THE VIKING BOY BY VICKI WOOD AND BRIGITTE MAY

While Vicki Wood got off to a late start creating children's books, she's certainly made up for time in the past year. After launching the successful Sippy & Sunny book with daughter Kelly Elsom and illustrator Bec Winnel, in the past 12 months she's released a range of new books.

We wrote about the follow-up to Sippy & Sunny, A Poem for Sippy recently. Now there is another title to add to the growing collection - The Viking Boy. This time the book is brought to life by Brigitte May. Vicki has a knack for finding and collaborating with wonderful illustrators who imbue her stories with their own magic touch.

The Viking Boy tells the story of Captain Finn who has a special relationship with the ocean. He is able to communicate with whales, hear tales of the sea from an albatross and learn about a whale's song that makes grown men cry. 

It's a story about respecting the ocean, and all who live in it. It's about looking back in history but also considering the legacy that we leave.

Another special story from Unclebearskin Productions.

images the indigo crew

INTERVIEW | KELLY-LEE WRIGHT OF FEATHER DRUM

While the number of childrenswear brands seems to have exploded in recent years - there aren’t many that beat to their own drum. Enter Feather Drum, the label created by Kelly-Lee Wright, a former corporate lawyer turned clothing designer. After looking at some bohemian-inspired fashion pieces at the Laneway Festival she told her partner that she wished she could dress her daughter in similar clothes. “I saw a gap in the market as I couldn’t buy it for my own daughter and I knew I wasn’t alone,” Kelly-Lee says. That idea saw her launch her first collection, Dream Seeker in August 2014. Fast forward a year and a half later, and the label is stocked across Australia and in the USA, France, Japan and South Korea. “I’m designing new styles all the time, experimenting with new fabrications - in particular organic and more sustainable fabrics - and looking to expand into other areas I’ve not yet touched,” she says, “which you will just have to wait and see!”

Above is a sneak peek at the upcoming AW16 campaign, shot by The Descendants. Below is the current collection, photographed by Jenna Agius.

As part of Feather Drum’s growth, Kelly-Lee is about to exhibit at Life Instyle in Sydney. Register now to attend the upcoming event that explores Happiness By Design. The trade event runs 18-21 February at the Royal Hall of Industries and Hordern Pavilion.

This post was sponsored by Life Instyle, an event I have attended many times over the years. All editorial content was produced independently. Thank you for supporting businesses that help to make this site possible. - NW 

What was behind the decision to start your brand? When my daughter was born it was difficult to buy anything for her that wasn’t powder blue or pink, twee, kitsch or splashed in cartoon characters. Clothing with a distinct bohemian flair in rich earthy tones, colours and textures just weren’t available, so I sat down and designed them myself. 

What had you been doing previously? I worked as a corporate lawyer in Sydney. I’d previously been a lawyer for 10 years back in London before I moved to Australia in 2010.

What is important to you when designing children's clothes? Ensuring I’m offering something innovative, good quality - I like to use natural fabrics that are wearable, washable and gentle on our kids’ skin - and, of course, functional. 

How do you try to differentiate your products from others on the market? A great deal of thought and care is put into presenting a collection that stands out from the crowd and presents a cohesive story. All Feather Drum prints are original custom designed from scratch. Each style undergoes several fitting sessions so the pattern is exact. I design from the heart and apply colour palettes that I love, rather than follow current trends.   

What has been completely unexpected since starting your business? The honest answer is the volume of work and just how incredibly difficult manufacturing is. If anyone considers this an easy way to make a living, it’s not - and that comes from a former corporate lawyer used to working 60 hours per week!

What is something that people often don't realise about your wares? Many people don’t realise we do boys clothing too. Clearly that’s an area I have to work on. And also that we cover the “tween” market.

Where do you look to for design inspiration? I get inspired by a lot of things, particularly nature, different cultures and fashions from a different age. I love vintage clothing and how well made it is compared to the throwaway fashion that we have today. The 70s have been a huge influence on my collections to date and I’ve tried to channel the floaty bohemia vibes reminiscent of Woodstock into my designs. The values transcending from our “hippie free people” back then are definitely ones that I believe should be instilled in our children - peace, love, happiness and respect for the planet.  

What do consider when dressing or styling children? Obviously that they look stylish, but it’s also fundamental that they feel comfortable, that they’re not going to be too warm or too cold, and can move freely. I want children to feel genuinely happy in the outfit they are wearing.

What role do you want your products to play in a childhood? As an adult I can look back to my childhood and remember my favourite pieces of clothing as a child, with the fondest of memories and attachment. It would be amazing to think that there are some children out there that will grow up having those same feelings and memories about a garment I designed. I have a lot of customers who order pieces in especially for family portraits which are being taken. It’s nice to know my clothing is being captured in so many family photographs that will transcend the generations.

What was the last great children's book that you read? I’ve just introduced my three-year-old daughter to the wonderful Roald Dahl. At the moment we're reading Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and she loves it just as much as I did, and still do. 

images courtesy of feather drum

TREE CHANGE JOURNEY | FEBRUARY - PART I

It has been an eventful week at Treetops House. The start of another new chapter for the children, attending a nearby school. On the first day we encountered all sorts of hurdles along the way. A cow had escaped from a neighbouring farm and we were cautioned to drive slowly as it walked right past our car. A little further down the road a goose was crossing the road and closer to the school we had to stop for a tractor. If was there any day that highlighted how our lives had changed, this was it. The school run will never be the same!

To celebrate the end of the preschoolers' week, we stopped for milkshakes at a local scenic spot. There is a sign for platypuses. But we have yet to see any. The same for wombats, which are also supposed to be common in the area. However, we have been woken many times this week by a possum on our roof. We found it's hiding place too - in a cavity above the boot room. Now we need to find a way to encourage it to move on.

The move to the country has shown us a side to this girl we didn't know existed. We knew she loved animals. But turns out she has a fondness for all creatures. While we were cultivating the soil for the vegie garden, she spent about 15 minutes playing with a millipede on her hands. This past week when the girls went down to the mail box, there was a frog inside. After it hopped away, she managed to catch it and held it in her hands, not wanting to let it go. 

The star charts are in use again, and for his most recent full card, the seven-year-old asked for a typewriter. Instead, I let him use mine and ordered some new ribbon. He has started to write letters to one of his Sydney friends and his new teacher, as well as a new story. One day he typed the alphabet while his sister sang along. It's like having Hemingway in the house, hearing the clack-clacking of the keys.

The four-year-old has shown an interest in chapter books. She had found one of her brother's: The Boy who Climbed Into the Moon by David Almond - and we started to read it at a random spot, based on the illustrations, which she enjoys. We have read a new chapter every night since.

A big project began this week. The building of the children's treehouse. We have a long dream list of features for the property but most of them will require time to work out the lay of the land. However, we decided on a spot for the treehouse - within sight and sound of the house. Even though it is only the scaffolding that has gone up so far, the older two spent hours climbing along the framework and just sitting on the beams.

It has only been about a week since we planted the start of a vegetable garden but already the lettuce and rocket has doubled in size. The taste is much stronger than what we're used to, which makes us wonder what happens to the lettuce we usually buy for it to have such a "watered down" taste. These leaves were put to good use in wraps at lunchtime. 

Kangaroos were spotted on a neighbouring farm during a Sunday morning walk. We see a mob of them on one hill about a five-minute drive from our home, but only one or two on other properties. This trio was spotted less than a kilometre from our place.

images the indigo crew

BLUEBERRY MUFFINS

We've tried a few different berry muffin recipes over the years and this one turned out really well. Plus, the seven-year-old made them pretty much by himself - so super easy. They are adapted from a Bill Granger recipe - from one my most used cookbooks, Every Day.

INGREDIENTS
2 1/2 cups self-raising flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 cup soft brown sugar
1 cup milk
1/2 cup natural yoghurt
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons sunflower oil
2 cups blueberries

1. Preheat oven to 180-degrees C (350-degrees F). Line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper cases (we cut ours from baking paper (12.5cm x 12.5cm).
2. Mix the flour and cinnamon in a large bowl. Stir in sugar and make a well in the centre. 
3. Pour milk, yoghurt, eggs and oil into a large bowl and whisk with a fork until just combined.
4. Pour into the well in the dry ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon until just combined. Add berries and stir until just combined (careful not to overmix). Spoon into muffin tin and bas for 20 minutes, or until golden.

images the indigo crew

INTERVIEW | CHLOE BROOKMAN OF OLLI ELLA

Chloe Brookman’s life experience has been a guiding light in her homewares business Olli Ella. She co-founded it with her sister Olivia after she wasn’t able to find a nursery chair when pregnant with her first child, son Tennyson, in 2009. At the time Chloe was based in London and the sisters, who were running an art gallery, decided to create a range of nursery furniture that wouldn’t be out of place in any modern family home. The business got off to a great start when within three months the chair was stocked by Harrods. Not one to stand still, Chloe moved to Australia with her young family and has continued to grow the business. At first, Olli Ella expanded to create bedding and more recently it has added storage baskets and a range of rugs, as well as other decor items, to its offering. The sisters design many of their wares themselves, and the pieces they source are from fair trade suppliers.

Olli Ella is about to exhibit at Life Instyle for the first time in Sydney. They showed at Melbourne last year. “We are rolling out a handful of new products in entirely new categories,” Chloe says. “I can't say too much but you can expect to see some new materials in use from macrame and jute to rattan and wool.”

Register now to attend the upcoming Life Instyle Sydney event that explores Happiness By Design. The trade event runs 18-21 February at the Royal Hall of Industries and Hordern Pavilion.

This post was sponsored by Life Instyle, an event I have attended many times over the years. All editorial content was produced independently. Thank you for supporting businesses that help to make this site possible. - NW 

What was behind the decision to start your brand? Olli Ella was started as a passion project by Olivia, my sister, and I. We were running an art gallery in London at the time and had long talked about started a creative project. We never could have imagined that five years later we would have offices in three countries and have an ever expanding range of homewares in the range!

How do you try to differentiate your products from others on the market? We try not to focus too much on what other companies are doing, which has been both a help and a hinderance in some respects but what's worked for us so far has just been to focus on what we love; designing effortless homewares, and not worrying to much about competition.

What has been completely unexpected since starting your business? How passionate our customers and partners have been about our products. We've loved the concept from the beginning, but the overwhelming response we have received from our friends, customers, and retail partners has been such a thrill.

What is something that people often don't realise about your wares? That they are all fair trade.

Where do you look to for design inspiration? Travel and the way we live and exist in our own homes.

What role do you want your products to play in a childhood? I love that so many of our baskets and storage have been embraced by parents and children for toy storage. I love the idea that these handmade, tactile woven baskets are the keepers of treasures and it's so wonderful to see how they have been used in children's spaces.

What was the last great children's book that you read?
The Day the Crayons Came Home by Drew Daywalt.

images courtesy of olli ella