shop update

Ive just updated the shop with the latest wraps. Check them out here.

I had to do a massive clean in order to be ready for our visitors tomorrow.

 Someone made a mess of the house during market preparations last week.

I dont like today.

I want a maid.

market preparations

whats on your wall?

I was nearly going to forget this meme as the linky I was using stopped working.

Ive decided not to give up that easily so im back showing you one of the works in progress here at TTL.

This is the underpainting of The Blue Lady.

The Mr is painting her for me.

 He has painted her once before and had hung the painting in a restaurant so she sold. 

I was sad to say goodbye.

If you would like to, join in and show us whats hanging around at your place this week. It doesnt have to be art, it could be anything. Even the latest spiderweb would be an artwork of sorts. Which reminds me I have few around here that need to be vacuumed up.

Take your photo, do a post, grab your url and link back to here.

naughty pants

scientific doiley whitening

Ive got my naughty pants* on.
Ive been wearing them since yesterday.

Ive been op-shopping for blankets and doileys, then, finding none (to make eskimo jackets from of course) ive instead, been buying clothes for me and my men.

Naughtily filling up my nice tidy and slightly empty looking cupboards! Ive been juuuussst missing out on blankets lately and so became obsessed with the hunt.

But this morning I found myself waiting for the local opshop to open before id had my wake-me-up cup of tea, unshowered, and without my bra on. I guess theres a first time for everything.
In my defense I was doing the early morning drop off and the Mr insisted 'you cant tell' but I think I need to regroup.

I found sooooo many nice things, including two pairs of fit like a glove jeans for me, a smock ive loved for a while but never knew where to get, even a shirt and chino's for the fussy 16 year old couch potato.

I knew id get some sewing done once I got back home. And I did!

ladies size 12

ladies size 12

girls size 6

There was even time for an impromptu photoshoot dress rehearsal.

This is Bella in the size 12 even though shes actually an 8 and still its an okay fit.

Im really pleased with these dresses hot off the machine. This is just the way I hoped these would go.

I want these to suit a wide range of body shapes and be good for two sizes, maybe three. Like the little girls ones. Ive had great feedback today from the custom orders posted last week. And im thinking ill go visit my facebook page to gloat.

OH *Naughty pants are what you wear when youre being naughty.
I used to tell my kids to go and take them off!

my creative space

Im cutting out this morning in readiness for a three day sewing fest for sundays market.

The only way I can motivate myself is to cut everything out first. I aim to do more than is humanly possible in the time I have but thats the only approach that works for me.

If I limit myself before ive even started I cant settle into the making, finding that I cant focus on the sewing and finishing because my head is still full of designs and fabrics.

And so ill design and slice like a madwoman til im ready to hit the machines.

At this moment im not sure if I even feel like sewing!

day 7 - bathroom

I warn you this is riveting stuff.

I was still in my nightie as I went for it in the bathroom this morning.

I sorted things into three different bags as I took them out.

Medical, pampering and everyday.

Oh yeah, guess which bag filled up first?

Yep.... The pampering one. I never seem to use any of this stuff but maybe ill start now. I made myself a pamper box and told myself its for saturdays.

Took them to the dining table, made a small 'car bag', a 'going away for the weekend' bag,

a 'travel bag' and a first aid box from all the doubled up items. You know, to be really organised.

His and hers drawers.

Did I tell you yet that I make my own lipstick from half pawpaw and half my favourite colour? I just mash it together til creamy smooth so it ends up half gloss and it feels luxurious.

Thats so much better but it took me half the afternoon.

Told you. Rivetting.

And im still in my nightie!

the end of day 6 - my bedroom

beanie storage bag

Okay, I know, ive milked this day 6 - bedroom thing for everything that it had.

That post title should read 'the end of me- my bedroom'!

It all started last wednesday and has spread over the weekend into this week, which was not my original intention at all.  I honestly thought I was going to blitz the bedroom that night.

Instead after I had taxi-ed my boy around, picked up the Mr from the train, come home and did the dinner thing, plus other incredibly boring mum stuff, lets call it 'maintenance' shall we?, I was exhausted. I had made a mess of the place with boxes and light fittings everywhere, it kind of looked like we were moving house. Clothes became the least of my problems.

 I dreamt id go off to my girlfriends thursday with a skip in my step wearing new found old clothes that I would feel wonderfully lightheaded in. This did not happen.

I threw on a barely ironed smock (id made for housework) with jeans and headed off to my girls lunch, can I use the term 'with my tail between my legs'?

Needless to say a wonderful time was had by all and 

I proceeded to stay the night, I think we got to bed at three???,

then friday we went through some of my friend's cupboards including

her wardrobe and ended up coming home with more stuff from

op-shopping and clothes swapping than I had bargained for.
 The plot thickens.

 I had somehow come home with a lamp oozing with funk scored for $2!
Shameful seeing I have nowhere to put it. 
The moral of this story is my week was over and the weekend had HIT!

Why is it when you have a good clear out you seem to not quite intentionally

gather things back to you?

Just so you know I havent been slack and have been busy on the weekend, it was full of this.....

saturday morning - out the door to pick up fabric ordered for the wraps,

 saturday afternoon - back home sewing orders and a dress for the party,

 saturday night - the party,

sunday morning - major clean with the Mr's help cos someone hurt their back dancing,

sunday afternoon - a meeting,

sunday evening - family arriving to stay for a couple of days

 with chaos ensuing.

I will be spending today in the bedroom tweaking a bit more, while cutting out some orders and perhaps starting on the bathroom cabinet. Should be a piece of cake compared to the bedroom, dont you think?

a thankyou

custom order for michelle ladies size 10-12

Today I wanted to show you the latest dresses but most of all id like to say a very needed thankyou to all of you lovely ladies out there that keep coming to visit here and take the time to leave the most fabulous comments for me. I havent stopped to say thank you enough lately.

Im feeling very grateful at this point in time that I am growing more and more confident in my makings and that production has started with gusto.

Even if it is amid the chaos at home while I try to keep going with my days/rooms. I havent stopped yet but I am still in the bedroom analysing clothing. I had the winter ones stored up high and have got them down to sort through while im at it.

So I cant really move on yet.

Its not quite 'day 7' .

Without imput, I can get a bit lost. Some of your comments make me stop and think, sometimes they can make me change tack, some just reassure me in the best possible way.

custom order for michelle girls size 9

So thanks for choosing your favourite fabrics over the weekend. I can kind of sit back and be happy in the knowledge that I am on the right track with my choices, for now.

Funny thing is that the blue one that most of you chose was my least liked of all...

Oh and I had to go to a party on the weekend and I made one for me!

It has sleeves cos I like sleeves.

 I put my back out dancing in this little number.

Im blaming it on the boogie,

and not the fact that ive been climbing in and out of cupboards all week. 

dress production

Im working on some wrap dresses over the weekend. Here are the latest fabrics. Its not much of a range but its better than nothing. Im soon going to indulge myself and send for some overseas.

Meanwhile, id love to know your favourites?

Happy weekend!

day 6 - a friends wardrobe

My 'girls day out' ended up as a sleepover. Ive come home exhausted, there was so much to do and so little time but soooooo joyous. I think this is the most inspired ive felt for a long time. Years.

Here is a glimpse of my last two days. Its not just me that is having a clear out, you see. 

Eleesa has been going through her wardrobe too so we ended up doing a clothing swap of sorts.

 Much friendlier than an op-shop drop dont you think?

 This lady above is Deb and one of my closest friends who happens to be THE vintage queen.

Now you need to know, she always seems to run a tucked away little shop somewhere

 effortlessly selling her wares. Her house is an Aladdin's Cave of hidden delights.

After a lovely morning spent sprucing up her kitchen together (just because we could), I was invited to play in Deb's wardrobe. Finally we were attempting the daunting, much anticipated and always talked of clear out of her famous but closely guarded secret closet. 

Cue Angus and Julia we entered the room. Chatter about styles and colours and textures and favourite clothes kept for years and the memories attached soon took over.

 Laughing at the ugly stuff, revelling in the sublime.

Ive come home tonight with a gifted bundle of wondrous fabrics and vintage styles to either take patterns from or have to wear for my very own. Including two beautiful raspberry coloured scarves. Why did I never buy one for myself before? I discovered I look amazing in this 'never worn by me' new colour.

The day was full to the brim of kids playing, music and cubbyhouses.

I like the details of my friends homes.

Little vignettes that look as though they happen by accident.

And some thought about, well placed art.

I may not like yellow but my friends seem to.

day off

I found his clothes easy.

 I even colour ranged them which I know is going too far but I view it as practical for him cos he can see everything so much better.

With the Mr being an artist, I joked about doing it R O Y G B I V 

but he just didnt have the right shades for that.

I have done my sorting and it is starting to look a bit bare in my side of the wardrobe. Some things are in the studio ready for a revamp. The rest are history. Oh and I almost halved my shoes!

That felt the best of all.

 Today im going out with my girlfriends for a much overdue play date.

day 5.5 - laundry and bedroom

freshly hung rod and curtain 

Let me tell you how my day started. Ive mentioned before I AM NOT a morning person.

Except for this morning!!! when I bounded out of bed ready to face the day. First stop, much to my own astonishment was the washing pile (my most hated job even worse than ironing) to quickly sort the folding into achievable piles.

I have never faced it this early before, what's the matter with me?

More like what is right with me for a change.

I was matching up socks/throwing the holey out the bedroom door and before I knew it

 I had decided to do the main bedroom as 'day 6' of my sort through.

I took my clothes from my cupboard so I couldnt change my mind while

 I went back to finish the laundry first.

There is now space in here. The bonuses are

 I have made myself a painters box from the unused cleaning one. I didnt carry it around the house cleaning away (like I probably should, but never will). I have a total of three products under the kitchen sink and thats the way I operate. I was able to fit a craft box in here ready for mosaicing complete with broken crockery from over the years. I dont get mad if a plate gets broken at my place.

 Now here I was really brilliant. Ive used the drawers that were empty.

The menfolks' stuff that they always ask for is in the top drawer so im hoping its idiotproof.

Leather stuff for putting holes in belts, shoe polish, knife sharpeners, silvo etc.

Told you... Brilliant.

Theyll never have to ask me to find anything, ever again. Guess where all these things had been hiding? That box I mentioned earlier. I found so many things in there that we'd been searching for.

Me included.

I found ski-gear on the back of the door hanging there since winter. That curtain rod went up after a year. And those stupid bags that advertise where you shop, I dont like them and I have no idea how they came into my possession.

Theyre sneakily made from calico so I couldnt just chuck them, could I?

I did this immediately. I had doileys that were so holey I would never use them for clothes.

Im so out of touch with my easel id forgotten it collapsed down to half.

Next stop the wardrobe. Nice wallpaper hey?

And I stopped.

This is going to be painful. I need to phone a friend.

So far all ive sorted are the coathangers into his and hers.

Im going to drown myself in some scandinavian simplicity from the sidebar.