About

I live in Adelaide, South Australia.  This blog is about making useful, one-of-a-kind things, mostly from local and recycled materials.  It’s about growing plants, natural dyeing, spinning, knitting, sewing… and anything else that takes my fancy as the story unfolds.  Thanks for stopping by.

36 responses to “About”

  1. SaffronSkye
    January 3, 2013 at 2:55 am

    What a wonderful blog!!! I look forward to reading about your adventures. Making is really the way to go, isn’t it 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    • mazzaus
      January 4, 2013 at 11:37 am

      Thanks so much for dropping by! I think your project is really inspiring and I’m glad you like my blog. Being part of a community of makers adds wonderfully to the delights of making, I think!

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  2. pisstkitty
    March 18, 2013 at 11:57 pm

    hello, thanks for stopping by my blog…yours is fascinating. I love all the experiments with the plants and your sense of adventure! And oh, what gorgeous plants you have there. I’m inspired to try some things with my collages.

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  3. Vicki
    March 22, 2013 at 11:00 am

    What a fabulous informative and fun blog. Awesome reading!

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  4. Olesya
    January 30, 2014 at 2:46 am

    I really injoy your blog. Amazing information. Keep on writing.

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  5. Marie Hélène Vaurs
    February 13, 2014 at 1:30 am

    Bonjour ,
    je vois que nous avons de nombreux goût en commun . Votre blog est très interessant.

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  6. adelaidesphere
    April 9, 2014 at 12:21 pm

    Thank-you for reflecting so fully what I do fleetingly each day – drawing in the natural world around, reflecting on change & beauty and infinite usefulness of these resources. Love your blog, your creativity.

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  7. Alex
    July 21, 2014 at 5:04 pm

    Hello, I’ve been interested in starting to use natural dyeing methods. I’d love to start dyeing with the eucalyptus leaves. I live in Sydney, could you give me any advice for getting started?

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    • mazzaus
      July 22, 2014 at 12:05 pm

      Hi Alex, I hope you’ll go for it! If you click on the How To tab at the top of my blog you’ll get some links to follow for leaf printing… https://localandbespoke.com/how-to/. You could join the Natural Dyeing Down Under forum and group on Ravelry where there will be other NSW dyers. Or you can just chose a tree, collect fallen leaves, heat them in water and add wool (below a boil), and see what develops. Eucalyptus will dye wool without mordants, and everything else is about time, the quality of water and the leaves.

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  8. Alex
    July 23, 2014 at 10:48 am

    Thank you, I hope to get started as soon as I can find an ironbark (e. sideroxylon?) and a silver dollar tree (e. cinerea) that hasn’t had the leaf litter cleared away. Or I’ll have to find a shorter one to get things off of as I’m not very tall myself (wishful thinking right? Gum trees can get ridiculously tall).

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    • mazzaus
      July 23, 2014 at 11:07 am

      You can gather fallen leaves, dried leaves… anything the tree drops will give dye. And although those are two trees that will give colour, lots of others will too. Tall, but generous!

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  9. Alex
    July 24, 2014 at 9:08 am

    I went along through the park with my nephew this morning and picked up leaves. He even joined in! He went to what looked like an iron bark and smacked it before grabbing a fistful of leaves off the ground and bringing them back to me. Considering that he’s 2 years old I was incredibly impressed, he got such a big hug that he went back twice for more leaves! 🙂

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  10. Leah
    September 3, 2014 at 9:50 pm

    Hi! It’s Leah from SeattleSpinner! I was asked to participate in a Blog Hop Around the World post, and part of that is passing the baton to another inspiring blogger. I would love to nominate your blog, if you’re okay with that? Here’s a link to the blogger who is passing the baton to me..https://intricateknits.wordpress.com/2014/09/01/blog-hop-around-the-world/

    I’ll be posting on this towards the end of the week, so if you’d like to be next, let me know!!

    Take care and keep up the awesome blogging!!

    Leah

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  11. lucyeveritt
    February 16, 2015 at 12:47 pm

    What a fantastic blog! I am very excited to be a new follower, Best wishes, Lucy

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  12. Bek
    February 25, 2015 at 4:28 pm

    Thank you for your blog! I’m just starting to get into natural dyeing, and I was looking for something with some info about dyeing with native Aussie species, so was very glad to find you! Looking forward to trying it out!!

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  13. Margaret Walters
    March 1, 2017 at 2:53 pm

    Love your blog. Had to send you this post from UK illustrator Jackie Morris as it made me think of you straight away.

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    • mazzaus
      March 1, 2017 at 4:27 pm

      Dear Margaret, I just watched the video. I think your thinking of me in this context might be one of the loveliest compliments anyone has ever paid me. I’ve just shed a few quite tears at my work desk. Thank you so much for sending this rather exquisite piece of loveliness in my direction! warmly, Mary

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  15. Anuj Agarwal
    December 13, 2017 at 5:11 pm

    Hi Local & Bespoke Team,

    My name is Anuj Agarwal. I’m Founder of Feedspot.

    I would like to personally congratulate you as your blog Local & Bespoke has been selected by our panelist as one of the Top 20 Spinning Blogs on the web.

    https://blog.feedspot.com/spinning_blogs/

    I personally give you a high-five and want to thank you for your contribution to this world. This is the most comprehensive list of Top 20 Spinning Blogs on the internet and I’m honored to have you as part of this!

    Also, you have the honor of displaying the badge on your blog.

    Best,
    Anuj

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  16. Lucy Ridsdale
    May 29, 2020 at 6:02 pm

    Wow! Just discovering your blog when I was trying to identify a Eucalypt in my front garden that I’ve made ink from (long steeped leaves)…. Have been obsessively reading, and love that the XR screenprints popped up at the top of your posts.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  17. Anne Ballantyne
    December 28, 2022 at 7:49 am

    I hope you are well. I want to wish you a happy and healthy 2023.
    Your posts have brighten and informed many days. Thank you.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  18. June
    February 11, 2024 at 3:36 pm

    You’re a Woman after my own heart, Mary. I’ve sewn and knitted, done hand sewn patchwork, appliqued on my kids clothes, patched, embroidered – ” nice stuff”, and over stains on my t-shirts/tops; sewn on buttons, sometimes with a loop because I hated sewing button holes and putting in zips; hooks and eyes and press studs. I’ve taken up endless hems, (because I’m short), turned collars, added on fabric to the bottoms of my kids long pants, adding braid or rick rack so that they didn’t look taken up 😃 and then moved on to Paper craft. I now knit face/wash cloths, for myself and for gifts and my current ones are mostly around 4yrs old, as well as making crafty things and craft bags for a charity. Saving, being thrifty is a Great thing to do and I wish more people could see this.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    • mazzaus
      February 11, 2024 at 8:06 pm

      Thanks so much, June! You do sound like a fellow traveller. Thanks for taking the time to comment, and thank you for your thrifty ways, on behalf of the planet! warmly, Mary

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