Archive for the ‘Retro Stuff’ Category


July 8th – 20 Years

July 8th, 2010 by Tracy

Paul & Tracy 20th

What a milestone! 20 years ago today we tied the knot. Oh happy memories!

Paul surprised me this morning with a heart-stopping little black box, with beautiful vintage ruby and diamond stud earrings inside! After the disastrous storm (our house awaits a new roof) we deferred our plans to travel to my favourite place – Paris – until next year. Then again, maybe Vegas, for our 21st!

We married on a sunny winter’s day at Pierre’s in West Perth and honeymooned in Thailand. And every day since has been happy. These pics are from a trip to Sydney around 1994, in the famous Remo store’s photobooth.

Amour toujours Paul, Tracy xx

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When in Maylands…

July 1st, 2010 by Tracy

Sherbet bake shop
If a print-check requires your presence over yonder-way in Maylands, I suggest you deserve a refreshment on the return trip (so I always tell myself).

I recommend Sherbet, heaven for sweet-tooths, then swing around the corner to the rockabilly & retro store Atomic Trash a Gogo on Eighth Ave. This brand new store, run by the lovely Anne, stocks cool dresses, bags, shirts, shoes and gorgeous retro-flavoured kidswear. Wonderful art by Frichot. Gogo-see.

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Friday Sewing: Patterns & Construction

June 4th, 2010 by Tracy


I’ve collected some fab 50s and 60s dressmaking patterns, like this first unprinted pattern I’d worked with (made view 1 with the boatneck & bow). There haven’t been toooo many fitting problems, but I thought a patternmaking and construction course could helpfully hone my French darts and bodice-fitting (not ripping) skills.

So, I’m into the 2nd week of a 6 week short course at TAFE (run on Thurs evenings), and although it’s challenging my left-brain, I am beginning to see why everything indeed revolves around the ‘bust-point’!

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Dean Bowen Bird

May 19th, 2010 by Tracy

Dean Bowen bird with stick insects
A new Dean Bowen painting for the collection: Bird with Stick Insects. He’s made friends with the nest of blue-toned mid-century ceramics.

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Retro Travel Maps

May 1st, 2010 by Tracy

Vintage illustrated travel maps

There’s something poignant and beautiful about old illustrated tourist maps that satisfies my love of retro design – and my nosiness about people’s excursions and travels…

These fold-out maps of Paris and London are from an elderly couple who kept these as souvenirs from their early 50s trip – the London map even had a little dried sprig of foliage pressed inside.

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From the Record Bar

April 25th, 2010 by Tracy

Cool record finds

A quick detour through the local Vinnies had me pondering the death of the LP. The large area of the cardboard sleeve provided huge acreage for artwork and typography – sometimes amazing, sometimes cringey, sometimes touching off fond memories of my parent’s collection – I’m talking Neil Diamond, Glenn Campbell, Charley Pride… wait, maybe I was flicking through their old collection?!

I had to have this Perry Como album with its saturated colour, 70s type and super-tanned Perry, and gave it a spin on the old hi-fi. I defy you to listen to ‘And I Love You So’ and not mix a martini.

50c bought this great Golden Books’ ABC rhymes record – you read along with the record, and the illustrations by Roland Rodegast and Grace Clarke are absolutely charming.

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Easter Sort-Out

April 7th, 2010 by Tracy

Knit your way to winter happiness

Yes – it’s post-storm cleanup time! Easter weekend passed in a nice blur of reading, watching Mad Men (I’m obsessed), sipping the odd glass of Sauv Blanc, and sorting.. wait, that’s every weekend!

Yesterday I offloaded a cool collection of EYE and Baseline typography magazines to an old friend from uni days.

Then I listed some vintage knitting magazines on eBay – with more to come. I prefer to let these lovelies go to a good caring home, rather than sit neglected in files at my place. But look, aren’t the fashions gorgeous? And I had a good laugh at the names the inventive editors give to their jumper creations: Paula, Melinda, Gayle were all smoldering babes, but then there was a rather plain apple-munching Eilleen.

Now that I’m looking at those hats, I’m almost tempted to pick up the needles…

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Woodblocks

September 29th, 2009 by Tracy

woodblocks2

I picked up some old type blocks at the Oxford St Market on Saturday. These fab blocks make interesting displays and have lovely textures – can’t wait to ink ‘em up.

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