tiny happy

pattern friday 22

Happy Friday! A giant pine tree fell down near our house, so today's pattern is pine-inspired. 

Now it's a bit less freezing outside, I have resumed my very-fast-night-walks. (I refuse to 'run' unless I'm being chased but I do enjoy very fast walking for exercise.) And I go at night because that's when I have time. Anyway, I have been cranking 80s Kate Bush on the ipod for a while now and to mix things up, I've found Volcano Choir makes great fast-walking music. I love this song especially.

Have a great weekend.

more yellow

These plants (mustard flowers?) are growing along the road where we walk home from school. I love their outrageous yellowness. So I embroidered them, marching around on this stripy linen. 

I came across this today. Doesn't it look like the most amazing place to lie down and escape your normal life? I think so, anyway.

Do you want to be a writer? I liked this link: Writers with writing advice written on their hands. But of course.

more lavender

When I was in Nelson recently I bought some dried lavender from the farmer's market. These little sachets are rather relaxing to make: both the small embroidery worked on linen scraps, and filling them with dried flowers. Lavendery goodness.

I am thinking about starting a knitting project to see me through the last dark and cool nights of winter. I want to make this: Felicia's Big-Hearted Cowl. There's even a free pattern!

one sunday morning

A Sunday morning, complete with this beautiful Wilco song:

Something sad keeps on moving,

so I wander around, I fell in love with the burden, holding me down...

A branch of yellow broom stolen from the roadside, which is fragrant and a shock of yellow,

plus toast with lemon honey, made using this trusty recipe, the radio on and the glass doors opened out to the garden.

I hope you had a lovely weekend.

pattern friday 21

A yellow zig-zag pattern for today. This one was sketched in pencil then painted over in yellow and grey. I like the idea of the wonky geometric- something that we're used to seeing presented neatly and in a professional sort of way, but made slightly chaotic.

How has your week been, readers? Mine has involved quite a bit of work of the typing variety, and some embroidery (will show you next week) as well as some music-making (the kids). I've also been (very slowly, mind) reading this book of short stories.

 Here are some curious, alternative places to visit on this Friday evening:

- to a museum to visit the original Winnie-the-Pooh (and friends)

- an abandoned house in the woods taken over by wild animals

- visit a Mongolian baby with reindeer

- I'm not sure where this is- maybe you know? I'd like to go there, regardless.

other augusts, cut and sewn

- I used to make quite a few of my own clothes. Haven't done so much of that lately, but it would be good to get back into it. I have fabrics waiting. I think about this simple green dress quite often. It got lost somewhere during our last house move. I wonder where it lives now? You can find details on the pattern, etc here. 

- These patchwork bags were made from an old, falling-apart quilt that I was sent anonymously. That was an amazing gesture. Thank you, if you're reading this.

- And for a while there I really loved making cushions from old and unusual pieces of fabric that I found on my travels. I really love this dahlia (?) print fabric. There's something about that pink and gold colour, side by side.

I hope you're having a good week. See you tomorrow.

other augusts- painted and drawn

A lot of plant-life, it would appear. Here are some painted things made in other Augusts (following on from yesterday's post.) 

- August garden ceramics. Made using ceramic ink and some old Crown Lynn cups.

- painted wooden bangles. I loved making these, and I'm remembering I have more plain ones tucked away somewhere waiting to be jazzed up.

- seed packets. I made these to give away to friends- this was when I was doing a lot of gardening and wanting to share the seeds of my super-grow poppies and other rampant plants.

- I got a bit obsessed with paper cuts/collages last August, after reading about Mary Delaney. This is the first one I made.

What are you working on these days? 

other augusts- embroidered edition

I'm blatantly mining my own blog for photos, again. And I've found so many that I am having two editions this week: this first is all about embroidery.

Here is some hand stitching I did in Augusts past. I suppose this month is a good one for settling down and seeing through the end of winter, and it seems I did quite a bit of it in other winters. Not so many this August due to, you know, going to work in an office then coming home and feeling too lazy to pick up my threads. Bit sad, really.

- I crossed (haha) this sampler off the list a few years back- I do believe this was done while making my way through the boxed set of Outrageous Fortune. 

- a jasmine embroidery. Jasmine in August, really? Don't think I could grow it here through winter.

- Can't remember why I made this needlebook now. But it was fun. Grey and pink belong together.

- These are felt pins featuring different native NZ plants. Interesting to research and stitch. I think I made about 25 of these altogether. 

Have a great week, dear readers.

revisiting pattern 17

For this week's pattern I'm revisiting number 17- embroidered coloured wildflowers on stripes. I've re-stitched the pattern to make this bag which is part of a very special giveaway over at Che and Fidel.

Each of the teachers from The Craft Sessions has contributed something and you can find some neat stuff to win: a sewing book, beautiful handknits and artwork. And this hand-embroidered project bag from me.

To enter, just head over to the blog post and leave a comment.

I hope you have a lovely weekend, whatever you get up to. (I think we'll be freshening up our emergency kit- you too?)

a lined market bag + a pattern

I've been making a few of these market bags lately. This design has a flat bottom and can fit lots of shopping or library books inside. This particular version is made from linen I found at a flea market when we were living in Norway. All the way back in 2008! I knew it would come in handy one day. The sturdiness of the linen gives the bag a basket-like quality. I did a bit of simple hand-stitching on the front, and lined it in a red floral cotton.

But you could use any fabric you like.

Do you feel like making one too? Here's how:

YOU WILL NEED:

*strong linen or cotton (I used some strong hessian-type fabric that holds its shape well but keep in mind you could add interfacing to a floppier fabric)

*cotton fabric for the lining

*thread, scissors, sewing machine, iron, tape measure or ruler.

CUTTING:

*First, cut the outer bag pieces. You'll need two pieces measuring 32 cms X 47cms and one piece measuring 36 cms X 13cms.

*Cut the handles from the same outer fabric: 2 pieces measuring 9 cms X 65cms

*Cut pieces for the lining- two pieces measuring 32 cms X 47 cms and one piece measuring 36 cms X 13 cms.

 MAKE IT:

* Make your handles by pressing in the edges of the strips about 1cm. Then fold lengthwise, press again and stitch. Set aside.

* To construct the bag outer: take the two rectangles you cut and sew down the shorter sides, right sides together.

* Now, join the base to the bag sides. Take the smaller rectangle piece, and with right sides together, centre the long edge of it along one of the bottom edges of the main section (there will be a gap on each side of around 5cms). Now sew this seam but start a few cms in from the edge, and finish your seam a few cms before you reach the end of it. Repeat with the other side of the bottom panel.

* Attach the short edges of the bottom panel to the remaining part of the bag. Hold the short edge towards you, and match it to the bag side. Sew along this seam, then repeat on the other side. Turn the finished bag outer right-side out and press to get everything in place. (photo above shows finished base)

* Repeat the same process to make the lining. Keep the finished lining turned inside-out (no need to press it just yet.)

* To sew the two pieces together, make sure the bag is right-side out and place inside the lining piece. (Their right sides will be facing each other.) Pin them together around the top edge, making sure the seams are lined up. Take one of the bag handles and sandwich it between the lining and outer bag, with the short ends of the handles sticking out the top of the sandwich a little. I generally leave about 10 cms on each side of the handle from the bag edge. Repeat with the other handle, on the other side of the bag.

* Sew around the top of the bag sandwich. Leave a gap between one set of handles. Then turn your bag inside-out through this gap, then stitch all around the top edge, closing the gap as you go.

*You could also fit a piece of cardboard into the base if you like, and press folds into the sides of your bag to give it shape.