my rainy day song

listening to 'Out of the moon' by Goldenhorse as I sew...



Lyrics

Out of the moon you come
You will desert me but at first we're one
I ride beside you through the armies of the sun
What is it you are, are you a dream

What of the time we have
To be together in this air we breathe
You say forever but I know you've gotta go
What is it you are, are you a dream

I could tell you that I'm always gonna miss you
I could tell you that I'll never be the same
You won't even hear me

What's the point in crying
What's the point in hurting
In the shadow of the day
When I'm with you I don't remember anyway

I could tell you that I'm always gonna miss you
I could tell you that I'll never be the same
You won't even hear me

What's the point in crying
What's the point in hurting
In the shadow of the day
When I'm with you I don't remember anyway

Back to the moon you go
Is there a reason I can never know
You made my tears come and my blood run all the time
What is it you are, are you a dream?
Are you a dream?
Are you a dream?

quiet time for 2

sometimes it's nice just to be outside enjoying some quiet time for 2...

New Look 6871

this pattern just arrived in this morning's post. I couldn't find it in New Zealand so I had to resort to buying it online. I'm trying to convince myself that it wasn't an impulse buy. As I really like the idea of a smock top without the full, maternity look. It could possibly look great teamed up with my 'in progress' Alice and Olivia pants (due for an update post very soon!) If not, then the pattern is destined to spend it's days languishing in my pattern stash lol!

lemon marshmallow slice

Here's a yummy lemony treat full of old-fashioned flavour. It's a fiddly recipe with 3 different parts, but it's worth the effort...

Lemon Marshmallow Slice

step 1 - shortcake

125g butter
3/4 cup icing sugar
1 egg (beaten)
1 1/2 cups self-raising flour
1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence

Cream butter and sugar. Add beaten egg, flour and vanilla essence. Mix well and then press out onto well greased slice tray. Bake for 15-20 minutes at 160 degrees until pale golden colour. Cool.

step 2 - filling

1 cup white sugar
1 cup water
juice and grated rind 2 medium size lemons
1/2 cup milk
2 tablespoons custard powder
2 tablespoons cornflower

Put sugar, water and juice plus rind of lemons in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Seperately mix the milk, custard powder and cornflour to a smooth paste. Stir the 2 mixtures together using a wire whisk and then slowly bring to the boil. Boil for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and pour over the shortcake.

step 3 - marshmallow

2 tablespoons gelatine
1 cup boiling water
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon lemon essence
1 cup icing sugar

Dissolve the gelatine in water in a medium-large saucepan. Add sugar, boil for 8 minutes and then cool. Add the lemon essence and icing sugar and beat until thick and creamy. Then pour at once over the filling and leave to set. Cut when cold.

ps:this is a tangy, very lemony tasting slice. If you want less of a lemon taste then use the juice/rind of 1-1 1/2 lemons in filling and 1/4-1/2 teaspoon of lemon essence in the marshmallow. Enjoy!

peaches

just received a large bucket of peaches from our neighbour. They smell divine. So I thought I'd get to bottling them as quick as I can...

knitting

well I'm working steadily on making baby beanies for the South Auckland wool programme. Just finished one and have started another. I like to use acrylic/wool mix for charity knitting. Obviously, it's cheaper to buy, easier to knit and look after.

I also found some polar fleece in my stash, to make some baby cuddle rugs for the wool programme babies as well. My plan is to cut my fleece into single square metres, applique a corner of the rug and then crochet an edging right round. I hope that I can make it as easy as it sounds.

butterflies

"To make a wish come true,
whisper it to a Butterfly.
Upon these wings it will be taken to
heaven and granted, for they are the
messengers of the Great Spirit."

Native American Legend

butterfly creek

Today is Miss 2's birthday! She's been looking forward to eating cake, yummy! To celebrate, we're off to Butterfly Creek.


There's lots to see, like the pretty butterflies, creepy bugs, cute farm animals, ride the train, have lunch and play in the playground.


This little butterfly was happy to pose for it's photo, and waited paitently while I got the camera ready. Afterwards, Miss 2 was ready to head home for a nap.

Photos removed for safety reasons due to cyber stalking!

butterfly creek

Today is Miss 2's birthday! She's been looking forward to eating cake, yummy! To celebrate, we're off to Butterfly Creek.


There's lots to see, like the pretty butterflies, creepy bugs, cute farm animals, ride the train, have lunch and play in the playground.


This little butterfly was happy to pose for it's photo, and waited paitently while I got the camera ready. Afterwards, Miss 2 was ready to head home for a nap.

for inspiration

I've been struggling with inspiration for my doll sewing. It's been at a stand still for a few months now. Last week out of the blue, 3 bjd items sold in my etsy shop and that got me looking for a little inspiration. I found it with this miniature dressmakers mannequin. It stands at 70cm tall and is an exact replica of the full size dress form. I've called it 'Betty' and it sits on my work table, draped in fabric. It's ideal for playing around and working out whether the scale of the fabric is suitable.

Looking around, I think it'll be time to tidy up in the craft room very soon. Dear hubby still hasn't finished the room and I may have to resort to hiring a builder and painter to get it done.

athletics day

today Miss almost 2 and I spent the day, again chasing the shade (it was 24 degrees)and cheering on Miss 12 who won the Year 8 girls 100 metres and 200 metres sprint finals. I'm very proud of Miss 12. She loves to run and enjoys running in bare feet. While the other girls were talking themselves up, she remained quietly confident.

And so of course, not even the teeniest bit of crafting happened today.

Thanks for letting me share my 'proud mummy' moment.

athletics day

today Miss almost 2 and I spent the day, again chasing the shade (it was 24 degrees)and cheering on Miss 12 who won the Year 8 girls 100 metres and 200 metres sprint finals. I'm very proud of Miss 12. She loves to run and enjoys running in bare feet. While the other girls were talking themselves up, she remained quietly confident.

And so of course, not even the teeniest bit of crafting happened today.

Thanks for letting me share my 'proud mummy' moment.

20 years

18 February 1989, dear hubby and I, said 'I do' and embarked on our adventure together. I remember when this photo was taken, I was feeling both scared and excited and very keen to get on with married life.

20 years on, we take a breath, glance back briefly and do a tally up of the years and then keep going forward, always forward...

20 years

18 February 1989, dear hubby and I, said 'I do' and embarked on our adventure together. I remember when this photo was taken, I was feeling both scared and excited and very keen to get on with married life.

20 years on, we take a breath, glance back briefly and do a tally up of the years and then keep going forward, always forward...

craft finds

my latest craft finds are these 5 amazing crochet birds patterns from Annie's Attic. They're from 1983, so I guess that makes them 'retro'? I've never seen anything like them before. In case you're wondering, I bought them just because I liked the idea of them... however, I can't see myself making them. The owls in particular are gorgeous. I'm always amazed at how creative and talented crafters are, to make up patterns to share with the rest of the crafting community. Hope to do that myself one day.

Not much else on today. It's another hot day at 24 degrees, so I'm in the shade with Miss almost 2 keeping cool! It's my 20th wedding anniversary tomorrow. I'm really looking forward to celebrating it with my dear hubby and children. See you tomorrow!

baby quilt

a printed quilt panel is meant to be ideal for making a 'quick' baby quilt for a new arrival. This quilt (almost finished) is for baby Tyler who arrived on 3 February. Little Tyler is my dear hubby's first grandchild. I used a simple 'stitch in the ditch' method where I just used my general machine foot. Next time I make one of these I'll use a 'walking' foot. Have to buy one first. I've also knitted him 2 beanies.

My main struggle was making sure that all the layers remained even and smooth (with no bumps). I'll admit that I did have several 'wrestling' and 'unpicking' moments with this quilt. In hindsight, it's probably not as 'quick' as I would have liked it to be... so please don't look too closely! (LOL!)

my valentine

a valentine's surprise for my dear hubby using my scented heart tutorial. I trimmed it with ribbon, a felt heart and a vintage safety pin...

love for poetry

With A Flower by Emily Dickinson

I hide myself within my flower,
That wearing on your breast,
You, unsuspecting, wear me too --
And angels know the rest.

I hide myself within my flower,
That, fading from your vase,
You, unsuspecting, feel for me
Almost a loneliness.


although valentine's day is traditionally a time for romantic love, I thought I'd share with you, my secret love for poetry. Especially Emily Dickinson's poems. I discovered her work when I was 13 years old and quite by chance read her collection of poems in the library. I'd found a way to express my love of rhythm with words and language. I've been a poet ever since.

reading aloud

today Miss almost 2 has a temperature and feels 'yuck'. This morning she's been content to stay in bed (which is so unlike her) and have her favourite stories read aloud over and over. It's only coincidence that her favourites are by Lynley Dodd. The books were finds from the local Sallies shop and came packed together.

There's something really special about a well worn story book. From the well thumbed pages to the bits of sticky tape holding a torn page together, you can sense the magic of the story. Perhaps even a sense of the previous readers and listeners?

I'm hoping that Miss almost 2 will sleep at least an hour this afternoon so that I can get a load of washing hung on the line. After days of sticky heat, today has been an overcast, windy day. Perfect washing day?

A and O pants (update 1)

this is my first progress post about the Alice & Olivia pants that I've decided (in a moment of madness?) to make.

Today I popped into Nick's Fabrics, in the midst of a $4 per metre sale, and managed to find a nice lightweight pinstripe gaberdine (in dark chocolate brown and charcoal grey) to make 2 pairs of pants. Also found a cheapie light blue fabric for my fitting muslin as I didn't have anything suitable in the fabric stash.

I'm using Vogue 1035, which describes itself as an 'average' pattern. The instructions include 59 steps. The only forseeable construction issue for me will be the back welt pockets. I haven't sewn these in a long while, so it's going to be a deliberately slow process. The pattern is cut out and now needs adjustments. I typically need to adjust for the following: fuller tummy, waist, hips, thighs, less fullness in the leg width and shorten the length. I'm actually looking forward to putting these together. It's been ages since I've sewn myself anything even remotely tailored.

sock update

I've completed one sock and am furiously knitting up the other. Miss 12 has tried it on and is now telling me to hurry up and finish the pair off so she can wear them. The heat (it's 30 degrees) makes it hard to concentrate. I'm glad that I'm not working with a complicated pattern as I'm sure I'd have lost the plot by now.

Mr 10 has decided he'd like some bed socks too and has asked for 'teal/peacock blue' wool. I don't think there's anything in my wool stash that's even close, so I'll need to make a trip to Spotlight for him this weekend.

I finally got my Ravelry page up and running. It's my personal motivator to complete all my knitting & crochet projects in a 'timely' fashion. I've been known to have some knitted projects hanging around for 'years' sshhh!!!

summer poem

(Art designed in 2007 by Art deco studio, Contour Creative's Terry Moyle and Rosie Louise.)

we pile into the Zephyr
sugar sacks
boiled potatoes
coconut oil
fill our nostrils
with delight

Summer's sweaty heat
sticks our bottoms to the vinyl seats
we compete
with urgency
huge tales of our own
each more monstrous
with every passing mile

at last
we're there
the Zephyr lurches to a halt

for a moment
water glistens
beckons
silence
then incessant chatter blends
with the beat of the tide

we clamber out
spilling onto crushed shells
splashing
digging
into black muddy sand
eager to taste pipis
on our lips

alice and olivia pants

at last I've succumbed to the temptation of making myself a pair of alice and olivia pants. I'm a sucker for a challenge. Spotlight's 50% off pattern sale was the starting point. My pants are based on Vogue 1035. I like pants that sit near or around the waist and this pattern is about the closest that I could find. I'll have to do the usual adjustments as well as take out some of the fullness in the wide leg. This is a long term project that will require a fitting muslin. I'll make sure to post about my progress every now and then as I work my way through all the steps.

happy birthday barbie

50 years old. I thought I'd dedicate this post to the doll that's influenced so many of us, shaping our ideas about who and what we can or can't become. I never owned a Barbie doll as a child. But I was still exposed to the wave of Barbie's influence. Perfect hair, flawless skin, big boobs, tiny waist and long legs seemed to be the most desirable way to look. Even though it's an impossible standard for girls to achieve, it didn't stop our overwhelming desire to look and be like Barbie.

Barbie was created to be a 'play' doll. She came on the scene when most girls played with baby dolls, learning through play to become mothers and homemakers. Barbie brought a whole new world of possibility to a girl's horizons. Thanks Barbie for helping us see that we have it in ourselves to be whatever we want to be.

pencil case

Miss almost 2 has a love for drawing and in an effort to keep her 'travelling' art stuff tidy, today, I made her a simple pencil case out of a remnant.

Pencil case

You need:

* Fabric (20cm x 56cm)use medium weight drill, denim, upholstery fabric
* 25 cm zip (matching or contrasting)
* thread (matching or contrasting)
* scissors, pins, tape measure
* sewing machine

Instructions:

1) Cut your fabric into 2 pieces measuring 19cm x 28cm. This will produce a large, deep pencil case. If you want a smaller pencil case, then just reduce the side measurement.

2) Take both pieces of fabric and fold a 1.5cm edge and press. Then pin zip to the top edge of 1 piece of fabric. Stitch in place using the zipper foot on your sewing machine. Then do the same to the 2nd piece of fabric. Make sure that your zip lines up. Press flat.

3) Pin right sides together. Seam allowance of 1.5cm. Open your zip and then stitch right around both sides and the bottom edge. Zig zag edges to prevent fraying.

4) Open your zip and then turn pencil case right side out and press.

5) Decorate the outside of your pencil case if you wish.

complete pages

at last some photos to share of my first 3 scrapbook pages. They're my christmas pages that I put together last month. Why did it take so long? well mostly because I couldn't help but keep going back and re-arranging the pages. I'm over that now, thanks to the permanent glue tape.

For inspiration, I read 'let's scrapbook New Zealand Ideas and Inspiration' by Julie Marshall-Tideman. A great book for under $30 and perfect for a novice scrapbooker like me. There's loads of ideas, tips & techniques to get one all inspired!

swimming sports

it was swimming finals for Miss 12 today. 25 degrees, so hot and not much of a breeze. Miss almost 2 and I spent the best part of the day cheering for Miss 12, chasing the shade. She did really well, placing 2nd in all of her races. She's in the green cap.

Of course, by the time we came home, I had no gas in the proverbial crafting tank to get anything done except nap in the shade.

song for today

theme song for 'Underdog' movie by Kyle Massey...

holidays end

This lovely doll quilt and pillow set arrived from a dolly friend for Miss almost 2's birthday. She'll be 2 years old in about 2 1/2 weeks. Isn't it gorgeous? Just perfect for the new dolly bed. Now all that's needed is a cover for the mattress and it's ready for use.

Today was the last day of the school holidays, with Mr 10 starting back at school tomorrow. To sum up the day: my car broke down and needs to be in the repair shop for 2 days, a power cut that lasted a couple of hours means the fridge needs a clean, it's a very hot, sticky day...

Looking forward to crafting again.

sunburst clock

one of my favourite inspired mid-century designs. This clock hangs in our lounge and and can be seen from the street. Often people walking by take a second look at the clock as they pass. It's huge!

Sometimes when the afternoon sun catches its 'rays', it glows.

nature's whispers

our garden is still awash with colour. The roses are making an end of summer show with their final, heavy blooms


the lavender near the outside laundry, has a heavenly scent. Often after hanging the washing, I rub lavender flowers between my palms and breathe in the fragrance. Hmmm,
just beautiful!


the passionfruit vine is a jewelled necklace with it's fruit slowly turning a deep royal purple


and pink hibiscus blooms nod sleepily in the afternoon breeze

I'm inspired by nature's whispers, it brings out both the artist and poet in me!