Timber and TVs and Trains, Oh My!!!

I grew up on the edge of a forest by the Murray River in remote country Victoria, back in the days when it was perfectly acceptable to wander around with a chainsaw, hack up any dead trees lying around, and take them home for firewood. I know!!!!! ANYWAY, where I'm going with this, is that my Dad is the kind of guy who hangs on to stuff. And some of that stuff was some redgum off-cuts (that came from that forest) that he'd had lying around for the last 20 years. And this is what those scraps have become. Ok, there's some cedar ones in there too, but I'm not sure where he got those scraps from...


I can't even begin to tell you how clever my dad is at making stuff (although once we were looking in an auto store and I saw a racing steering wheel made of steel and timber, which I mentioned was very cool. Dad picked it up, turned it over, then put it back on the shelf. The next time I saw him, about a week later, he had made a replica steering wheel. Which I must say, looked very cool on my 1974 mini cooper). For more stories about my generous and clever dad and more pics of the buttons used on our bags, check out Jade's post here.


As well as using these buttons on our new bags, Jade and I are also going to sell them at the BrisStyle market coming up in July. I know we're just a bit biased, but I really do think they are very beautiful...

A big thank-you should also be given to Alan from Trishalan Designs, for providing great wooden button inspiration (you can see one of Alan's buttons used on this coffee bag here, and his are also made from timber off-cuts) and for some online handmade timber button love and inspiration you can also visit The Button Bower, who also sell gorgeous hardwood buttons made from Tasmanian timer off-cuts (some of these are quite amazing!). Viva the handmade button revolution!!

Ok, moving on now to the TV part of the post title. In fact, this is just a really lame way to segue into my Watcha Wearing Wednesday pics, which I think is a record for me in tardiness - this time...THREE days late. In fairness, I did actually take these pics on Wednesday - just couldn't actually manage to keep my butt in front of the computer long enough to get the blog post done. Ah well, better late than never. Right?


Anyway, this gorgeous little retro TV brooch (sorry about the bad photo) is by the lovely Helen from Ruby 2 Go Go, and it goes perfectly with my seventies knit top refashion. I found it in an op shop ages ago, and it fit well, except that it was a bit midriffy. Not very seemly for a 30 something year old, so I chopped it a bit shorter and added some nice thick black knit fabric (I also found this remnant in an op shop).


It's a bit weird, I know. But for some reason I just really like it. And it's comfy. And that's important, ya know!

Lastly, the train thing is just something I thought was so sweet I had to share. Lee, Kate and I made play dough the other day, and the kids went nuts playing with it, making birthday cakes, sausages etc. Ok, it was actually Kate who made the pretend food. Lee, in keeping with the obsession which permeates all aspects of his life, made this.


A Thomas train. If you look closely, it even has a smiley face on it. And top marks for creative use of props :)

And now it's time for a hot milo and a snuggle with Matt in front of the telly. It's getting really chilly here, and we've had a big night. Our kids went to their first ever disco (organised by Lee's kindy). They had so much fun. I painted so many faces. We are all hoarse from talking over the top of loud music. I remember the days when this was caused by clubbing. Now it's caused by listening to 'Hot Potato' and squealing kids. And I won't have a hangover tomorrow :)

XX
Bec

The generosity of bloggers

Sometimes the generosity of bloggers astounds me. This week I received the most wonderful parcel in the mail from Jess (from Button Beauty), filled with goodies. Not just any old goodies either - but thoughtful, considered gifts, that were just so perfect. And all because the winner of Jess' giveaway had found her via my blog. How is that for generous!!! And as an example of her thoughtfulness, Jess had remembered from a previous post of mine that I loved nasturtiums, especially the way water beads on their leaves, so she included some nasturtium seeds!!! She also gave me three gorgeous pieces of fabric, the most beautifully soft and well made cotton bamboo face washer (it really has to be touched to understand just how soft it is), some lovely fabric covered buttons, and the best vintage sewing book ever. In fact, I spent quite some time showing my husband some of the classic pictures in this, and reading out various parts to him (such as 'I had no idea there were so many types of sleeves, or that there is a sleeve design called 'the leg of mutton'...he he he...).

In fact, the book is such a cracker, that I just have to share some of it here. For example, how cool is this little sewing corner. The holders on the wall are actually straw hats!!!!


My husband says he would be quite happy for me to whip up this cheerleader outfit for myself...ahem...don't think so!!!


Although he wasn't so enthusiastic about me kitting myself out in this nightie :P



There are just so many great pics in this sewing book, and so much great fashion. I LOVE the shirt on the girl on the left, and how cool is her hat!


And lastly, as this IS a sewing book for 'teens', of course it includes the obligatory 'checklist' so you can work out exactly where your wardrobe is lacking, and what items you need to sew for yourself (click on the image for a closer look at what your wardrobe might be missing). Hmmmmm, looks like I need to start sewing myself some 'pants and jeans, from knock-about casual to party-timers....' Guess I'd better get cracking!!!


Thanks again Jess, it really was such a lovely package to receive :)
Cheers, Bec X

Oh, and as an edit to this, I almost forgot to add, that while I was having my bloggy break, I also received a Brilliante Weblog Award from Jess, which I somehow completely missed (which really goes to prove my unworthiness I guess). But can I also say once again Thank-you Jess!!!! And I am hereby passing this award onto anyone who suffers from 'Blogging Guilt' over tags or awards that they have received that they either accidently missed, or haven't gotten around to posting about yet.....please say I'm not the only one????

This is...a bit of a catch up...

I've had so much trouble keeping up with blogging lately, so here's a catch-up from the last two 'This is...' themes.


Last week's theme, as chosen by Betty Jo from Lino Forest was My Best Op Shop Find. And basically I was paralysed by the choices, as I've found so many great things over the years. In the end, I chose my favourite most recent find, which is this little embroidered tablecloth (sorry, I really should have ironed it, but hey, I think I may have confessed here once or twice already that I'm lazy like that!).


I just love the little Scotty dogs around the edge, and the little matching napkin (shown in the middle of the cloth). It's in perfect condition - looks to have never been used!

And this week's theme, as chosen by Danielle from Teacups on Treatops is My Most Treasured Childhood Possession.

Again I have lots of things from teddies, to plastic jewellery, to poems written in Grade 2.


But the thing I love most is this tin. Looks pretty unexciting really doesn't it! But it used to belong to my Grandma, and it was always filled to the brim with buttons. I would spend hours at her place playing with this tin, or rather with the buttons within. I would sort them by colour, then by size, then by pattern, or even by interestingness. I even loved the feel and the sounds of them.....are you starting to get the picture of where my button addiction may have originated? Anyway, this button tin became mine a long time ago, and before I discovered sewing, it just sat in my special meatsafe cupboard (another treasure that once belonged to Grandma and Grandad - it is a rickety old thing with a stained-glass window in the top cupboard door, with wire mesh at the sides. Grandma used to keep her potatoes in it. But I digress...).

Anyway, once I discovered sewing, I realised I could actually start using the buttons I had loved so much for so long. And then I realised that I actually had an excuse to start a button collection of my own, adding to Grandma's stash.


And of course my button collection fast outgrew this old tin, and is now sorted (by colour) in glass jars by my sewing area. But this tin still has pride of place. It now contains pieces of elastic, because I like to think it would still prefer to be useful. And I never tire of looking at it. If I am stuck for inspiration, this tin always takes me back to a childhood filled with colour, texture, and imaginative wonder.

All this from a tin eh?....who'da thunk it!!

A parcel full of smiles :)

Yesterday I received a package in the mail. Due to being out all day, and everything being very hectic, I didn't open it until very late. I was tired, I had lost my voice (yes, another lovely cold) and was feeling very blah at the end of they day.

And then I opened the parcel. (This is where I should have a photo off some beautiful packaging, but I was so excited to see it I ripped in without even thinking about my camera, so shut your eyes and picture this instead - two parcels, with tissue paper wrapping, all tied up with gorgeous yarn and held together by a big funky black button!!!).


The goodies above are what was contained inside. It was my swap present from Sherrin (aka Starashan). I can't remember the last time I had this much fun opening a present. I thought I was getting a few handmade bangles - and to be honest I would have been absolutely stocked with those alone! And by the way, they are absolutely gorgeous, and they fit perfectly!


But no, that was not all by a long shot!


In each of these three beautiful handmade envelopes (made from 1950s cookbooks - complete with great food photography and recipes for cooking sole!) was a collection of bangles made from vintage knitting needles (see above), two gorgeous big brooches pinned onto handmade cards (I already have the brooches attached to two of my favourite tops - and they look great!)



And in the third envelope was the most beautiful green vintage buttons sewn onto another handmade card.


This photo doesn't do these buttons justice. They really are spectacular!

And that's not all, Sherrin also gave me some stunning vintage fabrics. This yellow one makes my heart soar every time I look at it!


And lastly, she also made a beautiful handmade card with a lovely message that put a huge smile on my face.



Thank-you so much Sherrin!!!!! I really am so overcome by your generosity, and the time you put into these beautiful handmade goodies. To everyone else - if you haven't checked out Sherrin's handmade goods then I strongly suggest you check out her shops at Etsy and Ozebaby. The quality of her handmade goods, and the detail and care that goes into her packaging, is really something else. I can personally guarantee it will be impossible to open up her packages without a big smile on your face.

So yeah - I still have a very husky voice today, and now Matt is coming down with the cold too (which is bound to be 'man flu' right?).....

.....but I'm smiling :)

XXX

Stevie Nicks dress strikes again...

OK, bit of a misleading title, but there is relevance, I promise. Remember this dress? Yes, the hilariously awful one. Well, I have been very miserly about using the rest of the buttons from the dress, as I just love them so. Although I'm pretty sure the dress was an early 80s number, the buttons have such a gorgeous psychedelic feel to them - more 60s or 70s I'd guess. Anyway, they are among my favourites in my button collection, so I've been hanging onto them.


Until now! How could I resist pairing them with this fabric?


So this little number has gone into the shop. For some weird reason I would love to know where these buttons end up. I imagine they have seen a lot - and hopefully they will see a lot more now!

Well, a lot more than sitting in one of my button jars anyway :)

Have a great week everyone!

This is...my collection!

So in my last post I mentioned there may be a little more to come on buttons...so brace yourself! This week's 'This is...' theme is 'My Collection', so this is where I display my (possibly unhealthy) obsessions. And of course, was it ever going to be anything other than buttons?

I'm sure my meagre collection is nothing compared to many more seasoned crafters, but I love it all the same, and it seems to be growing very rapidly. And I must say, it is not really a new obsession. As a child, I loved nothing better than sitting up at the table with my Grandma's button tin and sorting them by size, then by colour, then by pattern. Because of these happy memories, I love everything about buttons. I love the way it feels to scoop your hand through a big pile of them, the chinking sound they make against each other, and the different tactile intricicies of the patterns on individual buttons...ok, so enough about buttons already. I love 'em. You get it. Moving on now...


These are only a very small portion of my very old classic novels/poems collection (it was too dark downstairs to photograph them there, and they were too heavy and cumbersome to cart all of them upstairs into the light). When I was at Uni I would scour the Op Shops in Melbourne (Caulfield South always had the best ones, in my opinion) for old classics (I was studying literature as part of a BA at the time, so very into poetry and wearing black!!!). Again, my love for these books goes deeper than just thinking they are kinda cool. I love the musty smell of old books, the heavy feel of thick yellowed paper (and some of these books have gold edging on each page!!!!) the warm soft feel of the binding. And that's not even starting on the jewels found inside these books - which is one thing in particular I love about books in general. It doesn't matter how old and tattered a book is, the story itself is as gleaming and new as the day it was written. I love that!!!!! And does my love of collecting books end there?....oh no folks, it doesn't....


So I guess everyone kinda knows about my obsession with Enid Blyton books by now. Again this is just a small selection of my actual collection. At various times in my life I wanted to be: a fairy, a child who found fairies, the naughtiest girl in the school, and George (from famous five). Of course, I also wanted to own a magic wishing chair and find a magic faraway tree....actually I still want that....

So there you go. This is not actually the sum total of my collections....I could have added vintage crockery, science fiction books (in fact, I could have just gone with a general book collection, as our bookshelves are heaving with the entire works of many authors from Tom Robbins to Isaac Asimov - Matt is also a bit of a book collector). But I think this selection probably says the most about me. And as for the beginnings of new collections/obsessions...well let's just say I'm developing an unhealthy interest in aprons, brooches and soft toys....and leave it at that.

Oh, and while we're on the topic of aprons (hello segue!!) I have put an apron into the Tie One On challenge (run by Amy from Angry Chicken), and the Flickr Gallery is now up. I feel like a bit of a newbie having my apron posted next to so many fine sewers (such as Meg from Montessori By Hand - her apron is so gorgeous I just had to go and order the pattern!). But I have decided that this year is the year of the LEAP for me. Which means just jumping in the deep end and having a go. So that's what I've done. Anyway, here is the apron I submitted (the theme was 'Polka Dots').





I strongly suggest checking out the Tie One On gallery to see everyone else's submissions. There are some real works of art there. But be careful....like me, you may find yourself tempted to start a new collection....

As Dora would say...

I did it, I did it, I did it, hooray!!!

And for all those people who are not forced by their kids to watch Dora the Explorer, let's just say I'm doing a little happy dance right now. Any why? Because I made this:


Well, I made most of it. I did have Matt's mum here and she fixed a little bit of the yoke that I mucked up (I made the point of the diamond a little too rounded) and helped me with the back bit that I couldn't for the life of me figure out. But apart from that, it was all me!

I really love it. Matt has been very tactful though, and has simply said it's not my 'usual style', and that it looks very 'well made'....which means he doesn't really like it. And my mum....well.....


First she killed herself laughing, then said that I reminded her of a clown. Oh yeah, loads of support around here...

In desperation, I emailed a finished pic to Matt's mum, who said she liked it and thought it looked very professional - thanks Jen!



So anyway, the pattern is Simplicity #3964 (Built By Wendy pattern), the polkadot blue fabric was some vintage remnant I found in an Op Shop, and the red is a plain cotton homespun. Mum fished the buttons out of a big jar of loose odds and ends in a fabric shop (she thought I would like to use them on a bag, which I would, but I just couldn't help adding them to this top).

So I'm wearing this top today and will be going up the street in it. Let's hope no kiddies come up to me and expect me to honk my nose and give them a balloon!!!

Show and tell

It's an unfortunate thing that the more there is to blog about, the less time there is to actually do it. Well, that's how it goes with me anyway. Been so busy doing stuff I've had no time to write about it - plus we are having Internet issues at the moment which is making things very hard....gggrrrr....

So anyway, here is a quick show and tell of what went on last week. First cab of the rank is...what a surprise...bags!

Three bags for three lovely ladies I used to work with. I'm still enjoying trying out different shapes, styles, and methods of construction. It's just such fun! And all three are a mixture of new fabrics and Op Shop finds. There's something about the mixture of old and new that quite appeals to me.


Clutch in Heather Bailey fabric from her Freshcut range, with a beautiful glass button from my Grandma's collection. Lined with fabric from an old sheet.


Shoulder bag in Amy Butler fabric, from her Lotus range, and cuff, straps and inside in vintage denim remnants I found in an Op Shop. More old buttons from Grandma's button tin.


Shoulder bag in soft quilting fabric found at Spotlight, with vintage designer fabric found as a remnant in an Op Shop, and thrifted red cord remnant for strap. And of course, another button from Grandma's trusty button tin (going to have to start replenishing the vintage button stash soon - ebay here I come!)

Also whipped up a couple of things for Kate this week. First was a twirly skirt I made by following a tutorial at this link http://www.home.earthlink.net/~cornpatchcreations/twirlyskirt.htm



I also made some light summery pants from the same old sheet I used for the inside of the Heather Bailey clutch. The pattern was actually a pajama pants pattern that I had used to make pjs for Lee, and I just altered it to have more of a wide leg and funky cuff, rather than the tapered in look. I was quite happy with how they turned out, and they literally took me about 20mins to whip up. Yay! I love a bit of instant gratification.



And that's about it for the 'making' stuff. Poor kids had a lovely bout of 'hand, foot and mouth' virus (not to be confused with the deadly 'foot and mouth' disease you get from cattle). So a few days of fevers, crankiness, and awful foot blisters and mouth ulcers. Boy it's gotta be tough being a kid sometimes. But all's good now and we came out of quarantine on the weekend - whew!

Looking forward to a slightly more relaxed week this week. Yes I know, famous last words....