tiny happy

I saw this recipe on pinterest and have enjoyed making it a couple of times when we've had guests for dinner. We have a lemon tree with fruit that needs using, but it would probably only take 4-5 juicy lemons if you were buying them. 

It was our first chance to use some delicate little Italian glass dishes we were given a while back, but the last time I made this dessert, I poured the mixture into various vintage teacups which were the perfect size. Lemony goodness!

In other news, Tom sent me a link to this amazing Japanese xylophone– I thought you might like it too.

See you tomorrow- I will have a lovely giveaway for you!

I did a very little shop update today, so I thought instead I'd blog about some recent lucky opshop (thrift store) finds because I always enjoy seeing other peoples' second-hand treasures! 

Here is what I have found lately:

– green sari silk reversible wrap top (I love this- it just needs a little mending and then I can wear for the rest of the summer.)

– three old Beatrix Potter books (there were lots just sitting there and I couldn't believe my luck- I left some for other people. We have nearly all of these now (most of them used to be mine) and K loves them)

– wildflower linen tablecloth

– Tasmanian wildflower linen apron- (we have some Tasmanians staying with us right now so I will force this on them.) 

Have you had any good finds lately?

A little more white-on-grey embroidery. This was done as part of a custom order for a shop that will soon be opening in Japan. It will be made into a practical kind of case or bag. We have a nature reserve near our house, and for inspiration I used some of the wildflowers we found on a recent walk there. Yarrow, wild hebe and clover.

Well, the concert last night was pretty amazing. The town hall was packed out and Bon Iver's band was huge- they all seemed to play lots of different, interesting instruments. I had the usual emotional song-ownership issues and the gig included many songs from this album, which I listened to almost constantly while we lived in Norway and it brought back lots of memories. I nearly expected snowfall when we left the hall, but it was just a regular Wellington summer's night.

A few white things in the house today- 

– wrapping a birthday present in hand-stamped paper with string and a piece of old crochet

– a stem of yarrow that K found on her weekend walk

– some gladioli from my sister-in-law… isn't it beautiful? i put it in this jug because it seemed just right for those creamy white petals.

Hope you had a nice weekend! We certainly did… and it continues because we're off to see Bon Iver this evening as part of the Arts Festival… lucky! Here's a song/video for you to get in the mood.

I ordered some new fabrics from Spoonflower- my own designs, but in different materials. The top one is a cotton voile in the 'heidi' pattern and the bottom is kona cotton in a reduced-scale print of the 'vita' design. In the past I've also ordered the cotton sateen and the linen canvas, and been very pleased with them.

The cotton voile I ordered is so fine and beautiful. I had originally intended to make K a little top from it but I think it will be too lightweight and sheer so instead I've been handsewing (very slowly and rather wonkily) a doll's blanket or quilt, for my littlest niece who has a birthday coming up. I layered up the voile with nice organic cotton batting inside and a different cotton print on the underside. When I've finished the running-stitch quilting, I'll bind around the edge I think. I would love to make a full-sized quilt like this- maybe one of these day I will- I imagine something like these but from pale fabrics.

I've set up my own Spoonflower shop- it's here. I thought it would be easier for anyone who wanted to buy fabric to get it from there directly because it will always be in stock (it gets printed on demand), can be ordered in a variety of different fabric types such as stretch cotton or sateen, is a fair bit cheaper (if you order a yard or more) and won't be shipped around the world twice- I was having twinges of guilt about my fabric and its air miles. And of course, even better, there are lots of other designs on Spoonflower to browse and admire. I have a little bit of original fabric still in my etsy shop and I've reduced the price of that until it's all used up. Thank you!

I hope you have a great weekend! See you next week.

These instagram pictures have been on my phone since the weekend. We went to a great weekly produce/farmer's market, after which Tom and I made a giant batch of tomato sauce (like ketchup, from this recipe) to (hopefully) last throughout the year. Or the best part of it, anyway. 

I took a trip to the rubbish tip and found some abandoned tyre outers. I filled them with compost and planted herb seedlings we bought also that morning at the market. I'm thinking that the tyres should provide a bit of heat and shelter for the plant when it is still quite small, and it will keep rambly herbs contained once they grow a bit, I was also thinking that it would be quite simple to clear the garden of these when we move (we are renting currently.) I was really inspired to expand our garden after I read an article about urban gardening in BUST magazine. People (ok, young women) were growing veges and herbs, keeping bees and chickens in downtown Brooklyn, New York. And I saw this picture, which was my inspiration.

In other news, we don't have TV but I found this clip from TV3 via Facebook. I don't know if you can watch it in other countries, but it's worth a go. It's about 'fat activism' and is truly cool and inspiring. I just love those strong and clever and funny women, and we need to them to make the world better, i believe.

Wednesday the 22nd. It's raining a lot today, and windy too. I've made some cushion covers and other assorted things to update my etsy shop for the week. I woke up early this morning, with Tom who had to leave town for work, and made these cheese scones for school lunches. Simple and old-fashioned, using this recipe. Scones are so nostalgic and comforting, don't you think?

So today is the first anniversary of the second earthquake in Christchurch last year and I've been listening to the stories about it on the radio as I work. It's still all pretty raw. Apparently people have been floating flowers down the Avon river today. Hope you're doing well, dear blog-readers.

These are some small embroideries done on wool fabric, with vintage wool embroidery yarns. Both are inspired by old ceramic designs from my collection- the first being a little pot in Crown Lynn's 'springflower' pattern (my parents' wedding set) and the second based on my favourite bowl that I've never used- I don't know the pattern name but it's by Johnson Bros.

It was nice to hear your clover stories yesterday- I will have to have a better look now that I know the four-leaved variety is really out there. Yesterday turned out to be quite an unlucky one for me (actually, only mildly unlucky in the scheme of things) which I am putting down to lack of sleep. I spilled coffee all over an embroidery I had just finished, tripped over, dropped my son's icecream cone on the pavement and smashed our car's front right light into the back of a truck. The truck, incidently, was fine, but sadly I had quite an audience enjoying my clumsy driving. 

Here are some cheering things:

I love these small paintings by Tiel and they make me want to do some painting myself

This house (belonging to Nanette from Rummage) is pretty inspiring, don't you think?

I really love these knits by Nicole… and in Wellington you could wear them all year around.

See you tomorrow!

We never can seem to find four-leaved clovers, I wonder if they really exist?

What we do find is the commonplace three-leaved clover though, all over the garden and in parks and along the sea's edge.

I was asked by a customer whether I could made some brooches with the clover embroidered design worked on linen, rather than felt. I love the idea but admit defeat- my linen was just not smooth enough around the edges for me to be happy with it. And my fingers were nearly stuck together with superglue in the process. So the new brooches might have to just live on my crinkly linen top for a while.

I hope you have a lucky week, no matter what you're up to.

I found a blonde wood cabinet in a nearby opshop and knew I had to buy it, even though it only just fit in the back of our little car. Since moving I've been coveting such a cabinet for housing all my art and stationery supplies and those that belong to the children, too. And now we have one in our dining area, which fills me with joy every time I pass it. It also contains all the supplies required for wrapping parcels and writing letters, so sending mail is very simple. And the top can house all sorts of bottles and books, etc.

Also today I've been tidying up a bit. It's something that has stayed with me since childhood (I grew up in a Seventh-Day-Adventist family and only just realised that's why I get the urge to do lots of washing and baking on a Friday.)

Also pictured above- some embroidery done today. I really need to start checking my clothes for threads before leaving the house- I'm sure I must resemble a crazy craft lady most of the time. Which I probably am.

I was honoured to have some old work featured in this post in Anthology Magazine– thank you!

And have you seen this crazy-but-amazing video by Connan Mockasin? Keira is now asking me to make her a pair of lemon-glasses. But of course.

See you next week!