One day I will concoct a dish that uses as many vintage utensils as I can find.  These two followed me home from the church fair.  This little grater was fantastic for grating hard cheddar for over our spaghetti*.  As for the baking molds, I have no idea.  They are not the little shells for madeleines or log like ginger gems.  It appears there are still novelty pastries out there for me to discover.

*The kids were stoked to use the grater, but rather disgusted when they tasted the strong cheese - I wish I had taken a photo to record the foul look I got.

Linking in with Opp Shop Show Off

There's always so much going on during Labour Weekend.  Tomatoes to plant, visitors to entertain, church fair and activities day at Cobblestones, our local museum. 


 

My kids love riffling through timber offcuts, looking to repurpose bits and pieces.  We have rectangles of wood hand drawn buttons and imaginary touch screens.  I thought I would get in on it too.  This piece of wood looked too much like a blank canvas to leave alone.

E thinks her hair is the bane of her life.  Knottier than her sister's and more than a little flyaway.  I like it.  I might be her Mum, but I think she looks like a roman goddess, only with a bigger smile and more clothes.

Once upon a time souvenir spoons were proof that you had been there, done that.

I'm not so sure about now.  I haven't a wall or rack filled with glued on mementos.  I'm always on the look out for the ones with vintage enameled insigna.  Especially, it is from one any of the places we visited on our honeymoon. The rest, I keep and give to people when they return from theirs.


Linking in with Op Shop Show Off

Putting it simply, this book is brilliant.  It takes a lot for me to rave about a craft book and Christmas Crafting with Kids, by Catherine Woram,  has a lot. 

It caught my eye on the library shelf and jumped in my bag. The title tells a lot.  Unlike some deceptive grown up craft books masquerading as a kids book - this book contains projects that with a little guidance, kids really can make.  There is baking, decorations, gifts and cards. 


We poured over the pages and decided to give the peg dolls a try.  Miss H was keen to make them her own way,  using the paper doilies as wings rather than as a dress.  We had a great time painting up the pegs. Two were left unpainted for E to make later, much to the concern of her sister.  She was very worried about the dolls being "naked".

Format - The book is hardcover, 125 pages with 35 projects.  the projects are divided into decorations, gifts, cards and wrapping.  The materials used are relatively straight forward.  you may need to duck out for airdry clay, fimo or sequins for some.  With a little thought, most people should be able to find some projects that don't require additional materials.  Each step is illustrated with photos of real kids making things.  While the finished products often look like they have had some older hands helping, I'm sure little hands would add their own magic.

Who would I recommend it to?  The projects look to be for about ages 4 and up, and will require some adult guidance.  Consequently, I'd recommend it to people wanting to take the time with children, to make something special for Christmas.  Thinking about it, I might just be the author's target market.

Would I buy it? If it wasn't already in my local library - YES, I would buy it in a flash. 

Disclaimer - I love books and devour them with cups of tea and gingernuts.  I also love honest book reviews that let you know what is in store. This book was kindly lent to me by my local library, because that's what they do.

Adventures are just waiting to happen.  There is a small patch of native forest on the edge of the park and a winding path through it.  Granddad Bob took the opportunity to show the girls how to make whistles out of grass blades. There was much huffing and puffing, giggling and general light-headedness.  The perfect end to an afternoon at the park.

Collections often start with regrets and missed opportunities.  This collection began with one simple little jug.  It matched some cups I already had.  My godmother lovingly packed it and sent it from Scotland for me.  It was beautiful.  It still is beautiful, but in transit a small shard broke from the rim.  And so the collection began.
I started to look through trade-me to find another one, with it's pale blue interior and curved belly.  Feeling a little like goldilocks the collection grew in no particular order,

Together they look beautiful.  I feel temptation should be spelt P-O-O-L-E to match the china I keep gravitating towards.  Sometimes they hold milk and little teaparties.   But best of all, they hold flowers, spilling over the top, hiding the little shard that started the whole process.

The Printed Zipper Pocket Tutorial is ready to go. The instructions include how to print on the fabric and sew it together. You can download it by clicking on the link below.

Printed, Zipped Pocket

These pockets are the result of an afternoon of printing with kids aged between 4 to 8. Armed with painting shirts, and precut fabric we were able to make stamp pads and explore printing with everyday objects.

Each artwork was then turned into a zipped pocket.  I have simplified the steps and used pinking shears where ever possible, to streamline the construction.  It took about 3 hours to sew all 12 pockets together (only 15 minutes each!).

I am planning to enlist the kids to help me make some more for Christmas presents for their friends and teachers.

We had a great time making them.  If you have any questions, suggestions or even photos of the ones you have finished, please drop me a line - seven.stitches.amy(at)gmail.com .

A few notes to start

• The images display best in Adobe Acrobat.  They show up a little blurry on Google Drive

• The measurements have been given in imperial first with metric in brackets.

It must be spring.  The picnic basket is dusted off.  My family has returned from holiday, just in time to enjoy the last few days of the cherry blossoms.  There was muffins, sandwiches, cherry hair clips and much running.

Miss H is wearing a dress smocked by Grandma for Aunty E.  Little E on the other had was not going to dress up, no way.  At least she was well dressed for tree climbing.

I have been putting the finishing touches on lots of little sewing projects.  An afternoon of kids printing onto fabric has been turned into a dozen little zipped pouches.

I think I might have got it down to a fine production line*.  I am sucked by the bright colours and expressiveness of their little art works.  I think we may need to make some more for Christmas and end of year teacher presents. However, the next task is to match each pouch with its maker.

*I sometimes wonder if the wed needs yet another zippered pouch tutorial, but I am sorely tempted to write one, including measurements, printing techniques, ink setting process.  What do you think? Should I? Would you use it?

I think I might be the sort of person who would buy a Ferrari, just because it matched a spare tyre I was given.  In this case,  I picked up an oven to go with my speckly enamel ware.

This little beauty is a NZ made gem - a bench top oven by National Electric and Engineering Company (NEECO).  While I can't determine where in New Zealand this was made, one of the manufacturing branches of NEECO was in Temuka.  Their insulator kilns had a handy sideline in ashtrays that grem into Temuka Pottery*.

While the oven is decidedly stylish it screams fire trap.  The top plate is used to heat the oven as well.  There isn't a skerrick  of insulation to the door or sides.  I could imagine it in a workshop, being used to keep the kettle and pies warm, though a jug and a trip to the pie shop might be a little safer.

*A very brief history.  you can read more here.