Have you noticed - patchwork is suddenly everywhere, and the more the merrier, I say! I recently started to combine all the offcuts of our congo skirts that I was too sentimental to throw away. The cotton waxprint congo fabric is bold and the contrasting taffeta lining is bright and luxurious. Patched together they make magic.
I've used the congo patchwork to make a sample christmas stocking (can you believe that large retailers were already thinking of Christmas 2009 in November 2008??!) I also used it to make the skewest roman blind since Julius Caesar decided to have one put in his tent. I think it will also work really well for little pencil cases and make-up clutches. Rumour has it that there is a skirt with some patch detail in the pipeline... watch this space!
I have also had fun with a bootload of fabric- and wallpaper sample books, kindly given by the folks at St Leger & Viney. I used the former to make a large block patch quilt and cut up the latter to make a patchwork surround for my fireplace. It looks slightly old worldy, and compliments the old seascape painting of Cape Town and my wrought iron overmantel perfectly, don't you think?
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Hi all, I'm back - refreshed, full of ideas and with a bit of colour on my face. This year's New Year's Eve party was without a doubt my best one ever - I'll post a collage tomorrow. Here's hoping that your 2009 will be filled with happiness and hand-crafted objects of beauty.
Speaking of which, I found this how-to on Etsy, and I have to say, for someone who was once called an "olympic recyclist", it really rang a couple of my bells.
Firstly, the end product is really cute, non? Secondly, it addresses that sense of failure and ennui lurking in the bottom of the washing basket - those single gloves languishing in limbo while waiting for that big washing machine in the sky to return their partner. Time to head out on your own guys, and could there ever be a better time for some cosmetic surgery?
That's right, these cute little chipmunks started out their lives as kiddies gloves. Unfortunately they were different sizes, so they couldn't be paired once they'd lost their mates. I think they'd make make really sweet cuddly toys, bag charms - even Christmas tree decorations. Well done to Niki who added personality to them with some wool fleece and a felting needle once I'd stitched them together.
Now, does anyone have any great ideas for all those single socks...?
Thank you to Ideas magazine for publishing this article about starting your own business, in which they interviewed me about Mielie.
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We're taking a little Mielie break until 5 Jan, so no Mielie news for the next two weeks. When the mood strikes me, I'll post some holiday entries, ok?
xx adri
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Just popped these leather fringe bags into the shop. They are completely different to our regular Mielie bags, and anyone who owns one will agree with me that there is no better way to shimmy and sashay than with a leather fringe bag at your hip.
Each strip is cut by hand from leather offcuts and then knotted onto a hessian base. And my best part: the adjustable strap is made from school shoe leather. Remember those old Buccaneers, girls?
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Meet Right, Montebello's resident sculptor, philosopher and general nice guy. Where you or I see a piece of wood, Right has the gift to see an angel, a mother with child, a gorilla, a cat - even a cricketer (can you see the bowling figure, top right - complete with shin guards and sports shoes?). If ever you visit us at Montebello, please pencil in some time for a chat with Right. He has fascinating insights and very refreshing ways of putting them across.
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Yesterday we held a memorial service for Nonqubela. Everyone met at Zanele's house, dressed in their finest, and then we walked to Nonqubela's house. Mzo conducted a beautiful service (even though I only understood every tenth word) and the singing was truly uplifting.
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I was was really lucky to visit some rural villages in Cambodia where ikat silk is woven. The weavers work on looms that are often generations old, and the patterns vary from village to village.
The silk thread that will be used on the weft (horizontal) threads are exactly measured out and then tie-dyed in elaborate patterns. The thread is then wound onto bobbins, and it is only when the silk is woven that the pattern appears.
The work is painstaking, the level of craftsmanship is astounding.
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When our beloved Table Mountain sports a beautiful, fluffy cloud that we call its table cloth, you can bet that the wind is blowing, a fact that most Capetonians have found ways of consoling themselves over... as in "well imagine how much pollution there would be if the wind didn't blow?" or "do you know how hot it would be if it weren't for the South-Easter?"
But there's one species of Capie whose grin just gets wider when the wind blows: the kite surfers of Table View (no prizes for guessing how this neck of the woods got its name!) Today Mzo, Niki and I spotted them doing their own brand of flying while on our way to fetch Mielie strips. It was simply breathtaking.
On a completely different note, I'm sure any working mom will agree with me that juggling work and school holidays can get pretty stressful. So imagine my delight when I returned home from work yesterday to find a home full of contented boys... and a present for me - a mini chocmilk deluxe with a hint of pure vanilla, cinnamon and rock sugar. And oh my, what beautiful presentation! Thanks Niki and Alex!
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The beautiful fruit decorations were knitted by the talented Astrid using bamboo wool; the embroidered hearts were made by that embroidery genius, Morgan. If you live in Cape Town, you can pop into the shop to see them in the, erm, flesh.
On a much sadder note, we were devastated to learn that Nonqubela passed away this weekend. Nonqubela was the the chicken feet chef I wrote about here - remember? She was gentle, gracious and hard-working and will be sorely missed by the whole Mielie team. All our thoughts and prayers are with her family.
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Every Taiwanese taxi we traveled in had its own unique interior flair.
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