Spreading the (Cushion) Love

Remember this cushion I made a few weeks ago?

I decided the fabric would look better in another setting, so here it is looking very different on a chair from Ikea in a city apartment:

I put another one on the couch in the apartment:

I was so happy with the result I made another, larger one, which is perfect for this 70s chair in an 1890s house:

And one for the bed, which lifts the white bed-linen. Fairly economical considering all four cushions came from three metres of material:

Remember these ones that I made from some Ici et La fabric?

They have found new homes in the 1890s house:

I think they look great on the dark timber of these chairs, don't you?

And with a bit of leftover fabric, I covered a chair cushion for the bedroom:

Oh, I almost forgot, I made a cushion for a chair in the house above the boatshed as well:

These last four came from one metre of fabric!

Boatshed Revisited

After almost a year, I've decided to take up blogging again. I stopped quite suddenly last July when I came home from Europe, so I could concentrate on finishing my PhD. That finally happened about a month ago, so I'm finding I have more free time now. During the year of no blogging, I consolidated my position on a few things. Firstly, the things I loved a year ago, I still do, namely walls of mirrors, walls of plates, bookshelves, library ladders, French chairs, chandeliers, marble, quilts etc. However, I have also learnt to embrace colour, particularly ones that may not appear to go together. My aesthetic now also encompasses mid-century. I've decided that if I love something, it doesn't matter what period it comes from. So, here on my deck is a 60s chair that I've covered in fabric from Ici et La, teamed with a table from the opshop covered in four tablecloths sewn together:


And my bathroom curtains are tablecloths from the op shop:


The main reason I've decided to revisit blogging is the global financial crisis. A year ago, who knew? Now its effects are ubiquitous. I have always, not being flush with cash, had an aesthetic based on thrift, without (hopefully) compromising on taste. So it really annoys me when stores, hotels, cafes etc sacrifice style when balancing the budget. At the moment I'm researching a trip to Queensland and trying to find accommodation under $AUD100 per night. I'm over the stock-issue quilted peach-toned bedspreads and smoked glass-topped tables. And vertical blinds, don't get me started. I have, however, managed to find a few inexpensive places that make me want to stay there, which I'll post about. In addition, I just returned from a week in New York where I also managed to achieve value for money fairly often and which I'll also be posting on.

French Style

Some beautiful images from my favourite Sydney shop, Ici et La. They all share the quality of timeless elegance. The last one looks like a still life oil painting.