Kelly Doust introduces readers to her wonderful world of reviving and customising vintage pieces, while bringing a modern and unique twist to wearing vintage clothes – Dita Von Teese
Christmas present idea
Beautiful Bella in her old/new frock
Here’s an idea for a girl’s Christmas gift which won’t break the bank:
This is a picture of my friend Ineke’s wee girl, Bella. She’s wearing a 1980s cotton frock I reconditioned for her, which took no time at all to complete.
Firstly, I removed the white broderie anglaise Peter Pan collar with my trusty quick-unpick (it was looking very Mare Winningham in St Elmo’s Fire), as well as dated puffy sleeves and too many bows to mention. Then I re-hemmed the edges of the collar and sleeves and added these cute Bird Textiles buttons as a feature to the front. The petticoat I kept cause I thought it looked cute.
Voila: one updated summer frock. Bella’s wearing it over a long-sleeved shirt.
The dress cost a mere $4 from my local Vinnies, and the buttons were $3 each. I handwashed it in my favourite Eucalyptus-scented detergent, ironed and wrapped it up in white butcher’s paper, and tied ribbon in a big pink bow around the lot.
Happy Bella
Marvellous mosaic
Giant octopus mosaic
I recently visited Sydney Park and was amazed by the beautiful landscaping and setting in this fairly industrial area – it’s like a mini version of Centennial Park. Here’s some mosaics from the kids’ sandpit area. For a moment, it reminded me of visiting Antoni Gaudi’s Parc Gaudi in Barcelona years ago… I think I’ve had a soft spot for mosaic tiling since.
I dream of turning our teeny tiny bathroom into a haven fit for a queen, complete with Bisazza mosaic tiling. One day…
Sailboat
Shark
A few of my favourite things #4
Nesti Dante soap
Some time ago I read a Maggie Alderson column about the beauty of good old-fashioned hand soap versus liquid soap and thoroughly agreed: the former is so much nicer to use. I’m addicted to the Nesti Dante brand from Florence. The delectable packaging makes them a great gift (I often take a bar along with a bottle of wine to a friend’s when we’re invited for dinner) and just love their company motto: noi lavoreremo sempre non per essere i piu grande, ma per essere i migliori.
In English: ‘we will always work to be the best, not the biggest’.
For a few of my favourite things #1 click here.
For a few of my favourite things #2 click here.
For a few of my favourite things #3 click here.
Parisian treats
Ceramic heart & locket necklace from Le Petit Atelier de Paris
The other night I called my husband a treat-seeking missile because he manages to sniff out every hidden chocolate or biscuit in the house and gobble it up instantly when he’s in the eating mood. But I’ve been lucky enough to get my own fair share of treats lately, even if not of the edible variety…
Check out this sweet necklace my dear friend Olivier brought back from his recent trip to Paris. It’s so delicate, and isn’t the box & string with ceramic button divine?
It would not be hard to make your own version, I don’t reckon… Even if you don’t dabble in ceramics, remember Fimo? You could make a little heart from that, use a skewer to pop a hole through the middle and thread on to some string. Tie the string in knots or use small beads in between, and purchase a little locket or pendant for the middle.
Bluebird
I saw some silver bluebird charms recently – they’d look lovely. Gosh, they really took me back. Does anyone else remember wearing them as a child?
Phil, the Siamese cat doorstop
Siamese cat doorstop
On the weekend my crafty neighbour Anna asked if we could make a doorstop together for a friend’s birthday gift. Her friend has two Siamese cats so she wanted it to be all tall and elegant (not a fat cat, if you please). We came up with this over the chocolate & beetroot brownies Anna kindly brought over.
Instructions to make your own:
1. Draw an outline of a cat on some pretty fabric.
2. Cut three more cat shapes using the first as a pattern from another piece of pretty fabric, and two pieces of boring denim or canvas. The latter will sit inside the doorstop and keep the thinner fabric on the outside sturdy. Alternatively, use two layers of sturdy canvas only and forget about the interfacing.
3. Sew around the edges with right sides of the fabric facing inwards, leaving the bottom edge open.
4. Stuff with some polyfill and stand up straight on another layer of fabric. Use chalk to draw around the outside of the base – you should have a circle the same size as the base on your flat fabric.
5. Remove the polyfill and sew the base to the bottom of the cat-shaped top, leaving a 5cm gap to push stuffing and rice through.
6. Turn inside out and get busy pushing that stuffing in, followed by a good kilo or two of rice to make it heavy. Sew closed the opening with a needle and some embroidery thread.
We’ve given Phil (the cat) a tie made from some old ribbon, and a bell so you can hear him coming, saved from a Lindt chocolate rabbit last Easter. Check out his rear view:
Phil's backing fabric
Anna also made these fences, which my dinosaurs aren’t too happy about (meant for farm animals, not vicious prehistoric creatures) and the felt strawberries below.
I told you she was crafty.
Don't fence me in
Good enough to eat
Craft as hope: Embroidery, baby
Handmade baby shoes
One of the most rewarding things about doing what I do these days is that people often contact me with ideas or links to inspiring things they’ve seen. It seems not a day passes without me finding out about some new, miraculous and wonderful craftiness. It’s one of the reasons I always have something to look forward to, and feel enriched by, crafting. I think most people who open the door to craft as a hobby often experience the same fulfilment. I’ve said it before; craft is dialogue. But how about craft as hope?
My seriously clever friend Rebecca Huntley (click here for her website – Rebecca’s a writer, social researcher and Director for the Ipsos Mackay Report – she’s also a fabulous knitter and has sublime taste in all things) loaned me these shoes to share with you here from Embroidery, baby. I thought I was blown away when I first saw them, but that was before I read the blurb on the swing tag which I’ll admit made me a little teary:
“Every week, a group of ladies from Afghanistan gets together in a room above a shopfront in Auburn, Sydney. They chat together in Hazaragi, I make the tea, and we all sew baby shoes. So far the only word I can understand is my name. I’ve been told off for wasting tea bags, and everybody has made at least three pairs of shoes with two left feet.
In terms of glossy perfection, the shoes probably won’t be starring in their own karaoke clip anytime soon. In terms of ragged functionality, they’re probably not for the all weather mountaineering type of infant. And in terms of hygiene, they’re not exactly antibacterial (don’t even THINK of putting them in a washing machine).
On the plus side, though, the shoes generally tend towards ‘zest’ in the fashion spectrum, and the left / right concept seems to have taken off in a big way. But mostly, the shoes represent the hope of everybody in the group for the start of a new, happy, independent life in Australia. Forget persecution and flight, and pardon the Olympic expression, but these ladies are really going for gold!”
You can contact Embroidery, baby to find out more at embroiderybaby@gmail.com. Let’s try buying them faster than they can create ‘em… gawd, who even needs a baby to buy them for?
Castle & things
Castle & Things bed linen
My friend Fi told me about this clever lady – Rachel Castle of Castle & Things – and her beautiful artworks and bed linen, then I remembered I’d seen her pieces in Inside Out magazine a few months ago. We do own more than enough linen, and I certainly shouldn’t be buying more, but I think I’m going to have to make an exception for the white and yellow polka dot pillowcases.
Just gorgeous.
Rachel’s crafty art is also on sale and showing in an exhibition at Orson & Blake right now. Hurry forth and buy one of her unique, colourful pieces before it’s too late. But you’ll have to beat me to it – I’m off there today to get one for us. It may just turn into a Doust family heirloom.
Why ARE there so many songs about rainbows?
The fun theory
Love this.
Crafty brides love DIY
Vintage wedding frock
My lovely friend Colette is getting married next year and we had a chat recently about clever DIY solutions to expensive wedding fripperies. This is a huge subject so here’s a few ideas to get you started if you’re planning a wedding…
Firstly, The Dress: I’m all about sourcing an excellent vintage or second-hand number. There’s so many out there, and if you’re on a budget you can lop a large sum off your total spend right here. Not long ago we had a weekend away in the Blue Mountains and I spied, hands down, the most beautiful wedding dress I’d ever seen at Victory Theatre Antiques. The slim sheath was circa 1940s, made of silk-satin and French lace in a gorgeous pale tea colour with long sleeves, high neck and divine covered buttons up the back and arms. The price? A mere $400. But the St Vincent de Paul on Alexander Street, Crows Nest always has a huge selection for $80 each (as do most charity stores, which you’ll find similarly priced – often with a tatty veil thrown in you might want to re-donate). You’re looking at 1980s rather than 1940s, but give it a go. The fabric alone is usually worth a fortune and can be re-purposed.
I find op shops a far more fun environs to try on dresses than stuffy wedding boutiques anyway, but maybe that’s just me. Take a friend. BYO champers.
Other top spots to source good second-hand frocks are ebay and flea markets such as Rozelle Markets, where I found a beautifully beaded, silk taffeta wedding dress from the 1950s for a paltry sum. I’m going to dye it emerald green for an upcoming party. Remember, you can always have it altered professionally, or ask a crafty friend to do it for you if you’re none too agile with needle and thread.
More on flowers and invitations later, but check out Once Wed (thanks for the heads up, Anna!) for more inspiration on all things wedding-related.
Hello sunshine
Wooden sunnies
Given the patchy weather this week, this is wishful thinking on my part, but check out these clever wooden sunnies – first spied on Design Sponge.
Or you could get crafty and make your own DIY specs:
So chic
Olive sports my own new shades for summer
Bring on the weekend.