Sweet Fabric [Search results for the good life

  • Excellent Melbourne Tradespeople & the old house...

    Excellent Melbourne Tradespeople & the old house...

    What I've been doing for the last month (& a bit)!

    Thought you guys might like a tour of the old place.

    Obviously not our furniture but I did do the bathroom & had to kitchenify the kitchen (nobody I know has three pairs of vases in their kitchen).

    Trades I've used (& heartily recommend). This should be the "go to" list for Melbourne folk.

    A bit of back history...I used to work in Property Management so I've dealt with a lot of tradespeople in my time & these guys were all amazingly accommodating & just a pleasure to deal with. I'm sharing them with you because I know how hard it is to find good tradespeople & it's so helpful to have referrals.

    Garden Maintenance:
    LC Mowing
    Lucas 0409 998 508
    This guy is a machine! I have never in my life seen a skip packed so neatly or efficiently. He just goes & goes until the job is done. If you need your lawns done, weeding & general garden tidy up then Lucas is your man.

    Builder:
    Glen Johnston Home Improvements
    Glen 0414 325 722
    Professional, helpful & extremely particular. Just absolutely top quality workmanship. Glen's the man if you're renovating or building in Melbourne's East.

    Plumber:
    Marty 0438 771 007
    Just a complete champion. It seems to me that finding a good plumber is like the quest for the holy grail. Marty is it!

    Electrician:
    Armadale Electrical
    9509 9133
    Gary was "my" electrician when I worked in Armadale & frankly I'd never use another electrician. The guys from Armadale Electrical are all super professional & just lovely blokes.

    General Maintenance:
    Polished Properties Maintenance Group
    Mark 0438 019 994
    Mark was recommended by our Real Estate Agent as the guy "who does it all". He co-ordinated painters & carpenters & general maintenance items. He's professional & a pleasure to deal with.

    Concrete:
    RL Concreting
    John 1300 790 775
    John did the driveway at our new house (which is exposed aggregate) & also helped us out at the old house. He's professional, prompt & a pleasure to deal with. He went above & beyond offering advice & options for us.

    Render:
    Jolley Textures
    Reegan 0425 773 684
    The house was rendered about twelve months ago & it's transformed it! Probably the best thing we did for the place which was previously a hideous orange brick. Reegan was extremely flexible & professional & will be coming back to the new place to render our new fence.

    Garden Design:
    Imperial Gardens
    Tracey 0419 200 116
    Tracey came in & offered practical advice on excellent low maintenance (& not too costly) garden design. The difference the plantings have made to the house is unbelievable. Imperial Gardens have some pretty impressive "cap feathers" in Toorak & Hawthorn & Tracey is offering consultations so that you can DIY. She works with what you have & offers no nonsense solutions to maximise the look of the property.

    Further details on the house can be obtained from Tom Ryan (0413 872 550) at Jellis Craig.

  • The one where I talk about...

    The one where I talk about...

    30 days of the everyday.

    First things first, let's get the housekeeping out of the way. Here are the contents of my packages from yesterday.

    These beautiful necklaces from Chocolate & Steel. How cute is her receipt - a little paper plane.

    Some of Lara's fabric. I'm looking forward to making something special with these.

    Finally a not photoworthy little book which I purchased online & I'm pretty excited about.

    And now about the 30 days...

    I have gained so much from this 30 day gig. I'm pretty much a head down bum up kind of girl & I really thought that having this blog had made me "stop & smell the roses".

    The 30 days proved me wrong. I've found myself really taking stock of what & who is around me & valuing & appreciating the hand I'm playing at the moment. It's a good life - even when it feels a bit out of control. I'm so lucky & I'm really focussing on living my life to the full & making the most of every minute.

    I read this interview with Kristi Arnold on Design for Mankind during my 30 days & I wanted to share this snippet...

    Best advice anyone ever gave you?
    K: Don't wait for opportunities to come to you. Seek them out, create your own options. I think a lot of people get stuck in places...waiting for something big to happen...then 10 years pass by and they are still in the same place, wondering what happened.

  • My stuff featured elsewhere ...

    My stuff featured elsewhere ...

    Fabric from one of my favourite vintage dresses

    Every once in a while something of mine turns up somewhere super lovely.

    Just for the record:

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    Apartment Therapy
    The Apartment Therapy Mission
    Helping people make their homes more beautiful, organized and healthy by connecting them to a wealth of resources, ideas and community online.

    What We Believe
    A calm, healthy, beautiful home is a necessary foundation for happiness and success in the world.

    Creating this home doesn’t require large amounts of money or space. It requires inspiration, connection to resources and motivation to do something about it.

    The basic elements of good home design can be learned and achieved by all.

    Simplicity and luxury are not mutually exclusive.

    Spool holder

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    Craftzine
    Introducing CRAFT: The first project-based magazine dedicated to the renaissance that is occurring within the world of crafts. Celebrating the DIY spirit, CRAFT's goal is to unite, inspire, inform and entertain a growing community of highly imaginative and resourceful people who are transforming traditional art and crafts with unconventional, unexpected and even renegade techniques, materials and tools; people who undertake amazing crafting projects in their homes and communities.
    Christmas Decorations, Corner Bookmark, Granny Square Necklace, Spool holder

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    Craft Gossip
    Confused about everything crafty out there? Not sure where to go and what to buy for your latest craft idea? Can't find that kitsch pattern that everyone else is talking about? Well worry no more! CraftGossip is all the latest news from real craft people telling you about the real stuff. We scour the net looking for the best craft ideas and projects and review them for you.
    Corner Bookmark, Embroidery on Dark Fabric, Hand pieced Pincushion, Photo to embroidery pattern, Twisted Cord

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    Mixtape Zine
    Mix tape zine is a collision of craft, eco-cool and pop culture kitsch it features recipes, eco tips, crafty people profiles, ethical business practices etc - you can purchase back issues here or find out more here. Find Justine here and Nichola’s blog here.
    my collection in issue 6

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    Nuts about Needlepoint
    An encyclopedia of needlepoint and thread information for all stitchers. Learn about Janet M. Perry's needlepoint projects, read book and product reviews, and find articles about techniques, threads, and more
    Twisted Cord

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    One Pretty Thing
    One Pretty Thing is a daily website dedicated to bringing you inspiring projects for a more beautiful life.
    Corner Bookmark, Drawstring Bag, Embroidered carry all, Embroidery on dark fabric, Fabric Notebook Cover, Photo to Embroidery Design, Quilt Quiver, Tealight Holder, Twisted Cord

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    Quilting Board
    The Quilter's message board.
    Thank you Sondray for linking to my projects.

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    Sew Mama Sew
    You’ll find some handy sewing tips and inspiration. Whether you’re just learning to sew, or have been sewing forever.

    The Sew,Mama,Sew! blog is pulled together each week by Kristin and Beth. Who both sew whenever they can and love fabric with a passion.

    If you’re looking for fabulous fabric and patterns, please take a look at the Sew,Mama,Sew! store.

    Drawstring Backpack, How to fold a fat quarter

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    Tipnut
    I think we all have them, those mile high piles of household tips and life hacks that we’ve collected over the years. They’re messy, disorganized and once they’ve been ‘filed’, those tips are nowhere to be found again.

    TipNut.com isn’t anything fancy. It’s simply my way of putting together all the cool tricks I’ve accumulated over the years into a simple, searchable, online filing box–this website. Some of them I’ve tried, some of them I don’t know if I’ll ever try. But I do know they’ll be here if I need them–and I’m happy to freely share everything with you too!
    Simple square pincushion

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    Whip Up
    Whip up: To prepare quickly. To excite. To create. To incite. To build. To invent. To conceive. To push. To upset. To manufacture. To provoke.

    This website has been created in order to bring the best original and exciting crafts to the attention of many.
    To create a community of artists, crafters and makers and share ideas in a central space.

    Embroidered Carry All, Embroidery on Dark Fabric, Corner Bookmark, Handpieced Pincushion, Pillowcase Shoulder Bag, Sausage Dog CD cover, Simple Square Pincushion, Toadstool Pincushion

    Thank you lovely folk for the thumbs up. It's much appreciated.

  • Good stuff about my girls...

    Good stuff about my girls...
  • The Quilt Project...

    The Quilt Project...
  • On The Date...

    On The Date...
  • Dusting off the projector...

    Dusting off the projector...
  • Lucky me...

    Lucky me...
  • Thanked...

    Thanked...
  • Friday Archives...

    Friday Archives...
  • Every cloud has a silver lining...

    Every cloud has a silver lining...
  • A moment in the sun...

    A moment in the sun...
  • On the sixth day of Christmas...

    On the sixth day of Christmas...
  • Friday Archives & a favour...

    Friday Archives & a favour...
  • Brown Owls...

    Brown Owls...
  • Op Shop til you drop 22...

    Op Shop til you drop 22...
  • This is...my demon

    This is...my demon
  • Lolly day 16...

    Lolly day 16...
  • Found photos...

    Found photos...