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
One very cute scissors case
Tiny scissors case
Anna gave me this gift recently and I love it – a case for my small bird scissors, good for snipping off loose threads and working away on the machine. Now I can cart them about without worrying I’ll cut my fingers off fishing them from my handbag. Hurrah – thanks Anna.
Just adore the blanket stitch in contrasting thread around the outside
Paper embroidery
See the gold stitching on the flower?
My friend Olivier gave me this delicate handmade embroidered card by Elena Deshmukh last week.
It got me thinking about the handmade cards I want to make for xmas this year… am off to Amazing Paper to find some cards this afternoon, and have set aside some gold thread.
The plan? To cut flowers petals from fabric scraps and glue them to paper, then thread through both the fabric and card.
Wish me luck.
Why craft?
Sunny thoughts surely look like this?
I was interviewed by Margaret Throsby on ABC Classic FM this morning, mainly about the new crafts movement and why crafts are experiencing such a huge resurgence in popularity. I was only on for a while, so really I just wanted to expand on my thoughts a bit here…
Basically, I think quite a lot of crafts have a dated image because they went through such a fallow period in the excessive 1980s and throughout the 90s also, with people moving away from making things themselves and towards a more homogenous culture of branding. Maybe it was due to the feminist revolution and women spending less time at home (creating the knock-on effect of a whole generation of women who haven’t been passed on traditional skills such as needleworking, and therefore ‘buy in’ everything) and maybe 70s macrame pot holders and pottery ashtrays were just so naff they turned people off craft for good… Either way, I like to think they’re back to stay, and that people are turning to crafting for reasons other than necessity.
There’s lots of reasons we’re finding ourselves drawn to crafts once again; the recession, the availability of beautiful fabrics and materials both made in Australia and all over the world, and the desire to do something more tactile and practical – especially given that so many of us spend our days now staring at computer screens.
But I hope the main reason is doing something more meaningful, that not only benefits us with a sense of calm and satisfaction over a job well done, but friends and family who receive gifts given with real love. When time is such a valuable commodity, to spend it on people we care about is fairly precious, don’t you think?
The best baby shoes ever
More from Embroidery Baby
Zenia and Bonny of Embroidery Baby popped around on the weeked to show me a selection of the Afghan baby shoes mentioned here in an earlier post. I bought the ones above.
Honestly, these are mini works of art – I’m thrilled with my choices, selected for all the babies I know on their way into the world over the next few months. Plus I’m keeping one pair to mount on Olive’s bedroom wall. She might be too big to actually wear them, but we can admire them there instead.
Too cute
Olive likes them too
The Crafty Minx is officially launched!
Julie's divine shop
We had the media launch for the book the other day in Julie Paterson’s beautiful store, Cloth Fabric in Surry Hills.
Many thanks to everyone who came, to those who bought a book, and especially to my lovely publisher Kay Scarlett and editor at the Australian Women’s Weekly, Jo Webber for their very kind speeches. And to Julie for hosting – doesn’t the store look amazing?
Books, cupcakes & champers... definitely a few of my favourite things
Christmas with Polli
Polli tree decorations
Just loving this year’s new range of xmas decorations from Polli… you can order them online here with free shipping (bonus).
My favourite wreath, mentioned on an earlier blog post about xmas decorations below:
Polli xmas wreath
Why Miss Pettigrew, you inspire me
Miss Pettigrew Lives for A Day
I saw this amusing film a while back and while I liked the plot well enough, I simply adored the costume and set design… so much so, I watched it again immediately just to soak up all the details.
Amy Adams is brilliant as the spectacularly absurd actress Delysia Lafosse, and Frances McDormand wonderful as usual as misdirected governess Guinevere Pettigrew.
If you haven’t already, watch it and you’ll see what I mean. I could live in Delysia’s apartment – it looks like a little slice of heaven to me.
A little of Delysia's delectable apartment in the background
Want this outfit
A makeover for Miss Pettigrew
We love a happy ending, non?
Seriously stitchy
Gaby makes a moily...
Shearer’s hosted the first Crafty Minx workshop yesterday, which I enjoyed so much – what a crafty bunch of ladies. There were 17 of us, and here’s some images from the morning, which wound up after about two hours of fun playing with scraps. I even found someone willing to teach me to crochet… thanks Bernadette!
Many thanks also go to Joanna for organising and Barbara for letting us run wild in her wonderful shop.
And for those who can’t make it to either of the other two Sydney events at Better Read than Dead next week, Monica Trapaga (owner of the lovely store, Reclaim in Summer Hill) will be hosting a workshop with afternoon tea at 4pm on Sunday 13 December to make things in time for xmas. More details to follow…
Roenna getting stitchy with it
Playing with offcuts
More fun with scraps
Anna makes a xmas stocking
A notebook cover from a souvenir tea towel and some buttons
Another xmas stocking from a reclaimed woollen blanket
Nicolette's simple, pretty singlet
Doug Up on Bourke
Fab pigeonholes
This store is well worth a visit if you’re looking for unusual second-hand industrial pieces for the home. Some of my favourite things are the work benches and old pews salvaged from churches, along with packing crates for every manner of fruit.
I’m looking for a zinc initial to give someone this xmas but they’re hard to come by for popular letters…
Also loving these stools and wire milk crates and bottles, and it’s a good place to find old science lab bottles, beakers and equipment (perfect for modern-looking, non-chintzy vases).
Happy hunting.
Awesome bathroom cabinet
Zinc initials
Great kitchen stools
Manna from Heaven
Delish
I’ve long been a fan of Manna from Heaven treats, available at the Eveleigh Farmer’s Market and all the best cafes around Sydney, but now the talented Rachel Grisewood (recent winner of the SMH Foodies Guide 2010 Award for Excellence in Cakes, Biscuits and Pastries) has brought out her first cookbook through Allen & Unwin.
My clever friend Catherine Milne commissioned Rachel to write it and I can promise you, it’s a beauty from start to finish.
The recipes work, too – a couple of weekends ago the lovely Katrina made a plateful of the lemon polenta cakes and they were just as good as the shop-bought ones… which might be why I ate not one, not two but three of them in one sitting.