My Home

I love this photo of my husband , his younger brother and their parents back in Tonga around 1980. It's quite unusual to have a portrait-type picture like this from the islands at that time.With both parents now passed away I think it's a great treasure for our family.

Our Wetnic

Today our family met up for a picnic at Birdlings Flat. We were supposed to be watching a model aeroplane show but it was called off due to the weather, after we had watched only 2 flights. The weather was pretty dreadful-cold, drizzly, windy, misty...

but we rugged up

and made the most of our day with a BBQ (finished off in the campervan)

Some kite flying...

 

Some stone throwing...

And some fishing...

I reckon it's a brilliant place to take photos. This is one of my favourites from today..

And this little girl has gone for her first over-night stay without Mum and Dad. She's having some 'bigger girl' time with Mama and Pa.

You can see more from our day over at Life in B-Town

Check out this lovely lady's blog

http://www.ingy-lou.blogspot.com/

This blog is written by my aunty. She an amazing treasure finder and clever craftswoman. Pop over and have a look. You won't be disappointed.

Spring is in the Air

We've had a few beautiful almost-Spring days here in Christchurch. It's got me inspired to get started in the garden. I've been spreading sheep pellets and compost around the vege and flower garden in preparation for planting. However I have to hold myself back from actually planting anything yet as there is still the chance of frost and I know I would be so disappointed if some tender potato shoots or other seedlings got burnt by that frost. Here's how the garden looks now and a little bit of Winter/Spring colour at my place.

Past Projects

I thought I'd share a few of the crafty things that I have made in the past, like in pre-blogging time! Just for interest and for something to post while I don't have much else on the go.

This first one is a knitted cot blanket that I made before I had the girls. I made one for each of my 3 sisters when they had their first child. I also made and sold at least two others. They were very time consuming but really fun to come up with all the designs. My girls' one was designed specifically for our family and includes  the Tongan flag, a rugby player, pineapple, watermelon, some tapa patterns, a Tongan fale and even me and my husband (see the third picture below-a pink square with two little people on it)aawww.

Wardrobe Wednesday

OK so I'm being brave and joining in this week!
This was something I wore at the weekend...

Levi's jeans (about the only pants I have in my wardrobe)
The dress/top I talked about here from Ula
My version of the Glassons cardi-did anyone else notice this was quite a common item last week?
And my current favourite wear-anytime-with-anything shoes from Overland

My Home

I decided to start sharing a few pics from around my home-for those days when there is nothing much happening (or at least nothing interesting to blog about)

Needle Holder

A friend of mine recently asked me for a knitting pattern so she could make booties for a friend with a baby shower coming up. I asked her if she had needles and she said "no not yet-it used to be great when I was still living at home because Mum always had needles and wool I could use." I suggested she looked at the op shops for some needles. Since then an idea came to mind and I decided to make my own version of a knitting needle holder that I talked about here and fill it with some needles to get her started. So here it is...

I haven't given it to her yet and I think she reads here sometimes so, Pip, if you're looking sorry to spoil the surprise but this will be coming your way soon!

Material Bits

Here's a few pieces of material I purchased at the weekend.I had a project in mind for the butterfly and brown spotted pieces but the rest is for my stash.

Help

I want to set up another blog but I don't want to have the same profile and other details that I have on this blog. Does anyone know how to do that? I manged to create a new blog but it always comes up with my frangipani details and if I change them there it also changes them on here.
Help from any 'multi-bloggers' out there will be appreciated.

Bargain Booties

Some of my listings in my Felt shop Franniefeet have just expired. I decided to relist some items at a reduced price.

These striped booties are available for NZ$13

These Cotton booties are avilable for NZ$15

If you are a follower of my blog or a facebook friend I will post your purchase for free-just write a note with your order.

Carrot Cake

Beat 1 1/2 cups brown sugar, 1 cup oil, and 3 eggs together until light and creamy. Add 1 tsp vanilla, 3/4 cup grated carrot,1/2 cup coconut, 1 1/2 cups flour, 1 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1 T cinnamon, 1 cup chopped walnuts. Pour into a greased or lined 23cm cake tin and bake for about 1 hour at 190 degrees celcius.
Ice with this cream cheese icing:
Slightly soften cream cheese and honey, then add grated lemon rind and lemon juice.
Quantities will vary according to how thick you like your icing and also to suit your taste.
Try not to eat all the icing as you make it!

Books to Browse

I haven't been up to anything much in the way of crafts this week but I have just been browsing fishpond for some crafty inspiration. I thought I would share with you some of the books that I've ordered from the library. They all look good judging by their cover and their descriptions too. These might also be inspirational for those of you participating in Clare's Wardrobe Wednesday (which by the way I intend to join next week)

Yeah, I Made it Myself: DIY Fashion for the Not Very Domestic Goddess: "Yeah, I Made it Myself is all about DIY fashion, aimed at women who are passionate about clothes, and would love to create something of their own, but who are unsure of how to get started. Farry isn't a fashion designer, or professional seamstress, but she can cobble together a DIY summer wardrobe faster than you can say pearl-two. She's made most of her own clothes for years, to much acclaim. When people learn she makes her own clothes they say, 'I wish I could do that.' And her immediate response is, 'You easily could, I could teach you in a few hours'."

Lotta Jansdotter's Simple Sewing for Baby: 24 Easy Projects for Newborns to Toddlers: "In 'Simple Sewing for Baby Lotta Jansdotter' shows how easy it is to make cheerful gifts for little cherubs. A new mother herself, Lotta includes projects that match her simple style with practicality making for sweet, yet durable, essentials for any rumble-tumble baby.

Brilliant Bags: 20 Beautiful Bags to Stitch and Love

Weekend Sewing: More Than 40 Projects and Ideas for Inspired Stitching: "'Weekend Sewing', inspired by the STC bestseller 'Weekend Knitting', features unique sewing projects that can be completed in a weekend or less, plus fun ideas for incorporating sewing into a relaxed, creative lifestyle. Projects for both beginning and intermediate sewers include dresses for girls and women, pyjamas sized for the family, pillowcases, throw pillows and travel bags.

49 1/2 Skirts: "An exciting, easy-to-follow guide on to how to simply and inexpensively make your own custom couture skirts by embellishing them with a wide variety of materials and techniques. Core techniques such as pattern cutting, sewing seams, hemming, waistbands and zips, finishing, screenprinting and adding embellishments are illustrated with step-by-step photographs

Homemade: Fabulous Things to Make Life Better: "A contemporary take on gorgeous things to make, making it yourself rather than buying it off the shelf has never been trendier. Whether driven by eco considerations and anti-consumerism or by the desire to own or give something personal rather than uniform, many more of us are getting out the knitting needles and sewing kit, and taking pleasure in lavishing some TLC on our homes, our friends, our children and ourselves. Homemade is packed full of ideas for things to make that make life that little bit better. From crocheted coat-hangers to cordials and cupcakes, from cushion covers made from vintage blankets, old shirts cut up to make summer bunting or beautifully simple decorating ideas for an old-fashioned Christmas tree, here are over a hundred ways of adding individuality to your home and to the things you give.

Revive!: Inspired Interiors from Recycled Materials: "This is aimed at the beginner sewer who wants to make soft furnishings for the home with a minimum of skill and on a slim budget. A series of projects progressing in difficulty guides the reader through basic skills and techniques, starting with simple cushions, and moving up through throws and bedspreads, basic curtains, blinds and tablecloths into easy upholstery such as sofa and armchair covers, and screens. The projects require a basic sewing machine but no particular experience or previous skill. The idea is to recycle and renew, creating lovely new things for the house from old clothes, curtains, sheets or skirts, by cutting them up, combining and restructuring them or embellishing them with new materials and trimmings.

Junky Styling: Wardrobe Surgery: "This book records the rise and rise of Junky Styling, the fashion label and at the same time shows readers how to recycle their own good quality second-hand clothing, deconstructing, re-cutting and completely transforming it into a new product that belies the former identity of the raw material.

Hip Handbags: Creating and Embellishing 40 Great-looking Bags: "Crafters will love making these totally chic bags! This title features 25 simple projects for creating bags from scratch, including flat folding purse. It includes a further 15 projects for embellishing shop-bought bags. Now it's easier than ever to make your bags totally chic!

Design-it-yourself Clothes: Patternmaking Simplified: "This book explains everything a reader needs to customise sewing patterns and achieve perfect fitting clothes. It reveals how to measure a body and draft a perfect-fitting skirt, T-shirt, button-down shirt, dress and trousers. It also features insider tips, explanations and how to endlessly alter patterns throughout. Many modern sewers are looking to draft their own patterns - but the only books that teach the skill are dry and outdated.
That last one I can't get from th library but I did like the look of it. Can't wait now for them to be available...

Asleep

Aaaaahhhh:)

Brambly Hedge

 

Brambly Hedge Baby Book: "This beautiful book is the perfect gift for parents-to-be. There are fill-in sections for every stage of the new-born baby's arrival into the world, from pages on what time the baby was born and what he or she weighed, to spaces later in the book for photos and the baby's hands and footprints. The book is illustrated throughout with Jill Barklem's wonderfully observed paintings from her Brambly Hedge books, and there are appropriate quotes on every page from Poppy's Babies."
Doesn't this book look so sweet and adorable?
I just came across it as I was searching for the Brambly Hedge books on fishpond. I knew about the sories of the four seasons but I didn't realise there were so many other stories and other products related to the series.
Why I got started on all of this was that I bought this sweet little Brambly Hedge tin at the Riccarton Market today.

I always loved these stories as a child. I think I was especially drawn to the miniature aspect of it and I loved studying the detail in the illustrations. I'm looking forward to introducing the girls to the world of Brambly Hedge and hopefully they will love it as much as I do!