Nini Makes

I love surprises

This was a surprise, because it was so quick & easy to make. I'd made the flower from a felted bit of dyed blanket ages ago and it had been sitting next to my sewing machine (along with too many other things) for ages. So I finally stitched an elasticated bracelet for it, added leaves and voila. A little pin ditty for my wrist.

Wonderful surprise. Lovely, witty Amy sent me Amanda Soule's book. Am I the last English speaking mother on earth who didn't already have it? I'll crack it open this week during our half-term break. She also sent me a mountain of hexagons in gorgeous fabrics and gingham pouch, this photo doesn't really show just how many hexies there are. Thank you generous Amy, it made me smile very wide indeed and your note, as always, made me guffaw like a mad-woman :)

Amy is hosting her Clothesline Challenge again this year, so ban the tumble dryer and join in. And if you can't ban it, try and use it a bit less. I'm very excited to say we finally have warm enough weather to hang the laundry out instead of in.

Another surprise this week came in the form of a beautifully decorated envelope filled with very pretty stitched paper greetings, cheery floral photos and the sweetest loom flowers that I'd admired on Flickr. Most of you will recognize the handiwork of the very kind Nanou; her parcels are so thoughtful and lovingly prepared, even her delicate handwriting is a treat to read. Thank you again Nanou  :)

 

Wishing you all a warm and sunny weekend!

A project close to my heart

I'm so thrilled to finally be able to share this very special project with you. I've been working on the design of this book for several months now. It's called Remembering, a type of book/journal to help children work through bereavement.

It's author, Dianne Leutner, the illustrator, Daniel Postgate and myself have all experienced the loss of someone close to us and through research we've found that a child in the UK loses a parent every 30 minutes. This doesn't even take into account the loss of a sibling, friend, grandparent or other people close to them.

Dianne's text has just the right touch sensitivity, and Daniel's illustrations are outstanding. There is space for photos and drawings as well as spaces to write about the loved one. This book is like a special little place for a child to return to, helping them remember their loved one, whenever they wish.

The response to the preliminary copies of the book has been overwhelming; local teachers, vicars and doctors all wanting copies to distribute as needed.

Lady Mountbatten, the Honorary President of The Child Bereavement Charity has said Remembering is "A very helpful little book of comfort for bereaved children."

It's not even published yet and a copy made its way into the hands of Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan, they are writing about Remembering in their national newspaper column this Saturday. For those of you in America, Richard and Judy are the Oprah equivalent in the UK with their own book club and talk show.

Now we are searching for the right publisher to take it on. While it's in the hands of several publishers at the moment, if anyone has any publishing contacts for this specific type of book that might help speed up the process, please let us know through this site.

There's such a huge need for a book like this, people are offering to buy copies printed from our inkjet printers not wanting to wait for a real printed version.

If anyone is in need of a book like this, email us at dianne.leutner@btinternet.com or leave us a comment and we'll add you to the waiting list. As the book is ready to print, it should be ready for distribution soon - with or without a publisher, we'll get it out.