Cut and dried - wildflower tea towel dress!

I'm not sure when I first started thinking about making a teatowel dress.  I do tend to overthink projects!

An outing to Toowoomba provided a deadline - cos Erin and I were going to see a display of vintage tea towels.

The Qld State Library exhibited the tea towels last year but I missed seeing them, so was keen to made good on the second-chance opportunity.

I like to find op-shop bargains and had picked up several wildflower tea towels in semi-recent times, all since moving to Queensland.  Of course, they were then considered too pretty for day-to-day use!  One lined our road-trip breakfast basket and I took others on picnics.

I found a second WA tea towel last year, at least two years after scoring the first. It wasn't till I compared the two of them at home that I realised they were the same print with different coloured borders! 

That pair and another two also featuring Australian wildflowers were all only $2.00 or $3.00 each. 

The Sturt desert pea fabric was also opped, formerly a $7.00 dress (far too large for me but bought so I could re-use the fabric).  In total, the materials for the dress cost around $15.00. 

I also used some of the Sturt desert pea fabric along with a $2.00 former potholder to create a simple zip pouch. I had thought to use it as a clutch but it's a bit larger than intended, so may serve an alternate purpose.

I based the teatowel dress "design" loosely upon my green linen dress (a $6.00 opshop find) that I like wearing.  

That dress is super comfortable for travelling and I wanted to make a few more for a big trip later this year.

The green linen dress has one panel at the back and two at the front, so as to create a v-neckline.

My initial thought had been to make the tea towel dress in four long panels, following a free tutorial.  However I would have lost too much detail from the prints if I'd continued that idea.  

In the first collage, Erin is laughing cos her original suggestion of two panels is what I eventually went with!

I chose to make each panel the same, without bust darts, so I can wear either side as the front. 

I left the original hems on the tops of two WA teatowels, which became shoulder seams.  I left one of the original care labels in place, also.  

I chose not to treat the sleeve edges, prefering to leave them as they had been originally.

Erin had scored a 50c remnant of wildflower fabric at some point.  I used that to extend the length of both panels, so the hem folded just at the bottom of each lower tea towel, leaving all printing intact.

I made several bias strips from the desert pea fabric and joined those, so as to bind the round neckline.  

Unfortunately I cut the neckline a little deep, so then needed to raise the shoulder seams a little.  If I make another dress, I'll use a smaller cut-out.

I'd altered my bargain green linen dress to have some shape at the waist area, which was more flattering for me.  I used those alterations as a guide to curve the waist of my wildflower dress.  It's a smoother curve and works well.

I was so very chuffed with the end result, simple as it might be.  I wore it to the teatowel exhibition (and a few times since).  

I've received some beautiful compliments, which then prompted lots of fun discussion with several wonderful women.  One lady talked about her teatowel dress creations - and we laughed hugely about her many childhood moves with her mother's spoon collection!

My red handbag is another opshop score, a bowls bag by the same maker as my picnic case. The wildflower scarf was opped and the desert pea brooch a surprise gift from a lovely friend. 

Six months already!

Six months since last update.  And just over six months since we moved in.  We've done so much - and yes, there's still lots more on our to-do list.  

It's so nice to potter, without any condition report deadline or property inspection interruption.  We can fix issues promptly, another great bonus to being home owners!

I set up our sunroom first, so as to have one calm area to retreat to.  It was a pleasant spot to sit for our first few months, till summer really hit and it became far too hot to linger.

"New' furniture was necessary but there was no big spend-up at Harvey Norman.  

Two leather and wood chairs were $50.00 each, on sale at our local op-shop.  Leather conditioner worked wonders on their seat cushions and Nick was able to repair one leg, using wood glue.

The same opshop had a smaller dining table that was a much better fit for our dining room.  It extends from circle to oval, by using a nifty wind-out mechanism and two "leaves".  (Our much larger extension table was just too big for the room).

Our recliner lounge suite was sold off, also too big for this house.  We swapped it for a smaller, FaceBook marketplace suite - bought for just $200.00 (with a bit of a road-trip adventuring for Nick and I when we set off to collect it)!

Even with the smaller suite, it's taken lots of shuffling to get a workable arrangement for the lounge room.  We found a $15.00 corner TV unit that enabled us to trial a set-up that's working much better than anything else!

A stud finder (yes, lots of jokes were made about that gadget) helped with hanging my Innamincka print.  It's now more fully appreciated and while our Gladstone bags still live in our bedroom, I have vintage picnic cases, primus, kettle and kerosene lamp (a lovely gift from friends) that work well with the red dirt shots.

A cheffing mishap was the catalyst for a new induction cooktop (which meant some new cookware also), bought on sale from a retailer very close to home.  That purchase resulted in cashback funds that were then used toward a dishwasher, which feels very flash.  

It's been many years since we lived anywhere with a dishwasher - and even longer since we had one that actually worked properly!

Our Tea Cupboard of Good Fortune, (purchased soon after arrival in Queensland) became a huge feature of our previous kitchen.  It was one of the first things to be set up here.

While everyday kitchen storage was sorted soon after arrival, it's taken longer to find better systems for our corner pantry.  I'm so pleased with my very recent efforts!  Some tubs and baskets were used at our old house and I bought the green flexi-tubs and a few extra clear tubs at Bunnings for approx $50-60. Twas money well spent!

There's another corner cupboard in need of intervention but I'm still pondering that.  

All the pantry shuffling prompted some drawer organisation also.  The clear inserts are from Kmart, purchased with FlyBuy dollars.

We had a drawer unit in the front room of our old house.  It is now being used as an island bench here, to provide extra space.  It's working well, so was worth lugging upstairs - cos we didn't think of using it in the kitchen until after the removalists had left!

We've done quite a lot of other stuff, too - in between road-tripping, music-ing, Christmas-ing, celebrate-ing, Covid-ing and all other ings!  Nick's built a music studio downstairs (which will be a post of it's own) and I've dabbled with my vegie gardening.  We've given away boxes, sold excess furniture, started setting up a craft area and much more.  I reckon we're doing great work!

Bowled over by success?!

I've had a number of picnic "baskets" over the years. Our green kookaburra bag is still in service and works well for times when there are more picnickers but these days it's usually just Nick and I out together, so a smaller set-up makes sense.

I spotted this vintage lawn bowling bag at an opshop recently and promptly paid $20.00 for it and four bowls!  (Nick has a plan to use the bowls as hat stands - somehow).

The case was in pretty good condition.  There were some scuffs and tiny nicks to the exterior as well as some light rust/tarnish to the clasp.  I went over the metal parts with very fine steel wool.  Scuffs were treated with gumption and/or a magic sponge.  

I didn't think to take a photo of the interior before I removed the vinyl strapping but you can see a similar case in the second collage pic.

The case has N W initials outside but was marked J Swadling inside (with a phone number).  My maternal grandfather married several times and was partnered with a J Swadling at one time, so that was a bit funny.

I removed the green lining from the lid and base but left the band in place - as removing it would have been a far more involved exercise.  I trimmed the vinyl very neatly, as close to the rivets as possible.

Baking paper was used to create a template of the base and I originally intended to use a flexible chopping board to cover that area.  As I worked though, I revised my plan and cut a cardboard piece to cover with fabric.

More recently I read a blog where the writer had used foil to create a template - so I tried that method for the lid.  I found the baking paper just as easy to work with though and less fragile.

The foil template was used to cut fabric for the lid lining.  While I was pondering how to apply the fabric to the lid, specifically to shape the corners neatly - I practiced using mod podge on the cardboard base piece.  (I also coated the bottom of the case interior with mod podge, to seal the base).

I've had covid, so have been self-isolating and recovering these past couple of weeks.  I wasn't up to doing much and upcycling the case was a pleasant, low-energy diversion.

Covering the cardboard base piece with fabric was quite easy and then I moved to adhering the fabric lining inside the lid.  That also was a fairly smooth operation.  

There was more pondering before I tackled the side band.  Once I started, it wasn't as fiddly as I anticipated - and I'm pleased with how it turned out, even with the vinyl ridges underneath.  

I like that some of the original green is still visible.  I also salvaged the "Savoy Luggage" sticker and put it on the new lining, in a prominent position.  

I paid 50-cents for a falling-to-bits op-shop dress because the colours were so bright and beautiful.  The fabric was fine and I love how it looks inside the case.

The fabric covered cardboard fitted snugly into the base, so I didn't bother gluing it in place.  Although I thought to have the flexible chopping board as a protective cover over the base, I prefer the pretty fabric being on show.  

I'm sure I'll find another use for the flexible chopping boards - and the pack of four was only $4.00 from a discount store, so not a huge outlay.

According to the mod podge instructions, the interior will need to cure for four weeks before a different, final sealer is applied.  I might to do a bit more research about that process. 

I gave the exterior another clean, particularly the small Savoy logo plate.  I'm thinking of removing the gold initials and replacing them with ours - or a small plaque.  I'll ponder those options!

How much did I spend on the transformation? 

$20.00 for the case, 50-cents for the fabric, $15.50 for the mod podge and a couple of dollars for the foam applicators.  Cheap fun!

Collaring the jewellery storage - part 3!

Back in January, I wrote two posts detailing my collar box conversion project.  At the time of publishing the second post, I hadn't tested the box away from home.  

It came away for a short stay soon after I finished it's revamp - and then during our Big Loop road-trip throughout February/March. 

Happy to report there is very little movement of my brooches during transit and I like the box so much, I've been using it at home, also.

Much of our time from June to September was spent house hunting and moving.  As stress relief, I'd look at Facebook marketplace.  Although I wasn't really intending to buy anything, in August I found a smaller collar box - for $10!

From my research, it seems this second box may have been used for a lady's collars.  I was able to look at old advertisements for Potters, a jewellery store operating in Newcastle from 1886 to 1950.  

The process of cleaning the smaller collar box was much the same as I usually do.  Some cleaning with saddle soap, followed by a few applications of a leather conditioner.

The strap was broken, so I removed it but kept the buckle as I liked how that detail.  There's room for four brooches inside this box and I used a silk scarf to hold them in place.  (I might cut a circle of non-slip mat to try next trip - but there's no rush).

We stayed close to Newcastle on our most recent trip, so I took the collar box with me for a photo of where it would have originally come from - all those years ago. Funny that at one stage of my life, I would have regularly walked past this building on my lunch breaks!

The historic image is from 1891 and was scanned from a glass negative. 

I'm standing on the other side of the building in the shot above, close to the original entry.

"Image created by Ralph Snowball, held by the University of Newcastle Library's Special Collections"

Done and (not) dusted!

This last week and the one before blurred together, cos of all the happenings.  

We had a lovely day on Saturday.  I went to a free talk about caring for historical photos, Di visited in the afternoon - then Nick and I saw an excellent string quartet performance that night.  

We really enjoyed taking some time out to relax but there was still more to be done at the old house, so we were back at work on Sunday.  

Nick finished clearing downstairs, while I continued to pack up the kitchen, dining and bathroom areas.  

It's tricky to catalogue everything we did - but we did a lot!  Given the house was going to be demolished, we didn't need to do a thorough exit clean - bonus!

My plants were taken to our new home, including my bottle tree who rode in Elmer (cos he was too tall for the trailer)!

You can read about Rupert (aka my bottle tree), here.  I haven't measured both of us at each birthday but he is now definitely taller than me and has developed a curve, which is sort of like my sciolisis!

I dropped my destiny cards when packing up.  The scattered reading was interesting.  Funny that Fulfilment, Strength and Reliability cards still featured - as they had when I'd done a reading the previous week.  

We had boxes left, so I listed them as freebies on FB marketplace, to be collected before our exit date (to save us carting them).  

There was huge interest and we were happy to help out someone else.  (As we continue to unpack, more boxes and packing materials will be given away - cos we're not expecting to need them again, anytime soon)!

We'd finished everything by Tuesday afternoon and the final inspection was done on Thursday - a week after we moved into our new home (and just under 13 weeks since we received our Notice to Leave).  I'm pretty impressed with all we managed to achieve in such a short space of time.  

Our Tweety Trailer was an excellent purchase and well worth our $700.00 spend.  We think Nick did 13 trailer loads in total.  (There were things the removalists wouldn't take and stuff that made more sense for us to move).  

I'd been given four moving boxes full of butcher paper and used just about all of that.  As I unpack, I smooth the paper out and fold it - ready for someone else to use.  We packed so many boxes but weren't really keeping track during the last two, hectic weeks.  I've found my tally book though and can add a few numbers to my spreadsheet. 

Final tally.  Boxes donated: 20.  Boxes packed: 155 (till we lost count).  Tape rolls finished:  8.  Trailer loads:  13.

Singing our praises!

Week 12 was huge! So much happened, it was hard to keep up.

Nick had his second gig at Platform 5, playing two sets of two hours each.  As much as there was still a lot to do for moving, we both needed some time out - so had a late lunch between those sets and dined out also, on the way home.  

It was back to packing on Sunday and we quite forgot about it being Fathers Day, till a lot later in the morning.  

We did a lot of work that day, which started with us taking fragile china boxes across to the new house - packed into Elmer, with larger stuff in the Tweety trailer.

Nick went back to work on Monday.  I'd booked a deep clean for the new house, so split my time between both properties (which impacted on my packing).  Erin and I did more work on Tuesday while Nick on day-shift.  

We opted for takeaway when Nick came home, watched some silly YouTube offerings as a family - then Nick and I stayed up till well after 1:00am, preparing for the removalists.  

I lost track of our box numbers.  Many were of the sturdy, open variety - and really we were too busy working to count how many we worked on.  It was hectic!  

Nick set his alarm for 5:30am on Wednesday morning, which gave us a bit of extra time for last minute preparation before the guys arrived, promptly at 7:00am.  

It was a huge day, not without a few hiccups (which is the way of moving).  Vaughan went to TAFE.  Erin and Bandit drove over to the new house (where it was quieter).  

Nick and I stayed at the old house, out of the way of all the lifting and carrying.  There was still work to do, that the removal guys weren't contracted for.  

I needed to direct the unloading at the new house though and there was lots of decision-making in terms of where furniture and boxes should be put.  

There was no real dinner that night.  I'd driven into town to collect Vaughan from TAFE (pleased of a reprieve from all the moving mayhem).  He'd brought home souffle crepes, pavlova and mango parfait.  We ate those samples at about 9:00pm - and then went to bed!  

I'd scheduled my regular chiro appointment for Thursday morning - and really appreciated the treatment!  I moved and walked so much better afterwards.  Nick and I brunched at a nearby cafe.  The waiter was concerned we might not manage to eat a full breakfast, till we told him of moving house and eating pavlova for dinner!

We did a few hours of clearing that afternoon - and then a solid day on Friday (with a pleasant pub lunch as a break between stints).

Week 12 tally.  Boxes packed: 20. Total packed: 155.  The actual numbers would be higher but we lost count!

Key achievements!

Another huge week! We achieved so much and are rightly chuffed with our efforts.  

Filling the skip was our main focus and we did excellent work with that, getting our money's worth from the hire.  To maximise useful space, we put all the flat things in first, creating many (and very neat) layers.  

An old desk was broken down into parts.  Given it's weight, Nick cut the top into pieces.  The smaller sections were lighter and easier to carry to the skip.

Our current house has issues downstairs during extended and/or heavy rain.  Those issues have worsened during our time here - and the old desk had water damage.

The second-hand carpet tiles, purchased in 2013 for our Victorian rental, came to Queensland.  

We'd used the tiles downstairs till we became aware of the water/flooding problems - so they were also binned (due to mould).

The skip was collected early on the morning of our settlement day, which was great timing!

Nick had modified our Tweety trailer during the week, to create a drop-down tailgate.  He'd filled it with our black metal shelving units (purchased to protect stored items from downstairs flooding) - ready to take over when we got our house keys!

Three of those four shelving units have been erected at the new house.  The previous owner was a metal fabricator and left a lot of very solid shelving already in place.  

We are still deciding where our stuff will go - so have measured some items, to aid decision making. The new living area is smaller than here - and though we have sold some furniture pieces, other items may also need to go (after we've moved).  

Our removalists are booked for next week.  I fine-tuned our inventory with them before paying the revised invoice.  Our $200ish of furniture sales reduced the volume of our move, saving about $120.00.  

Interestingly when I updated our address for insurance, we received a refund for one vehicle but the premium went up for another - both with the same insurer.  We're $55ish in front though - another bonus!

I've done a fair bit of admin for the move.  Services are semi-organised.  (We're working through some of the usual hiccups). 

Cleaners are booked - and yes, I'm really looking forward to them doing that work!  

We've packed up the greater majority of our current downstairs area, so will now shift (hah!) our attention to the main house, prepping everything for the removalists.  It still looks daunting at this stage but I'm sure we'll make serious inroads over the next few days - cos we'll have to!

Week 11 tally. Boxes donated: 1 (bringing that total to 20). Boxes packed: 22. Total packed: 135.  Tape rolls finished: 2 (five rolls emptied so far).