I love a good old-fashioned pinboard, with bits and pieces of this and that, all collected and held for future reference. But I'm bad at organising the one in my workroom. It's threatening to fall off the wall, actually, with everything I've tacked to it. Shown above is my latest, clean wall with just a…

I planted some white cosmos seeds at the start of summer, and they're just now starting to bloom. I love their generous petals like crinkled silk, and their feathery leaves. Their name means 'an orderly system' and I think they do have a harmonious and peaceful quality to them. I embroidered some onto a piece of…

I found this book at the library last week. It's called ETCETERA and it's by Sibella Court, an Australian stylist and designer. Each page is crammed full of lists, colours and ideas for collecting things you love and displaying them in your home. It's not so much about buying designer goods or expensive stuff, but…

Thank you for your well-wishes over the weekend- my sister's wedding was gorgeous, but I forgot to recharge my camera batteries, in the whilrlwind of getting ready. So I don't have the promised photos of the table settings, etc because the camera died at the crucial moment. Sorry about that. It all went smoothly though…

I made these little ties for Arlo (the long one) and my baby nephew Leo (the bow-tie) to wear to a wedding. My youngest sister is getting married this weekend, and A will be her page-boy while L will have the important job of smiling and looking cute (it comes naturally to him) and getting…

A group of friends are joining together under the name Crafting for Courage to raise money for Save the Children in Japan, after the terrible earthquake and tsunami that happened there two weeks ago. I read this morning that an estimated 100,000 children have been displaced from their homes since the earthquake, and many are…

I've had this shirt for a long time, it's worn and old and much too small for me, really, and it's been hand-dyed a kind of grey (once when I was a teenager and liked everything in dark colours.) I gave it a wash recently and the seams came undone, so I knew my days…

Well, it's not every day one can use that title for a blog post. This is something I made this week: an oven mitt. It's one of those things I've always needed, but never gotten around to making. I recently found the book 'Sew' by Cath Kidston at our library, and there was a pattern…

Good morning! I've had a few requests lately for tips on applique work. I love using applique in my projects, but I really only use one technique these days. When I showed it to my mother once (she's an accomplished needlewoman who employs many different applique techniques in her quilts and embroideries) she was less than…

Collecting seeds from the garden. Some to send to friends around the country, and some to keep for next spring. I love the autumn time. Wishing you a happy weekend, blog friends. Coming up next week: applique without any fancy products, wedding decorations and a miniature tie. Hold on to your hats!