dash robin deliciousness

most people who know me well know that i have a bit of a thing for trees. so it was not exactly a shock to find i was swooning over these little brooches by the talented kate allan of dash robin the second i laid eyes upon them (serious amounts of self-control required to resist buying the whole series). they were bought with the intention of giving one to a friend but it took me - literally - months to come to the point where i could bear to part with it! now it is finally with its rightful owner and i can at last share.

as for mine, i have grand plans...in my mind i have a sketch for a bag that is designed specifically to show off this (and other) brooches. watch this space.

baby bunting

another baby; another baby girl...that itty bitty dress pattern is getting one serious workout at the moment.

this time though i added something a little different to the mix, something i've been wanting to try for a while. i found myself inspired by kelly of vintage mum, modern child to finally have a play around with the idea - so there was also some matching celebratory baby-warming bunting (made from the matching damask and liberty-like fabric and bits of leftover doilies from other projects). a very free-form flowing kind of sewing...

bit too much with the dress? maybe. fun though!

yet another cushion

did i ever mention that i have a bit of an addiction to cushions? just a slight one...i think i could happily live in a house that was pretty much furnished purely with them. this one was a belated birthday present for my grandmother - in blue, naturally. i'm sure it will fit right in to its new surroundings with every other hue of blue.

klimt reincarnate

once upon a time this klimt panel was a little singlet top - a lovely little (too little) singlet top, with nowhere to go and nothing to do. so it decided to make itself useful, morph into something entirely different, and head off on an adventure to find somebody more than a little special to love it again.

it enlisted the aid of some vintage velvet and destash velvet and backing friends, prettied itself up, stuffed itself silly and emerged a cushion (then tried out a few of the local chairs for size). before i knew what had happened it was out the door - traveling all incognito as a brown paper package tied up with string - and on its way across the country to a new home and a new life...


(post name inspiration from one of my favourite blogs - melanie's kimono reincarnate )

smiles, glitter and gratitude - with tea

unexpected surprises in brown paper packages really are one of the great pleasures in life. lately i've been sending a few out into the world and getting such a buzz from it that i'd almost decided giving was better than receiving...almost!

and then this morning i'd just boiled the kettle before heading up to check the post, so when i found some treasure i took it out to the verandah with my tea to savour as i opened. inside the beautifully decorated outer wrapping (enough to elicit many smiles in itself and make me hesitate to unwrap it) was the most beautiful little gift from from two beautiful women...

under a whole lot of glitter i found one of miras fabulous artworks - soul medicine every time - and a lovingly handmade beaded string with little origami cranes from the talented alex. with glitter everywhere (including in my tea) i soaked up the feelings of gratitude and appreciation for the thoughtfulness, creativity, colour and beauty in that little box. and decided that receiving really is pretty good too!

thanks so very much alex and mira for making my day, it was a truly special surprise to find on my daily pilgrimage to the mailbox. i feel so touched and blessed and am still smiling to myself.