Sew is Life is written by E-von. A blog inspired by art, design, craft, fashion, beauty and wellness. Based in Perth, Western Australia. Read about the daily ramblings of me being a mother of three and wife to an amazing creative man. These are my stories sewn together with love.
*Reviews written by myself are my honest views and are not influence by third parties. I have not been compensated for these reviews unless stated. Please refer to my disclosure policy for further information.
Spontaneous acrylic on cartridge paper. Been almost 12 years since I last picked up a brush. #art #painting #acrylic #creative #design #March2013 #instaart #inspiration
Good morning lovely people on this glorious Monday! I have the most exciting news to share! The ‘Tickle the imagination’, an Australian designer & maker magazine for handmade creatives will be available in newsagencies today (18th March).
This magazine has grown an cult following of DIY and lovers of handmade across the nation. With over 7000 fans on their Facebook Page and increasing daily. I am a great supporter of this magazine because it was created here, in my home town - Perth by a lady by the name of Tanya Collier.
Tanya has supported small businesses around the country by featuring their handmade wares in this beautifully photographed magazine. The pages are full of inspiration, colour and a delight to sit down and relax to.
‘Tickle the imagination’ has come a long way to reach its goal of achieving its first print issue. As it began as an online e-zine. It has been made possible by the many supporters who have given a pledge to Tanya’s pozible project. Now Tanya is hoping to turn the ‘celebrations issue’ into print. You can help out by pledging here.
For now, you can pick up their annual issue from newsagents or order online for delivery straight to your doorstep.
I woke up feeling this is such great news. It’s fantastic that more magazines like these are making print…let’s keep our print industry alive and buy magazines and books! We can’t let technology take over our love of paper and prose…
Are you fan of magazines or e-zines?
E x
I have had fabric ideas flying through my mind all weekend for my #sewingdares challenge. Read the previous post to find out more about this ‘DARE’. And this is what I came up with, I couldn’t find any oil cloth in my current fabric library so I headed down to Spotlight and picked up this beige/white spotty number. The oil cloth will be perfect for the interior of the makeup bag, so spills and powders can be easily wiped away.
For the exterior I decided on a houndstooth tweed. I bought a plain black zip and now I am looking for a red ribbon…maybe a velvet one to finish it off.
It’s very ‘London-esque’ inspired. If you have been following Sewislife for a while, you would probably know I’m very much a Cath Kidston fan, and this polka oil cloth reminds me of her bag designs.
I shall be back soon to share my step-by-step process of sewing this makeup bag. I can’t wait to get started and show you guys the end result!!
Wish me luck ;)
What would be your ideal small sewing project?
E x
I am currently stuck in a sewing/DIY rut…due to factors outside of this blog. But I promised myself in 2013 to not let stress get me down and I would put some time aside for my favourite hobby, sewing - it is the one thing that truely relaxes me because it’s when I am in my creative element :)
So I caught onto the bug that is #sewingdares on Twitter. It all started with Gillian at Crafting a Rainbow throwing the tagline out there and a whole heap of sewinistas in the Twitterverse heard! I actually caught on from Leila at Three Dresses Project and she has dished me the dare to sew a ‘make up bag/case’.
I haven’t sewn one before, so it will be a new challenge! I love it! That is the purpose of #sewingdares. To have fun and not take things too seriously.
Care to join in?
If you are up for it, jump onto twitter and demand a dare by including the hashtag #sewingdares in your tweet and you will receive your next sewing mission from one of the girls or I’m happy to ‘dare you’ (you just have to let me know your level of sewing, and if you have a blog I can check it out and give you a challenge that you haven’t done before).
Head over here to see what all the fuss is about. The love of sewing is spreading worldwide!
My #Sewingdares challenge
A make up bag is the perfect dare, given I am such a beauty buff and into my skincare. Honestly I can never have too many cosmetic bags! Plus they are such cute gifts to give to a girlfriend.
Here are some ‘brainstorming’ drawings I did the other day to get me started (please forgive my scribbles, I used to study art in school but it’s pretty clear that I have lost ALL my drawing ability).
Next step, to fish through my fabric stash and pick out some favourites.
Which design do you think I should go with?
Too be continued :)
Enjoy your weekend All!
E x
Last week I went down to Perth to experience a La Prarie Facial (read about it here) and had the chance to wander around my favourite city alone. It’s funny, but the longer I live here this city always surprises me in the way how it slowly matures. It is like a stubborn child refusing to grow up!
However, when it does show subtle changes, we Perthies are so much more grateful for its budding beauty. We enjoy the suspense, it pleases us! ‘Sunday Trading’ only happened last month, and no the rest of the nation did not stop. The residents of Perth did not go into hiding…we merely came out to play! I haven’t heard one bad word out of anyone who dares to go against Sunday Trading.
I’m am most excited to announce here on my blog, that Chanel will be finally opening their doors to Perth. We need to be injected with a little of Chanel’s sophisticated charm. It is only proper that it opens along side other luxe brands on the famous King St strip. So ladies start saving now, as we have our very own Chanel store! Anyone know how to get onto the list for opening night? *wink wink*
Passing by Louis Vuitton, only a few steps away from Chanel, I took a photo of their ‘Yayoi Kasuma’ window dressing. All over the world, Louis Vuitton boutiques have graced their shop fronts with this quirky and eccentric design. Perth is no different! Staring through the window, I imagine would be a similar to a vision of someone on a LSD trip…
Then there was old (or should I say REVAMPED) Raine Square, that disappeared for years! Covered behind dirty construction walls…I always passed by and remember the good old days of buying freshly made coconut buns from the Vietnamese bakery. Oh Pllluuueeeesssee bring back the Vietnamese bakeries Perth!! The new look of Raine Square is definitely keeping up with the times and overall look of the developing city. Coles is located in the centre alongside other specialty shops. And you can also find local Perth designer, Betty Tran’s flag ship store.
Plus Perth now has its very own Grill’d burger bar! A godsend to the 9-5 workers I’m sure. I remember complaining to my colleagues that there isn’t anywhere to satisfy our worker stomachs during lunch. My friends and I would always end up at Nandos. And now we have another WINNER! Not that I work in the CBD anymore, but when the time comes to return to the office…this will be a lunch hot spot.
For those who have been to Perth, lived here before, this post is for you :) Where ever you are in the world, you can never erase the little warm and fuzzy feeling inside when you think of this amazing city…
Are there any other international stores you would like see opening up in Perth?
E x
Liptember ‘cosmic’ lip art. Because I’m always thinking about what’s above and beyond the cosmic heavens.
I used a blend of Lime Crime lipsticks in Styletto (black) and Chinchilla (purple grey). Then I added details using Lunar Sea (white) eyeliner.
Only a couple days left of Liptember? Have you donated to my profile page yet? Make sure you do. It’s all for a good cause!
E x
Stolen from Hubz blog again! This is the home office he bought for me, the desk was from Officeworks and there is a black ‘executive’ chair too. I admired him from afar as he put together my little workspace, my handyman hero! xx
Now I have a designated sewing corner and I can jump onto You Tube tutorials next door when I am stuck with a sewing dilemma :)
“Serious Business”
The Nordic Desk 1600, our first buy from OfficeWorks for our starting business. I’ve yet to come across a better desk than this in the metro area. Especially at this price for what you get. The material may not be anywhere near the top range, but what it lacks in that, pushes through with sturdiness and most important spacious room to work on. Assembling was a piece of cake, it actually didn’t feel like I was constructing something from dodgy IKEA. Also the chair I bought was a godsend for E-von, seeing as she needed all the support she could get. Beats sitting on dining table chairs for that long. You can see me holding the base structure of the newly bought swivel chair like Simon Belmont ready to slay Dracula and his minions before putting it together. Oddly enough, I forgot to take pictures of it. :/
Happy Birthday Duckcloth!
Duckcloth, Australian online fabric supplier is turning 5 years old. And they are celebrating by offering all their customers 25% off everything in their online store.
Here are some of the gorgeous finds I came across:
Fern Blue and Green Tiny Elephants Red and Navy
Choma Sweet Azalea Echino Wish Black and Multi on Natural
Duckcloth sells beautiful furnishing fabrics to those who love to express their individual style. I have a soft spot for cotton duck and they have a wide range of patterns and textures in this particular fabric. You can allow your creativity to run wild with these fabrics. They also perfect for totes, framed art and children’s toys. They have big range of organic fabrics too!
All you have to do is use their special coupon code ‘FBMAY12’. This promotion will end on Sunday 20th May.
So there are only 4 days left to go crazy and stock up on designer fabrics!!
Get free shipping on orders over $120
Mother’s Day is just around the corner! What plans do you have to celebrate this day with your mum? What would be the perfect gift to honour this special lady in your life? Aside from flowers and chocolates…buy her something she will use, cherish and keep. Mums love a bit of sentimentality. Here are just some gift ideas I thought would be perfect for Mums on Mother’s Day.
Ruched blue striped maternity top
For the ‘expecting’ mother, when she constantly suffering from ‘There is nothing to wear’ syndrome.
For the ‘chef’ mum who loves to bake cakes, cookies, tarts etc. Maybe you could use it too, and bake her a few treats!
For the ‘pampering’ mum. Clarisonic is the next best way to cleanse the face, it uses micro-massage action to gently and effectively loosen dirt and oil to clear pores.
Napoleon Perdis Mother’s Day pack
For the ‘beauty addict’ Mum, The Napoleon Perdis Mother’s Day Pack includes:
Limited Edition Prismatic Palette
Devine Goddess Lipstick in Gia
Deluxe Auto Pilot Pre Foundation Skin Primer 15ml
Mini Long Black Mascara 4.5ml
Floral Cosmetics Bag
For the ‘interior decorator’ mum, house rules decal for her home so everyone who lives under her roof abides by it.
For breakfast in bed or a place where she can leave her tea cup and her knitting at the same time.
For the ‘tea-enthusiast’ Mum, something a lil quirky than your normal tea-ball diffuser.
PeepToe - Woven Chain and Jewel Turquoise
For the ‘Fashionista’ Mum, spoil her with a gorgeous embellished necklace.
What are you planning for your Mum on Mother’s Day?
E x
