under a red-and-white umbrella. Jesse Larsen wheels her cart from her studio across the street to the market each Saturday. She draws illustrations, carves the image into rubber and then hand-pulls prints. Each is matched with an appropriate saying to become a card, calendar or magnet. She also repurposes pages from old books to print pictures, suitable for framing and hanging wherever you need a little inspiration. Birds, plants, ordinary objects and dogs are popular subjects, but Jesse says she can’t draw anything she doesn’t love first. [caption id="attachment_20700" align="aligncenter" width="520"]Bellingham Farmers Market, Crafts, Jewelry, Pottery, Clothing, Art, Margotbianca Margotbianca's beautiful batiks.[/caption] Margotbianca is all about the batik. She creates and sells beautiful napkins, tea towels, bandanas, table runners and printed fabrics from linen, cotton and flour sacks. The batik process begins with a copper stamp, which is dipped in hot wax and stamped all over the undyed fabric to create a pattern. The fabric is submerged into dye for 24 hours and then boiled to melt the wax, which floats to the top and is reused. The areas that were stamped remain white, while the rest of the fabric is a gorgeous shade of rich color, such as red, rust, brown, yellow, green or blue. [caption id="attachment_20705" align="aligncenter" width="520"]Bellingham Farmers Market, Crafts, Jewelry, Pottery, Clothing, Art, Sown Designs Sown Designs' beautiful leather goods.[/caption] The next booth I visited was Sown Designs, which was chock full of leather goods, made from 100% reclaimed leather. Here, you’ll find a large selection of jewelry, like reversible necklaces and wrist cuffs and earrings, as well as wallets, cardholders and other necessities. [caption id="attachment_20702" align="aligncenter" width="520"]Bellingham Farmers Market, Crafts, Jewelry, Pottery, Clothing, Art, hats, toys, Moth and Squirrel Moth and Squirrel's cozy hats and squeezable critters.[/caption] For eight years, Moth and Squirrel has been selling stylin’ hats, huggable toys, and one-of-a-kind pins and hair clips—and here, there is truly something for everyone. Artist Libby Chenault utilizes recycled fabrics, like fuzzy cashmere sweaters and cotton shirts in her creations. The toys are filled with a renewable, non-polyester stuffing made from corn, which is good for the earth and the babies! [caption id="attachment_20706" align="aligncenter" width="520"]Bellingham Farmers Market, Crafts, Jewelry, Pottery, Clothing, Art, Umbilicus Designs Umbilicus Designs are one of a kind![/caption] At the Umbilicus Designs booth, feast your eyes on the nature-inspired handcrafted jewelry created by metalsmith Ryan Albachten. Ryan is into things like seeds, bones and shells, as well as gemstones of all kinds. Where else can you find a wishbone necklace or a crab claw pendant? Her earrings, bracelets, keychains, rings and ahhhh-mazing necklaces are beautifully displayed (try not to drool) and made from copper, silver, gold and brass. I have a pair of her earrings (just the start of my collection) and they never fail to draw compliments. [caption id="attachment_20704" align="aligncenter" width="520"]Bellingham Farmers Market, Crafts, Jewelry, Pottery, Clothing, Art, Red Boots Design Classic, handmade Bellingham! You'll see Red Boots Design clothes on cool kids all over town.[/caption] At Red Boots Design, artist Erin Boyd makes screen-printed shirts, hoodies, tops and bottoms, as well as functional art, like bottle openers and coat hangers. Fun designs range from a heart-belching dinosaur and classic Bellingham bicycles to rockets and yes, Lionel Richie’s head. My new nieces and nephews are always welcomed into the world with a Red Boots onesie, hat or tiny hooded sweatshirt—cute things you just cannot find anywhere else. [caption id="attachment_20701" align="aligncenter" width="520"]Bellingham Farmers Market, Crafts, Jewelry, Pottery, Clothing, Art, McDowell Pottery Michael McDowell's beautiful, functional pottery. Top: cabinet pulls and crocks; bottom: French Butter Dish and magnets.[/caption] My next stop was McDowell Pottery. Michael McDowell has been making pottery in Whatcom County for 40+ years. A variety of glazes, each made with Mt. St. Helens Volcanic Ash, add beauty to functional objects like cabinet knobs, bowls, magnets, butter keepers and crocks. [caption id="attachment_20699" align="aligncenter" width="520"]Bellingham Farmers Market, Crafts, Jewelry, Pottery, Clothing, Art, Earthenhome Earthenhome makes natural products for your body and home.[/caption] At Earthenhome’s booth, I found natural body care and cleaning products. Mouthwash, lotions, tooth powder and body sprays contain essential oils instead of chemicals. Dishwasher soap and laundry powders are made from borax, baking soda, salt and essential oils. I’ve always heard one could make her own laundry detergent, but never felt compelled to do it—and now I don’t have to, because Sarah Klein is doing it for me. I win! And so can you. The Bellingham Farmers Market is a bustling place year round, but I love the slower pace the cool weather brings. There is plenty of elbow room, so you can walk around at a leisurely pace, take in all the beautiful goods our talented craftspeople have made for us, and learn what makes each item so special. The market is open every Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. through Christmas, rain or shine—and the Depot Market Square keeps everyone warm and dry, no matter what Mother Nature has in mind. Come check it out to meet these wonderful vendors, and many, many more! Bellingham Farmers Market Depot Market Square, 1100 Railroad Avenue Bellingham, WA 98225

        We acknowledge that Whatcom County is located on the unceded territory of the Coast Salish Peoples. They cared for the lands that included what we’d call the Puget Sound region, Vancouver Island and British Columbia since time immemorial. This gives us the great obligation and opportunity to learn how to care for our surrounding areas and all the natural and human resources we require to live. We express our deepest respect and gratitude for our indigenous neighbors, the Lummi Nation and Nooksack Tribe, for their enduring care and protection of our shared lands and waterways.
Bellingham Whatcom County Tourism
Visitor Center Located at I-5 Exit 253 - Check Hours
904 Potter Street, Bellingham, WA 98229
Phone: 360-671-3990
Visiting?

Places to Stay
Itineraries
Getting Here
Sightsee
Read Blogs
Engage!

Events
Photo Contest
Communities
Attend
Contact Us
Tourism Talk

Industry Resources
Join as a Partner
Media Inquiries
Sports
About Us
Site by Drozian Webworks
©2024 Visit Bellingham Whatcom County