What's New Pussycat?

Pussycat, Pussycat,

 I've got flowers

And lots of hours to spend with you...

This new little guy has just moved in over at the shop. I hope the girls and the owls are being nice to him.......

Aussie Yorkies

To Commemorate the Royal Wedding, and to help my Lovely Husband to not be too homesick last night, I made Roast Beef with Yorkshire Puddings! I KNOW! 

I am not a great cook, let's be honest. But, I wanted to try. 

With a recipe from the inter-google and some supportive words from my  beautiful mother-in-law (she is the Yoda of Yorkies), I gave it a bloody good crack!

My little Yorkies just outta the oven....
They rose!!!!

If in doubt, cover everything
with a crap-load of gravy!!!! 

So, the Yorkies were a bit stodgy and not
 super fabulous, but we had wine!
and funny hats! and a veil!

How cute are they?
He needs a funny hat, though...

It was fun to get caught up in the pageantry and spectacle of the event, wasn't it?

Hope you had a lovely Wedding Night!

Happy Wedding Day!

Here's us outside Will's Grandma's house in 2008. There is probably a whole lotta crazy going on in that very spot right now!!

Lovely Husband went off to work wearing his England football shirt and a novelty Union Jack top hat (purchased for the Awesome Teenager by my lovely extra sister and Londoner Angela). Cute as a bag of kittens!

It's a big day for his Mother Country and I know I will be thinking of all the wonderful times we have had in England with his beautiful family today.

If I could cook, I would make Bacon and Onion Suet Pudding for dinner.... yes, that's a real thing. It tastes better than it sounds.

x Gillian for Tessie Designs

my camera gets a new outfit

I have had an unfulfilled creative urge bugging me lately. I just needed to MAKE something, you know? Owls and cats weren't frying my burger..... so today I made a camera pouch!  I'm still learning the ins and outs of sewing, but I think it came out pretty well.

So, what do you think? Is this a product I could make for our shop? 

Easter 2011

So, while I could have spent the whole loooooong weekend looking at hilarious Cakes on Cake Wrecks, I actually spent it with my Awesome Family. They are awesome. Thats where the teenager gets it from, I guess.....

The weekend included a birthday party for my beautiful niece, a trip to a not-so-lame Wine and Cheese fair, laughter, board games, delicious food, op shopping, much Park Playing and CHOCOLATE! And all while 80% of our little family was sick! 

SO, Happy Edster! Hope yours was as ace as ours.

x Gillian for Tessie Designs

my favourite...

I love Teapots. I don't drink Tea.
I have been collecting Teapots for a few years now. I don't have a million of them, but every single one means something. The ones my Lovely Husband has bought me are the most special. He does say that our house is in danger of looking like a 'Bric a Brac Shop'... and yet he buys me teapots.... kinda like buying a fat kid cake, then trying to send him to Fat Camp.... hee hee. 

a selection of teapots and family (yes, the pictures are wonky... straight is soooo 2010)

x Gillian for Tessie Designs

my favourite.......

When I was in high school, I had an amazing Art Teacher- Miss Filippow. She was my mentor, my idol and my friend. She introduced my to the work of Australian Artist Vali Myers.

Vali's work captured my teenage imagination- the colours, the striking linework, the iconic style. I loved that Vali herself was one of her greatest works. Her style, lifestyle and image became a huge influence on me. I wanted to go and live in an artist commune in the mountains with the foxes and the owls and the hippies. I loved Vali so much, Mum even forbid me from getting tattoos on my face!! (which I never would have done.... although when she forbade me from leaving the house in my Madonna pointy bra, that was another story...)

Wu Man. Vali Myers 1970

In my life I have loved things passionately- The Beatles, Madonna, Morrissey, Platform Shoes... but the women who have inspired me most would have to be Simone Filippow, my Mum and Vali Myers, 


So, who influences and inspires you? As an artist, as a person, or even as a parent....  


x Gil for Tessie Designs

maximus prime and platform shoes

So, who said it was OK for people you have made to get much frickin' bigger than you?? I didn't. But then I am still the same height that I was on 16.4.08..... and probably the same height that I was on 16.4.87..... I do kinda feel like a Hobbit in this house of giants.... I may have to start wearing Platform Shoes again....

the awesome teenager in his natural habitat

x Gillian for Tessie Designs

my 3 sons

Our Process

So, you know that a Tessie Bag is a one of a kind!! I love the process of creating and designing fabric and then seeing how Mum interprets it into a bag. Our Fabric is printed over at Spoonflower. Spoonflower is awesome. I want to marry it.

x Gil for Tessie Designs

i heart books...

 I review books once a month for The Book Club on the morning TV show The Circle (that's one of the coolest sentences I have ever written!!) I love the show, and it is such a treat to be involved- they send me books, I read them and tell them what I think- how awesome is that!! This month's book was 'Left Neglected' by Lisa Genova.




So, I thought I would share my Top Five Books of All Time.
 I love these books like family... some of them (Catch 22 and Garp) I have reread about 15 times each. I love them to death.. literally. As you can see, they have all seen better days! Garp is missing the cover, and as this is the second copy I have owned and read to death, I may have to get a new one soon!!

1 Catch 22 Joseph Heller
2 The Time Traveler's Wife Audrey Niffenegger
3 The World According to Garp John Irving
4 The Tales From the City series Armistead Maupin
5 Rachel's Holiday Marian Keyes


I won't go on about them all, but trust me on this: Catch 22 will change your life. 


x Gil for Tessie Designs

what's in the bag?

So, I love a good 'What's in My Bag' post, and what better way to show how much crap you can fit in a Tessie Design Company Bag!!!

1 My Tessie Design Company Satchel

2 Tessie Baby Clutch. This is the prototype for a product I now cannot do without. Just big enough for 2 nappies, a travel box of wipes and some creams. Awesome.

3 Book. (currently My Year of Meat by Ruth L Ozeki) I usually have a book in my bag... Gav takes the babies out on Saturday mornings and I like to go to a coffee shop and read. How decadent!! 

4 Sunglasses. I have 2 pairs in my bag, because I have 2 babies and sunglasses are super-fun toys, don't you know?

5 Pen. I like to write lists. This is Max's Napolean Dynamite Pen (it used to say "I caught you a delicious bass. hee hee), which I have officially stolen. I don't think he knows.

6 Journal/Diary. Again, I like to write lists. And to know when stuff is happening. And write more lists. This book was a gift from my sister Jodi, covered by mum with a Tessie Girl. 

7 Toys. I usually have at least 2 small toys in my bag, for the times when sunglasses don't cut it anymore! Dinosaurs rule.

8 Purse by Mombasa. Super cute.

9 Little Bits Purse. This glittery Union Jack purse was a gift from my beautiful UK in laws. It carries all my little bits- chapstick, mints, medications etc. And its so glamorous!!!

10 Keys. The wooden heart is from a necklace Gavin bought for me when we first started going out.

11 iPhone. For placating 2yo's in shopping centres who are sick of playing with sunglasses and dinosaurs.

So, there you go. That's a lotta stuff!

Our Tessie Satchel has 2 massive pockets on the outside and a smaller one inside, as well as a mobile phone pocket. We are now taking CUSTOM ORDERS for satchels. Send us an email if you are interested!!!

x Gil for Tessie Design Company

a day in the park

What a lovely afternoon at the Kangaroo Point Cliffs Park. The boys had a blast! It was a delight to celebrate our little monkeys with our awesome family and kick-ass friends. Our only other wish on days like these is to have our Tasmanian Family and our English Family with us...

Owl Cake, Cup Cakes + bubbles= hooray!!


Jasper and Eli were also chuffed to share their day with their Nanna- Happy Birthday to my beautiful mummy- my partner, my confidante and my best friend.

(oh, and I'm currently working through all the left over cupcakes! Thanks to all the Cupcakers- Ang, Mum, Silke, Riley and Abi...  and of course Lovely Husband!!)

x Gillian for Tessie Designs 

Two turn Two.

My little babies turned two yesterday! It blows my mind that they are two already, but then it also feels like these little souls have been in our lives forever. 

I am so proud to be their mummy. I am so proud of my family- My Awesome Teenager Max and my Lovely Husband Gavin. I am very lucky.

x Gillian for Tessie Designs

New Cat! This guy is up in the Etsy Shop. I like him heaps. I think like I'm getting the feel for sewing. I might even buy a sewing machine soon!!!

And how cute is his bum!!

chalk is way cool.

totally. 

Military Kate Bag and Sisters

Military Kate is the sister of Military Jane and our newest listing in our Etsy Shop.

I have three sons. I am a maker of boys. So these beautiful ladies are the closest I will have to daughters! 

There is Julia, named after Julia Stone.... she doesn't look like her necessarily, but I felt she had an essence that reminded me of Ms Stone.  Angus and Julia are very special to me and Gav. 

There is Harriet... formerly known as 'The Redhead'.... named for the lead singer of The Sundays.

There is Anna.. named for Anna Friels. Gav and I were slightly obsessed with the show 'Pushing Daisies' when she was created! Mum calls her The Beautiful Anna.

Mum and I will create bags named for my beautiful sisters one day soon..... They are beautiful and strong and inspirational- that's a lot to capture in a handbag!! But I will. There will be a 'Jodi' and a 'Deb' one day. I only hope i can do them justice....

....Oh, and Military Jane = GI Jane and Military Kate cos I think she looks a bit like Kate Bush..... :-)


x Gil for Tessie Designs