vintage chairs, village markets & a B.B {british bestie}...

our village market- the B.B {british besite} & i are taking you with us this morning...

we want your opinion on this seriously cool rocking vintage chair...

patch-worked by hand- re-stuffed all squishy & perfectly snuggly...

perfect for B.B's bay window...perfect for C.H.R.I.S.T.M.A.S....

you hearing this Mr.B.B ?

i can assure you your christmas will be full of festive cheer ;) if you bobbed down & picked up this 

piece of patch-worked heaven for her...you listening !?

 

this is the same little stall that had the blue side board last week... {here}

& i know from your emails & comments, that  a few of you would've whipped that in the back of your 

people mover.. 

it's also the same little secret spot that the B.B & i got our french potato baskets from...{here}

man do we need to get her this chair...

anyway- the seeds have been sewn with Mr.BB & all 20 of our fingers are crossed...

maybe a quick "how are you lovely Mr.BB- did we mention it's V & A fabrics" text may nail it?

between this gorgeous chair & my big old country house there was also a *house sale* on this 

morning...

i really just needed a wander with her & a look at old stuff vintage bits this morning...

some time out from the list ticking & the endless at times a little overwheliming planning...

we did good....real good...

a great old typewriter & some wonderful old cotton reels for me...

& a perfect vintage milk bottle that we worked out was over 50 years old and that was produced for

the dairy farm not far from the B.B's folks house- for her...

i love that...the history & connections...

so...another gorgeous crisp wander through my little part of ol'Blighty...

with thoughts of both days on the beach in Australia & days snuggling up with mulled wine & the 

BB on this chair dancing around in my head...

yooohoooo...Mr.BB this is for you...

the BB & i are bringing you back here over the weekend

for the lighting of our village christmas tree

&

a mulled wine or two

you in?

xxx

 

cool crafting for sweet rock chicks...

ok..so i never thought i'd say *get your tie-dye on*...!


seriously gals- for me...*tie-dyed* is the kinda hippie i never channelled...

sure i hoped for a little hippie-cool- you know sandals & beads- when i was travelling round

thailand...

i hoped for a little surf-hippie-cool when i rode my long board in my teen bikini...

but i never went tie-dye hippie!

suffice to say the hippie tie-dyed tees of the 70's were best avoided...


i thank my mama for never putting me in anything remotely swirley & fluro...& well tie-dyed...

in my case- the hippie in my parents living on the then remote {northern beaches of sydney}- saw me

skipping 'round in crochet bikini bottoms & eating home-made muesli...with bare feet...

never a tie-dyed skirt or singlet top in sight..

so i now find myself , some years later ;) standing righteously in my skinnies & ballet flats telling

you all to *get your tie-dye on*!

i blame it on my gorgeous friend {simone} - yep the simone of all things lovely & stylish from

{the bottom of the ironing basket} ...

she had a stash of dye- given to her- so popped a few in a box & sent them to my kiddos to play

with over the half term hols...

my kids of course didn't see tie-dyed-mung-bean-eating-hippie- from-the-70's that i saw...

they saw rock star...

what we achieved was what i would call *pretty-grunge*...

they googled tie-dying...ooohed & aaaahed at the simple one-coloured options...

they didn't grab old greying singlets to colour...

they went on the hunt for clean, white, cooler looking tees to *design* upon...


that's what they said- *hey let's all design some t-shirts*...i LOVE that...

so...my-rock-star-grunge-pretty-gypsy-travelling kids made me love a little tie-dying...


only in support of true design, self expression & a love of fashion of course... ;)

when the kids want a little crafting over their holidays...grab a bucket, a bag of elastic bands & a couple

of fresh white tees...

get them out doors creating rock tees for christmas...

 ~~~

get your tie-dye on baby 'cause


"it's all in the way you wear it"

happy hippy thursday

melissa 

xxx

~~~

PS- don't forget my *mollie makes* giveaway {here}


i'll get those little rock stars to pull a name outa their guitar case over the weekend!


~~~

a giveaway - *rocking some creative inspiration*

have you gals fallen in creative lust with the *Mollie Makes* mags?


i am in hook...line & craft sinker...


the Autumn edition is just endless inspiration, page after gorgeous page...

it's not just the projects...the layout of the magazine is right up my alley...it makes me want to create...

a totally healthy drug of choice...

i had a moment to day to just have a quick *squizz*...


& inevitably this leads to a flurry of lists...

things to make...things that inspire...

just so much to want to do...instantly!

if you like to have a million creative pursuits on the go at once...then get your hands on a copy!

and this months edition indulges in two of my fave style crushes...


{kelly doust- author of *The Crafty Minx*}...who i could imagine being great friends with in the real 


world...


{her daughter's name is Olive & i love that name- we're a perfect match!}

& ...the gorgeously stylish blogger {jeanette lunde}


she is just so feminine, simply lovely, joyful & inspiring...

i would be very happy to sit at her table drinking endless tea & staring at her lovely life taking in a

moment of her day...

since falling in love with the world of blogging i'm rarely *rocked* by a creative mag in the flesh...


there are just so many wonderful bloggers out there, that there's no need to keep an eye out for 


new mags to inspire...


{mollie makes} is soo the exception to this rule...

get your hands on a copy- a cup of tea & take a moment for yourself...

be inspired...

i love this autumn edition so much- that i'm picking up another copy for one of you...

just leave a comment on *what rocks your craft boat*...

blogs? mags? books?

be a Miss Sew & So follower & share your inspiration- simple...

on another autumn note

we had our very first open fire last night

gotta love that

i'll get the kiddos to pluck a name at random 

happy tuesday

melissa

xox

ruffly autumn wreath love...-a *how to*

it's a windy autumnal hello from this part of the world this morning...
a life made lovely wednesday snuggled inside...tea in hand...sharing with you a gorgeous ruffly autumn project...


i flipping love this....

i have long had some serious ruffle-wreath-envy after seeing a gorgeous *how to* at one of my fave blogs:  Jones design company blog ...

i wanted to make this last year- but village living does not let one wander down on a whim & throw into one's basket a styro foam wreath...nor a metre or two of burlap...!

so...this year- i'm ready...

i've got my burlap cut...my wreath waiting...& i've even got myself a glue gun...

is it weird that i haven't owned a glue gun to date?

for some reason...i've always assumed that a good wad of craft glue will do the trick...errr wrong people!

so, for this project you will need:

burlap or hessian

styrofoam wreath or florists wreath

glue gun

flat tipped pins

scissors

tape measure

vintage pieces/ribbon/typeset etc...

the how to:


1. cut three lengths of hessian/burlap into 4" x 70" strips.
    wrap your wreath in one of these strips & secure with flat tipped pins.

2. with the remaining two strips- tie your cotton at one end (about 2 cms in from the edge) & continue to

hand sew, a simple straight stitch in & out, the length of the piece & gently pull to gather.

3. when you have gathered the first strip to fit the circumference of your wreath , pin it securely to one flat side of your wreath- just inside the outer edge- this will become the back of your finished piece.

4. once the hessian/burlap has been secured with pins...use your glue gun to adhere all the fabrics together...following the gathered line around the wreath.

5. allow to dry & flip over...it should now look like this...

6. pin the last gathered strip to the front of your wreath- on the inner edge...& secure as before, with your glue gun around the entire gathered circle.

it should now look something like this....

7. using any left over fabric off cut, hot glue a hook to the back of the wreath...you can also now use any left over fabrics to make a rough flower in which to build your decoration.

8. using a length of fabric fold roughly to create a flower shape & zigzag, or hand sew, together & hot glue to your wreath.

9. allow everything to dry...have a cuppa tea & get ready for the *make-it-your-own* part. 

i used a vintage measuring tape that i had been keeping for such a project...& incorporated my love of string, rope & calico into the decoration.

10. if adding ribbon...fabric...or a tape measure, hot glue around the inner circle of your wreath once again...& secure at intervals, pressing down with your thumb, to form a ruffled effect...

oh...all these ruffles...

how much do i flipping love this

~~~~

ruffles

&

a vintage tape measure

&

string

& 

burlap

~~~~~

perfect for autumn

divine for christmas

ruffle love

this year i've got it sorted!

~~~

check out more inspiration here, here, here, here

 here ,here & here

a life made lovely in fabrics & friendships...

 a life made lovely...& going with the flow of the seasons...


autumn has arrived...& i snuggled down over the weekend & created...
i went with the season...


a pot of tea...& a semi-chaotic studio of fabric...music...cotton lace & cushions...
i'd like to paint a picture of serenity...of order...of folded fabric...of quiet creation...

but in reality...
it's more noisy {lovely} kiddos constantly interrupting, the husband on the nearby laptop chatting about the sports arrangements for the weekend & tonights dinner...& the BBC Radio humming along in the background...

& i know i wouldn't have it any other way...
i'm sure it's the only way i can create...
it's the same way i've been doing it for years...

&...it makes me very happy...

i also *work* in a semi-chaotic less than orderly way...

everything is created as i sit down to fill an order...
not the week before...not with drawings done in anticipation of...
all of this i love to do...& i love to do it as i am about to create the piece...

if it's a gift for someone - all i want is a little jumble of thoughts about that person...


their favourite colours...their jobs...a little of their nature...
& i take that & create them a special cushion, or bag...made just for them...

i love to approach each order like this, for me they're fresh...individual...& to be honest...the only way i know how to work...

i plan so much of the rest of our life...
the daily...the monthly...the yearly...
i plan constantly for our busy family of five...
so...i thrive on this instant...spontaneous creativity...

adding to the constant mess lovely creative chaos of my sewing room- i never throw out my offcuts...


i can't bare to bin anything- it's the building of a cushion from all the smaller pieces that makes it so special...
these pieces create the most loved & inspiring cushions...
my friendship cushions...


given by people who want to show their love & friendship for someone in their lives...
& made with so much enjoyment by me...
from french fabrics, british rose linens, vintage finds & cotton laces...

made with kiddos sitting at my feet playing with mini skateboards...
wrapping tiny treasures in my leftover fabrics...
shouting at me from the kitchen whilst learning to make big hearty autumn soup outa leftovers...

& all the while...i wouldn't have it any other way...

a life made lovely...
with fabrics...& friendship...


snuggled against the autumn weather...
a wonderful weekend indulgence amongst the usual loved chaos of my family life...

no organised shelves of cottons...& patterns...
no long modern clean surfaces of space...
just a group of mix-matched vintage desks...thrifted cane chairs...baskets of fabrics & time...

a life made lovely

embracing the chaos

&

creating alongside everyday life

~~~~

...for more lovely days head over here & smile...