Kilt pins

Nothing goes to waste in my studio. I have bags and bags of fabric scraps and of course lots of small pieces of the upcycled felted woollen jumpers I use for my Cast offs scarves and blankets. I am always thinking of things I can make with the scraps – my ultimate satisfaction is to design and make a product from the waste, generated from the affluent society I am fortunate enough to live in.

I have always been attracted to everyday objects that others may overlook. I have no idea why but things like pegs, matchboxes, safety pins, snap lock bags and corks are the kinds of funny things I like and of course I have a fondness for kilt pins.

They are functional and yet beautifully formed. They can be worn in both a practical and decorative manner - such as protecting a Scotsman’s modesty, fastened as a brooch on a scarf or wrap or used to pin your cardigan together.

I had been making brooch like kilt pins with dangly things hanging off for a while – my focus was shifting and I wanted to make a flower type brooch from my wool scraps. I was sitting in my studio snipping flowers in various sizes – playing around with layering them together and wondering how I could join them without using a button sewn in the centre – that seemed so predictable and somehow unoriginal.

That’s where my kilt pin epiphany moment comes in. I needed a stem for my flower brooch – but also something that would join the layered flowers together and fasten the flower to your scarf or cardigan. Once I had made a few and worn them a bit – I knew I was onto something. Cast offs Botanical Kilt pins were born and almost 700 kilt pins later…..I think they have been a definite winter winner.

Kewpie Dolls

How sweet are Kewpie Dolls! From the moment I first saw one – I was in LOVE – which makes sense as their name, often shortened to "Kewpies", is derived from "cupid", the Roman god of beauty and non-platonic love.

I just think they are so appealing – their cute, chubby little bodies and cheeks. They remind me of my little 15 month old son Milo at the moment – who absolutely LOVES eating but is yet to walk – so everyday he seems a little rounder and once those little legs get going it will all fall off and he will be ACTION toddler. Oh no….what am I in for!

Of course – Kitty and I have a wee collection of Kewpies. Which we love. Some tiny and some big. We are yet however to get a giant Kewpie – which I would totally love. It’s one of those things though…there is always something else to spend my money on!

Kewpie Dolls

Karmann Ghias

We have just got back from a lovely beach holiday in Apollo Bay. For anyone that knows this neck of the woods – a big part of the journey (my husband says ‘half the holiday is the getting there – so you may as well enjoy it’) is the drive down an amazing stretch of coastline called the Great Ocean Road.

And it is just that – a road that twists and turns along a cliff side overlooking the most beautiful coastline and ocean. The perfect kind of drive to be done in a Karmann Ghia…..which apparently is also known as ‘the poor man’s Porsche’.

The thing with being a Mother of small children though is that cars like Karmann Ghias – are just not at all practical. Let’s face it – the only reason I traded in my beautiful, white 1963 AP5 Valiant (I actually cried when the man who bought her came to take her away) is because I was about to become a Mother. And well, Mothers don’t tend to drive their new born babies around in old Valiants or Karmann Ghias for that matter.

Now that I have two children and a business that requires me to often cart around a whole lot of STUFF – my chances of having my very own red poor man’s Porsche is just going to have to wait………but as they say – ‘NEVER say NEVER’!