Tag Archives: Travel Capsule

Three-Day Retreat to Nannup

Life has been a bit hectic, and I felt like I missed out on summer this year. I usually love it when Christmas carols start playing in shops. Where I live, it means beach days, icy cold drinks and living in shorts. Instead, this year was filled with cold hospital waiting rooms. By chance, a Facebook ad popped up with ‘secret cabins’ and I decided to press on the link. A charming little cabin called Sylvie’s Hut popped up and I couldn’t book fast enough.

Sylvie’s Hut

Now, it might seem easy to pack for a three-day getaway, but the weather has been a bit fickle this year. Also, most people don’t realise how vast Western Australia is. The hut is situated in the quaint tidy town of Nannup. The three-hour drive south from Perth can see a change in climate. The temperature usually drops especially nighttime. Talking about nighttime, the stars were amazing. Sylvie’s Hut is plonked in the middle of a paddock without any other buildings around so there was no light pollution to dampen the bright night sky. If you visit, make sure you turn off the lights and look up.

For a small town, Nannup is packed full of character. For the drive down, I decided to wear my Monsterfabriken Vanja Dress which is a lightweight cotton dress. It was very comfortable to travel in with a long skirt and the adjustable ties which I kept loose for the trip. We stopped in town on the way to Sylvie’s Hut which you can find on Instagram under @cleveshut and we were immediately charmed by the historic buildings.

Monsterfabriken Vanja Dress

There really wasn’t much on the agenda except to relax but we were so taken by the variety and number of eateries in this little town. We were blown away by the meal we had at Pickle & O which featured a solid vegetarian menu with some non-vegetarian offerings like the chicken burger that we had. Unfortunately, we couldn’t sample some other cafes that we had hoped to because opening times were limited to certain hours. Understandably, this town has a small population which swells with weekend visitors so opening times cater for this. We loved visiting the art gallery and the local stores which had beautiful handmade items. We aim to make another trip where we can visit all the various galleries. For the day of exploring, I’m glad that I packed my Sewing Therapy Tie Dress No 2. I had made a long version in anticipation of the weather cooling down for autumn and I was glad that I packed my white cardigan which was perfect when the sun dipped behind the clouds.

Sewing Therapy Tie Dress No 2

On the final day when we were travelling home, I wore my True Bias Calvin top with my True Bias Dani Pants. I have travelled extensively with the Dani Pants; I made and wore three pairs when I went to South Korea last year. I packed the lightweight denim version and matched it with my Calvin Wrap Top. I purposely left my ties long for my top. Just for the look of it and the security of having the ties doubled over. The outfit was perfect for our stops on the way home. The highlights were the delicious brunch at the Blackwood Café and then we made a stop at the famous Cambray Cheese where we sampled their traditional handmade farmhouse cheese. This little family run dairy blew us away with their sheep dairy and farmhouse cheese factory. We came away with a big bagful of cheese including their Farmhouse Gold.

True Bias Calvin Wrap Top and Dani Pants

It was a very successful trip. For a trip where we planned to do nothing, we actually came away feeling very rested but fulfilled. It was a much-needed respite. We will definitely be returning to visit the charming character filled town of Nannup.

Thanks for reading and happy sewing!

X Em

Tropical Holiday Capsule Wardrobe

Thailand has always been a much-desired destination that my husband and I have wanted to explore. We headed off to Phuket mid-March for a quick visit when my husband was lucky enough to win the trip through a work raffle! The tropics are known for hot and humid weather but there are some variations in the seasons according to when the monsoon is passing through. The best time to visit Phuket is between December and March with the temperatures between 24 degrees Celsius to 32 degrees Celsius and the lowest humidity in the year. It was often hottest at midday to mid-afternoon with a sea breeze picking up after 5pm.

So, armed with this information, I prepared my travel capsule. Believe it or not, I started with shoes. In Thailand, everyone wears flip-flops or sandals majority of the time, even when you are going to restaurants. Starting with shoes just makes it easier to pick out the items that I know will with the footwear.

The next item most worn are swimmers. I brought three pairs as I knew I would be swimming daily, and we had also planned excursions to the Elephant Sanctuary and the Ao Phang-Nga Marine National Park. The Elephant Sanctuary gets very muddy so I had a pair of swimmers that I knew I would put aside after that excursion (until I could get home to give it a proper wash). The Elephant Sanctuary was really the highlight of my trip. There’s no elephant rides at this sanctuary and the objective is the rehabilitation of elephants but it also includes looking after the livelihoods of the caretakers (Mahouts) of the elephants and their families. Phang-Nga Marine National Park was another outstanding outing. Most people know it from films like The Beach and James Bond.

The best space savers were the dresses that I brought. I brought three, the Hannah Dress from By Hand London, not photographed unfortunately, but it was the first dress I wore out to dinner. The Pattern Scout Flora Dress was also very cool and easy to wear in the humid weather so it got a few wears and was great for beach walks and for dinners. Lastly, I also took along my True Bias Lora Dress which has a very flattering silhouette, and it was made with very lightweight cotton. Again, it was something that could transition from a shopping trip at the local markets to dinner at a restaurant on the beach.

Pattern Scout Flora Dress
True Bias Lora Dress

Surprisingly, the item that I over packed were shorts. One was left unworn. I had packed four but honest could have just packed two. I loved the Sorrento Shorts which is a great high-waisted style of shorts from Sew Eloh Patterns. This paired well with the Avola Cami and the white Cashmerette Brattle T-shirt. I packed and wore all three of my Brattle shirts. 

Sew Eloh Sorrento Shorts and Cashmerette Avola Top

Thailand is home to some amazing temples with 94% of it’s population being Buddhist. To visit these holy sites there is a dress code where legs and shoulders are covered out of respect. I wore my True Bias Dani Pants with my Cashmerette Brattle Top and the linen in the pants were so cool to wear. We visited the Big Buddha which has amazing views and we also stopped by Wat Chalong Temple which is a huge complex of temples. Unfortunately, we were also taken to Tiger Park. I can’t comment on the ethics of this type of tourism. It was very clean and the tigers looked well fed but I did not do any research beforehand as I wasn’t expecting this stop. They are magnificent creatures and I hope that this sort of tourism encourages people to look after their habitat.

True Bias Dani Pants with Cashmerette Brattle Top

On the day that we went to Old Town Phuket, I wore my Sewhouse 7 Free Range Slacks with my Fabricstore Ash Cami. This was handy as there are a few temples that we visited in Old Town and we stayed until evening so my covered legs were kept safe from mosquitos. Old Town is filled with interesting Sino-Portugese architecture and reminds me of Malacca and Penang. It’s worth a look, I just wished we had timed our visit with the Sunday Markets which are famous as two streets are closed off for the stalls and food carts.

Fabric Store Ash Cami and Sewhouse 7 Free Range Slacks

Apart for wildlife excursions and tourist destinations, my husband and I travel for the chance to taste the cuisine. We were a bit disheartened at first at the watered-down versions of Thai dishes we were being served at the venues we had tried until my husband came across Silk’s Restaurant. It’s a fine dining Thai Restaurant attached to a resort. For the special long lunch, I wore my Swimstyle Set made with the Tallulah Tie Top and the pants of the Tamarama Set. It was a delicious lunch and it felt special to get dressed up for the lunch date.

Swimstyle Set – Tallulah Tie Top and Tamarama Pants

Final mentions are some accessories that I made and brought along. The Motif Studio Utility Tote was great as a poolside and beachside bag. It contained so much and the big pockets inside and outside were very handy. The other accessory was my Melco Bucket Hat. I’m super proud that I was a tester for this pattern which Melco are making free for their subscribers. 

Motif Studio Utility Tote
Melco Bucket Hat

I’ve probably overpacked by some people’s standards but I was happy with my items. The only unworn item was one pair of shorts and in a country where humidity can get quite high, I felt that multiple changes were needed out of necessity and sometimes excursions needed items that were appropriate for the context of that tour. 

Thanks for reading and happy sewing!

X Em