tiny happy

Happy St. Valentine's Day. I don't usually celebrate it but I couldn't resist the opportunity to make pink heart-shaped biscuits for the school lunch boxes. 

Wishing you a lovely day. X

These two red striped bags were made for A and K to keep their music books all organised and tidy. (In this family, we need all the encouragement we can get to keep tidy.) I found the fabric from an opshop- it was the perfect size and weight for these two book bags. I think it was an upholstery remnant because it was thick linen that had been lightly quilted over another fabric. I added one wide strap made from red linen so that it can be worn across their bodies, and there's room for rosin, pencils and notebook too. Their piano and violin lessons start next week (they're lucky enough to learn from my musical mother.) I l;ove making simple bags like these for children- they help keep chaos to a minimum and can be great for storage, too.

In other news, I'm planning to make a lot more plum jam this weekend because I love to eat it! Especially on croissants with butter- is there anything more summery tasting than that? 

PS Thank you for your kind comments and support after my last post- I'm so happy you liked the idea of the original fabric in my etsy shop. It all sold pretty quickly (thank you!) but I've ordered more and will let you know when it's available. I'm excited to have a few new designs coming, too.

Have a happy weekend.

Thank you for all those nice comments on yesterday's post. The Sufjan Stevens concert was amazing- truly the best concert I think I've ever attended. The music, video art and dancing was original and beautiful, and I looked around me several times during the show to see that more than one audience member had tears streaming down their cheeks- it was that kind of feeling in the theatre. It was great to hear the songs from this album in a new and fresh way- crazy electronica and big-band trombones, giant balloons, apocalyptic 'outsider'-art, recorders and even Steiner School eurythmy-inspired dancing girls. Truly one of a kind, I'd say.

One small project I finished before we went to Wellington yesterday was a cover for a very old feather cushion that resides on our computer chair (which is also old and rather Van-Gogh in style.) I used some of the fabric I designed to make it, and blue linen for the back- I made one for my etsy shop update today, too. 

I've been enjoying using the Spoonflower fabric on some small projects and I wondered if others might, too. So as a tentative experiment, I've listed some fat quarters in my shop – both of the cushion fabric 'Heidi', and the blue version which I've named 'Clara'. They were inspired by my romantic ideas of alpine wildflowers and Swiss summertime. And of course one of my favourite childhood books, Heidi.

I finally hung up a picture I originally found in an antique shop- it's an old Vernon Ward painting of geese taking flight. I love it and it holds a familiar feeling for me- I wonder if perhaps it used to be printed on a biscuit tin belonging to my grandmother. Or perhaps the back of a set of playing cards? Poor old Vernon Ward.

It's another hot and bright day here today, with the cicadas screeching all around the house. I've been working on some small linen embroidered things, and getting ready for another quick trip up to Wellington- this time to attend the Sufjan Stevens concert tonight. I can hardly believe my luck! See you back here tomorrow.

The kids went back to school today. After such a long break from the school-routine I've found myself wandering aimlessly around and wondering why it's so quiet in the house and no has demanded a snack yet… eerie. Never mind, I'm sure i'll get used to it!

One of the things I'd like to do this year is decrease the amount of packaging in their lunchboxes. I got busy with other things last year and ended up buying muesli bars, etc which were fine, but all the individual plastic wrappings made me uneasy. So this is the first batch of homemade muesli bars for the year. I'm happy with them but they're not perfect… I think I needed to boil the honey mixture for a bit longer so they're a bit sturdier (they're bound to get knocked around in the lunchbox on the trip to school.)

I used this recipe that I blogged about in 2007 (how can that be?) but added slightly different ingredients, according to what was in the cupboard. 

I found these two rolls of vintage wallpaper recently. The cream one with flowers was at the Recycling Centre and labelled 'Laura Ashley' and the other ('Julia Myers Wallfashions') I bought from an antique store although I think it was probably designed in the 1980's. 

I think the chances of me using this as actual wallpaper in our home are pretty slim (don't think Tom would go for a purple flowery bedroom, for example), but I just completely fell in love with the design of these- especially the cross-stitch/fair-isle one in red and blue. It would be great in an old-fashioned kitchen, or as a bedroom feature wall. In the meantime, I've used it to wrap a friend's birthday gift and am measuring out pieces to line the drawers where I keep my clothes. 

Other ideas I've had for these babies include making greeting cards, lining cupboard shelves, covering journals, wrapping the wallpaper around old tins or jars to make containers, and covering boxes. Have you recycled wallpaper in original ways?

Wishing you a happy weekend.

I always feel part farm wife-part squirrel whilst chopping plums and tomatoes and digging out the preserving pan, but the truth is I've always loved bottling things (I grew up on a farm with an orchard and used to help my Mum with such jobs.) This week I made some tomato sauce (like ketchup- from this recipe) and some other tomato sauce to use on pasta, etc. For that one I used a recipe similar to this. Then I was given another bag of red plums and while the smell of vinegar was already permeating the house and the flies were still swarming through the open door, I thought why not make plum sauce, too? We'll be glad of it later in the year, I'm sure.

There is a strange satisfaction in the putting away of food like this (and I love giving bottles and jars of things to my friends too) but there's nothing quite like the relief of hearing the lids pop and seal. I've had my fair share of bottling disasters that leave me with the resolution that supermarket sauce is not so bad after all. 

I heard an interview on National Radio this morning with legendary NZ cook and food writer Alison Holst. At one point the discussion focused on the current state of cooking and 'homemaking' in our society, and how most people these days can't sew on a button or make proper dinners from scratch, and how we must be ready for a resurgence in these skills again. (With more than a little hint that feminism could be blamed.) Is it just me, or has that resurgence well and truly happened already? I am proud to call myself a jam-maker and a feminist. It is possible!

I got a parcel in the mail the other day that was packed full of lengths of old ribbon and lace, and crocheted pieces. Even two very delicate cross-stitched sleeves removed from an old dress. (Thank you again, Linda.) After staring at the pieces for a while, I decided to make some things that would truly show some of the lacy patterns off. I love the delicate look of them against a plain background of linen, where they are the main feature and finally having their glory day, after all these years.

Pictured above are some purses and bags I made for my etsy shop update today. And a pair of tiny brooches like lace cameos.

Here we have some delicate little viola tricolour flowers from the garden. I spent an hour this afternoon with children chattering endlessly, drinking tea with my mum and embroidering these little ones to make a needlebook. The sun shining through the windows and this French music on the stereo… not a bad way to spend the afternoon….

Hope you're having a very nice time this Tuesday, too.

I spent some time last week making a few new clothes for the children (they start school again in a couple of days), including these two dresses for Keira. They are small versions of this dress I'd made previously, and I also made one for K's friend and they had the best time choosing fabrics from my shelf and draping them around themselves to see if they would be Suitable. Keira has one made from strawberry-red and navy cotton and another in a Liberty-style lawn. 

K seems to be enjoying wearing them in this warm weather we're having. It's been so balmy that our strawberries are still going strong since the first picking back in October, (with apologies to those readers still deep in snow and dark.)