A holiday sewing distraction

This weekend I am heading off to the States for a couple of weeks. I'm meeting my parents in Hawaii and then heading to LA to see my best girlfriend of all time who moved there a few years back. I'm super excited to see the three people I love most in the world all in the space of just a few weeks, and to sneak in a cheeky second summer.

 I promised myself I wouldn't leave packing until the last minute but of course that's been an epic fail. I'm sitting here with only one day to go and absolutely nothing is packed or organised. I keep telling myself that it''s not a big deal since everyone tells me the shopping in the States is amazing so a half empty case is probably a good thing.

So what have I been doing instead of packing? Sewing of course. Apart from the Sorbetto tops I made for my Mum, I also decided a new tote bag would be essential. My idea was to make something that scrunched up when it wasn't needed but would go with most of my limited wardrobe options. I didn't use a pattern so this just evolved as the evening wore on. It started off by making 18 different squares from my favourite retro fabrics.

Initially I thought I'd just stitch two sets of nine squares together and that would form the front and back of the bag - simple! After I made the two panels however it became clear that it would definitely not be big enough to hold all the junk I need to cart about on holiday. To fix this I decided to add a gusset in a lime wool mix fabric. What followed at this point was a whole lot of swear words and unpicking but eventually the gusset was in and the corners, although not perfect, were not too bad.

Front

Back

To finish the bag off I added a lining, made the same way as the outer with a gusset (cue more swearing), and included a two-compartment pocket. Lastly I made two handles from an obliging pillow case and around midnight it was finally finished.

 Now if only I could put this sort of effort into the packing! Bon voyage my friends, see you in a few weeks.

Wishing I could look this chic after a full day's travel.

Holding on to summer

I am trying and slowly failing to hold on to the end on summer. We're technically in autumn now but I'm hopeful there are still plenty of sunny days left to enjoy yet (note the twinge of desperation in my voice?). Normally I'm never bothered about the seasons changing but as my interest in the garden has grown, so has the work associated with it. I need a few more sunny days to do last bits of tidying and planting spring bulbs.

I ran round the garden today during my lunch break quickly feeding and watering the chooks and I took the chance to get a couple of snaps of Cleo who was enjoying the sun and life in general. I also grabbed another bowlful of blackberries and some apples from the tree at the bottom of the garden. In an effort to vary from the sponge I made recently I decided to make a loaf cake instead. Happy days!

Can you spot the waspy bug thingy on this blackberry?

Cleo never fails to bring a smile to my face - she's truly a joyful creature and finds pleasure in the simplest things. My mum has grand plans to knit her a customised coat for winter and I'm certainly excited about it, even if Cleo is not!

Chewing on some rawhide, as you do.

Hmmm I think cutting the grass is long overdue.

Sorbetto sewing adventures

A little while ago I wrote about a really quick and easy top I stitched up called the Sorbetto, you can see the original post here. I really enjoyed the process of following this simple free pattern and knew I'd make more as soon as the chance presented itself.

During the summer I made the top below but never got around to writing it up so here it is. The fabric came from an old sheet and I managed to find bias tape that perfectly matched the pale green in the design.

I also decided to make a couple of tops for my gorgeous Mum (who I hope doesn't read this before I get the chance to give them to her). It's funny how the process of sewing for someone other than yourself pushes you to improve your technique and finish garments to a higher standard. When I was sewing the two tops below for Mum I spent extra time doing French seam finishes and bias tape hemming. French seams are well worth the effort, particularly if you don't use an over-locker. For a simple tutorial have a look at this.  I'm hoping they fit well but if not, the Sorbetto would not be difficult to alter.

Left: Bias finished hem and French side seam  Right: French seam on shoulder

I think the next time round (because there will most definitely be a next time) I might add sleeves. If you're trying this at home I've found a very simple free download for a Sorbetto sleeve here.

Free and fruity

After a lovely Sunday lunch with friends in Edinburgh I was getting ready to journey home when I spotted a heavily laden apple tree in my friends garden. Quick as you like I was out there filling a bag and seeing visions of my pudding future. I was not only going home with apples but also a generous haul of fresh vegetables from my other lovely friend's allotment. I in turn had bought them each half a dozen eggs from my two lovely hens and a homemade pudding. I think there's something so satisfying and heartwarming about sharing something of your own creation, be it food, drink or something a little more long lasting.

This evening I set to work peeling apples and collected another crop of blackberries from my garden. Being a good Kiwi girl at heart I turned of course to the Edmonds cookbook for the sponge recipe that would perfectly complement my stewed fruit. I'm sorry to say I don't have a snap of the finished product since I forgot to take one in my haste to tuck in.

As autumn rolls on I am still hoping to enjoy a few more crops of berries, basil and cherry tomatoes from the garden before the weather starts to turn. I'm also hoping to try my hand at crab apple liqueur and I'm already thinking of what next summer will bring.
 

The interloper

Precisely one week ago I awoke to find a visitor in the garden. This visitor was feathered and very frightened and caused quite a stir amongst the neighbours and resident pets. It was a very young cockerel who I suspect may have been callously abandoned once his previous owner discovered he was not a she.

Francois and his slightly lopsided tail feathers

I must admit I was not thrilled at the prospect of a cockerel waking up the village at the crack of dawn each morning and the ensuing animosity that would be directed towards my house. However I couldn't bear the thought of turfing the wee man out into the big wide world to fend off foxes and cars. I resolved to let the situation unfold naturally over the next few days and just see what happened. Every morning without fail he was bopping around the garden when I looked outside with my morning cuppa. He was quite interested in my two hens, Edith and Petunia but they studiously ignored him. I put the call out after four days for name suggestions and eventually settled on Francois.

Edith and Petunia doing their thing this morning

This morning I took the next step of letting my girls out to wander around the garden with Francois. Any interest on his part was violently rebuffed by the girls who chased him away but other than that, they are fairly harmonious. I'm not sure how this tale will develop but for the meantime it really does cheer my heart to see these lovely creatures enjoying the garden.