REinventing Rubble

I just coined another new term,

REinventing Rubble

  

a pile of half cut, semi unpicked & roughly pinned garments 

with a specific outcome in mind.

This is going to be a coat for the trip to New Zealand....

and having said it out loud I now have to do it.

Nothing Stays the Same.

Out with the old & in with new 

or as girl-child said once

"at our house it's out with the new..."

I like change

Change is what I do

I encourage it and excel in it

....so why do I drag my heels when it presents itself

why am I still drinking cups of tea at 2am in the Studio, 

shuffling & 'surfing' when I should be sleeping

why am I taking photographs & writing blog posts 

when I should be attending to pattern writing & editing [I'm on top of it Denise!]

As sure as apples aren't oranges

Change is inevitable cos nothing stays the same

and having said that 

the wheels of change are indeed slowly but surely groaning back into action round here

as I start to take the steps toward creating a more inter-active on-line presence

and put steps in place to grow the pattern family.

 With Spring in the air

there'll be some pruning of unneccessary bits

and the nuturing of those I love

and to celebrate

I bought more fabric!

 

 

In the true spirit of procrastination
I'll spend the better part of today on Photoshop so I can get them in the Shop tonight.

Irresistible Treasure

As discerning as I am when Op shopping these days

due to there being 'no room at the inn'  

[a hint of what I'm not showing you]

  
some treasures are irresistible

like much loved & well worn vintage leather toddler shoes

and babies handmade cotton matinee jackets

[no one's pregnant]

  I'm a sucker for pretty linen

- there's nothing nicer than slipping between heavy vintage 100% cotton sheets

especially when they're embroidered.

Interesting vintage craft books are a rare find round these parts these days
so when I see them I grab them

 even though I probably wouldn't make most of the projects they offer

there's always one or two that are timeless.

Enid Gilchrist pattern making magazines totally fit that bill
and with a healthy collection already
these were irresistible....

Sharing my treasure with others over at Divajools.

JaM - Another One Gone...

JaM - taking Just a Moment to gather & share the things you have noticed, consumed, created &/or bought during your week....

Another week

disappeared

in a flash of 

healthy food & fresh air

as I manage to stave off the sickness bullets that seem to be felling those around me like flies.

Tamarillo [& other fruit] Fruit Salad

[child & dog walking at the local park]

Week 4 of Term 3 

has seen many a discussion on the merits of consistent & correct seam allowance...

persistence [me hovering] & practice [you unpicking] pays off.

Charles creating Sues [wife] Dressing Gown with perfect seams.

With a surge of interest in my Studio Workshops
I've had to consider ways of making another spot at the sewing table available....

general consensus is that this angle will work.

Rosie loves Judith

Rosie has decided Judith is her friend,

 when ever Judith appears outside the Studio door Rosie isn't far away...

but what's not to love 

Judiths latest Splice Skirt is stunning!

The days have been glorious

and not too hot

that I can't still wear boots...

 a wardrobe staple I plan on wearing 'til it gets hot enough 

for them to be a danger to my health.

REinvented T-shirt and Skirt

Belt Bag

This could be yours if you live in Australia.

Pure wool fully lined X-Monsoon Skirt REinvented, using a vintage leather belt, into a Bag.

I created this bag to carry stuff round New Zealand

but I changed my mind

and decided instead that whoever wants it the most can have it....

Features an internal 2-section pocket created from a vintage floral tablecloth

if you'd like to join in the fun pop over here!

Look what arrived in the Post!

I made a statement on Facebook this morning
which I fully intended to follow through on
because I'd woken REenergised REfocused, with a burning desire to REinvent

I made a good start
however
I got distracted

when I discovered this in the mailbox

I'd been expecting it

what I hadn't been expecting was how excited I'd get at the first glimpse [squealing no less]

It had been love at first sight and I'd been lusting after one for a long time

when finally Odile put them in her Etsy Store

I knew the one I chose was going to be pretty 

and I knew I'd admire the workmanship 

along with the attention to detail

and I was looking forward to seeing what little extras Odile had popped in the parcel

however I wasn't prepared for how

utterly & outrageously gorgeous my new pin cushion was actually going to be

until I held in my own hand

and I didn't even know Odile made

 adorable handmade Pins

so my surprises were perfect....

I didn't spend my whole day taking photos of the pin cushion 

I did manage to tick one and a half REinventions off my list

which I'll save for next time...

JaM - Where would I be without You?!

JaM - taking Just a Moment to gather & share the things you have noticed, consumed, created &/or bought during your week....

My life is a Blog

and I'm a lazy Blogger at the moment...

which isn't necessarily a bad thing, even though

all the 'experts' tell you that you should write a Post every other day

to keep the interest up

so you don't loose momentum

but because I have JaM to look forward to every Sunday

where I can share my week 

in one fell swoop

I've become complacent 

and discovered a routine,

while staying connected...

and I'm calling that a

a win win [win]

- if you'd like to also share your week in one fell swoop
please feel free to link up below.

Here's my JaM for this week...

the Dollys got new outfits yesterday

to reflect the hint of Spring outside.

(REinventions)

Pansies were planted for Grannies B'day - they were her favourites,

interestingly I never did when she was alive.....

Baked a Rhubarb & Apple Pie

following a recipe from this book

where you use vinegar in the pastry

....delicious!

This moment isn't so much about me sharing
how good my new red boots look

and how I'm going to miss them & the others come summer,

or that I want you to know how much my feet were aching
after a 6hr-back-to-back-workshop-Saturday

which by the way I love doing,

what I want to share is that I've discovered

purple tights go with everything

they're way better than black and perhaps on a par with grey

and I'm going to miss them too come summer.

How To :: Print Cabbage Roses

my latest Everest

a printable download

'Print Cabbage Roses'

[click image for download]

Geesh - the things I'll do to get out of working on patterns is staggering!

JaM - Getting back to Normal

JaM - taking Just a Moment to gather & share the things you have noticed, consumed, created &/or bought during your week....

It's been a mixed bag this week

as I REfind my feet

and REgain some normality

and now that the dust has settled after the trip to 'you know where'

I've REconciled that I need to holiday more often.....

I also thought I'd make another one of these

on this wet-you-can-feel-Spring-in-the-air Sunday

because who'd have thought it

with 15 of them hanging in my wardrobe

I don't have one this pink & red!

Workshops are back in full swing

as is Alex with her ability to get snaps I'd not think of

Charles creating his Dressing Gown

Being back on familiar Op Shop stomping ground 

has also helped shake off holiday withdrawals....

a Doily Press

vintage Granny Square Coverlet

and after a week spent in the company of a childrens book illustrator

I have a new found appreciation for old books

and their illustrations.

it's a First Edition Reb!

 This quite literally has been

the longest birthday in the history of my birthdays

[ I'm NOT complaining]

 Alex presented me with this book on Friday 

 

 

a little late for the last trip 

but in plenty of time for the next!

The Important Stuff about Melbourne

Really didn't want to bore you with too much Melbourne in the last post

 so I saved a bit....

the important stuff

like where we went, stayed & how we got around

the 96 Tram will take you to Sydney Road, Brunswick for Op Shopping

the 112 Tram will get you to Brunswick Street, Fitzroy for everything

get off at the bottom of the hill & wander
but only if you're interested in

food, fabric, perfume, retro & new clothes & shoes, art, book shops & jewellery 

I bought 30m of gorgeous Denim - the floral Swiss Cotton I had already

my perfume - another B'day present to myself

 and Rose Street runs off Brunswick Street where
my favourite market is held, on Saturdays at the moment.

If you're not into public transport then Yellow Taxis are everywhere.
In saying that we did organise a Shuttle Bus to the airport through the hotel which cost us $17 each instead of the Taxi ride of $60

I recommend the Victoria Hotel in Little Collins St
if you're wanting to stay in the heart of the city, comfortably, for a reasonable price
and there's Alices Thai restaurant right next door to make it really easy.

World for breakfast - please eat a plate of Florentine Eggs with Salmon for me!

Gopals is the Hara Krishna restaurant with delicous vegetarian/vegan meals at the end of Little Collins Steet - look to the right.

L'uccello is on the 2nd Floor of Cathedral Arcade on Swanson St, at the end of Collins Street - look to the left.

Also up the stairs in the Cathedral Arcade is the
 Retro Star Vintage Shop, the largest vintage clothing shop I've ever seen,
 Kimono House for Japanese Textiles
Marias Beads
Buttonmania
Harold & Maude (a review) 

I advise that you take one pair of comfy shoes
buy the rest when you're there
you might even be lucky and find some like mine...

 Amarena Chic shoes are Op Shop treasure and tights a[nother] B'day present from Reb

Some of things I noticed were
smokers everywhere, with smoking rooms at venues to accommodate them
no rubbish, I don't remember seeing a rubbish bin or anyone picking the stuff up
and mirrors, big mirrors.

I know I've only touched the surface, if that....
Melbourne is like the cultural lungs of Australia
it is breathing new life every day and so changes all the time

and now I'll shut up about how wonderful the place is
and just quietly start saving for the next time....
which is going to have to happen more often!

Melbourne My Way

Finally
the Android is talking to the Mac
and I have photos

this was the first photo I took in the city

and turns out to be the perfect reflection of the city for me
because Melbourne is

 vibrant, 

a little bit wet

and full of hidden treasures.....

it wasn't until Photoshopping this image that I realised I was that close to a Lincraft Store....

next time!

 I'm going to try not to bore you with holiday snaps

of other peoples gardens

Dame Ednas farewell gift to Melbourne - a 13metre high bunch of Gladioli

or stories of the abundance of creative talent at my favourite Market
or try and explain why Neil is my favourite stall holder

who just happened to be wearing his favourite vest
or why he acquired two new admirers on the day

and I'll let you read about Mr Buckethead

and his escapades if you so wish....

Dan got presents too

I'll also not tire you with endless images of the countless amazing statues in the city

cos I only took 3 

and this was the best of them...

likewise I wont carry on about my SiL's two extremely intelligent & seriously gorgeous
West Highland Terriers,

whom we visited with for 2days in Port Melbourne,

only to say that madam here is the reason we want one!

and while on the subject of separating your needs from your wants

Dear Ross, 

Reb wants needs one of these.....

 

Turns out I can't bore you with food & shopping photos
cos I was too busy eating it & buying it to take many photos of it
I will however share that 
we both arrived with a suitcase each
(although Reb was canny & had a smaller one inside her big one)
and after a week our bags were at capacity
and we both sent 4 parcels home.

Neither of us were prepared for the delights of L'uccello

 

where we stocked up on important stuff

and I found the perfect birthday present to myself.

Ayala Bar knitted Seed & Bud necklace made in Israel

It wasn't all shopping & eating,
we managed to soak up a bit of art & culture in our travels

and made time to REconnect with significant others

 The Author & The Illustrator - with 2 books under their collaborative belts

We also walked weeks

caught trams

taxis

went to a Burlesque Show

spent the day with Regina & met her friends

bought books, boots, bags & clothes
found fabric

and we op shopped

 and have you noticed how Reb is bathed in light like she's wearing a halo

that's because she is an angel

the Traveling Companion Angel

Reb wearing her nuno felted silk collar b'day present from me with her brooch

Turns out I was the only one with a camera

so all shots except for this one are of others & things

Regina accidentally took this & it's my favourite

I'm leaving

but will be back to visit the city that loves itself

and makes it so easy for others to love it too....