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!

inspired crafts reading

today's discovery happened when we went out to buy fish and chips for lunch. There was a crowd of people in the fish shop, so I placed our order and then popped next door to the Salvation Army store for a super quick looksie while I waited. In the craft section, amongst the huge pile of vintage patterns, were 3 Craft magazines for 50c each. What a find!

Lunch turned into a hurried affair, as I really wanted to read the mags. I lay down on the floor and with Miss almost 2 sitting on my back, read all 3 from cover to cover. Miss almost 2 contented herself with some hairstyling which was at times super painful. However it kept her occupied. Definitely inspired crafts reading!

socks

Miss 12 has put in a special request for bed socks. She loves the feel of toasty, warm feet even in the summer time. I've always avoided knitting socks, convinced that the shaping was too complicated for my knitting skills. That's all about to change! Today, while tidying up our bookshelf, I found a pattern in a 'Get Creative' magazine for easy knitted tube socks. It's knitted up in 8 ply wool, on 4.5 double pointed knitting needles, which will be a first for me! I've found some blue multi-coloured wool in my stash which will look perfect as socks. I'll post a photo soon when I've made decent enough progress to share.

scrapbook supplies

today I received the scrapbook supplies that I'd bought from trademe last week. The seller was having a big clearout and there's a lot of great stuff for a newbie scrappy like me to make use of. Of course, I won't be able to get down to any sort of serious crafting until my son goes back to school on Wednesday, next week.

So for now, I'll just have to content myself with craft dreams...

Song choice for today

is the classic sound of Martha & the Vandellas with 'Dancing in the streets'

crafting book

as the school holidays draw to an end, I now find myself engrossed with back to school preparation. New shoes, new socks, new togs, stationery, lunch box supplies, the list seems endless. Luckily, Miss almost 2 is enjoying all our rushing around although I'm sure that she'll miss her big sister and brother when they're back at school. I know I will! boo hoo!

With all this busyness, there won't much in the way of crafting for a wee while, so to help me through my crafting draught, today I bought for myself this amazing book called 'Make' by Cath Kidston. The photography and projects are a stunning combination of modern-vintage chic. Love the bright colours! a welcome change from the hugely popular monochromatic naturals that have been around for a while.

It's a 'must have' book chocka with crafting goodness! and it has a 'free' tote too!

scented heart

with Valentines Day not too far away, a scented heart would be a perfect project. It's ideal if you want a simple and quick 1 day project for a quick crafting fix where you can embellish to your hearts content. Also lovely as a keepsake or for refreshing a wardrobe or linen chest...

Scented heart

* your choice of fabric
* thread
* paper and pencil
* ribbon (up to 20cm length of 1cm wide ribbon)
* embellishments ie. lace, sequins, beads, crochet flowers etc
* polyfill stuffing
* lavender seeds (optional)
* lavender scent (or whatever you choose)

Instructions

1) Draw freehand your heart shape template. Make sure that it's slightly larger than the finished size you want. You want to allow a seam allowance. I usually allow 1.5cm

2) Cut out 2 heart shapes from your fabric. You can mix and match fabrics and textures

3) Cut your ribbon to the desired length. I usually cut my ribbon to between 15cm to 20cm in length

4) I embellish my heart shapes before I sew it together. You can choose to do it later if you prefer

5) Now pin your 2 heart shapes together with the ribbon in place

6) Sew right around leaving a gap of 4-5cm on one side of your heart. This gap is for turning it inside out and stuffing

7) Cut notches into your seams right around & trim away any excess fabric from your seams so that your heart has smooth curves and an even shape when turned inside out

8) Turn heart inside out and stuff with polyfill stuffing and lavender seeds

9) Once stuffed, whipstitch the opening closed

Your scented heart is complete. The lavender scent can be refreshed with a few drops of lavender oil over time.

WARNING!
making these can be very addictive to your crafting self!
once you make one, you'll feel compelled to make more

Summer picnic

today we decided on a impromptu picnic at Musick Point, Howick. To get there, we had to drive through the golf course. There's lots of lovely pohutukawa trees to spread out the picnic under.



While hubby and I spread out the picnic rug and food, the children played tiggy. Miss almost 2 had the best time being chased by her older siblings. Their infectious laughter had us both smiling.



After lunch, hubby and I sat in the shade and enjoyed the view. The skies were absolutely clear, the water sparkling, the sun bright and the tui in full song.



Meanwhile the children set off to explore amongst the trees and returned with a handfull of cicada skins that they'd found still firmly attached to the trees.



It was a great day for us all. Then it was home for a nap!

Summer picnic

today we decided on a impromptu picnic at Musick Point, Howick. To get there, we had to drive through the golf course. There's lots of lovely pohutukawa trees to spread out the picnic under.



While hubby and I spread out the picnic rug and food, the children played tiggy. Miss almost 2 had the best time being chased by her older siblings. Their infectious laughter had us both smiling.



After lunch, hubby and I sat in the shade and enjoyed the view. The skies were absolutely clear, the water sparkling, the sun bright and the tui in full song.



Meanwhile the children set off to explore amongst the trees and returned with a handfull of cicada skins that they'd found still firmly attached to the trees.



It was a great day for us all. Then it was home for a nap!

first scrapbook pages

well, it's been a slow process but I'm pleased as punch to announce that I've finally finished my first scrapbook pages! hooray !!!!!

First of all, I watched a 'Successful Scrapbooking' DVD which my scrapbooking sister lent me, then at Spotlight I bought some really great christmas theme paper and embellishments on sale as I thought doing some christmas pages would be a good starting point. Then it was planning how to put my pages together. I really admire how talented scrapbookers are. There's quite a lot involved!

strawberry jam

although it was a scorching hot summer day, we took the opportunity to take the children for a drive with the promise of a strawberry ice cream from the Mangere Strawberry gardens. I came home with a 1kg bag of second grade strawberries to make some yummy strawberry jam...

strawberry jam recipe

* 500 gram strawberries (washed & destalked)
* 350 gram sugar
* Juice of 1 lemon
* 1 Tbsp butter

Put the strawberries in the pan, sprinkle over all of the sugar and place it into the fridge overnight.

Place the pan on a medium heat and let the sugar to dissolve. This will take roughly 6 minutes. Do not stir at this point as not to break up the fruit.Once dissolved bring to a boil and add the lemon juice. Stir briefly and boil rapidly for 8 minutes.

After 8 minutes spoon in the butter and stir in. Take off the heat and allow to cool for 20 minutes.

Spoon the strawberry jam into the jar. Cover it with a small square of parchment paper and seal tightly with an elastic band.

Finally, put the jar lid back on, closing it tightly.The strawberry jam can be kept in a cool, dry place for 2-3 weeks

one bead

Miss almost 2 found a letter bead in her sister's room and then decided that it might be nice to put in her nostril. Well, panic ensued when she realised that a square bead isn't meant for a round nostril. A pair of trusty overlocking tweezers did the trick in extracting the offending bead.

Miss almost 2 by this time was beside herself with indignation at being held down for the bead to be removed & I'm totally worn out from the accompanying crying and ear piercing screams.

Meanwhile her older sister feeling quite guilty, gave way to a full on dramatic outburst. I mean how many times have I asked for beads etc to be picked up and put away??? a gazillion, I think....

And so, of course, with all of this going on, I've no energy for crafting today!
Hoping for a better day tomorrow...

Today's song of the day

is 'Won't give in' by the Finn brothers (Neil and Tim Finn) of Split Enz fame...



and as an extra to get down to, because I can't get this song out of my head, 'Double Dutch Bus' by Raven Symone. Yes that is Donny Osmond too!

vintage inspiration

I've been wondering what to do with my ever growing pile of fabric scraps left over from finished projects. Little projects are more my thing at the moment, so making patchwork quilts is out for me. I saw this on trademe and felt some 'vintage inspiration" coming on

It's called a 'Dorothy' bag probably after the bag that Dorothy carried in the 'Wizard of Oz" movie, although I could be wrong.




What a great way to use up all my scraps. A herringbone stitch or some other decorative embroidery stitch in a gold coloured thread would be ideal for connecting all the pieces together.

It would be perfect lined in a contrasting vintage taffeta fabric. The possibilities are endless!!!

tilly ting-ting

Introducing tilly ting-ting, a very colourful softie, from my own drafted pattern and handmade by me. A ting-ting doesn't have a strict definition. It's whatever your imagination wants it to be! I'm sure I've seen a ting-ting or two out of the corner of my eye when I'm at home alone...

Simplicity 3835

After a long wait, Simplicity 3835 is here. Normally I wouldn't look twice at this pattern but having seen so many versions of the top and dresses on numerous sewing blogs, I decided it was time for me to sew it up for myself.

The style is very simple and appeals to my 'sew in 1 day' plan. I can recall wearing a similar top back in the 1970s. Before I get to it, I'm adding the final touches to Miss almost 2's smock dresses and then it's on to making her a birthday dress.

This afternoon, I'll be searching the fabric stash for the right material for the top and then trying to make a start on my scrapbooking.

Try scrapbooking again

One of my 2009 goals is try scrapbooking again. To help me along, my sister who loves to scrapbook gave me one of her old albums and lots of paper and old Creative Memories pamphlets for christmas to help get me inspired.

Today I started sorting through all the stuff she'd given me. It's going to be my
20th wedding anniversary next month, and I had the inspiration that it might be great to put some of our memories into a scrapbook. So I get our photos out and my immediate concern is how to put 20 years worth of memories onto paper? where do I start? and then of course, I get sidetracked by photos!

New beds for the girls

today was bed shopping day for my 2 daughters. The youngest, is turning 2 next month, and moving into her first bed and the elder, is moving into a longer bed.

I'm stunned by how fast our children are growing. Time is speeding by so quickly! One minute they're so tiny and need you for everything, and the next, they're growing more and more independent... deep sigh! I stopped breastfeeding Miss almost
2 about 3 weeks ago and I'm finally coming out the other end of the hormone roller coaster.

New beds for the girls

today was bed shopping day for my 2 daughters. The youngest, is turning 2 next month, and moving into her first bed and the elder, is moving into a longer bed.

I'm stunned by how fast our children are growing. Time is speeding by so quickly! One minute they're so tiny and need you for everything, and the next, they're growing more and more independent... deep sigh! I stopped breastfeeding Miss almost
2 about 3 weeks ago and I'm finally coming out the other end of the hormone roller coaster.

Impressionists are coming

Just opened up my latest 'NZ House and Garden' magazine and read that the largest collection of over 55 Impressionists paintings held by the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston is coming to New Zealand. It's a rare chance for us downunder to see stunning works from Claude Monet’s Water Lily, Haystacks, and Rouen Cathedral series, alongside masterpieces by Renoir, Cézanne, Degas, and others. I'm so excited!

The paintings will only be exhibited at Te Papa, Wellington. It's a once in a lifetime chance for me to see these amazing works in person. I have to go! I don't think that I'll ever get this chance again. Now, it's working out when to go and booking the flights etc. Dear hubby suggests that we drive down and enjoy the countryside. I'm resisting the idea of 9 hour long drive, as I want to spend every available minute enjoying all the artwork.