Retro Angel

Even though I am a Buddhist and we have a shrine and photos of His Holiness Dalai Lama and prints of Tara (female Buddha) and Siddharta Buddha in various poses etc we have decided to rear the boys with a wide and various religious upbringing. By religious I mean philosophy and overviews of religious practice and dogma. When it's appropriate we explain religious days and rituals to give L a thorough understanding of how different and unique people worldwide really are...

Christmas is no different. We celebrate Christmas with family and friends and deck the house inside and out in all things Christmas. This includes a traditional nativity scene - and, of course, involves putting a tree up with lovely (some tacky) Christmas decorations for Santa to visit on Christmas Eve.

My ode to vintage is the angel on top of our Christmas tree - referred to as 'Retro Angel' by everyone, including the five-year-old. I love her boufant hair and lace dress. She makes me grin...it's great to have her up again :)

Skinny la Minx aka Heather Moore

It's not often I err from the world of vintage fabrics or our little humble household. But I just have to tell you about Skinny la Minx! Heather Moore, aka Skinny la Minx, produces the most divine teatowels, aprons, napkins, cushion covers etc in her most amazing individual designs.

I bought the one above called Eep and it just arrived yesterday. Not only was the tea towel an amazing quality and screen-printed to the highest standard (and it's easy with screen printing NOT to reach that highest standard), but her packaging was sublime and just so, well, 'gifty' and thoughtful. A wonderful experience and a product I would highly recommend :)

Visit Heather's Etsy shop here and her blog here.

Vintage fabric buttons and back to website housework...

Making these buttons is such wonderful fun! I am thoroughly enjoying selecting the vintage fabric to pop onto the aluminium shanks...

But making buttons means I have been remiss is keeping the website up-to-date and free of most of our sold stock...

Alas, poor Yorrick, there is way too many sold pieces on the site and I am forced (ahem) to spend the next couple of days stripping the site back to live and 'for sale' stock...

So if you see some changes to the site in the next couple of days you'll know why! I am busy getting rid of our old stock for you to it's easier to see what's available...

And if you love unique buttons made from gorgeous vintage fabric our little 2cm collection is getting larger - you can see them here.

Melbourne residents - the Oxfam $60 live tree!

Thanks to two lovely bloggers who left me links to the site I was trying to remember I now have some fabulous ideas for gifts for family members and friends we don't see that often - but who we love and miss at Christmas time :)

Oxfam has the most wonderful gift ideas - I remember reading about the ideas last year but it was too late to order anything for Christmas. This year I am getting in (slightly) earlier!

If you've got friends and family who a) have everything or b) have stuff but you don't know what to give them consider giving an Oxfam gift to 'save the world from unwanted gifts'. It helps someone who needs our help at any time of year and it stops those pesky "I have no idea what to give you so I'll just buy a purple vase and I don't care if they like it" gifts...:)

Here's a snapshot of what you can buy:

A calf - $203
Cooking sets - $39
Duck - $20 (not as pictured LOL)
Fruit trees - $35
Safe refuge - $25

J and I have been having a look at trees this year - we piffed our other one out last year as it had just seen one too many Christmas'...and, as L keeps on reminding us, the elves need to leave us the perfect tree for Santa to leave some presents under.

Enter the Oxfam $60 live tree for Melbourne, Frankston, Geelong and Werribee. Their lovely volunteers deliver it to your door - can you believe it??? I am ordering our tomorrow - it's the perfect tree and I would rather our money go to those in need of assistance than to some humungous corporate's wallet (or purse)...

Christmas is coming - woo hoo!

Need your help - charity gifts for giving...

Quick post - does anyone know what the best site is to go to for purchasing charity gifts for friends...you know the ones where you can buy a well, food, shelter etc etc...and you give the 'gift' on behalf of a friend...

I have Googled some but can't find the ones specifically for you to purchase as a gift for a friend...

Can anyone please enlighten me?

Thank you!

Liberty of London pouch...

I know I've already posted today but just thought I would let you know I just put two rather unique small handmade pouches into our Etsy store - they will hit the website hopefully tomorrow. The top piece is a green lame with op art yellow lining and the pouch below is made from super rare 1970s Liberty of London Bauhaus fabric...kitsch, mod and memphis rolled into one :) - view them here.

I love Frankie

I have to say I don't buy magazines that much. Don't know why. I remember as a teen I was addicted to Cleo and Cosmopolitan but as I entered my 20s I didn't really feel the need to find out what the latest trends were or where you should eat or what colour nail polish to wear. Still can't be stuffed knowing - or doing :)

I buy Who mag every Friday to get my goss fix (usually read in the bath with some eucalyptus oil and silence) and I love reading the Herald Sun Home mag every Saturday - and, oooohhh, the Sunday paper mags. Love 'em. But now I have found a new addiction. Frankie. I love Frankie. If you love something off-beat and refreshing (thank goodness!) then pick up December's issue and chill out for a bit. You won't regret it.

Ahhh....the sound of silence...

I have been sewing and sewing to try and get better and better. It's happening - but very slowly! I tend to err on the perfectionist side...and even though I have been told by buyers and admirers these pouches and wristlets are fab, it's hard to believe. Do you ever have that problem with your creations?

So the sewing machine has stopped whirring and I am having a sewing rest. Making buttons is so much quieter - easier, as well :)

But I am starting to list these on Etsy to see how they go - two lots of buttons are already on the website and I'll be adding and adding to that next week. More than likely bags, too...

But in the meantime it's a spring clean around here, photographing some more vintage fabrics to pop up onto the website and perhaps working on refining the sizing of my wristets and pouches. I want to make them as usable as possible. And as pretty as possibe, too :)

Don't forget about our vintage fabric mailing list!

Next time you're sitting down in your library to enjoy reading an old book by romantic candlelight and the smell of fresh cut roses...don't forget to join our 'new arrivals' subsciption mailing list. The link to join is on the left of this post :) - we email you two to three times a week with shots of new fabrics and our latest news...

Have a great day!

Almost back to normality...with some buttons :)

Following last Thursday's little hiccup - ahem, prang - I have taken a slight break from most of life. Lots of sitting and resting and allowing ye olde body (specifically right hand side) to heal and return to my (un)fit self...

I pottered around with the website today and finally remembered how to add in a new category - vintage fabric buttons. Yes - woo hoo - two sets have made their way onto the site...

There will be lots more to come - these 2cm sets are the smallest I have been working with - the largest around 4cm or so.

So, if you're after some unique buttons for your bags, cushions, clothing or anything else button-y don't forget about our new brand, Retro Age Vintage...

When we're back to complete I hope you'll enjoy seeing all of the sets going up onto the website here.

Zandra Rhodes buttons and the 1960s brocade pouch

I am almost back to feeling myself. I am not at sore as I was on Friday and yesterday - it's amazing how sore you are after a prang! My neck went as stiff as a board, my right knee locked up and my right ribs were very tender - the doctor said all of that is normal and it's basically due to my body bracing itself for impact and hitting the driver door. Funnily enough - if you looked at my Camry you wouldn't think I'd had a hard knock - but the safety structure in the car was amazing and the car literally bounced out of the impact. Can't say that happend to the poor late model red Barina who collided with me - I would think that's seen the last of it's days, unfortunately...

I went 'back to work' today - couldn't help myself. I have decided to sell some of our earlier sewing pieces on Etsy just to get the Retro Age Vintage ball rolling. We have so much more in the pipeline - but, some of these pieces just aren't up to the bloody perfect standard I strive for, so I am selling them off as early pieces on Etsy....the above piece is the first up and is a limited edition of only three. And you can see how gorgeous the 1960s couture lame/brocade is. Who cares if the stitches aren't perfecto when you're carrying around this glory :)

And, in a moment of weakness, I have also offered a set of buttons we made from SUPER RARE Zandra Rhodes fabric. Any vintage fabric - or general 20th century textile lover - will know who Zandra is. She is super cool. She is uber cool. Her textiles are divine. We have lined some of our wristlets in her fan fabric and had some offcuts so made some 2cm buttons out of it. We're selling the first set of six on Etsy, too...

To view them both click here.

More vintage fabric going up onto the website this week...from 1940s through to the 1970s...the more eclectic we are the better :)

So glad to still be with you...

So, so glad to write this short picture-less post. I had a car accident today. Am sore. Am peeved. But I'm okay and I'll get over it. The Camry is drivable (just) but who knows what the chassis is up to until you get it checked. All I can see is the red car before we hit. And all I can hear is the sound of us colliding. I was listening to Faith No More. I was going to a meeting. I didn't see the give way sign - never been on that street before. I am so sorry to the poor man I hit. He couldn't speak English very well but his niece was there and was was so sorry to see me so upset and crying. But we are okay and have walked away.

So glad to write this post.

So glad my babies are all well.

So glad to be here with everyone...

Vintage fabric on sale

Due to focusing on our new bags and buttons we have been remiss in offering a new selection of vintage fabrics on sale each week - but I was determined to do something today! Twenty gorgeous fabrics on sale here...enjoy!

Dr Zhivago....another chick flick theme....

I have listened to Lara's theme - composed by Maurice Jarre for the movie Dr Zhivago - for years and years and always find myself on the most wonderful ride when listening to it with my eyes closed. Listen to it and close your eyes...you'll see what I mean :)

Is it just our age?

Is it just our age? I don't feel old at 35 - and, boy, I certainly don't act it! But I find myself drawn to movies and music I grew up with. It's not that I'm not interested in new movies and music - it's just the old stuff seems so beautiful, though-provoking and makes me feel all warm inside :)

This is a snapshot from High Society - it's a wonderful film with Grace Kelly (last film before she went to Monaco), Frank Sinatra, Louis Armstrong and Bing Crosby. Such Saturday matinee stuff...

The worms are getting into our herb and vegie patch - anyone know any natural deterrents for them?

Some more vintage fabric business hints...

Yes, as you can see we have been busy. These are just some shots of what we've been working on in recent weeks. All of the buttons are made by us using gorgeous vintage fabrics on new shanks...and we've made sure to use a mixture of rare, glamour and eye-popping-wow vintage fabrics for these...
...we've even used some of V's coveted Zandra Rhodes fabric - this is some of the buttons below...a divine colourway of brown, white and black...the fabrics makes divine buttons...

The buttons below use turquoise lame and look just so 60's mod...fab, fab, fab...

And below are some of the little (and larger) pouches and clutches we've been feverishly making. Most are rare and unique fabrics - and we've dedicated a lot of time to blending fabrics to colours complement as well as give the Retro Age Vintage wow factor! All of the bags are limited edition...

The pouch above and below are 60s lames...very cool indeed...

The long clutch below is a 60s Scandinavian piece...you've got to love those mod circles!

And we can't help but love these birdies - we'll only have a limited edition of around five of these clutches as that's the total sum of birdie panels we have...but aren't they just gorgeous?

And one of V's fave atomic German fabrics made into an atomic pouch...very urban, indeed....

We hope to start selling all of this soon :) - hopefully people will like our individual colourway and fabric combinations....we're addicted to it all already!

Recent days....lots of charcoal and stones...

We have been busy little bees. We are focusing on altering the front of our house and ripping up what was there as it just took too much water to keep going. We covering half of the front garden with gorgeous river stones - quite large ones, mostly browns, and some of the garden will be a grey black mulch to give the area a different texture. We're not rendering our kitsch 70s house - we've decided to leave the lovely brick alone and change the feature colour on the roof, window frames and all other features to a dark charcoal grey.

Other than that we're sanding Gabe's room, buying plantation shutters for both of the boy's rooms and working out the colourway of the rest of the house. Gosh - it never ends. Now I understand why people build new houses!

We're still evaluating the direction of the business - retail, Mill Markets or just online. There are so many pros and cons for all directions. We've been sewing more lovely bags to sell - photos this week, I think! - and also thinking of new ideas for vintage fabric lovers....

While catching up on work tonight (yes - sad, I know)...have been revisiting the magnificent Jeff Buckley. I love his music - and cherish seeing him live when he visited Melbourne in 1995/96 (if memory serves me correctly). There are so many gorgeous Buckley songs - but nothing is more beautiful than Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah. Here is Jeff's version...enjoy :)

Thanks to Missy Confidential!

Thanks to the wonderful peeps at Missy Confidential for mentioning the website (and featuring the divine William Morris!) on their website...it made us blush :)

More fabric being uploaded onto the website soon....

A hint...

Sorry for the washed out shots. I am looking for perfection for them but just can't find it. Perhaps handmade shouldn't be - nor look - perfect? But we're getting there :) I just wish you could see the gorgeous colours :(

Vintage fabrics in Geelong

We ran around like headless chickens today. Too much going on and just not enough time. We're renovating the front of the house - outside and inside and getting stock and quotes take a lot of darned time! We're getting an assortment of rocks for the front and planting red native plants...and highlighting the house with charcoal grey...and wanting a fence built in charcoal grey wood...yadda, yadda, yadda...

And then on top of all of that we have decided to search (again) for a retail location. We thought we had found the best dodgey shot ever, but on seeing the inside today we didn't like it much and the owner decided he wanted all council rates paid etc UPFRONT, even though we only wanted a short lease to start with. Meh. If that's how you do business I don't want anything to do with it. Then we thought of the Mill Markets - a giant warehouse located in Geelong that houses some great stalls on two levels. It's around 10 minutes away from us and the stall sizes, whilst small, would do the job for us. The best bit is the fabrics are available for sale 10am-6pm every day of the year (except Christmas Day) and we don't have to work or volunteer there! Yay! A little on the expensive side...but hopefully worth it for a) people who want fabric, b) our sanity c) our workroom (any fabrics offered on the website would stay here) and our business :)

Anyone located near Geelong who would like to see the fabrics at a retail environment??

We'll let you know what we come up with - in the meantime, some announcements from us this week...if all goes to plan :)

Have a great week!