tiny happy

blue landscape

Thanks for your comments on my last blog post. Yes, I will publish an embroidery pattern and template here for you to download and make some ornaments of the same design. Later this week, if I can work out how (I'm truly hopeless at things like that.)

I bought this beautiful piece of Nani Iro double gauze (design is 'Spectacle') from my local shop Stitchbird. You know that i love variations on blue and grey, and this is a slice of blue landscape, or seascape. Or sky-scape, even.

I will make something to wear from it, I think, but until then I have it pinned on my bedroom wall to admire and think about clouds and mountains.

hearts + doves

I made a batch of these ornaments after a few requests on etsy for something Christmassy. I really enjoyed making them -- I used wool felt in dark grey, red and white, and embroidered each one with white of grey thread. They are backed with recycled fabrics - bits of Liberty and kimono silk, mostly. Wool roving inside. And the edges are sewn together with tiny blanket stitches.

Things I have noticed and admired this weekend: 

- this album, which I'm currently re-discovering (I played it a lot when it first came out) Orkney: Symphony of the Magnetic North, which is very evocative and beautiful.

- this shawl I would like to cast it on right now.

- an inspiring interview: Joanna Newsom talking with Tavi Gevinson on Rookie.

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Are you making any ornaments for the holidays?

I could post a template + embroidery pattern for download, in case you feel like making a set of my decorations for yourself?

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across the seas + back again

I spent a chunk of late winter - spring working on a collection of embroidered project bags for beautiful London store Loop - you can find them for sale here.

Susan, who commissioned them, bought a selection of jewel-coloured Swedish linen from a neighbouring shop and sent it to me to be embroidered. She has great taste, and it was fun to work with colours I don't usually pick out. One example is the vibrant pink you can see in the middle photo above, which i embroidered with clusters of white flowers.

The pink reminds me of a panel of textured glass in our front door, with the light shining through on a bright day.

weekend treasure

The sun was shining this weekend and I had time for novel-reading and knitting which was pretty nice. Hope you had a good weekend too?

I got to finish a project that had been sitting on my desk for a while: a pair of these shorts for miss K. I'm so pleased with the finished garment, and so is she, declaring them her current favourite thing to wear, and asking for a pair for her best friend. 

The (free) pattern recommends using Liberty or similar cotton lawn but I felt something warmer was needed for Wellington life, so I used a lightweight denim fabric, with Liberty lawn in a green leafy print (a gift from Nikki - thanks!) for the binding and waistband. (You can click the photo to see more detail of the fabric.)

Keira allowed me to interrupt her violin practice to photograph them.

On a recent trip to the bookshop, I couldn't resist the latest Kitchen Diaries by Nigel Slater to add to our collection of his writing. The kids went through and wrote little notes on the recipes they want to try (eating, that is.) 

My favourite is on a blue post-it note on pg 27 and reads 'Artichoke tartiflette... because ARTICHOKES!!!'.

home grown

Nicola, my clever and generous friend, made this recipe calendar and sent me a copy the other day. I enjoyed the 2015 version, too! This year's calendar looks to be another winner, and there are already quite a few recipes I want to make (lemon bars, strawberry icecream, cashew dhal...) so I probably won't be able to wait till 2016.

Nicola also sent me a set of these linen bowl covers, which is the most practical and aesthetically pleasing gift. I've never been able to tolerate the waste of space that is plastic wrap (I usually just put a plate over a bowl to cover it) so having linen covers that can be thrown in the wash is quite frankly a genius idea. (If you have similarly anti-plastic friends, a set of these linen covers would make a top Christmas present I reckon.)

And lastly, I thought you might like to meet this little hedgehog (pattern here, thanks Pia) I knitted while chatting with friends and drinking tea. He says hi.

windows

Don't have much to say this week, really, so here are a few pictures. (Windows?)

-1- These are cards I had printed (to send to friends and some for my shop) from this photo, taken one cold autumnal day on the south coast. 

-2- The coriander has gone to seed. In November!

-3- A glimpse of a just-finished project.

-4- Creamy wild roses I found growing by the bus stop.

story of a seed

I made friends with ceramicist/illustrator Japneet Kaur a while ago on Instagram and she kindly sent me a gift which arrived all the way from Toronto this morning.

A little bowl with illustration of a bird's-nest-hair-and-eggs which I intend to use to serve chocolates at every available opportunity.

And a creamy smooth pottery pendant with a knitting illustration.

Japneet makes beautifully detailed ceramic bowls, cups, and jewellery, as well as works on paper. The ceramics have the mark of their maker all over them, not just because they are intricately illustrated, but also in their 'imperfect'-yet-perfect shape and form. 

You can have a look at her work here on her site Story of a Seed, including some of her past pendants and prints.

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- Here's a marine-inspired Friday song for you: When the sea calls me home.

- I bought some little paper lanterns for the kitchen window (you can see them in the first photo above). I never grow tired of strings of lights...

- This is a new favourite dinner at our house. It's especially good for children, I think, because you can grate (even more) extra vegetables in to the sauce without them noticing. And is quite quick and easy to make/reheat.

- Even though it's (supposedly) almost summer here, I love looking at this image. Giant garter stitch, anyone?

characterful

++ I made a small drawstring bag with an embroidered 'R' for the little girl of one of my oldest friends who is now the mum of two rather beautiful children. R turned one, so I made her some knitted characters and put them inside the bag. I remember that Arlo was really into putting things into things, then taking them out again, at that age.

++ I've also been working on some all-over embroideries of the free-form variety. In the photo above you can see a rather colourful one I finished yesterday: pink poppies on vibrant blue.

 ++ Have you been enjoying any new music lately? I have this unbearably beautiful album on repeat these days. I also listen to Carrie and Lowell a lot and am thrilled to have tickets to see Sufjan Stevens in concert at the NZ Arts Festival next year.

++ Are you a Nani Iro fan? I came across this in-person interview with designer Naomi Ito herself that you might like.

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small makes

This week I got a chance to finish off some projects that had lingering on my worktable for a while. It's a great feeling to finish things. I need to remember that, before starting new things...

1) I made a very simple gift for a friend who has had a busy time of it lately: a pillowcase from a long-hoarded, precious piece of Nani Iro double gauze. To remind her to lie down and flick through magazines more often.

2) This is a little collection of small things I made for my etsy shop. Everything (including linings, etc, though not zips) has been recycled from another thing. The crocheted lace, in particular, is really old.

3) Some hand-stitched anemone clusters. Just because.

lemony loaf

I had some precious lemons picked from my parents' orchard (can't seem to grow them in our garden here) and, in my quest to use them in something delicious, made a batch of lemon curd - a jar for us and one for a friend.

Then we had visitors for afternoon tea, so I made a cake using the finished lemon curd. Well, it was more of a loaf. But very lemony and perfect with a cup of tea.

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SUNDAY AFTERNOON LEMONY LOAF

2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

2 eggs
3/4 cup caster sugar

100 grams butter, melted
3/4 - 1 cup milk

1-2 lemons + 1 extra spoonful of caster sugar
1/2 cup lemon curd - you can buy this ready-made or make your own using this recipe (makes 2 jars)

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Line a loaf tin with waxed paper and preheat the oven to 180 degrees C.
Sift and stir together the flour, baking powder and salt.
Beat the eggs and sugar in a separate bowl till creamy. Grate the zest from the lemons and beat in.
Lightly stir together these two mixtures, along with the melted butter, and enough of the milk to make a light, smooth batter.

Tip half of the batter into the loaf tin. Spoon the lemon curd over, then tip in the other half of the batter on top. Bake for about 15-20 mins, or until golden brown.

Squeeze the juice from the lemons and stir together with the extra spoonful of caster sugar. Pour this syrup over the hot loaf when it comes out of the oven.

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