Niche Market

Today I have been at Niche Market and I will be there tomorrow. It is a fundraiser for St Giles a wonderful organisation that helps Tasmanian kids with disabilities. There is some really wonderful goods there - 20% of all sales go to St Giles - retail therapy with a conscience, my friends - win win. To name but a few - there's Franrosie with beautiful handbags, purses and other leather delights (we did a cheeky swap - dress for new fancy wallet, I am so very excited!), The Purple Finch's scrumptious softies are there, the divine and delectable work of Tara Badcock Paris, Rebecca Roth's resin jewellery, beautiful origami and printing from Hideyo and Joanna Pinckiewicz handprinted joy ... and those cupcakes from Mrs G - I'm buying rocky road tomorrow ...it's going to get ugly, ug-er-ly. - and that's not even everyone!

Loz and Dinny have some new dresses ... I've been doing apocolyptic sewing ... dressmaking like there's no tomorrow - but it was a busy day so my stall is looking a little deflated. But I did manage to get a few of the red 'Blythe' dresses done. (the grey fabric I ordered for them didn't arrive in time - but that may have actually been a blessing as I really don't think the little sweat shop could have gone any faster). Why 'Blythe'? - Loz used to sew this dress for my little sister Blythe back in the dark and distant late 70s. Loz had kept the pattern and has passed it onto me. Vintage goodwill.

I will take some more photos tomorrow ...but here is a peek (I cannot vouch for quality - my vision is blurry from late night sewing) I meant to take photos of other stalls but I left my short-term memory somewhere and cannot locate it. There's this little number...the bumblebee-esque
and the red and grey 'Blythe' dress in repose with tricyle... there is red and pink colourway too but no photo. I tried to enhance this image to improve it's quality ...something tells me I should stick to sewing...
but here is the beautiful tricycle stamp Duncan made for me which is part of pocket detail- came up a treat.

Come to the market ...you know you want to...

Broken Wing

An eventful weekend... my little girl had a topple ... it was one of those 'I only turned my back for a moment' moments. Dunc saw her fall in slow motion. I was upstairs. A few tears then business as usual bustling around. But each time she steadied herself with her hands she had a little whimper - then her new morning word came 'sore' as she pointed to her wrist - so we thought it best to get it checked out. At emergency we thought we may be just overzealous parents .. Edie is working the room, smiles all 'round, waves. But the x-rays said otherwise - green stick fracture, three weeks in a cast. Dunc welled up - father's guilt - there will be days like this - a lifetime of wanting to coat her in cotton wool - save her from the disappointments and falls - broken wings do heal, parents' hearts just get bigger.

Stepford Muriels et al

By all accounts the Muriel breeding program down here in Tasmania is going very well. We have gone from one lone Muriel to three in as many weeks. They felt that as a trio they were better able to strut their stuff at the recent Civic Homespun Market. Lets face it, good things come in trios - Charlies Angels, Indiana Jones and Philip Pullman's Dark Materials. Chocolate is not so good in threes .. it is better in bulk.So apart from blog entries, much has been happening here. I have been making my first forays into lino printing fabric .. so exciting that the whole family wanted in, in, in. Just look at that concentration...
...and since Dunc is on holidays, we have been attacking our back yard. It is a bit of a saga - but lets just say 30cm deep compacted road base on black plastic covering the whole back yard meant the only form of digging that is going to happen is with a dingo digger thingame bob (cat). But we can smell the garden beds and vegies...soon, my friends, soon.

But how sweet is this ... Jen over at Pretty Little Pictures just gave me this wee award. Her blog is gorgeous - she makes very cool clothes and has all lovely vintage things, gush, gush. So I have to

1. list 6 things that make me happy 2. Pass the award onto other kreative bloggers (making sure you leave a comment to tell them) 3. link back to the person who gave you the award.

Happiness is:

1. Cooking up a storm for friends and then eating together - good food, good conversation and laughter - food of the gods, my friends.

2. Surprises - I love a good surprise - Dunc once steamed open a pack of my favourite chocolate ginger, hid a pair of gorgeous green amber earrings in there, resealed it and then posted it to me for an Easter when we were apart. I stumbled on them when I had sat down with the intention of mowing the entire bag of chocolate in one sitting over a cup of tea.

3. Hearing Edie's new words. Her brain must expand during the night - first thing in the morning she comes out with a couple of new words. This morning it was 'soft' as she stroked my skin - beautiful!

4. Feeding the creative part of your soul. It is only when I take that part of me off the back burner and allow it to be, that I realise that something important was missing.

5. Having a good belly laugh.

6. Feeling like a small part of the bigger picture. I love feeling connected to my community and my world. Things can go horribly wrong and there may much that is horrible on this planet but what is amazing, is that when you start investing in creating joy, respect and love around you it seems to come back to you from some of the most unlikely places...tenfold.

So to Ethel loves Fred and Hoppo Bumbo you get a Kreative Blogger award from me!

Oh and Claire also passed on this cool little tag - Go to the closest book to you, not necessarily the book you have just read, or your favourite, but the closest. Turn to page 56 and copy out the 5th line, followed by the next 2 to 5 lines.

Sitting next to me, on my desk is Florence Broadhurst: Her secret and extraordinary lives by Helen O'Neill. Page 56 is a picture of her beautiful Arabian Birds wallpaper so I'll go to 57...'She announced that she wanted to become Australia's Ambassadress and launched a competition to find a national dress. The press lapped it up.'

The woman was a chameleon and a true eccentric and her approach to design and business whilst out there really does inspire you take your passion and to just get out there and get amongst it. I would love to see what Jen is reading...

It's been a long entry but an overdue one...now to get amongst it xx

Muse

I've crept down my ricketty stairs early this morning to do some work while my little family are still in the land of nod. Does your heart ever feel more full than getting the chance to watch those you love slumber? I feel all inspired...

Finding your Niche

Fresh off the press... this makes me feel all excited and christmassy-like. It's never too early to feel festive!

Introducing...

Meet Muriel. She made her stunning debut at Evandale Market this Sunday. She is the first of a growing family - soon to be six sisters! She took a few serious nose dives in the very windy weather but once weighted down she modelled her apron with aplomb! She may be made of ply and dowell but this girl is no shop dummy. She is no 'make me a supermodel'. She is made. By Duncan. He is one mean guy when armed with a jigsaw. Pinocchio has nothing on Muriel.So Evandale...Vee of The Purple Finch and I shared a stall (and some tasty snacks) and managed to stop our stuff being blown away to Oz. Edie also got a little treat - a gorgeous Owl softie which she has been cuddling and saying 'hoo hoo' ever since. We were so lucky to be across from the most glorious maker of cupcakes, rocky road and other goodies - Mrs G ... I can recommend the turkish delight cupcake and the rocky road was die for - I mean I dream of it. I'm a rocky road kinda gal. Sorry I don't have a link.

Thanks to those who swung by with lovely words and those who took something home x This weekend it's off to the Civic Homespun Market - check out the right hand side bar for details!

Little Red Dress

I have been working on this idea for a while in my head. I finally sewed it all up yesterday for Edie. I am thrilled with the outcome.

We took the dress for a test run in Princes Park. I'd be drooling too if I got to ride on my Daddy's shoulders on a beautiful spring morning in my fancy new dress!I will get some of these together in sizes 1 - 3 for the end of the month. There will be other colours ... but you'll have to wait and see xx

Let me introduce you to my logo and swing tag image. This photo was taken around 1960. My mother (affectionately called Loz) and my Grandmother (Dinny) are modelling out the front of their house the shift dresses my Mum has just sewn. The little girl in the background is my Mum's first cousin with the family dog, Flip. Mum is about 15. She laughs at her do. Plenty of hair roller action there ladies and gentlemen!

I will be pedalling my wares this Sunday at the Evandale Market only 15mins from Launceston, Tasmania. Drop by. Bring chocolate.

My favourite model in the dress that kicked of this crazy scheme ... ...beautiful 100% cotton sateen featuring fabric from Heather Ross' 'Lightning Bugs...' collection.

Beautiful Day

I took advantage of the beautiful day today to get some shots ready for a little promotion. Edie was such a trouper...