All curtained up...

I am not a staunch believer in letting things brew.. I love quick fixes even though my craft teaches me otherwise on a daily basis.

Following are photos of my sewing cave! It took me ages to upholster this tiny nook, from finding the appropriate material to sitting down at my table and cutting every piece to size. And despite my general outlook as expressed in the opening statement, once finished, these curtains and covers and cushions and pelmets sat in their bag for months on end. Only yesterday I decided to get it all done in one fell swoop.. I wanted to start the second week of the year in style!





I now have a comfy place to wind down.. theoretically. By the end of the week the bed will be suffering (once more) under piles upon piles of textile and paper bags full of more textile.





Can't help feeling happy with the place so long as Gustav's happy with it too!



This is the material I want more of.. 1/2 a metre just ain't gonna cut it (excuse the pun) to cover the sofa and armchair :/



And to end. Here's a green hat I just finished for the 'Hey Birdie-pie!' stall.. I was temporarily donated a green hat with dead netting and a limp velvet bow at the back so as to work some magic back into it. I love the colour especially, however it's the shape that inspired this up-do.. an unusual shape that sort of mimicks a jockey's cap and makes it possible for one to wear it in several ways. It must be tried on and played about with.. so keep your eyes peeled for details about Birdie's next event!

The aftermath .. lost and found!

With the halloween party over and the floors scrubbed, I find myself sitting down missing the bin-liner decor and the 'having something to organize' feeling. I especially miss the paper bats. The photo above is testament to how ideal my hair is for halloween, or is it the other way round?! It just acts all scary, throughout the year and no hiding under hats will fix its temperamental nature. Must do something about making halloween an all-year-round look.

A party over, a friend gained.. by Gustav that is. (see below)



Cheeky spiders.



But clearing up yields treasures that help one move on.. here's a 100 or so old travel postcards, most of which written in swirly fountain-pen ink by my Nannu (below.. in the snow) for my Nanna in Malta. I especially like the totally pointless one depicting an empty bus station in Tangiers.






.. and here's a dubious Smirnoff coaster. Think before you drink and think before you send an advertising campaign to print.

Happy Paws indeed - The SPCA*PATCHES saga begins!

I am back, with friends, on the cusp of a good thing!

We'll be applying our crafty hands to a cause close to our hearts.. stray cats and dogs and their general well-being.. but even more particularly, the cats and dogs that fall under the direct care of SPCA. Four of us, five items each.. to be exhibited and hopefully sold from a stall at the 9th edition of Patches Market (Sun, 27th Nov) minded by volunteers from the NGO.

Here's the lowdown: We rummage through the donated stuff at the Sliema outlet of the Happy Paws charity shop, choose some of the perhaps less attractive items as our raw material and transform/embellish as best we can in order to create desirable objects for the visitors at Patches.. all the profits go to the organisation and, hopefully, in the process, more people get to know about the workings of such a charitable establishment.

.. oh and all four of us will be documenting our crafty journey up till the said Sunday.. so keep tuned to our respective ports!

The Patches Market site and facebook page

My Babettopolis blog and facebook page

Sarah Micallef's Secret Rose blog and facebook page

Denise Scicluna's blog and facebook page

and Carla Said's Cholita tumblr

Here's what we selected.. and photos of the selection in process.. we did promise documentation didn't we!?

photo by Denise Scicluna

And here's me talking money and making some personal purchases. By the way.. do find some time to visit the charity shop; it houses a constant and healthy stream of good quality items!

photo by Sarah Micallef

I find hugging straw-covered bead curtains very fulfilling.

photo by Sarah Micallef

photo by Sarah Micallef


photo by Denise Scicluna

Here's my lot.. I've been justly accused of color scheming.. oh well!

I shall leave you with a picture of the 'Keeper of the Mighty Mess' .. all of the selected items I've duly washed, cleaned and disinfected.. The 'real' work will start as from tomorrow!

Mission Decor

'Impatience' being my middle name, I just cannot wait till I get my new sewing-room kitted out. I have several cushion and pelmet plans I need to see through before I get back to work.. so in a bid to alleviate the pain and brighten the mood of the room I unearthed a stash of mismatched tassels and hung them around the place.. they make me happy and add height to the room when seen in succession.

mental note: please get new lightbulb.. hanging a noose.. i mean.. tassel round a burnt out bulb just makes it look even dead-er.

On a lighter note.. here's a chocolate brown fascinator I finished lately. It has sky blue lace motifs and hand pleated and threaded zig-zag leaves to match a dress it will accompany.

And this gem of a perfume box I bring to your attention in the hope of getting some answers. I had bought this a while back from a charity bazaar and being the perfume lover that I am, went straight to the internets for answers about the label.. SADKO. But answers I found not. The perfumes are heady and intoxicating.. they probably smell better now that they're aged, plus they come in a wonderful satiny cardboard box with a subtle japanese flower motif. So.. have you ever encountered the brand? If anyone happens to have some information about it I'd be very happy if you could share.

Thank you just in case.. and before I leave you.. a gratuitous picture of my cat making mayhem with my sewing stuffs.. I'm sure it's the moving paper and tape but I'd like to think he's the re-incarnation of a savile row tailor! Tailor Gustav of the lovely grey suit.