Dreaming of Vintage Treasures

Hello! How have you been?  We are 17 days into our 2nd lock-down in Melbourne. I'm back to teaching my students from home and I'm impressed with how well they're adapting to learning from home. The number of  COVID-19  cases seem to be rising and face masks are now a requirement when leaving home. While I try to look on the bright side most of the time, I just wish it was all over. Combined with my  overwhelming workload, it's proving to be quite draining. I'm glad to squeeze in a walk each day, some reading and TV watching. Mental health and having time to relax is important, but I'm sure you know that already. I also like having a creative project on the go. Here is my granny square vest that I promised to show you.  I made it myself!  Whilst I've known how to crotchet for years, the granny square has always intimidated me. I remember seeing my friend Renee making granny squares ages ago and thinking, That looks so hard! But aft

As promised, in this blog post I will be sharing my embroidery creations. During our first stint of lock-down, my sister and I participated in online embroidery classes once a week. We learnt how to embroider flowers and since then, I've been obsessed. Each piece took hours to create and I treasure every one of them. First I made this t-shirt. I'm not really a fan of plain, solid t-shirts and this one has been sitting around in my drawers for years so I thought I'd jazz it up!  That's much better - now I'll actually wear it in the summertime. Worn with some jeans, it gives off a 1970s casual look. And a little jewellery never hurt anyone. These pieces are all second hand and whilst the rings are modern, both bangles are vintage. My love of coral, turquoise and snake jewellery will never die! After completing the t-shirt, I moved straight onto embroidering this plum cardigan. Inspiration struck after I saw a similar one

As of Thursday, Metropolitan Melbourne has been  in lockdown again as the number of coronavirus cases has  drastically increased. At this point, I'm feeling okay about it. I've adjusted to isolation and keeping myself amused. In the place of face-to-face catch ups with friends, video calls are my new normal. Plus, there's always the fun of taking outfit photos in the garden!  These photos were taken before lockdown when I wanted to capture the gorgeous orange tree before we eat/drink all the oranges. I love this blue velvet skirt. It suits my  snake print boots and new-to-me belt. Although this skirt is cheeky and  likes to play games with me! Sometimes it's static-y and when  I recently wore it to work with a slip underneath, it seemed to create more static. My students' parents must have  thought I was flashing them at home time when my skirt kept riding up with every step I took! Embarrassing! Outfit details: Beret: I made it myself! Velvet skirt:

Last Tuesday, I had a lovely day out to the country. It started with an obligatory visit to the vintage market, where I found quite a few vintage treasures - some vintage plates, an orange Mexican bag and beaded sandals made in Italy.  It was a day of finds!  I've neglected to take photos of them but they'll appear in a blog post at some point. I was glad that the market wasn't too busy so it was easy to social distance. After a quick stop at the fish and chip shop for a souvlaki (yum!),  I noticed a botanical garden which I'd never visited before. It was so cold but that didn't stop me from strolling through the gorgeous forest.  Tiptoeing down the hill was hilarious! Sure, I love these suede boots but they have absolutely no grip on the sole!  I was unable to stop myself from sliding down the hill, laughing and squalling - it was so funny!  When I found these unworn Trenery boots for $5 at a secondhand market a few years ago, I couldn