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As we edge closer to the end of winter, I can see the gloomy haze lifting and the fresh spring colours shining through! Today it’s my pleasure to showcase a selection of handmade hats for little ones from the spring collection by Winnie&Clem; a modern take on a spring/summer essential.
The Winnie&Clem collection is created by sewing enthusiast Anita Keith. Anita runs her business from a sheep and cattle property {fun!} where she lives with her husband and two kids, Little Miss almost 4yrs and Little Mr 18mths.
Anita attributes her sewing skills to her Mum, a dressmaker, who taught her to sew at a young age. She initially started out making handbags, but after the birth of her little ones, soon progressed to creating items for her home and kids… cushions, peg aprons, fabric covered notebooks and hats, hats and more hats.
When it comes to choosing fabrics for her collection, Anita likes to work with bold colours and unique patterns {hooray for colour!}. The inclusion of such fabrics gives her handmade hats a modern style that you just don’t find in mainstream stores. According to Anita “I realised that hats are a reflection of personality and taste so I started creating a range of different styles unique to Winnie&Clem“.
My favourite Winnie&Clem style is the funky Charlie Cap for it’s urban feel and unisex style. I reckon I could get away with sporting one of these myself when I’m out running errands around town! If you’re shopping for a little girl, you can’t beat the Ella Rose Hat for sweetness, and of course, excellent sun protection. I’m also digging the classic Bucket Hat for casual simplicity. Both the bucket and Ella Rose styles are reversible, giving you two styles in one.
You can find Winnie&Clem hats online at Anita’s Madeit store. There’s heaps of different fabric patterns to choose from, and also a few new styles on the drawing board, so keep your eyes peeled!
Bristles. Stubble. Muttonchops. Chin Strap. Goatee. Facial Hair. Five-O-Clock Shadow. Three-day-growth. Face Fuzz. Jaw Insulator. Whiskers. Soul Patch. Chin Muffler. Chilly Cheeks. Soup Saver. Face Curtain. Gizzly Adams. Bushy Ben. Brillo Brush… a tribute to the furry folk!
Well, there you have it folks; a crafty introduction to the whimsy that is facial hair. Before I leave you today, I wanted to share one more furry delight with you… this print is from Drywell and is titled “The Day I Lost My Moustache“. It tickled my fancy and I thought it might give you a little smile as well. I personally think that little yellow blocky looks rather debonair with his handlebar mo. Every time I look at him, I keep waiting for the moustache to crawl back up onto his lip… they can do that, right!?
1. Blue Beard by BornLippy … 2. Mr Beardsley by Get Intimidnated … 3. Bearded Boys Magnet Set by Hollandsworth … 4. Mustache Magnets by Bob’s Boy Rob … 5. Beard Pin Badges by Harvey Hartley … 6. Cookies with Mustaches Coin Purse by Seventh Sphere … 7. Bearded Dreams Print by InLoveAndWar … 8. The Day I Lost My Moustache Print by Drywell
I love the opportunity to meet a talented handmade designer and take a sticky beak through their collection, so when I was invited this week to drop in and visit Jessie at Asterbelle I was more than happy to oblige… as you all know, I’m a sucker for accessories!
Asterbelle is a collection of handmade jewellery and accessories created by Jessie and her best buddy and partner in crime Brooke. Jessie’s love of vintage and handmade goes way back to her childhood. She inherited a love of design from her dressmaker mother {who taught her how to sew}. Keeping with tradition her own daughter Mathilda adores dressing up, and is always coming up with new and inventive ways to wear her accessories, just like mum.
Jessie was motivated last year by her friend Brooke to try her hand at making her own accessory designs, and in 2009 the pair debuted a small collection at home parties hosted for family and friends. Asterbelle home parties are still held today, but the collection has greatly expanded and April 2010 saw the launch of the Asterbelle online store.
All items in the Asterbelle range are handmade from 100% cottons and silks with an emphasis on vintage florals, pearls and classic pieces. You’ll find a charming and delicate range of accessories for your little ones, but you can also shop for yourself with a collection of womens jewellery and accessories to choose from as well (yay!).
The Asterbelle team are busily working away on heaps of new designs for the coming months including fascinators and printed/appliquéd tops for the girls and jewellery and shirts for the boys. You can view the collection online at the Asterbelle website, or if you’re located in Western Australia you may like to consider an Asterbelle home party so you can see the designs up close and personal.
Ever since my own childhood and early teens, I’ve been a self-confessed accessory fiend. I recently installed a set of coat hooks on my bedroom wall just to hold all my necklaces and bracelets! As for hair accessories for the little ones… they reside in the ‘accessory treasure chest’… it’s perfectly pink. So for those of you who share my passion, this one’s for you!
Late last month I had the pleasure of meeting Olga Rankin, Mum to little Ellie {who was born with a full mop of hair, cute as a button as you can see…} Olga creates her label Ellies Pretty Things at night time once Ellie enters the land of nod. She works with ribbons, felt, fabric beads and buttons, many of which come from her own stash which she has been collecting since her teens.
Ellies Pretty Things is a handmade label with Olga making everything herself from the cutting and sealing, to the finishing and packing. She’s also lucky enough to have the help of her mini product testers, Claudia, Ellie and Victoria. If Claudia doesn’t tell her it’s pretty, she usually doesn’t make that style again. Ellies job is to make sure that if it is chewed it doesn’t fall apart, and Victoria just has to keep it in her hair!
Apart from the advantages of adding a fresh new look to an outfit, hair accessories are also a great way to indulge your shopping habit without breaking the bank. Ellies Pretty Things start at just $3.75, that’s cheaper than a latte.
Do you have a little angel who would go mad for a set of hair accessories from Ellies Pretty Things? We have a $40 gift voucher to giveaway to one lucky reader. To enter, simply visit the Ellies Pretty Things store and tell us in the comment section below how you’d spend your voucher! Entries open worldwide, closes 15 July, 2010.
Congratulations to Tess kennard, winner of the $40 Ellies Pretty Things voucher!
*All prizes {unless otherwise stated} are drawn using random.org.
Did you miss out on the prize from Ellies Pretty Things? Well, you can still indulge your love of gorgeous accessories with 15% off the range! Simply order before July 19, 2010 through Etsy and Olga will refund 15% of your purchase price to you {via paypal}… click here to go shopping!
I’ve been in the mood for accessorising this week after deciding that my jewellery collection needs a bit of a refresh. Along my travels I stumbled across these precious junior sized necklaces and bracelets and simply had to share.
This collection is designed and handmade by Nest Pretty Things Kids and is made from a delicious gelati-esque palette of vintage rose, mint green, baby blue, and sherbert orange with splashes of hot pink and canary yellow. The vivid colours, cabochons and vintage brass settings gives each piece a charming appeal that is sure to be treasured by it’s little recipients.
Nest Pretty Things Kids is based in Vermont, USA but happily ship around the globe. All jewellery pieces in the collection are made with led and nickel free components, and can also be made in adult sizes upon request.
For those of you with a love of indie and handmade, you’ll appreciate just how much fun it is to meet other friendly folk with the same passion. This week I received an invitation from Kellie at Moo Woo Handmade Cards and Gifts to take a little stroll through her treasure trove of delights.
Kellie is mum to three little ones, aged 4, 2 and 6 weeks old. Moo Woo is affectionately named after her two eldest children – Mia ‘moo’ and Tyler ‘woo’. The birth of Moo Woo came about while Kellie was on maternity leave with her second child {she’s also a secondary health and physical education teacher}. Her first creations were a range of handmade greeting cards which filled her with so much joy that she decided to expand the range and setup an online store.
In her own words… “I am a Tasmanian, but have lived in the Kimberley region of WA now for 14 years, in Broome and now Kununurra… 900kms from Darwin and over 3000kms from Perth! Being so far from anywhere and shopping choice being limited it has been fun bringing different choices to town for locals to purchase. I also support many locals by selling and promoting their handmade products online”.
My favourites in Kellie’s collection are the 1950′s reproduction tin toys. I’ve got my eye firmly planted on the yellow cab; it would look superb on my bookshelf! I also adore the work of Kununurra based artist Kerri Blades, each piece has so much character.
Thank you to Kellie for allowing me to rummage through her treasures, it’s been a wonderful journey. Drop by and pay her a visit at Moo Woo Handmade Cards and Gifts.
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