Back on track

Well I was off to the op shop this morning. As if Xmas didn't bring enough little goodies my way, I thought I might just take ten minutes, childless!!, and see what little treasures there were at the local Salvos.

Look what was waiting for me! All apparently from the same owner, as they all have the name Susan written in the same handwriting on in the inside cover.

And the gorgeous book titled Around the World Cutout Book has some great illustrations in it which I think would look lovely in a cloth book for a little girl I know! If only I had one of those trees on which grows money and time......

So that was Xmas....

I think I had a lovely Xmas this year.
That is if I can remember it.....

I've been holed up in bed with the dreaded flu... the bone aching, room spinning, chills and sweats flu....

So I've crawled (well almost) my way to the computer just to reconnect in some way with the outside world and share my sadness at missing the 20% off sale at Spotlight yesterday. I think that hurts more than the flu does.

Don't worry. I've had plenty of time to think and haven't forgotten about my 100th post giveaway.
I'll be posting about that soon. Promise. :)

Random photo from recent Bali trip due to lack of good xmas photos.....

Festive Find

I was just a smidge more than excited when I spied this beauty at a garage sale last weekend. Yes, back for two days and I was already beating the streets for finds.

The lady who was selling this tablecloth told me it was her mothers from the fifties. I love it for its festive feel and bright red colour, of which none is faded. All for $1. Bargain!!

Sorry for the shadow lines over the cloth... just couldn't get the right angle!!

And of course it's about ten centimetres too short on all sides for our big square dining table but what do I care?! I'm just in festive lurve...

Jewel coloured fabrics

I was very lucky to have some time whilst in Bali to visit Denpasar and its fabric shops.

It was a sewing gal's dream. Shop after shop after shop full of fabrics. All sorts. Batik, quilting quality, kids prints, you name it, I'm sure you could have found it.

I went only slightly silly in my fabric purchases. All the time thinking that I should retain the Silly Gilly style, and don't go overboard with buying simply everything! I found polka dots, mini dots, happy frogs, geckos, elephants, flowers, stars, and so much more.

So here are a few happy snaps of my newly arrived stash, safe at home in the studio...

These delicious prints will be made up into Silly Gilly items such as hats, smocks and more over the coming months. If you see a fabric you just have to have, contact me and I'll see what I can make up for you!

Now.... to find a spot for all this new fabric!

Silly Gilly went to Bali!

The Silly Gilly family went on a well-earned holiday to Bali and we have just returned.

There were so many wonderful things to see.....

Beautiful scenery

Beautiful people

Interesting sights (man on a motorbike)

Beautiful animals

Beautiful sunsets

I took lots of photos but not as many as I thought I would. Too busy rubbernecking and really immersing myself into the gentle and relaxed Balinese culture. It was my first visit to Bali, but the fourth for the rest of the family, and I'm definitely going back again.

And of course we visited Denpasar and the hideously delicious fabric shops. Just think Spotlight but ten times the scale with even more beautiful fabric. I was in bliss. I think I'll post about that this weekend with photos of the stash I brought home.

If only it came in my size....

I've just finished off another little girls hat and handbag set. I like this pair so much that I would love a set for myself, in my size of course... It's just something about navy, red and white that is so crisp and clean and perky!


I've been experimenting and having lots of fun adding different embellishments to the little girls hats. I was inspired by Nikki with her gorgeous hat embellishments. I'm finding my way and hope to find some good embellishments for boys hats soon.

Both of the hat and bag are lined with navy fabric featuring little white polka dots! Remember, if you see something on the Silly Gilly site and would like a matching accessory, just contact me and I will see if I can help! ETA Sorry to say this hat and bag have now sold!

Little Girls Hats and Handbags are here!

I've put together a couple of sets of little girls summer hats and handbag sets just in time for Christmas.

They are available for purchase each as a hat and bag set or individually. The green apple hat, Fruity Fresh, is size Large and the blue gingham, Susie Sweetpea, is size Medium. Both the bags and hats are fully lined and machine washable! That's important to know because I know how tough my almost 3yr old daughter is on her hats and bags!!

I'm also just finishing off tonight a gorgeous blue and red polka dot hat and bag set in size XLarge. I know there's lots of girl's things going into the Silly Gilly store at the moment but more boys things are on the way soon!

Share your dealers with me!!

My name is Gillian.

I have an addiction.

It is fabric. Lots of different sorts of fabric.
And my last craze is Japanese fabric, namely the cutesy kokka style with the mushrooms and the squirrels and the robots and the fairytale stories and..... you get the idea. Nearly all of the kids prints.

And I would like to find a wholesale source of the fabric, either here or in Japan.

Anyone want to share their dealer with me?? Come on... you know you want to... pretty please?
Flick me an email if you have the details of anyone who could help such a fabric addict as I.

Thanks. :)

An early Xmas at our house.

Baked these today for our Mothers and Babies Xmas picnic at the park.


Lovely Gingerbread cookies from the good old Betty Crocker book circa 1950. I love my Betty Crocker cook book. It's bright red and full of housewifely hints. I might even do a Betty Crocker post soon... See the icing tube on the right? That's my Tala icing set, circa 1940's. I felt downright housewife-ish, all 40's and 50's goodness.

Then off to said Xmas picnic, and now home. Daughter in bed asleep at 6.15pm after running herself silly at the park. Husband out enjoying himself at a work Xmas show. Me.... home.... happy.... sewing machine in my sights. Xmas has definitely come early at our house tonight.

I'm part the way through sewing some handbag and hat sets for little girls. Well, boys can have them too, I don't see why not?