Eudyptula Minor

I was never much into latin names for things (who needs them, right?) until I started working as a bush regenerator, where the Latin names of the plants were being bandied around like nobody's business. I quickly developed a keen interest, and now regale anyone who'll listen with the botanical name of any plant I can recognise. Luckily for the people around me, I don't know too many, so it's not an extraordinarily tiresome exercise. More like charming and quirky, I like to think...

One Latin name I do really love though, and one which I possibly do over-use, is the name Eudyptula Minor, AKA Little Penguins. Now, as if little penguins weren't already the CUTEST thing ever, they also have a cool name. This, to me = awesomeness. Seeing them waddle across the beach on Phillip Island, and then again on Kangaroo Island were pretty much the ultra-cute highlights of my life.

I first learnt the name when Olive picked out the book Little Penguin: The Life of Eudyptula Minor by Josie Watt and Matt Ottley at the local library. So so great.

When my beautiful friend Claire sent me a Eudyptula Minor tea-towel all the way from Melbourne, I was a bit beside myself. I did hold off using it though, and I'm glad I did because Ally, (of the wren wedding dress and super-inspiring permaculture property fame) was destined to be the wearer of a chocolate-brown Eudyptula Minor P&E A-line with a little baby vintage button pleat detail!

I decided the use just one of the penguins (the tea-towel had 5!) as a pocket, because, like her woollen embroidered wren skirt,

she wanted to be able to wear it to work, so needed it to be a little bit low-key. The pleat and buttons I added for balance and interest, as well as lifting the blues and greens of the print. I was SO happy with how it turned out!

And I just have to say, I also love how Ally takes photos with produce from her garden. I'm pretty sure she's at least as cute as a little penguin.