At this time very year I have to start letting a few things go. I am letting go of the dream of making elderflower cordial. The fact that the flowers are now turning into berries helps a little on this.

However there is still time for cordial. This was my first attempt at making rhubarb cordial. the recipe was taken from this month's NZ Gardener and it needs only 6 stalks of rhubarb unlike some of the 1kg wonders that are out there. This recipe also boasts that it can be made the day before. I initially wondered who would be so disorganised, only to discover that would be me.

We are still tweaking the sugar ratio. I like my rhubarb tangy. However this 1 cup of sugar recipe masked all the mouth puckering, eye squinting glory of rhubarb leaving a subtle rhubarb scent and cloying sugary taste. Serving it with some gin and soda might fix that. Reducing the sugar by a third in the second batch appeared to work too.

On the other hand, here is the cordial recipe that doesn't let me down

Lemon Cordial (courtesy of the side of the King's Tartaric Acid box)

3 lemons - peel and juice
3 cups of boiling water
3 cups of sugar
1 teaspoon citric acid
1 teaspoon tartaric acid

Mix all in non metal bowl until sugar is dissolved and leave to cool. Strain and bottle.

Brilliant! That's another three gifts sorted.

This week I put the finishing touches on this embroidery. While it may appear to be a small thing, its completion marks the end of something bigger. This is the last piece that I will stitch on the train to work.

I am trading the commute that sees me leaving home at 6am only to return at 6pm, travelling almost 2hrs door to door, for a new job that is a mere 20 minutes up the road.

The kids are excited and my dearest is delighted. They met me in town on Thursday to help me pack up from work. With boxes in the car, we headed for home.

Before starting the new job, there are few adjustments to be made. I will eventually reset the alarm clock. It's 5:30 chirping on my first day off was more than unwelcome. On the other hand,while my body clock resets, I might just try and make the most of these few minutes of peace before the household wakes.

I indulged in some colour co-ordinated decorations for the kitchen. Purely frivolous, I know. However, I didn't realise quite how taken Little E would be with them. For her it wasn't the colours, instead the mere thought that she could make one too.

She took up her crayons and started drawing. Each branch and decoration was narrated with delight. Once the picture was finished, we had to admit that yes, she could make one too.

We took the secateurs and trimmed some dead branches off the magnolia tree outside. After some more trimming and a spare box of baubles it was finished.

I cannot help but admire her systematic approach to making this happen. She is used me pouring over drawings of hypothetical renovations and projects with my father and a cup of coffee, as well as the occasional sewing project. Perhaps it runs in the family.

I find it really hard to cut into someone else's embroidery. While admiring the works that other people have made out of thrifted embroideries, my inner Nana gasps at small acts of crafting sacrilege.

Perhaps it was beyond help. Perhaps this is better that being holed up in drawer. I tell myself little consolations and move on, admiring the crafter's daring and bravery.

This tray cloth was truly beyond help. One set of three baskets was eaten away by a mysterious substance. In other places you could see the embroidery thread was all but gone where it had been ironed over and over. I tried to take a photo. It really didn't turn out. so you will have to believe me on this. I carefully cut around two of the intact baskets and some fragments of garlands to put this together, before raiding my button collection for the final touch.

Little did I think that four lots of 3 inches makes for a really big pincushion. In hindsight I could have made this smaller, but despite my initial daring, I can't bring my self to slice up these little baskets. One day, I might be brave enough but for now I will listen respectfully, to my inner Nana.

I have always wonted to give chicken scratch embroidery a go. Occasionally, I find a table cloth or apron in the opshop with the distinctive stitched gingham.

After finding this darling dress, I felt it needed a little something to look less like a school uniform. The chicken scratch pattern is from Alicia Paulson's* "Embroidery Companion" and was originally meant for shelf edging. While I probably wouldn't recommend chicken scratch on such a small scale gingham, or polycotton for that matter (must remember to read the label first), I do like how this has turned out. Next stop a table cloth, I think.

I am loving this book at the moment. The patterns are just wonderful and I really love how she has utilised a wide range of sources and inspirations. You will find black-work sitting next to Ukrainian folk embroidery. I don't know what an experienced embroiderer would make of it, but for me, right now, as I begin to experiment, it is a great place to start. Alicia's encouragement to start with stitching something you love, leaves me with twitchy fingers and threads.

*Have you been reading along on Posy gets Cosy? Her journey to parenthood has had me both on the edge of my seat and in tears over the last few months.

As part of the Small Hands Christmas Swap, we needed to find some simple cards that everyone in the family could make. We decided on these Pipe Cleaner Christmas Tree Cards. I know it's a bit of a mouthful to say, but so much fun to make.

To make your own you will need:
Card stock (we used red, obviously)
Ice block sticks
PVA Glue
Pipe cleaners
Beads
Pliers (for cutting the pipe cleaners)
Scissors (for cutting the paper)

Step 1 - Cut pipe cleaners and wrap then around the ice-block stick tree trunk. Using the pliers, pinch each set of branches to hold then in place and then, with the pliers again, trim the tree to shape.

Step 2 - Thread the beads onto the branches.

Step 3 - Cut card to size and fold. Glue the back of the trunk to the tree. If needed hold the trunk in place with pegs until the glue dries.

There you have it. Finished trees. The kids' involvement varies with age - Miss 4 was able to wrap the pipe cleaners around each trunk and both Miss 2 & 4 too great delight in threading the beads on. We even had enough left over to start making beaded stars and course, I got a little carried away thinking about other shapes you could make.

We have been indulging in a little unpacking lately. The tree is up and lights on and the kids buzzing.

We have spent much of this spring rehabilitating our vegetable garden. We documented each step from digging, collecting manure and through to labelling each row as it was planted. The rhubarb had been flush with growth for the last few weeks. Then to my horror, as I tried to find the photos, I found the memory card had corrupted. That will teach me to procrastinate, but for now we still have rhubarb.

We have been eating stewed rhubarb on cereal, rhubarb muffins and best of all rhubarb cake. Here is the recipe for my favourite, Rhubarb Cake.

Rhubarb Cake

150g Butter
3/4 cup Sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 c Flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 cup milk

Topping:
250g rhubarb chopped
1/2 cup sugar
1Tablespoon flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 190 degrees C and line a 25cm square tin. Mix topping ingredients and set aside.

Cream butter and sugar. Gradually mix in eggs. Sift together flour and baking powder. Stir in the flour mixture, alternating with the milk.

Spoon batter into the tin, leaving it in lumpy mounds. Add spoonfuls of the rhubarb mixture between, around and on top of the mound. Tip the remaining topping over the batter before putting into the oven.

Bake for 40-45 minutes.


Forgive me if I have shared this recipe before. I am nothing if not consistent.

After planning, cutting and stitching, my work for the Modern Christmas Table Runner Swap is done and in the post. After leaving it hanging on the wall for a few days, I decided that I really needed to add some french knots above the "e" before posting. I have even managed to get to grips with machine quilting using metallic thread.

For now, I will keep quiet about where it is going, but can only say it will be accompanied by two swift flying birds.

We tagged alongto the Teddy Bear's Picnic, clutching Lucy and Giraffe. Despite being bearless we won a spot prize and had a wonderful time. It was so nice to see so many kids about from all over the Wairarapa, with parents and grandparents making the time to have a great day.

We are discovering the 4 is a pretty awesome age. You learn to pepper your conversations with slang from the playground.

For real ! I'm not lying. Trust me.

How the last two got to be popular phrases I am not sure, Maybe we have a used car salesman in the making. When I asked E what she thought "Trust me" meant, she told me it was"Just do what I say!"

The coolest four year old trick is eyebrow wriggling. Her face almost creases with concentration and fixes you with a stare before some earnest brow wriggling starts. It is very hard to keep a straight face.

Then there are the tricks she makes up herself. Above you can see E "talking with her eyes". this consists of covering her mouth, talking and pretending the sound is coming out of her eyes. Very strange. Also strange, but not at all surprising is when she is talking with her eyes, pretending to be mummy - 'What's in the op shop today kids?'

No idea where she's heard that one. None at all.

All up, four is pretty cool. We're loving it. Excuse me now, while I go and ask how the hip kids say that these days.

School fairs, scarecrows, facepainting and iceblocks. I think summer might be on it's way.

We have been wrestling our vegetable garden into shape over the last few weeks and rescuing it from the clutches of weeds and errant tree roots. Little did I realise I would need rescuing myself.


Fortunately, I won a bundle of goodies from Ange at Mushroom Lane . The Hypercal came in handy when I found some nettles and again when the mosquitoes found me. In order to be prepared the mossie repellant came out as well and then at the end of the day, foolish me, also needed the sunburn lotion. I highly recommend all of them and she promises to have some in her felt shop soon.

I have often wished for something magical that did your dishes while you were not looking. I think I may have found one. As you can see, Miss H had some time to spare while waiting to go trick of treating.

It has been a full on week in the Seven Stitches household and I feel like I am only just coming up for air. I'm looking forward to a day with the kids tomorrow, doing kiddy things and hoping for another visit from the cleaning fairies.

On another note, the Small Hands Christmas Swap partners have been emailed out, so everyone should be making or thinking of making at the moment. Wonderful, I'm off to put my feet up.

Sometimes wonderful things just happen. No real planning, just the happen-stance of ideas, material and mid afternoon sleeps.

This morning Little E was cutting out shapes, and handed me paper diamonds for a necklace. As i made my paper necklace, we talked about making a necklace with flowers, and she decided she needed a balloon and a sun. We started thinking about other things in the air and the drawings began. While I put the finishing touches on the sketch for this, E was already miles ahead and planning the next one. Apparently, it will feature an octopus and other things that live in the water.

This afternoon, as Miss H slept we chose colours, cut shapes and played hide and seek. Threading was a lot trickier that I thought. I will use thinner yarn next time. Listening quietly for the giggles before the seek part helps too.

And in answer to the question "does she like it?" I think we have a resounding yes.

Sign ups are still open for the Small Hands Christmas Swap. There is a delightful list of Helping Hands gathering below the button* to the left too. These Helping Hands have signed up on behalf of some very eager Small Hands. Drop me a line of you would like to join them.

I've been hunting for some craft ideas for your small hands. The projects above were found by searching through both The Crafty Crow** and Sew Mama Sew. You can find details for each of these projects in the following locations:

1 - Bead Stars
2 - Mini Wreathes
3 -Thumbprint trees
4 - Kids Felt Decorations
5 - Cork Trees6 - Paper Balls
7 -Clothes Peg Fairies
8 - Bullfinch Decorations
9 - Pinecone elves

And there is a whole heap of Christmas Card ideas over here too.

*It's finally working, but you will need to head over to the flickr group to get your copy of the button.

** Pure brilliance in kids craft. If you haven't visited there already, you must. Go! Now! or even shortly after signing up for the swap.

This week has been a staycation. I’ve left the train behind for a week, and spent some well deserved time on my own. The oven has never been cleaner or the lamp shades brighter. I have been hunting through the garage for some elusive fabric, only to come up with this, our empty wedding album. With the random acts of cleaning out of the way, I was finally in the right frame of mind to fill the album.

The length of time since out wedding is embarrassing, not because of a child’s birth date or any such scandal, but because it took me 6 ½ years to put the photos in an album.

The photos were all taken by my sister in law as our wedding present. They were on film. This is almost positively retro cool now. I am even more impressed that there is no manipulation, cropping or such. She’s certainly talented.

It has been a lovely series of afternoons putting photos in order, remembering friends I haven’t seen in a long time and reminiscing about a very full and wonderful day. Especially dear to me are the photos of relatives who have passed away, including my mother in law, who died suddenly just weeks before little E was born.

Every year, in the month before our anniversary, I have vowed to finally get the photos in an album. Each year I was foiled by lack of time, lack of album or just that it felt like a chore.

I’m pleased that the time was right. It certainly wasn’t a chore. I’ve poured my self some big cups of tea, gazed in awe at how young we all look and finished the album. Now it’s time to tie a big silver ribbon on it and surprise the rest of the family.

Yesterday, I cut pockets. Today, I sewed.

If they weren't so fiddly, you would find pockets on all my kids clothes. Perhaps on my clothes too. I am loving extra stark top stitching at the moment. There was a lot of basting, pressing and changing threads. If I were to sew these again, I'd give the curved seam away. I found it tricky to get a nice shape given this combination of heavy fabric, contrasting thread and small pieces.

In the interests of democracy, I have made a dress for Little E too. In the hope that she will wear it, I have let her pick the fabric. I was initially hesitant about her choice, but have to admit, the girl has taste. I love the way the darker lining provides an accent to the main fabric.

The pattern is Simplicity 8815 - from 1970. It is a "Jiffy Pattern" as it has only 2 or 4 main pieces. I am loving this name.

I have adjusted the pattern slightly to make it reversible however, I forgot that last time I made this, it was 4" shorter. Little E has fallen for her almost to the ankle dress. Now, I am left waiting for her to notice the length gets in the way when having adventures, before I can make any adjustments.

I have rediscovered my love of summer skirts and in making a muslin for myself, had just enough left over to make this dress for Miss H. My skirt is cut out and waiting. It may be waiting some time. This little dress needed some attention first.

The red binding is some American Jane fabric, that just whispered - "put me with denim". I made metres and metres of bias tape. My dearest talked me out of using it in my skirt. Now I'm having second thoughts. I don't want to be one of those people who dress to match their children, but I wouldn't complain about red spotty trim on my skirts either.

I am attempting to meet the Kids Clothing Week Challenge over at Elsie Marley - to sew for one hour each day, for a week. In the interests of diplomacy, a dress for Little E is coming up next.

For you own private sundial-

Take one sunny afternoon, some chalk, a driveway, willing children and some time. Mark a spot for the feet. Trace around the shadow, wait and repeat.

Now that is has rained, it's time to start again.

I had a vague recollection of walking to the neighbours with roller skates but really had no idea how much I would love a smooth driveway until I had children, tricycles and chalk.

After checking regularly and some plain old fashioned waiting, it was time.

Today was our annual cherry picnic, complete with catching, throwing and just plain fun.