YES PLEASE / Summer

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Summer is on our door step, and beside my paralysing fear of getting into bathing suit in the near future ( I salute all you post baby bodies ) I am welcoming the warmth the balmy evening walks and strawberry season.

Here are a few of my top picks for our impending summer.

For drying off or covering up / Ottoloom turkish towel

For effortless wearing / Penny Sage Corinne dress, in both colours.

For under that pretty dress / Lonely Hearts Club Flora bra

For those days you have a little too much sun / Herbivore Botanical Coconut milk bath from Tonic Room

For carrying it all / Saben Obi handbag in rust

For simple, parred back and pretty / Meadowlark Arrow band

For that beach glare / Age Eyewear Agenda Glasses in Milky Tort

For a throw over or wrap up in / Mavis & Osborne Linen House Coat

For everyday wear / Kowtow building block boat neck dress in stripe

Until next time,BlackbirdBLOG signature

MAKE IT / vegetable dye & block print teatowel

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Lately I have become re-obsessing with mustard.

It all started with a linen tee-shirt that I picked up on holiday. And as with all my obsessions it usually begins in the wardrobe and takes over the home, or vis versa really. But with the hunt for the perfect mustard linen escaping me at every turn, I decided to take matters into my own hands.

After countless hours scouring pinterest for guides to vegetable dyes and tapping into the knowledge of my mother I began, armed with turmeric, Onion, Teabags, salt, hot water and a large tub ( note, iron can change the effect of the dye, so best to use a good old plastic bucket )

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Taking my cream linen from The Fabric Store I cut them into shape, 70cm by 50cm pressing and hemming the edges.

After a process of trial and error, I found that to create my perfect mustard I would need a concoction of 1/3 cup iodised salt, 1 teaspoon of turmeric, 30 teabags and 15 cups of boiling water. Mixing thoroughly, allowing 10 minutes to steep then leaving the tea towel completely submerged for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. After wringing them out, leave them to dry ( Make sure you dry in the shade! The sun affects the final colour outcome )

Once dry it was time to wash, this is where it went a little down hill for me. After washing my tea towels and drying them again, I found my deliciously rich mustard had faded to a softer muted shadow of its former self. Sigh. But after a few curse words and another coffee they began to look better. Time to jazz them up a little.

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Enter Das fabric paint in white and a block of wood ( pretty handy when you live in a construction zone ) I used the side to dip in the paint and press on the linen. Rocking it gently to get an even cover. Once again patience is a vertue. Wait for it to completely dry, then press with a hot iron on both sides for how long your particular paint tells you to.

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There you have it, beautiful linen tea towels in your very own shade and print! And my moral of the story for you is have patience, it goes a long way. Happy dyeing!

Until next time,BlackbirdBLOG signature

YES PLEASE / kitchen

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With the majority of the kitchen finished, and after turning my hand to tiling, grouting and the likes, it’s time for the fun to begin .  As usual we have kept everything clean and light and choosing accessories to reflect that. Here is a few on the top of my list.

New Norm thermo mug in Ash / Pallares Solsona kitchen knife / Wooden bracket shelf / Iron wire basket / Round Acacia chopping board / Paysan pitcher in chalk white

Until next time,BlackbirdBLOG signature

MADE // Linen Apron

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Firstly, this is more of a show and tell than a DIY, there was a lot of ad-libbing that could get very confusing. But hopefully it inspires you to make your own!

I am a compulsive maker and forever bobbing around letting the craft tides move me to my new venture. The latest wave to hit is pottery. After attending my first class and being made to wear a plastic bib I was all like ” Oh hell no..” and quickly realised I was in need of a hard-wearing ( and cute ) apron. I had been drooling over the likes of these and these for far too long, it was time for action. Enter my pal’s over at The Fabric Store and some delicious oatmeal linen.

I used an apron that I already had to trace the pattern off, but if you don’t have one you can follow this simple pattern here ( that one is even adjustable! Faaaancy )

The prerequisites were a large pocket with a few compartments, tie in the front and a cute little knotty part. And because I am terrified of buttonholes, I decided to simply sew one end of the neck tie of the front and knot to cover it. Sneaky huh.

I do hope you are inspired to make your own! Or could just go and buy this beauty seeing as I haven’t been terribly helpful with the DIY.

Until next time,BlackbirdBLOG signature