We are going away for a week – just K and I. My brother is getting married on this tropical island and K is going to be a flowergirl, so we're dusting off the passports and flying out tomorrow. Her older brother is flying away too, on his first unaccompanied trip, which he is very…

I had two lucky second-hand finds: an old piece of hand-embroidered linen that was just asking to be made into some baby shoes (I haven't made any of these in ages- I'd almost forgotten how but not quite.) The other find was an old Japanese painting on cardboard which is currently cheering up the hallway. …

I made some recycled tote bags for my shop update today- using some fairly disparate fabrics from my shelves including linen, corduroy, and some beautiful old printed velveteen gifted by Louana recently.  And the public holiday saw us walking on the beach, swimming at the pool and playing music at the university (all the kids,…

Tomorrow we'll observe ANZAC day here, and every year I make anzac biscuits for the kids to have in their lunchboxes throughout April. Maybe I overdid it last year, because I felt a little uninspired by my usual (plain) recipe, so for this year I invented my own. I looked at lots of different anzac…

I don't have much finished work to show you today, as I've been busy doing other things and I even noticed a spiderweb across my sewing machine this morning. Oh dear. Today was golden and sunny, and I went into the city to do some jobs, mooch around and meet my friend Emma for lunch.…

It's nice to be back in the city after a few days away. The colder weather back here is not too much of a shock, and it was lovely to see family and friends again, and eat as many feijoas as possible. I also did a bit of supplies-shopping while I was there and feel…

I've just finished the book 'Blankets' by Craig Thompson and had to sing its praises on my blog because it was such a moving and beautiful read. It's a graphic novel written in 2003 and tells the story of the author's strict Christian upbringing and coming-of-age in the icy Midwest. He falls in love with…

My vintage wallpaper obsession continues, and this time I have found the simplest way to use and admire it: postcards. I have made up some sets with envelopes to give away, and lots more to use myself. Because I send a lot of mail, and I like to have stationery on hand at all times.…

The kids did a bit of artwork this morning (school holidays) and K handed me this little rose watercolour. It reminded me of this small coat that I included in my shop update this morning: I used handwoven wool in a kind of tweedy mauve shade with little flecks of cream. I only had a…

I bought a book about identifying wildflowers at the opshop today, and the elderly lady behind the counter said jealously, 'I suppose you're about to go out and look for some right now, are you?' I didn't have time this afternoon, but I will plan a trip to look for some very soon. In the meantime…