Early in the mornings, when I'm hanging the washing outside, it's cool enough to make me think that autumn is gradually arriving. I love the crisp coolness of late summer. It's probably too early to be thinking of brown and red earthy colours already, but I sewed something brown anyway: a new…

      I've been working with quite a bit of wool this week, stitching up both gifts for friends, and some things for my shop update today. I made a small stack of wool needlecases, with botanical embroideries. Willow, tansy and queen anne's lace. I do love sewing with wool, even in the summertime.…

I was given two bags of apricots last week, and decided to make some jam for the store cupboard. I love apricot jam. Especially on toast with butter. I had half a jar of jam left over and remembered these cookies I made for Valentine's Day last year. This time I used this recipe, adding…

      …………………………………. a warm summer's weekend: dinner with friends outside in the garden, icecream from the corner shop, sunflowers growing outside my sewing room, a new beach bag sewn from an old curtain. filled with swimming gear to take to the river. …………………………………..

    I made a new batch of notecards using watercolour paints and some index cards. I was inspired by some of the pages in this vintage book I wrote about a while ago. I love the simple, muted designs of the old Swedish embroideries. And the vine and tulip motifs that are featured quite…

      I don't know what the collective noun for 'bag' is, I just made that up… I've always liked the word 'jubilee'. And I had fun making all these bags for my shop update this week. I made a couple for grown-ups, including a market bag from sturdy striped wool. But some are…

    It's been a very good week for second-hand shopping. I went looking for some preserving jars at the flea market and recycling centre on the weekend. I didn't find any of the right size, but I did find an asortment of nice blue and white things. A new duvet cover: blue and white…

    Even though these wild carrot flowers (Queen Anne's lace) are considered noxious weeds here in NZ, I do like them. Especially their incredibly delicate white petals. I found these on the roadside over the weekend. For me, they are synonymous with my childhood summers, as they grew abundantly all over the family farm…

      The light here was lovely this morning, so I took some photos around our bedroom/my workshop area. Then I found these necklaces that I made recently, and thought I'd show you. I've been collecting wooden beads for a while, I really like them. And then I realised that I could combine cotton…

    Did you see this post on card-making at angry chicken blog? It inspired me to sort out some of the many papers and old magazines that I have been hoarding, and make some stationery from them. I cut up images of botanical paintings from last year's calendar and glued them to index cards…