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.

My favourite part of a blanket would have to be the satin along the edges. These cushions celebrate blanket ribbon in all it's hues and leave the satin edge free for little hands to explore.

Growing up, we only slept with blankets when were at my grandparents. There is a certain security in going to sleep with the satin edges clutched between fingers.  For me, it means that, even though I'm away from home, I've been tucked in by someone who cares.

These cushions are made out of a collection of blanket samples for Onehunga Woollen Mills.  Each came with its name written on a small adhesive label.  In stops and starts I have been sewing the name of each colour onto it's respective sample since 2010.  We have everything from the blues of  seascape and navy, to the very pale whites of natural and eggshell.

And as an added bonus, they are nice to snuggle up with too.