Some early spring pickings are making their way into the house. And I made these needlebooks the other day. I used pieces of old embroidered linen that had seen better days. The pages are wool felt of various colours, and the books tie with brown cords. I'm happy to have found a way to use…

My friend Jenny sent me a set of vintage postcards that included these: Peasants of Corfu (above) and The Market of Corfu (below). I love the colours and the warmth. A small glimpse of another time and place.

I was lucky enough to see a preview of this fabulous film: Gardening With Soul, which is out for general release from September 12. It focuses on the life and work of Sister Loyola, chief gardener at Wellington's Home of Compassion in Island Bay, compost expert and kindness dispenser. Gardening with Soul is a film…

Coffee, sunshine, my favourite cup with tansy print from Helen. Broom flowers in a jar. X

Happy Friday! A giant pine tree fell down near our house, so today's pattern is pine-inspired.  Now it's a bit less freezing outside, I have resumed my very-fast-night-walks. (I refuse to 'run' unless I'm being chased but I do enjoy very fast walking for exercise.) And I go at night because that's when I have…

These plants (mustard flowers?) are growing along the road where we walk home from school. I love their outrageous yellowness. So I embroidered them, marching around on this stripy linen.  I came across this today. Doesn't it look like the most amazing place to lie down and escape your normal life? I think so, anyway.…

When I was in Nelson recently I bought some dried lavender from the farmer's market. These little sachets are rather relaxing to make: both the small embroidery worked on linen scraps, and filling them with dried flowers. Lavendery goodness. I am thinking about starting a knitting project to see me through the last dark and…

A Sunday morning, complete with this beautiful Wilco song: Something sad keeps on moving, so I wander around, I fell in love with the burden, holding me down… A branch of yellow broom stolen from the roadside, which is fragrant and a shock of yellow, plus toast with lemon honey, made using this trusty recipe,…

A yellow zig-zag pattern for today. This one was sketched in pencil then painted over in yellow and grey. I like the idea of the wonky geometric- something that we're used to seeing presented neatly and in a professional sort of way, but made slightly chaotic. How has your week been, readers? Mine has involved…

– I used to make quite a few of my own clothes. Haven't done so much of that lately, but it would be good to get back into it. I have fabrics waiting. I think about this simple green dress quite often. It got lost somewhere during our last house move. I wonder where it…