harmony and rosie

new from old

2012-02-06T08:05:00.007Z

You're going to have to scrap everything I said in my last post about how I was hopeful of the advent of warmer weather. The snow came on Saturday, bringing with it deep grey skies and fff-freezing temperatures and as a consequence my latest dress is going to have to wait a while because it makes me feel colder just looking at it!

The children and I had a great fun time in the garden yesterday, lobbing snowballs at one another. No photos to show, just a couple of melting ice mountains and a lot of damp clothing hanging off radiators in a bid to dry them off.

And I'm not sure what's come over me, perhaps it's the thought of spring cleaning that's on my mind but I'm suddenly in the mood for decluttering the fabric stash. All those lovely vintage pieces that have been squirrelled away need, and deserve, to see the light of day so I'm gradually going to be turning some of my ignored fabrics into a variety of things new and, hopefully, they'll be appreciated even more.

Take this salmon-pink French cotton, for example. It's been in the cupboard for a very long time and I remember being really excited when I recently saw the very same in Enrica Stabile's brilliant Comfortable Country. Whilst I didn't have enough to cover a whole chair as per the book, I thought perhaps cushions might be good so I made up a couple, using interfacing to add a bit of body to the fabric and cutting into one of my unused French metis sheets to use as backing. Metis is a linen/cotton blend, depending on when it was produced it has a cotton warp (lengthwise threads) and a linen weft (threads running at a right angle to the selvedge) and begins life, very much like linen, in an ecru state which gradually lightens with washing. It's lovely to sleep under but it also works well for decorative cushions!

These will be going into my new shop, not long now (fingers crossed)!!

Finally, you must check out this link from Pinterest, I guarantee it will have you reaching for the ice trays (as if there isn't enough ice around already). No recipe needed, gently melt your choc, minimal brushing of oil in the mould, and get pouring. My children are going to go wild when they see this!

Have a lovely week, bloggy pals.

PS. Thank you for your lovely comments on my dress last week, and all the slipper love too!

irish linen dress

2012-02-03T11:29:00.000Z

Thank you so much for your concern for my arm, you're very kind. Of course I have ignored the ice pack advice (not a chance until it's warmer), although I have been thinking about how I really must start up the exercise plan!!!

I've been playing around with dresses and experimenting with necklines and sleeves in particular. I fell in love with this Irish linen recently, which feels lovely and soft, has a wonderful drape, and will be so comfy in the warmer months. I'm imagining a pretty petticoat underneath, a little lace poking out at the bottom and then some sweet mary janes to round it off.

I love the fact that the checks are not uniform and there's a large repeat in the pattern but because of this, decided to keep the style as plain as plain could be. Round necked, which is interfaced and top stitched and nothing more. The launch of my new website is getting ever closer, with excitement levels akin to the children counting down to Christmas and this dress will be among the first on there.

OK, so it's way too cold to even think about wearing this right now but the Husband and I had a jolly old time with our little modelling shoot yesterday. The sun was very kindly shining brightly and given it was its first appearance in a while, there was very definitely a case of 'now or never'. It was a bit of a struggle getting changed though, especially since I was cosied up under a multitude of layers at the time.

I'm feeling so cold at the moment but the sun is back with us today, which makes me feel hopeful of warmer days to come. Having said that, I think we are getting snow this weekend. Oh well, you can't win 'em all!

Keep warm, everyone.

a purse from a dress

2012-01-31T12:38:00.003Z

Do you remember this dress? I was wearing it yesterday and it made me feel all warm and snug and very much cosseted. Then I spied a remnant of the wool in my cupboard. Not enough for another garment, unfortunately, but enough to satisfy my sudden urge to make up some more purses. And perhaps a cushion to come, we'll see.

Probably the last of the woollen purses for the shop this season, although these are the first I have made this year so far as it happens. I sewed a length of vintage hemp-coloured lace onto one side and used some of my precious 1930's rosy posy fabric for the lining, picking out the blue in the check.

I have managed to give myself tendonitis in my right arm (blaming childrens' school bags here but I suspect it's more likely the excessive pinning I've been doing lately!) and have promised the Physiotherapist that Messrs Cameron and Osborne have very kindly provided that I'd go a little easier on the computer for a while. Easier said than done but if it gets to the stage that I can't use my sewing machine I shall be one very unhappy bunny. And heaven forfend I should be forced to give up on the washing up!!

As well as a series of exercises I've been given, I've been told to pack my arm in ice for ten minutes, twice a day. Is she nuts? That's never going to happen, it's -1.5 deg out there today and as I look out of my window I can see something falling from the sky. I'm thinking it may be snow!

Have a lovely week.

loose ends

2012-01-23T12:26:00.002Z

Thank you so so much for your lovely, encouraging comments on my last post, I can't express how much I appreciate those sentiments.

I've been spending time making up the bags that I like to pack my jewellery in before sending them off to good homes. It's quite cathartic really. I did a job lot of cutting out both floral fabric and linings last week and then, with an hour to spare before school pick up on Friday, I sewed them together. Finally, whilst the husband was reading the Model her bedtime story that night I snuck upstairs to finish off the loose ends of thread. A vintage button to stitch on and I shall have a good pile to see me through a while to come and even better, I now have some time to devote to sewing up another dress. So many ideas flooding my head at the moment.

I've been quite productive since the children got back to school earlier this month, I think starting the new year has given me the push I needed to get into second gear. Oh and one thing I forgot to mention last week is that my chandelier earrings are currently being featured in UK Handmade's Valentine showcase.

By the way, apparently last Monday was 'Blue Monday', supposedly the most miserable day of the year. I actually felt quite chirpy then but the weather today is damp and grey to say the very least.

What are you up to?

aubergine shift dress

2012-01-16T10:05:00.003Z

I must confess to feeling a little excited right now. Giddy, even. You see, the Husband has been spending rather a lot of his spare time building a new website for me. One which, hopefully, might work. Unlike the last one which was hastily pushed to one side and ignored once it became clear we couldn't add payment options without investing a small fortune. Kind of important really and frustrating too, because whoever heard of a business where you can look but can't buy? All the categories, product text and photos have been uploaded. There are some tricky adjustments to be made but I'm hoping there may be something to show off soon. Ish!

As well as jewellery and purses, I'm venturing into a little clothing. A few things for girls and an assortment of dresses and tunics for women, the sort of things I like to wear myself and all in limited numbers. This is my first piece, a simple style shift, using the most amazing ex-Burberry medium weight cotton I found. Perfect for now with a cardi, for Spring, early Summer, Autumn, this fabric is truly special. Dress it up or dress it down.

The colour is difficult to describe but the fabric has been tightly woven with burgundy and black threads, resulting in an aubergine-y shade that changes with the light. I prefer simplicity but another reason for retaining it here is to let this fabric shine, indeed there is a very slight sheen on the surface. There is the merest touch of embellishment, in the form of some Japanese embroidered linen trim at the neckline.

Anyway, whilst I await my new website, where this dress is destined, it can be bought right here, right now .. unless I cave in and start wearing it myself, that is! Details below.

But where are my manners? Before Christmas I won a couple of giveaways and didn't get round to posting about them. I promise faithfully my Mother brought me up to be better than that!

The first was Vivienne's prize which consisted of, amongst many gorgeous goodies, some of her beautifully knitted and crocheted brooches and a bar of G&B's. Sadly I wasn't the only one who was delighted when her envelope dropped onto the mat, and I quickly lost out on most of the loot. Thank you Vivienne. The second was Ginny's woollen heart, so pretty and completely my colour scheme, it is currently hanging on one of my wardrobe door handles, so I can see it each day. Thanks so much Ginny!

It's such a beautiful sunny day here in London so I'm off to take a photo of the sky. I joined Annie's Project Sky 365 last week and it's a lot of fun finding out what everyone else is seeing when they look upwards. You can join in here if you like.

Have a lovely week, everyone.

Aubergine Shift Dress

100% medium weight cotton (ex-Burberry)

Embroidered linen trim

UK Size 10 (body measurements 34/27/37)

Currently unhemmed

Gentle machine wash

£90

Free UK delivery (please ask for international rates)

* enough fabric to make again in size 8, 10 or 12

energy boosting

2012-01-11T07:29:00.002Z

Hello, hello and a Happy New Year to one and all.

I bet you had too much of the sweet stuff over Christmas? Oh yes you did and don't deny it. Well, here is a perfect little recipe, especially ideal for this time of year when over indulgence is the word on everyone's lips. It's healthy, tasty, full of vital omegas and made with only natural sweeteners.

I read about it on Natacha's Piou Piou blog over the Christmas break and it sounded so good I had to try it straight away. De-lish-ous! It's one of those recipes where you can easily use whatever's to hand so there's no mad dash to the shops. For this second batch, destined for school snacks, I have varied the ingredients from the original. I didn't have much butter so used extra coconut oil, and since the Model's school have banned sesame seeds I used hemp seeds instead. Hemp gives a crunchy, nutty flavour but when unhulled it can get stuck in your teeth so you may prefer the sesames. I always cut down the sweetness dramatically in recipes but you must do as you and your conscience see fit ..

Use all butter if you wish but we always have coconut oil in the house and cook with it most days. Think about using different dried fruits such as apricots and perhaps a few prunes, although sparingly with the latter I think .. or suffer the consequences! Try adding coconut flakes (coconut is a wonder food due to its anti viral properties), different seeds even and guaranteed this will care for your bod far more than Messrs Mars and Hershey ever will. For weekends, I would chuck in a selection of chopped nuts but alas not for school lunch boxes as, like many schools I'm guessing, they are strictly verboten as well!

Beware though, when I first made these bars, the Boy asked whether it was intended for the birds!

Here is my adapted version of Natacha's muesli bar, which has also been converted into 'english speak'. And since the Model has taken a greedy shine to this recipe, I let her rename it. Start the day before you want to eat, because some of the seeds are soaked overnight .. not only are they easier to blend, they're also easier to digest that way!

raw nutrient bar

110g (1 cup) sunflower seeds

110g (1 cup) pumpkin seeds

110g (4 oz) coconut oil/butter mixed (proportion doesn't matter)

1 good dessertsp runny honey

110g (1 cup) chopped dates

55g (1/2 cup) pumpkin seeds

55g (1/2 cup) sunflower seeds

55g (1/2 cup) hemp seeds

Soak the first batch of sunflower and pumpkin seeds in a large bowl of water overnight.

Next day, rinse the soaked seeds thoroughly and leave to drain. Lightly toast the remaining dry seeds on the hob or in the oven. Put the coconut oil/butter into a medium pan, together with the honey and chopped dates and heat gently until the oil/butter has melted. Set aside to cool slightly.

Put the drained seeds into the food processor and whizz till fairly mushy. Next add the oil and date mixture and blitz again. Add the toasted seeds and pulse briefly to mix but avoid turning to pulp.

Turn the mixture out into a medium baking dish, flatten with the back of a spoon and place in the fridge for several hours to firm up.

Keep refrigerated.

Anyway, that's enough virtuousness. Just before the Christmas holidays I was introduced tothis German delight. Have you had it before? It's herbal and warming and wait, there's more .. it's medicinal, don't you know?!

out with the old

2011-12-31T20:13:00.000Z

Farewell to a pretty darned good 2011 and here's to a brilliant and even better 2012. I can't wait to share the journey with you.

Wishing everyone the brightest, the healthiest, the craftiest and the very happiest of New Years.

Kate x

merry merry

2011-12-24T08:35:00.000Z

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year. Thank you for popping in, for all your support and for leaving your thoughts, they have been so much appreciated.

See you in 2012.

Kate x

christmas tree

2011-12-21T20:48:00.002Z

Well, the tree is done. It went up yesterday but was still wet. Within hours, Alfie the tabby cat had been up to investigate the top but it's a good solid one so we're hoping it will last the course. The children decorated the tree today and we had the grand turning on of the lights this evening, amid Christmas carols and general over excitement. Christmas has begun and now I think I could be feeling festive.

I notice there isn't an even spread of decorations on this tree. There are areas where it practically bows and then there are parts where it looks positively bald. But I won't interfere. I'm not going to. I'm really not ..

Four more sleeps.

a wool dress

2011-12-19T08:40:00.002Z

I've been trying to get decent photos of this dress all week but the skies have been quite grey, the light so low and now the husband has arrived back from Nairobi with some weird bug or other and taken to his bed. It's also freezing cold and what you don't see is the thick socks, vest and hat I'm wearing to keep the blood circulating. I shot these with the self timer .. always a challenge focusing on yourself when you're standing the wrong side of the lens so, after a lot of tinkering with the camera settings, I'm going to have to call it a day with this lot!

The minute I saw this wool I had to have it. The colours, the pattern, the feel of it .. it's gorgeous. But it was also pricy, so I hesitated to cut until I was completely happy. I wanted to make a dress totally simple in style, absolutely no gathers, darts, elasticated anything .. I just wanted to show off those lovely checks without distraction.

A long search led me to lesson 3 in this book. I liked the flared skirt and the fact it is roomy enough for me to wear a top underneath if I want. I left the sleeves till the end, not cutting out until I had finally made up my mind as to whether to plump for short, three quarter length or long. The pattern gives plain, loose, three-quarter but I settled on making a cuff and did similar sleeves to my Tova dress, which I love. Once I had the pattern drafted, the dress itself was a cinch to make and the wool, I hasten to add, was a dream to sew. No shifting about and fraying like the flannel and it feels so soft and silky.

I deliberately chose not to try matching all the checks but concentrated on marrying up just the sleeves instead. I'm quite happy to have a little discoordination, perfect isn't always best. I didn't bother to line it either, to eliminate bulk, I have a navy slip which I might wear instead.

One irritation about this book is the fact there are no body measurement sizes included, only finished garment measurements. You mustn't always assume that these books follow a standard sizing chart either, when comparing the garment size to those printed in other books there were slight discrepancies. I went up a size to make my dress (to give me the option of layering) but took in the side seams a fraction so it's not so sack-like. I also added a fair bit to the overall length as these Japanese patterns are normally a little short for me.

I wasn't sure how to prepare the fabric in the first place. I can't bear the idea of regular dry cleaning so after chatting it over with both the shop and with the font of all knowledge (my Mum), I put it all into the washing machine on a hand wash cycle and crossed my fingers tightly. I intended to give it the quickest of spins but then promptly forgot and it went the full cycle. Thankfully it survived, so no misshapen, felted mass of fibres and if there was any shrinkage it was evenly done and I'm non the wiser.

Perhaps by now you may have picked up on the number of checked garments being created in the harmony and rosie household. Well, I'm thinking this may be the last but you never know. Never say never. And am I crazy about this dress? Oh yes, siree, I'm going to be wearing it on Christmas Day!

Happy frantic preparations!

wool love

2011-12-09T09:47:00.001Z

I was really excited to get hold of a bundle of vintage wool recently. Good, weighty stuff in perfect colours, shades that positively shout out vintage. And beautifully thick too, the equivalent of a pair of cosy, comfy slippers.

Of course some of it is being turned into purses. I adore woollen bags and purses and even more so at this time of year. And I'm actually enjoying decreasing the stash of crochet and lace that I've accumulated over the years, it's like a mini spring clean, almost.

I love taking a piece of fabric and marrying it up with its future lining, playing about with colour combinations and different prints. The mustard and grey have been paired with remnants of the fabric used for this shirt and the green checks are partnered with the Liberty lawn originally bought for the Model's dress back here.

The mustard and green purses have made it to the shop but as for the charcoal grey, I just can't quite do it yet .. my heart's holding on but my head is fighting hard. I got just the one piece of it, a perfect size to make this purse with not one thread of wastage involved. Can I part with it? I just don't know. You must know my feelings towards grey!

And talking of wool love, I've made a start on that wool dress I mentioned but it's going to be a slow process I think. What are you doing?

a flannel nightie

2011-12-07T11:03:00.002Z

Well, she had to have a flannel nightie, didn't she? The nights are becoming quite cold now, don't you think? So I upped the ante and finished off this project that was started a week or two ago. It's all busy busy busy here.

I used the same Japanese pattern as for this nightie .. possibly because I still had the pattern already drafted out and probably because I'm all for an easier life. In any case, it's a winner of a pattern. The fabric is left over from the Tova dress I recently made and I'm thinking it may just have been growing in the darkness of the cupboard as there's still some left for something else.

I bought some fabulous wool the other day and am itching to get stuck into that. Perhaps it'll have to stay on the back burner a while longer, after all January will doubtless be cold so there's still time for woollen dresses.

Keep warm, everyone!

kicking leaves

2011-12-02T09:07:00.001Z

These recent gales we've been subjected to have blown down any remaining leaves I would say and before the rain started, they were deep and crisp and decidedly crunchy.

We had to have some repair work done on the roof this week and my eyes are still watering at the thought of how much money we had to part with. It would appear that roofing is quite the industry to be in, although I didn't envy the guy when the wind was howling around the chimney tops. But at least there's hope for a dry house this Winter and now I don't flinch quite so much at the merest mention of any snow that may come over the next few months.

I've been beavering away in my little space all week, only taking time out to watch the childrens' various school activities and presentations as they begin the run up to Christmas. Just a couple of weeks to go before it's school's out, can you believe it?

I added another cashmere purse to the pile, this one's a lovely conker-brown shade, with vintage Liberty lawn and 1920s appliqued blossoms which look as though they're being blown about in the wind too.

Have a great weekend, everyone. It's a beautiful day today.

autumn's harvest

2011-11-30T09:50:00.001Z

{Flower Harvest Vintage Charm Necklace available here}

The weather has been unbelievably wild and windy here these past couple of days that I doubt there's a single bloom in our garden now. But in my mind, it would be full of amethyst, lilac and heather purples paired with ambers, russets and ochres. Oh, and yellow daisies too. Plus a supply of pine cones for the fireside and lots of golden leaves to crunch on ...

And you?

plaid tova dress

2011-11-28T08:59:00.004Z

I've been coveting a Tova dress for ages now. Jenny Gordy's patterns sell out super quickly so when she recently added more to her shop, I snapped one up immediately. There are many versions out there but it's those made in plaid that have captured my attention, it's almost as though Tova was made for it. And seeing as I am having a major 'check' moment, I decided to make my own. My last visit to Fabrics Galore certainly turned up trumps, they had such a good selection of flannel checks that choosing 'the one' took a while.

When it came to it, the flannel was a slippery little eel as it moves about so, and matching up the checks took some thought too. How I wish I knew how to put in the walking foot that my lovely mother swears by, insisting I, too, should have one.

The pattern, which gives an option of a tunic dress or a top, comes printed on sturdy paper in sizes XS-M, or M-XL, and is accompanied by several sheets of thorough, encouraging instructions along with several black and white photographs to reinforce them. It's expensive, too, in the same league as the Merchant and Mills shirts I recently made. However, like the M&M, there is scope for modification and they are both completely seasonless styles, making it a price worthy of paying in my book.

Now that it's finished though, I'm finding the flannel to be quite a clingy fabric but if I wear it with a silky camisole underneath and over jeans rather than something woollen, it might be OK. Nevertheless, the jury's out as to whether it ends up being shortened into the top, which I rather like the idea of anyway, so only time will tell. Besides, there are sure to be several more Tovas along the way.

Wishing you a great week!

cranberry

2011-11-24T09:41:00.002Z

There are a lot of recipes out there for a festive cranberry sauce and I have to confess that previously I have made mine up on Christmas morning as I'm making stock from the turkey giblets and preparing vegetables.

For this year I wanted something a little bit different, but not too much. And something that will keep long after the turkey is finished, with extra to give away as gifts. Who else to turn to than the Americans, I reckon, and it was on Pinterest that I came across this lovely book. I only typed in 'canning' to get some pretty ideas and up it popped, time and time again. Then two or three days later, courtesy of Amazon, the book was mine!

There are a couple of good recipes for cranberry sauce but on Sunday morning, whilst the children sat at the kitchen table doing their homework, this was the one for which the ingredients were already waiting in the cupboard. Actually, not quite everything so, as per usual, I adapted it just a little.

Spiced Cranberries

4 x 300g packets cranberries, rinsed and destalked

1.1kg sugar

300ml freshly squeezed orange juice (approx 5)

300 ml water

2 tsp ground cloves

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp freshly ground nutmeg

Put a small plate into the freezer. Sterilise jars.

Put all ingredients into a preserving pan and heat gently until sugar has dissolved. Bring to the boil over a high heat and then lower to a simmer and stir occasionally, until setting point is reached (a small dab of the syrup wrinkles on the plate when cooled), about 15-20 minutes.

Ladle into hot, sterilised jars and seal immediately.

makes 5 x 1pt jars

Ours are as yet unlabelled, call it a work in progress. But there are some really fun packaging ideas to download on Pinterest. And the cranberries are delicious, by the way!

Have you started making preparations yet?

PS - Happy Thanksgiving to those of you across the Pond!

cashmere and crochet

2011-11-22T11:16:00.004Z

I had a bit of a scare yesterday. With orders gathering momentum over the last couple of weeks or so, and the countdown for the well publicised 'Cyber Monday' next week, traditionally the most popular online shopping day of the year, I have been getting busier and busier in my little room. And then it happened. My sewing machine came to a standstill .. mid purse. Talk about timing!

Fortunately my local sewing machine centre is reasonably close by so I hastily got into the car and sped away, foot down, fully aware that the school run was beckoning. Thankfully, it was just the pedal that had given up and the centre had another to sell. If my machine had had to be grounded for repair, I just don't know what I would have done. Apart from cry, of course!

It's pretty much purse city in the house at the moment, so I can't blame the machine for its hissy fit. I'm just grateful there isn't an expensive bill to dig deep for.

I think that cashmere and Christmas (oops, did I just type that out loud?) go together, and that's what I've been dreaming up lately. Cashmere, coupled with vintage Liberty, together with a little antique embellishment equals perfection in my book.

What are you up to?

blue

2011-11-18T09:58:00.002Z

{Hearts and Crowns Vintage Charm Necklace available here}

I've had a boy at home sick with me this week so no crafting done (apart from finishing the mitts) and only a little photography achieved. Hoping next week brings better tidings.

Happy weekend everyone!

making mitts

2011-11-16T08:44:00.001Z

I've been needing new oven mitts for a very long time. The ones I'd been using were distinctly decrepit. Falling apart and wearing away in the most needed of places and having been burned one time too many, I thought it only fair to give my suffering hands a fresh pair.

This project was one of necessity rather than desire. The fabric I used is nothing special, although robust and also given to me by a dear friend as part of her large declutter. Of course the magpie in me was never going to leave it behind but once washed, ironed and taking up valuable space, I became stuck for ideas as to how it should be used.

Much as I love surrounding myself with glorious fabrics, I really can't see the point of using them for something so industrious as oven mitts. Quite possibly a testament to my ruthless cooking methods, but mine quickly become charred, stained and distinctly unattractive. So once I had decided to make the mitts, choosing the fabric suddenly wasn't so difficult after all.

As predicted, I found this a boring task and one which has taken me over a month to complete. My boy has been at home with a tummy bug this week (there he is at the top, modelling in his pjs) so finally they were finished, with me hand stitching the cuffs whilst sitting, chatting, at his bedside. I'm not even convinced I saved much money doing them myself, but since I now have a reasonable supply of heatproof wadding, I will need to make more to recoup the cost.

I shouldn't be so negative really. The pattern, which came from this lovely book, was easy enough. I had fun swirling my pattern onto each side, despite the fact my basic singer wouldn't let me lower the feed dog and the manual didn't advise how to take it out. But because of the sheer bulk of the 'sandwich', not only did my newly serviced sewing machine complain but I doubt my scissors were especially happy either. I've never had oven mitts before, only the long, joined up types but already I'm thinking perhaps I made a mistake. Oh well, time will tell but at least there'll be no more burned hands ..

And you, if it's not a dull question .. mitts or gloves?

preserving autumn

2011-11-14T08:09:00.004Z

We have an excellent farm shop nearby and because my Saturday morning routine invariably involves a visit, I have got to know the owner very well. In his shop at the moment is the most wonderful selection of apples and pears, a huge assortment in fact and even a couple from quite rare varieties. But, aside from their genus, the one thing they have in common is the fact they have all been grown on English soil. Many of the pears are over-sized, yet full of juicy flavour and the children are relishing these home grown fruits. It's beyond me that the supermarkets are crammed with apples and pears from far-away lands when the very best is available right here in our own.

I absolutely LOVE chutney. So much so, I will gladly eat it with most any meal and sometimes I even incorporate it into my cooking if something needs a bit of a 'lift'.

This simple chutney, which I can't recommend highly enough, has been adapted from Marguerite Pattens' excellent Jams, Preserves and Chutneys Handbook, which is chock full of good, honest, no-nonsense recipes. Ours was made one rainy afternoon during the Half Term holiday, filling the house with the delicious scent of an English Autumn and, what's more, it tastes so good. If you dislike ginger, then simply leave it out.

Pear, Apple and Ginger Chutney

1 1/4kg firm pears (weight when prepared)

1 1/4kg cooking apples (weight when prepared)

675g onions

750ml cider vinegar

2 tsp ground ginger

2 tsp pickling spices (mace, cloves, allspice berries, etc) -

tied into a small square of muslin

450g muscovado sugar

450g raisins

Wash, peel (if desired) and core the apples and pears. Chop the fruits and onion into smallish chunks and put into a preserving pan. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well. Bring to a simmer and cook till the chutney is the consistency of thick jam, stirring occasionally to avoid sticking, approx 1 1/2 hours.

Ladle into hot, sterilised jars and seal immediately.

Makes 6 x 1pt jars

As I sit in my kitchen, with the morning cold and grey outside, I can see five glistening jars of English Autumn on the counter top and am lamenting the fact I'm one down already!

Wishing you a happy, fruitful week ahead!

a checked shirt

2011-11-10T11:19:00.002Z

Well, the sun is very obliging this morning so I made myself a large cup of tea and took some hasty snaps of my latest sewing project. The minute I saw this fabric I knew it would be right for a shorter version of the Merchant and Mills dress shirt I made recently. It is a single-sided napped cotton, brushed on the reverse, and will be perfect for Autumn and Winter.

Thankfully I noticed the annoying flaw in the fabric whilst it was on the ironing board so I was able to keep it in mind when arranging the pattern pieces. I managed to juggle them around so that the final piece was as close to the flaw as possible so I still have enough fabric for another project. There's someone else in the house who has her beady eyes on these checks too!

The bib of the M&M pattern is designed to be cut out as two halves and then sewn together but I wanted a continuous line of checks. So I placed the pattern piece on the fold, overlapped it by 1.5cm (to take into account the seam allowances for each half) and cut it as one whole piece. When it came to stitching the bib to the front of the shirt, I took it really slowly to avoid the fabric shifting and throwing the checks out of alignment at the pleat. Thankfully it worked out pretty well.

The pattern is pre-cut into a long dress shirt so I decided on my final length and used a tape measure to mark the edges at each side. I also wanted to keep the curved hem, so I just moved the pattern piece upwards to meet the marked edges and then traced along the curve. I shortened my dress by 32cm.

Then, because the fabric is most definitely intended for the cooler months, I lengthened the sleeves too. I did this by simply extending the existing cutting line of the pattern piece with a ruler, and I lengthened it by 22cm. As with the first, there is a fair bit of optional edge stitching, around the bib, along the shoulder line, on the yoke. So I gave myself a reasonably wide hem on the sleeve and edge stitched that too.

The shirt was a joy to sew, just as I loved making the dress version, but I still had problems with the first sleeve. It had to be unpicked twice until it occurred to me to try it on the other armhole. Yep, you've guessed it .. doh!

I finally succumbed to the heating switch yesterday. Just for the sake of getting the family up in the morning you understand. Although I do realise my challenge to forego the heating for as long as possible is crumbling, I think the house will thank me for it. All that heavy rainfall has not helped the brickwork!!

Wishing you all a sunny, dry day!

nursery rhymes

2011-11-04T09:20:00.002Z

Last year I made purses with some nursery rhyme fabric I had found and was delighted when they flew out of the shop like hot cakes .. or perhaps I should say hot jam tarts! Then the other day, whilst doing a spot of overdue tidying in the old fabric stash, I found another piece, some of which was promptly made into yet more purses. This set has been lined with vintage Liberty lawn in shades of blue and green and each purse is a unique mix of characters. There will be more to come but unfortunately I've mislaid the fabric again .. isn't that a sign of getting older. Please tell me I'm not the only one who does this?!

Incidentally I have just discovered the joys of twitter this week. Ever behind the times, I opened the account about a year ago in order to join Pinterest but it's been lying dormant ever since. But when I accrued a couple of followers (thanks Tess x) I thought I'd give it a go. What a hoot - it would be lovely if you came over and said hello!

Happy weekend to you - I hope it's going to be a dry one, particularly for the fireworks display we'll be going to on Saturday.

today's winner

2011-10-31T10:39:00.002Z

Sorry, sorry .. I know I promised to announce the giveaway winner yesterday. But yesterday turned into a very busy day indeed and I know you'll understand!

Yes, a winner was chosen by the h&r under twelves and a very convoluted method of picking it was too. Each blogger was given a number in the order they commented, a consecutive number allowed for being a follower/regular and then a third if the giveaway button was posted on their blog. Both children wanted to pick the winner so in the name of fairness it was decided they should both do it. The children played rock paper scissors (best of three) to decide who picked the first or second number. Do not stress or feel you have been overlooked in any way if your number in the comments section was a single figure, because that was thought out too.

Once the boy had wiped the floor with the Model by winning two:one and choosing to do the second, they then turned back to back, secretly thinking of their favourite number between zero and nine and held their fingers firmly above their heads, making out the appropriate number. This bit was important so I could get all hands in the photo, thus eliminating any cheating on their behalf and being able to prove the outcome to you just in case you should feel like checking up on us!!

And so it was that the Model chose zero and the Boy a number nine. Most confusing, I know, and we did discuss the ins and outs of how the heck we could get this to work fairly, cutting down on unnecessary usage of paper at the same time. (I expect you have noticed that children today are extremely environmentally-savvy, in fact the Husband and I are constantly in trouble for either using the car or not turning the engine off when we're in a traffic queue, or even going anywhere near a light switch during daylight hours. Apparently watching the TV is fine!!)

Anyway, by my reckoning 09 belongs to Andrea Creates so congratulations to you Andrea, and if you email me your details, I can get your pressie off to you this week. Thanks to everyone for joining in and also for all your lovely comments, as ever!

I've just had a very lazy Half Term .. no crafting done whatsoever, only a couple of photos taken but now I need to crack the whip and all systems go because suddenly it's full steam ahead to Christmas. I have some orders that need to be sent out and a whole lot of stuff that really needs to be done. NOW.

See you soon!

a two year giveaway - NOW CLOSED

2011-10-19T09:39:00.003+01:00

Thank you to all who made such lovely comments on my last two posts, I loved and really appreciated them! You bloggy girls really are the best!

It will be my second blog birthday on the 29th of this month so I thought I would celebrate with a giveaway and have three things to put in the parcel.

The first is a pair of earrings made with 1940s Japanese glass rondelle and lampwork beads and a pretty 1930s salmon-pink stone which is ridged and iridescent so quite unusual. The daisy earwires are made of lead and nickel free plated and lacquered brass but if you prefer, I can fit plain gold filled ones instead.

The second thing is a purse made from the remnants of two dresses you may be familiar with. The outer fabric is from my most recent make and the lining is from this red dress. It has a length of vintage cream lace on one side and a cheery, cherry red zip.

And thirdly, I have a small but stylish A6 note book which will fit neatly into your handbag or by your bedside. I don't know about you but I have taken to putting a pad next to my bed because I quite often think of something that needs to be done for next morning and writing it down is a lot less hassle than getting out of bed!

If you would like to join in the giveaway all you need do is leave a comment here .. perhaps you could tell me what you're planning for the Half Term holiday, if you have one that is. If you're a follower (new ones are more than welcome) or a regular contributor you will get a second chance and if you're prepared to put the header photo on your blog, let me know and you'll get a third. I am prepared to send to anywhere in the big wide world and will close the giveaway at midnight GMT on Saturday 29th. The winner will be announced on Sunday 30th.

Meanwhile a big, huge, massive thank you to everyone who has followed, made comments and generally tolerated my words and pictures over the last 24 months, that's quite a lot isn't it?

Have a great week, everyone!

in the pink

2011-10-17T08:29:00.003+01:00

A simple bracelet of vintage blossom pink glass. Lots of sound, movement, femininity and what's more .. perfect with grey!

I'm getting ready for the arrival of friends and the onslaught of Half Term but will be back in a couple of days with a giveaway!

Happy Monday.

pin striped

2011-10-14T11:09:00.004+01:00

I pushed the boat out the other day and bought a pattern from Merchant and Mills. It was rather expensive, about the price of an entire Japanese pattern book, but I fell hook line and sinker for their relaxed dress shirt, inspired by Granddad at a formal dinner.

It is a very different type of pattern to those I'm used to. Drafted onto thick card and rolled up in a tube, it came already cut to size (fantastic for saving time), notches cut out and all ready to plonk straight onto washed and ironed fabric. This was all completely new to me, totally straightforward and, when I used my tailors' chalk for the first time, I had visions of working high in the Parisian workshop of Madamoiselle Coco Chanel herself.

As well as all the pattern pieces coming as separate cards, M&M provided detailed sheets that were well written but even so I would say better suited to an intermediate seamstress. I had a little trouble with the sleeves and had to unpick to increase the length of ease for gathering. And, hard it may be to believe, at times I found the illustrations trickier to understand than my Japanese books, for example placing the bib on to the front of the shirt had me foxed until I engaged my brain and managed to figure that one out.

The fabric I used is a bluey-browny linen with a narrow blue stripe running through (Fabrics Galore), reminiscent of mens' city suits. I thought about making the sleeves a little longer to get me through the cooler months but I shall probably wear a thin top underneath, roll down the 3/4 sleeves and take the option of an all-weather shirt. I also couldn't make up my mind whether or not to shorten it but I finished it, thinking I shall wear it a couple of times and see how I go. Besides, with some different material it will look completely different and I've got plans to make a shorter, true shirt version to wear with trousers, like this one.

But before I've even started wearing it, I know I will enjoy this shirt dress. It feels so comfortable and I love the details .. the front pleat at the bottom of the bib, the bib itself of course, and the edge stitching right beside the seams. Love!

I've just received another new pattern that I'm itching to try and will do so after the Half Term break. Can you believe it's nearly Half Term already? I feel that I've just got into the swing of things and it's pens down, shut up shop all over again.

Have a lovely weekend!

chocoholic

2011-10-12T10:00:00.004+01:00

After the success of the Carrot and Coconut cake I've been playing around with coconut flour a bit more.

If you've read any of my previous 'food' posts you will know that a) my children have several allergies (including gluten) and b) I am a bit on the keen side on cooking with coconut. This is because of a) mainly but the more I read up on the subject, it's also because it is just so darned healthy for you.

Coconut flour takes some getting used to, however. It lacks the elasticity that gluten provides and is altogether a much heavier, drier flour, making it a bit of an acquired taste. Not flavour, I hasten to add, because that is good! But I have been on a very long mission to find a batch of cake recipes that the children will enjoy because, believe me, it is a tricky road to travel on .. particularly at birthday parties when the lights go down and the candled cakes come out!

After a couple of trial runs, these brownies turned out really well though. Originally I tried using cocoa flour but that can be drying even in a wheat based recipe. But using good chocolate from a bar (Green and Blacks dark cooks' chocolate with 72% cocoa) and melting it in a bain marie made the cake moist and delicious. Still not on a wheat level, but pretty much there I think and there was a definite thumbs up from the Egons.

chocolate and coconut brownies

(gluten free)

110g good dark chocolate, broken into pieces

85g coconut oil, or butter (or a combination if you wish)

110g runny honey

5 medium eggs

1/4 vanilla pod, scraped

55g coconut flour

pinch salt

Preheat the oven to 180C. Grease and line a 7 x 7 inch square baking tin with parchment paper.

Put the chocolate and coconut oil/butter into a heatproof bowl. Set over a pan of barely simmering water (bain marie) and allow to melt, stirring occasionally. Set it aside to cool slightly.

In a medium bowl, whisk the honey, eggs and vanilla till combined. Sift the coconut flour in in stages and mix well. Coconut flour tends to lump so you may need to give it a quick whisk, but not too much or you will knock the air out of the mixture.

Pour into the baking tin and cook for 20 - 25 minutes.

It would be lovely if you tried some coconut baking, just to see what you think. I guess it's a bit like removing sugar from your cups of tea .. unthinkable to begin with but once you've got used to it, it becomes second nature. And I bet your tummy will thank you for it!

Happy Wednesday to you!

Addendum : For details of where I buy my coconut oil and flour, check out the link above. Coconut oil is widely available in shops and supermarkets but sadly not the flour but the same link will give lots of other info about using coconut products. Worth a browse!

wool and lace

2011-10-10T09:03:00.002+01:00

It's cold now and all I want to do is throw on the woollens and stay as warm as possible. Getting out of bed in the morning is starting to become more difficult and it won't be long before the lure of the boiler switch reels me in. This year we shall challenge ourselves to see just how far we can go before the heating wins. I know that putting away the last pieces of Summer clothing, I'm already reaching for the cosier, comforting things to wear. And most definitely the tights! It's hard to believe that only last weekend we were slathering the sun cream on the children.

I'm finally feeling the need to reacquaint myself with a knitting project I started early last April, then put down during the premature Summer we enjoyed .. somehow never to be picked up again. Given it's meant for one of the children, I'm hoping there won't be any size issues to deal with!

And I want to sew warmer, thicker fabrics too. But, you know something, I've been at the grey again! French broderie anglaise on soft wool and a crocheted lace adorned purse that heralds the last of the tweed. I am certainly going to miss that!

Have you succumbed to Autumn now .. surely you must have?!

a first year

2011-10-07T09:27:00.001+01:00

Official first birthday portraits. Alfie and Millie Mittens.

We still can't believe that these furry little beasts are today no longer kittens and have now reached cat-hood. The human equivalent is 15 years so I'm also hoping there's an end to the crazy behaviour (curtains spring to mind, grrr) that we have been privy to on the odd occasion. Also surprising is that they have been a part of our family since last December, doesn't time fly?

The following photos were taken, at just a few weeks old, by their 'foster mother' employed by the rescue home and sent to us shortly before they joined our family. Up till then we had no idea what they looked like. We just knew we were having a brother and sister, just like our own children!

By the way, thank you for your comments on my previous post. I really feel like I know you so much more now I know what you wear in bed at night!!

Happy weekend to you all.

sweet lavender dreams

2011-10-05T09:07:00.005+01:00

The Model needed sleepwear and no way was I going to buy any! Up till now she has been wearing pjs but now she's starting to change her mind.

This pretty cotton seersucker with tiny lavender and white checks does the job perfectly I think and it's a really good weight for sleeping in too. The pattern, which is from this Japanese sewing book, is really for a pair of pyjamas but I drafted just the top and used an existing nightie for guidance on length. I made it on the large side, too, after all there's nothing worse than feeling constricted when you're trying to catch some zzzz and besides, that way it'll last a fair while too!

The original version calls for a little hand stitched smocking in the middle but the truth is I wanted it to be a quick job. So I stitched three lines of shirring instead which worked a treat and, seeing as a bobbin was already wound with shirring elastic from this dress, it ended up saving me yet more time!

Wishing you all sweet dreams tonight! Do you prefer pjs or a nightie?

checkered light

2011-10-03T09:13:00.003+01:00

I found another vintage lampshade to cover recently, a larger version of this project.

As with the last, I used the original cover for my template. Only I added a little extra to the width, simply because the ones I have seen have been stretched tight, to the extent that they have torn.

I have been hoarding this wonderful antique German homespun, greedy with the knowledge there are endless possibilities for it but nevertheless reluctant to make the chop. It is gorgeous, real quality and quite weighty stuff, perfect for anything in my book, even dressmaking, or so I'll be finding out soon enough I expect.

When it came to embellishment, I really did think long and hard. However ultimately the shade is destined for the guest room which I don't want to be gender specific. By definition the shape errs on the feminine side so I'm hoping the checks balance it out. The button is a vintage one from my ever growing stash .. and I dare say you understand all about that!

By the way, one thing I didn't mention last time, if you make your own it is essential to coat the fabric with fire retardant and let it dry before putting it over the frame. I found an environmentally friendly one here.

Wishing you a lovely week ahead, wherever you may be.

may contain nuts

2011-09-30T08:41:00.006+01:00

I often think Pinterest has a lot to answer for. I go through stages with my 'pinning' and am currently as obsessed with it as I was when I first joined this time last year. I say it has a lot to answer for because it is filled with the most wonderful possibilities for inspiration. Be it beautiful fashions to swoon over, must-have home wares, new places that need to be travelled to and much much more and all this makes me think I want it all. Then there's the food and suddenly I feel the need to cook.

My family were especially pleased yesterday, because I found a delicious recipe on Pinterest for a cake that's all but gone already yet will be made again and that's a fact. Our children have several allergies, including gluten and grains, which means puddings and cakes are not the simplest of things to provide but this one ticks all the boxes, plus it's healthy too .. not to mention delicious! I tweaked the original just a little to suit the kids, and converted the main into 'english speak'!

Carrot and Coconut Cake

300g ground almonds

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 inch piece large cinnamon stick, ground (or 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon powder)

50g coconut oil, melted

50g honey

1 inch piece vanilla pod, ground with a little of the coconut oil

4 medium eggs

1 medium (approx 100g) carrot, grated

1 medium (approx 200g) courgette, grated

1 medium (approx 135g) apple, grated

Vanilla Cream

100g cashews, soaked a few hours then drained/rinsed

100ml fresh apple juice

1 medjool date, pitted and roughly chopped

1/2 vanilla pod, scraped (save the remains for vanilla sugar)

Preheat the oven to 180C. Grease a 9 inch cake tin. In a large bowl combine the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl combine wet ingredients. Pour wet mixture into the dry and stir to incorporate. Pour into prepared cake tin and cook for about 50 minutes, or until a cocktail stick inserted into the centre comes out clean.

To make the cream, put all the ingredients into a fast blender and blitz till completely smooth. Smooth it on top of the cake when cold, or serve on the side. That's it!

Having extolled the benefits of cooking with coconut before, I use it in all our baking, principally because it is gluten free but also because it tastes so good and does your body a favour too!

Changing the subject, I was flattered to be contacted by be@home a couple of weeks ago, asking if they could feature me in one of their 'best of the web' articles. You can check it out here if you like and you may like to read their tips section too. There are some interesting hints to be found there!

Wishing you a wonderful weekend, the weather here is amazing.

autumnal

2011-09-28T08:46:00.004+01:00

I thought blackberry season was well and truly over but the children managed to sniff some out at the weekend. A quick photo, then they were gone and I can only imagine how good they tasted!

But despite this can't-make-up-its-mind weather, there's a lovely autumnal feel to the air now and tramping about amongst the ochre leaves reminds me why this is my favourite season of all. Since our holiday I have this constant yearning to walk so we drove to one of London's larger commons to stretch our legs that bit further.

And I've been sewing again, this time with Autumn in mind of course, using up remnants of wool tweed left over from this project. Teamed with antique crochet and vintage Liberty it's giving me thoughts of yet more crispness under foot and a reminder that it'll soon be time to order logs for the fire!

I hope your week is going well, it's beautiful here.

shades of grey

2011-09-26T08:54:00.005+01:00

I've been very industrious these last few days, restocking the shop after several months of neglect. What's more, I haven't made any jewellery for such a long time and had a real urge to make a chunky, yet feminine, bracelet to see in the new season.

I'm having a pearl moment right now and these vintage glass pearls are stunning. They date back many many decades and come from the factories of the late, great, Miriam Haskell (1899 - 1981). The one who started it all! So much variety; dimpled, smooth, some perfectly round, others haphazardly shaped, each one different and interesting in its own right. All so wonderfully tactile.

I also made a couple of purses with some lovely vintage fabric, originally used for curtains I think. The slate grey background is a great combination with the pink blousy cabbage roses and the whole thing looks muted and understated with the soft cotton floral lining. As well as making a regular purse sized one, I made an oversized version and boxed the corners so it will stand comfortably when filled with an array of goodies.

I've also spent a little time going through my wardrobe, packing away the majority of my summer clothes. They don't seem to have been out that long. But it's good to welcome back some old favourites and yes, there is a lot of grey there too!

Which season are you wearing now and more importantly, have the tights come out yet?

bonkers for conkers

2011-09-23T09:08:00.004+01:00

A couple of weekends ago we went in search of conkers for the Model. Each year she likes to collect as many as she possibly can and then have them sit around in various parts of the house for months on end until the day comes when I smuggle them out without her noticing. This year, being the good mummy that I am, I have provided a basket so at least they will all sit together.

Two or three days after they were brought into the house, however, we started having problems with the burglar alarm as it kept going off. Each time it was the same sensor that was being triggered and the alarm company said the fault could be something as simple as a fly or spider walking over it. It suddenly occurred to me that the fault area was also where the conker basket was and I started thinking we might be experiencing some sort of spider exodus. Perhaps there is some truth in the old wives' tale that conkers really do ward them off!

By the way, as we shared our conker stories, my Italian alarm engineer informed me that they made soap from them during the war. I'm not so sure we'll be trying that one, but I dare say there are now more than enough for the harmony and rosie family challenge this weekend.

Have a good one!

an oilcloth apron

2011-09-21T08:52:00.005+01:00

You may remember my previous dalliance with oilcloth when I covered my Ikea step stool with bargain Kate Forman 'oyster christobel' earlier this year? Well, there's still a fair bit left in the cupboard, including a beautiful duck egg version and I've been racking my brains as to how to use the stuff.

The state of my existing aprons leave much to be desired. They are real, proper working aprons, not the pretty pretty ones that, in reality I would have a hard time using for fear of staining. So, clearly in need of a new one all the same, I thought I'd give it a go in oilcloth.

I laid one of my existing aprons over the top of the oilcloth and, with the help of my very fancy indeed French curve, drew around one side, making an adjustment or two as I went. I then folded the cloth carefully in half and cut along where I'd marked, ending up with a symmetrical shape.

Oilcloth is very well behaved to sew because it doesn't fray, however stitching directly onto it is a no-no because the needle sticks. There are a variety of methods to successful stitching but I already had some thick red cotton twill left over from a previous project, so I used that to create a binding and again for the ties. It works a treat, although you do need to use a size 16 needle and set the sewing machine to a longer stitch (I set mine to 3).

As for the subject of pockets, I have never used them in all my previous aprons. If I was a waiter then obviously I would need somewhere to keep my order pad and pen, however since I am using one mainly to protect my clothing from splashed food or washing up water, my used, tomato-stained utensils are hardly in a state fit enough to go into a pocket. But look up aprons on any internet site and they all have pockets .. so exactly what am I missing here?!

Happy Wednesday.

stitching cashmere

2011-09-19T09:07:00.002+01:00

The weather's turning, that's for sure, and at the beginning and end of each day there's a real nip in the air.

A cashmere jumper has been calling out for a renaissance and I thought it might be just the ticket for a new hat for the Model. It's such a pretty pinky-red colour and the petal tinge at the bottom of the ribbing gives it a bit of a pep. Because the wool is a fine 2-ply, it is perfect to keep the very slightest of chills away this Autumn. And since I already had the template cut out from when I made this hat for the boy last year, and the jumper had been semi-felted some time ago, it was a super-quick project to fit into a day last week when I didn't have too much time. In case you're wondering, the pattern comes from this book.

My poor shop has been neglected all Summer long so I also made a couple of purses from the same wool, embellishing them with an antique crochet flower and some vintage lace. I lined them both with something that may look rather familiar!

I hope your week is starting out well.

canada week : vancouver

2011-09-16T06:39:00.004+01:00

Do you remember me toying with the idea of perhaps living in the country? Well scrap that now, because there's somewhere else on the wish list. Vancouver!

One of the highlights was taking bikes around the fabulous Stanley Park, situated on a peninsula with breathtaking views and, when you're cycling around the edge, completely flat - always a bonus in my book. The centre is forested and all in all, there is an estimated 200 km of trails and roads within. Every so often we would stop and watch the sea planes coming and going, the herons on the water, and the seals lying around catching the rays.

We didn't see any of the rain that Vancouver is famed for, what we saw was a seaside city at the base of the mountains with the most amazing backdrop. If you ski, then some of the best skiing in the world (Whistler) is a mere hour away. It seems such a good healthy outdoorsy lifestyle where people use bicycles and rollerblades as a mode of transport. There are wonderful shops and crafts. Walk off any of the main streets and you will see peaceful tree-lined avenues where black squirrels scamper about and you might quite easily think you are miles away from the hubbub. And with the airport and ferry port only about 45 minutes drive away, what's not to love?

I had no idea that until 1886 Vancouver was called Granville? Not till we visited Granville Island, another peninsular just minutes away from downtown anyway. It is a brilliant place to visit and the Saturday we were there it was thronged with both locals and tourists taking in the atmosphere. The famous indoor market was vibrant and bustling, with a huge selection of fresh produce of all descriptions, flowers and high quality crafts. There was even a separate kids market which, needless to say, we had to visit.

Sadly one of our travelling party didn't get to do much sightseeing. The Model's favourite toy,Furby, was left behind in Jasper and later sent down to Vancouver by Greyhound, would you believe. Although very well travelled, she never got to see beyond her cardboard box!

Hotel stayed in :

Vancouver: Rosellen Suites at Stanley Park

Large, spacious appartment right next door to the wonderful Stanley Park and only minutes walk from downtown

* * * * *

So now we're well and truly back into the old routine, the jet lag is done and dusted and my sewing machine and I have been reunited after its little visit to the sewing machine hospital (I think it was this project that did it!). Will be back on Monday with a little bit of crafting I've been up to.

Happy weekend everyone!

canada week : vancouver island part II

2011-09-15T06:34:00.006+01:00

One of our best purchases this holiday was a cable to feed the iPod into the car stereo because some of our journeys were long and the children loved taking it in turns to play DJ. There is always a downside, of course, and now the husband and I could probably compete on Mastermind. Specialist subject: All songs by Lady Gaga! They're pretty good actually, don't you think? Oh, and Adele too!

After three nights in Tofino we headed further north to Telegraph Cove. The closer we got to it the more remote it became, only occasionally was the scenery marred by evidence of logging. Throughout Canada we saw trains with well over a hundred wagons transporting grains or oil but up there, it was logs. We also saw them sitting in rivers, waiting to be floated downstream and eventually made into furniture or paper.

The experience of Telegraph Cove will remain with me forever. Originally a sawmill and cannery community it's name came from the first telegraph operator who set up there in 1911. This gorgeous, cosy cottage (No 8) was where we stayed and was originally built by a Mr Ogawa in 1931. He worked in the cove building boxes to hold the salted dog salmon but during World War II Mr Ogawa was interned along with other Japanese citizens and his home was used for accommodation by various sawmill employees.

{No 8}

{the view from No 8}

Telegraph Cove has been preserved as much as possible and although there is a car park as soon as you arrive in the resort, the only way to get around is on a boardwalk that runs alongside the harbour and to the various cabins right the way to the end of the jetty.

Because the cove is renowned for its wild salmon fishing, the harbour has frequent visits from river otters. And bears! One evening we were walking along the boardwalk talking about a notice we had seen advising people never to go out walking in the nearby woods without taking 'bear spray' when our boy suddenly called out that he had seen one. Of course we thought he was joking but when we caught up with him, we could see a fairly large black bear standing behind a fairly small bush only a couple of metres or so away. We could see the whites of its eyes as it watched us and I tell you, I couldn't get us away fast enough. Needless to say, the children rate that as their favourite part of the holiday!

The Cove is most renowned for being the best place to go whale watching, in particular Orcas (killer whales) and Humpbacks. Our whale watching trip wasn't so great in Tofino, namely because the weather was rough and the children were seasick but here in TC it was completely different. The water was flat calm because we didn't go out onto the open sea and we had fantastic and exciting views of several Humpback whales and three different families of Orcas. It was so peaceful watching them and everyone on the boat was silent, taking in the experience. There was only the intermittent sound of an orca exhaling and it was really very special.

{Humpback}

{Orcas}

And as we left Telegraph Cove for the long drive and ferry crossing back to Vancouver, we saw this little family of black bears on the side of the road. In no hurry whatsoever.

hotels stayed in :

Telegraph Cove : No 8

AMAZING!

canada week : vancouver island part I

2011-09-14T11:41:00.029+01:00

Taking the one and a half hour ferry from Vancouver to Vancouver Island was a joy, the scenery so beautiful as we travelled through the clusters of islands in the bluest of calm seas.

We stayed a couple of nights in the capital, Victoria, but with the benefit of hindsight we wouldn't have bothered. It was pretty enough but not as inspiring as we had hoped, although we did hire bikes and ride along a small part of the galloping goose trail.

It was there that we came across a couple of young men who had found a small garter snake moments before we arrived. Once we were assured it was non-venomous the children couldn't wait to grab the poor thing and eventually had to be stopped from some sort of tug of war as they fought to hold it.

Once we had headed away from the coastline, the drive leaving Victoria was a little uninspiring too, until we reached Nanaimo anyway. However, the husband was particularly eager (and strangely knowledgeable) to point out as we were driving through Ladysmith that it was indeed the birthplace of Pamela Anderson!!

After Nanaimo the scenery became more and more lush and mountainous and five hours later we arrived at Tofino.

Tofino is a very special little place, with the relaxed feeling of a fishing village and stunning sandy beaches set amongst mountains. It's also a most unlikely place for a yarn shop, which was filled with lots of lovely skeins, many of them produced by local suppliers.

The beaches were littered with more driftwood than I have ever seen, and they also have some of the best rock pooling in the world apparently. They certainly didn't disappoint us.

We stayed in the top part of what can only be described as a pig sty (in shape!) which we had all been looking forward to because it was so different. We were right on the beach, looking out at the most amazing views of the Pacific Ocean.

{Ocean Village}

More beasts to be seen, although these ferrets were actually pets, being taken for a walk on leads!

{Bald Eagle}

One place we would loved to have stayed (sadly out of our budget) is the Wickaninnish Inn, situated right at the far end of this long, heavenly beach, but we did treat ourselves to lunch there. The incredible view as we ate our incredible food was almost too much to take in.

hotels stayed in :

Victoria: Royal Scot Hotel

slightly tired but well situated for the marina and town with a small but good swimming pool

Tofino: Ocean Village Resort

unusual, right on the beach, wonderful heated saltwater pool

canada week : the rockies

2011-09-13T09:15:00.035+01:00

We left Calgary and our lovely friends behind, bitterly regretting not ending our holiday with them instead and the look on our boy's face told us we were not alone. But despite destination Banff being only three hours or so away, it was time to leave and thankfully the day was wonderfully warm and sunny, and pretty much immediately the scenery was very easy on the eye. We were climbing into the Rockies in no time at all and eager to see what sights lay ahead.

We knew the weather forecast for the next day wasn't great so on reaching Banff we headed straight to the famous gondola to take in the views from Sulphur Mountain before the rain set in.

{view from the top}

This little chap was already happily having tea when we arrived. I don't condone feeding wild animals but he did make for a cute photo although despite the menu, he is actually a golden mantled ground squirrel and not a chipmunk. The way to tell the difference is to check the tail - chippies hold their tail bolt upright, whereas squirrels carry theirs out straight. So now you know!

The rain and mist had already set in when we got up the following day but even so we went for a drive, stopping at viewpoints on the way ..

{Peyto Lake}

{Mistaya Canyon}

and ended up at Lake Louise. Despite the changeable weather the emerald water created by the melt-water from the nearby glaciers did not disappoint and the atmosphere was as calm as the icy cold water. We contemplated taking a canoe out but thanked our lucky stars when the heavens opened about 20 minutes later.

Seeing a queue of traffic on the freeway is a sure sign of something interesting and funnily enough our best sightings of land mammals were seen in this way. So much for expensive trips and safaris, these animals were more than happy to ignore the people gaping at them, and they carried on munching the rich berries that were right by the side of the road.

{Elk}

{Black Bear}

Another must in the Rockies is a stop off at the Columbia Icefield and a trip up to the Athabasca Glacier. We were taken up in a huge ice explorer with massive wheels and deep treads to grip the ice, which is just as well seeing as we went up and down North America's steepest hill, apparently! It is said that drinking water from the Glacier affords one the elixir of youth .. obviously time will tell, but it's not looking likely so far!!

And the following day as we left Banff and headed up through the mountains to Jasper, there came one of the best and most memorable spots of the holiday as we watched this beautiful grizzly bear slowing ambling along the side of the road, within only four metres of our car. Incredible!

Hotels stayed in :

Banff: Douglas Firs

incorporates 'the only water slides in the Rockies'!! Nevertheless a welcome first hotel which went down a storm with the children

Jasper: Best Western

the only one available to us but perfectly clean, helpful, loads of space and therefore not a complaint from us

canada week : calgary

2011-09-12T09:02:00.017+01:00

You really are a brainy lot, I have indeed spent three weeks of my Summer in Canada which is, of course, in North America so you all score full marks! And what an amazing country it turned out to be. Lovely, friendly, charming people with a great sense of humour and some of the most staggeringly beautiful scenery I have ever seen.

This week on my blog is Canada week so apologies in advance for all the blurb to follow but I really want to record my trip and that is, is it not, the very essence of what a blog is for? For anyone toying with the idea of Canada as a future holiday destination, I'll give some links along the way because we stayed in some wonderful places and saw some truly awesome sights.

Our journey began in Calgary, three lovely days chilling out with friends who relocated from Blighty ten years ago. Seeing their home and its surroundings didn't take us long to work out why, because they have the most amazing, outdoorsy lifestyle. I have to confess I saw nothing of Calgary the city because they live on the outskirts, right on the edge of a man-made lake with their own private dock, kayaks and a boat moored to the side. Their three children are the same ages as ours and they got on right from the very moment we got off the plane.

We all loved pootling about on the lake and the scenic cycle rides right from their door. But there was somewhere else that left a big impression on me and that was Heritage Park, Canada's largest living history museum, which tells the story of 'how the West was once' and has created an authentic setting to tell that tale. We took a short trip on a working steamboat and the children loved riding on the antique fairground attractions. Part of the huge Park is set up like a 1920s Canadian railway town but by far and away the best bit was the section devoted to the 1880s and life before the railway.

Here they have recreated a mid-west town by moving original period homes and stores from around Alberta, brick by brick, along with the wallpaper, carpets and flooring, furnishings and lighting too. These buildings have been bequeathed to the Park and really do give an idea of how life was at that time. Some of the buildings such as the dentist, hospital, money lender were locked and only visible through glass but most were open to the public.

There was a snooker hall, post office, church, even a synagogue and all of these were furnished with original fixtures, fittings and many artefacts besides. Then there were some that were working such as the blacksmiths forging tools, fresh cinnamon breads being brought out of antique ovens and sold to a queuing public at the bakery, the printers creating leaflets, an antiques shop open for business, ice cream parlour and gift shop selling repro gifts that made me feel I was on the set of 'Little House on the Prairie' - remember that? I completely fell in love with the textiles which provided so much inspiration.

I had a long conversation with one of the ladies working in the 'general stores' who told me the Park has its own costume department where they research fabrics and prints that would have been used at that time. The prints are then made up into bolts of fabric and in turn made into clothing using vintage patterns and given to the staff to wear. Fabric colours are matched to the individual employee so that everyone wears something that suits their colouring. She showed me the beautiful lacy petticoat that was underneath her heavy skirt, pointing out that despite the fact it will not be seen, the attention to detail is all there. Sadly the costume department is not open to the public .. what I would have given to have a nosy through that! If you are interested in repro prints, check out this etsy shop because it gives you a good idea of the prints around back then.

Now I can't bear anything cheesy and this sort of thing would normally make me cringe, however it was presented in such an interesting and tasteful way. The very knowledgeable staff were all dressed in costumes of the period and remained in character the whole time yet there was nothing naff about it whatsoever. I can't recommend this place highly enough.

It was a wrench leaving Calgary, particularly for my boy who forged such strong relationships that he wants to live there now, despite the fact those fabulous lake summers last only a matter of weeks and Calgary is knee-deep in snow with temperatures as low as -40C during the Winter.

But then we drove up into the Rockies and it was soon clear the excitement was not over!

goodbye to summer

2011-09-07T21:06:00.018+01:00

Well hello there. Did you have a lovely Summer? I do hope so. And yes, before you ask we most certainly did. Real holiday-of-a-lifetime stuff actually and it's been a bit of a shock to the system getting back to the old routine.

But now the children are back at school, I thought I'd give you a quick taster of our trip before I bore you with the detail.

Can you guess where I've been? I shall let you know once I've sifted through the photos .. and there are a LOT !

half way

2011-08-09T22:00:00.019+01:00

We're pretty much at the half way point in our summer holidays and despite some iffy weather, we're still having a lot of fun.

The Boy spent his eleventh birthday going away to camp so we celebrated the end of his tenth year instead, with Annie providing inspiration for one of his favourite presents. Thanks Annie!

During his absence the Model, who enjoyed rare one to one attention, was treated like a celeb

feasted like royalty

indulged in a little fashion design

was even entertained by the RAF.

All in all, despite the weather we've managed to fit in a little beach combing

a spot of gardening

necessary architectural surveillance

avoidance of the paparazzi

and a whole lot of relaxation.

It's been a goodie so far.

I'm going to take a bit of a blog break while school's out, so here's hoping you all have a wonderful Summer. See you in September!

three stages

2011-08-05T08:22:00.012+01:00

We've been making our own dairy products for a couple of years and it's always a treat to visit Modbury Farm. They have a herd of organic Jersey cows, the prettiest things and not only do they look good but the milk and cream they produce is the best I've ever tasted. We make a pilgrimage to stock up on their raw (unpasteurised) milk and cream so we can continue our own in-house cottage industry. Nothing compares to the flavour of unpasteurised dairy and making it is a lot of fun too.

Stage 1: Yoghurt

A litre of raw milk and a sachet of kefir (only needed for the first time, add a little yoghurt to the next batch of milk instead). Mixed together, covered and put in a warm place and within a couple of days we are eating the most delicious yoghurt imaginable. A little reminiscent of French yoghurt which is smoother and slightly sweeter. ..

Stage 2: Creme fraiche

Yoghurt and double cream. A good cupful of the freshly made yoghurt stirred into a few cartons of double cream, mixed throughly, covered and put back in that warm place. In another couple of days or so this will have thickened and turned sour. Oh my goodness, this truly is nothing like the stuff bought in shops, it is completely heavenly and of this you have got to believe me ..

Stage 3: Butter

This process is ultra quick and the result beyond delicious. Sometimes we cut out the creme fraiche stage and make butter from double cream alone but making it this way gives a sourer, slightly more interesting flavour. You can read this post for a butter 'how to' if you like.

Yum, breakfast calls and my tummy's rumbling. I think you can probably guess what I'll be having today. Have a lovely weekend everyone.

PS. If you're interested in more details let me know and I'll send them on x

bournemouth pleasures

2011-08-03T08:39:00.012+01:00

The Model and I had a girls' day out here recently. Grief it was busy, the beach was jam packed but at least the sun kept most people out of the oceanarium.

We've been here many times before, the children love it so much and I have to say it is well worth a visit. As well as a great many fish, eels, a couple of playful otters and crustacea from all around the globe, it is home to two rescue turtles, Crusoe and Friday ..

and a handful of sharks, including its own dive cage ..

interactive, silly!

Of course it's always possible their fascination for this place may have just a little to do with the large gift shop, that I have spent waaay too long waiting around in!

The golden sandy beach (where there lay many red-skinned lobster-likes) is long, clean, beautiful and is also, I'll have you know, where my divine girl proved she really can walk on water ..

As usual, there were the ubiquitous beach-side stalls selling 'tat' and, true to form, the Model wanted to buy from each one, eventually settling on a mood ring. Have you seen these things, they're a lot of fun? Hers would have us believe she is quite normal .. I won't tell you what it said about me!

reclamation

2011-08-01T08:11:00.010+01:00

I absolutely love nosing around salvages places and Dorset Reclamation didn't disappoint. There was so much to take in and such good variety too: Garden ornaments, outside furniture and gazebos, fire places, baths, loos, mirrors, windows, gates, doors, door knockers and handles, wood .. you name it, they had it!

I could very happily have taken home these two stone planters but sadly the price tags were enough to force me to walk on ..

I think I may have a selection of these when I have my Georgian rectory in the country ..

Interesting display of goods ..?

I love these staddle stones, which were originally used as supporting bases for granaries, hayricks and game larders. The stones lifted the granaries above the ground to protect the stored grain. Nowadays they are a part of our agricultural heritage and very much synonymous with the English countryside, certainly in Dorset where they are seen by the sides of roads or as traditional garden features.

Oh yes, and they had butlers' sinks too .. which is really why we went.

My new herb garden.

Have a lovely week, rumour has it it's going to be good!

archaeological digging

2011-07-29T08:39:00.008+01:00

Thank you for all those lovely birthday wishes. What a surprise, they definitely made me feel quite special. Yesterday was a bit more eventful as we all had a fun day out together, which began and ended with cake!

We've been having a much needed sort out of the garden these last few days, where the husband unearthed this beauty. It's in immaculate condition and had been laying just a foot or two under the soil until his fork dug it up. And a glass stopper with a pretty fluted edge was found close by, although they're not related.

Our house is Victorian so I'm guessing it comes from around that time. I'm also thinking it might be a medicine bottle because of the tablespoon measurements up one side but if anyone has any suggestions, they'd certainly be welcome?

I think I may have to crack the whip a bit and get him to find some more treasures to make me rich some day!

Wishing you a lovely weekend.

27 july

2011-07-27T21:36:00.006+01:00

It's been my birthday today but rather than doing anything majorly exciting, the children have been out at a friend's party and I've spent the day in the company of the tiler who squeezed us in at short notice and this was his only slot. Oh, and the window cleaner popped round too.

Not the most celebratory of days do I hear you utter? Ah, but my bathroom has been tidied up, the downstairs loo re-floored and my windows positively sparkle now. I've had some lovely gifts and wonderful cards made by the children but it's funny how getting older changes our views on birthdays. It will be the boy's big day later this week but I dare say it'll take more than clean windows to make it memorable!

lloyd loom and grain sacks

2011-07-25T08:09:00.008+01:00

Thank you for all your input on my last post, I definitely know who to turn to when I next have a dilemma. What a great world this blog-place is and I shall, indeed, keep you 'posted' as to what eventually becomes of the 'bouquet of roses'.

This old chair (I think a Lloyd Loom) was bright green when I bought it, and its cushion pad so hideous there was no place for it in my home. Then it had a spell in pink to match the Model's room only, what with all her clobber, there wasn't really the space. So after sitting redundant for some time (the chair!), I gave it a couple of coats of Farrow and Ball's Pavilion Grey and now it's earned itself a new home in the guest room you were so complimentary about - thank you for that.

When it came to breathing new life into the cushion, I took the horrible checked cover to pieces for my template and got out one of my precious antique grain sacks. I'm so pleased with the result but because the fabric is extremely thick, my sewing machine complained bitterly throughout, punishing me with the most awful noises. And, as if to add insult to injury, by the time I had finished I was sporting three Disney princess plasters on my fingers and now most of my pins are bent. I'm not sure I shall be rushing to make another of these again!

And just as I was about to bring out the flags in celebration of the arduous task that was, the husband innocently pointed out: "Isn't the zip supposed to be at the back?" Groan! Sure enough, for all the time taken to get the thing to fit the chair, there was nothing else for it .. dissection yet again!

Sadly this is not the neatest job I've ever done, I have to concede. But frankly, my sewing machine and I are just glad it's over!

I hope you have some sunshine to enjoy today. It's a beautiful morning here.

a bouquet of roses

2011-07-22T07:44:00.006+01:00

I bought this gorgeous little book called 'A Bouquet of Roses' by P J Redouté, in the second hand shop recently. Dating back to 1958 and inscribed 'For Molly with love from Jo, September 23rd 1959', the condition of each page is beautiful and they are all intact. There is just a bit of collapse along the inside spine although it's only a matter of time before the pages work themselves loose I think. Perhaps Molly liked the look of some of the roses just a little too much.

I can't stop myself imagining these pages in individual wooden frames and hung all twelve together on one of my walls. Only I'm also having pangs of guilt because I'm not sure I have the heart to dismantle something that dates back over 50 years. On the other hand, however, wouldn't it do this lovely thing more justice to have its images appreciated on a daily basis? Hmm, to chop or not to chop? Quite the dilemma!

Happy weekend everyone.

sibling rivalry

2011-07-20T07:57:00.008+01:00

There's no difference really, is there?

Happy Wednesday x

wood stained

2011-07-18T08:06:00.005+01:00

I finally got round to doing something about this guest bed. Goodness, I say it a lot don't I? Something I've been meaning to do for a long time, that is. It is true though. And would it surprise you to know we have had (until recently I hasten to add) a bare light bulb or two in our home for a wee bit on the long side too? No, I thought not!

You know, I find if these things aren't done straight away they get forgotten about and it's only when guests come to stay that my eyes instantly home in on imperfections. Such is life. Well, mine anyway! But my excuse is that I would rather wait till just the right thing comes along instead of putting in any old thing as a stop gap. After all, if I do that, it'll end up staying!

I do love the shape of this bateau lit but it had been in its raw pine state for longer than it really deserved. So I got myself some Auro 160 eco woodstain in grey and applied a couple of coats. I've already used this product in white for both my sewing trestle table and the Ikea step stool and it worked really well. I love that the grain shows through the sheer colour and because there are no nasty ingredients, it's perfect for a bed. And for me, too, since there's no odious smell as I paint away.

Yay, another tick on that long to-do list!

Have a lovely week x

city living

2011-07-15T10:28:00.012+01:00

Thank you so much for your comments on my last post. Such lovely long ones too, I really enjoyed reading them although I've yet to find the time to completely digest. It was good to hear such impassioned endorsement of the places where you live and one thing strikes me as very clear: You all seem blissfully happy with wherever you are and I love that.

Missy mentioned how she felt her children were much more savvy about different cultures because they had grown up in the city and it's very true that my children have no idea whatsoever about anything that might be construed as anti-racial as I am sure few small children do. Obviously they learn about different cultures and religions at school but because they learn alongside children from these very same cultures and religions, they just don't see any differences at all, be it in colour or creed, and I absolutely love that too.

From the age of seven I grew up in Penzance, which is beautiful as I'm sure anyone who's ventured down there will know. But it's beautiful because we're grown ups, for rest assured as a teenager I had very strong feelings about the place, something that Jane reminded me of, drawing comparisons between both herself and me at the same ages. Pz was the best town in the world during the Summer when life became very outdoorsy, the beach was at the bottom of the road and there were plenty of foreign language students to provide a little bit of 'eye candy on the prom'! But when those Winter months arrived it was as dull as ditchwater and that's the reason I couldn't wait to pack my bags and leave for the bright lights. I also think that growing up in the sticks gave me a naivete that took a lot of adjusting when I moved away from home and I suffered terribly with home sickness.

However, at the end of the day I believe it's the school situation that will really make or break a decision. Like anyone else we want what's best for our kids and when you hear of yet another teenage stabbing it brings it all much closer to home and the desire to move away from it becomes more urgent.

I expect it's being on holiday that has brought this subject right to the forefront (although it has been on and off the agenda for a while now), you see had the children still been at school I dare say I would be putting most of my energy into trivial matters such as whether or not to line some garment or other! But I need to set the record straight, that nothing gets done that quickly around here. Life is hectic and we have adopted an almost manjana attitude about most things sadly until something is pressing, at which stage it's all systems go and overdrive kicks in.

By the way, there is (sort of) a point to these gratuitous photos. The painting on the table is my latest acquisition, one I'm rather pleased with which won't have escaped you, not least because even with the inflated London pricing I feel I got it for a quite reasonable sum.

Have a wonderful weekend, all x

country living

2011-07-13T18:38:00.015+01:00

Here's the thing.

I was browsing through a recent edition of Country Living last night when I stopped at a feature called 'A Dozen Dream Homes'. I saw that actually it is possible to buy a staggeringly beautiful, multi-bedroomed, large gardened, glorious Georgian rectory for not too much more than the price of what is essentially an average London family home in an average London suburb. A few more clicks on the computer and another possibility could be a thatched character cottage with acreage in idyllic rural setting. And this set me thinking.

Everything we've ever done for our children has been, we believe, for their good health: They eat good, honest, organic food; they drink from the purest of water filters; they live in a home decorated with solvent free paints and cleaned with eco brands; they even began life in organic gel-free nappies! Because that's what we believe is best for them.

And yet we live in London. Granted, we do not reside alongside the busiest of railway platforms or well used roads, yet still it is not fresh air. And then there's the pace of life. We are constantly rushing from one place to another or sitting in traffic queues, wishing we could race from one place to another. The drone of an aircraft on its way to, or from, the airport is never far away, as is the near-constant hum of road traffic and the sound of people going about their daily business.

My husband can base himself pretty much anywhere since the majority of his work is either done from home or involves travelling overseas. I can pootle around, doing my thing, from wherever, after all just give me enough space for a sewing machine and an assortment of other bits and bobs and I'm well away.

We rarely take advantage of what Central London has to offer, although admittedly whenever we do it is lovely to be able to be there and back home so quickly. I do much of my shopping on the internet now and, in any case, the idea of going shopping fills me with a distinct lack of interest that I would never have dreamed possible in my twenties.

So tell me. What do you love about living in the country or by the sea. If you do love it, that is. And if you would prefer to live in a city, then please .. let me in on exactly why? On the other hand, perhaps you live in a city and would never ever dream of moving out?

I'd love to hear your thoughts.

kitten love

2011-07-11T08:04:00.006+01:00

Little Millie Mittens has a boyfriend, it would appear. He's Louis, the ginger boy next door and they do make the sweetest sight, nuzzling one another in greeting and sitting together, side by side, underneath the cherry tree.

As they sat there in the shade the other day, I asked the Model a question:

Me: "What do you think they're thinking?"

The M: "I wish I hadn't been neutered" she said.

Ah well, such is life. Here's hoping you have a better week x

party planning

2011-07-08T17:35:00.019+01:00

We've finished school for the Summer and the Model had a sleepover party last night. The invitations were designed by her, put into her precious gold envelopes and delivered to five young ladies with instructions to bring party dresses. I think for the first time she realised just how useful it is to have a mother who makes her clothes because she designed her dress for the occasion too.

My friend, Sue, was having a declutter the other day and offloaded a large bag of fabrics. And as the three of us sat on her floor, ooh-ing and aah-ing over what came out of the cupboard next, the Model spied a sarong. Her eyes were as big as saucers and Sue was powerless to resist.

So the Model took inspiration from Kate Middleton's wedding dress which immediately sent my heart rate plummeting. But thankfully it wasn't the intricate handcrafted lace she was after (sighs of relief) but the long slender length, no toes to be seen and, wait for it .. a train. The girl wanted a train. She'd had this dream of gliding down the staircase, glorious train sliding down behind her as she welcomed her guests. Gulp!

Throwing my hands in the air and declaring "But I can't do that" is no message to send out, is it? Remember how we like to say "How do you know you can't do something unless you try", "Keep trying and you will succeed", "Don't be so quick to give up". I got a taste of my own medicine, didn't I?

But several fittings later, I do believe we got there. I used McCalls 5569 for the bodice and basically winged it with the skirt. Although she wanted the front to be smooth with no bunching, I cut more fabric for the back and sewed large pleats till it joined the bodice and also to create a good swing under the train. The train itself was just another length of the sarong, which I tied to the straps because the Model wanted to be able to use it again. I have to say it worked pretty well and thankfully I've had one very happy customer on my hands.

And today? The bunting still remains but given the girls were still jumping on beds at 1 am, all we're fit for is a dvd afternoon and bed within the hour. For her too I expect !!

Have a wonderful weekend x

vintage finds

2011-07-06T12:08:00.017+01:00

I was really excited when I found these cups and saucers recently, designed in the 1950s by Charles Cobelle for Midwinter. I love the fishing boat with its entourage of seagulls, which is echoed on the saucer and can almost hear their cries as they circle overhead, hoping they'll be thrown a fish or two.

I didn't need to think twice about grabbing a pair of Wood's Ware Beryl jugs which I know will look perfect with some blowsy roses or other cottage garden flowers inside. This china is becoming very collectable now and I'm not surprised, the colour and shape are gorgeous.

Finally, I couldn't go home without this Egersund dish as it makes me feel quite nostalgic. My parents have a very similar one that they must have picked up whilst holidaying in Norway in the late 1960s. I love the shade of green, which is surprisingly similar to the jugs, and that striking retro design which is so covetable now.

Not bad for a 30 minute browse, although I did only pop out for the newspapers!

meadow dress

2011-07-04T09:26:00.012+01:00

Oh yes, I'm on fire with the dressmaking. Well, for the moment anyway but I know it's not going to last because here I am looking at the calendar and the realisation has set in that school's out this week. THIS WEEK. Aaaaaargh! Plus, with the usual end of term things to attend; prize giving, sports days, rounders match, dada dada dada, my time is being limited yet more.

I can't tell you how much I dithered before making this dress. Nothing to do with the style, nor the fabric even, but the question of whether to line or not! It's tana lawn again, you see, Meadow by Liberty to be precise and call me predictable but yep, I've been back to Fabrics Galore.

My serger and I have parted ways, and after a ridiculously short time together I might add. After sitting around in its box for a couple of months before I finally had my lesson, it was only used for five or six projects, most of them dressmaking and none of them heavy duty like stitching curtains or the such like. Heaven only knows what happened. But good old John Lewis asked no questions, even when I said I'd rather like my money back thank you very much, so I still love them and there are no hard feelings. Only a lack of a serger. And that's actually a pretty darned big deal since it's one of those things that makes you wonder how you ever managed without and I do think its absence may have been a contributing factor as to why I decided to forgo the lining this time. In truth I think a lining adds a touch of formality too, which is not what this dress is all about. This is a throw-it-on-and-have-some-fun kind of outfit and I'm imagining the Model barefoot, playing in the sunshine, walking along the beach without a care in the world.

The pattern comes from Girls' Holiday Clothes, which is a Japanese sewing book for bigger girls. Most childrens' patterns go up to 130 or maybe 140 cm in height but this one starts at 130 and finishes at 150 cm which is not only very handy but there are also some lovely dresses inside. The Model is 'growing into' the 130 cm size, it has to be said, but even so I had to unpick the neckline so I could shorten the elastic across the shoulders because it was gaping massively, but that was no big deal.

Incidentally, when employing a model (but with no intention of handing over cash payment), ALWAYS supply distraction in the form of nourishment, or any other bribery tactics you can think of! I do know I got off lightly this time with plum tomatoes ..

Have a lovely week and wishing blog friends across the Pond a very happy 4th July x

childhood treasures

2011-07-01T17:55:00.017+01:00

Last week the husband went down to Cornwall on a short business trip and stayed a night with my parents. As well as a goodie box filled with lots of self seeded Agapanthus plants for the garden, he brought back a crate packed with books which my father had been storing in their loft for years. Looking through the contents brought back some lovely memories, of things I'd completely forgotten all about.

Predominantly ladybird books, there are so many of them and on a wide variety of subjects too. Someone in the house took a liking to the bible stories, it would seem, and there's one that interests me greatly called Helping at Home. Now, this is one I shall be surreptitiously leaving on the kitchen table .. ever the hopeful!

There are two or three books that came back with us from America which have lovely illustrations on rocks and minerals, insects and mammals and will definitely be useful at some stage. But it was when I saw the likes of Downy Duckling, The Wise Robin, The Discontented Pony and, my goodness my favourite, Tootles the Taxi, that I really got excited as I suddenly remembered them like it was only yesterday.

It's rather sad to think that the majority of these are no longer appropriate for our children so away into the attic they will go, hopefully to be unpacked in years to come for another generation. Once I've re-read them all, that is!

As I type Andy Murray is on the Centre Court .. only after a cracking start it's all starting to go wrong. I must go and join in the shouting!

Happy weekend to you x

inspiration

2011-06-29T17:49:00.014+01:00

When I was making all those cushions the other week, one of the fabrics I used was this lovely antique French one featuring doves billing and cooing in the roses. It triggered my memory that some time ago I had also used it to make myself an inspiration board. The piece of fabric was a little stained with age but I knew it would be largely covered up and in any case I don't care, it's still amazing to me.

I bought chipboard first thing one Monday morning from a local timber yard. As I stood there in line, with all the builders who were waiting for their large quantities of wood, boxes of nails and screws, etc, they thought it hilarious when I asked for advice on the appropriate wood for my board and then had it cut down to my measurements. I also bought a long length of plywood before making a hasty escape.

Using a mini saw, I hacked off all four corners of the board, then cut down and fixed on four pieces of the plywood to form a frame at the back. I already had some thick interlining from previous curtain making projects so I padded the board with a few squares, then laid a piece of my precious fabric over the front and secured it round the back with my staple gun. I also used some coordinating ribbon to criss cross the fabric, pulled the strips tight and stapled the ends to the frame.

Finally I fixed a couple of eyelet screws to either side and secured some picture framing wire so I can hang my board like a picture above my sewing table. I've often thought about gluing buttons to the parts that cross but I never got round to it, you know I'm an incurable hoarder when it comes to my buttons. Granted, I can barely see my doves now but I know they're there, that's all that matters and I do love my little piece of inspiration.

On my board I have things such as favourite Liberty swatches, a piece of the antique French metal trim I have in my cupboard, an unused 1939 calendar and pictures of jewellery I've cut from magazines. There are also treasures from my travels like the St Christopher's medallion I was given by the nuns at Mother Teresa's hospital in Calcutta, and a traditional handmade worry doll brooch from a market in Guatemala. But the most important things to me, it goes without saying, are the cards and drawings that have been pinned on by the children.

Do you have a board and if so, what do you have on it?

a unicorn dress

2011-06-27T08:51:00.010+01:00

The weather here at the moment is perfect, 25 degrees at 9am and just how Summer should be, so this dress couldn't be more timely. Except that it's a school day today!

The wonders of double gauze. Not only does it feel sooo good, but it is perfect for the Summer heat. This fabric is from Heather Ross's first Far Far Away collection from a couple of years back. Now, the only trouble is, the 1 1/5 yards I bought might well have been enough for a dress back in 2009 but it has proved much more of a challenge in 2011. It's that growth business again!

But that's where this sundress comes into its own. Yep, I've been shirring again! Super quick to make, this is merely a rectangle with four straps and has to be the most economical use of fabric ever. So, thankfully, the Model's request for a unicorn dress was indeed possible.

Although I used all the available length I was able to make it nice and wide, so not only is there a good amount of twirl-worthiness but over time any number of rows of shirring can be unpicked and in theory she could eventually wear it as a top. There you go, this creation will still be in her wardrobe when she's 21 ! Value for money indeed ..

Enjoy the sunshine, I'll see you soon x

crafting ikea

2011-06-22T13:11:00.017+01:00

I felt like trying to inject some pretty into my sewing room this week so set to work on Monday with this Ikea step stool that was previously in the boy's bedroom, only now it's mine! This has to be one of my favourite Ikea pieces, along with three Molger benches, which I have covered with white linen sheets.

I applied a couple of coats of white wood stain and then covered the top step this morning with some bargain 'christobel' oilcloth that I've had for a long time and been wondering what to do with, given it was too small a piece to put on the kitchen table. I secured it on the underside with a staple gun and fortunately the cloth isn't slippery so it should work well for my purpose (touch wood!!).

Seeing this now is definitely helping to beat the bad weather blues. My goodness will this rain ever stop?

What's your favourite Ikea thing?

cathryn's dress

2011-06-20T08:39:00.014+01:00

Another recent trip to my favourite fabric shop rewarded me with this Liberty Cathryn's tana lawn. Incidentally I'll let you into a little secret; the other day they had a small amount of Burberry fabric (two different weights, the real deal) for £7 per metre, I think. And they send by post. Thought you may be interested. But back to the tana which is an absolute dream to sew but because it is so fine, I lined the body of the dress with cotton voile. It made the process a little longer but definitely worth it as I need have no worries about being caught with the sunlight behind me, if you know what I mean!

The pattern is style 'S' from Stylish Dress Vol 2. I already knew the fit was going to be loose because that's pretty much par for the course with most Japanese patterns but then I saw what Karyn had done with hers. It reminded me how much fun I had last year when I first discovered shirring and was keen to do some more. Nevertheless I made the dress up as per the sewing book and tried it on. It looked, and felt, like I was wearing a nightie so as predicted, out came the shirring elastic. I just left the hem till the end because I knew the shirring would make the dress a little 'shorter'.

Like Karyn I shirred four rows between the bust and the waist but, you know, I really should trust my instincts more because I so very nearly stopped after three just to check all was going to plan. For sure enough once it was done and dusted I regretted not stopping sooner. I also felt that I'd started the shirring a little on the high side so I unpicked that first row, neatened it up and retried the dress. The print is busy enough to forgive the unpicking so the lost row doesn't show and I'm glad I did it, it just didn't feel right before.

After what seems a very long time sewing cushions, it feels good to be back in the clothes making saddle and I'm already deciding on what to do next .. only it also occurs to me I've neglected my knitting for long enough and the warmth of Summer is [supposed to be] coming! Decisions, decisions ..

Have a lovely week x

and finally

2011-06-14T13:39:00.018+01:00

Okay, that's it now I reckon. Well, we'll see but I'm thinking you may already have visions of me drowning under a sea of cushions. But I have two sofas to accommodate, which equates to a fair few in my book.

I've used purely from the stash, in fact I got really quite brave with my snipping but, if you're anything like me you'll have a shelf positively groaning with fabrics that possibly deserve to be kept out and appreciated, rather than squashed and hidden under a multitude of material. Sounding familiar?

The top cushion has lovely old floral fabric. It is very lightweight and delicate so I backed it with iron-on interfacing and darned a small hole!

This one incorporates a small 'morceau' of French boutis. I bought a panel for next to nothing but that was because the condition is very poor. It is mostly dirty and in parts there are splits in the cotton but I cut a nine inch square, edged it with vintage grosgrain ribbon and sewed it onto my trusty linen (which is almost gone now, boo hoo!) ..

Definitely one of my favourites, the doves billing and cooing in the roses are just lovely ..

Eastern European monogrammed linen. Really thick and robust, and backed with equally strong white linen ..

Another of my favourites, vivid French red which has been sewn onto heavy hemp ..

And finally there's this one which is made from new fabric. The print actually has quite bright red stripes so I used the reverse side which is much softer, looks aged and fits in better with the vintage prints on the others.

So there you have it, and it's over and out with the cushions for now. Next up? Sewing Japanese ..

See you soon x

mangle cloth

2011-06-10T10:30:00.008+01:00

A while back I managed to nab some matching unused French mangle cloths for a snip from a London stall. That doesn't happen often here, let me tell you, so I was more than happy!

If you're unfamiliar with mangle cloths, they are made from lovely long linen and have any number of stripes running alongside each selvedge. They soften beautifully with use but are also helpfully robust and can take a really hot wash, which makes sense when you realise their purpose was to go through the mangle with the rest of your washing all those years ago.

I managed four cushion covers out of one cloth, with the stripe at the bottom of the cover, otherwise I would have had to make a seam. There was also enough fabric to use the same cloth for the backing, which pleases me greatly seeing as half the time they'll doubtless end up on the floor, hmmm! And because I could incorporate the selvedge, there was no hemming needed whatsoever, so they were whipped up in very little time at all.

These are destined for my French dining chairs, I needed to protect the rush seat pads from childrens' knees and kitty cats' claws. Incidentally, the tabby is driving me nuts at the moment, he is back to climbing the curtains (which I painstakingly made myself, to add insult to injury) and now I can see large claw holes all the way up to the pole. Luckily I can smooth them out but honestly, he's way too heavy for this sort of thing now so the water gun will make its reappearance if he doesn't stop soon!

Wishing you a happy weekend x

wednesday

2011-06-08T11:21:00.012+01:00

Why is there never a greenfly about when you need one?

The bug-crazy Model has hatched out ladybirds and refuses to let them go until eggs are laid. Each year we get either caterpillars or ladybirds from here and if you're not familiar with this company I can strongly recommend it. Last year we saw them hatch from their eggs into the teeniest and ugliest of grubs, watched them grow at an alarming rate and then change into the most lovely bugs of them all. Then the cycle continued as we watched them mate and finally witnessed the egg laying. Right in front of our eyes we could see the eggs popping out and, believe me, it was fascinating stuff. Anyway the bugs are hungry and I've spent a great deal of my time searching out nourishment this morning.

It's a miserable day today. As I sit here in my sewing room with all the lights on, pretending it's the sun beating down (perhaps I should put the heating on for added effect), I can smell Pomona's wonderful lavender, sent as part of her recent giveaway that I was thrilled to win. With an assortment of other goodies, what a joy that was to come back to after my week away. Thank you so much x

Finally it's time to attempt some work, now that I've finished my glass of elderflower cordial made with ingredients brought back from Dorset. I based mine on Sarah Raven's recipe from her brilliant Garden Cookbook. Would you believe the whole of Swanage had sold out of citric acid? Never mind, it won't keep as long but some has gone into the freezer and the rest won't last long here anyway! This is the recipe ..

Elderflower Cordial

1.35kg sugar

flowers from 15 - 20 elderflower heads (shake off any bugs)

2 oranges, thinly sliced

2 lemons, thinly sliced

2 limes, thinly sliced

30g tartaric (or citric) acid

Put 1.15 litres water and the sugar in a large saucepan and dissolve completely before bringing to the boil. Add the flowers, bring back to the boil and remove from heat immediately. Put the thinly sliced fruit into a large bowl, add the tartaric acid (if using) and pour over the hot syrup and flowers. Stir well, cover loosely and leave for 24 hours. Strain the mixture and pour into sterilised bottles. Bottles can be sterilised either in the oven or by pouring boiling water into them.

Happy Wednesday.

sailing boats

2011-06-06T14:10:00.008+01:00

We've just returned from our Half Term by the sea. Not the usual relaxing week this time, as it was dominated by a stream of deliveries because we've been doing up the cottage. But it was good, much needed, fresh air, not to mention some cracking weather too.

So I've been having a relaxing morning, getting reacquainted with my sewing machine, whilst the smell of steeping elderflowers, brought back from the countryside, pervades the house.

When I found a piece of vintage barkcloth featuring sailing boats and islands I couldn't believe my luck but because the fabric has several different vignettes in the pattern, it's not an easy one to cut into. Trying to get a good square whilst saving other pieces for more projects makes it quite a challenge.

I made a cushion and backed it with my usual antique linen which will be perfect for a room by the sea. All of a sudden I'm there again.

Did you have a lovely week?

a furry tale .. or two

2011-06-03T20:44:00.010+01:00

Well excuse me for blowing our own trumpets and coming across as dreadful parents, the likes of whom live their lives through the fame of their offspring, but on Wednesday night we were watching The Apprentice when our two unexpectedly popped up on screen.

Oh no, I'm not talking about the biological children. It was the kittens who had their 15 seconds of fame! Check them out, they're on at about 11.45 minutes .. but for goodness sake, don't blink! Millie Mittens is the black and white who jumps up at the wall and then gets moved off Leon's knee, Alfie is the little tabby popping out from underneath Karen's chair. It must have been filmed the day before we collected them. So cute and very exciting for the children.

The other night Alfie stayed out the whole night for the first time. I'm a little embarrassed to say I was worried sick and even got up in the middle of the night to shine a torch around the garden, much to the husband's bemusement. Men just don't understand how we mothers feel, do they? Needless to say, the furry one turned up the next morning, very thirsty and very hungry but not at all as traumatised as I was! The children were overjoyed to see him too, so they held a party in his honour.

Only the little furball didn't attend. Goodness knows what he was up to all night, because this was pretty much it for the next day ..

Hoping you're having a lovely Half Term week.

10 minute roller towel

2011-05-31T16:16:00.006+01:00

I don't know about you but I'm in love with roller towels. Not only are they useful things but stylish too, plus they take me right back to my childhood since my parents always had one on the back of the utility door. Still do, for that matter.

I found a couple of perfect thickish cotton cheesecloth tablecloths in the charity shop for £2 each, and converted them into roller towels. It was a really quick and simple job, I just worked out the width and doubled the length I wanted, stitched the pieces together, neatened the joins by zigzagging the ends and double stitched down before finally hemming the sides.

Roller towels can easily set you back about a tenner a time so yes, I'm feeling quite pleased with myself today.

The rest of the clan have popped into town to do some shopping so I'm on borrowed time right now. I'm cleaning cupboards this afternoon whilst waiting in for deliveries .. that's exciting isn't it?

vintage lampshades

2011-05-25T10:07:00.007+01:00

I bought this set of small clip-on vintage lampshades with the intention of recovering them long ago but, the usual story, they've been sitting in my sewing room collecting dust. Making lampshades has always seemed a little daunting to me but lampshades I needed, so finally I took the plunge.

To be honest, I didn't really know where to start. Neither my book, nor the internet were much help for this shape so I ended up dissecting one of the originals and putting the new ones together in much the same way. It actually turned out to be very straightforward and a lot of fun too.

The fabric is by Cath Kidston. I have to say I don't normally go for CK ever since she became so ubiquitous. I like things to be as unique as possible but this is probably my favourite of all her patterns and it's been discontinued for some time now. That makes it ok in my book I think and, in any case, I had some remnants left from a project long gone.

I also wanted to keep something from the vintage original so in this case I reattached a single length of the ribbon trim, the colour of which just so happens to be a perfect match for the new fabric.

I hope you're having a sunny Wednesday, it's a beautiful day here!

daisy chain

2011-05-23T09:45:00.008+01:00

Did you have a good weekend? It's been quite cold and windy here recently and after being seduced by April's sunshine and warmth, the jumpers have made an appearance once more.

I've got a few little domestic sewing projects on the go at the moment for there are changes afoot in the h&r household and perhaps some news to come in the next few weeks or so. There are so many things I want to achieve and sadly so little time, Half Term is next week and they've only just gone back!

For the things I have in mind I'm determined to use what is already in the stash, which is why I finally cut into this one. Bennison's 'daisy chain'. Finding this was a major coup, it retails for an outrageous amount but the price I paid for my two small panels made me skip and dance all the way home as I'm sure you can well imagine.

In a way, it's probably just as well they are smaller pieces, I think that ensured I didn't hoard for forever and a day. So guess what, I've been making cushions again! I used my unbleached antique linen sheet for the back. This is serving me very well indeed as I bought it for next to nothing and am getting a whole lot of mileage for my money. Hmm, very satisfying all round.

Enjoy the week!

swish for victory

2011-05-17T13:32:00.009+01:00

I was recently contacted by Girl's Guide, who are organising 'Swish for Victory', a clothes swap event in support of Women's Aid which is the national domestic violence charity that helps up to 250,000 women and children every year. It works to end violence against women and children, and supports over 500 domestic and sexual violence services across the country. However, recent cuts to these services mean that 60% of refuge services and 72% of outreach services face the prospect of no government funding this financial year.

This is such an important charity and I was thrilled to have been approached. Also only too happy to send something along to be auctioned on the night as part of their fundraising.

I made up this necklace, using girly pink and green vintage glass beads to match their lovely poster and also included vintage charms to represent the love and support that these families all need and deserve.

Swish for Victory is being held at The ACE Centre, Nelson, Lancashire on Thursday 26th May, so if you're in that area, it sounds like the place to be!