Nini Makes

climbing and unfurling

sweet peas stretching upwards

Our little garden is exploding with growth – I honestly think I can see these sweet peas growing. 

dandelion garden

And the dandelions are exceptionally prolific this year. I told Gracie we'd welcome them because the bees need every happy habitat they can find. She took that as a good reason to pick every single one and blow their seed on every inch of garden not yet claimed. She's such a helper.

field of buttercups

On my walks the fields and meadows are filled with colour.

cow parsley

And hedgerows are beautiful with delicate blooms, unfurling ferns and tiny inhabitants.

unfurling

web building

Walking back through the village the neighbouring lilac trees smell divine.

white lilac (does that make sense?)

If I were Thumbelina I'd curl up and nap on these pillowy blooms.

I hope you're absorbing every last drop of what spring has to offer. Though she's come late to us this year Spring's more than made up for her tardiness with the spectacular show she's putting on.

Happy Thursday :)

Remembering and helping

An unexpected absence from my blog and an unexpected return too.

Though I haven't been able to keep my blog up I hope there are still followers who will share a moment of reflection with me in tribute to Kathreen and her family.

As I'm online so little these days I only found out last night about the loss of Kathreen and her husband Rob. I had just received email from her the day before her accident which somehow made the news that much more unbelievable. The feeling of having been punched in the stomach hasn't gone away.

I "met" Kathreen in the early Whip Up days and was lucky to be invited to write tutorials and guest posts on Whip Up and create projects for Action Pack too. She was a major spoke in a mighty wheel that became a huge online creative community. On Whip Up she didn't court controversy nor did she shun it. And her voice always seemed to be her own right from the start, not an idealized version of the self she wanted us to see.

Our children are the same ages and my heart hurts for hers and Rob's. If you can offer support, a fund has been set up for their daughter Otilija and son Orlando, you can find the details here.

Thanks Kathreen for all you've given your readers and the wider community too, we'll miss you.

PS - If you've been under an even bigger rock than me and hadn't yet heard this news you can Google Australian news sites to find out more.

A very Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to all the wonderful mum's I know, especially my own mama.

Today I was treated as I normally am on my birthday and Mother's Day to baked treats by my children. Tristan organises the baking - today it was a savoury scone number with lots of choices of spreads.

Gracie usually takes charge of card making and this morning she had fun with a craft knife. Hmmm, that sounds odd now that I type it.

I'm never allowed to get out of bed and the room service is exceptional. Later I'm hoping I can coax both children to our favourite woodland for a walk. We like this place. Ferns grow overhead, there are lots of fallen trees to climb and meadows here and there where our novice archer likes to aim her bow.

I truly wish all mothers could have such a special day.

A note about my previous post: Regarding the Tunic Pattern, I forgot to mention it's the "Schoolhouse" Tunic. I also forgot to say the sizing I referred to is American, not UK or European sizing.

Thank you for your sweet comments.

J x

Pattern Review and Winners

I've hoarded this blue medium weight linen for so long now, waiting to make this tunic, the pattern designed by Meg McElwee of Sew Liberated. Finally my need for new clothes won out and I made it, bit-by-bit. I literally worked on it in 15 minute intervals whenever I could squeeze the sewing in. That in mind, it was an easy pattern to follow, requiring simple supplies and not much brain power. I enjoyed making it so much that my desire to own a good serger is making me a little crazy. Because I used linen I zig-zagged every seam to decrease fraying and make in longer wearing, a serger would have been so much quicker,

I like the shape of this tunic because of it's slightly sinched-in, high waist and in linen it's really a blank canvas for embellishment. As I'm small, flowy tunics tend to drown me or make me look like I'm wearing a nightie though I'm really loving the way this one Margie made turned out.

Things to think about in making this pattern
Skill level. I would consider it for intermediate sewists, not beginner. A true beginner might struggle with a couple of things like sewing on curves and top-stitching, both tasks that need a little time to master. If you've sewn tops with sleeves before then this won't be a difficult pattern for you.

Also, the pattern suggested a lightweight fabric, the one I chose is not lightweight linen and I love the way it turned out so I would suggest a fabric with some drape is necessary, but light or medium weight will work.

Sizing. The pattern is for size 2 - 20. One reason I chose this tunic pattern was the fact that it is in two parts, top and skirt. I like the idea of being able to make the skirt bigger as the top of my body is very narrow and my bottom is not.

I found it true to size after making it, but as it was my first attempt I chose to make the top size 6/8 even though I'm a 2/4 because I didn't want it to be snug with tops worn underneath – the smaller size would have been fine. And though I made the skirt from the 10/12 pattern and reduced the waist to the 6/8 to match the top, I didn't have to, in fact the skirt turned out a bit big so I might alter it at some point. Due to the fuller skirt of this pattern the 2/4 all over would have fit just fine but I still love it the way it is. Clear as mud?

Should you have the opposite sizing issue of being bigger on top then on the bottom this pattern would be handy for you too. Simply adjusting the waist size of the top by tapering it in at the sides to fit the smaller bottom. 

I like the way Meg writes her patterns, they're worded the way we might explain instructions to a friend, unlike traditional patterns. 

So the verdict, I will definitely use this pattern again, but I would stick to a smaller size overall because there's plenty of room in the skirt. 

Now on to the Action Pack Winners
The winners were Val (aka Dottycookie) and Silvia of Little Green Doll. Thanks for participating, I'll pass your names on to Kathreen and you'll receive email from her regarding your copy. It may take a little while for her to get back to you though, she's travelling with her family for a whole year and not always able to get Internet connection. Find details about this latest "Water" issue here.

Have a great weekend,

Jx

come sail away, a new project and giveaway

The latest Action Pack by Whip-Up is out and this special Water Edition is brilliant, not that they aren't all brilliant. It is full of fantastic water-related projects and activities. As usual, this e-mag is great for a varied age range and I know we will be diving into it time and again.

This edition features a recycled boat making project by me*, and also a Cork Sailors and Pirates tutorial that shows how to make little cork people to ride along in the boats. The Cork Sailors and Pirates project is a special free excerpt from this latest e-mag and publisher, Kathreen is offering it up here.

There are so many wonderful contributors and projects jammed between these virtual pages, it's a pleasure to be part of it once again.

As a special treat to regular readers I'm able to offer two free issues as a giveaway courtesy of Kathreen. And as I'm not blogging as much as I once did due to time constraints followers of this space have dwindled so you have a VERY good chance of winning one of these two free editions.

To enter, simply leave a comment on this post by next Thursday, March 7, 2013. The winners will receive this e-mag, all 44 excellent, ad-free pages of it! The e-mag will be delivered in PDF form. I will announce the winners on the evening of March 7, 2013 GMT time.

I have several new makes, a sewing pattern review and an artist review all waiting to be posted here but I just had to share this fun Action Pack first and of course, the giveaway. I highly recommend subscribing to Action Pack if you have children still at home, it's well worth every penny! Don't take my word for it, read what other parents say about it here.

Happy Thursday!

Jx

*The boat project first appeared in the Green Parent magazine in the June/July 2010.

roll on spring

Our half-term break has drawn to an end. We enjoyed a quick trip by train to see Nanny and Grandad, baked double batches of chocolate chip cookies, ate double batches of chocolate chip cookies and took in a good dose of sunshine.
Today was the first full day of no commitments in a very long time which meant I could enjoy an extra long walk. And the warmth of the sun and slightly longer daylight allowed for several hours of overdue gardening, lucky me I had a helper. Tris was bashing out a new song while we got busy and his new song kept us going.
This week will be another busy one but I'm committing to finish a few spring-themed fun things that have been swimming round my head.

Hope your week ahead is a grand one too.

Jx

trees and skies

It is not so much for its beauty that the forest makes a claim upon men's hearts, as for that subtle something, that quality of air that emanation from old trees, that so wonderfully changes and renews a weary spirit.  Robert Louis Stevenson

My daily walks have been shorter lately so I'm missing the trees. We've had more amazing skies too and as we often have rain the amazing skies are pretty in puddles too. I recently posted these same images on Instagram in black and white by using Snapseed filters. 

There are so many things I've missed sharing here lately but for lack of time I'd just like to pass on some important and also fun links instead.

Lisa's stone project is still open to join in. She's accepting stones from all corners of the earth that she'll decorate in her own wonderful way. Sonia has a pouch giveaway going on, check it out. Also, I've been a huge fan of Lisa Stevens porcelain bowls and pendants since I first joined Flickr. She now has a Facebook page as well as two Etsy shops. I'll share more of her work soon, but treat yourself to a look through her Seaurchin Flickr photostream. And the Gretel Parker project is still looking for people to spread the word. Give it a read and check out her blog too, her story is one I know well. Help if you can.

We welcomed two new babies to the family in the last couple of weeks. Congratulations to my lovely cousins Joe and wife Bridget on the birth of little Olive and to cousin Kate and Graham on the birth of sweet Josephine. We can't wait to meet them.

The children are off this week for half-term break so it's a crazy mixed up schedule. I'm thinking I might try and squeeze in some finishing this week. There are lots of things I want to start but finishing a few old ones I'm thinking might bring just as much satisfaction as starting something new.

What are you making now?

Happy Tuesday,

Jx

 

 

 

 

enjoying

above me

Gracie and Katie enjoying a snow day

in the village

primulas staying bright

view from school

me enjoying a snow day

After our share of rain and floods last year I'm enjoying what 2013 has brought us. The children had more snow days this week and we all have loved it. The amount of that's fallen has meant me working from home all week and I've really enjoyed the quiet snow brings. Few vehicles on the roads, the birds hiding away and children out for hours sliding down hills. Yesterday I thought the melt was here and the inevitable slush too but no, half way through my walk this morning the snow began to come down again.

Abby wrote an interesting post about author's photos on blogs and arounna had a great post about the real value of handmade. Though I don't blog for a living and make and sell very little, I found both posts thought provoking, you might too. See, I'm already following Abby's advice, Gracie snapped photos and video of me tobogganing (see above), the video is a little... loud.

Happy weekend.

Jx

 

long weekends

Having Friday off school due to snow has led to a fun extended weekend for us. Friday was a fantastic yet exhausting day of tobogganing culminating in an impromptu sleep-over with five teenage boys, equally as exhausting - for me. They made a pancake feast Saturday morning and sort of even tidied up afterwards, in a teenage boy kind of way.

Riding for G on Saturday turned into mostly more tobogganing on the fantastic Quantock hills. Now some of the snow has melted but it's still so pretty. More is forecast for tomorrow so the children are crossing every finger and toe for an even longer weekend.

Today mummy has refused to go anywhere. After doing the usual morning chores and returning the most necessary emails I've snuck back to bed with my coffee and stitching. I've been into faces lately, not sure why the faces haven't become complete dollies but I'm sure they will eventually.

Though I've been working a lot lately, this week I'll enjoy squeezing in a project for Whip Up, Action Pack; they have a "water" issue coming up and I know it will be another great one.

I hope your weekend has been fun filled too.

Jx

PS, I'm trying out the Typepad app for iPhone, I can't see a way to make links in it and this post might end up looking odd too!

still here

Banksy was here (Bristol Museum)

For those of you who have emailed concern about where I've been, no worries, I'm still here. I've needed to take on regular work and therefore am left with even less time for the little things I love to squeeze in here and there like making and blogging. In addition to a part-time job more workshop teaching has been coming my way and the organising of those takes time. But workshops are so fun to do, I love meeting fellow makers.

Some of the locals (Bristol Museum)

Though life is decidedly hectic, we're doing well around here. As always, I find myself trying to give my kids as much time as possible. With every new year I'm acutely aware that they won't be with me forever and they'll fly the coop before I know it. (And I'm very aware that I say that a lot.) Like my niece Claire, who recently graduated from Uni (early) and is already employed (but not close to home). Congratulations Claire! We love you sweet girl.

Bristol Cathedral

The Christmas holidays came and went in a flash. We visited my sister and family in Texas, unfortunately we were ill for most of it but it was still nice to be with everyone (though I'm not sure they felt the same as we left them our coughs ;) I already miss them so much.

Early Flight, Bristol Museum

When we returned I took the kids to Bristol for the day before they went back to school. We felt like we needed a quick adventure. It's such a fun university town with plenty of history and culture and right around the corner from us. We look forward to many more visits. Bristol has plenty of what T and G love best, good food, great music shops and museums. You can probably guess which child likes which attraction most.

The River Avon, Bristol

I'm still very much in the discovery stage of learning about all the South West has to offer and so far, I really truly love it.

I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and that the New Year brings you much joy.

Happy weekend,

Jx