Vintage Blue & Silver Shoe

Excellence in Queensland Design was celebrated last Wednesday evening as part of our state's 150th birthday. The event was held at Government House. I was fortunate to have been one of 200 (including partners) invited to attend.

The dress code was cocktail and lounge suit and I decided that a little vintage glamour would serve me well. Unfortunately, I couldn't take any photographs at the function as flash photography was strictly prohibited so I will have to show you what I wore sans model.



This is a vintage gown acquired from eBay a couple of years ago. It came from London and is probably from the 60s. Like most garments of the era, it is very well made and cut for a womanly shape. The dress was quite long but I asked Emily to cut and shorten it on the day. A little scarey to alter something so precious but I had total faith and Emily did a beautiful job. The dress does look better at the less formal, cocktail length.


The fitted waist-line features exquisite hand-beading and silver embroidery.

The silver shoes are not vintage. They were bought from the Tracey Mathers Shoe Studio at Pacific Fair a few years ago for my sister's wedding.



The evening was a mix and mingle cocktail party with plenty of champagne flowing. The Governor, Her Excellency Ms. Penelope Wensley AO was the most gracious hostess and a true patron of the arts. She worked the room and thanked us all personally for attending.

The personal highlight of my evening was meeting fashion designer Leigh Buchanan. For those who watched the Australian series of Project Runway, you will remember him as the runner-up in the competition. However, he was my favourite on the series and is just as much fun in person. He loved my "frock" and asked if he could touch the beading (of course!) and he did ask my husband if he could marry him. But alas (for Leigh) Voyt was already taken.

Other friends that were present included KT Doyle, Madeleine Brown and Katelyn Aslett.

Mushrooms Canvas Bag to Sew

The Brisbane Stitches & Craft Show is less than 3 weeks away and I can't believe how quickly the time is flying. Based on feedback received from the Melbourne show, we have been thinking of products that you crafty goddesses would like.



We have printed our Mushrooms print on an environmentally friendly hemp/organic cotton canvas (pesticide-free) and Emily, our in-house pattern maker, has come up with a simple tote bag project that anybody can recreate.

The kit will include simple-to-follow instructions with photos. The bag is modelled here by Emily. For those of you who have followed my blog, I can't believe it either as she is usually an elusive creature when it comes to being in front of the camera.

You will be able to meet Emily at our stand 156 in the Incubator Section on the Wednesday and Thursday.



I will be washing the bag this weekend to see how it fares and if it requires pre-shrinking. We will also be selling this fabric by the metre and will be listing it on our on-line store in the near future.

Keep checking or follow our blog as we have lots happening and are printing a new children's' fabric next week. That print will be offered in a baby-soft hemp/organic muslin & organic cotton jersey.

The Fashion Shoot

I can now officially add fashion photographer to my ever-expanding roles within the Thea & Sami organisation. This was our low-budget photo shoot from last Sunday afternoon taken in a local Brisbane park.  The models were not professionals either but local natural beauties Belinda (on left) and Jade.  You will have to stay tuned for more revealing shots (of their faces that is).

This is a sneak preview of what we have been up to with our hand-printed organic fabrics. Thanks to feedback from Allyson, I have decided not to use the Hemp/PET that I originally planned to use for the wrap dress but am substituing that fabric with a hemp/organic cotton muslin of similar weight.  The black & white version is printed on organic linen.



We took the photos by the Bulimba Creek at Minnipi Parklands (click for deer sighting) and had to share the floating platform with a nice old man who was fishing for catfish.  I think he was quite excited to be sharing his space with such lovely ladies.



Our Va-Va-Voom top (I just came up with that name) is made of organic cotton/spandex and we are making an initital small batch for the Young Designers Market in Brisbane on the 8th March and to the Stitches and Craft Show in Melbourne next month.



And here is the elusive Emily Tappenden who posed for a location test shot while waiting for the models to arrive. She later realised that this photo would probably end up on my blog.  Emily is responsible for all the styling and patternmaking of this collection.  It truly was a collaboration between her and myself and it has been very exciting seeing our sketches finally come to life.

It is noteworthy to point out that Emily only graduated last year from the Fashion programme at the Metropolitan South Institute of TAFE.

Thea & Sami Wrap Dress

While the rest of us were screen-printing on Saturday, Emily Tappenden, our resident fashion guru whipped up this beautiful wrap dress in our freshly printed Marguerite design.  The eco-fabric we have used is a very exciting 55% hemp/45% PET muslin.  Hemp is a wonderful sustainable, natural fibre and PET (short for Polyethylene terephthalate) is made of from 100% recycled plastic bottles.  While I am not a big fan of synthetics, you have to love the fact that this fabric is utilising what would otherwise end up in land-fill and and isn't depleting the Earth's natural resources in its production.

We have sampled another blouse from the same fabric and have printed, washed, dried and pressed it and it has fared remarkably well.  And speaking of recycling, what do you think of our in-house mannequin Justine (so-named by Emily)?  A friend rescued her from being dumped by a major clothing chain store.  It is incredible how many of these poor girls are tossed when they reach a certain age and are now longer shiny and new, kind of like real life?

And if you are wondering why Emily has yet to appear in any blog photos - it's because she is always hiding from the camera but I promise I will catch her soon.

I would really appreciate your feedback on our wrap dress from Thea & Sami's upcoming 2009 eco-fashion range.