Sewing perfect corners

This tutorial on producing perfect corners is a thing of beauty in its simplicity and effectiveness and I can't wait to try it out.  You can also see it in blog form over at Rag Pets.



I've got a couple things in the works at the moment, but nothing bloggable yet. I'm about to go and sand down some freshly stripped-of-all-paint windows, which will wreck my fingers and cover me in dust. Can't wait until all this is done and I can get back to more creative pursuits! Actually I find painting itself very satisfying but the prep work is such a drag when you're a perfectionist like me.

Hair

People often ask me where Hazel's blond hair comes from. Although she comes by it quite legitimately (Mat was blond and so were my dad and brother when young), I often feel like saying "the milkman".






- Posted from the couch using BlogPress from my iPhone

8:45am Monday morning

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

A broken promise

Ok, so after certain excesses over the holiday period, I vowed that I wasn't going to buy any more fabric this year. Today I fell off the wagon. BUT! But. In my defense I'd since made another decision which was, in order to fit a couple pairs of new shoes into the budget I've decided to make all my clothes this winter. It's all about priorities people - priorities.* I have lots of knits to work with, but I wanted some wovens as well and I just happened to be out at Spotlight looking for an ironing board cover (fits most ironing boards my ass, now I have to return it!) and I remembered that Heleen had, out of the kindness of her heart (ahem), told me about these Liberty-like lawns they had so I had a quick look. They were nice! I could only find two prints and got 3 meters of the orange and 2 of the blue.

 

They're definitely not Liberty, in either print quality or feel, but jeez they're not bad. Not bad at all! I have a couple Burda blouse patterns in mind, although I have to say I'm tempted to try a dress in the orange. Just something simple with a bit of drape in the skirt, although I'd have to go and get another meter probably... Would it be too much do you think? It's not quite as bright as it appears in this photo, the orange is more muted and slightly pinker. 

It would look simply smashing with these shoes

Source: overlandfootwear.co.nz via Hazelnuts on Pinterest

*Listen to me justify here - how am I doing? Have I convinced anyone yet?

Voodoo dolls

Mat was walking past my little hive of industry the other day, picked up a doll-in-progress and exclaimed "Voodoo doll!" And unlike the ashtray, this time he's pretty much right on the money. Is anyone feeling unexplained pains?  ;)

Retro ceramics

When I found my beautiful little Rorstrand Picnick casserole in Edmonton I spent quite a lot of time exploring other Rorstrand patterns and one of the ones I particularly liked was Fenix. I've had a search in on Trademe (NZ's version of eBay) since we got back and a Fenix cup and saucer came up. As is often the case with me, I kind of got sucked into the bidding and my natural, yet usually restrained, sense of fierce competitiveness kicked in. I didn't actually expect to win but dammit I was going to make the other bidder pay dearly - and then, I won it. Woops. But really, how could I complain when I have this little bit of gorgeousness?

Frankly this stuff runs a little rich for my blood, but I'll leave the search in and you never know!

Another bit of ceramic came my way on the weekend, and this one...well what can I say - I don't smoke, Mat doesn't smoke, Hazel doesn't smoke (I hope), I don't know anyone who does really and yet I ended up with this:

The photo doesn't do it justice at all, the shape is just pure 50s, although to be honest I have no idea if it's actually old or not. It's in pretty good shape if it is, but I don't really care if it was produced last week because I love it! It was in the opshop and cost $7. I proudly showed it to Mat last night and he just looked at it with a little moue of distaste and handed it back. Sigh. The thing is that I really don't know what to do with it, short of taking up smoking, so here's the deal:-

*Leave suggestions as to what I could use it for - practical or otherwise - that might convince Mat to love it, in the comments and I'll choose my favourite in a few days and send them a little something in appreciation. Open to all and I'm happy to ship internationally.*

Looking for a Burda issue

I was wondering if anyone in Auckland has a Burda December 2010 issue that I could borrow to get a pattern out of? There is a cute little girl's nightie that I'd quite like but I don't really want to get the whole issue for just the one pattern.  I can't find an image of the small version, but here is the adult one (oh how sweet, Hazel and I could have matching nighties! Not)

I have to say that on the little girl it's rather adorable, but extremely forbidding and humourless looking in the adult version! I'd look like a tank in it, although I suppose I'd be warm. And then I could put on boots and stand on the front porch of my mountain shack with a shotgun, and warn off unwanted visitors.

ETA: Thanks to Megan's instructions, I managed to request the December issue from the library; but thank you so much to Amy for her offer, and the others who suggested alternatives and other places I might find it! You guys rock :)