'Ahoy' art print by draw! pilgrim giveaway!

Would you like to win a free art print by the lovely Pilgrim Lee?

Knowing how much my customers and blog readers love all things nautical, Pilgrim has given me an A4 size art print, featuring her Ahoy design in 'shipwreck' colourway to give away to one of you.

To be in the running, please leave a comment below (not on Facebook or Twitter please) and I will ask my 5 year old son (who can't read yet) to point to the winning comment on Friday, the 2nd of December at 5pm.

Please note:

The print is sent unframed and shipped in a poly bag and lovingly nestled in a rigid mailing envelope.


paper size: A4, 297x210mm (11.7x8.3 inches)
image size: 249x197mm (9.8x7.75 inches)

Please be aware that colors can vary on different monitors.


Printed with a xerox DC5000 on silk coated 200gsm paper


All artwork © Draw! Pilgrim copyright and reproduction rights do not transfer with the sale/giveaway of prints or original artwork.

A simple and inexpensive gift for little ones

When I was pregnant with my son, my workmate James said to me: "you'd better start saving up for all the birthday presents you're going to have to buy!".

By this, he meant that when your child reaches a certain age, they are going to get invited to parties - and lots of them.

For some parents, buying a gift around the $25-$30 each time can be a burden on the household budget, so here is my suggestion for a gift that lasts for years and is useful -and is under $10.

A button badge set, designed and handmade by draw! pilgrim and a Little Golden Book is a suitable gift for a child between 1 year old and up. Ofcourse, you would'nt give the child the badges to play with, but they look great on a 'nappy bag' or on a child old enough to understand not to touch it.

As for the Little Golden book, these can be picked up for under $5 each from supermarkets and bookstores. If the books get damaged over time, the pictures can be used to make greeting cards and collages.

To see more of draw! pilgrim's lovely artwork, visit her website here.

Mad Men, Cocktails & Dresses on draw! pilgrim

Go and visit draw! pilgrim and check out her super cool Mad Men inspired blog post. It features delicious cocktail recipes and some of my dresses!

Speaking of Pilgrim...

I blogged about the dress I made for Pilgrim Lee of draw! pilgrim the other day. However, I don't feel that I don't you enough about the girl behind the delightful designs.

I first read about Pilgrim Lee and her wonderful artwork on The Vine. The article was written by paintergirl - someone who has introduced me to many cool people and things over the years - and I instantly fell in love.

What caught my eye was her Alphabet series, my favorite being the one pictured above. I love the colours and I love the indirect way the pills and letter C remind me of The Carrie Nations from the movie Beyond the Valley of the Dolls.

I bought the print and had it framed by the amazing people at Melbourne's Outre Gallery.

Not long after reading the article, I started following Pilgrim via Twitter, and after learning that we both had sons the same age, I asked her if she was interested in a playdate. Thankfully, she said yes and we (and our sons) have been friends ever since.

Whether it's a sunny day or a grey & rainy day, Pilgrim always fills up my day with colour...technicolour to be exact!

She launched her Etsy store recently and is planning on adding new items every couple of weeks.

If you're after a pretty bright print for your wall or some super cute gift tags, visit her store and be sure mention that I sent you for a 10% discount off your purchase from her etsy store!

Website: draw! pilgrim
Twitter: pilgrim_lee
Etsy store: draw! pilgrim

Pilgrim's dress made from a 1960's bedsheet

My super talented friend, Pilgrim asked me to make her a summer frock made using one of the many beautiful pieces of fabric from her stash.

First, I machine washed the fabric using hot water and just a little washing detergent and fabric softener. I would have liked to have tumble dried the fabric but as I don't have one, I line dried the fabric piece.

Finally, to ensure as much shrinkage was taken out as possible and to make the fabric easier to work with, I pressed and steamed the fabric with a hot iron.

We chose a simple boat neck strapless design as the fabric print was quite bold. The skirt is a simple gathered a-line shape and the centre back has an invisible zip.

Princess seams allowed me to get a nice fit in the bodice and I lined it with 100% Viscose lining.

Hopefully I can post a photo of Pilgrim in her new dress later in the year as the weather gets warmer.

For now though, forgive me for the iPhone photo of the dress and be sure to check out Pilgrim's amazing website, draw! pilgrim.

Valentine's Day sale...

Just a quick note to let you know that all love-themed items in my store are reduced until February the 15th.

Take a look here.

Speaking of Valentine's Day, check out Pilgrim Lee's blog for some cute Valentine's Day goodness here.