dressing the bear

Sewing for Woe Bear - a dress (made using this free pattern) and self-drafted matching bloomers. Gingham always reminds me - in a good way - of Sylvanian Families. These grey rabbits belonged to my children and are now cared for my granddaughter. I like that. I wonder if some of the toys that she has now might one day be enjoyed by her children.

Nigella in the garden. I planted it mainly because I love its common name - love-in-a-mist, devil-in-a-bush. I think the name came about because the flower sits in a 'mist' of delicate, dill-like foliage. The devil is the horned seed head, also surrounded by foliage. Not a grandiose statement plant. But quietly intriguing. And a good self-seeder.


Reading: Knots and crosses by Ian Rankin. This is the first book in the Inspector Rebus series - mindless page-turner crime. Great reading and plenty more where this came from. ****

Watching: Transparent - a comedy-drama web series created by Jill Soloway about a Los Angeles family and their lives following the discovery that the person they knew as their father is a transgender woman. *****

Eating: At last - feijoas. Although spoiled somewhat this year by the "alien invader" guava moth larvae (those little worms that get inside the fruit)

hem

Autumn is coming. The weather is still mostly lovely but maybe ever so slightly cooler. I'm feeling less like rushing off to swim in the surf and more like doing inside things. So I've started off with some simple sewing - hemming linen to make tea towels. I love linen tea towels - extra absorbent and long lasting. I have a few 'vintage' ones found in op shops - but sometimes it's nice to make your own. (Any excuse to visit the fabric store). The hardest part is finding linen fabric at the right weight - not too fine (too absorbent) but, also, not too weighty.

And more hand hemmed hankies - cut from a graphic leafy floral found in a scrap bundle bought from Jet in Greytown on our recent holiday. One hankie finished and one in progress. One to keep and one to give.

Reading: 
Another year of Plumdog by Emma Chichester Clark. Horray, more adventures of Plumdog! This is a delightful comic/graphic novel diary written from a dog's perspective. Compulsory reading for anyone who has enjoyed the company of a dog. *****

Remodelista : the organized home by Julie Carlson and Margot Guralnick. I cannot tell you how much I love this book. It is full of simple ideas - and beautiful ways - to tame the chaos in your home. I want to fill my pantry shelves with jars of chick peas and rice.*****

jam and other things

I started this post in the middle of January - a month ago - when I was going to tell you about jam making - fig and ginger - using figs from our tree. It's an old tree but it still produces plenty of fruit. We didn't throw a net over it this year - just left the birds (mainly sweet little Waxeyes) to enjoy the figs - but we still ended up with more fruit than we could manage. So a batch of jam seemed like a good idea. I used this recipe. It's very gingery so I'd only put in the two tablespoons of ginger if you're fond of it.

And then we were on holiday in the Wairarapa:

 The view from the lighthouse at Cape Palliser (the southernmost point of the North Island)

the fishing village of Ngawi where the fishermen launch their boats using graders (instead of tractors)

Castlepoint and lighthouse.

We finished our holiday with an overnight stay on Kapiti Island - a predator-free bird sanctuary. If you're at all interested in New Zealand birdlife I'd recommend the overnight visit. On our last day - the most wonderful and unexpected thing -  a sighting of a small pod of orcas moving through the Rauoterangi channel between Kapiti and the mainland.

Reading: My sister life : the story of my sister's disappearance (1997) by Maria Flook. A disturbing but true story of the author's younger sister who in 1964 at the age of 14 ran away from home in suburban Delaware and fell into a life of prostitution and substance abuse. ****

I am, I am, I am : seventeen brushes with death by Maggie O'Farrell. A collection of essays about the author's own near-miss experiences with death. Powerful, moving. Possibly my favourite book of 2017.*****

Vernon God Little by DBC Pierre - winner of the Man Booker prize 2003. I'm re-reading this. Loved it the first time round - not so much this time as the element of surprise has gone - but still good. Texan teenager, Vernon Little, falsely accused of involvement in a school massacre, goes on the run. ****

Plant love : how to care for your houseplants by Alys Fowler. Comprehensive plant guide. *****

Watching: Breathe film based on true story of polio victim Robin Cavendish - and his feisty wife, Diana - and their efforts to help Robin live a good life ****

Ladybird - a coming-of-age comedy-drama written and directed by Greta Gerwig (Frances Ha, Mistress America, 20th Century Women) and starring Saoirse Ronan ****

Eating: Things from the garden - tomatoes, cucumbers, figs, passion fruit. It's been a bountiful summer. 😀

summer

This is my granddaughter's much loved bear showing off his new summer clothes made by me. I say they are for him but, really, they are for her. There's been much secrecy to get everything made in time for christmas as she doesn't like to be without his company for long and I needed him for fittings. He is such an odd shape but by sewing for him I've learnt quite a bit - mainly by trial and error - about pattern drafting like working out how to make sandals for a bear that doesn't really have feet!

Reading: Anything is possible by Elizabeth Strout. This is a short story collection in the style of Olive Kitteridge but the stories revolve around the character Lucy Barton (from My name is Lucy Barton). A beautifully written and compelling book. ***** 

Watching: Mindhunter on Netflix. Based on the true crime book of the same name. Two FBI agents interview serial killers to help them develop a method for criminal profiling. ****

Happy holidays to you. I wish you safe travels and good times. 

home and away

We've just had a wonderful week staying in Russell in the Bay of Islands. Russell is a lovely town and there's plenty to do up there.

I'd recommend

• a visit to Waitangi and the new museum

• a boat trip to Urupukapuka Island - the pohutukawa and flax were in bloom and full of bees and tui plus you often get to see dolphins in the harbour

• doing the full circle walk from Russell to Opua to Paihia. It's a bit of a stretch - 14km - but you can stop half way at Opua for lunch at the marina.

• Pompallier House - they now have a small café. You can sit on the verandah drinking coffee and eating croissant while looking out on the garden and harbour.

• swimming at Long Beach

And back home, the cornflowers are in full bloom and bringing lots of bees into the garden. And the christmas cake is fresh from the oven. It's a "blonde" fruit cake that can be made close to christmas. The recipe is Eliza's fruit cake by Annabel Langbein. It contains prunes which give it a wonderful, moist texture. Last year I spent ages decorating the cake with concentric circles of blanched almonds but this year I got lazy and simply scattered sliced almonds over the top. Have you made your cake yet?

Reading:
Tin man by Sarah Winman. This is a novel about what might have been, memories, sexual identity and love - of childhood friends Ellis and Michael and, later, of Ellis and Annie. It's a well written book but it lost me about two-thirds through. ***

Bertie's guide to life and mothers by Alexander McCall Smith (44 Scotland Street series) I found this in one of the local book exchange cupboards when I was looking for something light and quick for a holiday read. Which is exactly what I got. I like McCall Smith's #1 ladies' detective agency series but Bertie's guide was just too twee for me. **

Listening: Tiny desk concert by Cat Stevens

shortbread

A new apron for Gus - just like this one - made from her kindergarten fundraiser tea towel. It's very cute with each child's self-portrait printed on it.

And cranberry shortbread cookies. The recipe is available in Donna Hay's The christmas issue Dec/Jan 2018. Really good. I made them to take to a thanksgiving dinner at the across-the-road neighbours. A nice christmas gift too for family, friends, or neighbours.

Watching: Alias Grace on Netflix. This is based on Margaret Atwood's book of the same name. It's a fictionalised telling of the murders in 1843 of Thomas Kinnear and his housekeeper Nancy Montgomery in Canada. Grace Marks was a servant in the Kinnear household and was only sixteen when she and James McDermott were accused of the murders. ****

Have a lovely week.

hello

It's been three weeks since I posted but I'm sorry to say I don't have anything tremendous to share - I haven't been anywhere or done anything exciting. I just took an unplanned break from blogging and making things.

So... what's been happening?

Well, the cosmos is looking great. I planted some a couple of years ago and it brought some chaffinches to the garden. They seem to like eating the seeds from the flower heads. So I planted more cosmos this year but, sadly, no chaffinches yet.

I've "sandwiched" quilt #4 and started quilting it by hand - which takes me forever but its very enjoyable.

Everything is ready to begin sewing another dress for my granddaughter.

And I've started some new knitting. Free pattern here.

Other news is that we have a large orb spider living in the garden. It comes out of hiding at night to eat and to mend its web. Unfortunately a few bees have been caught in the web and I'm torn between trying to save them and wanting the spider to live in my garden. The web is huge and beautiful.

Also I've decided to rank books/films out of five - a brief summary doesn't really tell you much. What we really want to know is was it any good. Well, it'll just be my opinion but here we go ...

Watching:
Aspergers are us - documentary about four friends on the autism spectrum who form a comedy troupe. ***

My beautiful broken brain - Netflix documentary about Lotje Sodderland who has a stroke at the age of 34 which leaves her unable to write and limits her ability to communicate effectively. Rather than let this hold her back Lotje remains positive and grateful for her new life. ** (Even though the story is uplifting and Lotje is amazing, there's just not enough to sustain a full length film, IMO)

Reading: Theft by finding by David Sedaris - his edited diary entries from 1977 to 2002. Entertaining and sometimes very funny.****