The Sukita Project is an initiative to help preserve the traditional weaving practices of refugee women in my hometown, Nelson. I used to volunteer with a group of Kayan women who had recently settled in NZ via a Thai refugee camp after fleeing civil war in Myanmar (Burma). We made some things and practiced English.…

Following on from yesterday's post about —handmade—  I wanted to write about this yummy chocolate. I was sent this recipe by Nicola to share here- she made her raw fudge at our event and talked about the different ingredients and possible variations. She passed around enough finished fudge for everyone to share, and it was…

Nicola took this photo of our evening last week- this is me talking about blogs and my book and a few other things. It was fun! I was quite nervous at first, but then it gradually became less scary. I was very grateful to have Nicola joining me and Stella and Lucy from Page &…

It's Friday today but I don't have a pattern prepared like I usually would! I'm in the South Island for this which took place last night- and it was a nice evening of chocolate, crafts and chatting. I got to see friends I've not seen in a long time. And talk about blogs and making…

I used to have a tartan pencil case when I was at school. It was skinny and perfect for pencils. I made some matching tartan pencil cases for my shop, inspired by that old one. And a few other things, too. The baby shoes are made from a very old, very fine linen tablecloth. Most…

My second little contribution to NZ House and Garden magazine arrived in the post the other day- I wrote about designing your own ceramics. This photo was first used on my blog back here, but if you want to read more about how I made these cups I first wrote about them here and here.…

I've been playing around with paper again. I was sorting out a cupboard and came across some old papers I was saving for something or other. They were black and white pictures of plants and animals and clouds. So I made some stationery sets. Postcards with brown card, gift-envelopes with pictures of squirrels and birds…

On my way home from work this afternoon, I couldn't resist stopping in at the local flower shop and buying this bunch of stocks. They were calling me from the window. Today's pattern is inspired by their goodness. The scent, the memories of childhood springs, the peachy-pink and soft green. I can imagine summer linen…

I haven't had much luck taking photos lately. I'll blame the grey weather, rainstorms and office work. So I thought I'd look through my flickr photostream to see what I got up to in other Julys. There are so many projects and moments documented on that page. I was surprised! And pleased that I had put them…

I have a few vintage embroidery books, but I don't spend enough time learning new and interesting embroidery stitches. But this is something I'd like to try – there are countless stitches to learn. Also I like their old-fashioned names. One of the workshops I'll be doing at The Craft Sessions will involve learning new…