V&A Quilt iPhone App

Image via here.

Dear Ada pointed me to this iphone application about the V&A quilt show. Short of jumping on a plane to see the show (tempted, very tempted!), this is a happy second-best.

Stirling House

You know I'm a sucker for an interesting house. This one is no exception. Built in my hometown of Sydney, this is such a striking and stunning alternative to the terrace. Check out its lovely, woody interior.

This type of design, where the inside leads outside, strikes me as very Sydney - or even Australian. I suppose the climate lends itself well to the 'bring the outside inside' mentality. And how good's that skull in the kitchen?!!

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Black and White Rugs

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Why does everything look more fun with black and white stripey rugs? Why?!

Thanks for your lovely comments over the past few days - what a week! Will get back into normal routine soon!

Once Upon a Time...

... I gave this tile by Rob Ryan to the Pal. At the time, it seemed to sum up so many changes in our lives and the excitement of moving forward. It has moved from his house, to our house and (unbeknownst to me) became inspiration for a very sneaky plan.

Last Friday morning, I awoke to a cryptic phone text message from a 'Wise Old Owl' which set me off on hours of treasure hunting. First, I found some balloons with a key attached at my front door and these led me to lots more puzzles in our apartment. Find-a-words and a CD where I had to use the titles and artists to break a code (I love a good puzzle!) had me searching high and low for more clues throughout our apartment (one was even in the freezer!). The last clue told me to pack a bag for somewhere cold - this becomes important later - to leave it in the apartment and to catch the 9:22am ferry into the city.

What greeted me on the walk to the ferry were countless signs, chalk arrows and red helium balloons tied to fence posts from my house all the way down to the wharf - it was like I was in a dream. I kept searching around to see if any friends were hidden around, but it was just me.

I was crying as I took these photos - and people walking up from the ferry kept saying, "Who's Kate? What adventure?!" When I finally got down to the wharf, the outside and inside were covered with pages spelling out quotes from my favourite books. By now, I was really, really crying...

When I got inside the ferry, I received another message from the Wise Old Owl, telling me that there was another clue attached to a helium balloon inside. Inside this clue were more polaroids of city landmarks - places I had to search for further! Here are the photos:

Just as I was beginning to doubt my directional capabilities, I got off the ferry and to my astonishment saw more green signs - they were everywhere!! Happily guided along by my green friends, I wandered through the city, utterly speechless (although still crying at this stage).

The arrows led me to The Vault, a fancy safety deposit box facility where I thought the Pal might meet me... Instead, I used my key which was delivered to my door that morning to open a box to uncover an ipod shuffle loaded with some songs by one of my favourite artists, and a boarding pass to Hobart. Alongside these was the instruction to walk to the InterContinental Hotel and pick up my bag in order to go to the airport!

I walked to the hotel, (wondering how my bag had even got there in the first place!) crying even more, if possible, and asked for my bag, which emerged attached to more helium balloons and another envelope clue. It said to tear up my previous boarding pass, and use another one to fly to Hamilton Island!

By this stage, I was certain that the adventure would end there. But when I arrived at Hamilton Island, I saw a woman holding a green Kate's Adventure sign, and the Pal wasn't in sight! She took me on a bus to a helipad where, no joke, I got on a helicopter, despite the pilot giving me no clues as to our destination. (That's me in the attractive life jacket below in the top left). We left Hamilton Island and flew low over the Whitsundays, pulling in at a tiny beach with huts, and (you can see it in the middle below) a MASSIVE sign in the sand reading 'Adventure' with a huge arrow.

As I got off the helicopter (felt a little like I was in Tropic Thunder for a minute, then remembered I was in a tropical version of Amelie), the lovely staff buzzed around me, grabbed my luggage, gave me another envelope with a clue and told me to keep following the signs. I went down to the beach where I saw a boat come towards me. Just as I thought that this couldn't possibly be real, the captain said, 'Hi Kate!' and told me to get on board.

We zoomed out away from the resort, and even though we were in pristine bushland, large 'Kate's Adventure' signs were roped around rocks and trees all along the way! We pulled into a small beach, and the captain of the boat told me to stand up at the bow as we pulled into the beach.

The Pal was waiting there with champagne on ice, a cheese plate and, on the beach in the middle of nowhere, asked me to marry him.

And I said yes!

One of our dearest friends who was integral to the whole plan stuck this on our door for our arrival home, and planted chocolates and champagne in our apartment, too.

Thank you to everyone who helped in this intricate Amelie-style proposal - it was so incredibly extraordinary - and I am so excited!

-FIN- (or 'beginning'?)

STOP EVERYTHING!!

I have some VERY exciting news to share with you - stay tuned!!

The Quirico Company

These chairs are blowing my mind. It's like a modern, tribal-style quilt met a chair and fell in love. The divan-style one above makes me want to snuggle in it so badly...

All images via here.

Swimming Pool Installation

How cool is this? It's a simulated swimming pool made by Argentinian artist Leandro Erlich in Japan. I love the view down - amazing to see people walking, fully clothed in there!

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More Robot Love

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What? Yeah, ok, I love robots. What of it. These mugs (and EGG CUPS!) are so great. In fact, the whole website is amazing. Check it.

Retro iPhone Dock

Oh wow. I know I've been posting a fair few things about iphones lately, but really, this is just too good.
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Delightful Interiors

Holly tipped me off to a new IKEA initiative: photos from real people's homes. I just love these colourful ones, and those Expedit shelves with delicious pretties are amaze. Have a look around - they're just lovely.

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Encyclopedia of Sewing and Fabric Crafts

As a post-PhD treat, I bought myself Martha's newest book - and I have to say, it's amazing. Not only does it outline everything you need to start sewing, but it gives detailed information on types of fabric, stitches and techniques that I had never dared entertain.
My favourite part of the book is the endless array of patterns (included on a CD) and projects - here are just some (blurry) photos of some toy rabbits, a pillowcase bag and an organiser that got me totally hooked. I have been poring over the book again and again - overcome with inspiration!

I am a self-taught (from the internet) sewer, and I would thoroughly recommend this as an inspirational and educational resource. Love it!

Frankie's Quilt

I am so excited - this is for the baby of my delightful friend K - and I can't wait to take it to her today when I meet her for the first time! The fabric is Santorini by Lila Tueller for Moda - and the back is just one fabric from the range (above) while the front is patchwork (below). I'm very proud of my straight seams!!
I also made two small face washers with matching binding - couldn't resist a silly stylised pic with these little ones!

Map Onesies

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How lovely are these map onesies? I don't have a newly born baby (who's out in the world - hint, pregnant lady friend!) to buy these for yet, but think they're adorable.

Castle Linens

I've been looking into getting some new bed linen, so there might be a few bed linen posts coming up in the next few weeks! I love these designs by Castle, which are fun without being too busy. I am wondering, with my new-found love of cushion-making, whether I could make some pillow slips of my own in this style. Hmmm. New project, perhaps?

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Black and White House Love

I love black and white at the best of times. But I love even more how this house combines quirky touches (those botanical prints!) with Ikea and other bargain items. Can't stand houses too conceited to allow a fun mix - isn't it fun?

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New Housie Finds

I have been meaning to show some more photos of our apartment, but it has been a long time coming. Thankfully, some new finds have propelled me into a post! A grandiose mansion across the road from us has just been sold, and the old owners are constantly leaving items on the roadside in an effort to clean up before they move. Happily, I keep driving past at very opportune times: last weekend I scored the awesome framed Beatles poster (J'adore les Beatles!) and then last night, the round mirror.
I keep wondering whether they were hung nearby in the house, as I love how the circles in each seem to echo each other.
I also have a perverse LOVE of finding things on the side of the road. I always slow down near piles of things (much to the Pal's chagrin) in the hope of finding an Eames sideboard or mid-century chair. I have found some lovelies in the past and these are pretty high on the list.

And the Pal likes them, too.

White on White

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Some peaceful images for your Friday. Have a lovely weekend!

Grove Made iPhone Cases

Aren't these little bamboo iphone cases the prettiest thing? Made out of Portland, Oregon, these little cases are engraved with the loveliest designs. Enjoy!

All images via here.

Tiny Stone House

This fun little holiday house is located in Spain and designed by Spanish architect Anton Garcia-Abril of Ensamble Studio. The website explains that it is dubbed "the “Truffle” house, the most unique feature of this cave house is the fact that it was hollowed out by a cow – the house was built by stacking bales of hay in a cavern in the earth, and the remaining space filled with poured concrete. The entire mass was then exhumed, and the hay removed with the help of Pauline the cow, who got a year’s worth of lunch in the deal. As described by the architect, “The Truffle is a piece of nature built with earth, full of air; a space within a stone that sits on the ground and blends with the territory. It camouflages, by emulating the processes of mineral formation in its structure, and integrates with the natural environment, complying with its laws.”

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