This is what it all boils down to ..

.. making things - consistently and as best as you can.

This is basically what I do, my day revolves around the making of things and even though I sometimes catch myself flirting with the idea that I might be better off unburdened by the urge to create, free to while away the time left over from 'a more official kind of' employment as I please,  I know that I'll probably make it back to this vicious  and unrelenting circle of productivity. I've done my fair share of romanticizing hard-work - it became a coping strategy for a while. Now I just focus even more on creating better, something tells me I do not afford to stop just yet.

So here is a pair of donated and reclaimed burnt-orange gloves bearing an interesting label 'Made in Germany West-Zone' which I chose to intricately embellish with (also) donated, re-purposed lace motifs, re-assembled in the shape of a

 floral branch that leads all the way down to the tip of the smallest finger and a spray of seed pearls and glass beads to mimic delicate cupcake decor. Do not ask why - it's tough to find answers to that question. It seemed like the perfect thing to do.

And below, two photo collages of the first in a series of multi-purpose sashes I'm currently devoting what little time is left at the end of the day to (that is, unless I'm in the mood to read, or watch a movie, or go out, or get sloshed) - (erm, no I do not suggest intricate beading if you feel like a drink.. after a while, throwing beads across the kitchen might become amusing, and there simply aren't enough words to describe the dismay first thing in the morning when you step on them/drink them with your tea/brush them out of your and your cat's hair). In any case, this one is made out of sturdy lined wool and embellished with diamond shaped Art Deco style lace motifs in ivory, silver beading, pearl beading an

d a perfect round button from a vintage lot I've been given.

And this is the second one - a tribute to my love affair with pipa knots (all kinds of knots really - am currently on a quest to master a number of good ones - they make for the perfect party trick - !!NOT!!). I finished all of the seed beading whilst watching 'The Supersizers go..' series.. darn shame that both finished simultaneously, leaving me a bit lost at the end.. looking for my next project and my next series. 

yes, sewing can get lonely sometimes!

And just when I thought I'd round up things nicely and end this post with another declaration of love for Sue Perkins, I realised I hadn't yet featured any of these dresses in previous posts. Time just rolls by so quickly. Again, I find just opportunity to state how lost and lonely I sometimes feel after I close the door on a project or five. I'm detecting a pattern!

Above: a lovely (if I may say so myself) prom-style dress for an Autumn wedding guest in purple-taupe and black lace.. heart shaped, cap sleeved and with a decorative bow at the back.. It comes with its own black cloud of an underskirt and I am very looking forward to seeing pictures of it in action!

Below:  one eye catching statement dress for another wedding guest in vibrant magenta taffeta and chiffon with matching and hand sewn lace appliqués.. and from the photos I received, it appears to me that it was a success!

And the dress in my absolute favourite colour.. (well, definitely my current favourite, and it's been this way since the beginning of 2012.. when the colour mood changes, rest assured I will make it a point to inform you). With this dress the wave-like silvery pattern of the material, reminiscent of japanese waves, inspired the very cut - and I am very happy it happened!

 and a lovely red feathery hat which I restored - a donated hat as beautiful as the story behind it and an antique diamante hat pin present from Bologna which complements it perfectly <3 .. drop me a line if you know of anything special enough happening on the island for me to show up in this combo cos I'm finding it very difficult to peel myself out off my 'fuck-olympics sign-off' t-shirt right now!

I shall leave you now.. and whilst I contemplate my options for this evening (a perrier or a green tea, tv or sleep, book or another book) here I list my current obsessions outside of sewing for no reason in particular: Making smoothies late at night (yesterday's was: banana+avocado+celery+milk, today's: grapefruit+banana+pear+plum+blueberry juice), listening to and watching Dawn French laugh, Tony Curtis in 'Some like it Hot' and planning my next bake (Crème brûlée tarts or a plain old Victoria Sponge?!)

On the home front ..

I came home with new hair to an equally new place: same place, same hair but an attractive freshness to both. No use dwelling on the reasons why I sometimes, sporadically and in the past, considered giving the scissors a break and letting my hair grow long (enough to tie back into a bun - never flowing locks, just a simple elegant bun). It happens every time, I sit in the hairdresser's chair, visualize Vanessa's appalled face at the suggestion of a longer hairstyle (Vanessa is a close friend and a staunch supporter of exclusively short hair on yours truly) and I go ''qaccat, man!'' (ie. ''choppity chop and pronto!''). 

That's basically the reasoning behind the haircut.

The house is another thing entirely. I have welcomed today a couple of hard-earned kitchen appliances I simply cannot believe I've done without for this long. Fair enough, I did have pale imitations of these brand spanking new ones - recycled appliances from kitchens across the island that have served us well but have taken a most worrying turn to the worse of late - but a clean slate and a clean start is looking very attractive right now, especially since I actively decided to devote more time to honing my cooking skills. What's more, my new appliances are bad-ass black beauties, metallic trims and all!

as pathetic as it may sound, I enjoy accessorizing my kitchen with bunches of fresh herbs!

This, on the other hand, is a beautiful arrangement that has come together quite by surprise. The hat and the book are my nannu's (*see the post before last), the colourful brass lamp from Morocco, the poster of 'Louis Cyr - strongest man on earth' and the red-I-never-tire-of on the walls.

And below, my first Lemon Meringue Pie!

Credit for whisking skills (apart from the 'new' Kenwood) go to Sarah, whose surprise visit delighted, and whose company in the kitchen remains unparalleled in terms of usefulness married with charm and a good eye for detail. We took photos of my first bake, made rose water lemonade with the left-over lemon juice and meringue rosettes with the left-over beaten egg whites. Thrifty & crafty lasses, is what we are!

mmm.. the 'artfully' piped meringue just out of the oven and that accompanying feeling in the pit of your stomach which is a mix of dread and exultation - hoping it'll cease with more experience and a helping hand in the shape of a new oven!

Oh, and this is Ingrid.. my new hat model. We met this morning and we fell in love. Below is a photo of another pair of lovers - re-united after a long, unprecedented break-up. These things just warm my cockles! As do Sue Perkins, unexpected peanut-butter biscuit gifts from Canada, talk of pashminas from Little India and a valid excuse to spend money on tassels in the near future!

Movimiento Tango

This is where most of my stories begin: at the fabric store. What I don't usually have is 'company' or rather, a partner in crime. Mid-summer, I went to the fabric store with Nathalie, a professional Argentine tango dancer and instructor based in Malta who came to me with a proposal, to help her create a selection of milonga-worthy dancewear that is at once practical and dressy. Dance wear that focus on the elongation of the limbs and the neck, that reveals enough without giving away too much. The tanguera is meant to look elegant as she dances, and revealing too much, as we all know, doesn't get you there. We created a collection that is sensual yet youthful, with playfully adaptable features and a focus on detail to make every item a stand-alone piece. This is dancewear that sees one from practice hour, to a weekly milonga and on to after-practice drinks. All of the skirts, trousers, dresses, tops and accessories are designed by hand and appropriately named by Nathalie. Yesterday we held a mini-launch of the collection in Rabat where a group of ladies chatted over some wine, with the discussion swaying from elegant posture, the right hairstyles or the dance, appropriate beginner shoes, manicure rules and well, let's just say, perhaps, more than our fair share of bra-talk. It was bound to happen!

Here's Nathalie herself, trying on swathes of fabric for size.

Accessories: designing these was a learning curve for me. Only an experienced dancer would ever have been able to point out a tango dancer's requirements so clearly.

Dresses, and the joys of adjustable gathers, criss-cross lace-ups and bias cut skirts!

 Skirts: obviously!

Some tops that lengthen the neck without exposing too much

And trousers: slit, pointy and gathered 

This is a photo collage of the hard-copy of the catalogue, a series of hand-drawn and painted designs in a 100% recycled and hand-stitched cover, including sample sheet.

And Nathalie's own dress. For the first dress we chose the 'el beso' design which we then adapted to her particular needs. With this collection our main aim was to make clothes that fit the dancer as well as the dance. It would have been futile to create made-to-measure dancewear that fits as badly as shop-bought casual wear appropriated for dance.

We believe we've created a special little something here! Should you be interested in having a look, e-mail me on babettopolis@gmail.com [or my facebook page] or get in touch with Nathalie directly [nathalie@tangomalta.org or blog] 

In-Nannu Gorg

I have come across the most sentimentally charged inheritance over this weekend. This has been the shortest time I've ever spent whining for something. After a marathon watch of The Great British Bake Off, it occurred to me for the first time in my life, that I was actually missing out. I did not have a mixer! (and neither did I have the blinding whisking power that Mr. Hollywood has in his arms). As it turns out, my nannu Gorg's Kenwood from way back when needed a home away from the damp shed/room at the back of nanna's yard as did some flan moulds and this precious French culinary bible, quite literally my deceased nannu's reference book/spiritual guide/prized possession. Known better as 'il-bahri', he must have been one of very few ex-sailors to retire in Qormi to earn himself the nickname. Born in Valletta (and proud), he married in Qormi to my nanna Giorgina, but also to the sea, the HMS Merchant's Navy, the Australian Army, and a number of well equipped and respected hotel kitchens in Malta (as well as Comino) after that. Sleeping over as a child couldn't have been more fun .. I got my pick, and more than my fair share of freshly made croissants, potato gnocchi, fruit flans and crunchy meringues. I also must have caught the cooking bug in the process.. hopefully, to my nannu's delight. 

Here's a decidedly 70s aspic-hell of a spread ... this is the cuisine that formed my nannu's repertoire. He, understandably and thankfully, took several shortcuts to spare his family the gelatine; but I am glad for his explanation and recipe of the marie-rose sauce. I bet a kid hooked on shrimp cocktails is any chef's nightmare, even a chef who flourished in the 70s!!

Nannu posing with the captain on board HMS Birmingham as they prepared the yearly Christmas pudding, looking into big vats (photo is charmingly blurred!) and a 16 year old, and slightly confused nannu before leaving for Australia.

Nannu's 'borma forn' - weirdly reminiscent of torture chambers and submarines that have seen better days but functioning nevertheless. 

And my dearly beloved .. may we embark together safely on this baking voyage and never return, may we see each other through several meringue towers and ganaches .. please be my own well-behaved and sturdy Paul Hollywood and I promise to oil you regularly and display you proudly in my kitchen (which surprisingly enough, you match perfectly!) 

More table ware and some recreational activities

In a bid to keep my blog (concurrently) updated with my facebook page.. here are a couple of items from the second firing of one-off, hand-painted table ware items. The fact that I cannot wait until I start afresh on a new lot is very reassuring to me! Here's the link for the whole album:

<<*what we bring to the table*>>

This is a damask pattern which my mum really likes

This, a favourite Maltese tile pattern re-interpreted in primary colours

Detailed portraits of birds, a favourite pass-time of young-Mario

Triangles are my current favourite shapes

Perfect side plate to go with your bowl of Ramen .. if the chillies get too hot you can fish them out onto the plate, then rest your chopsticks on top of them

I still wish I was born with red hair

I am hoping this is self explanatory

The pattern is lifted off Nanna's curtains; curtains which I now use to cover my stall

I <3 Isabella Blow

Shadow games from years ago

And after long hours of bad posture, clay-caked fingers and eye squinting into the early hours I, along with some other hard-working friends, decided to treat ourselves to high tea. Here's Sarah's timely blogpost for some pretty pictures that are already making me want to go back!

<<Spot of tea, dear?>>

Babette's table ware saga

And I say saga because it's been ages since I first thought about making something of the sort.. and by ages I mean a year and a half on average. I have used clay many times before (courtesy of dad, his skill, his studio.. erm.. and his patience of course), namely for themed pendants to incorporate into my re-cycled/re-purposed/totally-handmade jewellery and other small items I would have dreamt about as gifts. I literally grew up in the 'safety' of knowing I had easy and unlimited access to the haven that is a pottery studio, should I ever wish it. My only regret is that I realized only too late that I had been wishing it all along.. so a couple of schedule checks later I found myself back at my parents' home discussing the perfect water to plaster powder ratio and diluting engobes in preparation. I learnt how to make the right moulds for every shape, I learnt how to paint on tapering/dusty/textured/curved/indented/concave/convex surfaces, I also learnt (the hard way) that no caffeine/alcohol ought to be consumed during the hours and hours of painting. If you're dying for a coffee/corona then do yourself a favour and wrap up for the day! 

So basically, I wanted to bring to the table (yes, literally) something with a story to it, much like I seek to do with everything else marginally related to Babettopolis, so the pressure to choose shapes and designs wisely was up. I wanted to make useful objects that present a case for themselves; each one-off item, I hope, has the power to stand alone since it is simply and sharply designed and yet, every item had to have enough personality so as to be taken up by and included in several existing 'china' collections we already own. I wanted each item to act as a little canvas for a random thought. 

Following are 3 photo collages from the studio. Please excuse the picture quality, but to be quite honest, after (and during) 10 hour painting sessions, doubled up on a low stool with glasses sliding down the nose in the sweltering heat, there remains little energy and enthusiasm in one to devote to photo taking. the first shows the bone-dried lot of items waiting in a wooden box, an unfired side-plate on which I tried to age the colours by texturing the surfaces further (very good stress relief) and the 'geisha bowl' which was the very last thing I finished! (*yay for random cataloguing). 

These are 3 photos of some freshly decorated items which I must have been very happy about since I actually stopped to take a photo of them during my 'glass of water' break.

The second photo is of me, taken by my dad, at around 10:30pm, during the last sitting. I carry my laptop with me everywhere so I can catch up on some of the less demanding comedy shows (*yay for multitasking). 

And the following are a few of the many photos taken this very morning by Mr. Nigel who really likes bolognese pasta sauce and who was kind enough to help me understand that I have purchased a very good camera an that all that remains is for me to learn how to use it (*touche!). We opted for a clean yet warm setup  for the detailed shots and I just love how they turned out! (click here for the whole album)

~ photo by Nigel Baldacchino ~

~ photo by Nigel Baldacchino ~

~ photo by Nigel Baldacchino ~

~ photo by Nigel Baldacchino ~

~ photo by Nigel Baldacchino ~

~ photo by Nigel Baldacchino ~

what did I tell you about my obsession with Islamic art? 

~ photo by Nigel Baldacchino ~

~ photo by Nigel Baldacchino ~

~ photo by Nigel Baldacchino ~

I do not see me halting this process any time soon. In fact, I just received some new colours so I'm itching to start afresh! .. but the next logical step is 'good protective packaging'.. or perhaps 'a nap' and then 'good protective packaging' ...


... oh just forget the nap!

A Grace-ful weekend

Yes, grace-ful and gift ridden! The windfall started on Friday when graceful Gaby (unexpectedly and for that, even more sweeet) passed on to me this lovely 1930s/40s clutch bag. I fear I am unable to put my admiration for the intricate beading into words. I especially love how that strip of sky blue sequins on the inside of the flap has absolutely nothing to do with the rest of the colour-scheme and yet makes so much sense in the context. I have reserved this very morning to sorting through some cupboards and so I was able to make space for this bag, now residing, I hope happily, in the 'intricate and occasion-y' section of my top wardrobe shelf. Until next time!

Saturday morning brought with it a whole new level of grace... I met up with an ex-workmate: Rita, a lovely woman and a seamstress herself, is most dedicated to her vocation as a teacher and care-giver to kids who really need her and people like her. I'm all admiration for the work she, and others in her team, carry out on a day to day basis.. work which would drain the life out of anyone else so, really and truly, Bless them!! Rita, ever so kindly, passed on to me several bags full of raw and salvaged material for me to use in my sewing projects. Amongst which, were two bags full (to the brim) with buttons in their original boxes.. all sorts of shapes, colours and patterns. The box above is the fanciest of the lot and I cannot wait to put my needle and thread to it. 

And just when I thought that my day had reached its peak, I quickly realized that, this was simply going to be a full-on, no-dip, gifted day! 

I was lucky enough to make the acquaintance of Margot and one of her sisters, who in good spirits, not only welcomed me in their mother's home, but also flattered me by complimenting my work no-end! I cannot thank these ladies enough for entrusting me with so many items which until recently, belonged to their mother Emma. So much sentimental value and such good taste! The mother too, I believe, was a seamstress and this, for some reason, fills me with a kind of pride.. these are ladies I fear I was born too late to meet!

Here are a few of the many gems!

Shawls and bags and ... 

yep bloomers! 

These dresses reminded me of the Delphos cut and that, in my books, is a success!

Scarves, and delicate gloves and skirts to put apart and sew anew...

Some pretty blouses and sparkly knitwear

And the piece de resistance, a red feathery hat piece from an enviable past where wearing such hats was the order of the day (*or rather 'eve'). It needs a lot of care .. and I'm ever so willing!

As for the rest of the weekend .. we were graced by the first rain after a cruelly dry summer, and with a vengeance. The first shower yesterday evening simply shocked, but now, after raining all night and well into this morning the air is yielding that lovely smell we expect of the first showers in September, and so, we are being compensated, somehow! Can't wait for greener landscapes round about where I live.