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

 

My colour palette is currently based on these shades

Well, we are definitely headed into late autumn now.  The leaves are changing colour and falling everywhere, my mandarin and feijoa trees have been fruiting prolifically, the violets are starting to flower.  I can smell wood smoke from the odd fire that has been lit in my neighbourhood, (in fact we lit ours last weekend) and I'm starting to need to wear layers at work.  

I have temporarily increased my hours at work, which may yet end up being a permanent change, so I am finding I need to be more organised to ensure I get time to do all the things I like doing. Lets just say that lists are my forte at present.  So anyhoo, here's what have I been up too lately. 

• Obviously working on my new epp project, I have nine blocks completed now and have found a picture of the most beautiful floral arrangement, which has the colour palette I'd envisioned in my mind. I still struggle with choosing fabrics for the centre cross part of the block, I am sure that this part of the process takes longer than the actual stitching of the block itself.  I'm not sure if I'll make all the 48 blocks required, but I guess I have a lot of time to decide.

• I have also decided I need to conquer my fear of sewing with knit fabrics and make myself some layering pieces to wear for work and exercise, ie: walking and yoga.  So far I've made a black merino top from a Burda style pattern, which caused me to do an awful lot of swearing at my machine, the top is still wearable, and I will try this pattern again, with a different fabric .  I have also made a sweatshirt using the Undercover Hoody pattern from Papercut Patterns, from a charcoal merino/tencel knit, I'm certainly glad I upsized to size S.  I would like to try the hoody version of this next time too.  Also in the plans is a new jacket for work in a beautiful magenta cashmere/viscose blend.  I'm really looking forward to making and  wearing this.

• Of course, books will always feature in my daily life.  Some good novels I've enjoyed are:

            - The Invisible Woman By Erika Robuck (based on a real life story)

            - The Lost manuscript by Cath Bonidan (a charming epistolary novel)

• This corner of my garden is bringing me a lot of joy at present.  I love the bright green and deep crimson irisene, and I don't think I have ever seen as many flowers on the vireya before.  My dahlias have been cut back, and I'm pondering whether to risk leaving the tubers in the ground over winter this year.  

Hoping you are all enjoy whatever season you are living in at present,

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.

Things Here Lately

 

Auckland is currently in a one week lockdown, so that means we're back to online classes for Miss B and Mr J, and work zoom meetings for me. 

I figured that meant it's a good time to have a little round up of what has been keeping me busy in my spare time over the past month.

• Hearts and more hearts, I've made 28 blocks in total now,  so I'm over half way.  I'm trying to add some new colours to the background and have some more similarly toned heart halves rather than being totally contrasting. 

• I sewed another Cuff Top - this time in a bright cobalt Frida Kahlo inspired printed viscose.  I used the round neckline hack from The Assembly Line tutorials and hacks page.  While lowering the neckline,  it seems to have made it a little wider on my shoulders, so not sure how it's going to feel when being worn all day.  I adore the colour of this fabric though.

• Books - I have been reading a few books lately - Maralinga by Judy Nunn was one I enjoyed a lot. Set in Australia in the 1950's it is about the atomic tests conducted by the British in the outback.  She researches and writes very well, often about controversial aspects of Australian history.

• Miss B has been semi vegetarian now for over a year, and I suspect when she eventually moves out of home, she will turn totally vegetarian.  I try to serve meat free meals a couple of times a week and one night made a beautiful chickpea curry for the main and a chocolate mousse using the liquid from the can of chickpeas.  Called aquafaba this stuff whipped up like egg whites - quite amazing.  General verdict was that the mousse tasted ok, it had a slightly grainy texture, but that could have been from overheating the chocolate and it was very rich.  Mousse recipe can be found here.

Fingers crossed that the community cases are contained and we are back to normal life soon.

Stay safe, stay home, scan the codes when out, wear a mask.  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.