5 things to make your campsite glam

We are in training for a large camping trip next year at some point, so we spent the weekend in Echuca to test our organisational and survival skills. We had the tent, the ice box, the industrial 4WD strength matress for a good nights sleep.

But chatting around the campfire at night, a question was formed in our minds "What would Candice de Ville do?". Candice being our modern day retro style icon. If you haven't visited her site, Vintage Current, pop along and check out all the tips hints and ideas for making your life more retro-stylish.


1. Stylish headpieces

One morning in the campsite when our hair was everywhere, we commented that Candice would have a do rag or turban on her head. She would make sure that she was composed and stylish as she stepped out of the tent at 5.30 in the morning.

Fashion turban by CurtainRoad

Headscarf by OGood

If you are interested in learning how to do a headscarf property, Candice has a tutorial on youtube!

2. Retro inspired cutlery

As we camped in a group, the discussion of cutlery came up. It was easier to distinguish which cutlery belonged with if they were colour matched or they had electrical tape or nail polish on the handles signifying which set they came from. But who says that cutlery has to be boring? Check out this lovely set from Lark.

Colour Block Cutlery by Lark

3. Eat in style

Candice would eat in style. Rather than grazing, which is what you tend to do when camping. Eating while standing or putting things away. Why not dress your table and make your meals a little more civilised!

Vintage Red Gingham Tablecloth by A String or Two

There are modern day versions of this that are waterproof. Ikea has plastic coated fabric that is still quite stylish and retro.

4. Time for tea! 

It is important when glamping to make sure that you remember afternoon tea. This melamine tea set is rather lovely.

from SwankySafari

I'm loving this orange enamel tea set. Boil your water up, steep your tea leaves.

Set by Montmartre Vintage

We had an Air Pot set up for hot water which came in handy for either washing hands or a cup of tea without boiling a billy.

Airpot by Vintage Loves and More

5. Bunting

This idea probably takes things a bit too far, but bunting can be used to define a camp space or where tent lines are. Given that most tents are quite natural in colours, a bit of colour won't hurt? Will it? I would look for the extra long outdoor bunting, rather than the baby nursery bunting as it needs to survive rain and wind!  Take some cable ties along to secure your bunting as well.

Oilcloth bunting by Billy Bobbin.

I could keep going! What about retro wellington boots? The plastic martini set? The ideas are endless!

I hope you enjoy my picks!

Get Well Kita

My first sewing project for the year was a little first aid pouch for a friend of the family who ended up in Emergency on Boxing Day with a burst appendix.

Tori coloured in the card and composed an underwater scene on the inside of the card with stickers.

Where as I was sent to the sewing machine to make something timely. A little pouch for her to keep her bandaids in just incase she gets a sore stomach again ..

Inside and the back of the pouch was in Gingham.

My love affair with Gingham

When I think of Gingham, I cast my mind back to a bag that used to hang over the back of my chair in Primary School. The chair bag was Green and it had my name embroidered on it. In the bag I kept pencils and a book. There are other memories of Green library bags, school uniforms and table cloths of Gingham being used on Shrove Tuesday.

Recently, I have been re-igniting my love with Gingham. Stars are being appliquéd, lining for bags made with beautiful checks, and cute little pouches ... lots of loveliness to be had!

So what is Gingham?

A quick search reveals why Gingham has such a "common" reputation. It started off as a striped fabric and then in the C18 the design changed into a check. Gingham, like Calico, has been used in the past as test fabric for designers. Many of the web sites state that Gingham has it's roots in Indonesia.

Recently I have noticed different grades of Gingham appearing in stores. In particular, a quilting weight Gingham looks great when used as a backing fabric. When I pointed out my observations to an assistant at Spotlight the other day, she commented "What is Gingham?" Bahh!

Which Bag is your favourite?

My Year 7 class are putting together a class load of Rainbow Comfort Packs to go up to a bush fire affected area for students who have lost everything. About half of the class have managed to make or get made a hand made bag for the project. And being the good teacher that I am, I am running up a few on my trusty Janome to help them along. Most of the material given to me was from the costume store room, left over from productions past.

The bag design being used is the pattern for my Market Bag, except I have refined it using some of the techniques in the Zakka book to streamline the process. There is also no interfacing, fussy stitching or closures in these bags. They are a very quick make.

1. Kaos Bag

2. Army Bag

These two bags have got black chunky cord as the outside fabric and a lovely red inside.

3. Pink Gingham Sakura Bag

4. "I love Gingham" Bag

It is good for me, as it allows me to refine patterns and processes quicker than I normally would. There is also a sense of freedom in doing whatever you want to embellish the bags. I like embelishing Gingham bags, they are very girly!

5. Another Cherry Blossom Japanese Fabric styled Bag


6. Strawberry Patch Bag

Some more costume store fabric. I don't particularly like the strawberry design (on right), but enough people have said that they like it for me to use it. The petals are from the pinafore that I made for Sarah at the start of April.

7. Skull Love Bag

7.

Lastly, this bag uses a scrap of the skull love fabric. Sewn on and frayed! Hoping that a boy likes this one. I have lots of cord and Gingham (Pink, Blue, Red, Black, Yellow) left, so I might make some larger bags and perhaps try my hand at a backpack or two.

So this is what I have done this weekend. Another load will be done after the Thornbury Market on Saturday 2nd May. I will also be making one for the teacher and put achievement stamps in there and some other nice teacher styled things).

So which bag is your favourite?