Goodness Gracious!

Long time between posts. Seasonal depression getting to me I think, freaking cold.

All is good at chez Ethel and Fred, the usual winter stuff .... living for food!

Sorting through 'stuff' the material things, ergo the pic, some of my

necklaces. Little P used to call them 'neck-ins' cute, so literal.

Looking forward to the School Hols,

lots more time to hang out in jammies,

hopefully some creative pursuits too!

love. ghostpatrol.

Just popping in to share this image with you.

I've been in love with Ghostpatrol's work for ages now, I first saw

his work in Lorne Vic, when we did our roadtrip last Easter, there's a mural

on the side of a building ... funny place for a mural, not the side of a wall,

but Lorne, being so far from the city.

Winter is well and truly upon us,

we are just snuggling up at nights

eating lots of casserole type things.

Planning some sewing soon, it's been a bit

quite on the making front lately, plan on rectifying this soon!

Until then, stay warm and toasted!

Little P - Personified!

Of all the photos I have of Little P, this one is my favourite,

it most definitely captures her true spirit.

The wild hair, the joyous laughter, and the dancing!

Taken last year by my dear friend Tess Peni, at her daughter's birthday party.

(Tess does amazing things with a camera)!

If ever I'm feeling a bit blue, I look at this picture,

it reminds me to keep positive,

to stay firmly in the moment - and enjoy it all.

Creative kids at Artspark

I've been helping out with sewing at Artspark Studios in Rozelle (Sydney).

The creativity of the children is truly inspiring.

These strip bags (please no credit to me, these were designed by a lady

from Artspark) were part of a 1 day workshop for 5-10 year olds.

They all did an amazing job, and kept their enthusiasm up for the whole day.

There's something magical about making things yourself, and being able

to share this, and pass on the knowledge to a new generation is

just a joyous experience!

As Skyhooks once sang 'I like it both ways'

Reversible smock, custom order for a friend, pattern is my own,

the most simple dress to make.

The print is vintage brushed cotton, with a red denim as the plain fabric.

We've been in throws of moving, so my blog has been a little

neglected of late ... my studio is still mostly in boxes, but the shelves

are ready, and my machines are out, a good start.

Works on wood

Little P made this beautiful cross entirely from scratch, She loves nothing more than hammering a few nails into wood. I really like what she did with the top part of this, water colours. Colour choice comes so naturally to kids, they rarely hesitate, I admire that!

Before & After

I picked up 4 of these chairs about 5 years ago from a Salvos,

they were $5.00 each. They are brilliantly made, I think by

Australian furniture maker Don Rex.

Finally got around to having them reupholstered,

the original mushroom pink velvet never really

did it for me. We got them done for about the same

cost as buying 4 new ones, actually probably worked out

a bit more, but ultimately much nicer than a modern repro.