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
Spring has sprung
Sixties silk kaftan from Rozelle markets, pre-repair
This week Sydney has turned on her charms like the cancan dancer she is, and made me remember why I love living in this city. The balmy breath wending its way through the house today is dispelling the cold memory of winter, and the air seems to thrum with its energy. Ah, spring.
Yesterday I wore a silk kaftan for the first time since March – with bare legs – and was overwhelmed by a desire to throw open all the windows and doors, and take to every space in the home with a duster, in full-on editing mode.
Hello, window-box geraniums. Hello post-dawn morning yoga classes, and trips to the fish markets. Goodbye winter colds, let’s be done with you. Come hither, sun.
Windowbox cheer
Swapping wool for DK cotton - my somewhat wonky decorative crocheted potholder
Minxy Vintage News
Just in from L.A., some lovely endorsements for the upcoming book from two seriously fabulous women:
Kelly Doust is a girl after my own heart, reinventing vintage finds to suit her personal style. Her book is a vintage vixen’s guidebook for the chic: just read, shop, recreate, and repeat. Her finds are exquisite and her reinvention tricks are inspiring and achievable for even the newest vintage shopper among us. You can’t help but get inspired by her vintage acumen.
- Janie Bryant, Award-Winning Costume Designer, Mad Men
Kelly Doust introduces readers to her wonderful world of reviving and customizing vintage pieces, with tips on how to find, buy, clean, repair and salvage vintage clothing… Minxy Vintage is a great guide for anyone who wants to bring their crafting and sewing skills to create personal and individual pieces from budget vintage finds, while bringing a modern and unique twist to wearing vintage clothes.
- Dita Von Teese, Burlesque Star & Vintage Icon
Janie Bryant's brilliant book, The Fashion File
And the inimitable Dita Von Teese
And the winner is…
Prue, for her zen cloud mobile. Prue wins a $100 voucher to Cloth Fabric, because the girls from Cloth and I particularly loved the design.
Sarah also made some sweet bags from her fabric pack – check out her embroidery in the close-up shot above.
Into the warm
Okay winter, I’m done with you now. Bring on the sun. This is what I’m imagining, thanks to Do it in Paris. Sign up to the newsletter for vicarious French thrills. Sainte-Maxime beach, anyone?
Mollie Makes
A gorgeous new craft magazine from the UK has hit our shores – check it out at Mag Nation, and read below what they had to say in the latest newsletter – very interesting:
‘You can learn some surprising things by working in a magazine shop. Just like how Google analyses search terms (“runny nose”, “doctors”, “sore throat”) to track flu epidemics, we’ve come to notice that we can get a bit of a taste of the zeitgeist just by surveying magazine sales across our stores.
For instance, if I didn’t work here, I’m pretty sure that I’d have absolutely no idea that there’s a massive craft revival taking place right now. Mags on quilting, scrapbooking, things involving felt and knitting are areas that we’ve watched grow and grow and grow over the last few years. Just recently, it’s got to the point where they’re going absolutely gangbusters… and none more so than a new arrival on our shelves called Mollie Makes.
First published in the UK earlier this year, we’ve just received air freight copies of issue #2. If, like many of our customers, Etsy and crochet and needlework gets your pulse racing then you’ll be kicking yourself if you miss out on this one.’
Today’s inspiration
Klimt's portrait of Friedericke Maria Beer-Monti
is this 1916 painting by Gustav Klimt. I’m pondering a textile wall hanging for the bedroom, which I’ll get started on soon. I can’t pretend it will resemble this magnificent piece in the slightest, but it’s become my first point of reference.
From big things, little things grow.
Craft me s-l-o-w
Miss Olive, all toasty & warm
I demarcated the month of June ‘relaxation’, but of course have taken such time to unwind, I’m extending the self-imposed break for another couple of weeks and James will be joining me soon with time off (hooray).
We’re staying in Sydney to be tourists in our home town for a change. With food tours, novel reading, lunch at Quay and ferry rides on the agenda, I’m switching the phone and brain off for a while before embarking on the next project, which is already underway. And I will eat with abandon – Snow Eggs, here we come.
This week has been such a happy winding-up of all the things I’ve been working on this year. On Tuesday, I journeyed in to Murdoch Books to talk to the sales team about Minxy Vintage: How to Customise & Wear Vintage Clothing, which hits bookstores in October. And on Wednesday I had a Crafty Kid workshop at Gleebooks with 15 or so children on school holidays, which was such fun. Here’s some pics from the day below.
I finally finished crocheting my scarf and love it so ‘darn much, I’ve bought some divine merino yarn in lilac, shell-pink and daffodil to create a smaller version for Olive (although she’s quite happy for the moment sporting a beanie and scarf bought from the Rozelle Markets for a few dollars apiece, and adorned with my crocheted roses). And I turned the last page on a superb novel by one of my favourite writers. I hadn’t read Muriel Spark’s A Far Cry from Kensington before, but it’s an absolute must for anyone working in, or fascinated by, the world of book publishing. Much mirth.
And we had a tradesman over the other day to quote on fixing some things in our house. In a moment of irritation, I mentioned how frustrated I am with the limitations of our tiny, rundown, fifties-era kitchen – namely, the fact you can’t swing the proverbial cat in it (not that I would, promise, but it would be lovely to not feel crowded when more than two people are in it). With a thick Slavic accent he responded, “Be lucky you have house”. Quite. All the reminder needed while these icy winds whip our city and we nestle, so cosily, by the fire.
An alien hand puppet from the Crafty Kid workshop
Sweet Alice & her ribbon brooch
Orange the Dog & Snowy the Owl hand puppets
Congratulations, Cloth winners
Zigzag quilt by Siobhan Rogers for Cloth Fabric
Oh you’ve made me smile. Reading through all your entries for the Cloth competition has been the best start to the day. It was selfish really, asking you to share what winter meant to you – in the middle of nursing a sickly two year old and my customary impatience for spring, I needed a reminder of why winter’s to be savoured. I will stop longing for longer days, and appreciate the fleeting pleasures of hibernation. I will.
Believe me when I say I’ve been agonising – I so wanted to award a pack to each of you. But in the end, I had to limit it to my favourite responses from readers who sent me their address.
The lucky winners are: Prue, Manon, Sarah Cortis, Alison Wright and Stitchy Britt. I’ll be popping your packs in the post first thing Monday, and so hope you’ll send through pics of what you made with them for a chance to win the $100 Cloth voucher. I’ll show you mine if you show me yours.
Happy winter crafting, lovelies. I’ll be thinking of you.
xx
Rose quilt by Siobhan Rogers for Cloth Fabric
Cloth Fabric competition
Giveaway packs from Cloth
Very exciting news – Cloth Fabric has offered Crafty Minx readers 5 giveaway packs from their new lightweight fabric range, perfect for constructing quilts, clothing and homewares from. As you can see, there are various colours and designs to choose from, ranging from the iconic stones, wattle leaf and lines to my favourite horses and roses prints.
To win, simply comment in 5 to 250 words about what winter means to you. And let me know whether you’d prefer a pack with pale blue tones, oranges, greens, turquoise or raspberry. The most eloquent responses will win, and I’ll try to match colours to the winners’ favourites.
As an extra incentive to use the new range, Cloth is offering a $100 fabric voucher to the person who creates the best item from the packs. Entries to win a pack close on Friday 1 July, and you’ll have until the end of July to send through images of your creations for a chance to win the voucher. Below are just some of the designs up for grabs.
Please don’t forget to send your address to kelly@thecraftyminx.com.au as well when you make a comment.
Happy writing, and good luck!
Brumby in 'Beach' - Cloth Fabric
Spotcheck in 'Seaweed' - Cloth Fabric
Maja’s knitfest, and a little Ravelry
Baby Jasper digs his hoodie
Remember Maja? She emailed today to share one of her creations for son Jasper. Isn’t it gorgeous? Just so soft and cosy-looking, it also seems to have some complicated knitwork going on there… I’m so impressed.
Maja’s top tip for knitters and aspiring knitters is to sign up to Ravelry for patterns and links to people everywhere knitting and crocheting – it’s like Facebook for crafters, apparently. I’m onto it.
And we shoot all the final images for book four tomorrow and this Saturday, plus the design awards (where A Life in Frocks has been nominated) are on Thursday night… very busy few days ahead. All fingers and toes crossed the sun shines on us, and my cold magically disappears. Wouldn’t that be lovely?
Down with the J-crew