Detour

Seasons change and so do life's circumstances.  It's advisable from time to time to sit back and consider what is really important - sometimes the answer comes as quite a surprise.

I created Hot Fudge back in 2008 and opened my Etsy shop shortly after.  At the time we were living in Brisbane and a group of local Etsy sellers, about 16 in all, got together over coffee and cake.  It was such a success that it was unanimously decided that we should form a local group of Etsy sellers and thus BrisStyle was born.

We took a few baby steps towards organising a market to test the waters, and the rest is history.  BrisStyle is now a household name in Brisbane and the Twilight Market at King George Square is the place to be.  I am so proud to have been there at that first gathering and to see how far it has advanced.

Meanwhile, my Etsy and Madeit stores expanded and along with my stall at the BrisStyle markets, I was quite contented with the way my little business was growing.  I never wanted the it to become so big that I would have had to employ outside help, so I deliberately kept it manageable.

In 2011, after nearly 21 years in Brisbane (plus a four year period in the early 1980s), we decided to return to our hometown, Sydney.  The time was right, as the bulk of our family and our old friends were there and we were not getting any younger.  It meant leaving behind our son and his family which was a terrible wrench and it did take some soul-searching.  We were also leaving behind those loyal Brisbane friends who had stood by us through particularly difficult times.

It's now going on five years since that move and we are happy and contented with our decision.  Our lives are full of family and old friends and we are constantly grateful to have reached this stage of our lives.

And now to that detour.  Over the past few months a little voice has been whispering to me, advising me to slow down and make some changes in my life. I had just turned some ridiculous age and I made a mental list of what was important to me and what I wanted to achieve in 2016.  It was a no-brainer - family always comes first, closely followed by friends. One branch of the family is going through a stressful time, while a dear friend in Tasmania is seriously ill, and this has led us to do some travelling over the past month.

There will be more trips ahead which means I cannot devote as much time as I would need to keep my children's clothing business up to speed.  That little voice was also telling me how much I missed the time I used to have quilting, so I have undertaken two quilting projects which should (ha ha!) be complete by the end of the year.

 As a result, I have decided to cease the clothing side of my business and concentrate on the things that need to be done on a personal level.  However, I am continuing Hot Fudge, making designer garlands and bunting.  They are popular seasonal items, particularly around Christmas and Easter, and with a nod to Matisse with his cutouts, I have to continue doing something creative.

I have removed all made-to-order items from my Etsy store and am in the process of adjusting my Madeit site.  All that I have left in the way of children's clothing is what I have in stock. Here's an opportunity to take a look and if you see something that you like and it is in the right size, please grab it, even if it is for next Christmas (eek!), because once they are gone, they are gone, I'm afraid.

Are you still there?  So sorry for the lengthy post, but it's not the sort of decision I make every day.

Thank you so much for your support over the years and don't forget, if you need garlands in your life, you know where I am.

Oh, and a big thank you to those wonderful photographers and their models, particularly Sara of Boutique Baby Photography and her two gorgeous little girls, Lyric and Kay. You are so talented and you brought my clothes to life.

Hugs.   

From my machine

Seasons change and with the change comes the realization that children have grown and are in need of new clothing.  What's not to love about that?

Among the recent orders I have received was one from a lovely returning customer who purchased these two special occasion dresses, as well as a pair of bubble shorts.  They are now on their way to their new home.

It is inevitable that with the warmer weather arriving, the Christmas shopping season as has commenced, if the department stores and supermarkets are to be our guides.  What a surprise.

Along with clothing orders, I have been preparing for the Christmas rush by making Christmas tree garlands which are always popular in the two months leading up to Christmas.

The traditional red and green ties have always been available, but in the last couple of seasons I have added aqua ties for those who like something a little different.  They are particularly popular among those who are fortunate enough to spend Christmas in the midst of summer.

I don't know if it's a sign of entering the let's say more mature phase of life, but I take particular delight in witnessing the pure joy and excitement of young children when they spy Santa for the first time, or stare in wonderment at department store Christmas window displays.  Pure gold.

Available here.

Speaking of such events, what is more adorable than little toddler sisters all dressed up for a special occasion, be it a wedding (perhaps as flower girls), Christmas family parties or birthday celebrations?  And who doesn't love bows, lace and the odd pin-tuck?  These two special occasion dresses are the last I have in stock, the smaller one in size 12 months and the larger one in size 2.

The backs are just as pretty.  They are made of a lovely soft grey fabric which falls so beautifully, and the skirts are extra full.  If you know of two little sisters who you are dying to outfit in co-ordinating special occasion dresses, look no further.

And now back to those trees.

It's coming

What's coming?  Spring of course.  On a day like today there's no denying it.

Almost overnight buds have appeared on shrubs and trees.

Gardens are shedding the last of their camelia flowers to make way for fresh azalea blooms.

Jacarandas are turning golden yellow before dropping their foliage in readiness for Sydney to be brushed with a haze of purple.  I know this glorious weather won't last and winter will return in its last desperate bid to hang around.  But in three days it will be spring, wonderful spring.

August has been such a busy and eventful month, with three family birthdays just as a start.  Our ten year-old granddaughter was selected to present the ball at the opening of the Netball World Cup game between Australia and England before a crowd of over 16,000 (images taken by an excited mother).  She couldn't take the smile off her face and at the end of the game she was presented with the ball signed by the Australian captain.  Australia won that game and went on to win the World Cup against New Zealand.

Ten days ago we drove our daughter and son-in-law to the airport as they set off on a four month adventure around England, Ireland and Europe.  Maz's painting, They Never Saw It Coming, had been selected out of over 850 submissions as a finalist in the Mosman Art Prize 2015 which opened on 25 July.  Somewhat belatedly Tony and I visited the gallery a couple of days ago and were delighted to see that the painting had been sold.  We were able to pass on the glad tidings to Maz as they landed in Dublin.

On the sewing front, I was on a self-imposed deadline to finish a quilt for my granddaughter.  She is at the horse-crazy stage and her mother bought a quilt kit from No Chintz which I was only too happy to put together.  I sewed the label on the back on Wednesday morning and by that evening it was on her bed.  She loves it, thank goodness!

One of the FaceBook pages I follow had a sew-along last week.  It involved a pattern which I had bought a few months back and had not got around to making, so it was the perfect opportunity to join in.  It was a fun project and I was very happy with the result, so much so that I will be working on a similar style for the upcoming summer range of Hot Fudge which will be available soon in my Etsy and MadeIt shops.

To round off the week I made this skirt.  It's one of my favourites and is so easy to wear.  I made it in size 10, but it's available in limited supplies made to order in sizes 5 to 13/14 in my shops listed above.

So much for August.  Hurry up September, I am totally over winter.

Everything old is new again

I guess it's true that every cloud has a silver lining.  Our cloud came in the form of not being permitted to hang any of our pictures on the walls of the unit where we spent the last three years.  The silver lining is that there are no such restrictions in our new home.  All our paintings and pictures as a result were sulking in a storage cage in the basement of the building.  I'll spare you the dramas of reducing the huge pile of possessions which were sharing the space with the paintings, suffice to say we somehow successfully reduced it to what would fit into our actual unit.  With no storage cage in our new home, life is so much simpler.  Another silver lining.

We are waiting for a professional picture hanger to take care of the larger pictures, but in the meantime we figured we could look after some of the smaller works on our own.  The walls are solid brick with no gyprock to hammer picture hooks into, so we bought some of those adhesive ones which guarantee they will hold certain weights.  We'll see.

First picture up was one of our daughter Maz Dixon's works, naturally.  So far it hasn't fallen down and it's been up an hour already (that should get her heart racing).

These two works have always hung in our bedroom and it's like Christmas all over to see them back where they belong.  Mary Cassatt has long been an artist I admire and her picture, Child in a Straw Hat, is my favourite.  These two have also been up for an hour without falling down, but I'm not silly enough to have either one hanging over my head when I'm in bed.

Even having a calendar up on the wall is exciting, and looking at Margaret Olley works every day is not hard on the eyes.

Now for a confession.  We have quite a few paintings and pictures.  They have to go somewhere while we decide which ones are going up where and which ones will have to sadly part company with us.

And where else would you store them but in the guest bathroom?

It's the perfect conversation starter and as long as our guests don't take a shower, we'll be fine.

The Christmas break was a good time step back from sewing, but pretty soon I was ready for the new year.  The grandchildren needed beach bags for their holiday away with their parents so after consultation with their mother, this design was chosen, as it also has lots of pockets inside to carry those seaside treasures such as shells, dead crabs or whatever it is that children fancy today.  

Our quilting group met this week for the first time since the Christmas break and what a show and tell one of members had.  A relative had survived World War I only to be murdered in the Middle East in 1920 while on active duty.  Her cousin in England was a direct descendant and had ordered two poppies to be placed at The Tower, one for himself and the other for my quilting friend.  It arrived with some of the soil still attached and it was such a thrill to see one of these famous poppies close up.   

Some time back I had purchased a pattern by Amelie and Henri.  I am a great admirer of the designer Kerri and this pretty dress was waiting for some spare time to be made up.  It is so 1920s with its drop waistline, lace and pleats, not to mention the big bow. 

I came across the perfect black and white fabrics last week and decided it would be my first Hot Fudge item for 2015.  Australian buyers can also find it here.

So as you can see, everything old is new again.

You better watch out

You better watch out ...

Images: Sara Sprague

You better not cry ...

You better not pout ...

I'm telling you why ...

Santa Claus is comin' to town!

I just received these delightful images from talented Californian photographer Sara Sprague whose two little girls bring a smile to my face. 

I've watched big sister Lyric grow from a toddler to the beautiful young miss she is today.  This was one of the first shots her wonderful mother took for Hot Fudge back in 2011.  And now she has a gorgeous little sister who at a tender age has already graced the pages of Vogue Magazine. 

  

 I was wondering why this ruffled skirt appealed to me so much, and then I remembered.

We're moving next month and I was going through old photographs in an unsuccessful attempt to cull.  And there it was - taken in the late 1980s during my Big Hair period.  What goes around comes around!

From experience I can fairly confidently predict that things will get a little frantic in the sewing studio between now and Christmas and with a house move thrown into the formula, early Christmas shopping is recommended.

If you are after Christmas listings, you can find them in my Etsy or my Madeit stores.

If you are shopping for dresses, try here for Etsy or here for Madeit.

There are several other sections to explore, so pop on here for Etsy or here for Madeit.

Happy shopping.