sew and sew

This is the first item of clothing to come off my new sewing machine, and also my first 'new' item of clothing since taking the Pledge. It's not like me to pick fabric with pink in it, but I saw a couple of metres of this at an op shop and couldn't go past, it reminds me of a Japanese style print. I've decided this is almost the perfect style dress for me - I like the buttons down front, collar, puffy sleeves, and the length. It's from a cheap Burda pattern, and the only thing I don't like about it is the raglan sleeves.

I actually cut out the pieces over a month ago with a plan to make in time to wear to my partner's mother's 50th birthday celebrations. But I got side-tracked time and time again, so it only got a look-in the night before the big day. Nothing like a deadline to get you going! I think it took me about 4 - 5hrs all together, including half an hour sewing on the buttons etc while taking a scenic drive with the family. I can tell you I didn't see much.

What I learned: don't put the buttons where the pattern tells you to, I would have moved them down about 2cms.
In total I think the dress cost me about $8.50 + the pattern
Thrifted Fabric = $2.50
Thrifted Buttons = $0.50
Fabric for Lining, Collar, Armbands = $5.50

Score!

Woah, what a weekend! Niche was exhausting but exciting. I had such a nice time talking with my customers and the other stall holders, and making new friends all over the place. But I have to say one of the highlights of the weekend for me was all the trading going on amongst the stall holders. You may have worked out I am keen on a good ol' swap.

Sometimes I dream of returning to a Moral Economy, where I can go down to the bakery and swap the excess cabbages in my garden for some yummy bread. Well my dream came alive just for one weekend. It was like the alley of stalls was our own little street in 'Handmade Town' and we went around bartering our wares with each other. Luckily it only lasted three days though, because the only food stuffs available were sweets, cakes, coffee and wine (oh ok that doesn't sound too bad). I even swapped a customer a custom made journal for a collection of amazing oooold books!

I'm so proud to have such crafty friends, and so happy with the goodies I scored I have to share them with you...



An amazing origami ball by hideyo (thanks Maya and Sam!), even the box it came in will be treasured...


A gorgeous purse and kimono silk hair ties from Black Eyed Susie


Custom made, naturally dyed clay earrings from Tracy of Soewn Earth


A selection of scrumptious soaps, candles and melts from Red Bamboo (I was so lucky to be put next to Annie's beautiful smelling stall!)


Very cute earrings and lovely wooden brooch from Sophie of That Vintage


And.... this sweet little purse Gemma of Loz and Dinny made from vintage vinyl and fabric.
How lucky am I?!

*I also got some yummy rockie road from Hungry Kitty but alas that was gone way before any photos were taken!

Sneak Peek at Niche

It's here! Niche is here! I've spent the last month working my little fingers to the bone trying to get enough stock together for this great handmade market. I have no idea if I've got enough journals and things together, but there's not much more I can do now. Below is a sneak peek at some new things I'll have for sale... If you are in Launceston, please drop by and say Hi!

Academy of Art, Inveresk
10am - 4pm
Fri Nov 27th - Sun 29th



2010 Diaries: They feature covers made from old record sleeves! The pages are designed by me and printed on 100% recycled, unbleached paper. Spiral bound, with some random pages throughout including old book pages, music sheets, grid paper, old-school road maps...


Notepads made from pre-loved Little Golden Books and recycled paper, they come with a free newspaper pencil (made from rolled newspaper instead of wood)!


Fabric-covered Journals, made with gorgeous vintage fabric and recycled paper. Each section (signature if you want to get technical) is covered with a different coloured card and the pages are lined, which would make them perfect for Recipe Journals.

In other news, here is my partner proudly showing off the first cabbage from our garden! He was very excited that it was bigger than his head...

Graffiti Knit Launceston

The Tassie Tigers at Civic Square get yarn bombed

So who would have thought that when I posted about graffiti knitting a few months back I would actually be doing some of it myself! A group of us got together to create a trail of knitting as a part of the Access Arts Link sculpture trail through the streets of Launceston. I've only just learnt to knit, so my contribution was fairly small but it gave me the chance to practice, practice, practice. A heap of fun was had on Saturday morning as we all rose early to hit the streets with out knitted pieces, before the rest of the town woke up. It was rainy. It was cold. But it was so much fun! I loved taking photos of the progess, sorry there are so many here, I just love them all!

enjoy
x isis





Dr Pugh goes a little Dr Seuss


Raewyn decorates a fence



Amy attacks a pole, another pole with cute flower, telstra phone gets a makeover


Abigayle takes an early morning dip in the Prince's Square fountain

And The Winner Is.....

TAMEEKA!

Congratulations Tameeka, you have won the Record Journal. I will email you right now to find out your postal address. Thanks to everyone for entering my first giveaway, there will be more to come...

x isis

Giveaway + New Journal Paper

I'm having a Blog Giveaway!

I'm very happy to announce I have sourced some new paper for my journals! It is 100% recycled and unbleached, made right here in Australia from Australian office paper. It is about 100 gsm which is slightly thicker than the cream plantation paper I have been using, and it also has a nice natural look and texture. You can see the recycled paper here in one of my new Upcycled Record Journals. These lovelies are made from 2 old LPs cut down to just over A5 size, and are handbound with brightly coloured threads. Every second page of the Upcycled Record Journals is lightly printed with lines, and I'm very happy to take special requests for Journals with music bars for real musicians. Meanwhile, the rest of us can all just dream of being musicians with our Upcycled Record Journals. These will be available at all up coming markets I attend for just AU$30, and should be in my etsy store in December.




To celebrate new journals and new paper, I'm having a Giveaway! You will win the Upcycled Record Journal pictured, with a few other surprise goodies thrown in. I'm happy to post free to anywhere in the world. All you have to do is leave a comment below letting me know what you think about the new 100% recycled and unbleached paper. ie. Are you happy to give up the clear, bleached pages of plantation paper for this darker, obviously-recycled paper? Please also include your email address. If you blog about this competition you will get your name in the hat a second time (and please let me know if you have blogged about it). Comp closes in a week - Wednesday 11th Nov.
x isis

4 New Ethical Pledgers + 2 New Shoe Links

Wow! Several more wonderful people have joined the Ethical Clothing Pledge. Welcome aboard Nikki from My Black Cardigan, Stephanie from MooBear, Tricia from Little Eco Footprints, and Holly from Sono-ma. I'm in awe at these amazing ladies who are all taking on the pledge on behalf of their families! I don't know if I could have taken this pledge were I not a uni-student-bum, who doesn't have a serious job or kiddies to run after (and dress!). Just imagine, they would be half naked most of the time! Hmmm... sounds familiar to my childhood! From now on I will be adding new pledgers to a list at the bottom of the original post, along with links to any ideas/info like the Ethical Shoe post.

I also have to let you know about two more must-see shoe companies I have added to the Ethical Shoe post.
El Nuralista Shoes - A passionate company originating in Spain, with strong philosophy and eco-policy.
Groundhog - Gorgeous footwear from a company that extends it's eco-friendly practices to all aspects of it's business, including materials, construction, packaging shipping.

And check out these Bio-Degradable shoes from Simple Shoes, set to be released in 2010

x isis

Is it a sign?

First image taken by me, second image borrowed from dkimages

Lately I've been thinking how much I miss my two dalmatians, and that I would really like another pet. We had many, many guinea pigs as a kid, some of which won me 1st place ribbons at the show, so I have a bit of a soft spot for the little guys. We have no grass at our place so I don't think I can actually get a real one. I'll just have to stick to this pretend friend I pulled out of the bread bag the other day... freaky!

x isis

Beetroot Chocolate Cake & Homespun

Had a blast at the Civic Homespun Market on Saturday! Thanks to all those who dropped by my stall to say hi. I was super nervous, but darling Raewyn was there to calm me down, point out the spelling mistake on my sign, and sell my books for me :D For more pics of the market, check out Lisa Kuilenburg's blog.

Actually, going to the market was really just an excuse to hangout with Raewyn and eat yummy beetroot chocolate cake. I've been planning to make a beetroot chocolate cake since oh about 2002! So when I found a bunch of beetroot and organic eggs in my recent Hilbarn box, I knew just what to do. Try this easy recipe, it's like a healthy mudcake!

Serves 8-10
Cooking time: 1 hour

75g Cocoa powder
180g plain flour
250g caster sugar
250g cooked beetroot
3 large free range organic eggs
200ml vegetable oil of choice
1 tsp vanilla extract
icing sugar to dust

1. Preheat oven to 180c and lightly butter a 20cm round cake tin.

2. Sift the cocoa, flour and baking powder in a bowl. Mix in the sugar

3. Blend the beetroot in a food processor. Add the eggs, one at a time, oil and vanilla. Process until smooth.

4. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients, add the wet mixture and lightly mix.

5. Pour into cake tin and bake for 50-60mins or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.

6. Cover loosely with foil if the cake starts to brown at 30minutes. (expect the top to crack!)

7. Leave for 15minutes before removing from the tin, then cool a wire rack. Dust with icing sugar to serve.

Clutterpunk + Ethical Shoes

I'm so excited to let you all know that the gorgeous Gina (aka Clutterpunk) has joined me in the Ethical Clothing Pledge! I'm all proud to have inspired someone with my pledge and really looking forward to having someone to share ideas + info with. I certianly admire her courage in taking on this pledge on behalf of her whole family, good on you Gina. Check out her pledge here.


Tinkerbell Ballet Flats by Spirocreations

While on the subject of Ethical Clothing I've put together some info on one of those harder purchases: Shoes

If you are the sort of person who has to wear the latest trend in footwear, I suggest you tune out now. Shoes are not something we can just whip up in our own home, and not everyone wants to wear secondhand shoes, so they are something we will end up having to purchase. Since we can never be sure what goes on behind the scenes, I guess we have to put a lot of trust into the companies we purchase from, and do a lot of research. Here are my tips/thoughts:

1. Buy very good quality shoes. Yes these usually come with a huge price tag but you will be better off in the long run. It has taken me a while to work out, but I have finally realised that most shoes that cost $170 will last 3 yrs + (and will most likely be repairable). Whereas shoes that cost $50 usually only last me 4-6 months (and are not repairable).
2. Pick shoes that will go the distance, not only in quality but in style. I have worked out that the most useful shoes for me are black mary janes because I wear them almost everywhere. Pick shoes that suit you and can be worn with many things in your wardrobe. Do you really need 10 shades of basically the same shoe?
3. Research, Research, Research. Pretty self explanatory, but don't forget to search around on forums to see what others are saying about those shoes my have your eye on. Are they as good quality as they claim? Are they as ethical as they claim?
4. Look after your shoes and make them last. Get them repaired if possible (here's a tutorial on how to re-sole shoes). Oil up your leathers. Stuff your boots so they keep their shape, and put them away in summer. I need to practice what I preach ;) Trace tells me that you should never wear a pair of shoes 2 days in a row, so they have time to release moisture.
5. Purchase from an independent shoe store that knows what they are talking about. Professionals who are dedicated to their industry will know their brands inside-out, will only stock good quality, and will fit your feet properly.
6. Can you alter your shoes if your are bored of them? So you really want boots with tassels - can you add tassels to your current boots? Check out this article from treehugger on how to 'pimp your shoes'.
7. Consider secondhand. I know this isn't up everyone's ally, but I have even found brand new shoes still in their box at op shops.
8. Can you borrow a pair of shoes from family or friends for a special occasion? Why buy a new pair of shoes for a special event if you will never wear them again?

*Phew* So having said all that, here are a few shoe makers that might interest you:
TOMS Shoes - American company; for every pair purchased they will donate a pair to needy children. Only available in Australia from Hype DC
Simple Shoes - American company that makes shoes from eco friendly materials such as old car tires and hemp. They also have a good Vegan range. They don't ship internationally but are found in shops around Australia.
Etiko - An Australian company, against sweatshop labour, that creates fairtrade accredited sneakers.
Earth Shop - Australian company that makes very good quality shoes, with the body's posture in mind. They use eco friendly materials like bamboo, recycled materials where possible and soy-based inks.
Spirocreations - hand-makes gorgeous custom leather shoes.
EmAndSprout - An etsy store that hand-makes "cute shoes for grown up".
El Nuralista Shoes - A passionate company originating in Spain, with strong philosophy and eco-policy.
Groundhog - Gorgeous footwear from a company that extends it's eco-friendly practices to all aspects of it's business, including materials, construction, packaging shipping.
You may also like to look further into vegan footware...
Elephant and Chickpea - another etsy store selling cute fabric house shoes

If you really want to make your own, check out it this funny tutorial on making thongs from a blown tire, or this tutorial for Viking boots!

Got anything to add? Please let me know so I can put it in this post.

x isis