tiny happy

yellow centres

I must admit that my fingers are a bit sore after some recent serious embroidery sessions. I rediscovered a basket filled with vintage embroidery yarns that I'd bought in Norway. It's quite fun to stitch with them- they feel sturdy and vibrant under the fingers and I like the strong effect you can make with them on a wool fabric. I made a few daisy-inspired things for today's shop update.

I hope your Wednesday is going along happily. I have the front door and windows open and there's an old Madonna song playing on the radio. (Lucky Star.)

native botanicals

I've been working on this set of embroidered pins over the last few weeks. Each one was inspired by a different native NZ plant, many of them ferns. They were commissioned by Pauanesia, a great little design store in Auckland and they're headed there now. It was great fun researching the plants and working out how I would stitch each one, and it was a good challenge, too. 

I found this beautiful moth mobile on etsy the other day. It's by Amy Ruppel- she also has a hilarious Mean Birds series of prints. It's good to get the truth about birds, sometimes.

maggie

There seem to be magnolia trees flowering everywhere in our neighbourhood right now, and they look so beautiful I was getting jealous that we didn't have one in our backyard. There's not really room for any new big trees, but I managed to find this Little Gem magnolia plant, which I'm told will grow to about 5 metres and be covered in smaller creamy white blooms. I can't wait- please hurry and grow, little gem.

In the meantime I got some of my magnolia watercolour/drawings made up into postcard sets, so I can send them to friends and spread some magnolia love around. 

Happy new week to you!

painting on wood

I had a lot of fun painting these wooden bangles one evening recently, getting paint everywhere including my hair, and making a general mess. I found the natural wood bangles in a box at my local Spotlight shop (I think I bought the last 2 boxes sorry), sanded them a little, and used a thick coating of acrylic paint to cover. The white one with blue stripes was inspired by my longstanding love of blue stripes, as well as this ceramic set found on Pinterest. 

I've always had a love for folk-style flowers on dark backgrounds, a bit like this painting, and my Vita fabric design in dark grey. But then a few days ago I followed a link on Emma's blog to this simply amazing collection of colour photographs from early 1900s Russia. There are so many reasons to love these photos, they are completely transporting and fascinating, but I especially loved looking at the clothing worn by some of the women in the pictures. That's how I was inspired to paint the floral bangles.

Wishing you a happy weekend. See you on Monday.

rose red

I've been having some adventures in recycling lately. This bag and purse started out their life as a cotton eiderdown for a single bed- the kind that are less popular these days, lightly quilted and padded with batting. When I found the eiderdown looking sad at the second-hand store, I thought I'd give it a good wash and see what I could make with it. The padded bag is soft and light-weight, and feels nice to carry. Something about it reminds me of my Mum when I was growing up- I think she had a similar bag to hold her knitting projects. It's part of my shop update today.

I do enjoy taking old, unloved things and making them into something new. But you probably already knew that.

blue skies dress

When I found this soft gingham cotton recently I knew it would be suitable for a come-on-blue-skies or hurry-up-spring kind of dress for K. And here is the dress it made. It's my own pattern, with big and stretchy side pockets and a loose-fitting style. And the bluest-blue cotton.

The small girl is in a silly/tired after-school mood but she agreed to try on the dress in exchange for some biscuits. Wishing you blue skies overhead.

fern and snowdrop

On Sunday, K went to visit my parents. She returned home with three straw and mud-covered eggs, a handful of small and perfect snowdrop flowers, and a tuft of sheep's fleece she found attached to a fence. It feels as though a warmer season is on its way soon. 

My friend Lotus sent me the link to this amazing music video. The boy reminds me a bit of Arlo, setting off on an adventure with his driftwood stick and a knitted jacket. Perhaps an Icelandic version of A.

I drew a winner for the Extra Curricular giveaway- Kylie. Thanks for all your comments!

issue 6 and giveaway

I was thrilled to 'embroider' the cover of the latest Extra Curricular magazine, which is fresh off the press this week. This issue has a stitch-making focus, so Ellie asked if I'd make a botanical winter embroidery for the cover design. I also wrote and drew a little stitch guide for beginner embroiderers, and a 'how-to' for a child's embroidered satchel. The finished project was photographed by Vanessa Parker who takes some beautiful shots. There's also a mulled wine recipe, interviews with many talented artists and crafters and articles about recycling and sewing in Vanuatu. It was fun to be involved in another issue of this stylish little book.

Now, I was sent an extra copy of Extra Curricular so I have one to give away to a reader. Would you like to have a read? If so, leave a comment on this post, and I'll draw a winner randomly at the end of the weekend. If you'd rather get one now, you can buy it here or at one of the shops listed here. 

Enjoy your weekend.

a green set

Louana gave me three of these small vintage linens a while back in the palest sea-green, each with a sprig of flowers embroidered on one corner. I copied the style of the original stitching and embroidered an all-over pattern on the linen, and made it up into a needlebook and matching pouch as part of my shop update today. I liked working on such a delicate and old-fashioned set. 

Hope your Wednesday is going well. I had tea and a chat with an old friend and now the sun is shining through the windows. Not a bad start.

cut and sew

I found the blue and cream dress in an op-shop back in the summer, and something about it was very familiar to me and I couldn't help buying it to alter. When I saw this post on Rummage (I love that blog) I remembered my blue dress languishing in the cupboard, and got cutting and sewing. I used to wear dresses just like it when I was a young teenager- that neckline, that colour, those buttons all the way down the front, so I'm not sure if I will really wear this out of the house. I wonder, did you wear dresses like this too?

I shortened it a bit, replaced some missing buttons and removed the waist ties and now I can't help thinking that this dress actually used to be mine. In the early 1990's. Maybe my sister will remember, I'll have to show her next time she's around. 

Also-

- Tom and I just finished watching the BBC adaptation of Dickens' Little Dorrit. It was so enjoyable- fabulous costumes and characters that nearly jumped right out of the screen. 

- I love this song, and the video. (Warning- you may not be able to stop listening once you start.)

- A handmade songbird.