tiny happy

merry christmas

If you celebrate Christmas tomorrow, I wish you very happy and peaceful preparations and celebrations with your friends and family. I'll be back after a few days' break from the computer.

And, whether you do celebrate Christmas or not, I want to say thank you for being such wonderful blog-friends this year. Writing this little journal online has opened my eyes in many ways, but the friendships I've made through it have been the best gifts of all.

Wishing you much peace and joy for the New Year.

Thank you friends. xx

a brown smock top

I suppose sometime this summer the weather will get hot and balmy, perhaps it won't be until February though, the way we're going. In any case, I made this top the other night in the hope of some 'proper' summer weather.

I used  New Look #6239, some plain brown cotton for the straps and top band, and vintage seersucker cotton for the main part. The pattern is a good one- easy to follow and there are some other nice dress options on there too which I might make in case I ever get to go out to a party or similar. It was really simple to make, but the whole thing turned out a bit too big.

I really must make an effort to take my measurements before cutting out new clothes, rather than just guessing. I think that perhaps a symptom of having recently had two babies is that I sort of see myself as eternally pregnant. A few extra pleats in the front of the top should do the trick though.

Have a relaxing weekend! xx

little gifts

Something I find myself doing every Christmas, and I expect you do too, is trying to think of little gifts to give to all those people in my life for whom I want to show a little appreciation for their friendship and support throughout the year. People like neighbours, friends, teachers, etc.

I figure that edible stuff is always good: so a batch of this fudge it was. So yummy, and easy too. And then, apricot truffle-thingies, which I've made most Christmases since I was a child, I think:

These are so quick, yum, and good for those vegan friends, if you have any:

Apricot Balls

250g dried apricots

1/4 cup white sugar

rind of one lemon/orange

2 Tbsp orange juice

1/2 cup dessicated coconut, more for rolling

Chop the apricots roughly, then put in a food processor with the sugar rind, and juice. Process until chopped finely. Then add the coconut and process until firm. Roll into small balls (one batch makes about 20) then roll in extra coconut. Keep in fridge till firm.

And then I made a batch of these wee tissue holders, as seen on many blogs, but I think I first saw them on Little Birds Handmade. I used the great tutorial here at Whip Up.

And you know what? I think I'm going to risk the busy streets, (although I'll walk there, I hate the challenge of finding a carpark) and go to Trade Aid to buy the rest of my presents that I was supposed to be making myself. They have such beautiful things in there, and there's no use stressing myself (and everyone else in this house) out, is there?

cosy coffee

This is something I've had on my must-do list for a long time, and finally did it over the weekend. It's a coffee-plunger cosy, inspired by this one by Soulemama and someone eIse I can't seem to remember...

I used some thick linen, cotton batting and various brown and green quilting cottons to make this. I was especially happy to come across a little scrap of that coffee-bean print fabric.

This was for a friend who had a birthday this week, and is the only coffee-drinker in his home, so I thought his coffee might get cold quite often. I packaged it up with some of this coffee- his favourite.

peg dolls and tapa-cloth angels

Arlo's cousins came to play yesterday, and Esmae (age 4) made these at the kitchen table:

I had some old wooden pegs and Sharpie markers, and had seen the idea before over at day glo days (Christmas angels) and also at angry chicken. (dancing girls)

I was thinking we could make angels to hang on a (not our's, see below) tree, or maybe snowmen, but these little ladies were born instead. Esmae has a great sense of colour and I think these ladies look like they could be wearing a collection because they complement each other so well. I love watching little fingers and hands cutting, folding, glueing.

We're not having a Christmas tree this year. The reason: Tom and I haven't yet gotten around to borrowing a van, and driving out to the Chistmas Tree Farm and choosing one. And do you know what really puts me off getting one? Getting rid of it when Christmas has finished. I grew up on a  farm where there were plenty of places to lay the dead little pine trees, and I always felt so sorry for them being dragged out of the living room door around New Year's, when the Christmas excitement was over. And now Tom and I live in the middle of town, it seems a bit trickier, as there's not a lot of room for a tree to compost in our back garden.

Our plan is to buy one of those little trees in a pot, that you can use each year, and decorate either inside or out. So for now, we've made a little Christmas display in our entranceway instead. Arlo and Keira don't seem to mind the lack of a tree (maybe in a few years they will?) and we didn't have lots of decorations to find a place for anyway.

Our current favourite ornaments are little angels made from tapa cloth pieces, with shells sewn on, made and sent to us by Helen. Here's one hanging in the kitchen:

Thank you, Helen, we love them, and everyone knows it's important to have geographically-appropriate Christmas decorations.

a little thrill

... is what I felt when I saw this in the weekend Dominion Post 'Stuff We Liked in 2006' section:

Thank you, Kimberley! That was pretty exciting. It's always nice to be liked.

Things are finally feeling a little more Christmassy around here with a few presents wrapped and ready, and my overseas parcels finally sent. (just in time for... January!)

I found a roll of my favourite wrapping paper, left over from last year. It's just plain brown, and made from recycled paper pulp- and makes me feel happy and a bit calmer when I wrap the presents in it.

I used cotton string and these little gift tags I made from card stock with little scraps of festive fabric sewn on.

a train party

Arlo is lucky enough to be going to Train Party this afternoon. His friend Willem is having his birthday party at the Model Railway, a lovely little park by the beach with several little trains that children and adults alike can actually ride on- through little tunnels, over a bridge and past the Model Boat pond. It's a place where a collection of kind old men lovingly polish the trains, clip tickets and tinker with an intricate train display under glass.

I made this present for Willem last night- he is four year old today- for Arlo to take along with him to the train party. A denim pencil case with coloured pencils inside, and a stencilled 'W'. And a sketchbook (perhaps for train drawings?) with a cover collaged with pictures from an old children's book.

I'm thinking that this would make a good present for lots of Arlo's friends for Christmas - it would be easy to personalise it for different little ones we know.

Hope you're having a peaceful weekend.

two little steps...

My Christmas to-do list seems to be getting longer by the day, but I'm trying not to get too anxious about it. I wonder if our overseas cards and presents will arrive by the 25th if we post them this afternoon? I'm thinking they might become 'Happy New Year' cards and ornaments. Oh well.

Yesterday my Mum brought me a bag filled with fat 1/4s of quilting fabric (she used to own a quilting supplies shop, and has a pretty good stash left over.) Some of them included what she called 'tasteful' Christmas fabrics:

and that gave me an idea for our Christmas cards:

...ovals of the fabric sewn with the machine onto blank white cards. So simple and plain...

and in the evening Tom took over from me making the Christmas cake:

I've always used the same recipe - one from an old Alison Holst recipe book- a bit like this one. The most important part is the brandy for pouring on top every day until Christmas- if it lasts that long, eh Tom?

day-glo days and bags from recycled books

Something which has been making me very happy this week is the return of two dear friends back to blogland. Helen, of former Stripy Sock Studio has a new site called dayglo days and it's so pretty! She is a crafty, arty, writing queen, and was pretty much responsible for inspiring me to start writing my first blog last year. Also, my friend Amelia has re-started Eve's Bijoux after a little break. She makes gorgeous jewellery, and I'm lucky enough to have the stall next to her's at our local market. Drinking coffee and chattering endlessly with Amelia makes those early Saturday mornings much more bearable.

I've been asked quite a few times how I make my paper bags from recycled books like the ones here. I thought I would show you how to make them, although I hope you won't be disappointed by how ridiculously easy they are. They would be a good way to wrap some Christmas presents, although perhaps not the kind that go under the tree- too easy to peek inside!

1. First, you need to find some old books with fairly strong pages, vintage children's books are good, but I only use those that have had their day. Books losing their stitches, or with ripped pages and scribbles are good, less guilt involved! And this way you can give them a new life. I find mine at op-shops, the flea market and the recycling centre. I've used old gardening books, maps, atlases and children's encyclopedias (these are good because the pages are usually big, and often the old ones are fairly dated in a 'politically-incorrect' way, again lessening the guilt of cutting into them.

2. You'll also need some strong sellotape (or your sewing machine), paper glue, and scissors.

3. Choose a page to sacrifice for glueing behind the 'handles'. Cut two strips about 3" long, by the width of the page. Glue these strips to the top of each page you want to use to make your bag.

4. Place the pages with the glued sides together, trim any raggedy edges, and tape the bottom and sides together. OR, sew up these edges on your sewing machine.

5. Draw then cut out a 'handle' shape through both thicknesses.

All ready to put your presents in! Though to be honest, these are not strong enough to hold much more than the baby clothes I put in them. They'd be nice for presenting some home-made cookies wrapped in cellophane- what I plan on giving Arlo's kindergarten teachers this afternoon, actually.

oh, the relief.

I'm feeling very relieved to have finished another order to send to Beckon Design store in Wellington. Four pairs of baby shoes and a stack of new tote-bags are ready and waiting for our afternoon walk to the post office. Included in the order are these two bags I made, using vintage fabric given to me by the owner of Beckon, Bec Knox. I lined the bag on the right with some hand-dyed grey cotton, and the other has brown polka-dotted cotton lining.

And I really do think I have the luckiest letterbox around here. Each afternoon sees the arrival of another beautiful handmade calender page, for my 2007 calender. Thank you, Design-A-Calender girls! I have a feeling 2007 is going to be a very good year.