Lockdown Day 9

I struggled to know what to write today. Maybe it's wearing a bit thin, this whole 'stay at home' business. Or maybe I'm just tired after another night shift. So I scrolled through my photos for a while looking for inspiration. I came across this guy, who made me smile, and so I decided to post about something that makes me happy.

This is my monster pot! For my daughter's birthday last year, we took her and two of her friends to a local pottery shop for a play with clay day. We all made monster pots (yes, I totally joined in, wouldn't you?!) It was super fun and they all turned out great, each with major personality. I'd highly recommend doing something like that for a birthday party.

Here's mine just after I finished making him. When it slumped a bit and then cracked up the top it was a bit of a worry, but then I realised it actually enhanced it. And that was the whole point of the monster pot, imperfections were better!

Then we waited a few weeks while they dried and were fired. That's always a bit nerve-wracking, will they stay in one piece in the kiln? Ours did!

The next step was to colour them. We used a watered down black pigment to colour the 'skin' and rub it into all the cracks and crannies and then bright colours to highlight the features. The shop glazed the coloured bits for us and refired them for us and then they were all ours. 

My guy now sits on my windowsill in my studio and collects scraps and threads for me. He never complains, doesn't shed fur, and doesn't need feeding - the perfect studio pet!

Cushion Love

Happy Christmas to you! Or Happy Holidays, or happy whatever (if anything) you celebrate. I hope you and your loved ones receive some of the peace and joy of the season.

I’m going to spend some of the Summer camping with my husband’s extended family, just as we’ve done for the last decade. It’s an unintentional tradition, but one that brings us all great enjoyment. Let’s hope we can keep doing it for another decade or so.

There is no power at the site where we camp, so it’s strictly hand sewing for me if I want to do any stitching. However, I did manage to sneak home on Christmas Eve and put the finishing touches on some handmade presents for my children and my nieces.

My eldest niece on my husband’s side was given the middle name Taraire, which is the name of a native New Zealand tree.

When our son was born, we gave him the middle name of Nikau, also a native NZ tree. And so another unintentional tradition was formed.

The next to be born, my twin nieces, received the middle names of Pohutu and Kawa, which together are Pohutukawa, another iconic NZ tree.

So, when my daughter was born, she in turn received a tree middle name, this time Kowhai, which has brilliant yellow flowers in Spring.

Seeing as I have made patterns for just about all those trees at one time or another, it follows that I could make cushions with those images on them. One for each child - the pohutukawa ones, getting a different stripe of black fabric and a different back. The fabrics all came from my stash as did the buttons. The embroidery is done once from the front then again from the back as bobbin embroidery with a heavy hand-dyed thread on the bobbin.

And they loved them! Or at least they said they did...

Have a safe and happy New Year!

Not just needle and thread.

I haven't been entirely idle while waiting for the chance to get my sewing machines.  For one, since my Hubby is now semi-retired, I've taken the opportunity to up the amount of shifts I do at work when they are available.  I've also tried out my hand at a bit of woodwork.

Powertools scare me, so I always tend to hand off those types of jobs to my Hubby.  But really, I should just put my big girl panties on and learn to use them safely and then practice to increase my confidence.  It's just like learning to use a rotary cutter!

So I wanted a box.  My son is having a bit of fun playing round with whittling interesting sticks and doing a bit of metal working.  The trouble is, he's doing it in the same space that I dye fabric, and like all kids, he tends to spread out and take over.  I wanted a box so I could pile some of his stuff in and do a bit of space reclaiming.

I could have gone and bought a plastic crate, but I'm so over plastic.  And we happen to have a supply of rustic recycled planks, so I thought, "Why not?"

Hubby gave me some tips and helped me learn the powertools, but I figured most of the construction out for myself.

And here's the finished product!

It was a bit like patchwork.  Square up, measure, cut and fit together.  It's just using wood instead of fabric and nails instead of stitch.  I didn't bother sanding the paint off as it was just a practice run, but also because I really like that recycled look.

I got to use it the same day I made it.  We had a couple of people over for dinner and I used it to take my cutlery, napkins and condiments out to the deck where we were dining.  You can just see it gracing the table with the hydrangeas in it behind me in the photo below.  Fun!  

Problem is, I think I like it a bit much to fill it with my son's bits and pieces.  I might have to make another...

PS The ceramic vase (that my husband loves using as his 'man-size' tea cup) that compliments the box so well was made by my talented friend, Jane Shaw.  You can find her on Instagram as @janeshawartist