ornament

Beautiful embroidery by Yukimo Higuchi from her book Zakka embroidery: simple one- and two-color embroidery motifs and small crafts. More of her work here on her website and Instagram. I can't wait to get started on some embroidery but I'm busy making clothes for a bear. Watch this space.

Viewing: Omnium gatherum by Julia Morison at Two rooms until May 28.

Watching: Learning to drive - small but delightful film starring Patricia Clarkson and Ben Kingsley. 

gathering

+ Beatrix Potter books that I'm slowly collecting for my granddaughter
+ hat made by me - Patons Dreamtime merino 4 ply, pattern from Patons Natural Baby (book #1315)
+ bodysuit from Nature Baby
+ bunny made by me - designed by Lorraine from ikat bag. Pattern here
+ tiny merino socks made by Michelle Beattie

I'm in a little bubble of new babies and pregnancies - my children's friends, my friends' children and nieces and nephews. Exciting. I'm busy making and gathering gifts.

Reading: One shot by Lee Child. I know, another Jack Reacher ...

taranaki

A spur of the moment decision to spend the weekend in New Plymouth - a small city famous for a mountain, Mt Taranaki (apparently one of the most symmetrical volcanoes in the world) and an art gallery - the Len Lye Centre. Both can be a little hard to see. The mountain hides behind cloud a lot  of the time. We were lucky and got a glimpse from the road near Stratford. And the gallery - unfortunately most of it was closed due to "exhibition changeover". But the gallery building itself with its distorted reflections and everything moving in multiples is a fantastic and appropriate tribute to Len Lye who was a maker of experimental films and kinetic sculpture.
Actually, there is a third thing New Plymouth is famous for, the Wind Wand - a Len Lye sculpture down on the coastal walkway. The wand is red, 45m high and sways in the wind. It's simple, graceful, strange.
I hope your weekend was also a good one.

stitching

"Gentle stitching is not fraught, demanding or nerve-jangling. Instead it is simple, straightforward - something that can be done while relaxing, talking, sitting in the sunshine or on holiday. It doesn't require great amounts of skill, confidence or planning and is best started by simply threading a needle, abandoning high expectations and creating stitches on a nice piece of fabric."

And so... encouraged by these words from Jane Brocket and inspired by the Japanese art of sashiko stitching and the traditional kantha stitching from India I've been enthusiastically stitching. I've used the simplest stitch of all - running stitch - on linen (off-cuts from this project) to make some lavender bags and a potholder. I'm surprised by how much I enjoyed making these things. It was just so relaxing.

Also, posing next to the lavender bags is a little Crown Lynn "reflections" dish recently purchased from here.

Reading: The gentle art of stitching by Jane Brocket and Six poets - Hardy to Larkin: an anthology by Alan Bennett

Eating: Feijoas from our trees

Listening: Big inner and Fresh blood by Matthew E. White