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.

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.
 

Summer harvest

Is there anything more satisfying than growing your own food?
This summer I've grown strawberries, rhubarb, basil and for the first time, cherry tomatoes. I'm wearing a rather big smug grin as I sit down to dinner tonight!