RECENT PURCHASES

THE SHIRT 
The shirt is from Miss Brown Vintage who have branches in several cities in Australia. The store I bought the shirt from was from Melbourne Central ( just under the big clock... Melbournians know what I mean! ) I am a massive shirts addict as I feel like they suit me and because I live in jeans they go well with my growing collection of denim. I also love prints and these stars are just too pretty to pass up. The shirt itself is new but is stocked under a vintage brand. I like how some vintage stores stock new items because the design and colouring look vintage but they're new which means longer wear and shelf life.

THE BANGLES 
I've been eyeing bangles ( and jewellery in general ) for a bit now and have been wondering if I can pull off wearing more jewellery in my day to day. I visited Sydney road the other day to do some thrifting at Savers and came across Scavengers which is where I picked up these bangles. One is an old See by Chloe one ( eyed them in Japan but at $300, I couldn't ) and another is simply a navy blue one. I'll definitely be wearing the See by Chloe one often because I actually own a lot of neutral toned clothes on top of my patterned clothes and the pinkey orange will look good with the neutral stuff.

THE SCARF 
You can get this scarf at Ishka's sale which is still going HERE. A lot of really great things are on sale both in their shops and online. I'm not sure how Paisley crept into my radar as I've never particularly cared for it. But that's how things go sometimes. You never care until one day you realise you do! I'm so excited to wear this with my trench coat and beige turtle necks once the weather turns chilly again. The material is also very soft and warm which will make it perfect for layering in winter. 

THE SCRUB 
The price point for Soap and Glory's stuff is excellent if you're looking for a treat for yourself but don't want to go over $25. In fact, most of their products fall below that price point which is awesome. I love their pink packaging and don't even mind their scents despite the fact I prefer mild to no scent most of the time with shampoos and shower gels. You can find it here at Mecca. 

Flat lay fabric from The Fabric Store 

Do any of you who shop often and enjoy it feel guilty? Sometimes I get a pinch of guilt when I buy things because I know I should be trying to be more vigilant with my money even if I can technically afford small things here and there. But in all honesty, most if not all of my purchases are always  inexpensive. I don't think you need to spend a lot in order to get a lot. I get so much joy from vintage and second hand items. I get the same thrill from getting second hand items as I do with new ones! An items value isn't always reflected in the tag!

Have you guys bought anything you loved recently? Tell me about it in the comments below! 

SHOP VISIT : THOMAS & CO, TWENTY TWENTY ONE & AND AN ANNOUNCEMENT!

PATTERN LOVE! I love the power patterns have to incite excitement in us, literally. My heart really does skip just a bit faster when I look at all of these gorgeous bowls at Thomas & co 

Being a total impulse shopper, I was contemplating for five minutes about getting this silver lamp. Silver, ball-y lights are very Sterling Coopers office in Season 4 which is definitely a point of reference for me ( see photos below )

How good is this table? The lights, the colour scheme, the glass, the lucite... YES!

Beautiful Eileen gray-esque bar cart. Sparkly, Sparkly, Shiny, Shiny  

Thomas and Co was awesome and such an enjoyable browse for me because it was ECLECTIC.  They weren't afraid of colours, patterns and choosing more daring pieces which I'm absolutely all about. And on top of that, they were quite MCM and 70's inspired which is even better. I saw lots of pieces which I loved, including the very beautiful silver floor lamp which is just above that reminded me of something Roger Sterling would've had in his office. His office in Season 4 is a point of reference for me just like Saint Laurent by Bertrand Bonello. I love having these things to call my point of references because if people ask me what I like, I can just point them in that direction. Pithy, right? 

I love every single one of these pendant lamps! 

These black leather arm chairs are beauties and that silver stool is good enough to be an ornamental piece

These elegant table lamps would look stunning next to some black leather sofas or armchairs

Twenty Twenty one was going through a huge clear out sale so if you guys are after some really noteworthy glassware and ceramic pieces, then this is the place to go. The owner of the shop and I shared the similar story of not having a certfied design background but just having a keen interest in design and decor ( his specialty is glassware, was so caught up in conversation I forgot to ask for his name! ). He also shared a couple of his decorating stories including his love for dark colours in his home and having deep reds and even deep purples that basically resembles black on his walls at home. I'm glad somebody else shares my love for dark walls and isn't afraid of using colour! It's not to be feared, it's vibrant and has movement!

It's a 'form' circus right here 

How good is this lamp? 

There was an excess of gorgeous things for your shelf here. I found lots of vases, plates, soaps, candles and ceramics  ( all on sale ) that would've looked fantastic on any shelf. I felt inspired after I left Twenty twenty one to get working on my shelf game.

There's something so pleasing to the eye to see lots of plates and bowls stacked on to of each other, don't you feel? 

An assortment of beautiful things for ones table or shelf 

Really loved the square mirror hanging on the wall 

Beautiful ceramic mugs by Robert Gordon ( website HERE ) 

I'm a colour lover, but no, you really can't beat the restrained grace that is muted tones and colours 

Afterwards I popped by to the Fabric Store on Brunswick street ( check'em out here ). If I thought that Tessuti ( blog post here ) had a great range of Liberty fabrics, then I had no idea what I was about witness at the fabric store! Look at the stunning-ness. You can't tell me you don't feel some elevation of joy just by looking at these beautiful designs?! These fabrics were for making swimwear which was evident by the sign but also after I felt the fabrics myself. Stretchy and perfect for the sea. If you're a good sewer and want some new bathers, this is such a good find for you!!! 

I bought a sample which was on sale ( $8 for half a meter, what a bargain!!! ) for my flat lay. I have a few good samples of fabric now which I think I might use for the inlay of my side table. It's nice to have something covering the wooden bottom just for that extra something, something.

And so here's the announcement. As of next week I'll be interning as an editorial and marketing assistant at Est living magazine which you can check out here. I'm super grateful for this position even as an internship thing because to be honest, even internships are a challenge to get these days. Companies treat their hiring process for them exactly the same as paying jobs and it's such a great opportunity to update my portfolio, skills and best of all, to CONTRIBUTE TO A DESIGN AND DECOR PUBLICATION! 😛 😛 😛

Watch this space for updates and possible work up on their website and online magazine as the weeks go by

-Y

Thomas & Co ( or Thomas Gannan ) 
214 Brunswick St
Fitzroy, Victoria
9416 1063

Twenty Twenty One
160 Johnston St, Fitzroy,
Victoria 
9417 6503

The Fabric Store
184 Brunswick St
Fitzroy, Victoria
9416 4455

SHOP VISIT : TESSUTI FABRICS

So you all are probably sick to death of me gushing on about Liberty but here are the ones that I saw at Tessuti. They're SO good, I wish I had a good hand in sewing so I could whip up some shirts with these beautiful prints 

I've been having lots of good luck with shops and being able to photograph them for PFF. Whenever I go out, it's always my number one concern that shop owners don't want their wares to be photographed or to be put on social media. But to be honest, we're living in a world where it's basically impossible to not be on it somehow, so perhaps this is why I'm having so much good luck.

I've never been good at sewing, let me just say that up front. I couldn't even make a pair of shorts in sewing class in high school and failed quite dismally at all other projects following in that department but that hasn't stopped me from developing a strong interest in Fabrics. Tessuti is one of the best fabric shops in all of Melbourne not only for their quality but also for their excellent selection in them. Their taste is on point, especially in the prints department. 

I spoke with shop assistant Trish at the Flinders lane store a little about textiles and sewing. Tessuti originally opened up in Sydney and have been in the biz for about ten to twenty years now. The owners go to Italy once or twice a year for buying trips which of course would lead to doors and doors of inspiration for them. They also receive a lot of end rolls from Labels which means some of the fabrics come directly from the labels themselves.

Linen was the biggest seller at Tessuti. Trish said that it was easy to work with, versatile and perfect for summer because it was breathable. I love linen clothing but find it hard to look after because of the creasing but wasn't surprised that it was a best seller there. I feel like Melbourne is a very linen city. But what gets my heart going is prints and lots of them as you can see here. I've never been one to shy away from colour and prints. In fact, I'm always on the search for a good printed shirt. It's harder than you think to strike the balance between busy and printed without looking too overly retro. I own one shirt from the Parisian label Soeur ( they're really good, check them out ) that totally manages to get floral right without it looking overly nana or sentimental ( You'll see it this Wednesday in my favourite things entry! ) 

Seeing the sheer abundance of stunning fabrics here makes me want to get into sewing. But I know that in order to make the clothing that I want to make, like shirts and pants, I'll have to bear the brunt of the beginning. That means failing a lot at making simple things like coin purses and pouches which I don't particularly want to make. This is the thing about skills, you gotta fail a hundred times before you can succeed once. Wouldn't it just be more practical to just buy something made in a liberty fabric from their E-shop?  The thing is, there's more good prints out there in the world than good clothing made in those good prints. If you can sew, you're not limited to the stock of shops. As someone who's always hungry for new clothes ( haha ) this sounds terrific to me.

Another reason why I love fabrics so much is because I'm a very tactile person. I like to experience things by touching them and so when I go to fabric stores, I can't resist touching and feeling all the different textures available to me right then and there. On top of that, I'm visual too, so going there really is a whole visual and tactile experience. 

I don't know for sure but I'm pretty certain this is the ' wedding ' section of the shop 😂

Being amongst so many prints inspires me in terms of painting too. I get new colour combinations and shapes I hadn't even thought of. It sparks neurons in all sorts of directions. I feel like fabric stores are almost galleries in a way ( as corny as that sounds ) with more paintings and painting colours than a real gallery could ever have. 

An overview of the front entry of the shop  

My favourite section, the bargain bin 

The next thing on my wish list is a paisley scarf for the autumn that's slowly but surely coming. I think paisley is actually a really gorgeous print that can be done well when chosen in the right colours, namely light green, navy and light red. Should I get some of that Paisley fabric there and try to turn it into a scarf? 

More delicious prints 

You'd need a mad skill set to be able to create something this amazing. Trish told me that she can whip up a simple long sleeved t-shirt in as little as an hour, which I was really impressed by. I guess the more you do something, the less of a deal it is. Sewing seems really difficult to me because of its allegiance with numbers. I've never ever been good with numbers and being able to be precise. I get very lax on myself.

They had a table with several fashion books and pattern magazines which I graciously devoured when I was there. I love poring over fashion magazines. Aren't these details so terrific? I love the sequin jacket just below and the beautiful colours of the knitted top just above as well. Sorry I didn't take note of the designers! 

This jacket is gorgeous. The amount of time and effort to go into that would have been tremendous.

Although these aren't fabrics per se, seeing these eye popping candy colours really pushes me to get out my paints and start playing around again. The thing I love about magazines is that they 'museum-ify' the beauty of things which mightn't be possible or look as good in reality. I feel like such lively creations can almost only live and survive within the pages. Another reason why I gush over them so hungrily. Who would actually wear these creations in real life unless they were a celebrity going to some party or gala event? More power to those people who do wear such bright designs every day though. They keep the beauty and vibrant nature of things alive by making it part of their lives. 

Simply stunning. 

Beautiful and restrained details. I love the big belt over the trench coat. I did a similar thing when it was winter in Japan last year 

Whether you're a sewer or just into textiles for their beauty and tactile qualities, you should definitely drop in and mention that PFF sent you there ;-)

Cute and fun mural that was outside. I used to be a huge fan of holographic. I still love it when used in small details to be perfectly honest though. Sparkle will never die 💕💕

Post Tessuti splurge. Afterwards I went for a wander around the city. I tried on some pants at Zara and Cos to no avail 😔. But I did pick up something at Mecca ( The Nars tinted moistruizer i've been gabbling on about )

141 Flinders Lane, Melbourne 3000 

I'd love to hear your experiences with sewing, especially if you started out feeling intimidated by it but now have gained confidence and finesse in your skills. I want to start but it isn't cheap buying fabrics and I also don't even have a sewing machine! What have your experiences been? What have you made?