long hot

The one bonus of a long hot summer is - outdoor dinner picnics and a birthday tent that's been up for weeks and weeks and never got wet once! Surely we must be nearly at the end of this golden weather, but we are soaking up the last of it (even if I'm totally over the "sunscreen song and dance" each morning). Making the most of using the school pool, enjoying yummy summer fruit salads with fresh pineapple and blueberries, washing that dries fast - even in the very late afternoon. OK that is enough summer positives from me, I'm such a winter person!

I've got some op shop stuff to share but I didn't get around to taking a pic today, I'll be back tomorrow to share the goodness!

vroooooooooom

A very long time ago I thrifted a large piece of fabric that looked like it was destined to be a quilt. Each image square was outlined with dotted lines, looking like a cutting line. There were several different images, a rocket launching, a aeroplane and a cool looking racing car. There were over 20 squares, each had originally been black and white, but someone had diligently hand painted them! There were way more than I needed so I kept the best few and sold the rest at Fabric-a-brac last year (just quietly they were my BEST seller! I paid just $2 for the lot and sold each panel sperately)

I had envisioned cushions for mr A's room and it's taken me this long to get around to making some. I made cushion for his bed and a little bag to match. He loves to go to the library (he's in love with Noddy books at the moment) so I thought it would make a great library bag. It's a bit hard to see but the handles are made from a belt that is multi coloured - this boy of mine LOVES colour and rainbows so I thought he'd love the multi coloured handles. I wasn't wrong. I've still got the rocket and plane to go. The rocket is my favourite and I'm a bit hesitant to make it into a cushion, I might have to get my thinking cap on, in case there is something better to make with it. Any ideas?

printed

I've just spotted this swap and I thought you might be interested? Sounds fun. Click on the pic and it will take you to all the info about how to sign up. Sign ups close this week, so get in quick!

weekending

 We started our weekend with a Pippins family night, to celebrate World thinking day. It was a fun adventure for the little ones, a trip up a big hill (trying hard not to get scratched to bits with all the blackberry!- maybe my Saltwater sandals weren't the best choice of footwear?), lots of fun internationally themed activities and unfortunately because of a fire ban, no camp fire. All the kids were given a little passport and cool torches that were like glow sticks and the kids had SO much fun with them once the sun had set. Mr A especially loved the torch and happily twirled it all night long. The rest of the weekend was pretty quiet, which was just what we needed after a busy week.

I have been busy craft-wise and hopefully I'll get a chance to share some of those projects this week. Hope you've had a great weekend my friends!

bowled

I'm a sucker for vintage stuff in original packaging. So I was "bowled over" (ok cheesy pun out of the way now) by this little set! It's a set of mini bowls or "carpet bowls". My husband was excited when he saw them as his Nana used to have a set (although this set is better apparently). The box is in excellent condition and the bowls are too, the jack is even still there. The set was even made in New Zealand too. We haven't had a chance to play with them yet, not sure if we have the room, but we'll give it a try - just as soon as I can be sure that the kids won't throw them, instead of bowling them!

Joining in again with the "op-shop show-off"

weekending

On the weekend I did some spinning at a local A&P show. It was lovely sitting outside spinning the day away, I'm always totally amazed by all the people telling me that they have a spinning wheel at home. So many wheels sitting unused in some cupboard or garage somewhere. I didn't get much of a chance to look around, but I did spy the GIANT pumpkins! There was a lady selling spindles there and one did come home with me. It's a supported spindle and I spun up a little bit of Alpaca with it. It's a perfectly portable way of spinning!

Hope your weekend was a good one!

scrapped

I've got what seems like a giant list of "to do's" over the next couple of weeks. I ticked a couple off today but added another couple too. One thing I did get sorted out and posted was my scrap bag for Nin's scrap bag swap. It's a secret swap so I send to one person and receive from another which means I can share what I'm sending as the recipient won't be expecting something from me, oh how sneaky! I took part in the swap last year too and I got some really nice pieces, fingers crossed that I'll get another great selection this year. I hope that my swap partner will love this little selection. I made a zip purse (to pop the smaller scraps in) with some denim and some of my "granny" fabric that I designed and printed with Spoonflower. I also included some little pieces of that fabric both in the large size and the smaller little squares. I also included a roll of this cute cotton ribbon, I love those little Russian dolls.

Hope you have a great weekend dear blog readers!

dry

We've had so little rainfall over the past few months, dry and hot for weeks on end. We did have a little bit of respite last week with a small amount of rain, but not enough to close up all the crack emerging in our lawn, or replenish the lawn either. I gave up watering our garden weeks ago, it costs too much to keep watering it. So far nothing has really died, but nothing is really flourishing, my lettuces have bolted and the silverbeet too. Most of the figs have fallen off the tree, underdeveloped, shrivelled and very sad looking. There are just a few that have managed to ripen, despite the weather and I picked them this morning (tying to beat the birds to them). Did you know that the fig is actually an inverted flower? Maybe that's why they taste so good. Figs are the kind of fruit that has to be eaten at perfect ripeness, too early and you get a mouthful of icky latex. But when perfectly ripe they taste like ambrosia - yum!

Rose

Melissa of Tiny happy shared a recipe for Turkish Delight on her blog recently, it's something I've always wanted to try making - I was inspired! I visited my local "mini mart" it's filled with all sorts of exotic things , they had, the rose water needed of course. The man there always seems to convince me to buy some pistachios at the counter, it's always worth it, they are the best pistachios around, freshly roasted and taste a million times better than supermarket ones and some of them actually get home to share (ok that's sometimes true). The Turkish delight was super easy to make and even my husband is converted (after protesting that he didn't like it and didn't want to try it, hmmm). I probably should have taken a photo of it before the hungry hoards, and my creative fibre group had taken the best looking bits, I did actually cut some nice square pieces, promise. It's amazingly soft and tastes so good, like "velvet roses" I've been told.

I found this vintage house dress/coat today on the $0.50c rack, it's quite stunning cotton fabric. The roses have that "hand painted" look and it's in excellent condition, score! I love the faux wood grain look.

sweet

 I signed up to take part in the Sew Delicious - Sweet pouch swap over the holidays. All you needed to do was make a pouch add some local sweets/chocolates and send it off! My partner hasn't received hers yet so I'll won't spoil the surprise here yet, but mine arrived in the post this week! I love the pouch and I'm already using it for a little crochet project. The picture doesn't really show it well, but the drawstrings are printed like tape measures! Very cute, and it's sewn so beautifully. The pouch was filled with American "candy" none of which I have seen in the shops here (but I try hard not to go down that isle of the supermarket). The lovely lady that sent me all those goodies blogs over here at Me and Elna - Thanks again Kara, I love it!

fiesta

I'm joining in again with Max over at Blackbird has spoken, with the op-shop show-off. This is a little Crown Lynn Fiesta saucer, quite the collectible! It's a popular pattern among New Zealand Crown Lynn collectors, this happy little find set me back a whopping $0.50c. It was in absolutely perfect, never used condition. Once I was home I realised that I'd never thrift a set of these, or even part of a set, so I decided to let it go again (before it went through the dishwasher or it got chipped). I sold it on Trademe for, well a massive profit! Just a few cents under $40! I couldn't quite believe it (I set a $1 reserve), I couldn't imagine spending that much on a saucer, but I like to think the winner of the auction was pleased!

on the bike

I made a little bag for mr A's bike over the weekend. He gets around all over the place on this bike, the school drop off run, to preschool and lots of other places too. He likes to bring things with him and so far I've ended up carrying all the extras, his own bag was needed. I made it out of some sturdy denim and I used some embroidered patches (thrifted) that I'd had for a while to add a bit of interest. I lined it with some fabric that I bought of Melissa a while ago, it's her "branches and stones" design. I winged it with the pattern and I'm really pleased with how it turned out - not to mention that now I've got more room in my bag! He loves it too and happily posed for these pics, he's off to preschool this morning and the bag is getting it's first trial run. I think I love sewing things like this the most, a solution to a little problem, making life just that little bit easier!

Argh - part 2

pirate flag bunting

pirate ship jelly cups 

Shrink plastic pendants

a treasure chest borrowed from Nana to set the scene

treasure map game!

A few little glimpses into the pirate party -Argh!

argh!

Mr A turned four in January, with all his friends away on holiday we decided to have a small celebration a few weeks later. He's pirate mad, mainly because of this jacket!  (You can get the pattern from here or here, designed by Lisa of Big Little - or if sewing isn't your thing Lisa will custom make one for you!). So we decided on a pirate theme. For weeks and weeks, it's been "pirate party" this and that. We worked together miss E, mr A and I over the school holidays to put some of the details together, it was our little project and I had good helpers. We made invitations, aged the paper by soaking it in tea (a great little helper job), I made some little pouches from some hessian type fabric (cut a circle and thread a length of ribbon around the edge - easy). We filled these with some chocolate coins and some cute chocolate fish!

We also made some colouring in books for the kids to take home. I did a google search for pirate colouring in images and sized them to fit on A5 sheets. I stitched them together on my sewing machine and also included some blank pages for their own drawings. I used a bunting image designed by Stella for the cover of the notebooks, you can find it here, she's also got a bunch of other free printables - she's so clever! You can see the nautical party here that she originally created the bunting for - AMAZING!!!!

I've got a few more pics to share from the party, maybe tomorrow. The weather is absolutely stunning here today, a nice crisp cool morning and it's starting to heat up now. The cicada's are singing and there is just enough cool breeze to get my washing dry fast, better go and hang it out then!

fudged

 I spotted this recipe for Primal Fudge the other day on this lovely blog Cornflower Blue. You can find the recipe here. It's kinda yum! Well my husband is a big fan and the batch I made disappeared very quickly. It's no bake and really easy to make. The ingredients are simple and you just might have all of them in your pantry already, honey, cocoa powder, coconut oil, vanilla and a nut butter - I used peanut butter. I just had ordinary cocoa in the pantry so mine don't look as dark or rich as the other ones pictured but they were still yum!

On another note Sarah from the Trinity Loft is conducting a wee survey, it only takes a minute or so to answer and she'd love to hear your opinions so if you have a minute I'd appreciate you popping over to fill it out! Thanks - I know you lovely readers are good like that.

op shop show off

I've had amazing luck in the local thrift stores this year. I found an amazing stash of linens, so many beautiful different ones all worked by a very talented and neat stitcher. The bonus was that the op shop had half price on everything in store! So I got an amazing bundle of them for less than $10! I also found some little tea sets, I've got an idea for them so watch this space! One of them is super tiny and cute so I think I'll keep that one.

I'm linking up with "blackbird has spoken" with her - Op shop show off!

connecting

By the way, I'm all booked in for the "around the table" event in Christchurch in April! I'm a bit excited and a lot nervous! There are still a few places left if you hurry!

gifted

I was generously given a large bag of buttons from a friend. It bought me a ton of quiet time over the holidays. The kids spent many hours sorting them out. I'd suggest a colour or a size for them to find and they were off! I gave miss E the task of finding any mother of pearl and glass ones, she's got a keen eye for the "special" ones. I think I'll have to bring the buttons out again when I need some quiet time to get the dinner on, it sure did the trick!