Winter Wardrobe Challenge

A selection of new and vintage buttons from my collection

It's my favourite time of year - lovely cool autumn days where the mind starts to feel sharp and clear again after all that oppressive humidity. The pressures of finishing my PhD thesis have meant that I haven't been able to make a single thing in ages but that doesn't mean I don't daydream about all the books and clothes and accessories I'm going to make as soon as this colossus is out of my head. I'm cautiously optimistic that that glorious day is only about three months away.

The cool change in the weather always sends me to the wardrobe to dig out my winter gear and decide what can go, what can stay, and what needs a revamp. For this year's winter wardrobe challenge (on a shoestring budget) I've decided to build a range of new looks around a few of the vintage items I have that I've never fully utilised because I don't have the right things to go with them.

1970s ruby red Hush Puppies

1970s plaid coat

vintage orange bowling bag

Stripey 70s jacket

I plan to stick to very basic components that I know suit me like the good old faithful staples, the A-line skirt and Empire-line pinny but this year I'm going to jazz them up with lots of details - big shaped pockets, embroidered details and my favourite embellishment of all - buttons! And I'll be zinging up my wardrobe with my collection of pretty scarves and bakelite buckles.


I also have a new accessory in development - more on that soon...

Art at Te Papa

Rata Lovell-Smith, Arbutus berries, 1936 (detail)

This week I was lucky enough to receive not one but two complimentary copies of the sumptuous new book, Art at Te Papa, edited by William McAloon and published by Te Papa Press. It's a hefty tome that includes reproductions of over 400 works from our national collection by New Zealand and international artists.

(foreground) Art at Te Papa
(background) Stanley Palmer print of Auckland, 1968

Each of the works is accompanied by a short essay. I contributed pieces on Rita Angus, Gretchen Albrecht, Richard Killeen, Jean Horsley, and Jacqueline Fahey (hence the free copies that came my way). It was incredibly difficult to write to a maximum 300 word-count per painting so the essays are short and snappy reference points rather than detailed pieces of research. It's a very handsome addition to our art book collection all the same.

Milan Mrkusich, Buildings, 1955 (detail)

Latter-Day Philatelist

Try saying that fast!

I've been spending a bit of time on Trade Me lately buying up clusters of inexpensive used postage stamps from around the world. I love all the colours and designs and thought they might make a nice design feature for a book of travel stories or maybe a line of travel related stationery - I'm not sure yet but I'm having fun arranging little compositions with them.