Toddler Tango in Animal print

Step out in style, these gorgeous little shoes are definitely for baby fashionistas who want to share mum's style.......

Zebra Jane Squeakers

Leopard Alexis Squeakers

This little shoe is not only on the foot for trend value but made for comfort with easy to put on and take off Velcro strap with leather upper, leather lining and grip worthy rubber sole.

Visit 'Zulily.com' a great site with not only fabulous finds but great prices. 

Vintage Romper Wall Art

A divine work of art

This little romper would have been from the 50's, perhaps my brother wore it.   I once hung it in Peta and Lauren's room but they didn't like the mean look on the bunny's face. Ha ha ha  Now it is hanging in Rowan's room....

A fun and creative idea for decorating a plain wall in your child's bedroom and you can change it whenever you feel like it.

Work of Art? 

Vintage Nursery Inspiration

I am inspired

Buttercup Yellow dress. Duck egg blue walls. I love you!

Stylish Storage for the hip Nursery

Love this! The Oeuf Mini library, a very stylish, practical shelving solution for the modern nursery.  It's fun and a great height for little people still keeping a sleek and grownup profile.

I found it on the "Oeuf be good" website which also has beautiful clothes and accessories made from alpaca wool.  Check out the ball garland, too cute!

K Road Girl

This gorgeous girl I found in a junk store on K Road in Auckland.  She looks so relaxed and unperplexed about life.  She is not worrying about the lack of a lower limb,  inspiration for designs, she has wings, shapely legs, a wonderful vintage outfit and a great make up job and she is as delicate as the beautiful Liberty Fabrics she resides on in my studio....

French inspired dress for Alexandra. The preschool fashionista!

Alexandra the youngest of my three daughters thought she was lucky enough to miss being featured on my blog.  Yes, she definitely turned heads alighting from her car seat every morning arriving at preschool.  

SORRY ALEXANDRA, how could I not blog this beautiful black velvet, french inspired dress I made for you.  And it was you who always insisted on wearing  those cool 'Woodly Alan' inspired sunglasses of mine, the sunglasses really pulled the outfit together and the whole look really worked, except for the funny face you are pulling.  

The Cumquart Dress

Fruit preserving was always  a significant part of our kitchen, the perfect way to get the best from your bounty of fruit.  Part of the pleasure of growing or gathering your own fruit is to enjoy the aroma, the colour, feel and texture of it, and to have it sitting in the pantry looking deliciously enticing ready to eat is enormously rewarding.

The same  feeling I get when I see and feel a piece of fabric, the colour, the print the texture.  The feeling is often very overwhelming and immediately I am creating a design in my mind and can't wait to get to cutting the fabric, choosing a trim and constructing a garment.


Recently I picked the ripe, bright orange, plump fruit, from our cumquat tree, took them inside and placed them in a bowl, one by one I sliced them finely and removed the seeds.  Perfect round segmented slices bursting with colour, a fine pale yellow ring just under the skin, natures very own graphic design.


 Enjoying a glass of wine with the sailor whilst the jam was bubbling away, I was telling him how I felt inspired by the jam and how I wanted to create a little cumquat smock dress.  I thought that this was when he would vacate the room for the man cave.....
Instead he piped up.
"Just like a custom car the dress could be like a prototype, one you just keep on a shelf"


 I liked that, smiled and gave the sailor one of my best, 'sometimes I can't believe you actually got me looks'

Prototype

Fabric, from Calio and Ivy.  Vintage lace, my own. Plate, a courtesy of "The Crafty Minx".  Yellow cup, Ikea.


The recipe
1  kilo of ripe cumquats
1  kilo sugar
Method
Put a small saucer in the freezer.
Slice the fruit very,very finely.  Remove seeds.  Wrap seeds up in a square of fine cotton or a new chux cloth, tie with a long piece of twine.  Place fruit and the seed package in a heavy saucepan and bowl until the skins are soft.  Remove seed pack.  Add sugar and bring back to boil.  Simmer for 45 - 60 mins.  The jam will be ready when you pour a little onto the cold plate let it sit for a few minutes then run your finger through it, if a skin appears you are set to pour it into some clean jars that have sat in the medium oven for 30 mins.......Enjoy with toast and a thick smear of butter!
PS Cumquat jam is always on the runny side.