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.

helmet head

I don't want to have another week like this one has been again.
Just too flat and boring and sad, full of ennui and angst.
And now the first migration of Xmas birds has arrived to warn me that I am running out of time to get my shit together for Big Design Market and the festive season. Mind you I had to smile when I pulled this bird out of the box, he's got his own 'do helmet!
There has been other stock arrive as well, little glass and zinc hanging frames, lovely glass display boxes and peg chains that would be perfect to hang cards from or a row of lovely glass baubles. I have to order more of the beautiful Ghanian recycled baskets and Lisa B socks but I have been avoiding the computer this week.... if you have emailed I will get back to you this weekend!! Promise!
OK, better go hunt Jethro down. He's got his mischievous pants on today because Orlando from Scout House wook his photo in the window this morning and posted it on Instagram. Brat.
I'm in the shop if you are looking for me.

well hello there...

So there I was thinking that it was only a few weeks since I last wrote a post a post on this poor little blog... how wrong I was! Almost two months!
Well hello little blog!
And sorry this is going to be short.
Things have happened (a holiday, more surgery to the bung wrist, time in the studio, time in the shop) and now there is the sudden realisation that Xmas and the end of the year is about to come crashing in. I'll make no promises that I will be regular again here, try checking @cottageindustrystore out over on instagram if you need a daily fix of stuff (and Jethro).

I've been sewing Harvest Smocks and have just started a whole new run of wax print chemises. I have so much work to do over the next few weeks that I think my head might explode. Big Design Market is coming up on top of everything else.....
OK, time to pop the kettle on for another bucket of tea and insert my brain into my skull for another day in the shop. Four this week. Oh I am looking forward to a 'day off' tomorrow.

unpacking boxes

Bit of a crazy morning. Racing about like a loon. Discovering my pocket managed to post a photo to instagram without me knowing (just of three colanders, it's OK) and as everyone liked it before I realised I decided to leave it up!
The last few weeks have been stressful and upsetting and a bit blah, I've been as flat as a tack, then all the parcels of new stock started arriving and I managed to get a couple of days solidly making Harvest Smocks. I'm exhausted but really too tired to have the strength to feel blah. I've a lot to do in the next week.

So this week we've had new Romanian enamel arrive (not all, we have more coming in early September), more of our lovely brass handled scissors, old padlocks and keys, great old soda bottles that I have had no chance to photograph, giant old Indian slotted spoons that are just stunning and then yesterday the Stanley thermos flasks arrived (I shouldn't use the term 'thermos' as it is a brand in itself but I've always known them as thermos...) and there is even a couple of 'old skool' American construction workers lunch boxes.... I love these!

I'm sure there are more things that I have forgotten....
The new Harvest Smocks made this week include a lovely lightweight watermelon pink 'hemstitched' linen top (sold out in store but the last two will be in next week), the mid weight red checked linen top in the photo (two), the lovely striped mid weight blue linen top (one left) and the black and white check we have had a little while ago is available in one regular length and one top (this is the last of this fabric... all gone). Oh and I almost forgot, tops in a lovely cotton check, white ground with a mid blue in a 2/2 plain hopsack type weave, perfect for Summer boating.
Ok.
I'd better get moving if I am to put the shop to rights before I open for the day.
Oh oh oh! I almost forgot, the tin plates stock has arrived too! New designs and restocked on the original designs we sold out of.
See, it's been a busy week!

neglected

Hello all!
Been neglecting you, sorry about that. I raced out of the house last Saturday morning for appointments at the trade shows and had no time to write even the vaguest of posts. Today's will quite probably be rushed too as I am in a flat mood after a weirdly low level shitty week. Trying to leave the house to actually get to the studio at a decent hour just didn't happen, appointments and issues and stuff cropped  up everyday and the usual money issues that come to a head at this time every year have started. Painful and annoying.
On the up-side I'm waiting for the date to be set to remove the metal from my wrist break and whilst they are in there they are going to do a bit of work on the carpal tunnel.... yep, busiest time of the year and more surgery but I might just put this almost year long wrist debacle to rest and get some feeling back in my fingers. I've booked a holiday and probably can't afford to go back to the scene of the crime and stick two fingers up at the universe for making me go through the mind numbing crap of three broken wrists within five months and there consequences.
Also on the up-side is the new stock arriving in store, vintage storage boxes, fabulous old industrial waxed paper bags, Creamore Mill paper seedling pot makers, new scrubbing brushes and stainless funnels and the lids have finally arrived for the 'french' style dairy bottles.... what else? And I made a new batch of 'hot water bottle' wheatbags and the denim Harvest Smocks finally managed to get finished and I made some new Harvest Smock tops in a lovely strawberry gelato pink lightweight linen that is striped with a woven 'hemstitch' line through it. That's the one in the photo.
OK. Better get moving. I'm going to open a little earlier today (although on a Saturday no one seems to come in before 11) as I have to CLOSE EARLY today. It's Hana's first birthday and I have biscuits to deliver. I'll be closing about 3.45pm, sorry! We very rarely close early but first birthday's only come around once and I'd like to catch the last hour or so.
Lots of photos of new stock coming through over on instagram at the moment (@cottageindustrystore) if you are interested!