For the last week or so, I’ve been sewing into the night; but for a change, I’ve been having a wander online, instead of resorting to the rubbish that we generally watch on the tele. Most nights see me settling in with a big pile of hand sewing, a steaming mug of tea and some kind of sweet treat, and exploring ABC’s iview - and Oh my goodness me! – I’ve discovered the gorgeous, wholesome, homemade world of River Cottage.
Have you watched it before? If not, go for a look here – it was this breakfast episode that had me sewing too slowly for my own good, and salivating at how seriously good and nourishing something as simple as oats can be (and sure, I’ll admit it: I marched off to the shops the next day, stocked up, and I’ll be giving that muesli with orange juice and fresh sliced apple a go this week).
I’ve been putting off this post for a whole week now, just waiting until I’ve sewn enough to be able to show you. But alas, they’re taking a wee bit longer to finish off than expected; it’s all that figuring out and cutting real fruit to see exactly what’s on the inside, and drawing patterns, and trying things that look wonderful in my imagination, but not so wonderful once sewn and in my hands.
That, and the visiting of patisseries for inspiration (and treats – I really can’t help myself. It’s absolutely ridiculous).
So, launching this year, alongside our gorgeous petit fours, are fruit tarts – perfect for play and picnics and made from the softest, most gorgeous wool blend felt. Each one is hand and machine sewn, and based loosely on tarts found in my favourite local haunts – Banneton Bakery and the famous Samford Patisserie. I swear, if I could make up a bed in either of these places, I’d quite happily live there and eat tarts for every meal.
They’ll have their debut, along with a whole new Q&I market look, at our first booking for the year, Mathilda’s Market, on the 24th of March. And they’ll be making their way to our Etsy store this week – delish!
My sewing nook is looking so wonderfully colourful with all this gorgeous new stock – it definitely inspires me to keep creating, to keep trying new things.
Oh! I almost forgot!
I have one tart shell left to fill – it’s made up of a pastry base and chocolate filling. Any ideas as to what could go on top?
As a young adult, in my secret heart of hearts, I wanted to be a patisserie chef. I loved to bake, had an authoritative sweet tooth, and just loved the way that cakes and tarts and other sweet goodies were put together, layer upon layer, to become a miniature masterpiece.
Baking wasn’t the road I ended up following, but I’ve managed to come back to it in the most unlikely way – through hand-sewn cakes, pies and tarts - our beloved new range available this year at all our markets.
I’ve been busy experimenting with toppings and fruit, and have a whole bakery stand prepared for Mathilda’s next month. And because they’re now sold individually, you can pick out the ones you really love – maybe a banoffie pie, or a caramel and strawberry mud cake, or maybe even a light and fluffy vanilla sponge with bright pink icing, deliciously dripping and stamped with a sugar heart…
This week, I’m putting the finishing touches on my patterns for tarts and pies, and will start to sew the first batch. I’m so hoping they’ll be as sweet as they are in my imagination!
Do you have a favourite tart or cake?
I’m always looking for inspiration, so let me know!
It really is beginning to look a lot like Christmas, isn’t it?
We had a wonderful day at the Blackwood Street Farmers Market yesterday, and loved talking to so many lovely customers about their Christmas plans. It was deliciously hot, and we were surrounded by the best gourmet and locally produced food – which makes for a pretty perfect Sunday morning.
We’ve got two weeks to tackle (and conquer!) a maddening list of sewn goodies, and then it’s off to our last Mathilda’s Market for the year. If you’re in Brisbane, come on in for a look - The line up for this market is just divine, and featuring a lot of our favourites, including the very cool Furious Kingston, lovely summery Kaftan Kids, the bright and eclectic Wimcee, and the snuggly Frankandharps. And there’ll be dumplings for lunch from Happy Little Dumplings – delish!
We’ve also been hard at work creating some fun new products – one in particular I absolutely can’t wait to see transform from sketch to reality. Think small tattoo, nautical, eye patch, and ‘Land Ho!!’ (Sneak peek soon!)
Sometimes being unwell is just the remedy you need, you know? It forces you to slow right down, look after your body, listen to the early bed call, and take the time (or make the time) to rest, instead of rushing around madly. And even though you feel utterly wretched, sleep and love and tea mean that you’re stronger and better able to climb back on top of daily tasks when it all passes on.
With that in mind, this week I’m grateful for:
Hand sewing. At the beginning of the week when I felt broken and stuffed up and in need of at least ten years of sleep all in a row, I started on a small, lovely project for the doting Grandmothers for Christmas. All propped up and comfy on the couch, with water, endless boxes of tissues, and a life-saving movie on for the babes, I began to embroider - what a relaxing, wonderful skill! All those small, neat stitches, a simple design, and the makings of a (hopefully!) treasured present.
But the sweetest part? Judah climbing in and snuggling under the covers with me, and measuring his hands against the embroidered pattern, just in case he’d grown while I was stitching…
Renovating. Ok, it’s not my real house – but a simply-designed wooden dollhouse I found on Ebay for an absolute bargain, and started working on this week in preparation for Lou for Christmas. I’ve been having a ball painting and planning and researching (you’d be surprised how many people take the redecoration of a dollhouse very seriously), but I’m keeping it simple: a lick of paint, some new upholstery on the wooden furniture and bedding (plastic-y pink fabric is out!), and a change of clothes for the peg-like dolls. Lou has a real love for small, pocket-sized things, and I’m bursting at the thought of her playing with this lovingly restored treasure on Christmas day.
What are you grateful for this week?
Nat
Ps. Want to play too? Link your grateful post back to the very clever Maxabella Loves, or write your grateful list in the comments section below x
Take lots of daydreams about sweet, pretty cakes, simple sketches and carefully knuckled out patterns, the softest wool felt, cups of tea and Italian biscuits, and an afternoon of wonderful conversation, and this is what you get:
The newest addition to our market line-up for Christmas this year are these delicious petit fours (6), beautifully boxed, and ready for hours of the sweetest pretend play!
Pre-order your box today – only $25 + postage; or if you’re in Brisbane, pick them up at one of our local markets….
Nat
Ps. Waiting on supplies to arrive in order to finish the last cake. But I’ve sketched out a Neapolitan-style petit four, garnished with banana and kiwi fruit – if I can figure out the best way to do it!
It’s been a busy, flying-out-the-door, need-more-hours-in-the-day start to the week, as it usually is during the lead up to a new market. But I’m putting down my needle and thread this afternoon and stopping for a wee while, to appreciate what it is to be still - to stop, close my eyes, breathe, and relax.
I’m listening to some rainbow lorikeets fussing about in the banksias’ in our back garden, and can just see a baby bearded dragon sitting as still as stone in the fading sunlight. I baked the most moreish oat, honey and sultana slice late last night, and it’s sitting on a saucer before me, along side a fresh cup of coffee; and I’ve just picked up a book I ordered from the library – ‘Home made Vintage’ by the very clever gals at Cabbages and Roses. Perfect afternoon tea reading.
We’re joining in with lovely Lou’s meme tonight – Point and Shoot. It’s been a while since I’ve taken photos with a P&S purpose, but we’ve just had the loveliest, loveliest weekend – wanna see?
It all started with a lemon tart - my first lemon tart making experience - and it just happened to be so, so good that I made it twice in two days. The first was shared with dear friends after a seafood feast; the second was horded and eaten sparingly, in a savouring-the-refreshing-sweetness-of-it-all kind of way…
The kids were handed oversized gardening gloves on our sunny Sunday morning, and put to work tidying up the sorely neglected vegetable garden. And underneath all those prickly cobblers pegs and spiky, suffocating weeds, were these vibrant beauties…
We turned the soil, all rich and loamy after a few days of rain; we hunted through the strawberry leaves to see if any new berries were forming, rubbed fresh picked lavender between our hands to release its heady scent, and worked up a sweat in the gorgeously warm spring-time sunshine.
There was a long, lazy afternoon of sewing – piecing, pinning and pulling together the six cheerful citrus blocks from my beginners sampler quilt (I didn’t think it was possible, but it seems to be even brighter now that it’s edged with the chocolate brown sashings!)...
…and a big, hearty tart filled with slow roasted winter vegetables and melt-in-the-mouth Danish feta for Sunday dinner (I meant to take a photo of this too, but it was cut up and tucked into too quickly).
Some weekends are just meant for family and pottering, aren’t they?
Nat
Ps. Got some wonderful photos from your weekend that was too? Join in! Visit Sunny + Scout here to link up with Lou’s P&S post. And check out her beautiful, candid photography while you’re there – it’s heartwarming, honest and utterly delightful x
It’s a hive of activity here – late nights, endless cups of coffee, a thimble now a necessary sewing item, and sweet treats as delicious incentives. As mad as they are, I really do love the lead up to markets; there’s an energy in the air, a flurry of beautiful material, the steady hum and whirr of the sewing machine, and the loveliness of hand sewing under lamplight at the end of the day, stretched out (exhausted) in front of the television.
And all those beautiful things! Oh my!
Want a sneak peak?
We’ve got so many lovely markets coming up over the next few months, and so many new designs to unveil as we creep towards Christmas. But first up, it’s the gorgeous Mathilda’s Market in the leafy Brisbane suburb of Ascot. And this time, I’m escaping to check out some of our talented stallholders – I’m so excited to be neighbours with the always chic Mon Petite Poppet and the gorgeous Owl and Pussycat!
Have a wonderful weekend, dear readers - and thank you all for your encouragement and support; it really does mean the world to us.
Sorry, dear readers, for the lack of blog posts this week – it’s been a busy one, and will get busier still, as we sew towards Mathilda’s market on the 6th of August, and a few new and lovely markets over the next couple of months.
There’s a certain satisfaction in working towards fairly big goals and seeing things very slowly align with that target – I’ve become a diligent, focused sewing and making machine, with my eyes on the prize, and determination in my heart. Which sounds totally ridiculous when I write it, like I’m climbing Everest or something similar. Some days are just like that though.
Do you have an Everest-type goal at the moment?
Nat
Ps. The very wise and gorgeously funny Lucille Ball is quoted to have said, ‘If you want something done, ask a busy person to do it. The more things you do, the more you can do.’
Thursdays are wonderful because both of my babes in day care (and having the most fabulous time playing with their wee friends and carers), I’ve baked something delicious the day before (the sweetest part of my morning break), dinner is usually leftovers (which means a night off), and I have a list of ‘to-do’s’ that always seem to get done.
And then there’s that golden silence. Or my own music. Or a movie to watch while I hand sew.
Today I had a date with a dozen flying nursery birds, waiting to be sewn, stuffed, and plumped in preparation for Mathilda’s market in August…
I also made a start on a 50’s style full skirt that I’ve been dreaming about for weeks. I’ve got a thing for vintage fashion at the moment…
When I was in my teens, I made my first patchwork quilt. It was mainly constructed from fabric scraps, was totally uneven, had blocks that weren’t quite rectangle, and was backed with a strange satin-like material that was always freezing cold in winter. But, for a first attempt and absolutely no one to guide me, I was pretty proud of my little misshapen quilt.
Sadly, I realised a few weeks ago that it’s in desperate need of retirement, as it’s been washed so many times that it’s both frayed and sun-worn. But it kept me warm on the couch for more than 15 winters, was loved up by the kids, and provided added padding in Lou’s bassinette when she was a babe. Which, I think, is pretty good innings for a badly made anything.
But lucky me! Yesterday, my lovely friend Michelle and I booked into a beginners quilting course, at the Quilter's Corner. I’m just a teeny bit obsessed with this lovely place; Liisa always seems to stock the most beautiful fabrics, and everyone is just so friendly, helpful and so wonderfully creative.
I’m totally bursting: I can’t wait to start!
My new fabric stash – beautiful, huh?
So looking forward to learning a new skill and meeting other local beginners…
I’ve always been a big fan of getting things done around the house. We’ve got a list as long as my arm of things that we’re keen to do to our airy, light-filled home, but we’re realistic – some of our must-haves may never happen; others may take ten years to complete. I’m ok with that.
I’ve wished big wishes for a studio space here, and quite frequently lapse into crazy daydreams about building something wonderful in our leafy backyard. And even while my imagination goes haywire, I’m aware that my musings are not really about a fancy-shmancy space; it’s more about having a room that belongs to me - where my books are safe (from babes who have taken to sneakily ripping random pages), and where I can work on and leave out whatever project I happen to be doing, without the threat of inquisitive sticky fingers wanting a look too. A place where carefully cut material will stay exactly where I left it, bobbins won’t disappear, and pins don’t have to be monitored. A quiet place, with a door to close, and lots of light.
(Oh dear. Even as I’m writing this, I feel horribly selfish for all the mine, mine, mine! connotations in the previous paragraphs… but, creatively minded or not, I’m sure you know what I mean)
So, with all of that in mind, this week, I’m very, very grateful for:
My lovely new sewing space. It started with a fold-up table I found in the shed, and the realisation that we actually had space in our bedroom for a sewing nook. Oh happy day! I eagerly scrubbed down the table, moved all of my bits and pieces into the bedroom, and set up right in front of the bright bay window, overlooking the vege garden and the street. I’ve been sewing in there daily, and it’s such a treat! A closed door to keep everything safe, and a cheerfully lit corner with a lovely, leafy view.
And then, Dave, partner-carpenter extraordinaire, found a bench top in the magic shed that he’d saved from a dismantled kitchen, and he spent an afternoon sanding it back to brand new honey-coloured wood. It’s going to be stained, sealed, legged and fitted to my bay window spot to make a semi-permanent sewing space.
I’m so happy; can you tell? And so grateful for a small space that’s all my own in the busyness and bustle of our family home. It’s my little, neat, organised piece of handmade heaven.
What are you grateful for this week?
Nat
Ps. Linking up with the wonderful Maxabella Loves – and you can too! Link your grateful post here, or write your grateful list in the comments section below.
Sweet little Abigail has joined me for cake, but is dreaming into the sky; She picks up her cup, leans back in her chair, and releases a little sad sigh. ‘Will I go to my new home soon?’ she asks, sipping on her tea; ‘I’m lonely for my small young friend, the one who’s meant for me.’ ‘I’m sure you will, my little love – the time is almost here - some sweet soul will snap you up, to bring their baby cheer. Don’t fret, lovely Abby,’ I say to her, ‘Your friend is on the way;
You’ll soon be playing adventurous games and dreaming the day away.’
Abigail smiles at me, and I know she’s thinking of you,
about the day you’ll finally meet, and all the things you’ll do.
She gathers up her treasure map, a torch, and bag of supplies
And skips off for another quest, under bright-blue morning skies…
Abigail is available now through our Etsy store - or meet her at our stall at Mathilda’s Market onthe 6th August x
Nat
Ps. All our gorgeous Quill & Ink Handmade tri-fold cards are now ON SALE!
Were $8 ea, now only $5.50 + postage. Check them out here.
So, I had the loveliest time embroidering with the Brisbane Brown Owls a few weeks ago – learning a new skill and being around other creatively minded people was just wonderful!
I’ve been so hoping to use this new skill in my next ‘One Pattern a Month’ pledge, and have been on the hunt for the last couple of weeks for the perfect free pattern to tackle. And lucky me! This morning, I read a guest post on Soule Mama by Charlotte Lyons, who had made the sweetest gift for Soule Mama’s newborn baby girl, Annabel.
Isn’t it sweet?
And Hurrah! A free pattern!
We’ve got lots of lovely new babes being born around us at the moment – just another excuse for me to bring more handmade into the everyday.
Want to join in too? Download Charlotte’s easy-peasy pattern here, and follow the instructions here.
We all lead such busy lives; I’m guilty of breezing through the day, barely stopping, slurping tea on my way to the next task, shooing the kids away from whatever project I’m working on that day. I’m guilty of not stopping to appreciate anything, and being wrapped up in my own busyness.
So, this week, I’m grateful for:
Small moments of loveliness. This week, I made a point of stopping; and it was based on a blog post I read by the lovely Gill at Alice Becomes.
Gill wrote a post last week about wanting to live in the moment, and how she decided to stop at one night to be present, still and grateful. And it really resonated with me – because I don’t do it nearly enough, and wish I did it a whole lot more.
So this week, I stopped.
A lot.
I stopped to listen to my children chatter to eachother during the day. I fell in love with the fact that they fall all over eachother every morning after a big sleep, and hug like they’re long lost friends, returning from an adventure. I paid attention when they read stories together, when they held hands out to the car, or danced together to new music, Lou stamping her feet off-beat to the rhythm, Judah strumming his three-stringed guitar.
I wallowed in the gorgeous smell of roasted apple and blueberry muffins, hot out of the oven; the extra sweetness of marshmallows in hot chocolate; fresh cut lavender and snapdragons in a vase in our kitchen, straight from the garden.
I lounged like a cat in the sunny spots, and found lots of excuses to be outside. One afternoon, I planted onions, leeks, carrots, beets, sage, coriander, a chilli tree, and a honey-bee attracting grevillea; I stopped to appreciate the warmth of the sun as it broke the chill of the wind, and the loamy damp smell of fresh turned earth.
I stopped to appreciate the stillness of the house late at night, my feet in new woolly sock, the soft glow of the lamp over my sewing machine. And I watched our sad-faced dog dream, legs jerking, yapping a sleepy bark which made me think she was on the chase.
So thank you, Gill – I’m so grateful for your blog post, because I had the loveliest week following your lead.
What are you grateful for this week?
Nat
Ps. Link your Grateful post back to the addictive-reading Maxabella Loves, or write your grateful list in the comments section below. You can also follow and comment on Gill and Nic’s project here x
Image from here. I’m the queen of post-it notes for reminders…
I finally got my act together over the weekend, and within a couple of hours had all my material cut, pattern decoded, sewing machine at the ready, buttons found, arms sewn on, and two little mice ready to go to a new home. So wonderfully quick, and as a first attempt, they’re not too bad at all!
In the spirit of this being a learning adventure, I now understand this:
Sewing golden rule number one:
Read pattern instructions carefully before cutting out pattern pieces.
After I had cut out everything and taken a lovely photo, I realised that the arms were done in a tricky, sneaky way because they were so small. It was very clearly stated on the pattern instructions; I was just far too impatient to get sewing. I’m grateful that it was a small part and there wasn’t too much material wastage, but I did feel totally daft.
To finish them off, I’ll be adding eyes and whiskers, and making a little kerchief and pinny from a made up pattern that’s still in my head. And these wee mice, Mathilda and Millicent, will be going out as part of the BrisStyle/Toy Society toy drop. If all goes to plan, I’ll be leaving them at the Mater and Royal Children’s Hospital, for sick young ones to find and love.
And as for Lou, who has been eyeing off my mice making for the last couple of weeks – she loves her new small mouse friend named Mim. So looking forward to making her some more!
Today I’ve been playing around with ideas for a new custom baby mobile for a lovely Australian couple living in Canada – want a sneak peek?
It’s called “Our Home Among the Gum Trees,” and it’ll feature all the readily accessible, yet uniquely iconic Australian animals we’re lucky enough to have in our own backyard. I’ve spent the morning figuring out how to put together the flying cockatoos; this afternoon, it’s all about possums, and working out how they’ll hang from their tree branches…
Hoping that you’re having a creative and productive Thursday!
Nat
Ps. For more creative spaces, head on over to Kootoyoo … x
One of my most favourite series of picture books are the stories of Alfie and his little sister Annie Rose by English author, Shirley Hughes. They remind me so much of my two little toddlers learning how to live, share, play, and grow together.
One of the Alfie stories we borrowed from our local library recently saw fictional Annie Rose playing with a collection of handmade mice; it made me think so much of my little Lou; at 18 months old, she is a big fan of small animals and hand-sized treasures.
Luckily for me, I’ve managed to find this gorgeous free pattern for Jofus and Lally, two adventurous and very sweet little mice, made and designed by the very clever Jodie Carleton at Vintage Ric Rac. And because I love everything to fuse together in nice little packages tied up with string, I’m making two for Lou to play with, just like Annie Rose, and two to give away during the fabulously fun BrisStyle/Toy Society toy drive, while also beginning my ‘One Pattern per Month’ sewing pledge.
Hurrah!
Will keep you posted on my progress… feel free to join in too!
Nat
Ps. Love Alfie and Annie Rose too? Read more about this lovely fictional duo here.
