Things Here Lately

 

 

There have been lots of things keeping me busy lately, I'm finding I don't really have time for detailed blog posts on everything, so here's a snippet of what is happening in my life when I'm not at work.

• I'm still making blocks for the new quilt I've designed.  There is a very rough plan drafted out, (which will no doubt be added or subtracted to) I have made a few epp blocks which will be appliqued to low volume fabrics. I absolutely adore how this mandolin block turned out.  It will be the biggest block on my quilt.

• My sewjo has returned, I've made some very basic but extremely useful black rayon culottes. These were drafted off an expensive pair I had bought and literally worn out,  I'm currently wearing them at work today, and with a stretch fabric waistband, they are very comfortable. 

• Another fantail top.  I fell in love with the floral fabric when I saw it in an online shop.  It was a little pricey, so I bought just enough to be able to use them as sleeves in a solid coloured top.  

• A beautiful cookbook finally turned up for me at the library - Saffron Swirls and Cardamom Dust, so far I've made two very delicious sweet treats from it - Persian Love Cake and Chocolate Cardamom puddings.   I've put the book on my Christmas list because I liked it so much.

• I still find time to read, usually lunchbreaks at work or last thing at night before I go to sleep.  Both of these books were wonderful reads.  

• While there is not much blooming in my garden at present, dahlia tubers have been planted, and zinnia seeds sprinkled in anticipation of a hopefully extremely flowery summer garden. These beautiful crabapple blossoms were flowering during one of my neighbourhood walks.

** Apologies for the slightly blurry clothing shots, It's harder to find a resident teen at home these days willing to take photos with a real camera, so I'm usually resorting to self timer selfies on my mobile phone.

Things Here Lately

I'm currently enjoying the last night of a peaceful Easter Weekend home alone.  I've done some housework, pottered in the garden,  caught up with a couple of friends and generally made the most of having no schedule to keep or anyone else to look after.  

• Autumn is definitely making her presence felt, my dahlias are pretty much finished, though my zinnias and cosmos are still flowering well.  I decided to make a big beautiful bouquet to brighten up my house this weekend, featuring the last of my dahlias, lime green iresine leaves, cosmos and zinnia.  After a few years of trial and error in my garden, it's nice to have plants that can survive a hot summer, little watering thus enabling me to finally have a picking garden.

• Another Autumn blessing is that my feijoa trees finally start dropping their fruit.  I love eating them raw or mixed with apple in a fruit crumble.  However I recently saved a recipe for Topsy Turvy Feijoa Cake, and made it today. Perfectly delicious.

• I had a sewing day last weekend with friends. I started making a new shirt which I finished off slowly over the following week.  It is the Seychelles Top from Itch to Stitch.  I made the long sleeve version, size 4B in a lovely rayon from Spotlight.  I'm really pleased with how it has turned out, especially as it was my first time doing a V neckline.  So pleased in fact, I started another one today.  Miss B,my usual photographer was away, so I had fun using the self timer function on my phone for these photos.

• I came across a new word the other day.  Tsundoku - a Japanese word for the acquisition of books and keeping them  in a pile while never reading them, it can also refer to a pile of books.  Now I know I am guilty of having piles of books in my house,  (that's an occupational hazard when one works in a library), but generally they are all read. These four books have kept me entertained and educated over the past month.  All are historical fiction, except for Banks which is a biography on Joseph Banks the renowned botanist.  I have enjoyed them all and recommend any of them if you are looking for an interesting read.

Wishing you all wonderful week ahead.

Staying Home - Week 5

Another week of lockdown - this time at level three.  It hasn't really had any impact on me, but I have noticed the traffic noise has increased in the early hours of the morning, there are tradespeople and contractors out working again and we can online shop, get takeaways through drive through or click and collect.  We are also able to go to beaches, or regional parks for exercise as long as we practice socially distancing still.

We celebrated a birthday this week.  Miss B turned 18, unfortunately none of our plans to celebrate this occasion was able to come to fruition.  Miss B really enjoys her coffee, so I decided to make her a coffee cake.

Panna cotta was our dessert one night.  Not really a hit with the boys,  recipe from here.  I liked it, but don't feel the need to make it a regular feature on my dessert menu.

Back to working on my lockdown challenge applique project again. I've added bullion knots, some kantha style stitching, more french knots.

I've traced another Burda Style pattern, and started sewing it.  I think that this fabric was possibly not my best choice for it, I'll persevere with it, but suspect it may not be totally wearable.  It's hard to press the seams and darts, due to the fabric which I think was a georgette or chiffon, and I possibly should have invested in some plain sheer black fabric for the inner  lining pieces.

And some really exciting news, today, The Scout, Mr J and I went to Tapapakanga -  one of our regional parks for a short hike.  It was so nice to walk somewhere new, to not have to give way to other people or cyclists and just get out of my neighbourhood. Real fresh air, a brisk breeze off the sea, feeling much happier now.

Kia kaha

Staying Home - Week 3

Currently we have survived three weeks of New Zealand's national lockdown.   The teens and I have found this week hard, we are missing friends, routines, being able to go places and actual real people to talk to and work with.  Zoom meetings are not quite the same.

With one  week to go,  it's looking as though we will drop to Level 3 of the alert system.  This means that some students can return to school, though Miss B will be doing virtual university till at least July now. We're waiting to hear about high school for Mr J.  Some  hospitality type businesses will be allowed to operate, and we may be able to travel regionally.  Malls, movie theatres, libraries will still not be open to public, though it looks as though we should able to do more online shopping now.  Not sure if this is good or bad.

I have been compiling a little shopping list of essential to me items, should this happen again. It includes:  interfacing, sewing machine needles, thread to match all my garment fabrics, various widths of elastic, scented candles, hand creams and special teas. 

Over the past week I have been trying to keep relatively busy, walking, sewing and baking and successfully avoiding housework. 

• another top using a beautifully silky viscose from the stash.  This is the same pattern I made last week, with a little elastic in the sleeve cuff.  I love how this one has turned out and have already enjoyed wearing it. Only one more animal print fabric remains in the stash now too.

• Hot Cross Cookies - recipe from here.

• Chocolate espresso pudding with whisky caramel sauce.  From personal tastes, I'd double the sauce quantity next time.  Recipe here.

• I've prepped the fabric and assembled the pattern for the last top for my sister.  Hopefully sewing will commence on it this coming weekend.

• my biggest happy moment was adding the last stitches whilst joinging the blossoms in my ice cream soda quilt.  All I have to do now is add the edging then the borders.  I am loving how it looks so far.

Hoping you are all well in your bubbles.

Stay home, stay safe.  Kia kaha.

Things Here Lately

Autumn is well and truly here now, although it has been very mild and pleasant outside, evenings are still a little cooler.  Here's a little bit of what I have been kept busy with, and enjoying over the past couple of weeks.

• The quilting plan for my Hexie pillow cover has changed.  Last night I decided the quilting I had already done just wasn't me.  Luckily I hadn't done any more since this post, so it didn't take to long to unpick.  Some tape for stitching guides was applied, a brighter thread used, and voila, a finished pillow top.

• Miss B celebrated a birthday last week, I made her a Spiced Honey Cake using this recipe.  Quite mild, not overly sweet, though I could quite happily sit there and scoff a bowl of the icing myself.

• Some good books have been read.  I especially enjoyed Where the Crawdads Sing.  I have noticed that a lot of my reads this year are based on strong female characters set in the times of WW2.

• I had a quick trip on the train to Drapers fabric the other weekend.  The greenish/black fabric is tencel and is in the process of being turned into some culottes.  The navy cupro is probably destined for the same pattern, and I couldn't resist this animal print viscose which will be a top of some description.

• My tamarillos are slowly ripening.  My tree is quite laden and with them currently priced at NZ$12.99/kg in the supermarket I am quite pleased to be able to enjoy lots of them this season.

Wishing you all a wonderful May.