This winter was the one in which Keira finally outgrew the coat I'd made for her in Norway. We got a pretty long run from it, really. So I dreamt up this new one for her and finished it last week, just in time for the cold snap. I used some vintage wool plaid for…

We had a really lovely break away- very rural and quiet. The children played all day long with their friends, while the parents drank coffee and sat by the fire. We even drove through a night-time snowstorm (very exciting, as snow is very rare in these parts), went looking for penguins, and went running over…

We're heading away for a short mid-winter break with some friends. I'll be back here again in a few days, but until then, I'll send you over to the lovely Anissa's blog, where I feature as part of her 'creative mama' series. If you leave a comment on that post, you enter the giveaway I…

It was with a heavy heart that I said goodbye to some good friends this week, leaving for the other side of the world. Actually, quite a few friends have been taking long plane journeys or are planning them for the near future, so I've found myself making them these 'eye-masks' for use on their…

My letterbox has been a very happy one lately, with the arrival of all sorts of treats from kind readers and friends.  In the first photo above sits the kids' new pencil case- 'Kitty', which they fell in love with at our local craft market, so I was excited to purchase. I love him, too.…

We've been enjoying these velvety yellow tulips on the kitchen table this week. There's nothing quite like that brilliant yellow, is there? I came upon some pieces of coloured cotton velveteen in the second-hand shop- they seemed to be asking me to embroider on them. I made some small purses for today's shop update from…

I took the photo of a valley filled with bare winter trees on a recent walk. I've always loved the sight of naked trees reaching their branches up to the sky, but it's a rare sight here in NZ because so many of our native trees stay green all year long. Those bare branches inspired…

We have a friend from Europe staying for a couple of weeks, and have been busy showing him around natural parts of our district. Yesterday we went walking in the brilliant winter sunshine, and found lots of native plants and birds along the way, including a beautiful yellow bellbird gorging itself on kowhai nectar, and…

I'd never made a whole garment from silk before I made K this little blouse 'for best'. The fabric is a creamy-lemon vintage silk crepe, found and sent to me by my friend Helen. It was just enough to make something small, and I settled on the blouse pattern from this Japanese book. I love…

It was super cold and stormy here yesterday, and everyone in the household made it home early in the afternoon. Of course there are many things that can warm up such a winters' evening, but yesterday the secret was abandoning all set work and chores, lighting the fire and looking through old copies of the…