Vintage Finds....

Recently I've been perusing the growing number of eclectic shops in the Surry Hills suburb of Sydney, selling a wonderful & diverse range of vintage goods. My major find was this vintage Australian made factory mannequin from the 1930's - 1940s. I purchased it from David Met Nicole, a wonderful shop in Cleveland St Surry Hills selling a wide range of unusual & eclectic items. http://www.davidmetnicole.com/

The mannequin has already found its place in my new home in the Hunter Valley. It's standing in my Studio wearing my grandmother's wedding dress.

The mannequin provides an ideal display piece for this beautiful dress which my grandmother Margaret Ellen Hogan wore for her marriage to George Ryan in August 1912. Overall the dress is in wonderful condition given it is nearly 100 years since it was made. I just love the lace on the bodice and sleeves. 

Planning & packing for my move to the Hunter is underway and the removalist has been booked for May 2nd!!
Stay posted........ K

On the Verge of the Next Adventure........

Dear Reader, I'm excited to report that my Sydney apartment has been sold, the contracts exchanged on Friday! This was a wonderful result given it sold within a few day of going on the market......  Isn't that signboard with the SOLD sign in place a wonderful sight??????

Needless to say I'm very excited & looking forward to time for creative endeavours, decorating my new home, some travel & other life adventures.

To excite my creative juices I spent this morning roaming around the Kirribilli Art & Design Markets which are held on the second Sunday of the month. The market has a vibrant atmosphere with a designers & artisans selling a wide range of goods including clothing, jewellery, art work, fashion & homeware accessories. Great food is on sale to be enjoyed listening to live music! A visit is highly recommended - see their website for more info: http://www.kncsydney.org/index.php?content=artdesignmarket.html

Stay posted for news! K

Early Morning Inspiration....

Yesterday I enjoyed an early morning walk along the Cremorne Point Foreshore Reserve - a 3 km walk along the Sydney harbour foreshore from Cremorne to Mosman offering spectacular views from North Sydney to the Harbour Bridge, Opera House, Sydney city skyline, Woolloomooloo Bay, Fort Denison and other Sydney landmarks. This is a beautiful walk on any day however on this autumn morning the early morning light was dancing through gaps in tree foliage and the sweet perfume of orange blossom filled the air.

The walk must surely offer some of the best views in the world...... spectacular panaromas of Sydney, yachts moored in Mosman Bay , ferries passing by taking people to work in the city or maybe tourists beginning a day of sight seeing with a relaxing ferry trip across Sydney Harbour. And there's more.......the reserve also offers the opportunity for a swim in the salt-water MacCallum pool with the city skyline as a backdrop. This pool has been used by local families for around 100 years.

For those Sydney siders & others who not able to enjoy the walk in person I took a few photos along the way for your enjoyment.......................

Spectacular panoramas of Sydney......

Yachts moored in Shell Cove .............

The MacCallum pool - imagine enjoying a swim on a hot day with these spectacular view in sight.......

I hope you enjoyed the photos. I'm sure you will agree that the reserve is a credit to those who care for it including Bush Care & the local council staff.  Until the next blog........ K

PS: Fingers crossed - my Sydney apartment is just about sold........ More news tomorrow!



A Note from the Hunter

Greetings from the Hunter Valley........

Since the last post I've had a few small adventures. Last week I visited Material Obsession's new shop at Drummoyne. http://www.materialobsession.typepad.com/  I had been eager to visit and it certainly didn't disappoint.............. As ever Kathy & the girls from Material Obsession have styled & decorated the shop beautifully. It is a glorious riot of colour & creativity - delicious fabrics, patterns, cottons, a range of rugs designed by Kaffe Fassett (I may indulge myself & buy one!!), and many other embellishments. Some small puchases were made to add to my treasure trove of fabrics & other items I plan to "DO" something with one day!! The purchases included a couple of pieces from the Domestic Diva range by Emily Taylor & some perle cotton to add to my extensive stash.................

A spin off to my visit to MO was a visit to Birkenhead Point for the very first time. Yes I know many commited shoppers out there will wonder why .........but there it is!

Currently I am in the Hunter Valley staying with my lovely sister Trish at her delightful abode in Stanley Close......  During the visit I've been busy preparing my new home for my move to the Hunter - this week I'm looking forward  to wardrobes being fitted out and the installation of new blinds. Today I indulged myself with the purchase of a glorious bespoke chair from Freedom - the chair is called Threadneedle. Covered in very colourful patchwork fabric it's just "sew" hot that I couldn't resist. Isn't it beautiful.......

Tomorrow its back to the mundane tasks of grass mowing & gardening (mostly removing weeds)!!
Finally dear reader, please keep your fingers crossed as I may have a buyer for my Sydney apartment - how exciting!! I'll keep you updated as events emerge.......................

Until the next installment,  K

A Creative Interlude......

Greetings from Sydney on a glorious autumn afternoon! In recent days I've been busy preparing my lovely Sydney unit for sale. Have been attending all the usual tasks you do in order to attract the best price - cleaning cupboards, windows & blinds; reading the real estate section in the newspapers & on the web; and of course meeting real estate agents to discuss the sale process etc!!!  Today I've given myself some brief respite and turned to my trusty sewing machine and my embroidery cottons!

Some time ago I purchased this gorgeous hand printed embroidery panel from the very creative ladies at Prints Charming and have set about embellishing it myself! This is the progress so far......

The panel is nearly finished but I think I'll add a little more embellishment before I turn it into a lovely small cushion to grace my new home...............

Just indulge me a moment longer as I share with you photos of the bookends I made when I attended the Wonderful Workshops in Jaipur, India in January. http://www.wonderfulworkshops.org/  A wonderfully creative range of workshops are offered & I did the "Sparkling Surfaces". I titled the bookends "Sydney Harbour meets the Pink City" - Jaipur is known as the pink city. Made to my own design they are embellished using glass beads, coloured & mirrored glass, and of course the trusty glitter which fills in the gaps (could read mistakes!!) - the glitter also adds that final touch of "sparkle". The materials are set into a resin base. The bookends were a gift for my dear sister Bernadette who enjoys reading & is using them to embellish her library of books.

Enough news from the creative interlude......... Until the next post, K

Cruising the Highway......

And so my journey continues.........having lived in Newcastle, Sydney, Brisbane & other places during the years of my working life (currently Sydney), for this next stage of my life I have decided to make my home in the lovely Hunter Valley of NSW.  To this end, in recent months I've been cruising up & down the freeway which links Sydney to the Hunter.........where I found this lovely little duplex/semi-detached cottage. Located about a 2hr drive north of Sydney it is close to Newcastle & the wonderful Hunter Valley vineyards! I took possession of the cottage on 10th February and have set about the delightful task of making it my own! Following is a photo of my new home & also one from the local rural area..........

Next task is selling my home in Sydney..............  In recent days I've been in the Hunter but I'm back home in Sydney now - creative projects & other adventures are on hold for the time being as I apply myself to task of preparing my unit for sale!!!

Until the the next blog all good wishes, K

Small Adventures



Welcome to The Next Patch......... This is the blog's first post which I'm doing on a glorious summer's day in Sydney.
Earlier today I went into the city and experienced a couple of small adventures along the way. The day started with a ferry ride across our wonderful harbour from Neutral Bay to Circular Quay. My first adventure occured when after leaving Hyde Park I came upon The Australian Monument to the Great Irish Famine. Located at Hyde Park Barracks it has obviously been there for many years but I must admit I've never noticed it before - isn't it amazing what you notice when you have time to "stop & smell the roses"?
The monument is a memorial to the Great Irish Famine of 1845-1848 and a celebration of the Irish contribution to Australia. The names of many women and girls, who came to Australia as refugees from the Famine, are etched onto glass. What a wonderful contribution these women and their desendents have made to the great nation Australia is today.    
A few photos to remember the day..............


The beautiful, peaceful Neutral Bay......................



 The Australian Monument to the Great Irish Famine.............

 Other views of the monument........

Now to the second adventure which occured as I roamed to Wynard to catch a bus home - as I walked past the City Recital Hall at Angel Place I noticed that a lunch time music recital was about to commence. On the spur of the moment I decided to attend & enoyed a delightful hour of jazz provided by 'Dr V's Swing Thing' - a community big band supported by the Jazz Department of Sydney Grammar School. It is a band of 20 of Sydney's finest jazz musicians. 

What wonderful new freedom retirement is bringing including the space & spare time to enjoy a leisurely & relaxing day in the city......

Thank you for joining me. I hope you enjoy The Next Patch as it evolves.........

Until the next blog, Kathryn