The preparations are laid, and traveling done.  It's time to just enjoy the moment. Wishing you a Merry Christmas from our little Seven-Stitches Family. ...

Continue Reading

This is what happens in our house, when the adult take their time putting up the advent calendar*.  Small children take matters into their own hands.  She's done a great job recreating our calendar don't you think? I was worried that I may have lost some of the pockets between the years.  But this little burst of creativity from miss H was all...

Continue Reading

In honor of the last day of Daycare for the year, H and I made sprinkle fudge to give to the teachers. To make your own you will need: 395g can sweetened condensed milk 100g butter 200g  brown sugar 3 Tbsp golden syrup 180g white chocolate buttons 2 tsp vanilla essence Lots of sprinkles  - 100s & 1000s, chocolate buttons etc. 1 Combine...

Continue Reading

  This bread is the perfect collision of bottling, thrifting, and Christmas.   First the bottling - Our little quince tree gave us 3 quinces this year.  They became a preserved concoction of roasted quince meat (like fruit mince, only mostly quince).  It taste's a little like a very grown up version of strudel.  I can quite happily eat it straight from the jar....

Continue Reading

I have been sketching, carving and stamping up a storm, gradually reducing this stamp until I was happy with it. Every Christmas I think, this is the year I'll start sending Christmas cards again. I used to be so dilligent, posting them out to my university friends as  I went home to my parents each summer, sending little notes and baubles to friends...

Continue Reading

The Christmas count down started early in our house. To be precise it started the morning after Halloween. I woke to find two little girls at the breakfast table, felt pens in had and a long list of 'How do you spell...?' The lists sat on our fridge until last week. We didn't want to bother Santa before December. H and I folded...

Continue Reading

Sometimes projects are just an angels breath from completion.  These little pegs had been sitting painted for a while, waiting for wings, skirts and faces.  I imagined skirts made from slices of lightly coloured vintage embroidery and paper doily wings.  Consulting my drawers of damaged, vintage embroidery, I found other ideas.  A hand embroidered table cloth, too long in the napisan was waiting...

Continue Reading

The strangest things rise to the surface when parents start clearing out spaces.  I spied a pair of these glass domes on a shelf in Dad's garage.  At first he though they might be old valve domes, but closer inspection and splashes of white paint suggest they were outdoor light bulb covers.  With $2 of thrifted decorations,  they look grand.  The kids are...

Continue Reading

Stir it up Sunday is something my grandmother introduced me to.  Before launching into all the rush of Advent and associated Christmas preparations, we have Stir it up Sunday.  It takes it's name from a 1549 prayer "Stir up, we beseech thee, O Lord, the wills of thy faithful people; that they, plenteously bringing forth the fruit of good works, may of thee...

Continue Reading

  I may be many things, but a bird fancier I am not.  Instead I am content to admire these sweet and proper budgies.  I picked up the books from the local church fair for their illustrations.   There's a certain poetry to the collective nouns of birds.  A chatter of budgies or even a chattering.  The canaries, I have been told, like to...

Continue Reading

 These ladies have been waiting a very long time to get their skirts.  But don't they look so happy now?  They were left in painted on hot pants for over a year, as I tried to work out how to make them stand up. The original plan was to hand turn some wooden bead and route out a centre that let each doll...

Continue Reading

A little stitching, a little pattern and I now have my very own La Cigale.  It's a lavender filled cicada, to fill a wardrobe with summery fragrances and memories of a lovely Le Rouvray.  The pattern went together beautifully.  I think the next one deserves some sort of hanging loop as well. I'm busting out the fabric stash.  Aunts, avert you eyes as...

Continue Reading

I'm smitten with Ladybird books.  Their bright spines, idyllic worlds and attempts at first readers.  According to telling the time, we can expect the mail man at 9 and the milkman at 10 and daddy will get home from work at 6.  Just as well there is shopping at 11 and tea at 4 to keep us occupied for the rest of the...

Continue Reading

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...

Continue Reading

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.  There were cars and machinery to admire.   Lions to tame And wheels to be ridden I hope you had an equally adventurous weekend. ...

Continue Reading

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...

Continue Reading

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...

Continue Reading

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...

Continue Reading

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. ...

Continue Reading

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...

Continue Reading

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...

Continue Reading

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,...

Continue Reading