tiny happy

A few months ago I bought this beautiful linen mushroom from this shop, made by the talented Maribeth of Lovely World. Her blog really is a lovely world to visit, and she has been making some beautiful textile creatures lately. I love this fabric mushroom very much. It has a nice weight to it, and is made from smooth and cool linen.

It's mushroom season here at the moment, but I've not seen many around- probably due to the drought we had over summer and early autumn. Inspired by Maribeth's sculpture I made this mushroom skirt for Keira to wear with her favourite stripy red t-shirt. I used a kind of lightweight denim and hand-appliqued the mushrooms.

When we were in Wellington a few weeks ago, Tom and I visited the City Gallery and saw the large exhibition of NZ painter Séraphine Pick. I really enjoyed seeing such a wide selection of her work: there were paintings from the early 1990's ranging to very recent works. There was one painting, though, that caused tears to spring to my eyes, but I'm not sure why. I think it was called 'Where did you go?' and showed a young girl lying on her bed with her legs stretched up a wall. I don't think I will ever forget that image.

Anyway, the 'dreamscape' paintings that the artist did in the 1990's were my favourite, and I've been thinking about those a lot lately. Also, experimenting with watercolour paint and pencil to make small 'dream-scenes' of my own. I've had a few of my small paintings printed to make notecards to send to friends. In addition to the dream-memories that involve anxious situations- impossible deadlines, hair falling out in clumps, etc, the best dreams are ones in which long details can be remembered- like the close-up of an over-sized rose where the petals are closely packed and smooth like wintered skin, or a small lake with white marks like the wind is ruffling its feathers. I'm trying to record these details so I don't forget them. Imagine all those dream-memories we've forgotten. I expect they return to us on other nights, though.

Have you ever tried recording your dream-memories like this?

Wishing you a relaxing weekend.

I'm preparing for Craft 2.0, a great craft/art show that will be held at the New Dowse gallery in Wellington on June 12th. I'm feeling pretty excited and nervous about having my own stall there. One thing I thought I would make are cushion/pillow covers, and I liked the idea of making a matching or complimentary collection of them. So I'm using vintage botanical-printed linen from my long-hoarded collection, and teaming those prints with a plain wool or cotton backing with an envelope closure.

I love matching the fabrics and putting these together- and of course I had to make some for our sofa and a few for today's shop update too.

Have a great Wednesday!

I rediscovered a vintage children's book on my shelf the other day (i blogged about it a few years ago here), entitled Riding to Canonbie by Cara Lockhart Smith. The book is filled with rather ethereal poems and illustrated with black and white pen drawings. It was published in 1972.

Even though I've already posted some pictures from it, I had to mention it again, because the drawings are so intricate and lovely, I think. I especially like the little boy sleeping under a patchwork quilt (in the second picture above)- in the poem it seems he is sleeping to avoid 'cake-crumbs, ladies and potations, sympathy and cold collations, and other various distractions…' Hmm.

Now that both of my children are at primary school, I miss those rambly relaxed days when we used to make huts and draw and make things together. Although I don't miss the noise, prams, playgroups and trying in vain to get them to have naps. So I guess you can't have everything.

Last Saturday though, we had a quiet afternoon at home and Arlo drew up some plans for finger puppets he wanted us to make together. He had plans for a dog, bird and lion but in the end we switched the dog for a penguin. You know, just because. It was really fun making these and then I could sit back and relax while they put on a puppet show for me, albeit an offbeat one, considering the unlikely combination of creatures.

I found the art print (top photo) at a second-hand shop this week, and even though it was old and dirty, something made me buy it… I love its fine details and Scandinavian feel. It's marked HA76 in one corner, but other than that, I don't know who the artist is. Do you know?

In the foreground of the painting is a small vase with flowers and a crochet mat on a windowsill. It was this crochet piece that inspired my work for my shop update this week- the look of the fine white stitches on a dark grey background. I was given some small pieces of amazing handmade lace that was bought in the 1920's and had the idea of showcasing it on a dark grey background, just like in the painting. So I applied very tiny stitches to the lace to secure it to the wool felt, and made brooches. I like to think of them as small lace samplers.

It's funny how one small detail from somewhere or someone can lead to other ideas. Sort of like chinese whispers, or variations on a theme.

My son Arlo is a quiet boy who likes reading and playing with lego. Yet still all his corduroy pants and jeans seem to wear out in the knees before he's grown out of them. Maybe it's all that kneeling, sorting through little lego bits to make an amazing spaceship or jet. And i'm lucky, because he still likes to wear things that I sew for him, so lately I've been making him new pairs of pants. I've been using the same simple pattern since he was about one year old, just lengthening the legs and adjusting the width a little each year. The trousers above are made from sturdy black denim, with two patch pockets on the front. And the blue corduroy pair are for when the weather gets much colder: they've got lined pockets and knee patches (I might have gotten a little carried away), and I daresay he might have trouble wearing a hole in those!

Hopefully, I'll be able to keep making him clothes for a while yet. When do you think elastic waistbands become unacceptable for boys? I can't believe he will be seven soon. I have to admit that i hate most of the chain-store kid's clothes that are for sale here in NZ- everything seems to be blinged up with words and numbers and random slogans.

There are lots of amazing boys' clothes patterns and ideas here at dana made it.

And more inspiration here at elsie marley's kid's clothes week challenge. Happy sewing!