Things I like today

From an amazing photo shoot for Vogue Russia


I love this handmade quilt! I would like to make a quilt this year I think!



I've been loving the re-purposing of suitcases for a while. This looks fantastic!



Great use of reducing food waste!



Lovely tea towel from here

Things I like today

Such cute tights!
I would like to make something like these, great tutorial here

I love this tea cosy. I'm thinking of making some kind of tea cosies for the Green Renters as loose leaf tea is a great way of reducing packaging. Even better if I could make some from upcycled materials-what would you pay for a tea cosy?

Going off overseas in less than a month, not sure if I have enough followers to seek guest bloggers in my absence? If anyone is interested, please let me know!

On a slightly unrelated note, am I the only one sick of the big glasses trend? It's less appealing to those of us who have had to wear glasses since a very early age...

Things I like today

Need to get a new winter coat, how beautiful is this one?!

So many amazing pot holders! Great way to display them also.

I have a skirt I'm planning to do this on :)


Such an amazing quilt!

For a good cause: Door snake making workshop

Sunday April 10th
12pm onwards
Cate' s house in Brunswick (email me for address)

I'm organising a Green Renting expo for people living in social housing and rooming houses in conjunction with a housing organisation to be held in May. We're hoping for a fairly decent turn out, and would like to offer all attendees with their very own doorsnake for draft proofing their room.

As most shop sold door snakes are mass produced overseas in sweat shops I'd like to make my own instead. So this means making about 100 Door Snakes. They're pretty easy to make. I have two sewing machines but feel free to bring your own. Donations of fabric thread and wadding/cut up scraps are also welcome. (Some makers use wheat or sawdust but this is not an option due to the risk of pests and bugs).

So if you can't sew, it could be an opportunity to learn or you are welcome to do cutting, turning fabric right side out, ironing etc. All useful tasks!

I'll put on some snacks etc but feel free to bring something. You're welcome to bring people who would like to help but we don't have *heaps* of space so might have to spread out a bit. It won 't be too sweatshop like, there'll be wine and chocolate and music and tea and all the good things! A great chance to hang out with crafty people and chat too :)

Feel free to give me an email cate@greenrenters.org or 0433584889
Many thanks
Cate

Things I like today

Loving this glass embroidered vintage collar
I would like to visit this cafe

Music and fashion, the perfect marriage!



Beautiful retro Staffordshire mugs!

Things I like today

I really like these posters inspired by American World War II propaganda posters!

Sometimes unfinished work is even more beautiful than that completed...




Gorgeous sketch work by Phillipe Constantine


Not a terribly practical bookcase but it looks good!

Things I like today

Loving these tights and of course the teapot!

Quite liking this DIY tutorial to pretty up a canvas bag...
Loving this poster exhibition by EveryGuyed Framework, a series of posters highlighting the most iconic men’s eyewear of the last 100 years.


Have you seen much of the Melbourne International Arts festival? Last night we went to see An Anthology of Optimism. It was wonderful!

Self Portrait-Day 13 of Blogtoberfest

Created as part of 2008 Fringe Festival's Totem exhibition, held at Federation Square, this self portrait represents my love of bunnies, struggle with body image and depression: (the black dog) and my open heart.... I enjoyed making it, and I've had a few requests by people for their own portraits but nothing definite. I think a personalised totem doll would be an awesome gift for someone special!

Things I like today

We have lots of mint growing in the garden so I'm going to give tis mint cordial recipe a try. It uses more sugar than I like, but I guess that's what makes the syrup. I think it would go very nicely with gin and vodka ;)


They'd go perfect in these glasses!



Lovely cushions by Ply Textiles
Cute zippered pouch pattern by with2ns. She has some simply gorgeous items in her shop! I have one of her cushions on my couch :)

Things I like today

These little plum tarts look amazing and I think I should make some pear ones as there are some lovely in-season pears right now!
!

Loving this cute fabric brooch!


Imagine is this was a real sewing machine! It'd be like a totally portable craft studio on wheels!


I'm a huge fan of Dawn Tan's work and her series of soft food sculptures is just so very good

Things I like today

I've been drooling over these Jane Foster dolls for ages...the catch is they come in a kit and you have to make them yourself! Very cool.


Gotta make me some of Joel's paper owls! Fab tutorial!

Such a stunning example of the power of black and white photography.

The only thing as good as the V&A is the V&A shop.This is 'Pause and Wonder' by Aardvark for the V&A Cherry on the Cake: Paper collection.

Tutorial: Tea Towel Curtains

I have been collecting cute tea towels for a while but I often find them too cute to cut up. I thought about making a tea towel quilt but I'm a bit too time poor for such an enterprise. So, I decided to make curtains!
What you need:

• A pile of teatowels
• An Iron
• Sewing Machine (you could sew by hand if you are really keen)
• Scissors
• Pins
• Tape Measure
• Curtain Rod
• Hooks to hang the rod

Instructions.

1. Measure your window to determine how many tea towels you will need to make two curtains. It's best to make them a bit wider than the window to ensure the sides of the glass are covered properly.
2. Lay out tea towels on the floor to work out the pattern and colour combination you like most.
3. Have a look at your tea towels. Are they all the same length and width? If not you might need to trim them on the inside bits before sewing them together. This will mean that you won't have to hem the bottom on outside sides of the curtains which should have a teatowel hem or bias anyway.
4. Sew teatowels together to make two curtains.
5. Double check the height of your window and hem the top by folding the top over and stitching, leaving at least a 5cm tube so you can slip the curtain rod through it.
6. Snip of any stray threads
7. Slip the curtains through the rod and hang! (If you only have a small window and don' t want to go to the expense of buying a rod, you might find a sturdy bamboo stake does the trick, like I did.
8. You're done!

The curtains are light enough to still let in a little light when closed, and you can keep them open by tying them back. If it's a main room, it would be a good idea to line the curtains with some thermal fabric to ensure they are insulated against the heat and cold.

Things I like today

I have many of these brooches and adore these necklaces!

Loving this hand patchwork chair pad

image from modern embroidery by ike rosen, published by charles scribner's and sons, new york, 1972



I've listening to Faker this morning and remembering how good their first album was.