Love and Blisters

The devil is in the details.

2012-03-07T01:59:00.001+11:00

Autumn harvest is well under way.

The fruits of our labour freshly picked, stalks trimmed, produce well-packaged and ready to take to market! Without a doubt the madness’s in the method, the devil’s in the the details - the smallest feature makes the biggest difference in growing good-looking, good tasting goodness :)

Beautiful ingredients, better produce.

Extra stitching, better preserve.

Clean and trim, no loose ends.

Wrap up, too good to eat :)

*Thank you to the wonderfully cloudy Kylie Johnson for being our sweetly silver lining for this season's produce xxx

And as 'Sure as rain’, our harvest continues...

- A

New season harvest, Autumn collection.

2012-02-24T11:58:00.000+11:00

Autumn is nearly here :)

We’ve been busy preparing, making, growing our next seasonal crop of clothing for some time now. It’s time to harvest - we are bringing the first batch of these fresh fineries into our stores next week.

All good things take time.

Following from our last series All of my own, When the day is done continues the journey on a desert shore where land and water meet… wayfaring to the beautiful sounds of Nick Drake.

It was a cold, windy, rainy, sunny day at Stockton sand dunes, that day we shot our story. It couldn’t have been more (im)perfect :)

The landscape swept us up and away…

*Thank you to our model - the wonderful, beautiful and talented actress Nadine Barry, for helping us tell this tale xxx

Cookie crumbles.

2012-02-14T23:32:00.000+11:00

We had the loveliest morning tea today with Ashnash, our terrific intern, who baked us love cookies for Valentine’s Day - so special!

Saint Valentine would’ve approved of the softly misshapen white chocolate cranberry love cookie goodness. It may not be a perfectly smooth and circular thing, this love, but it’s the way it crumbles that counts :)

Going nuts for Bunya.

2012-02-07T17:43:00.001+11:00

*Oh dear, it’s another post about food ;)

But I love native foods. I’m perplexed that we have so little access to it and use so little of it in everyday cooking so any chance I get to talk about ‘bushtucker’ or make a lovely dinner with native vegies, I always take up :)

I didn’t manage to take any photographs of the pasta we made because we were too excited and hungry to document it beforehand… but here are the wonderful Bunya Nuts that we had for dinner :) A heavenly gift from South QLD / Northern NSW - from the native Bunya Pine tree :)

...beautiful papery shells of the bunya pine cone encases the almond-shaped nut within...

Beautiful colours.

Beautiful textures.

To get to the fleshy nut inside, we first incised the pointy tops of the shells with secateurs and then boiled them for 20mins to soften. Then we wedged a cleaver in the incised section and chopped the nuts open to reveal the cooked soft chestnutty-kernels within.

We delighted in their simply wonderful nutsome goodness with handmade pasta, garlic, lemon, sea salt, olive oil and truffle oil :)

- R

These grey days...

2012-02-03T11:26:00.001+11:00

I LOVE grey rainy days. I also LOVE my home.

Quite simply there is nothing I enjoy more than to while away the hours in the company of these two loves.

With a cuppa in hand, and a pencil in the other, I finally found the mood to take to the paper. Well, at least to attempt the task that has been looming over-head for so long now. Thank goodness I found an eraser!

The last time I put pencil to paper was almost two years ago. Mr Book and I celebrated our Decade of Toleration by booking ourselves to all the Winter Roasts at Bistrode, Surry Hills. We decided to commemorate our dining experience through illustration and word. My favourite is the illustrated roast of 'Christmas in July' - honey & grain mustard baked korobuta ham, served with sweet potato mash, roast potatoes & green beans. All the diners on the evening wore paper crowns to cheer the auspicious winter feast. We started with a Stone's Winter Royal and ended with a spectacular Christmas pudding, orange & brandy custard.

The Strodes sure know how to put on a mean roast!
- I love how suckling this little piggy poses. How on earth am I suppose to out-draw this happy moment?

Please be easy on me. I'm a little rusty. It's been a while... here we go...

...I was feeling a bit fungy on my first attempt... Ange has titled this 'Desdemona' who was Othello's murdered lover... talk about high drama and we've only just met!

I had to get the WD40 out for this grandma. It most painstakingly took me absolutely ages to get my drawing hand to take instruction. When you're not a natural, trying to come up with a subject matter suitable for a print, can get gruesome. Much like pulling teeth.

…free-form lavender… some dried and withered stems I found at our studio the other day. I like the way they naturally arch like the back of an old woman, sensing her time is close...

I love this photo of the three of us! Sadly, I'm the only one who hasn't moved on from wearing pyjamas in the day time! I meant to illustrate us as we are... which the girls kindly pointed out, I'm obviously the one with the double chin! Take your pick!

…and for mains...

…canard a l'orange - I've been wanting to draw this for some time because it's quite straightforward... a duck and some oranges! There's cognac in the recipe too but let's leave that one out for the faint-hearted. I decided against a beret :) What do you think?

What are all these drawings for, I hear you ask. You may want to stay tuned to the menu, as we are planning a range of tote bags featuring some of these illustrations for Mother's Day.

Well, it looks like the rain is going to stay on for a while yet so there's really no reason to get out of my pyjamas today. My loves and I are all in agreeance that it's time to light up the fireplace, crack open the cigars and have ourselves a Suntory time to celebrate these grey days.

- J

Beanstalking.

2012-02-01T22:21:00.003+11:00

The best day of the week is definitely Tuesday. Tuesday is the day we go beanstalking :)

Beanstalk - our local Newcastle organic farmer’s community co-op is absolutely amazing.

Every Tuesday we collect our fine and fresh fare from our local farmers. We get together out on the farm once a month to weed or lend a helping hand, we help raise funds for equipment when it is needed and generally, as a community, we become more part of the process. We eat what is in season, and boy, is it all ever delectable, delightful and delicious!

We get to try all sorts of weird and wonderful vegetables, and learn new recipes along the way. Garlic never tasted better, kohlrabi ever quirky and amazing in a Vietnamese salad.

Nothing compares to real vegetables :) Fresh. Robust. Colour-full. With a grub now and then.

And we hardly need to go to the supermarket anymore, yay! There ain't no going back!

...

And I thought Tuesdays couldn't get any better until yesterday (Tuesday).

Upon a little visit to the local Asian grocer for some daikon (radish), something caught my eye that I hadn't seen since I was last in Japan.

The rush of memories came flooding back...

with sashimi,

with onigiri,

with yakiniku,

from the roadside market stall, the biggest ones I'd ever seen... Oh, the longing to return to Japan to graze on these little beauties.

Turns out there's a local lady that grows it in her backyard. Awesome!!!

I LOVE SHISO!

The perilla has a similar flavour to mint or fennel but even better! Admittedly, I am slightly biased… but isn't she beautiful!

Happy Tuesday!

- A

Black water dragons.

2012-01-23T01:40:00.000+11:00

Happy New Year!

Farewell to the rascal rabbit and a warm welcome to the black water dragon!

We hope the brave and mighty dragon, ever-so crafty and enterprising, occasionally quick-tempered but positively passionate, will bring a terrific year to us and you all!

And in the true spirit of Chinese New Year...

we clean the house

we go the market

we prepare

we cook

we cook some more

we eat

we talk

we compare recipes and methods

we rest

we eat some more

we laugh

we make each other eat just a little more

we thank all each other for all the wonderful food

we complain about how much we ate

we blame each other for making each other eat too much

we argue about whose pineapple tarts taste the best

we pack leftovers to eat for the next 15 days of new year

we roll out the door

like mandarins tumbling down the hill...

...

Yee sang / lo sang / lo hei - bestest new year salad ever!

With chopsticks in hand, everyone tosses the salad higher and higher together!

The higher the toss, the greater the fortune!

(much of it does land on the table or floor, what remains is eaten very quickly!)

curry leaves, chicken and ginger sauce… steamboat fun for everyone…

...and the best pineapple tarts ever (thank you Jamie!)

...and that was not even half of the feast prepared.

Oh, it is going to be a good year indeed. xxx

- A

Tiling not sewing.

2012-01-12T20:54:00.002+11:00

Tiling Crossjack tops this week -

like the ones down the road from grandma’s house in gemas

like the ones on the street near shirley’s flat in okachimachi

- as we prepare for Autumn, in the distance.

- R

Robin, me and Matinee.

2011-12-17T17:33:00.000+11:00

When running a business becomes all too much and you question if it is really worth all the madness, a most wonderful thing happens that puts that smile back on your face - yes, it is all worthwhile!

I had a most wonderful time working in the store the other day, playing dress-up with an unassuming customer. When she appeared from behind the change room, we looked at each other with smiles that said it all. The three of us knew it was meant to be. Robin, me and Matinee.

It’s these moments I treasure most as a maker, when a woman so comfortable in her own skin shines in a piece of Mrs Woo. Who would’ve thought, Robin was a closet supermodel too!

The funny thing was when I showed Mr B this picture, he said, “I know that lady! That’s Pat’s mum, Robin!” She is an old school friend’s mum and he’d been working on her property for the past few years. I had no idea! The world became even smaller in our sleepy town.

- Robin, you looked so beautiful and happy in our new dress “Me and Matinee” (well, it’s your dress now in fact ;) that you really made us feel very special. We love that you wore the dress home and got complimented on how beautiful you looked even before you got home! Thank you x Have a wonderful Christmas Day looking and being the fabulous person that you are :)

- J

Wreath all about it.

2011-12-10T00:06:00.001+11:00

And so, we gathered around a very round and crispy potato, rosemary, thyme
and sea-salty olive oil wreath at our end-of-year Xmas merry happy get-together...

Oily paper lamp bulbs, carnival lights, flowing reds and whites, slow-cooked servings

of sweet meats, greens and ice cream, big laughs, stupendous tales and soft waxing lyricals

illuminated this wonderful evening…

We’re blessed with the best Mrs Woo Team in the universe :)

Season’s Greetings! Happy Holidays!

x Big big thank you to Mr Book and Mavis for the incredible feast and lovely service x

Metal symphony.

2011-12-01T00:21:00.001+11:00

More times than we can count, the warm metalic sound of our well-used-well-loved Olympia typewriter has lured unsuspecting passers-by inside our store.'But what do you do with it?’We type, silly.
Label names.Prices.Descriptions.Stories.Stickers for small children.Notes for friends.Love letters.
'It certainly has been forever and a day since we heard that lovely sound.’Memories of fathers typing away to the ticking of the grandfather clock - persistent, without rest. Memories of mothers attempting to paint away typing mistakes with 'liquid paper' - persistent, without fail....What is it about typewriters that pulls at our heart strings?The symphony of metal upon metal upon ink ribbon upon paper?The honesty and openness of its mechanics.The simplicity of its 'keyboard'.The beauty of typewriter font. The immediacy of thought to paper.The limited ability to make adjustments.It is also the beginning of many an interesting conversation.'What is that?''A typewriter.''Wow, I have heard about them but never seen one before!''Really? Honestly? Where have you been?''Right here, living in this century! Can you show me how to use it?''Sure... it is easy to make mistakes, but that is part of the fun.''Amazing!!! Unbelievable... can you type a sticker for me to take home please?'...'I've been recommended to visit this store - can you please help me type this out on the typewriter?''My pleasure… what is it for?''Description to attach to an antique piece...''Come back in half an hour and it will be ready!’Half an hour later, he returns with two beautiful bunches of flowers,'Thank you ever so much! Do you know how difficult it is to find someone who uses typewriters?!''Well, ours is here to stay.'- A

You and Mrs Woo.

2011-11-29T12:25:00.000+11:00

Mrs Woo and the strange adventures of Monika Viktoria.

It is interesting the way one’s seemingly straightforward and normal life can suddenly take a twist and transform in a way you had not previously imagined possible. I lived above a little shop in Paddington, when one day a few doors down a little clothes boutique opened up: High Tea with Mrs. Woo. Even the name sent my imagination to faraway places, and brought alive the thoughts of strange scents and voices, quaint sights and the heavy veil of mystery. Over time I acquired a few pieces from this delightful little place, always eagerly listening to the stories that went into the creation of the collections.

When my ordinary life was becoming a bit too mundane, the girls from Mrs. Woo released their newest collection, “No Fixed Address.” The idea of exotic places hidden away, waiting to be visited tantalized me. Cleansing your overly cluttered life and packing a few essentials into a battered suitcase and heading out into the wild world was a thought that seemed strange and empowering. But I could never do that. I was a comfortable little mouse in my burrow, my various collected hoardings grouped around me in a protective nest, comforting me and tying me firmly to a fixed address.

One day, with my seemingly comfortable love life unraveling around me like a messy ball of twine, I visited High Tea with Mrs. Woo to escape the confusion around me for a while. Belinda was always kind and quick with a hug when a down-trodden little mouse needed one. I perused the shelves filled with nostalgia and whimsy. My fingers flicked between the rows of beautifully tailored garments, when one in particular caught my eye. A long dress woven from soft silver - the colour of the moon and mist and your breath on a chilly morning. This was a dress for me. At the counter Belinda happily chatted away whilst she searched for the tag, then stopped in surprise when she read out the name. “Love among the ruins.” I smiled. How very appropriate.

A short while later I said farewell to my fixed address. I said farewell to my mousy hovel, packed a few essentials into a battered bag and headed out into the wild world. I’ve watched the sun rise over the steppes of Hungary, and watched that same sun set behind the golden hills of Tuscany. I’ve drunk “fire-water” with nomads and red wine in a stone villa hundreds of years old. I’ve seen the moon shine on the other side of the world, and for that, I will never truly be the same.

So far my adventure has been amazing – frightening, wonderful, exciting, sometimes lonely, often unbelievable, but always incredible and utterly beautiful. I remember the spark of inspiration that urged me to embark on this grand adventure, in the form of a soft dress that reminded me of whispers and sighs, designed by three incredible sisters, found in a little shop in Paddington.

To all the wonderful ladies at High Tea with Mrs. Woo, I send all my love, and can’t wait to visit you again sometime in the near future, a little bit stronger, a little bit bolder, full of smiles and laughter and bursting with joy at how beautiful the world can be. Lots of love...

- MONIKA VIKTORIA

I thought I would share this little tale with you about my adventures in Mrs Woo.

My much loved High Tea pieces and I have shared many an exciting adventure together… exploring the slippery cobbled streets of Amsterdam in the depths of winter, hiking the stunning forests and coastlines of Italy (hiking should only ever be attempted in style, yes?), wandering the ancient ruins of Ani under a blazing Turkish sun and becoming lost in the twisting alleyways of old city Baku beside the shimmering Caspian Sea.

But perhaps my most treasured High Tea moment was in the Tushetian Mountains of Georgia. After a seven day hike across the 3450m Atsunta Pass from the region of Khevsureti to Tusheti, past animist shrines, looming stone watchtowers and remote military border patrols, we arrived in the tiny Tushetian village of Shenako. It was with immense relief that I pulled off my dusty hiking pants, sluiced myself clean with icy river water, and donned my favourite High Tea skirt that I had managed to keep clean in my backpack throughout the journey. That night we enjoyed an amazing feast and joined our host villagers around a celebratory bonfire. Needless to say my High Tea skirt received many an admiring glance from the local ladies!

All true! And I hope to have many more adventures in Mrs Woo!

- VIRGINIA MEAGER

inspiring stories are too many too list as i wear your gear to feel inspired and lo and behold, cart and horse... magic happens.

though i do remember this one time...

i was wearing a lovely woo collection of mint greens and florals, my best mates and i walked around the backyard of my parents house, and lo! there was just about everyone i love in the front yard, and my fella, dressed up in a bushrangers outfit - just one size too big. we exchanged pleasantries, and a few serious notes too, and then a huge storm erupted washing everyone into a fantastic tent that happened to be erected down the paddock. a few people sailed in on instruments, others on bicycles. a grand knees-up ensued and i didn't want to leave, to sleep or change, so i just turned my dress outside in, and voila! new energy was created to celebrate all night and day, and night and day.

and another,

i wore my mrs woo polka dot skirt to the Tamworth Regional Art Gallery to hear a fantastic artist talk. she was great. the art gallery manager and i got talking, my skirt being the first point of conversation. in my explaining that it was made by three amazing and inspiring sisters from Newcastle, the conversation expanded to inspirations and work, and the next thing i knew, she was showing me the back lot of the gallery! sitting there with all the old collections, she pulled out a magical piece of woven fabric, acquired during the last textile exhibition. i was just excited to be in the off-limits bits and see all the art hung up like drying tobacco, but seeing this piece of embroidery was like a special secret.

- EMMA DAVIDSON

I love Mrs Woo for work. So much so that when I turn up in a new outfit, combination, or upside down/back to front variation, the inevitable compliment is now followed by a rhetorical Mrs Woo? Love it!

- JENNIE KNIGHT

I always try to "Mrs Woo" when I have an important interview or class to teach.

Your creations are a talisman and they keep me strong and happy. The other thing that happens is people credit ME with your work... "Oh did you make your dress/top/skirt?" How lovely for me is that I ask you? I then slip into my happy spiel about you three and how I love you so much...Oh and the other thing... I like to take Mrs Woo on dates she is very good and important company! So there...

- SAMANTHA ARNULL

My collection of your wonderful creations has slowly been growing over the last few years, but with two little boys most of the time I just admire them hanging at the front of my wardrobe. I call them my "special" clothes and only wear them on child-free occasions so sticky little fingers and vomit do not ruin them.

Last saturday was one of these long awaited occasions and I was so excited to wear for the first time my "Miss Mary Mack" top on a shopping trip to Sydney. I had a fantastic day with my closest friends and i felt great in my beautiful Mrs Woo top. It is the small things in life that make me happy and wearing Mrs Woo clothes makes me smile from ear to ear :-)

- EMMA CHAPMAN

Inky memory.

2011-11-28T11:07:00.001+11:00

Many moons ago, our grandparents owned a rubber plantation near Gemas, Malaysia.

I loved the look of the beautiful stripe pattern around the trees where the rubber resin was being tapped. We would know our road trip from Kuala Lumpur was nearing our grandparent’s town when the landscape changed from small roadside villages to acres and acres of rubber trees.Fond memories for us are not so for our grandparents, father, aunt and uncle when they used to walk or bicycle some distance to the rubber plantation to hack away at long grassy weeds whilst side-stepping snakes and battling monster insects. Dad remembers weekends doing hard manual labour at the plantation instead of making mischief with the local kids.I wonder if any of the rubber from our rubber stamp might’ve come from those trees.- R

A day that adds up.

2011-11-22T19:57:00.001+11:00

We couldn’t have planned a better day to begin our blog.

In fact we hadn’t.

2+2=1+1+1+1

It really added up. Made sense even.

So here we are :) Well actually, we’re in the workshop...

お誕生日おめでとう Ange! Happy Birthday, little sister xx