Window Dressing

I've been planning my booth display for the Sydney Life Instyle trade show, just over 2 weeks away - eek!

I can't reveal too much but here's a peek at my windows idea. This is the mini-version.

If you're visiting the show, you will be able to see the complete story at the Thea & Sami booth - Stand 78. Will I see you there?

Revamped Foot Stool

Here is my first mini-furniture makeover as promised. The fabric used is the new Thea & Sami "French Stripes" in Creme - Duck Egg Blue available here.

I thought I would start with a small project that needed no sanding or sewing.

This is what the before looked liked. I don't know about you but I can't imagine green vinyl looking good in anybody's home. Especially this shade of green.

The following are the steps taken by me which may or may not be the best way to do things. Flip the stool over and remove the legs. This was easy to do as they were the type that you can screw in and out.

Place seat over the fabric to work out how much you need and allow around 2 inches all around for folding and stapling. This project used 80 x 80 cm so one metre is more than enough.

Before stapling fabric, I removed the old staples and lining fabric. I didn't bother with removing vinyl nor relining since the wooden bottom was clean.

I folded the fabric for extra strength and attached a few staples in the centre. Leave the edges until last so that you have room to fold corners. Don't cover the metal parts where the legs will be screwed back in.

Stretch fabric, fold edge and staple the middle opposite side.

This is what my no-sewing-necessary folded corner looks like.

To achieve those nice corners, I folded the next sides like this and secured with a couple of central staples.

Now fold from the outside until fabric corner is how you want it.

Stretching fabric again, staple across the middle. This time, I didn't fold the fabric as it was getting bulky from the folded corners. As nobody will see it underneath and the linen is quite strong, it won't matter.

Stretch opposite side to that and staple. Trim excess fabric as you will need to expose leg attachments.


Flip seat and check tension and then you will be able to stretch the rest evenly and staple all around. Don't be afraid to remove staples where necessary if tension is not right.

Spray paint legs to suit your fabric. I used White Knight Squirts in "Lace" which is a creamy type of colour. I did use a base coat first. The legs on my foot stool are plastic so no sanding was necessary. Screw legs back in once thoroughly dry.

I'm taking my new foot stool to Life Instyle as a prop and a seat. I just can't decide which way I like the fabric facing. Do you like the horizontal stripes or vertical (see first image).

I'm planning to share another makeover with you next weekend. Please feel free to submit any makeovers of your own when you use any of our fabrics.

A Good Mouse

I have a new toy! I'm quite pleased about it as I used to own one of these babies when I lived in Canada and dabbled in woodworking. I've missed my little pet.

The Black and Decker Mouse is lightweight and so easy to use for those sanding and polishing jobs. The best part is that I bought it yesterday at a bargain price at Bunnings who won't be restocking Black & Decker products.

This weekend, I'm working on a couple of mini-furniture makeovers inspired by these lovely and talented ladies; Megs, Sandy and Kristine. Visit them to be inspired too.

Image taken by me (Thea).

More Washi Tape

My obsession with Washi Tape continues.

I love wrapping parcels with brown paper and washi tape.

I wrapped some around this otherwise plain wooden box to keep my office knick-knacks in. The beautiful twine and scissors set was purchased from Urban Dweller.

How organised do I feel with my multi-tape dispenser? You can order one from Happy Tape and it's available in several colours.

For an extensive selection of tapes, visit Pretty Tape.

We will continue printing fabrics today but I am soooo looking forward to my massage this afternoon. I hope you have a nice day too!

Blue Roses, I Love You

Do you remember when I faked it for this photo? I'm happy to report that I am now halfway to making it.

Yesterday, Leisa and I screen printed my 'Dotty About Roses' design as yardage on hemp-organic cotton and have sent the fabric off to the lampshade makers.

I like to be believe that I have mixed a very sophisticated shade of blue (still to be named) so I hope you agree?

The fabric screen had to be redone as I wasn't happy with the scale of the print and some of the cross-stitch detail was being lost with the smaller size. I do think it is perfect now with each rose at 16.5 cm high (6.5 inches).

We're printing the design on our natural linens this week and all will be available for purchase very soon. With only 3 weeks to go until Life Instyle Sydney, I'm anxious to have new homewares made. Luckily, none of our local manufacturers were affected by the Flood.

Speaking of (true) blue - I wish everybody a great Australia Day today. Yay!

Time Well Wasted

I really look forward to my daily hospital visits! It's true although this was not always the case as I much as I love my man (hello Honey) but all that changed when I began working on this...

my Robin Needlepoint cushion cover. I find it so relaxing to do and really only take the time to do so during those hospital visits so I'm hoping that the patient isn't discharged before I've finished (am I bad?).

I didn't even mind hanging around in the Radiology waiting room for 2 hours yesterday. My craft activity even served as the conversation starter with a dear retired builder who was bored waiting for his own appointment. He explained that his wife is an avid quilter and I received some invaluable advice about dealing with my damp closets.

Do you have a secret activity that you enjoy, perhaps with an ulterior motive?

Organic Jersey Sale

The Sale continues on fabrics that we are now longer using.

ALL prices on Organic Cotton Jerseys and Organic Cotton-Spandex blends are further reduced until stock runs out. These are great fabrics for babywear, t-shirts and leggings.

Free Shipping

I'm just working on updating the website this week and will be adding new printed fabrics. There are a few changes taking place and Free Shipping will now only apply to on-line orders of over $100. A flat postage and packing rate of $8 (Aussie dollars) applies to orders of lesser value. Extra postage costs will not apply to fabric swatch orders.

These rates do apply to international orders too so you've got to love that!

Please note that Free Shipping offer does not extend to wholesale orders.

Green Clean Up

This is one way to wake up early on a Saturday morning. The tree loppers/ wood chippers had to be called in and it's very noisy!

After all the recent storm activity, we had a few broken tree limbs that were far too huge for us to fit into our Green Waste wheelie bin. (Brisbane residents can order one through the City Council).

I've had so much to deal with lately and am always time-poor so I decided to put Voyt, my bed-ridden husband to work. After all, he's just been lying there, right? Thus, he has been making phone calls from his hospital bed and arranging such things that need to be taken care of. He likes doing it as he's quite bored otherwise.

Voyt's doing so much better right now. He has been moved to another ward with a new doctor looking after him. I suspect that this may be due to fact that he and the previous doctor clashed - badly! There was yelling involved (on the doctor's part) but I don't want to gossip too much.

The man does have a leg infection which is most likely the result of him wading through storm waters on our property (pre-floods) so please do be careful if you are helping with clean-ups. The dangers are very real and I have spoken to people who know 4 others who have since acquired flood-water related infections.

Got to run now. A dear friend and I are going to Samford for breakfast and checking out a new store that is opening today. It is stocking Thea & Sami homewares so I can't wait to see and to share it with you later. Have a nice day! x

The Countdown is On

Tick Tock... time is flying but after a productive day of screen-printing new fabrics today, we're back on track for our Life Instyle Sydney trade show - now only 4 weeks away! It's amazing how much you can get done when you're headache free!

How fabulous is Red Revival's Doily Clock created by the talented Emma Gascoyne? You can see it at the Thea & Sami stand as we will be representing and showcasing new Red Revival designs as well as our own.

I love Life Instyle's campaign for this show. If you want to have a behind-the-scenes peek of this photo shoot, you can do so here.

If you plan to attend Life Instyle, you will need to register as a buyer. Don't forget to visit the Thea & Sami stand - you will find Emma and Thea (moi) at Stand 78. No cold and windy dungeons this time and we booked a nice hotel within walking distance so that we wouldn't have to rely on cabs or public transport.

I just hope that the man is out of hospital in time to look after the baby. Will we see you at the show?

WTF?

What The Fluff is this? If you really want to know, you can revisit my blog post about it here.

You must be thinking that I have too much time on my hands but the truth is that I have been home fighting a nasty headache all day and yesterday my assistant had one (are they contagious?) We're not getting much done, I'm afraid.

So I thought we could all use a smile. The "Great Balls of Fluff" is my most popular blog post of all time. Sad but true as it has nothing to do with design, craft or hand-made.

All orders will be posted tomorrow. I just can't leave the sofa. I just hope some of the relatives visit the hospital patient (please).

Please Like Me

How desperate do I sound begging to be liked?

I have resisted for so long but finally Thea & Sami have a Facebook page. Initially, I was concerned about the extra time that I would need to maintain it until I found out that blog posts could automatically be posted to Facebook via Networked Blogs. I really had no excuse not to join the masses.



Do like me if you feel so inclined and if you really, really like me, please suggest the Thea & Sami page to your Facebook friends.

In addition to the special Brisbane Screen-Print (see previous post), I have decided to further donate 20% of all on-line sales (from other all products) to the Premier's Flood Appeal too. This offer will extent to the end of January. Do you like that?

Brisbane City Screen Print

My Brisbane City design is now available for sale as a screen-printed art panel. This is something I have been wanting to do for ages and decided that the time was now or never.

The design had a previous life as the famous award-winning "Brisbane Skirt" as worn here by our local heroine, Anna Bligh.

This is my tribute to our fair city and to all the heroes out there. I am donating 20% of all sales from this screen-printed panel to the Premier's Flood Appeal. I have worked like crazy to get this ready and onto the website before I get back to work today.

Update: Proceeds from sales will be given donated until February 28.

You can see it hanging in my living room. Please ignore the ugly curtains. They came with the house and I can't wait to replace them with nicer ones made from our own fabrics.

The design is stretched over a 40 x 20 inch artist's canvas which is the perfect size for it. The canvas is not included in your purchase but you can find them through artist's supplies stores or Art Riot on-line here.

Many of you have asked about my husband. Voyt is not well so I am quite stressed as he is expected to be in hospital for at least 3 weeks and with the Life Instyle trade show only a month away - I have a lot to do! I will have to pay two studio rents again this month as I can't possibly deal with the new studio relocation on my own, especially with all my extra commitments.

I implore that you support Queensland businesses where possible. It will be very important for our economic recovery.

My Ray of Sunshine

Ironically, the sun has been shining the last couple of days after weeks of rain in Brisbane. There will be no negativity in this post today. I want to share my little ray of sunshine with you.

Do you remember baby Matteo? He is my gorgeous nephew and he turned one yesterday! He is always smiling and I hope he continues to do so.

There were no major celebrations but I did spend some time with him and his big brother Josh. It makes me so grateful that they are safe and sound and part of my life.

I didn't feel like going shopping so I decided to make something special for the little guy. I never have time to cut stencils or screen-print for my own pleasure even though I teach this technique in my classes. However, yesterday was an exception and the process kept my troubled mind occupied. Is there anything better than giving or receiving a one-of-a-kind, hand-made gift? I think not.

Today, I wish a Happy Birthday to my brother Peter! (He was not the flooded brother). We have a lot of family birthdays this month as I never mentioned that Voyt also celebrated a birthday on the 2nd.

I must say a thank you to all the family and personal friends from as far as Greece, Poland and Brazil who contacted me to enquire about Voyt. I will be giving you further updates shortly.

It has been so wonderful to witness all the community support in our fair city. I have donated to the Premier's Flood Appeal but I am also preparing something very special to share with you soon that will be a further contribution to the Flood Relief efforts.

Surreal or Real?

I am sorry that I have not really felt like blogging or answering your emails. I am quite depressed but did want to say that I really do appreciate all of your comments and well-wishes for my husband's health.

I visited Voyt again in the hospital today and was quite distressed to find that his leg had greatly deteriorated. It is not a pretty site so I am sparing you the images. In all fairness, the hospital (one of Brisbane's best private ones) only has a skeleton staff and he was not given antibiotics or painkillers until last night after a doctor finally visited, which really was too late for his condition.

My brother's house in the river suburb of Jindalee was one of the homes lost to the flood. He and his family are safe but are trapped in the western suburbs and mobile telephone communications are not working properly although I was able to receive a text message from my sister-in-law this morning. My cousin's house is possibly lost too. She evacuated early and her house is located in Milton, one of the suburbs shown in this video.

Update: My cousin's house was a couple of houses short of the flooding line and my brother's house was flooded a little bit but not as bad as they had feared. Their neighbours had flooding as high as ceilings so they considered themselves quite lucky in comparison.


I am finding it impossible to think about work and driving to and from the hospital the last 2 days has been an eerie experience as there is no traffic on Brisbane streets. I am fortunate that I am able to stay along the high streets of the hilly Eastern suburbs. Our city really is a ghost town though. I am still in shock and cannot watch the TV coverage without tearing up. As a Brisbanite, it all feels quite surreal and I still can't believe that it has all happened.

I do want to say that I am grateful that we and our home are safe and to be living in the best country possible to deal with all of this disaster. Stay strong Queensland, we love you!

The best way to get flood relief funds to where it is needed most, is by donating directly to the Premier's Fund. I think that Anna Bligh, our premier (state leader), is doing an amazing job. Thanks Anna!

Unhappy Birthday

My heart is breaking today as the city I love and live in sinks further under rising floodwaters. The rain continues to fall and overfilled dams need to be released leaving Brisbane and Ipswich bracing themselves today and tomorrow for the worst flood in 100 years.

Image of flooded Southbank boardwalk beside QLD State Library (yesterday) is courtesy of Sydney Morning Herald, taken by their reader Kirby Weston.

We are safe where we live as we are far enough from the river and creeks but production has ceased at Thea & Sami this week. My assistant is expected to be land-locked and worse still, my husband was admitted to hospital last night with a reinfected leg. The relocation to our new studio looks like it will be postponed for yet another month.

I woke up alone this morning and feeling quite sad for we were supposed to be celebrating my birthday today. That seems so silly now with so much devastation around us and Queenslanders losing homes and lives. 75% of our state is a declared disaster zone!

A lot of help will be needed to rebuild lives. There are many places you can donate much needed funds including at any Australian bank. I chose the Premier's Fund here which can also be used by international readers. I hope you are safe and dry where you are. Stay strong Queensland! x

Dotty about Red Roses

You asked for red roses and I must say they do look good!

The Dotty About Roses tea-towels are now available for purchase here in 3 colours. A lovely gift indeed for a friend (or yourself).

How to Use Rubylith

Today, I'm going to show you how you can use Rubylith, a type of masking film, to create a positive for exposing your image onto a screen for fabric printing.

The positive that I have created here is for our new "French Stripes" design. I first laid out a paper guide onto my light table and then secured the Rubylith over it. Before you do that, cut the Rubylith to the size you need for your screen.

It is important that you place the side that can be cut away upwards. Here is a description of the process on e-How.

I first scored the Rubylith with a craft knife in long rectangles in between my dark guiding lines - the red that remains is what becomes your film positive. Be very careful when cutting as it is easy to cut through both layers - the red and the supporting transparent backing. Use gentle pressure and a sharp blade.

Use your craft knife to gently lift up the corner of your cut area so you can easily peel it away.

It is so much fun peeling away the layers that you don't need to slowly reveal your design. If you make a mistake you can use sticky tape to stick the Rubylith back in place.

This is my finished positive for the "French Stripes". It was the perfect method for this design as I wanted the lines to look very organic and not cut in perfect straight lines.

I love using Rubylith but had forgotten all about its existence as it isn't so easy to find in these days of digital design. It wasn't until my recent visit to Anne Leon's studio that I was reminded of it.

It is difficult to obtain in small quantities as most suppliers expect you to buy a 25 metre roll. However, I was able to source it from Artmart Australia who will sell it to you by the metre. You will find world-wide distributors here.

If you want to learn more, I do an overview of the different methods of creating a film positive in my Screen-Printing classes.

My dog has absolutely nothing to do with using Rubylith but her image me smile when I found it in the same group of photos. Zoe (my pet) and I both wish you a great week even though Queenslanders will be swimming to work. Enough rain already!

Cushions in the Press

Our cushions have been quite the media tarts lately.

You will find Thea & Sami's organic cotton cushions on page 71 of the current Peppermint Mag. They take part in the 'Home Green Home' feature and they are available for purchase here.


Sometimes, products appear in magazines and blogs without credit to the designer and we only find out because of lovely readers like you who recognise our work. This was the case for cushions made from our hand-printed fabrics and seen here in the lovely Canberra home of Jane & Reuben. Find them on page 89 of this month's House & Garden.

The fabrics used are the Marguerite print in red on hemp/organic cotton and the Cottage Garden printed in creme on natural linen. The cushions were made and are sold by our lovely Canberra stockist 'The Bodhi Leaf'.

Thanks to Allison Langton of Bigprint Little who does these lovely illustrations for House and Garden for alerting me as did one of my other blog followers, thanks Catherine!

If you haven't already, you may like to check out the current House and Garden and Peppermint mags, both are great reads.

French Stripes

Calling all Francophiles and linen lovers, I have something to show you that I hope you will like. These are my samples of our new fabric design "French Stripes". Please let me know what you think?

We pinned out a piece of each of our new linen fabrics and tested the new screen. I'm not ashamed to say that I was very excited after I lifted up the screen to reveal the above colourways.

We will be printing yardage of these babies on Monday and then listing the fabric for sale on the website. I see cushions and lampshades!

Speaking of lampshades, I apologise that I am taking so long to list lampshades but I don't like to promote products unless I am sure that we can produce them. The lampshade maker whose services I was using is unable to deal with wholesale quantities. Thus, we will be trying out another manufacturer next week. I will keep you posted.