Big Day Out.

Hi everyone ..... Well it's started  hasn't it, all the chattering's about Christmas, letterboxes are bursting from the "forced in" junk mail and the shopping centre car parks are chocka by 10.30, speaking of which. Sunday...me, mum and sis had a day out NOT christmas shopping at Chaddy in Melbourne (Chadstone shopping centre) . It's about 2 hours drive from here, and what an experience that was....gawd that place is HUGE.


Below. Collage of shops, and lovely things to be seen at Chaddy.

Alannah Hill was staffed by (stunning) six foot girls dressed in black, silver beaded dresses somehow confidently gliding around in 8 inch heels. A little intimidating at any time, but at 10 oclock in the morning it's a little offputting, specially when you're vertically & youth challenged and maybe a little chunkier in your jeans than you'd like haha.. but anyway....... lots of pretty things made it well worth the unease.

Below. A couple of bits of clothing that wasn't to be resisted.

We went into Tiffany's for a squiz...only to be greeted by a couple of burly store guards, (one was a girl) who watched everyone's every move, as they 'casually' chatted away. Needless to say we moved on pretty quickly.

Also bought was this lovely 'Eiffel' bottle cos it perfectly matched this small one already sitting on my dining room dresser.

Burberry was so very English and completely full of WINTER clothes, coats, hats, gloves and the like....l know Melbourne's cold but SERIOUSLY people, it IS almost Summer.

Well l guess for cityites visiting these centres is everyday ho hum.... but for this countryish girl it was awesome and l was wishing the day would never end.




Below. Hope you enjoy these few pics l took recently.

Below. Out in the garden...concrete angel with lace and blooms
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Below. Lovin this bottle display from sweetpeahome.blogspot.com via pinterest.

Below. Vintage Coty packaging and old perfume bottles from my blogfile.



Below. Mosaiced torso, beads and beaded items.(blogfile).

 

Hope you've enjoyed sharing part of our fun day away and thanks for stopping by.

Til next time,

Bron.

The last of Spring.

Hi.....thanks for popping in, hope your week's been fun and cruisy. Yesterday l actually cut up an old doyley instead of just thinking about it and stuffing it back in the linen closet. l decided on making a cross not only 'cos it's a bit Christmassy but also it was a similar shape of the beaded fabric l also wanted to use...long but rather thin.

So with the doyley fabric one side and the beaded fabric the other, it can be hung with either side facing out.
l've linked with Sandy here if you'd like to see some other gorgeous Christmas inspiration.

To make...l traced around a cross with pencil onto the doyley which was then cut out and pinned over 2 squares of fabric, the beaded (fabric) and a thin lining fabric. l sewed the cross directly onto both the squares leaving a small opening along one side (of cross) for the fill. l trimmed most of the excess fabric away and filled it. Once the gap was sewn up, it was trimmed properly.  A small section of string was sewn to the top for hanging .......voila!!

 

 

 

 

 
A couple of sparklies were picked up from the market last week.

Also a floral cup which was mixmatched with a floral plate.

A couple of blooms from my climbing rose fit nicely in this old cup.

 

These are the pics we took last Sunday at the open garden Ercildoune, a wonderful old homestead with oodles of  history, you can read more if you like.... right here.

Isn't this table and chairs fantastic....l would have happily tied it to the top of the car but damn it weighed a TON!!!

 

Beautiful chunks of concrete.

Can you also see the fountain in the background.... everywhere you turn is something to see and/or smell.



The walled garden is very English and smothered in roses.

Lovin' this pic l found on Pinterest from google.com

Last Summer l took all this stuff out into the garden and took some pics, l see by the date it was almost Christmas which prob'ly explains why the Chrissy baubles are floating in the rose bowl, haha..

Enjoy your weekend everyone.

Til next time,

Bron.

A Vintage White.

Well it's hard to follow up from Mums' "fairy house" but l really DO wanna keep it comin, so (just to be a tad contrary) today l'm posting the exact opposite.....from colourful house to white textiles.

Old textiles are definitely my thing so l've bought both compulsively and impulsively over the years,(probly not a GOOD thing) specially looking for age, detail and lace... The clothes are often stained and yellow but a few hours (or days) soaking in bleach brings them up like new if they're cotton. 

Above: Dress (tag looks 80's) and an old altar boys surplice? with a length of cutwork lace.

 





Nylon lace blouses from the 50's and 60's and on the right you can see the embroidered top of a ladies strappy frock from the 70's



Too impractical to wear but WAY too pretty to toss.

Beautiful old lace sleeves, vintage cottons and lace trim.

Ribbon threaded lace from mid 20th century.

Pale lace and ruffled linen - deardaisycottage via pinterest.

Lovely image from sweetpeahome via pinterest.

Gorgeous bed and linen (Magnolia Pearl??) .... also via sweetpeahome. Pinterest.

Slouchy lace bag vintagegirl-birgit via pinterest.

 

 My climbing rose has finally reached the top of the arbour this year ...... wohoo!! Now....more waiting for it to grow across :( 

Til next time, thanks a lot for dropping by.

Bron.

Mums Place - Part 2

This week l've reached a couple of milestones.....Today l'm posting my HUNDREDth post, and have been blogging for an entire year. It's been a such a great distraction from the "real" world.....meeting and sharing ideas and snippets of lives with all you awesome laydeze in blogland. Thanks for being there......your visits, encouraging and uplifting comments have been the best reason to get my A into G somedays.

l so hope you enjoy this second visit to Mum's place....at the very least l'm pretty sure you've never seen anything like it (and may never again... lol). If you'd like to see what you missed the first time you can check it out here.

Mum's always been the creative sort but after being widowed (at 36) she moved to this house where she was really able to expand and refine her talents, since she could please herself what she did....she DOES have a dog but he doesn't mind what goes on as long as he's fed. Once all the kids left she had the time to continue in earnest (and peace). Vintage collections and recycling are at the heart of all she does.

Mum's home could be described as a cottage but l think her sister summed it up perfectly when she came for a visit recently, calling it the Fairy house. Everywhere you look are things she's created with those amazing hands. Long evening hours are spent doing lots of handsewing, crocheting and knitting, she's said many times that craft has been her lifesaver.

Above pic....Lady bust wears a multi beaded hat.

Throughout the house are daddo rails and almost every wall is decoupaged to this height using magazines, calenders, old cards, pictures from childrens story books and anything else that takes her fancy.

A wreath is covered in different fabrics and is finished off with a collection of brooches.

Rarely is anything ever wasted, or thrown away. This (previously vinyl) lounge chair which was bought in the early seventies, along with it's matching couch have been given a revamp recently.The fabrics were simply cut and glued on (with a flour and water paste). Doilies of crochet and velvet fabrics have been added in a creatively random way. The seat cushions are fabric and new covers were also sewn. Of course the sea chest was decoupaged many years ago but matches perfectly.

 

The mantel shelf has on it a long runner which she made from yo yo's and then each one was crocheted around and joined together. The artwork was made from part of a  tablecloth which was stretched to size, attached and painted, lots of colour...... No monochromatic, all white themes in this house.

In the past few days the twigs in the vase (closest) have been covered in a white satin fabric which has been shredded, frayed and glued on.... the ones in the matching vase on the other side will be next. There's always a few projects on the go.

Decoupaged fabric basket and bowl chock full of porcelain roses and small ornaments.

This is a corner of her bedroom. The walls were painted bright yellow... her favourite colour though lots of it has been decoupaged over now. An old iron bedhead has been painted and attached to the wall, it holds multiple scarves and pieces of jewellery. The main wall is decoupaged in much loved calenders ... old framed prints hang along the daddo rail.

Bags that have been sewn and knitted hang on the hallway wall... making it easy to grab one on the way out the door.

Right. The roses on this wreath were fashioned from an old bedsheet which was torn into strips  and hand dyed, it too hangs in the hallway.

The entrance to her bedroom, the walls (to daddo rail) are covered in a patchwork of lace all of which was tea dyed then glued to the wall. Fairy artwork canvas and numerous stitched items all make up her eclectic, interesting home which is constantly a work in progress.

When Mum moved here she couldn't bear that it didn't have a wood stove. She rang a salvage yard...they only had one and this was it, after measuring the space she realised it would fit perfectly.... Although she does have a gas cooker, the wood one is lit most days in the Winter and cooks amazing pavs for the grandkids Birthdays and foot high scones for visitors. Naturally the brickwork surrounds had to be mosaiced...it took quite a long time to gather all the suitable china but it was eventually finished earlier this year, though you can't see it from this angle there are lots of mirror pieces that shine at different angles.

Homely touches..... tea cosies and old tins covered in buttons to hold tea bags.

In the bathroom the pedestal basin's been adorned with roses that have been made from paper clay dyed pink or mauve before shaping.

No surface has been spared and the centre panel of these built in robes have been mosaiced in bowls, plates, marbles,and other bits and bobs. The doors are covered in a patchwork of fabrics overlayed with lace.

The back porch window is the place for translucent beads and small items of leadlight....all to let the sun shine through.



Since our last visit the outhouse (outside loo) has been mosaiced, she had a little help from one of the neighborhood boys and the grandkids, they loved getting involved. 

The wisteria grows thick and strong over the old clothesline. The clothesline pole shows the beginnings of a new mosaic work. From branches hang bottles, jugs and china.

Mum was sooo excited to show you what she's been up too, and l hope you've had as much fun looking at it as l have bringing it to you. 

Til next time. Have a wonderful rest of your week.

Bron.