It was really quite a good month for working. Sewing, arting, that kind of thing

The first thing I did was cut the arms off a very expensive Missoni dress to make the cuffs for a Linden top. The grey marle French Terry for Maai Design is primo quality so I thought it was worth it and I was right, it looks fantastic & Ive been wearing it constantly. The whole dress is rib knit so Ive got enough dress left for cuffs until the end of Time

…It was a really nice dress but sweet baby Jezzos, negative ease in a rib knit is the devil on a 50 year old body and I’m just not feeling it. I wear it now as cuffs almost daily and Ive only worn the dress twice in 10 years so its better this way. I think about these things now, like about my fabric stash & the fabrics that are so beautiful & cost so much money to buy & think, why cant I have the benefits of them, for what/whom am I keeping it? So this dress cost a lot but it was at a time when I could afford it, and had the social circle in which to wear it (that was London in 2009, its not like that on the upper north shore of Sydney, 2019), but why shouldn’t I get the benefit of it now? A few months ago I razored my way through my wardrobe and took out all the costly, beautiful clothes I bought in London & Paris when we lived there & sent them away to my ex-sister-in-law (I still love her). Now I can say I regret that! I feel like Ive lost a bit of my life and I want it back. I often look back on those years in Europe with longing. I loved it. I fell apart a bit from relentless drinking but I looked amazing. I kept some pieces that hold emotional value (the silk Prada top I wore to dinner for my 40th birthday at The Dorchester, the Dior flats I found at Oxfam in Hampstead- woof, you better believe that was emotional!) & sent away the rest. I never got into the Marie Kondo thing, but this clean out had been on my mind for ages & when it happened spontaneously I went with it. But I do feel sad about it. I keep wanting to ask my ex sister-in-law about specific things, like “are you wearing the Lacoste jumper ALL THE TIME because its winter, lucky I gave it to you just as winter hit, you must be wearing it all the time!) but I dont, they are hers to sell on Ebay if she wants to and I dont want to know if she has, so I say nothing. They arent people but you’d be forgiven for thinking so, the way I’m carrying on. I’m grateful I have her to give it all to.

Back here, the next thing I made was an Athina hack and omg I love it! I love it so much! I used a crafting cotton and it holds the volume exceptionally well.

I’ll do an Athina hack post in the days to come but look upon this and agree with me that this is a splendid, an absolutely splendid top

And September in Sydney is art fair time and I took lots of photos but cant face editorialising them here to deliver some kind of art player who-is-so-hot-right-now list, so heres one detail from Tim Storrier who has still got it.

And this one because it is by my friend Stephen Ralph

This is Rolly, who looks after my friend Jen. He is a good boy.

I’ve been researching framing, notably the pre-Raphaelite framing having come across this most excellent blog, and watching loads of videos on making & decorating frames. Because I’m making this thing and it now has all my attention