Kate Burton

Tasmania's Salamanca market is a tourist mecca, but there's a smaller, lesser-known market that will fold up its trestle tables for the last time this weekend. It's Hobart's Mother's Market, held most recently at a small church hall in Battery Point. I cruised along on Friday night, 3 weeks before christmas, and the hall was crowded with pregnant bellies, buggies, milk-filled bosoms and a large dose of Christmas cheer - helped along by the complimentary champagne.

Children's clothes and toys were a feature of the market. I was astonished at the creativity and skill of the producers behind the goods.

It's not just a market by and for mothers, though. For a start there were a number of woman-man teams. And there was a lot more on offer than fun stuff for children. Bottled produce abounded and there was even a recipe book produced by the students at Fahan School. The stallholders promised me that my toddler would eat anything I made from the recipes in the book...

Another theme was, unsurprisingly, Christmas. It might have been the sparkling wine but there was a definite sense of good cheer on Friday night. And the producers had obviously been getting into the Christmas spirit.

But ultimately the Mother's Market is a place to trawl and find some gems.

Hobart will miss the Mother's Market. But hopefully it's not the last time we'll see this quality and style. Keep your eyes out for these labels around town - A Vintage Affair, Cherish, Crooked Enterprises, Dick & Dora, Emmeline, Gypsy Hill, Little Snoring, My Paper Doll, Simone Pfister, Verna + Hilda.