A truly beautiful Minxy mix of charm, inspiration, practical advice, and pretty projects to simplify and beautify your life and home. - Jane Brocket, The Gentle Art of Domesticity
Fun new top experiment
Bead detail
I had lots of fabric left over from the silk scarf cushion I made for the book, so set about to playing with it over the holidays. This is what I came up with – a funny little top with cropped front and longer back, to be layered over a simple black velvet dress I own, or grey silk harem pants.
I’ve no patience for patterns, so simply cut around a favourite loose-fitting vest, leaving a few centimetres all around for the seam allowance and flaring out a bit at the sides to add (what I hope is) hippie charm. The panel of beading at the front I bought complete and ironed on – hey, presto!
From the front
At the back
New Amy Butler designs
I’m loving these two new Amy Butler fabrics, both available from Duckcloth. Gorgeous for quilts, bags or sunhats:
Tumble Roses in Tangerine
Water Bouquet in Mint
Tribal love
Vintage batik skirt
Sass & Bide and Lover (two favourite labels) are using a lot of Zulu-style and animal prints this season. I’m wary of going the whole hog, but check out this clever batik pattern on the wraparaound skirt I bought at the markets recently – it’s almost leopard print, but not quite… definitely a keeper.
House of Cards top by Sass & Bide
I’m on the lookout for more tribal fabrics in murky colours – browns, tan, ochre and khaki – to make bags and simple, loose-fitted tank tops. All suggestions welcome.
I want to go to there…
I’m really annoyed with myself, because I was running about like such a mad thing on xmas day trying to get the house ready for our guests, I forgot to take a pic of the table after I’d set it up for lunch, which (if I do say so myself) was looking quite fun. Ah, well… Here’s some images borrowed from elsewhere for you instead. The first is from Design Sponge, and the two below by Danielle Thompson – more on her here at fab site, Decor8 Daily.
Christmas flowers
I hope you’re having or had a peaceful day in the company of loved ones – here are my arrangements for xmas lunch today, bought in bunches from Carriageworks markets and put together last weekend. The dahlias and lisianthus are still going strong in the heat, thankfully.
Colour saturation
'Room for One Colour' by Olafur Eliasson
Sunday was cool and overcast so instead of heading to the beach as planned, we visited the Olafur Eliasson exhibition Take Your Time at the MCA instead. I’ve seen some of Eliasson’s work before at the Tate Modern in London and found it very moving (particularly the artificial sun installed in the Tate’s turbine hall in the middle of winter). Playing with light and depth, it’s a really potent example of how colour and shadow so affects our mood and perception – at least, that’s what I got from it.
My three favourite installations were the ‘Room for One Colour’ (above), ’360-degree Room for All Colours’ (a round light installation which constantly changes to cover the full colour spectrum) and the prismatic ‘One-Way Colour Tunnel’. Go see it if you can – it’s mesmerizing.
A parting gift
Anna's sewing kit
Anna has a young friend who’s off travelling overseas for the first time, so she made her this as a going-away present. It’s a mini sewing kit, with threads, needles, pins, scissors and various other bits and bobs for minor emergencies. See the way it folds up nicely, like a travel wallet:
And here’s a couple of other items from two crafty ladies who came along to a workshop down in Melbourne. The first is a purse for spare change by Rebecca of Beccasaurus, and the second a tissue holder by Caroline (who also told me about the craft blog, Posie gets Cozy – for the pattern, click here).
Just three small ideas for things you could make in time for xmas – even if it is only a few days away.
Rebecca's coin purse
Caroline's tissue holder
An egg for Harvey
Harvey’s my neighbour. He’s one. I missed his birthday last week, but sewed him this little number to make up for it. Hope you like it, Harv.
By Michaela
These are some small-scale artworks (or whichever label of craftiness you want to give them) on denim & felt by radio producer and crafty lady Michaela Kalowski – aren’t they fab? The saturated colours remind me of India – and the new Bollywood fashion store down on South King…
Give me feathers and studs any day
I’ve been dreaming of creating something like this since I read that issue of UK Vogue I mentioned a while back, but the release of Where the Wild Things Are has spurred me into action.
I made this feathered headdress yesterday out of ostrich and various other feathers, a grosgrain ribbon and some fab studs. Right now, I’m wearing it to make toast. Now I just have to think about somewhere else I can take it out for a spin. Any ideas?
I just checked out Jak & Jil blog and look what I found – Olivier put me onto this site and I’m addicted:
And a gorgeous strip of feathers below, which I’m debating whether or not to buy… they would make a good bodice for a black bodysuit, don’t you think? Or perfect for feathered epaulettes or jewellery…