Beautiful Braids

My mum (aka Dora the explorer) travels the world and is very interested in textiles, art and design and from time to time brings me back some amazing little gifts. She has recently arrived in Tasmania to spend Christmas with us after travelling around Borneo, the Phillipines, Vietnam and Malaysia. In Vietnam she bought some beautiful braiding which I think is my favourite gift yet. They were bought from a woman in a mountain village in Northern Vietnam. Mum explained how the ladies wore beautifully embroidered bright couloured clothes and would sit at the roadside stitching away passing time. Mum bought me two lengths of just under a metre each. They are actually very old ones which would have been cut off old clothes to sell. Gosh I really treasure things like this. And is it me, or are they abit 'gypsy'?

When she gave them to me I had so many uses in mind; curtain edging, embellishment on a peasant style dress, stick onto the edge of a table which I'm planning to decoupage, but I decided to put them on Maggie's Christmas stocking as I hope this will see out many years. As Christmas decorations often do, only being enjoyed once a year.

I bought the purple velvet a while ago. It was a little a-line skirt I bought in Vinnie's but it was the fabric that caught my eye, such a lush purple velvet. And just enough for a stocking. The braid on the top was from Rajasthan in India (where she went last year) and is made from sequins and little beads sewn on to create the little flowers.

It's all been getting abit jolly in the Gale household. Last weekend we scrumped our Christmas tree which is now standing tall, proud and rather tastefully decorated in our lounge. And when I say tall I mean TALL, it's just a squeeny bit over three metres! I also managed to get hold of some of those lovely tacky consatina style metallic decorations that every home in the 1970's adorned over the festive period. I'm finding them quite nostalgic actually.

I've also been really trying hard to embrace Australian Christmas traditions instead of trying to recreate an English Christmas which just never works here and leaves me feeling so disappointed. So I enjoyed making some kiss biscuits and was very happy indeed with my first ever batch. Sorry I can't share them with you but I'm afraid they've all gone already as we mostly gave them away as little gifts for friends.

It's beginning to look alot like Christmas. Happy preparations peeps xxx

My Creative Space

So many lovely projects on the go this week and so many little projects finished; including the hand stitching on Ada's quilt. Thank you to those that have asked to see the entire quilt - here it is.

Last night I decided to make some goodie bags for Maggie's forthcoming birthday party. I used some red gingham squares that I already had cut for my patchwork for the bag and some scraps for the front label and then embroidered 'with love' on some calico. Tonight I'll pinking shear the edges and put a draw cord in the top with piping cord. Inexpensive and quick to make. I made the first five whilst watching Spicks and Specks!!......weren't the dress-ups great last night, so funny:)

Oh dear, what a tangled mess of embroidery threads!

Hope you're all having fun in your creative space. Check out some more over here at Kirsty's.

Cat Rabbit Workshop

On Tuesday I had a fun night at a workshop with Cat Rabbit, a Hobart based illustrator and toy maker. Cat creates such cool little soft characters and manages to achieve what I strive for......a unique style that really stands out from the crowd. Which I think is partly due to her choice of colours and materials and partly to her ability as an artist. Maybe that's what can be achieved when an illustrator sews, or did the sewer illustrate? Whatever came first, I think it's a recipe for success when it comes to crafting. This one's my favourite.

At the workshop there were about 20 ladies and gents sat around a large table laid with felt, pins, needles, scissors and thread and we each created a little character based on a template offered by Cat. It was really interesting how different they all were. I found myself really out of my comfort zone without 'my things' around me; my sewing machine, my vanishing ink pen, my embroidery needles, my 'box of tricks' and my music. But it was fun to create in company, sing to ourselves and each other and use a muffin as a pin cushion.

I was glad I got the opportunity to talk to Catherine about how she comes up with her characters and how she tranforms them into a three dimensional 'pattern'. This is something that I'm really struggling with at the moment. We also got talking about our mutual love of sewing/craft groups, craft blogs, and she gave me some really good tips. So thank you Catherine for a lovely evening and here are our creations. Can you guess which one is mine?

Stitch and Bitch Weekend March 2010

It's here, no more sleeps. In a couple of hours I'm off on the Stitch and Bitch weekend in Port Sorrell and my poor little car is stuffed full with all my bits and bobs. I'm gonna take several projects, mainly those that need finishing but also one special project - a skirt. Having never attempted dress-making before I thought I'd take the plunge and take advantage of the fact that they'll be so many lovely ladies with a multitude of talents who I'll be able to turn to for help when I get stuck. With a 'to-do wish list' as long as the great wall of china, it was so hard to decide what to do, but I've decided on these:

• A-line ankle length skirt - based on my longtime favourite skirt (which really needs to go for rags). It's gonna be tough as I will have to make the pattern and sew stretching fabric....yickes!!!!
• The final part on the baby quilt - hand sew the binding.
• Make some flower embellishments for applique on some new bags.
• Fix a seam on a favouite pair of shorts (my 5 min. saturday morning hangover task).
• I've also taken some knitting for night-time.

And this is my paking list which I managed to squeeze into my car:

1. Sewing machine.
2. Sewing baskets containing threads, needles, pins, pens, scissors, craft knives, rotary cutter, lippy, tape measures, colour chart etc etc
3. Cutting mat, meter rule, set square, compass.
4. Drawer of trimmings, embroidery threads, lace, buttons, beads, zips, bias binding etc etc
5. Ironing board and iron.
6. My big basket of fabric scraps.
7. Fabric for skirt and skirt I'm copying.
8. Gin, tonic, lemons, nibbles and a Victoria sponge I whipped up this morning.
9. Clothes, quilt, towel (mmm should I take my bikini, there's a pretty cool beach on the doorstep). I will, hang-on i'll just go and get it..........ok, got it:)
10. Outfit for tonight, we're going to see a Fleetwood Mac tribute band - can't wait for that :)
11. Camera.

Sorry there's no photos on this post, I've packed the damm camera right at the bottom!!!!! hehehehe But I will take heaps during the weekend, promise. In the meantime, thought this pic was pretty funny. Gotta go for hair appointment now. Bum gonna be late. Pop back Monday for the all goss :)

Monday Morning Book Club

In my pantry I have a big bag of cardboard boxes, bottle tops, toilet rolls, string, etc which I collect ready for the day when Maggie-May is old enough to start making things like cars, dolls houses and model villages....... I just can't wait! Already she has her own basket of beads, buttons, 'bubbles' (as she calls them), material & paper scraps, fabric flowers, trimmings and boxes which she happily plays with when imitating me sewing.

Art/craft is so important to children in excersing their creative brain.  It stimulates their imagination, is a great form of self expression, improves motor skills and encourages them to be independent in decision making, problem solving, experimentation and encourages perseverence, thus increasing their confidence and self esteem.

So start collecting bits and bobs now and order yourself a copy of this book from your local library or book shop and start creating with your childen. There are 35 step-by-step projects for you to choose from that use natural, recycled and found materials. The projects are mainly suited to older children (3+) but the 'pumpkin animals' and 'cardboard sandals' could be fun for you and your toddler. My favourites are the peg dolls, the pom-pom caterpillar and the dolls house.

Monday Morning Book Club

Better late than never hey! First on my list of things to do upon my return from a very wet weekend at Marrawah for my brilliant husbands surf comp is to do my Monday Morning Book Club blog - see I have my priorities very right indeed:)

I suppose this book should really have been No.1 on my 'must have' list of books for fellow crafters. This book sits besides my sewing machine and doesn't dare move. I refer to it as often as the pope refers to his bible. You know when you're working on a project and you just can't quite work out how to do this or should I do this before I do that, well this baby has all your answers. It's what Mrs Beeton is to coooking or a good housekeeping manuel is to the desprate housewife. It covers everything; equipment and supplies, how to get the best out of your sewing machine, explains all about different fabrics, methods and sewing techniques, using patterns, projects, decorative touches, mending, tailoring, home furnishings.....it's got the lot with step-by-step pictorial instructions. This one is circa 1972 but there are many out there in charity shops, all very similiar. So grab yourself a copy today from your local Vinnies for about $2.

Hmmm now to tackle the mountain of wet sandy washing and a very messy campervan.

The Golden Rule of Op-Shopping: If You Love It - Buy It!

Sunday morning love sings on BBC Radio 2, cup of tea at my side and Maggie-May tucked up having her morning sleep, time for me to write my blog. Which this week will be about a subject very close to our hearts - op-shopping. I guess everyone has their tactics, their favourite haunts and their contacts, but for me there is only one golden rule - IF YOU LOVE IT, BUY IT! (and if you don't - don't).

Remind yourself how inexpensive it is, how you're making a donation to a charity and of the positive environmental implications of recycling. Furthermore, how many times have you heard yourself and others say " I so wished I had bought that chair/quilt....." because it's almost guarateed to be gone if you go back for it. And if the new purchase doesn't quite work out as you hoped then a friend who is a fellow (but not so frequent) op-shopper may love to take it off your hands........there's an idea - an op-shop swap meet! So these are my purchases this week.


A white wicker chair for the garden, a white and blue enamel colander, some 1960's childrens books, 'bird' pattern fabric, bright coloured zips and buttons and some beautiful embroidery. You can never have too many enamel colanders and pots; hang them in the kitchen, use them for planters in the garden, for picking your fruit/vegies in the garden or for displaying things in the house. Think ecclectic, another good reason to BUY IT. Forget those notions of 'it won't go with....'. You'll find a use or a place for everything, even if it is just in the shed.


I have plans for the books, buttons, zips and embroidery. In fact I went to Vinnies specifically to find these so was very happy with the result.


I would love you to pop back to Baby Boudoir again, bring a cup of tea and see what I have created with this weeks op-shop finds. I'm sorry to say I seem to be having problems with the comments section of the blog, but please feel free to email me any comments whilst I work out how to fix it (especially if you know how to fix it!)....and don't forget to follow me, sign-up over there on the left. Wishing you all happy and successful op-shopping :)