Reflections and Christmas Wishes

Another year is almost over, and I think I can say, that for most of us it can not finish quickly enough.  It has been an unsettling year, with lockdowns, travel restrictions, adapting to socially distancing and the wearing of masks, and I know that many of my blog friends and readers overseas are still not able to experience the relative freedom of a normal life that we are currently able to enjoy here in summer in New Zealand.

 Social media and modern technology has been a real lifesaver for us in these strange times.  I never thought I'd be having work team meetings via zoom, or video calling my mum or sister, but am so glad we can see each other this way.  I play online scrabble games with my family here in New Zealand and Australia, and in desperation during lockdown started reading e-books.   I certainly haven't managed to blog as much here as I used to, or planned to this year.  I have posted a lot more on instagram, and I can be found there under the name: julielou41.

 Thank you all for continuing to visit and comment on what I have shared.  I always enjoy your feedback, book suggestions, inspirational links and advice.

Wishing you all a very safe and Happy Christmas and New Year.

Stay safe, stay home, wear a mask.

See you back in 2021.

Kia Kaha

A Trio of Repeats and some good reads

 

I've been doing a little sewing lately, no new and exciting patterns, but repeats of some favourites.

First up was another Eva Dress.  I have been wanting a long black linen dress for summer for a while now, and though I contemplated lots of other patterns I kept coming back to the Eva Dress, I decided it was meant to be when I found the most beautifully soft Turkish linen and they had just the right amount needed left on the bolt.  I am absolutely delighted with how it turned out and cannot wait to wear it.

When I purchased the black linen I also bought a linen/tencel type fabric in a dark taupe colour.  It had the most beautiful drape and I knew immediately that it would be turned into another pair of the button pleated Burda Culottes I made here.  

The hot pink Mallard jacket I made here, has been worn a lot, I get so many compliments wearing it too.  I decided I needed another pretty jacket which fortuitously and unintentionally ended up coordinating beautifully with my new culottes.  Fabric is again an upholstery cotton canvas I got from Spotlight.  I took my time laying out pattern pieces to make the most of the beautiful designs on this fabric, and lined it with a dusky rose bemberg. The one positive of the slightly cooler summer temperatures we are currently experiencing, means that I get to enjoy wearing this for a little longer .

And when I'm not sewing, I've been reading.  So far I've read:

• Tiny Pieces of Us by Nicky Pellegrino, the story of a group of organ transplant recipients and what happens when they meet.

• Mrs Boots by Deborah Carr, the story of Florence of the Boots the Chemist empire.

• The Awakening by Nora Roberts.  This is the first in a new fantasy trilogy from one of my favourite authors.  Set in modern day Philadelphia and Ireland, as well as an old magical land accessed through a portal.  It's a typical Nora Roberts read with strong female characters and a good story line.

And to finish off on a bright and happy note - the dahlias are flowering.

Things Here Lately

 

I may not be posting to my blog as often as I used, but there is still lots of things happening.

• A big event in my life was turning 50 last weekend.  I was quite ambivalent about doing anything to celebrate it, but The Scout secretly organised a day off, so he and I travelled to see my parents and celebrate with them, and then celebrated with his family the next day.  I was well and truly spoilt by everyone.

• I've been reading a lot of historical novels lately, including: The French Photographer by Natasha Lester, set during the end of WW2.  Also Miss Graham's Cold War Cook Book by Celia Rees.  I have to admit that I was quite surprised at the ending in this book.

• My Groove is in the Heart quilt blocks are proving to be a fun distraction.  I probably spend more time trying to work out colour choices for the heart halves.  I think I'm definitely getting a little braver with my combinations now.

• A couple of months a go, I  attended a slab pottery workshop, where we made a couple of small planter pots.  Definitely made for smaller plants.

• Now the weather is warming up, my garden is slowly starting to burst into like, Most of my dahlias are sprouting, cannas are adding a hot splash of colour,  the jasmine is a mass of white flowers with the most divine perfume, which has replaced the clematis that was flowering earlier.  I have also started growing (nurturing) frangipani, which are a plant to test ones patience.  Apparently some seedlings can take up to 7 years to flower, so I am very grateful to at least see leaves on them.  I also have some new zinnia and cosmos seedlings to plant out later.

Wishing everyone a wonderful week ahead.

Stay well, stay safe, wear a mask.

Burda Style - Culottes

 

Image from Burda Style 03/2020

I recently spent a day in Newmarket, where I met up with Julie, a fellow Auckland sewer I had only met through instagram.  We had a lovely day, looking at expensive clothing shops, eating decadent cake and  most enjoyably shopping at one of our mutually favourite fabric stores - Drapers Fabrics.

At Drapers, I bought a beautiful olive linen  and matching vintage buttons to make some culottes I had seen in a Burda Magazine.  They feature a unique button up fold over waistband, so no zips or elastic to insert. The pattern says to go by your hip measurement for these, so I made a size 38 without any adjustments.

There were only four pattern pieces to trace, and on the whole they were relatively easy to make.  My machine coped well with the thick waistband layers where the buttonholes went, though I did have to use a scalpel to cut through the many layers. I have since discovered there is such a thing called a button hole chisel which I am going to invest in.

I am slightly disappointed with the finished garment, it appears there is a slight fade line across the rear of the garment, which because I was sewing at night I hadn't really noticed, assuming it was just a crease in the linen.  I'm guessing that no one else will really notice it, especially after I have sat in them, it should blend in with all the other creases linen is renowned for. The fit is good, though I'm not sure if I should have made them a little shorter.  I am going to enjoy wearing these over summer, hopefully managing to look casually elegant at work and not too much of a crumpled mess.

Pattern  105b from Burda 03/2020

Weekending - Ernies Track

Water is usually at least covering the filter off the side of the tower.

 

Rewarewa in bud

Puawhananga - clematis paniculata

Ernies Hut

View towards the low reservoir

Voting day in New Zealand was a stunner, and The Scout and I headed off to the Hunua Ranges after casting our votes to hike Ernies Track.  The Scout has hiked this  track about six times previously and it was my first.  I had heard conflicting stories about a how bad the hills were.

We went in past the Mangatawhiri Dam which is worryingly low for this time of year. I think Auckland will definitely have severe water restrictions in place over summer.  The forestry road we hiked up had a long slow seemingly endless incline.  I would call myself moderately fit, yet I seem to struggle up hills.  The Scout who doesn't exercise regularly seems to walk up them without any trouble, which I find frustratingly annoying.

Eventually this torture passed and we stopped for lunch at Piggots Hut, before coming to the bush section of the track.  This was much more enjoyable despite the stairs, mud, gnarly roots, more uphill and downhill.  I saw some native plants I hadn't seen before,  Puawhananga (clematis paniculata) and Rewarewa (New Zealand honeysuckle).

The track is just under 15km and took a a couple of hours longer than the 3.5 hours I had been told, but that could be my fault for my slow  uphill start and stopping to take photos.  Overall an enjoyable day out.

Groove is in the Heart - another new project

While browsing blogs recently, I came across a new quilt made by the very talented and not afraid to use colour quilter,  Rachael Daisy of Blue Mountain Daisy

I love hearts, and actually would love to have a wall space for all the beautiful ornamental hearts I see but don't buy.  Anyway before I get too far off topic here, she has made a new quilt featuring scrappy hearts on low volume fabrics, three of my favourite things in one quilt.  I am sure my heart sped up as I read her post and drooled over the quilt.  Of course, good me thought, "no you have too many wips, you don't need to start another project" , while bad me kept thinking about it all night saying" it would be a great portable project, bigger pieces much easier to travel with than your Fresh Cut quilt"

Obviously good me had no willpower, cos I bought downloaded and printed out the pattern and made the first block up that night. The hearts are hand appliqued onto the background fabrics.  Currently I have made up four blocks, and am having fun choosing fabrics for and prepping other hearts for when I feel like working on something easy.