Happy St. Valentine's Day, friends. I made a wildflower installation for you.
I made my origami heart (to write my valentine's message inside) using these instructions that I found via A.C. and some Japanese paper.
And something romantic: the ending to a very sweet film: Le Fabuleux Destin d'Amélie Poulain. I haven't seen this film in a long time, but it was my favourite for many years.
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I was feeling sorry for my shop, which I've pretty much abandoned over the past year, so I stocked it up with some new things.
Small makes: lavender sachets with coloured prints, bird and wildflower pins, eye masks and french press cosies. Also some more baby shoes (after taking a few months hiatus from sewing them) and these drawstring bags made from antique silks that I had to buy when I was in the strange and wonderful Japanese shop down the road. They sell kimono robes and obi belts, and also remnants from old kimono. That's how I got my hands on those small pieces of silk in stripes and geometric patterns.
I'm not a socialite (might even be an anti-socialite) but I do love this song by the Dirty Projectors (it sounded especially great live last week!), and this sewing pattern, put together by Anna-Maria Horner.
I've made this pattern once before– back in 2009, even. I think I like it made up in this flowy fabric better- it's great for summer and the big side pockets are good. The fabric is a silky cotton with arrows and I wish I had made better use of this feature when cutting out the neckline pieces- I didn't think about it but it would have been good to place them at a contrasting angle.
I made a simple tie from the leftover fabric and a thread loop on the side to hold it in place. Fingers crossed this summery weather lasts a little longer…
Wishing you a happy weekend, dear reader.
Have you met our new pets? We have two new guinea pigs- their names are Gizmo Joe (Keira's) and Gary Zac (Arlo's.) Much fun was had in the naming (you can probably tell.)
They are soft and silky and make a lot of noise (a high-pitched 'wheek!) when we pick them up. But I think they're slowly getting used to us.
Tom built them a big pen/enclosure type of thing and we transfer them there from the hutch when we are around to keep an eye on them. They're slowly but surely mowing the lawn for us, square by square.
Turkish delight is one of my family's favourite sweets, and it all began with Arlo's discovery of The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe back in 2009.
Even though you can buy proper boxes of Middle Eastern TD here, it's something I'd been wanting to try to make for ages, but rosewater was my problem. I could never find it in my usual supermarkets but then a nearby shop (Commonsense Organics, Kilbirnie, for Wellingtonians) received a shipment direct from Lebanon so now I have enough to last many batches of TD. Hooray!
I've now made two different flavours and they are both pretty easy. I used a combination of recipes I found online and in books, according to the ingredients I had in my pantry. The kids and I made these origami boxes from this tutorial (and pages from an old calendar) and lined each with a small piece of a plastic bag, so the sweets didn't stick, to give as gifts.
Do you want to make some too? Here is my version:
TURKISH DELIGHT- LEMON OR ROSEWATER
2 cups plain sugar
3 Tb edible gelatin (powdered)
pinch salt
1 cup water
4 tsps pure rosewater or 1 lemon
tiny drop of red or yellow food colouring
cornflour and icing sugar
Stir together the sugar, gelatin and salt in a heavy-based pot. Add water and bring mixture to a gentle boil. Continue to slowly boil mixture for 10-15 minutes, without stirring. Then remove from heat and add either the rosewater or the zest and juice of one lemon. Next add a very small drop of food colouring. Choose a small dish (I used a ceramic baking dish) and rinse it with some water, but don't dry it. Tip in your sugar mixture, let it cool and then leave in the fridge for a few hours to set. When it's firm, you can get it out of the dish but it can be a bit tricky. Find a clean work surface and tip some icing sugar and cornflour onto it, mix it together with your fingers. Using a thin fish slice or similar, you'll need peel it away from the dish (hopefully in one piece) then place it onto the powered surface. Cut the delight into pieces with a hot knife (dipping it in boiling water helps). Roll each piece in more powder to stop it from sticking then arrange in a box.
Watering our little vegetable beds this morning, I realised they mainly consist of herbs. Good old herbs, they can always be relied upon to produce something. Unlike my beetroot (lots of leaves, pencil-width roots), carrots, (ditto) or lettuces (withered while we were on holiday.)
In the herbal department we have curled and flat parsley, oregano and marjoram, thyme and mint. I've started tying together bunches of leaves to dry for later. Bouquet garni, I believe.
I managed to use a sprig of herbs in these pinwheel scones today. The kids love to eat them for lunch. I used this recipe, and spread the uncooked dough with tomato pasta sauce, grated cheese, sliced olives and chopped herbs before rolling and baking- pizza-style.
I'm regularly offered products to blog about but almost always turn them down, but when Alyssa kindly offered me a pair of Aurora Shoes from her family company, I knew I had to say yes. I mean, look at them! Alyssa had been following this blog and a pinterest board for a while, and noticed I had a thing for flat shoes and simple style in general, and would I like to try a pair of Auroras?
Ordering a pair of these shoes is different. Like the best restaurants, there are just a few styles on the 'menu' to choose from. Then you trace both feet onto a piece of card and post them to the shoemakers, in Aurora, New York. The shoes take a while to make, because they are crafted around your tracings and are therefore made just for you. They arrive in a simple brown box, inside a calico bag, with your tracings included and a handwritten note. At first they are a snug fit, but are designed to gradually mould to your feet after a week or so of wearing. Unlike most things you buy these days, they are designed for the long-term.
My shoes arrived yesterday and they are already my favourite pair. I've worn them to the swimming pool, in the garden, to the city and to interview someone for an article. I love their classic shape and style, and they're getting more comfortable with every wear. They really do go with everything. I love them.
This is New Zealand is a Garden by Joyce Blake. I was sent a copy by Deb earlier this month, who found it second-hand and thought I might like it. The book was published in 1982 (I've since discovered that the author is Sir Peter Blake's mother) and features sketches and paintings of plants around New Zealand- the locations are a bit random (Northland, Takaka, Wellington, Te Awamutu, Moeraki and a few others) which makes it all the more appealing, I think. Like a proper holiday trip around the place. Deb kindly marked the pages she thought I might especially like.
The fishing hut in Whagaruru (second-to-last picture above) is my favourite: corrugated iron structure with orange tarpaulin roof and casual woodcarving nearby. Deeply familiar though I've never been there.
I've had this Liberty lawn sitting on the shelf for ages, but never got the courage to snip into it until last night. After all, what good does it do sitting on a shelf?
I made this very simple summer top using half of it. I was sent the retro stripy bias binding from a kind reader, M in Adelaide. It has chocolate and cream diagonal stripes and is a lot more fun than a plain binding, in my opinion.
This top is another example of me just making something up and going along with it. After cutting, I couldn't believe I had done that to my beloved Liberty treasure. But it worked out okay, and the top fits nicely. Although the binding required a couple of episodes of Miranda to complete. What a brilliant laugh that show is.
Everyone was complaining about the heat today, which I must admit is not a common problem here in Wellington. I started making some lemonade but came across some blueberries in the freezer, which suddenly seemed like a match made in heaven to me. Blueberries, lemons, ice, picnic blanket under the lemon tree… you get the idea.
Here is how I made it, in case you're keen for some pink lemonade too. (The traditional lemon and barley recipe is here.)
BLUEBERRY LEMONADE
6-7 lemons (about 1 cup of juice)
100 grams sugar
1 cup blueberries, frozen or fresh
Squeeze the lemons into a medium-sized saucepan (don't worry about straining the juice at this point.)
Tip the sugar and blueberries into a food processor, add one spoonful of the lemon juice, and whizz till blended.
Transfer the sugar mixture into the saucepan and cook everything on a low heat for 10 minutes or so, until you have a syrup and the sugar is completely dissolved.
Strain the mixture through a sieve into a large jug. You might need to use a spoon to extract all the syrup from the berry/lemon remnants.
Pour the strained syrup into jars or bottles (my mixture made 1 and a half maple syrup bottles full.)
Dilute in a jug with water or soda water, mint leaves and ice. (I'm thinking we might try it with vodka a bit later on.) Cheers!
tiny happy 