ruby hoppen

They Call 'Em Love Apples...

2012-02-13T18:54:00.000-05:00

Happy St. Valentine's Day!

I made these mittens out of an accidentally felted jumper this morning. I just traced around my hand and sewed them up. I've seen lots of similar pairs of mittens floating around the internet, so I thought I'd give it a try- they're sweet, I can't wait for frosty mornings in winter with a cup of coffee, walking to school.

These tomatoes have been going crazy in the garden lately. We have had beautiful fresh tomatoes every day. They seemed to take off slowly, producing pretty mediocre fruit. But then they suddenly exploded with rich, red, delicious love apples!

Vegan Baby Shoes

2012-02-11T23:31:00.000-05:00

I don't know if I've ever written about being vegetarian on this blog before. It's funny, because I guess I don't even really think about it all that much. I'm in my tenth year of vegetarianism and Steve is in his fourth -I did not force him to stop eating meat, he was vegetarian when I met him!

Of course with both parents being vegetarian, Casper is vegetarian until he makes up his own mind.

We try to be as ethical and environmentally friendly as we can in our house. Which includes trying not to buy new leather products and use alternative materials where appropriate.

Casper has started daycare recently and is required to wear shoes. He doesn't really wear shoes at home or when we take him out and has only just started walking. Podiatrists recommend that children under the age of two only wear soft sole shoes. I decided to make him some soft shoes out of some upholstery vinyl that I had in my fabric stash.

I used a free tutorial online that you can find here!

I was surprised that my sewing machine sewed so smoothly through the vinyl, it was actually quite easy.

I think they ended up pretty cute, albeit a little lumpy and bumpy. They sort of look like old American footballs don't you think?

Feedsack Dress

2012-01-23T20:22:00.000-05:00

I collect knitting patterns. I have since I was about 14. Every time I go into an op shop I go straight for the craft section and flick through all of the knitting and crochet books. I now have an extensive collection of 'Patons' knitting books from the 1920s to the 1980s and then plenty of other publications in lesser volumes. Lately I have been sorting through them and putting them in chronological order.

Sorting through them makes me very excited to start sewing or knitting something new- and the other day I actually found a sewing pattern catalogue from the 40s with a beautiful design for a bodice with pleating at the bust and a central band in a bell shape.

So I got to work drafting a paper pattern for a similar bodice on my mannequin. Everything came together rather quickly, and since it has been so hot in Melbourne lately, I decided to make it strappy with a crossed back. The skirt is a half circle and it closes with a zipper.

I really enjoyed making this dress. It was an afternoon job and I will definitely be using this pattern again.

And of course, Casper wanted to be part of the photo shoot too. Cue dramatic baby/mummy shots.

Also, check out our veggie garden in the background, the tomatoes are growing wildly up the back fence!

Parsley Dress with Matching Hat

2012-01-15T01:26:00.000-05:00

So I know I have posted about this dress before. It's the first one I made for myself when I was sixteen.

My mum brought home the fabric from the opp shop and I fell in love instantly. Now, it would be safe to say I wore this dress almost every day for a few months and it was my favourite for a few years, until I grew out of it. Now it hangs on a mannequin in our lounge room wearing the hat I made to match instead of studying for exams in year 12.

I just wanted to do a tiny detailed post because I really am quite proud of my teenage seamstress self. I draped and topstitched the fabric to fit my bodice, without knowing what draping was. I hand-sewed the buttonholes, topstitched pleats lined the bodice and made loop-fasteners with ric-rac. Now it has retired, looking very faded, missing a few buttons and sporting a few tears and smudges, but all in all a very interesting first attempt at construction.

Definitely my favourite dress.

In a lot of ways I am glad I am not formally trained as a seamstress as it means I would never have made the same mistakes and invented the same techniques and played as much as I have. I remember making a shirtdress in year 12, and one of my friends who was studying fashion at the time said that she had heard sleeves were really difficult. I had not heard that or known if sleeves were complicated so I just did it. And it worked. This is the way I approach most things and I think it has made me pretty expressive and free when it comes to design and construction.

The hat was also an experiment (in procrastination) I remember sewing it in a hurry as I had a lot of studying to do for final exams. But I was enthralled with this project- sewing a giant circular beach hat.

I used a 1920s bathing cap pattern and traced a circle as wide as I felt was appropriate. Then I "quilted" around and around and around the circumference of the brim and put coat hanger wire boning around the edge. The pom pon trim is tucked inside the brim and it is handsewn all the way around. I quickly realised that if I wore it to the beach it would blow off my head instantly and so I attached ties to the sides, which I took off again when I retired her to the mannequin.

I hope to bring a few more of my first frocks out of hiding and write about them in the next few weeks.

Fair Isle Toddler Pants

2012-01-13T20:42:00.000-05:00

A friend of mine was giving a whole lot of her clothes to the opp shop and told me I could take anything I wanted, which is a very dangerous thing to say!

So I was restrained and took only a few things, one item being a fair isle vest that I immediately saw turning into a pair of pants and a matching hat for Casper.

Let me just say having a toddler and trying to take half-decent photos of clothes you make is almost impossible. See it goes like this...

You start in the garden so they can play and look cute in front of a nice backdrop.

Then they start getting dirty and rolling dead bugs into their clothes. So you take them inside.

A tantrum ensues, they really weren't finished with the bugs. Luckily this is a good angle for bum-detail pictures.

Still angry but wanting something to play with, they get up.

Crawl into every dark corner imaginable.

Climb the couch.

Unclimb the couch.

And find a book on the floor- just in time for a detail shot.

A Horse of Course

2012-01-11T21:15:00.000-05:00

There is a horse farm across the road from Sue's place in Warrnambool.

This guy was showing off and galloping around, kicking up dust.

Casper thought he was really funny and cool.

He came over to say hello pretty quickly too, he had a curly fringe and kept nibbling Steve's jumper- it was green and I think he thought it was grass.

The dress I am wearing is one that I made when I was 18. It was a reconstructed GIANT t-shirt dress that never made it on the blog for some reason, but hey, I have a lot of things that I just forget to photograph.

Hope everyone in Melbourne is enjoying this cold weather we are experiencing. There was snow in the mountains yesterday!

Granny Knickers

2012-01-08T03:07:00.000-05:00

I have been experimenting with making undies today, making use of my new overlocker (!!!) while my sewing machine is in the shop being serviced.

I really like them and they're very comfy and also very granny.

The pale blue lace elastic is so nice and I will be improving my undies-making skills in the future.

We are driving to the coast tonight and will be back in town on Wednesday.

Beetroot Fettuccine

2012-01-06T20:38:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year! We got a pasta maker for Christmas, so my friend Mel and I decided to make beetroot pasta because there was a lack of eggs in the fridge and an abundance of beetroot.

The result was this vibrant hot pink gutsy looking Fettuccine. It was so delicious, we tossed it with garlic, basil, fetta and peas.

Casper's Cubby

2011-12-28T23:43:00.000-05:00

I made a little cardboard house for Casper yesterday as he seemed to be bored with his usual toys. He was way more interested in the scissors and sticky tape than the actual cubby. Although after a while he started crawling inside and playing. Anyway, I just think it's cool to have a cosy little house with white smoke billowing out of the chimney!

He's such a mover, I can hardly ever get a photo of him that is completely in focus!

Handmade Christmas

2011-12-26T01:55:00.000-05:00

We decided to make some Christmas presents this year as there have been some new babies born into the family!

Casper's stork shoes and his special silver shoes...

Baby cotton soft-soles,

And two quilts for some very special twins.

Merry Christmas!

Velvet Bathers

2011-12-18T01:02:00.000-05:00

I know what you're thinking- "Is she crazy?" Well, yes I am. I also know my dance fabrics, and I know that these bathers/playsuit are perfect for the beach.

How cool are they? I am very happy with the finished product. I will now be embarking on a new adventure of colours and textures with the same pattern, there might even be a velvet bikini in the mix!

Emerald Bikini

2011-12-17T23:27:00.000-05:00

These are an experiment in colour. I decided that I would make some wacky green bathers with light pink ric-rac and we'd see how they looked. Too bad last night we didn't have enough time to photograph them properly, we only got these jokey seaweed pictures. Although, I like them!

I think they give me a good idea of what sort of tones and colours I want to use in the future. I will be getting back to work on some more swimwear designs in the new year.

While we were at the beach, Casper was being very cute and turned into a wild urchin seababy. He slept the whole drive home.

Photos by Steve.

Bombshell Bikini

2011-12-17T18:38:00.000-05:00

Here is a high-waisted bikini that I designed for myself and my shop! It is made with a nice matte black Lycra and is really comfy and flattering. On a whim I added ric-rac to the band along the bust and neckline. I think it's a winner!

I sewed it without the use of elastic as I have found with swimsuits in the past that elastic seems to disintegrate with time. So I have used a banding technique which I think is far superior and much more comfortable.

The bust is supportive and cone-shaped to achieve a classic silhouette. I have actually worn this top as a bra before. I just love these. I swam in them at the beach last night, it was a blisteringly hot day. But right now it's raining- I am wearing a cardigan and drinking tea.

Photos by Steve.

Sock Monkey Pants

2011-11-27T22:35:00.000-05:00

These are some pants that I made for Casper out of our old felted jumpers. They are really cute and accommodating for his cloth nappy bum! I made up the pattern, it's basically two rectangles and a triangle. I love the cute little knee patches. he really does look like a sock monkey in them. I have made a couple of pairs, but these two are the ones that deserve attention.

Bombshell Bathers

2011-11-27T20:51:00.000-05:00

These are the bathers I will be putting in the shop this week! They have a control feature on the bust, and a cutaway back. Inspired by bathing suit fashions from the 40s and 50s, I decided to make a pointier shape with the bust, reminiscent of the cone bra.

I had so much fun making these! The fabric is 100% lycra and they are super comfy and flattering I think. I can't wait to wear them when we go swimming at Stingray Bay this Christmas.

Photos by Steve.

Floral Bathers

2011-11-27T20:41:00.000-05:00

I made this swimsuit from some Zimmerman fabric that I bought early last year. I have been making bathers for some time now, but this is the first time I have photographed and blogged them. It's a bit scary really!
I made them because I am continuously frustrated by the lack of "supportive" bathers on the market. This is why I make most of my own clothes- I don't feel that there is any thought to how clothing is structured for larger sizes. Most of the time, if you go up a size, everything gets bigger, not just the bust and hips. I feel sad that we don't live in a time when tailored women's clothing assumed that everybody had a waist.

I have sewn a control bust into these- it was surprisingly easy and it means that I have more support than with regular swimwear.
The fabric is lycra and I didn't use any elastic as I find that it disintegrates with time. Instead I used a fold-over cuff technique, which acts as an elastic anyway!
The hat is one that I made back when I was still in high school. It has a matching dress and I made it instead of studying for my French exam.

I think I will be getting lots of wear from these this Summer!

Pram Cover

2011-10-25T02:26:00.000-04:00

Our pram was given to us by a family friend and the cover was getting a little bit sun bleached, so when Steve's sister called to show us some custom made pram covers online, I decided I would give our buggy a spruce!

I just pulled the cover off and made a pattern. The fabrics I used are red and black quilting cotton, some nice black linen for the inside and cream bias binding.

Next time we're going to cover a double pram for Casper's twin cousins who are expected sometime in the new year!!!

Ark

2011-10-23T22:00:00.001-04:00

Yesterday after pulling my hair out at the amount of toys we have in this house, (and it's only been a year!) I decided to make a soft boat for all of Casper's stuffed animals. I used an old woollen blanket and some bendy wire things from a baby jungle gym that we were given. The pattern was fairly simple to draw up and I made it while Casper was sleeping. I was going to put in a lining, but decided against the extra work as the wool is thick and strong enough by itself. So I added binding instead.
It holds all of the soft toys with a bit of room for some more! And Casper loves rocking the boat and climbing in and out of it.
I added a mast with two flags just in case any other ships pass by.

Happy Birthday Casper!

2011-10-23T21:49:00.000-04:00

Casper had his first birthday last Wednesday. We had a party for him the weekend before and it was a rager! I made him an orange cake with whipped cream on top in the shape of Casper the Friendly Ghost.
Luckily I got a photo of it before Mika the dog ate his feet and the 1! Oh well, I guess big sisters deserve a bit of cake as well.

Happy belated birthday my little (big) boy!

Rosie Bonnet

2011-10-10T01:29:00.000-04:00

This is a bonnet I whipped up today for Casper as it has been raining all afternoon and I want to take him for a walk later in the pram. It is made from an old woolen jumper and some lovely rose print fabric I bought on sale last week. I love tie-up hats because they are completely child-proof- they can't be pulled off and flung onto the ground!
I put elastic in the back for a snug fit. I think it's pretty cute.
Photos by Steve.

Cotton Romper

2011-10-08T20:46:00.000-04:00

Another romper that is in the shop. This one is made from vintage cotton that is just too adorable! and the sweetest plastic yellow sunburst buttons.

Can you see the dirt on Casper's hands and legs in the photos? He loves to play in the garden and get muddy. It was hard to keep him clean for this photoshoot and directly after we were done, he had a mouth full of pebbles.

Gingham Romper

2011-10-08T20:38:00.000-04:00

I made this romper for Casper the other day and decided to put it in the shop as a made-to-order! It's super cute and breezy for the hot summer that is coming. Although it has been pretty cool the last couple of days and I have been taking full advantage by making lots of bread and spending time folding clothes and doing indoor things. I am growing some basil on my kitchen windowsill and some parsley and tomatoes in the garden.

Pixie Hood for Etsy

2011-09-23T03:18:00.000-04:00

This is a custom order cape from my Etsy shop that I finished today.

It is made with 100% wool and the yoke and ties are made from some beautiful quilting cotton I bought earlier this year. This is the same cape as Casper's Paisley one, only I adjusted the pattern slightly to make the ties a bit shorter and wider to add a bit of drama to the bow.

I am obsessed with making these pixie capes. They are just so adorable.

I will continue to make custom orders, but I will put some pre-made capes up in the shop very soon.

Casper is my model of course and Steve took the photos. Mika the dog was there too, so it was a collaborative family effort, you see.

Red Carnation Dress

2011-06-16T08:53:00.001-04:00

This dress is made from reproduction print cotton that I bought a few weeks ago. The fabric is beautiful. It is really thick and soft and strangely it was nice to cut!

I used a vintage pattern for the bodice- as always, modified slightly.

The skirt is a full circle and I used some lovely pink shimmery buttons and a red glass one at the top.

Photos by Steve.

Paisley Cape for Casper

2011-06-16T08:14:00.002-04:00

I made Casper another cape from an old woolen blanket that I got a few months ago and some paisley fabric. I decided against buttons this time and went for a tie closure, as it is easier. Babies get so wriggly!

It really suits the crisp weather we have been experiencing lately in Melbourne. You need to layer on clear cold days, and Casper looks so cute in his wooly cape, riding around town!

Sailor Bedsheet Dress

2011-06-16T07:59:00.002-04:00

I've had this fabric for years in the form of flannelette bedsheets. I used it last Christmas to make a skirt for my cousin Lois and thought it looked so groovy- despite being a strange material choice.
This is a slightly modified "Junior Miss" pattern from the 60s.
I added some powder blue corduroy at the bottom because the skirt was too short!

Photos by Steve

Rabbit Flip-Dolls

2011-05-22T03:56:00.000-04:00

Here are some flip-dolls that I plan on selling on Etsy. I made one here for Casper, and it is his favourite toy. They're so playful and cute too. I've had so much fun making them, can you tell?

This is the sleepy/awake doll:

The happy/crying doll:

The bored/surprised doll:

And finally, my favourite, the sleepy/awake paisley doll:

Honeycomb Quilts

2011-05-22T01:32:00.000-04:00

These are beautiful baby quilts that I have made to sell in my Etsy shop! They are the perfect snuggly quilt for popping in the stroller on a crisp Autumn walk.

They are so sweet and playful, I really enjoyed creating colour themes and placing them out before sewing them up. I paper pieced them on my machine, which is a funny combination of traditional and modern technique.

Casper likes them, but I am putting them all up for sale. I will have to make him a special one.

There is one "Lovebirds" quilt:

One "Mustard Seed":

And two "Poppy" quilts:

Blue Scribbly Half-Circle Skirt

2011-05-15T02:08:00.000-04:00

I bought this fabric in the quilting section in Spotlight, which is where I go first when I am looking for beautiful patterned cottons. It reminds me of Scandanavian design from the 60s.

I wanted a long skirt, because as I get older (and wiser) my preference for longer hemlines has taken over. Although I have always loved long hemlines, I have been guilty in the past of "rolling" the waistband of my school skirt from years 7 to 10!

The cotton tends to crease a lot, although that's not a bad thing necessarily. In fact, it sort of accentuates the print.

Photos by Steve, also feat. baby Casper and Mika the dog.

Pink Mohair Mumsy Cardigan

2011-05-15T00:50:00.000-04:00

When I was pregnant with Casper, I decided that if I was going to be a mummy, I needed an extra mumsy cardigan to wear whilst baking banana muffins and wiping snotty noses.

I made up the pattern as I went, measuring it against another cardigan.

It didn't take long to make, as I used larger needles than I'm used to. I'm so happy with the watermelon pink mohair- it's so fluffy and warm.

I have heaps of wool left. I might have to make a replacement when this one becomes encrusted by years of muffins and snot.

Casper Cape

2011-01-19T07:58:00.000-05:00

I know I posted this red cape when I made it, but I thought I'd put some pictures of Casper wearing it today. Doesn't he look lovely?

Christmas Sock Monkeys

2011-01-10T00:35:00.000-05:00

Steve and I made sock monkeys as Christmas presents for nephews and cousins this year, we made four all up and embroidered on eyes instead of using buttons. I caught these two dancing together on the bed!

Grey-Green Party Dress

2010-12-22T01:16:00.000-05:00

This is the first dress I have made since Casper was born. The bodice is made from a hugely modified vintage pattern and the skirt is just gathered. I used a really light printed cotton and hemmed it with orange velvet ribbon. The belt is this bright red elastic that has been kicking around for a while. Somehow it just showed up at the perfect moment and ended up as a belt.
The buttons are pearly pink and that's Casper in my arms with one shoe on and one shoe off.

Casper's First Cords

2010-12-15T20:17:00.000-05:00

I whipped these up the other morning with powder blue corduroy. They have embroidered dogs on the cuffs and a button for easy nappy changing. Socks courtesy of Laura Spelbrink. Photos by Steve.

Grey Booties

2010-12-14T07:24:00.001-05:00

I made these when I was 17 for Studio Arts, they're a little too big for Casper at the moment, I guess my gauge was out! They are pure merino wool.

Flip Doll

2010-12-14T07:15:00.000-05:00

I made this rabbit doll in Montreal from an old gingham skirt and some fabric from my friend, Eloise's dress.
I made the pattern up, it's the same as the other rabbits that I posted a while ago but joined at the waist. One is happy and the other one is crying. I have a flip doll that was my auntie's that is Little Red Riding Hood, Grandma and The Wolf all together, which gave me the idea to make this one.

Bed Sheet Clothes

2010-12-11T19:32:00.000-05:00

I made this shirt for Steve to wear to my Dad's opening a few months ago. The fabric is a bed sheet and the buttons are plastic amazing square ones.

The picture below is of a maternity dress I made from another bedsheet. The collar is detachable and I use it as a breastfeeding dress now.

Look what I made!

2010-11-11T05:12:00.000-05:00

His name is Casper, born on 19.10.2010 weighing 7lbs exactly.

Violet Baby Cape

2010-09-22T01:32:00.001-04:00

This is a baby cape, made from a cardigan I was knitting when I was about 18, but abandoned- due to the size 12 needles and 3 ply wool.

I used a button that my grandmother gave me, from my uncle's pajama shirt when he was a child.

It is quite small, so I hope it fits the baby for at least a month before it goes into the hand-me-down pile!

Ladle Rat Rotten Hut

2010-09-20T07:23:00.000-04:00

This is a hooded cape that I knitted for the baby that Steve and I are expecting in about a month!
I used a nice alpaca merino blend and started using a pattern but ended up just rubifying it with some stork fabric and making up a hood pattern as I was a bit sick of knitting garter stitch.

Return of the Jedi Shirt

2010-02-27T19:33:00.000-05:00

This is a shirt I made for Steve for Christmas. I made it out of a bed sheet I found at the Op Shop near our house. I made up the pattern (the same one from the blue shirt I made a couple of months ago) and used old bakelite buttons that my Dad gave me, they are a lovely deep red. It's a bit crumply because we took it out of the washing basket to photograph it.
Background mess courtesy of the D.S.Ls, photo credit to Samuel J. Davison, Salty Sea Dog credit to Steve Lynch.

Rainbow Dress

2010-02-22T01:34:00.004-05:00

I made this dress for a final project in my painting class in first year. It is a full circle skirt, that has been painted, or even dyed with very diluted acrylic paints. The bodice is of black velvet.
I was looking to achieve an effect of overall colour, and was more concerned with the process of dripping the paint onto the fabric than what the end result would be- we were studying abstract expressionism at the time...

The closure is a zip at the back, that wasn't the right colour, so I painted it black.

Photo credit to Samuel J. Davison.

Googly-Eyed Monster

2010-01-17T18:03:00.001-05:00

I made this Hallowe'en costume by commission wayyy back in October, but I only remembered to put it on here just then. It was really great fun to make- I created an interior skeleton, to give the monster some shape and then stuck googly eyes all over it with superglue!

The noise that those googly eyes make when somebody moves around in the costume is great- like shells rattling.

Thanks to David for the photo

Walking

2010-01-17T17:54:00.000-05:00

Another shot from our trip to the Botanical Gardens in Montreal, doesn't the winter light look beautiful?

Rag Quilts

2010-01-17T17:26:00.001-05:00

I was commissioned to make these quilts by a woman for her two daughters. Half of the squares on the patchwork are cut from the girls' old clothing.
I think they turned out very nicely, I embroidered their names onto each quilt and included tiny trimmings from the clothing, like bows and flowers!

The backing and binding is a gorgeous soft pink satin and I used a tying method for the actual quilting, as the patchwork was a lot more difficult and time-consuming than I had anticipated.
I prefer the pink and white quilt to the pink and green one, it just seems cleaner and more aesthetically pleasing.

Ballon Pour Nicolas

2010-01-15T15:23:00.000-05:00

This is the Christmas present I made for Nicky, Ellie's little brother. I made it out of scraps from dresses that I have sewn.

I think it's always lovely to give old-fashioned gifts to children, because now those garish computery-light-flashey toys are cheaper than a rag doll!

Cat Doll

2010-01-11T03:11:00.000-05:00

This is a Christmas present for Ellie, the little girl I nanny. She was delighted and noted that the dress is made from the same fabric as my Penny Dress a few posts down!

I embroidered the face with some 1940s silk that I bought at an Op Shop in Pie IX.

Snow Storm

2009-12-09T20:41:00.000-05:00

And my first snow angel! I had to try a couple of times- the other ones all ended up looking like the devil.

2009-12-07T21:58:00.000-05:00

Oh Brother!

2009-12-06T17:57:00.000-05:00

This is my brother, Sebastian and I on holidays in Warrnambool earlier this year.

Baby Love

2009-12-04T16:50:00.001-05:00

I was commissioned to make this baby blanket this week, and finished it up this afternoon. I love how playful the design is, it was really a joy to create!

I made some business cards and labels for the dolls that I sell in shops. I printed them with cut-out rubber stamps and India Ink.

Do you see the special secret in the big snail?

Penny Dress

2009-12-01T20:11:00.009-05:00

I made this dress the other night out of some material that I bought when I was sixteen and brought with me to Canada because I had always loved it!

It is called the Penny Dress because I was having trouble making the bodice fit properly at the bust, so I tried tying a penny (like when you make tie-dyed fabric) in the centre of the bodice and it worked amazingly!

I drafted the pattern myself and made the collar from an old napkin and some incredible lace from the 1930s that I also bought in Australia.

It snowed yesterday and the mountain is sporting a fine white blanket!

Raffle

2009-11-29T18:03:00.001-05:00

I want to run a raffle, but I'm not sure if I have enough people reading this blog to.

The prize will be a paper puppet and a little sewn something and a love-letter from me.

Basically if you want to be in the running, comment on this post with a small story about your favourite toy from childhood, and in a week or so I will put everyone's names in a hat and draw a winner.

Then I will send the parcel to the winner.

Ready... Steady... Go!

Matching Outfit!

2009-11-26T17:50:00.000-05:00

It was Steve's Champagne Birthday on Saturday, so I made him a shirt and me a matching dress.

With monograms.

So that he always wears his heart on his sleeve.

Billy Goats Gruff

2009-11-26T13:01:00.007-05:00

Some watercolours I have been working on.

Penguins

2009-11-25T18:41:00.000-05:00

We went to the Biodome and the Botanical Gardens yesterday. We started off with the penguins and puffins and then saw a beaver making a dam. The gardens were really lovely, there was an alpine rock garden, a Chinese garden, a grove of pines and a greenhouse with a big cacti and succulents section.

I Made Bread

2009-11-20T12:02:00.003-05:00

We ate it in thick slices, hot with melting butter.

Pom Pom Hat

2009-11-19T00:28:00.003-05:00

I made this hat for Steve so his ears wouldn't fall off during Montreal's bloody cold winter.
I just made it up as I went along.

Modeled here by Jordan, my sweet boy.

Meteor Shower

2009-11-17T16:54:00.002-05:00

We went out to Mile End last night to watch the meteor shower. A bonfire was built and everyone gazed at the sky for a couple of hours.

I saw two shooting stars.

Expozine

2009-11-15T17:23:00.003-05:00

Yesterday I had a table at Expozine. I made some paper puppets that talked, had swinging legs, ate bugs, snotted snot and got rained on.

We got rained on as well, on the way home.

Click on the pictures to see them REALLY BIG!

Yo-Yo Ma

2009-11-13T19:21:00.002-05:00

Beatrice

2009-11-13T18:40:00.003-05:00

I made this dress for my year 12 theater monologue. The buttons, if you'll look closely, weave in and out of each other. The bottom is fringed with little red pom-poms. I found the fabric in the alleyway behind my house, and now all the buttons are cracked because I put the dress in a dryer.
I apologise for the weird photo, it's the day I cut off all of my hair, so i was a bit wacky.

Flowery Dress

2009-11-13T18:24:00.002-05:00

Here is my friend Andrew, modeling a dress I made in 2007.

Baby

2009-11-11T09:26:00.002-05:00

Licky Lucky

2009-11-10T23:36:00.006-05:00

I found two four-leafed clovers.

AND one fiver...

Owl for Sue

2009-11-05T01:40:00.002-05:00

I made an owl for Steve's mum, because she loves owls. However when we went to post it, the bill was a bit steep, so we sent it in a friend's suitcase all the way back to Melbourne.

Flora the Snail

2009-11-05T01:33:00.004-05:00

I was a snail for Hallowe'en. We handed out lollies to sweet little french trick-or-treaters and carved a pumpkin as I frantically sewed the shell and stuffed it with clothing and pillows!

Rabbits

2009-11-02T15:41:00.004-05:00

Back

2009-09-23T16:44:00.002-04:00

I'm back from summer and I'll have some pictures up of what I've been doing pretty soon!

the snow has snowed, the grass has growed.

2009-03-22T16:13:00.003-04:00

Montreal is so sunny and lovely at this time of year. Last night it snowed a little, and by midday it had melted again! So I am saying goodbye to Winter and a long awaited "Hullo!" to Spring.

Going home in May.

xxx

Guimauves

2009-03-14T13:11:00.002-04:00

I made a sister vessel to the theatre, when my friend Laura did the chop as well and gave me all of her hair.

Cori made the most amazing vegan carrot cake. It actually changed my life.

I went to Albany for the day by myself. It was a weird amazing town and I spent about two hours in a bookshop talking to this old Town Historian. They streets had names like Pearl, State and Maiden. Just so.

Washing Day Theatre

2009-03-03T18:02:00.004-05:00

I cut off all my hair by the way.

So... Hello Again

2009-03-03T17:29:00.004-05:00

Let me see... what have I been doing lately?

Well. I made a baby. Out of clay and it has pushpin teeth and eyelashes made out of my hair. It's pretty scary and also a bit shiny. I wrapped him up in a velvet skirt I bought at the Village Des Valeurs and he now sits on top of my ironing board in a wicker basket, scowling at everyone who comes into my room.

I painted cartoon eyes on the toilet. They are bubbling up a bit, so I might re-do them. But it's nice to see a friendly face in the morning.

I made this doll quilt out of an old nightie and sewed it up with strands of my hair. It took so long, but the result is lovely. I think I would adore making an entire quilt sewn with hair.

I have survived a winter in Montreal. I love snow so much- usually I try to throw snowballs at everyone. And I love it when the snow all melts and then fresh snow falls, because there are always new snowmen to smile at in the morning on the way to school.

I will try to keep updating with photos more often- I have so much to catch up on!

On Hiatus

2008-11-22T14:54:00.002-05:00

Oh I'm too busy to blog right now, but here's a picture from New York that Cori took. I love that city. I love that it is 5 hours drive away from me!

I have been making lots of stuff, I'll post it all when I get the chance. Today was the Christmas Parade- I felt like I was in some 90s kids movie.

Back Frum New York

2008-10-13T23:01:00.004-04:00

We took some cherubic-style, actual NYC pictures, but they're still on Cori's shit hot camera, which is still in New York with her.

.

2008-10-07T00:08:00.000-04:00

Oh really I hate blogs.

In Between

2008-10-06T12:50:00.002-04:00

I always feel like I am in-between things, and right now I am in-between classes.

Picket Line Sista

2008-10-05T00:30:00.004-04:00

So I am sick again!

That's what I get for moving to a place that is really really cold.

Cori and I were listening to Marvin Gaye last night as I was painting, and suddenly I just had one of my urges to do a bit of performance- so I started painting a moustache on my face, followed by a full, manly beard.

Here I am on my bed "Come On Come On Come On Come On."

And here is the revised version of my pomegranate/glass painting, only with a pair of turquoise gloves as well!
I don't know about the cream wall, I'm probably going to do something darker. I think it's funny the way you can make preparatory studies of something and end up liking them better anyway- even if you spent one million years on the second one.

I love you like meat loves salt.

Love, Cordelia

P.S Who Loves MY SO CALLED LIFE more than life itself?

P.S

Moonface

2008-10-02T13:38:00.002-04:00

At the moment I have been attracted to round things- especially round foods, strangely enough.
So when I went to start on my next sculpture project, I thought I would like to make a quilt that radiates in different fabrics around and around and around until it becomes absolutely huge and incomprehensibly round.

I started making it, and now I feel like it is too "craft" and not to mention eighties "rah-rah" for me. So I am going to put it away for another time and start on something a little simpler.

I have a modernist space project in painting at the moment and I wanted to paint a pomegranate. So this is my precursor/study before I do the actual thing. I am pretty disappointed with the glass of water, but I think the fruit worked out well I think. It is on the smallest piece of canvas board they had at school, it's like 4" x 6".

I went on a long walk to Mile End the other day and walked down Clark Street, which is a Road With No Rules. All of the houses are painted wacky colours and nothing makes sense- which is true of the whole of Montreal actually.

I thought these houses were totally wonderful.

Prairie Frocks

2008-09-29T23:13:00.003-04:00

Here are the dresses I was talking about in my last post- aren't they gorgeous?

The model is my flatmate, Mia who is also Australian, the camera loves her, I know!
They are up for sale in my brand new Etsy shop! i'm still working out how to use it, so if anyone has any tips for me, I'm all ears. I really need some computer counseling. It's a traumatic experience for me to even send an email, let alone set up shop online!

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5035423&order=§ion_id=&page=1

Today I went to Drawing class and we painted with brushes taped onto bamboo rods, and there was a life model who danced really slowly to Bjork and we had to develop our understanding of contours. I really really really love art school. More than anything.

I want to shout out to Zoe and Molly and Laura and Andrew- I know you guys read my blog, thank you! I hope you are having a nice Melbourne spring! And everyone else in Melbourne who is reading, hit me up.

Sunday

2008-09-28T14:14:00.003-04:00

Today is a very frosty, lazy, toast and tea day.

I have been listening to Diving Bell and Gillian Welsch all morning and now it is 2:22 pm and I just finished two beautiful dresses that I have been working on for a while. They will be modeled and photographed tomorrow!

Last night I walked to my friend's house in the Plateau all the way along Avenue des Pins again. It was spitting with rain and the houses were all lit up in the dark. It is such a magical stroll, at the foot of the mountain. I took some pictures, but it was a little too shadowy.

This is the tree that grows outside my building. It has turned completely red within a week, and now is spilling its leaves onto the footpath.
I love swishing through the leaves in the morning on my way to school, thermos of tea in hand!

This is the study of the bell handle at Musee Redpath. I have a lovely crimson bound leather book for my drawings.

My bedside table- it looked especially frosted this morning as I was tidying up. It's in the spirit of Sunday I think!

For Someone

2008-09-27T16:42:00.004-04:00

Right now, at this moment in time, I am so content. I made some New Orleans French Bread and it's pretty wonderful.
I have been to the museum again today, but alas, when I climbed the crumbling steps to the top of the hill, I discovered that it is closed on Saturdays. So I sat on the top step and drew some of the surrounding architecture and the door bell, which was ornate and almost blackened with deep rust.

I made this dress, it is scaly and violet and I really can't wear it without coloured stockings!
I wore it to the Yves Saint Laurent show at the Musee Des Beaux Arts and I had a comment about how it was reminiscent of a scale dress from YSL in the 60s. I'd never thought about that before, but I just nodded enthusiastically and said "Ah oui!".

I received a parcel last night, when I came home to get an umbrella before going to a lovely party at Jenni and Emilia's house. It is a tiny deck of cards from Grace and Dinah! Thank you! (if you are still reading)

I am going to another party tonight, but home to bed early, as last night I didn't get to sleep until 6 am! But I had a wonderful walk home along Avenue des Pins, The entire length of the road is dotted with dilapidated mansions and lush greenery. Oh my goodness.

I can't believe I am here.

I promise to make a post about the fantastic colours- no wonder they call it Fall here, I now realise I've never experienced a true Autumn.

Melange

2008-09-25T16:36:00.005-04:00

Okay so I have been very busy at the moment with lots of things, so I thought I would do a sweeping overview to sum up the last couple of weeks.
School has been amazing- I have made so many great friends and I adore all of my classes and my teachers. Last night I had sculpture class and my first project was due. We had to make multiple sculptures- anything we wanted, so I chose to make a bouquet of tiny dresses. I made 21 all up, and they looked so cute together that I couldn't help but spiral them around and snap a quick photo before school!

I found a dead chipmunk in the lobby of my building. It had been spotted alive earlier in the day by my flatmate, and we think it may have fallen down the stairs. I decided to take a picture of it- I hope no-one reading this is offended, I was so strangely drawn to it, I wanted to take it upstairs and put a green ribbon around its neck or something.... anyway it had these spooky open eyes and it was the first chipmunk I ever saw.

I have been working on artwork for Ships Piano's new EP 'Acrobats Tumble', and this is a peek at the back cover track listing.

AND I bought these amazing 90s Drag Queen shoes in the plateau, even though they are too small for me! I'm going to put them on ebay as soon as I figure out how to use it, as a sort of experiment in selling on the internet. I just want to wear them with hot pink tights and a sunflower mini dress!

In drawing at the moment, we are focussing on line work, which I am really enjoying. This is one of the studies from my museum trip the other day.

And tonight I am going to the Jupiter Room with my friend from Costume History, Ariele.

xxx

Ruby

Home Sick

2008-09-23T17:26:00.005-04:00

So I am at home, sick.
And I am also homesick, because when I have a cold, my Mummy always looks after me and makes me honey and lemon drinks and tells me to put on socks and buys me amazing magazines to read. And when your Mummy is on the other side of the world, you have to do these things for yourself. So today I made ginger tea and sternly told myself to put on some socks and went to the Musee Redpath to draw studies of the stuffed animals for my Drawing class. It was very nice and warm in there and my sketches turned out rather nicely, I spent a long time on a fossilized pre-historic moose head, and then I started drawing the room around it and then the tour guide came over and gave me this big enthusiastic thumbs-up, because I was listening to music through headphones! haha! There was also an Albino Fox and a Puffin and a big Majestic Lioness, with a curled up, dangerous smile.

So now I am at home on my Red Bed really very exhausted.
I'll have some more ginger tea soon and go to see Chuck D do a student talk at my school (!) and then fall asleep! Promptly!

Oh and the leaves are changing now! It is the most beautiful sight. Every time I look upwards, I just swoon.

Short But Sweet

2008-09-22T21:12:00.004-04:00

This is the Deppaneur where I bought the chocolate to make scissors with!

High School Confidential

2008-09-03T14:18:00.002-04:00

Yesterday I started University! The title has nothing to do with anything except that HSC is my favourite teen-age movie of ALL TIME. Of before time.
I took painting yesterday and it was fantastic, we got homework and everything- next week we are making stretchers which should be fun. Oh I love all of the attractive people at my school as well, GOD they are all so beautiful, and everybody rides good bikes- I'll have to take mine down for a spin.
I have only four classes a week and three days of classes- they aren't even full days either! However, because I am taking mostly studio subjects, I am expected to spend 6 hours per subject out of class in the studios at school, which is absolutely fine with me!
Tonight I have a class that goes until 10:30 pm. it's okay because I live just up the hill from the Visual Arts building, but imagine if you had to go home from school at that time and you lived really far away!
I am trying to get some sewing done but I am just sitting here on the computer, going on cool websites and pretending that I am rich!
I have to go, my Sculpture class starts in 4 hours...

Twin Dresses

2008-08-30T15:03:00.000-04:00

So I made two of these gorgeous dresses and they are going up in the shop tonight!
My secret wish is that someone will buy them for a set of twins. That would be amazing.
They are ideal for 6-7 year old, but will have enough room for the bean-shoot stage (when the child grows up and not out!) so they could be worn until the hem gets too short.

I'll be making some grown-up dresses and skirts over the weekend, so they'll probably be up next week.
I'll be putting a button on here for etsy, but until then the shops name is rubymay, Like me!

a bientot!

J.C Higgins

2008-08-30T11:03:00.000-04:00

Last week, I bought a bike from this guy in Rosemont, which is a sort of industrial suburb out of the plateau. It is so gorgeous and surprisingly great to ride. You'd think it would be a little bit jaded, but really the only thing wrong is that there is a slow leak in the front tyre, which I only have to regulate every couple of rides.

I picked it up from this big old Montreal double-storied house, with a winding staircase coming down onto the footpath and little Quebecois children playing outside in the street.
I rode it home along the highway, there are bike tracks running parallel to most main streets here. It's so great to be able to get places super fast, because although I love the metro, it is rather expensive and I have to wait a while to get my concession card. So until then I will zoom everywhere!

This is a picture of the chest that I got for free yesterday. Cori and I went to the plateau to pick up some furniture and then caught a cab home, with all of these drawers sticking out of the boot!
I have set it up quite nicely. It's good to have somewhere to put all of my books (I've made friends with the man from the second-hand bookstore).
And that lamp is the one I was talking about earlier. I have two of them, they are absolutely stunning.

I have been making little dresses out of paper as well. The green one is la robe de bouillon and the brown one is a weird truffle wrapper that I found in the hallway.

Bread Bakin'

2008-08-29T13:07:00.000-04:00

So I have been making my own bread ever since I arrived in Montreal, because I decided that if I had to spend ridiculous amounts of money on something it would not be bread. I also decided that I wanted to eat bread that tasted like I spent ridiculous amounts of money on it.

This is Dark Rye Bread German style, because I am actually VERY German.

Ingredients
3 cups whole-wheat flour
1/4 cup cocoa
10 g active yeast
2 tbsp caraway seeds
1 big pinch salt
1/3 cup molasses or honey (mostly the floral kinds are the nicest)
4 tbsp of olive oil or butter
3 cups rye flour
2 cups tepid water

Method
1.) Prepare yeast according to instructions.
2.) Combine whole-wheat flour, salt, cocoa and caraway seeds.
3.) Heat molasses, olive oil and both cups of water in a small saucepan until warmish.
4.) Add to dry mixture and stir rapidly for about 3 minutes, making sure to scrape the sides of the bowl for any residual flour.
5.) Beat again, this time for as long as your arms can stand it (3-5 minutes).
6.) By hand stir in rye flour a bit at a time (as much as it takes to make an elastic dough. The mixture should still be warm.
7.) Knead on a lightly floured surface until smooth and springy.
8.) Cover and let rise in a warm damp environment for 20 minutes.
9.) Punch down risen dough and divide in half.
10.) shape into two oval loaves or alternately one loaf and six little rye buns and place onto greased and floured baking trays.
11.) Brush with soy milk or a bit of egg or some oil or some cow's milk- whatever you have around.
12.) Slash the tops (not too violently).
13.) Cover and let them rise in a warm place until they are double size (about an hour).
14.) Bake in a moderate to hot oven for 25-30 minutes depending on the oven.
15.) They should be nice and browned on top and when tapped should produce a hollow sound.
16.) Eat several thick slices with butter before anyone comes home.
17.) Pretend that you only made one loaf and keep the extra one under your bed for midnight snacking. No-one need be any the wiser.
18.) Tell your kids that it is chocolate bread (because actually it is) and say they can have chocolate bread with rain juice (water) if they are really good. They will totally never trust you again afterwards and may need psychological intervention down the track, it'll be funny.

Bon Apetit!

You know what else I made? Curtains.
They go with my whole cream coloured pompon theme. So now I have hobnail glass lamps with pompons around the rims AND matching curtains!
I was going to make some dresses from them, but the fabric looked so nice jammed up in the window when I didn't have anything to hang there to keep spying eyes away, that I decided I would take it as an investment and write it off in my tax.

They match the books I stole from my parent's house.

Thank-you.
I'll be here all week.

xxx

It's Early...

2008-08-29T08:25:00.000-04:00

I woke up this morning at 6:00 so that I could go to a student protest rally, and when I got there the street was cold and empty! Okay, so I only walked about two minutes away from my house, but it's the principal, really. Also I got all fired up to do some protesting-type shouting (my voice can get really loud, really) and then I had to walk back home, and quietly read. I am reading "Le Grande Meaulnes" by Alain-Fournier, it's amazing and so magnificent!

In Montreal, there are lots of strange sort of dollar-shops, which are usually in really crumbly buildings that have birds perched on rooftops. This one is down Rue Guy, which is in between my house and my school. Isn't it marvelous?

The other day, my other Australian housemate, Cori and I went to La Salle, which is sort of an outer suburb in the sud-ouest.
It was a weird place, lots of old churches and doughnut shops. There were also these crazy big spiders that were sort of bulbous and shiny. I took some pictures, but none at close range unfortunately.

Today I am going to school to do all of the boring paperwork and stuff that needs to be done before Labour Day, which is on Monday. Tonight I think I am going to the opening of a Depanneur, which is like a Milk Bar in Mile End. There's gonna be a vegan barbecue!

Also i found a weird rice pudding shop that only sells rice pudding in strange flavours. I'm not even sure that it exists! Yesterday I had a little bit of passionfruit pudding, but maybe it was all a dream.

Running Away- Step 5

2008-08-28T10:22:00.001-04:00

I have been exploring this amazing city ever since then. I love it here, it's a wonderful place with no rules. There are cracks in the footpath and flowers growing on the side of the road and a big Mountain in the middle of the city.
I went to the Plateau and walked around, looking at the beautiful streets with staircases running in colourful vortexes dwon onto the path.
Cute boys on bicycles, with loaves of bread in their arms. Gorgeous girls wearing floral dresses and leather boots speaking Quebecois quickly to each other.
Cornflower blue trains that run on rubber wheels and Metro stations with zany seventies tiling.
I love this place.

Running Away- Step 4

2008-08-28T10:12:00.000-04:00

I caught the train from Penn Station exactly two weeks ago. This was the only picture I was able to take, a farmhouse in upstate New York. The train ride was a rambly shuffle through mountains and lakes, with crusty castles and little sunbleached riverboats.
We rode past moss-covered trailer parks and dense green forest into Quebec.
I was pulled off the train at the Canadian border, to get my study permit. I filed into a mini van with people who were being denied entry into the country for a lot of reasons. When they found out that I wasn't actually being detained, they all stopped talking to me and looked out the window silently at the rolling Quebec countryside.
We drove to a big Customs office and I waited for what seemed like hours. I bought a packet of m&ms and ate them very slowly, one by one in colour order, so the time could be marked in some way. My i-pod ran out.
The I got my permit and was put on a bus to Montreal.
The bus stopped in the middle of the city and everyone got out into the adolescent rainstorm. I hailed a cab and drove to my new apartment where I slept and slept and slept.

Running Away- Step 3

2008-08-28T10:06:00.000-04:00

I really loved just meandering around the city without a care. I had a lot of fun the last time I visited, but this time seemed like I was living in New York. I caught the steamy subway and walked hundreds of blocks and the whole time I felt completely at ease with the city. I am definately going for an adventure this winter.

Running Away- Step 2

2008-08-28T09:52:00.000-04:00

When I was in New York, I stayed at my friend, Celine's house with her family in the East Village- it was a really cool place, they had so many animals (dogs, cats, turtles and a parrot called Bart) andd we just spent the days walking around and seeing what there was to see.
I went to see the Witch Hats play at the Cake Shop, but because I am underage, they had to sneak me in! It was an amazing scungy undergroud bar, with a cake and record shop above. The played a really great set- the stage was at the end of a sort of sloping black concrete basement/hallway.
We went to a bar two blocks away afterwards, where I was pulled up by the bouncer and carded. I was explaining that I really didn't have any i.d, when this guy from another band said "Oh it's cool, she's with the band." The bouncer just smiled at me and let me in.
There was a big fight out on the street and we all went to see what was going on- the police were standing around while these guys wrestled drunkenly across the footpath. I caught a cab home and watched the shining lights of the city from the backseat.

Running Away- Step 1

2008-08-28T09:48:00.000-04:00

Throw a big party with tiny pink cakes and frothy dresses and friends.

Montreal

2008-08-27T23:16:00.001-04:00

Hello from the Great North, Dear Readers!
Here I am in beautiful Montreal, writing to you from my new laptop- but not from under my quilt- it's very hot here, surprisingly!
It is very late and I am about to go to bed, but I thought I would write a little note.
Thank you all for your messages, I will be online officially-properly-allthetime from tomorrow, so you can expect replies to all of them!
I am going to be putting sopme stuff in my etsy shop tomorrow night, because I am sewing like a maniac!
Also, I will be putting millions of pictures up, to make up for my lack of internet presence lately!
So goodnight and sleep tight!
This is my new bed and my amazing pink silk pillows with embroidered phoenixes (plural?) on them that I bought at St Mark's Thrift Shop in NYC- don't you think they are beautiful?

&hearts

The Big Apple

2008-08-09T13:58:00.000-04:00

So I am writing this from New York, I spent about three days in transit- one night spent in a hotel room in Bangkok with a bed big enough for a family of five, and the next on the floor of the United airlines lobby in LAX.
I have had such a nice time- I am staying with my friend Celine and her family in the Village and it is so hot and green here right now!

I have spent quite a bit of my time in Central Park and the Upper East Side- I even walked past the apartment that my family and I stayed in last time I was here- which was at the end of Winter! New York is a very different place in the heat.
As you can see from the pictures, the park is absolutely amazing. It's so lush and green, I could sit there for hours watching everyone loll about. I walked past Strawberry Fields and there were so many people just sitting around playing guitars and putting flowers on the peace sign! It was a very touristy place for me to be!

I will be arriving in Montreal on Tuesday night, but until then, I am happy to be hanging around, just getting a feel for the city. Last time I was here I did a very whirlwind tour and didn't really get to see anything for very long. But now I am taking my time. I went to the Guggenheim yesterday and saw an exhibition on Louise Bourgeous- How amazing! I spent about five hours in there- I like to take my time in galleries- and when I came out, it had been raining and fifth avenue was empty! People started sticking their heads out again when the sun shone through the clouds.
I bought a quilt and a laptop from ebay, so I should be writing from beneath the quilt and from the computer when I next post. Thank you for all of your beautiful comments! I promise when I have the time I'll go back and return each and every one.

Bye-Bye Baby!

2008-08-03T03:07:00.000-04:00

Tomorrow I am getting on plane and then I will get on another plane and then I will get on another plane and then I should be in New York.
So, good-bye to Melbourne for now and not f'rever.

I was photographed for a fashion blog The Windsor End dot blogspot dot com (I forgot linking again) about a week ago, and here is the picture!

href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_d8UxYVBQWpI/SJVZwii2nfI/AAAAAAAAALk/zDBMnP0kaWA/s1600-h/IMG_6529.jpg">

He said "Now I just want you to be like really anime. Yeah, like just point your toes in and grin."

I promised pictures of the beach, but they're never coming because I don't know where they are.

The next time I blog will be in the GREAT NORTH.

And who am I? That's one secret I'll never tell.

xoxoxo

Gossip Girl

2008-07-14T04:12:00.001-04:00

So I have been very busy the past couple of weeks, and the result of that has been that my little blog has been abandoned! Left all alone for too long!

Well, now I have come back and I have a few things to say.

1.) I had the best time in Apollo Bay, it was freezing cold and our days were filled with long walks, scary videos and sooo much tea!

2.) After I got back from Apollo Bay, I went to Airey's Inlet with some friends which was amazing and lovely. We watched about 12 episodes of Gossip Girl in between playing ridiculous card games on the green and blue speckly carpet.

3.) Last Night my Mum came home with an enormous cardboard box full of incredible fabric and quirky aprons from her friend, Rose who works at Sandringham Library. Mum told me that Rose has read this blog, so if you're out there, THANK YOU ROSE!!! I put on all of the aprons on top of each other! Photos will come in a few days...

4.) I have been awarded the Brillante Blogger 2008 by Super Kawaii Mama ! Wow, well I won't do a Gwyneth, but I will write the rules up for everyone who I am about to tag to read.

1) When received, you may post the award to you blog.
2) Link to the blogger you received it from.
3) Give it to 7 blogs
4) Link to those 7 blogs
5) And leave those seven bloggers a comment about receiving the brilliant premio.

After all of that I will get back to packing up my room for my move to Montreal. Gosh, you can accumulate so much stuff in nineteen years!

I will post some pictures of the past couple of weeks tomorrow!

Until then xoxo GG

So Long!

2008-06-22T04:18:00.000-04:00

I am going to the seaside tomorrow with my family. It's our last family holiday together before I leave for Montreal, which is weird for me because we go on so many trips each year. It's the end of an era!

What is better than drawing in the mud when you are waiting for the tram?

When you make a skirt for your mum and she doesn't want to take it off.

.......kids these days!