tiny happy

Kia ora, hello! It's been so long since I last published a post here on the blog. Truth be told, I've had some trouble uploading my photos here – some sort of technical glitch with the platform. I'm sorry if you popped in for an update, it's been such a long time coming. The platform seems to be working today though, so I'm going to give it another try.

I hope the past season has treated you well. In my last post, we were entering summer and now it's officially autumn. I love this bittersweet time of year, with its deep pink sunrises and golden morning light in the kitchen. Almost like a deep sigh after the activity of summer. And the joy of cicadas and bees, blackberries and pears, and wearing cardigans again.

I've been working on a few projects over the past few months, and have shared a few above - 

1. A simple summer top made from Atelier Brunette silk-cotton I found at the op shop! For this I used a self-drafted, drop-sleeve pattern I've had for years, based on the Wiksten shift dress pattern.
2. Summer salads! Not really a craft project, but something we've enjoyed growing + assembling over the past few months. The beautiful blue bowl is one I bought from a local pottery fair, made by a ceramic artist called Shanti Costar.
3. Hydrangea gift tags made for Christmas presents. I made a big cyanotype print of hydrangea petals collected over the summer and pressed until they were almost transparent. Then I cut them into individual tags and added thread.
4. Project bags and pouches. More small gifts for Christmas. All of these pouches were made from one Japanese cotton scarf I found second-hand. I quilted the navy fabric with a light cotton batting to add structure, before sewing them up into cases.
5. A small Sophie scarf – the Petite Knit pattern that everyone seems to have made! I used a strand of Holst Haya yarn held together with some Ito silk-mohair, both in an oatmeal colour. A luxurious little piece that I'm sure will be handy as the weather cools down! I also hope to make the Sophie Hood pattern up for my daughter Keira.
6. A wee bunny for my niece H. I enjoyed making this little guy over the summer break. And couldn't resist making a sleepsuit with tiny buttons for him to wear. The pattern is Bunny Odile (more details here on my Ravelry project page).

I'm starting the year (although it is March..!) with a strong resolution to read more, and I'm sharing the books I finish over on my Instagram stories again this year. So far, I've read some truly wonderful novels, including 'Delirious' by Damien Wilkins and 'The Mires' by Tina Makereti – two books that will stay with me for a long time (and both, strangely, set in Kapiti near Wellington). I also really enjoyed listening to Sinead O'Connor read her memoir as an audiobook and it led me back to her music – I did so love her album 'I Don't Want What I Haven't Got' as a teenager and I still do.

Two craft books I've enjoyed lately are 'The Untamed Thread' by Fleur Woods – which has re-motivated me to get the embroidery threads out again. Fleur's work is so beautiful and her book is a deep dive into her inspiring visual world – and 'Everyday Patterns' by Lotta Jansdotter. This is a collection of stylish and simple garment patterns with lots of creative ideas for combining them. I've already made a couple of the garments, which I'll share in my next post.

I hope this finds you well, dear reader. Till next time,

Melissa