and so 'tis the eve....

And so we come to the last shop day of the year.
Let's be honest, what a bugger of a year it has been. It has slammed so many people I know hard, like really hard and between another broken wrist, two lots of surgery and the general malaise this sort of thing brings on, I have not had the greatest of times. The last three months has gone in a blur of making and trying to play catch-up and I am looking forward to closing the door to the shop at 5-ish this afternoon and having a well deserved break. Nothing special, just a lot of snoozing and reading and drinking of tea, of windows thrown open and perhaps a bit of a house clean and sort if I can in anyway be arsed (it's a bit of a shambles around here at the moment).
So we will be open today from about 10am until around 5pm, of course if the street empties as it often does, then we might shut a tad earlier. You will then have to wait until the 5th of January for the shop to re-open but remember if you are in town and would like to make an appointment then leave a message on the phone (03 9419 2430) or drop me an email (pene@alphalink.com.au) to arrange a time. Just don't expect the shop to be vacuumed or dusted.
I hope you all have a lovely Xmas and New Year and thank you for all your kind words, encouragement and purchasing throughout this shit of a year. Here's hoping 2015 will be a right glorious one!
Take care and love to you all
Pxxx

well hello stranger....

Well I (barely) survived the Big Design Market last weekend and this week has been picking up the pieces and trying to get more work done. Exhausting. So I managed a few more smocks and we have now got 4 1/2 oz denim in regular and long, black linen in regular and long and one one beautiful patched raw linen one. I have to admit there is only a few in the denim and the linen at this stage but at least we have stock in the shop. There are also 3 quilted jackets left if you had wanted to get to the market and didn't make it, and I have to find somewhere to display the canvas and leather bags....

And this week we had our biggest shipment of handwoven Turkish towels and they are stunning! 

We are desperately waiting for new stock of tin plates (we still have loads of designs in the shop but are restocking on sold out ones and new designs), Stanley vacuum flasks and the beautiful Ghanian handwoven recycled plastic baskets have left Africa and hopefully will arrive here in time.... and of course I'll be back in the studio making again next week.
Don't forget I am shopgirl today and yes we are open on Sundays right up until Xmas!

i forgot to tell you..... BIG DESIGN MARKET!

Sorry for the very late notice on this one, I had had plans to send out an email and shout it from the rooftops but... well that just didn't happen. Putting in 17-18 hour days making and running about like a loon and the promo side has fallen in a heap. We were at Big Design Market yesterday and will be again today and tomorrow. We've launched a whole new run of our pennant designs and our harvest smocks and quilted jackets have been flying out the door (should have made some more I think... ooops!). We haven't taken the whole shop, just special stuff like our new batch of vintage canvas and leather bags, how I wish I had had the energy and time to get so many other things finished! Lordy this post sounds so whiny, blame the lack of sleep pure and simple.
So 10am until 7pm today and 10am until 5pm tomorrow, 220 stalls, All Day Donuts and coffee and booze available, come and visit!

And before I forget, the shop is open 7 days a week right up until Xmas. Jethro hates December, it curbs his window worshipping timetable.... not for worshipping windows but for being worshipped in the window of the shop by his adoring public.