red

I made this cushion over the weekend, inspired by a picture I had seen in a magazine. The magazine cushion had flowers similar to this all jammed up against each other all over the cushion. After cutting up a few circles I decided that if I was going to get it finished and on the couch in the same day I would put fewer flowers on my version. The fabric for the flowers is a thrifted red wool cardi, felted and the base fabric is denim. I was really pleased with how it turned out and a request has been put in by miss E for one for her bed. Now to find the purple, pink and blue thrifted wool garments to cut up to make one. Might be tricky. Anyone out there have a good local place to buy wool felt?

blah

I'm suffering from a case of the blahs. I can't quite put a finger on it but I just feel like much like myself lately. I don't know whether it's the earthquakes and tsunami or a school friend's husband passing away much too early of cancer, or miss E starting school but something is different. I really miss our preschool walk, it was lovely past fruit trees, chickens and mangroves all right in the centre of town. Our school walk has nothing much to write about, crossing a very busy main road, and unfortunately no chickens to peek at. But things are looking up, we discovered a feijoa tree that is already dropping fruit today when we went a different way home. Miss E busily filled up her school hat and devoured them as soon as we were home.

I haven't felt the desire to stay up late crafting like I usually do, but then I discovered the "Gift of love appeal" and I've been busy crocheting some cotton dishcloths to send. Nothing like some crafting for a good cause to get me out of the blahs.

the bottle of fruit is Quince from my nana, I was very excited to see it in her hands when she turned up for a visit this afternoon.

softies

I've got these little guys all wrapped up ready to post for the softies for Christchurch appeal. I'm hoping to make some more, these ones were lurking around in a cupboard all finished without homes to go to. So I'm really glad that they will be making their way off to children who need a little friend.

Click on the Softies for Christchurch pic above if you want to help out too.

heart

I'm kicking myself for not taking the time to take a better photo of these or to take a photo of the recipients wearing them. I made them as favors for miss E's 5th birthday party, I used this pattern and just added some ribbon to turn them into pendants. I made what seems like a ton of them! But they worked up very quickly and they were really well received which made all the crocheting worthwhile. I think they would make a sweet mobile or look cute on a chain.

afternoon light

This is the little scene on my windowsill this afternoon. The sunflowers have finished flowering and we have bought the heads in to dry out and save the seeds for next year. I received these crochet over glass coasters as a Christmas present. Aren't they so cool? I really love their sunny colour, and I spread them along the windowsill when there is room and stack them when there isn't any.

I think we could plant a forest of sunflowers next year!

newborn

Earlier this year a photographer friend asked me if I could crochet her some newborn photo props for her photography. I made a cocoon from a Holland Designs pattern, I really love how it turned out and wished I'd had something similar to photograph my little ones in when they were newborn. I made a nappy cover for her too, also by Holland Designs, very cute in chocolate brown. It made me want to crochet loads of newborn stuff and now that the cooler weather is creeping in, maybe that's what I'll do ( I'm not pregnant though! just to clarify - crocheting for other people's newborns).

Amy has a Facebook page for her photography you can find it here, she is also offering a free family portrait session for families that have relocated from Christchurch.

absent

It feels like I've been away from this space for a long time. Miss E has turned five and it's taken up a lot of my time organising parties, baking cakes and making things for preschool and parties. So now that is all over and she has started school maybe things will start to get back to normal.

Most children give out a small gift to each child at preschool when it's their 5th birthday, some give stickers or lollies. I wanted to make a little something, but with 30+ kids to make for I needed something easy. I made some little notebooks using some tired children's books and blank paper on the inside, stitched up the middle on my sewing machine. I had quite the little production line going. I totally forgot to take a photo of all of them, so these are just the rejects. I found some inexpensive pencils at Whitcoulls and miss E gave them out too. It was so nice to see all the children drawing away in them on their way home.

I also baked some of my favourite lime melting moments for her teachers, this photo shows them before they were sandwiched together with lime butter filling. They are something I don't make a lot because of all the butter! The price of butter makes these very luxurious biscuits indeed.

bean sneak

As the death toll from yesterday's earthquake in Christchurch it's hard to think about anything else. I can't believe that while I was sleeping snug in my bed there were people waiting to be rescued, stuck in the cold, damp dark night, I just doesn't seem real. The people of Christchurch are foremost in my mind today.

Thanks for all the great comments on my last post. I loved hearing what everyone was getting out of their gardens. I also had feelings of not planting enough in our garden this season, I haven't kept up planting lettuce of silverbeet nor have I planted enough beans for our little bean sneak. Miss E is often out at the bean vines picking any little beans that she can find and consuming them, right there on the spot! Sometimes she brings a little friend along to help (mr A however doesn't share the love of fresh beans and happily gives her all that he can find). Rain doesn't seem to hamper her enthusiasm either. While I love the fact she is so happy snacking away on fresh green beans ( I mean who wouldn't be?) I'm a little disappointed that no fresh beans make it into the kitchen for me to cook. I must remember to plant lots more next season.

Christchurch

I've been glued to the TV all afternoon, very teary. I can't believe what has happened to poor Christchurch. My heart goes out to everyone there and everyone who has family there. I wish there was something I could do. xxx