Not from my garden, but from a friend whose garden is just beautiful right now. Garden roses are so much more real, and a little messy around the edges, and smell so much nicer than florist roses (which rarely if ever seem to have a scent at all).
I've been moving and sorting and spring cleaning more things around the house, and it's still at that seemingly-endless stage of looking worse before it looks better. So it's good to focus on small beautiful details, while the larger picture is still a tad chaotic.
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Monday, October 29, 2007
Green
Isn't the contrast between the delicate sprays and the green leaves beautiful (it's probably a weed, but it's not in my garden, so I can just enjoy it in happy oblivion!).
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Vintage car manufacture mosaic
So what do you give the car mad nevvy who's about to have his driving test? Something to remind him of car history (which he likes too) - although as he pointed out, it does skip a step or two, from billycart to complete vehicle in one go does seem to require perhaps a bit more detail. But he liked it.
The pictures are from a vintage brochure. As scanned, they had age marks and blotches, which is not unexpected. They were printed on a BasicGrey scrapbooking paper which also had marks and blotches (on purpose) and which nicely conveyed age while concealing the scanned pictures' marks. (I use BasicGrey paper a lot, and it was my first thought for printing these).
For those of you who have seen the quirky Australian film The Castle, these are destined for the pool room. He hasn't got one yet, but this is almost enough reason....!
The pictures are from a vintage brochure. As scanned, they had age marks and blotches, which is not unexpected. They were printed on a BasicGrey scrapbooking paper which also had marks and blotches (on purpose) and which nicely conveyed age while concealing the scanned pictures' marks. (I use BasicGrey paper a lot, and it was my first thought for printing these).
For those of you who have seen the quirky Australian film The Castle, these are destined for the pool room. He hasn't got one yet, but this is almost enough reason....!
Saturday, October 27, 2007
Old codgers
The old codger count was raised around here today, which made for a delightful day. They solved many problems of the world throughout the day's conversation, made and installed an Ikea cupboard (pics to come) and put in these hooks (pics of what it was for to come also). They talked knowledgeably about number 8 screws and particular drill bits and other handyman/carpenter jargon, worked out creative solutions to challenges posed by the tasks and were great company. We all had a happy day!
Friday, October 26, 2007
Quality/mending
Whoever bought this bedsheet first chose quality (well, the label says so!). There's something touching and thrifty and humble about the stitching across the top hem to strengthen a section worn by time and use. A different mindset to what you mostly see today, to mend and thus preserve the usefulness of the larger item. It's not particularly expert-looking stitching/mending, either - s/he might not have been quite sure of what to do, or particularly handy with a needle, but had enough determination (or need) to do something rather than let the whole sheet become torn and useless.
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Light surrounding you
I rather like this song at the moment. Caught up with the video on YouTube, and while you go, what the??? through it, the AHA! image at the end is worth it.
(Light Surrounding You/Evermore)
(Light Surrounding You/Evermore)
Sewing room dresser (a work in progress)
Jars of buttons, tins of scraps and more, including the blue sewing machine I bought years ago. Dolls by two different, very talented, dollmakers.
Sorry about the light - it's being gloomy right now, so the natural light is limited and I had to resort to overhead lighting and the lamp in the corner.
Sorry about the light - it's being gloomy right now, so the natural light is limited and I had to resort to overhead lighting and the lamp in the corner.
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Sunshine quilt
This one was published in Australian Country Threads magazine as a Recycled Threads project earlier this year. You know how sometimes a quilt will tell you who it's for? Not in an ooky way, but you find yourself arriving at a conviction regarding its future. Well, I finally worked out who this one was for, and gave it to them today.
It went well - it was an unexpected gift on a day that wasn't going at all to plan for them, (I didn't know that last bit of information), so a sunny happy quilt out of the blue was (inadvertently) particularly well timed. Good! The weather's just turned a little cooler too, so it will be able to go to work straightaway.
It went well - it was an unexpected gift on a day that wasn't going at all to plan for them, (I didn't know that last bit of information), so a sunny happy quilt out of the blue was (inadvertently) particularly well timed. Good! The weather's just turned a little cooler too, so it will be able to go to work straightaway.
What is your risk of breast cancer?
The (Australian) National Breast Cancer Centre website has just launched an excellent online calculator so you can learn more about your risk level for breast cancer. It will take you less than five minutes, doesn't want to know your name or email and gives you an excellent evaluation of your risk factors and what you can do to lower your risk.
Click here.
Click here.
Paint colour
The dresser is painted Taubmans Etruscan Blue. The paint is Dulux Aquanamel in semi-gloss. A one litre tin has done two topcoats on the desk and the dresser and there is a little left (but only a little).
I picked the colour to be close to the blue in the curtains. And because it's purty.
I picked the colour to be close to the blue in the curtains. And because it's purty.
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Sewing room dresser
This is the dresser before painting. It's got an antique stain and semigloss varnish. Perfectly pleasant, but in this room dark and too dominant, and it's time for a change...... (Cue splutterings from appalled menfolk).
This is after. How lovely is that blue paint? Doesn't it just look cheerful and happy? And lighter (even though the first photo was taken with the light on and the second with early morning daylight)?
And this is an example of the new brushed metal handles. What I particularly like, apart from the shape, is the tiny spike on the back - a nice design feature. When screwed onto the drawer or cupboard door, this will stop it rotating. A small, clever innovation.
This is after. How lovely is that blue paint? Doesn't it just look cheerful and happy? And lighter (even though the first photo was taken with the light on and the second with early morning daylight)?
And this is an example of the new brushed metal handles. What I particularly like, apart from the shape, is the tiny spike on the back - a nice design feature. When screwed onto the drawer or cupboard door, this will stop it rotating. A small, clever innovation.
Monday, October 22, 2007
How to appal a man
I've tried it on two, and so far it's infallible.
Subject: wooden dresser, currently stained (to a medium vintage sort of colour) and varnished (as it has been for the last twenty years since I bought it new).
Me: I'm going to paint this for my sewing room
Man: I'm appalled! (also, How could you? and Look at that lovely grain! and But wood is timeless! and so on)
(what is it with men and timber?????)
Pictures to follow...it's getting the same blue as the desk. Yum, I say, unmoved. One more coat to go. And it is a much lighter presence in the room, I have to say, than it was - it's not a large room, so a large dark presence isn't what you want when you're trying to make it airy and light.
Subject: wooden dresser, currently stained (to a medium vintage sort of colour) and varnished (as it has been for the last twenty years since I bought it new).
Me: I'm going to paint this for my sewing room
Man: I'm appalled! (also, How could you? and Look at that lovely grain! and But wood is timeless! and so on)
(what is it with men and timber?????)
Pictures to follow...it's getting the same blue as the desk. Yum, I say, unmoved. One more coat to go. And it is a much lighter presence in the room, I have to say, than it was - it's not a large room, so a large dark presence isn't what you want when you're trying to make it airy and light.
Friday, October 19, 2007
They're back (II)
Nice combination of greens (see, you can find quilt inspiration everywhere) - chartreuse and rich lime.
I've been culling stuff at home (see earlier discussion about books) and when it's time to put up the Christmas decorations, it will be good to give them the once-over and refine the collection.
I cast my eye over Ikea's assortment - just in store - and wasn't desperately tempted, except by the diode-light-in-felt ones. They were inventive...
I've been culling stuff at home (see earlier discussion about books) and when it's time to put up the Christmas decorations, it will be good to give them the once-over and refine the collection.
I cast my eye over Ikea's assortment - just in store - and wasn't desperately tempted, except by the diode-light-in-felt ones. They were inventive...
Thursday, October 18, 2007
They're back.....
Ah, Christmas is here. Well, so the shops would have us believe. Nothing like a twizzy red bauble to make you start fretting about the Christmas list...
(By the way, I did find some fabric to put in the fabric cupboard. Whew! I could've been worried it would stay empty...)(Nah, that wasn't particularly likely!).
More sewing room photos will come in due course - still getting it organised. Next: the bookcase.
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Fabric cupboard
This is the cupboard I was painting on the weekend for the sewing room (Dulux Roland is the paint colour, a pale blue/green). The brown wooden surfaces inside the cupboard just weren't going to be good for fabric and I figured paint would be safer. It's also so much lighter now, not a fabric dungeon.
The roses fabric is shelf lining. It took one coat of undercoat/primer and two coats of paint - really sucked up the undercoat, but now there's a semigloss surface and it looks much better. Gosh it was fun to contort about painting under shelves...but there's no brown left. The exterior got painted too. It's only a modest op shop find cupboard, but it works.
Now to see if there is any fabric in the house which could be stored in here. Hmmmm. Think I'll find some? Think so...
The roses fabric is shelf lining. It took one coat of undercoat/primer and two coats of paint - really sucked up the undercoat, but now there's a semigloss surface and it looks much better. Gosh it was fun to contort about painting under shelves...but there's no brown left. The exterior got painted too. It's only a modest op shop find cupboard, but it works.
Now to see if there is any fabric in the house which could be stored in here. Hmmmm. Think I'll find some? Think so...
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Colouring-in bird quilt
The colouring-in bird fabric is from Moda (Uptown by Erin Michaels) and is just great - such a quirky, fun idea. There are some fabulous retro/mod/ recoloured/ vintage-inspired fabric ranges around with such happy colours to play with.
This is going into Australian Country Craft and Decorating, out in a few months' time, so I can only give you a glimpse for now - sorry!
This is going into Australian Country Craft and Decorating, out in a few months' time, so I can only give you a glimpse for now - sorry!
Monday, October 15, 2007
Sewing room
New curtains (Ikea - the ones that caught my eye a couple of weeks ago) and a vintage desk with a paint colour taken from the curtains (Taubmans Etruscan Blue, the one I was waxing lyrical about the other day) and it's a start...Still plenty in there to sort out. It's not the bigger idea involving last year's French doors, but a doable-for-now smaller room. Very happy with the curtains and paint. I have a red rug for the floor (also Ikea) (it's a bit Cath Kidston, the sky blue and red) and a dresser to paint - it's a work in progress. But I thought I'd show a little here, so you can see.
Sunday, October 14, 2007
Path
Tomorrow is the start of a new week, a new term, a new path curving off into the distance. Sometimes this path is muddy underfoot, but we haven't had much rain, so it was dry, with buttercups dancing on the verges.
Paths like this remind me of one of my favourite photographs, W. Eugene Smith's iconic "The Walk to Paradise Garden" (which you can see here ).
Paths like this remind me of one of my favourite photographs, W. Eugene Smith's iconic "The Walk to Paradise Garden" (which you can see here ).
Colour me happy!
I've been painting - the interior of a cupboard to house my fabric, and some dining chairs, and a couple of little tables for the living room, and a sewing desk (all are vintage/second-hand finds). Aren't paint chips just seductive?? My hands (despite work with the pumice stone) are evidence of industry, the tin of undercoat is getting low - and there's more to do tomorrow. I think my favourite of all the colours is the pale blue (Taubmans Etruscan Blue) on the sewing desk - it's the closest match I could find to the blue in the Ikea curtains (the ones with the wiggly designs) which are going to go in that room (the living room ended up with some other curtains). It's not the major studio, but a small room that will work as a studio for the time being.
Photos will come. The inside of the cupboard was dark, boring brown, and the desk was dark, boring brown. I wanted a happy colour to work on and a light colour to illuminate the interior of the cupboard. I learned, from one of the small tables, that crayon is immensely persistent, and you have to buy another tin of stuff to undercoat it with and stop it bleeding through.
But that blue! It's clear and happy and itself. Lovely.
Looks like the thrifting book mystery was solved - thank you for all the comments. I don't get that paper so I didn't know about the freebies.
I really understand people who can't cull any books. I do. It's not as though I culled a major percentage - oh my goodness no... If in doubt, I kept it, and yet there were some I didn't doubt and really won't miss. One day I'd love to have a library room, floor to ceiling shelves and everything visible and in the one room. With a good reading light or two. And comfy chairs to curl up in, possibly a good deep window seat too. Doesn't that sound appealing? But for now, I'm working on a sewing room, and it's making some progress.
It's interesting, when you start trying to reimagine your home, how difficult it can sometimes be - you're used to things where they are and used as they are. Some of the 'working' time has been just sitting in the room, and thinking about how it could work, and what's needed. I know some people who move stuff around in their house regularly, but that's not really how this house works.
But then, having sat, and mulled, and let your mind wander around with possibilities, you have those lovely Aha! moments that let you see things afresh.
Photos will come. The inside of the cupboard was dark, boring brown, and the desk was dark, boring brown. I wanted a happy colour to work on and a light colour to illuminate the interior of the cupboard. I learned, from one of the small tables, that crayon is immensely persistent, and you have to buy another tin of stuff to undercoat it with and stop it bleeding through.
But that blue! It's clear and happy and itself. Lovely.
Looks like the thrifting book mystery was solved - thank you for all the comments. I don't get that paper so I didn't know about the freebies.
I really understand people who can't cull any books. I do. It's not as though I culled a major percentage - oh my goodness no... If in doubt, I kept it, and yet there were some I didn't doubt and really won't miss. One day I'd love to have a library room, floor to ceiling shelves and everything visible and in the one room. With a good reading light or two. And comfy chairs to curl up in, possibly a good deep window seat too. Doesn't that sound appealing? But for now, I'm working on a sewing room, and it's making some progress.
It's interesting, when you start trying to reimagine your home, how difficult it can sometimes be - you're used to things where they are and used as they are. Some of the 'working' time has been just sitting in the room, and thinking about how it could work, and what's needed. I know some people who move stuff around in their house regularly, but that's not really how this house works.
But then, having sat, and mulled, and let your mind wander around with possibilities, you have those lovely Aha! moments that let you see things afresh.
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