party like a parrot & be a cool cat

yes the animals all partied!

there was puppy popcorn & hot dogs

dog biscuits

and pin-the-bow-on-the-kitty-cat

doggy bingo

cat cookies

musical critters

& puppy cake pops

oh & the most stunning rainbow pets paradise 

birthday cake!!

well done super mum!!

all to celebrate a young lady's 5th Birthday

hope you had a fabulous day Miss G & we're so glad you love 'Jess'

it was dress up time of course...

process went something like this:

me: "What would you like to dress up as Oscar?"

O: "a dog"

me: "excellent .....

so we go shopping for a hoodie for my usual costume conversion trick!

was thinking a 'dog' type colour

hmmm .... boys colours are so boring!

so we scanned the girls' section ....

the choice was made - turquoise

me: "Oscar, are you sure you would like to be a 'green' dog?"

O: "Yes I want to be green!"

me: "ok then .... " nothing like a challenge!

later ..... me: "how about being a green frog?"
O: "No, I don't like frogs!"

later .....

me: "How about being a green bird??" 

O: " ooooh yes I want to be a green PARROT!"

me: " awesome!!" 

(thought to myself ... whew! 

... worked out it was just all about being green!

have i brainwashed my child???)

so set about collecting as many green, aqua & turquoise 

fabric scraps

 cut a few 'feather' shapes & a couple of wings & tail

randomly placed & pinned & stitched rows of 'feathers'

 sliced the hoodie in the appropriate places

have got to mention that the inside out, right sides facing

encasing wings thing was actually a little tricky

but it worked yay!

sew in wings & tail feather

add a few details, a beak & eyes

go on .... fly little green parrot, be free!

and party like its 1999

shake that tail feather

he loved it!& i love it .....

what a fabulous party

lovely time in our 'village'

thrifty finds

haven't been out scanning the op shops lately

as i usually end up finding great things

that i just 'have' to have ...

mmmm .... went this week

found awesome things

that i just 'had' to have!

could hardly believe my eyes when i spotted that metal tree

i have always loved that design

given a few as gifts & have a huge wooden one

also another brown - made in Belgium jar

ooooh .... goodness

also my wonderful bloggy friend Bron

found me one of these:

 squeal ...... its aqua & is stunning
& its really large ....

& looks just perfect sitting next to its friend

oh & an addition to my collection
yay!
thanks Bron you rock!

sewing for me

been squirrelling away on a couple of 

secret crafty projects

... stay tuned for those to be revealed

but i have been consistently 

sewing some clothes for me

slightly addicted to the idea actually

sewed this Lisette Portfolio Tunic version

recently - you can read more back here

the fabric has quite the story

& to be honest I really didn't like it much on me

at first

it has since grown on me

& i've styled it my way

the neck piece has another travel story to it

found in an amazing bazaar in zimbabwe

when i went there on a craft teaching mission trip

its actually ethiopian i think

i'd love to know more about it

how items end up in 'other' places  facinates me

so seems a fitting accessory to pair with a fabric from remote china

to be worn by an australian who was born in switzerland

joining in with

make it wear it

heART a craft :: vintage dresser

"heART a craft"

a collection of favourite images & ideas

collection no.7

 i've always loved a vintage dresser

you know, a kitchen cabinet

the ones that right up until the 1950's ...

housed everything you needed in your kitchen

before the days of formica & permanently fitted units

no caesar stone, kickers or soft closing drawers

they held all the crockery & utensils

as well as food stapels & even the perishables

sometimes they even had the 'meat safe' buit-in!

'meat safe' .... back in those 'olden days'

what is a 'meat safe' you ask?

cute video that tells you all about one of our great Aussie inventions!

so i've been hunting on ebay for ages

looking for just the right

vintage kitchen dresser to put in my new studio

i was looking for one with great character of course!

little compartments & drawers

was keen for one that had an access space

yep found it .... bid & won yay!!

perfect proportion, size & function
this is it - although i do quite like all of the above as well!

the blue is of course all 'just the wrong' fit for me

but that's only paint & paint i can 'do'!

i really love it & i know where its going

& its waiting sitting patiently for the big move

stay tuned for a revamp & styling update at some stage!!

P52 :: Wk2

a women's work wear look

for a SAHM

who chats on skype

.... well that's kind of me but the whole skype thing is yet to take off!

but i am a blogger .... 

& an artist

so i thought i'd give myself a challenge

& do something very very quirky to match

if you've been following along lately

i've not long been back into sewing clothes for myself

so what does every SAHM need

a CAPE 

= because that is so easy to throw on over a top & looks glam

and some SHORT SHORTS ....

= because every girl needs to be just a little cheeky at times!!

( i love this look ..... just ignore my weird expression!)

 been longing to make myself a cape since

i saw this lady's clever versions ...

but i was keen on a hood

so found a fab pattern by Andrea Pannell

the 'Go To Cape for Women'

i made the medium size in the petite length

cute with great swing

love the way the fabric feels, its weight & movement 

drapes really nicely

a recent fabulous bulk lot find

proved fruitful this week .... with a truly great 

warwick micro suede fabric

just perfect for a cape .... a colour i love & feel good in

paired it with a long time hoarded hope valley

denyse schmidt cotton

i really really love how it has turned out

i know i will wear this lots

 now i have to tell you that i was amazed at how simple this was to sew

but it was definately something new for me

fabric i'd not sewn with before 

not really sewn alot with linings

a button .... what? i don't usually 'do' buttons 

but this one is more like an accessory!

i will make another cape again for sure!!

 so now a massive step up with the 

degree of difficulty

yep it was up there with these 

short shorts

seriously felt like i had bitten off way more than i could chew at one point

whilst there are a number of mistakes i'm still pretty pleased with the result

changed the pattern up a bit with showing the lining fabric as a feature instead

my first ever time sewing a fly .... i really really studied those instructions

pattern is the Maritime Shorts by Grainline

yep they are short aren't they ...

i was dressing the look 'up' here 

.... got to do that when you're getting ready to skype hey!

if you know me you'll know that this kind of quirky is so 'me'

really enjoying being creative with my sewing at the moment

i am an art teacher & this whole look is just right

might wear more durable opaque tights with these shorts for real however!

but i don't mind a shorts look with tights & boots

 oh & i hope you noticed the extra 'styling'

as that was part of the brief hey?

those bangles ... up cycled some by cutting long fabric strips

from both the ds hope valley lining fabrics

bit of wellbond glue wind them up

& leave to dry

worn with a renfrew top in a silky bronze that i made up

a few weeks ago ...

pretty pleased i can put together a look that is all made by me!!

new studio :: week 6

more sanding of the now internal weather board walls

1st undercoat layer & on the brickwork too

with a little help from my FIL & small kid!

funky pendant lights

groovy swivel wall lights

light switches power points etc

& stylish fans are now up

plaster all sanded

floor has also been sanded
& 3 coats of varnish
looking beautiful

all the new exterior weather boards
all now in place
almost there ....

wonderful journey

sewing for me

a long time back i used to make myself clothes all the time

but somewhere along the line 

i talked myself out of it ...

the overlocker i used to own was a bit fickle ... &

started saying it was easier & cheaper to just buy them!

i guess that is true with some things but depends what you're looking for?

i'm a big fan of re-using & so have plenty of great second hand finds

however

sometimes i'd prefer it new or just 'right'

or something quirky

or a certain colour or look perhaps??

now having my new 'toy'

i've been having a great time lately sewing for me again! yay

the hardest part is remembering to grab someone to take a pic while 

i'm wearing what i've made so that i can show you!

 here's another 'nikki a-line skirt' to show you

lighter weight fabric with the oranges & greens i love

it 'works' with my ankle boots & layers

& its wasn't at all expensive to make

as it was a rathdowne remnants actual remnant

& the best bit .... the satisfying feeling of it being

handmade by me

oh & i've been re-considering lots of my long-time

stashed fabrics .... some i have plans for once again

& some .... i've moved past

so i've been de-stashing yep!!

as in selling it to someone who see it differently to me!

win win

joining in

make it wear it

with the train to crazy

penguin parade

lovely time at Phillip Island

last week with friends

one chilly evening spent

waiting & watching for the little penguins

sensational

just pretending for a moment that i am
andy warhol ....

P52 :: Wk1 (take2)

 ok so i really wasn't happy with my

entry for week 1 of Project 52 Weekly Fashion Challenge
it didn't have the creative edge that was part of the challenge
& that wasn't a good fit for me!

but that was yesterday ....
but today the lovely nicole decided to extend the deadline

 well if you know me & there is still time left ... i will do something!

so one of my original ideas was to

kind of create my own geometric fabric

by layering some jersey knits

 +++++++
News Flash
+++++++
i was the runner up
yay!!!
+++++++ 

 i had thought i'd do something with a carefully mapped out

grid but ..... well short on time .... again

& the thought was to just eye ball it

not a grid but i did sew lots of angled straight lines

& they do add up to a geometric grouping!!

i cut the pattern out .... twice

two different colours for the front & back

then i sewed the two layers together with all these criss-crossing lines

 then there was the cutting

this actually took the most time

pinching up the top layer & cutting

its all a bit raw edged but i figure with a wash it will curl up

i don't mind a deconstructed look

 pieced together

pattern is Seafarer T shirt by

Sew Much A Do

this is my 'take two'

yep

its got that 'creative' input that was missing

happy now!!

(ps ..... chopping away did feel a little year 9 garment-construction-class-ish!!)

P52 :: Wk1

project 52

weekly fashion challenge

well .... it was all about

making a 'geometric' top

i had some grand ideas

but

you know .... the week has turned out 

to be rather full ....

so i just went for simple to start with

a geometric fabric

that i have hoarded from a

trip to china

to what was an isolated village

in the moutains ... guilin

i remember the shop .... piled high 

with the most amazing fabrics

all so long ago now

not sure i've done the fabric justice really

or do the pics help any

its late & dark

& when i look at these pics

i feel like i'm wearing a nurses uniform

but in reality it feels ok

i'll style it up with some chunky beads & a layered top

.... i'll be back sometime with an edit to this post perhaps!!

i actually love this pattern

its the Lisette Portfolio Dress Pattern

the tunic short top version

i've made it as the dress & love it

yeah .... i'll post about that one soon-ish

wishing sooo sooooo much that i had done the contrast

i originally planned

 

oh & do you like the paint still on my hand
yep - been busy today
church & lunch & the hottie challenge gala event
& painting walls in the studio
& then sewing for this P52 ...

hotties off the press

 so pleased to have able to have been

a part of the 2013

hottie challenge

 back a few weeks ago

i posted with the run down

as to what its all about

this afternoon was the gala opening

great to catch up with some other creative minds

some seriously talented people out there

hotties from all over australia & hong kong & nz

how good is that
well done Cam ... you rock!

you may know i love a good community project

might have another up my sleeve for later this year

so stay tuned

a few faves below

love your work cath .... & that p&g fabric too!!

 more hottie reading

over here and here and here

so yep

it was

HOT off the press

with a dozen

HOT cross buns

and all a little

HOT under the collar

loved the Hottie Challenge for 2013

its on until the 28th July

go & vote with a penny or two!