find,make,do's blog about the handmadeliving book

Handmade Living: Little Miss Doily

There is a fantastic new book being launched on the 4th of December bursting with crafty goodness.
Handmade Living has been lovingly created by a dedicated team of Canberra women who believe strongly in promoting handmade, small business and local designers.According to one of the books creators, Tania McCarthy ,"Handmade Living is not about elaborate, complicated or exclusive design. It's essence is centered in whimsy, simplicity and style, and its greatest gift will be in the inspiration to create"
Find, Make, Do has hitched a ride on the Handmade Living blog tour and I am happy to introduce you to one of the many designers featured in the book: Caleena Edkins. Caleena got in touch with me earlier in the year after my post about Recycled Doily Craft, and I discovered the sweet and ethereal dresses she creates from vintage doilies.

And you can make one yourself ! Handmade Living is chock full of crafty tutorials and there are clear instuctions and "how to" pictures to help you make your own divine doily dress .

Being a doily re-purposer myself, I was drawn to her beautiful creations and am only thankful that we don't live in the same city and scour the same second hand shops!

I asked Caleena where she sources her doilies "Most of my doilies initially were from second hand shops and garage sales but as the word spreads alot of people actually give me their family heirlooms and I usually make their child a dress as a contra deal.I also have got some great ones on ebay,the secret is to try to buy in bulk as people ask alot for individual doilies. From there, if they are stained, I dye them beautiful colours!"

It's not hard to tell that Caleena is totally in love with vintage doilies "I love the fact that someone took hours embroidering or crocheting that special piece and that is was probably made with lots of love.I want to honor that by giving it a new life in the form of a beautiful dress.I am inspired by the sheer beauty of them and sometimes I wait for a few doily's that match to appear and then magic happens and they seem to merge together beautifully for a dress.

You can read about Caleena's creative life as a maker and busy Mum on her blog Little Miss Doily. And visit her "bursting at the seams" online stores :Little People Clothing Made It Shop and Little Miss Doily on Blue Caravan.

"Handmade Living" would be an excellent Chrissy gift for the crafty people in your world. It is available to buy here!

The Find, Make, Do BUMPER Christmas Giveaway is still running here.
Enter for a chance to win some cool and crafty goodies!

I am obsessed with mushrooms at the moment,
Fairy mushrooms of course,
I want to sew with them,draw them and have some in our garden,
I would love to make some mushroom seats to sit in a ring near the cubby........

Here are some inspirational pictures I have found in my research...

Woodland fairies,gypsies and mushrooms..that is where my head is at right now
littlemissdoily x

new year,new ideas

well it was so nice to get away with just my family,
thats still 6 people!!!!!!
We had the wettest island holiday in the middle of a cyclone,
still golf buggies are still fun in the rain!
Looking forward to a crafty january,
making lots of goodies with the kids

I have been busy working on some very sweet crochet flower hairclips,
headbands and beanie/berets
Here are some clips,they look good enough to eat!!!!
littlemissdoily x

My Funny Family – clay animation

How cool is this video,I would love to try something similar these holidays with my brood
littlemissdoily xMy Funny Family – clay animation

malia's tea party

Little miss malia had her 7th birthday party today,
It was an alice in wonderland tea party after school and all the kids were so excited to be dressed up!
there were alot of white queens [including me],rabbits and mad hatters,
mike was a fab mad hatter and really got into the party,
We ate special treats and boogied away to all their favourite songs,

 my amazing neighbor  Di made these cute cookies

 the birthday girl having a ball in her dormouse costume

 a table laden with treats

 mr white rabbit/teddybear Levi

 heart shaped fairy bread,vol-au-vonts,doilies and pastel meringes......

 lollybags all lined up in a row...

 alice in wonderland and playing card buntings

 nothing like a jam sponge for tea....

 fancy a jam tart?or an iced vovo perhaps?

 great fun playing the 'chocolate game'

 Jemima,the grooviest white rabbit I know...

 hudson,my mad march hare..

 birthday girl didn't stop smiling

 everyones costumes were fantastic

nothing like a grandma dressed as the red queen

 a daddy as the mad hatter splendid in safari suit

 A white queen mother..

 Fairy eggs in tiny glass bottles as prizes...

we played some silly games and laughed alot
I think Malia had a great time,
she has fallen into a heap still wearing her costume,
what a happy day
littlemissdoily x

handmade living blog tour

Wow!!!

Hello crafters,today I am amazed by the two lovely blogs written about 'handmade living'
the fantastic new craft book featuring fabbo aussie designers and crafty folk
Check out the links below
findmakedo
an uncommon slice of surburbia
I am frantically busy as You will find me tomorrow at the book launch and stunning market in canberra,
just look for me in the handmade living marquee from 11am tomorrow,
I will be the mumma with gorgeous baby attatched!!!!
Nevada's first market!!!!

[to the right are some doily and vintage trim bloomers,perfect for summer with a cute singlet]

littlemissdoily x

spunky singlets

 Couldn't resist sharing with you some of my new little man singlets for summer,

found some great prints,with just the right amount of cool without being babyish..

And who could resist my spunky son hudson!

He wants to wear a uniform of lil man singlet,cool boardies,no shoes and crazy curls every day!

Come and see them in my madeit shop!!!

littlemissdoily x