My * Fleur Woods Inspired * Textile Piece

Greetings lovely friends & readers

Instead of flowers today we have my old trike planted with pansies & violas.  

Willie you will love this - pansies are your favorites.

On the mornings that I drive Sid to school I walk around the Domain on my way home.  This morning it was foggy & kind of ethereal looking with a light dusting of frost on the ground.

Image from Instagram

Two years ago when my dear friend Sally gifted me the gorgeous book The Untamed Thread I very much became enamored with all things Fleur Woods.  

So when I saw Fleur's Taketwoart course "Joyful Embroidery" advertised for January of this year I signed myself up to it.  What appealed the most was that I could work through the modules at my own pace & then have lifetime access to all the information/teachings.  

It took me two months to complete the course - there were 10 modules altogether plus some bonus modules on photography etc 

Rather than working on a textile piece as I went I preferred to absorb the entire course first, slowly working through each module.

I must admit it was a further two months before I even attempted a stitched piece & it was timely that our little craft group had been given these sewing panels, each of us to choose one & "do something creative with it"

I chose the panel  Happiness is Handmade  💗

I'd initially thought to make mine into a bag, then decided to slow stitch it.  I've forgotten to photograph it prior to commencing stitching the panel, but you can see the panel top left even though I'd begun some embroidery. 

Top right is me playing with doilies & embellishments which took me over a week 'til I was happy with my lay out & I changed my mind many times.

Finally - yesterday - I finished my piece, which took me just over a month to complete (which was much quicker than I'd anticipated given the speed that I work at now)

I've photographed it on my deck table as my house is darker inside but I plan to hang it in my sewing room.  I'm really happy with how its turned out despite the fact it is slightly wonky & not square - Fleur encourages us to embrace the wonkiness of our work.

And Yes I chose to hang mine from a pair of Mums old knitting needles which I tied together - they were the perfect length for my textile piece.

Some close-ups ... a piece of Sanderson fabric top left - I've fabric painted some of the flowers but left the leaves natural. Vintage Suffolk puff & hexagon top right, the lace piece is from Mums old sewing box.  I've added a few clusters of bead embellishing here.  

One of Mum's old jug covers - I added a motif to the centre & more tiny beads.  Practicing a square of thread weaving top right.

Some couching & french knots on the left & some kantha stitching on the right.  Many of the doilies were from Mums stash, some were torn but I've just used pieces of the torn ones.

  

A line of vintage crochet lace & some buttons & then top right I used a section of this orange doiley as the sewing machine panel had orange in it so I mainly focused on oranges, pinks & blues in my piece.  🧡💗💙

Rather than leave raw edges I backed my piece with a cotton fabric & bound the edges.  I wrote a label for it & handsewed this on. 

Here is my centre panel  -  I just loved how the handwork gave it so much texture & made it sort-of pop out at you. 

And Yes dear friends - Happiness is indeed Handmade !!  I just love the whole process of creativity & am so thankful for this gift in my life.

And look dear friends ... I didn't even have to iron it because Pippi & Little One very kindly flattened it for me  😖

A couple of the ladies had finished theirs last month - Gail used her panel to cover a book box & then made the inside into a miniature sewing room complete with a cat & cake !!! 

And Sharlaine made her panel into a stunning Journal cover on a piece of vintage wool.  I just love what both ladies have done with theirs & will share the others when (if) the ladies have completed them. 

Thank you so much for your ever-welcome visits here today,

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend - remember to be kind to yourselves & to each other,

Sending much love & friendship to you all,

Van Life, Charity Sewing & New (Winter) Cushions

Greetings lovely friends & readers

          On my bench today the rose "Heaven Scent", one of the roses gifted to me when my Mum passed away.  

💜

(I acknowledge this next part may be of no interest to many folk but I wanted to document it as I write this blog as a memory book for myself & my Grandchildren, for the future - so wanted to include it)

In October of 2024 my youngest son Kayne (Sid's Dad) purchased a van privately from Auckland.  The van had belonged to a carpet layer so was a generous size which was good as Kayne planned to fit it out as a Camper for himself & his family.  I took these photos when he first bought it around to show me.

Over the course of the next year Kayne gutted it & set about fitting it out with bunks which folded out into a bottom double bed, a handbasin, toilet & made it able to be certified for Freedom Camping.  You need a certificate for this here in New Zealand.  This was all built by Kayne as time & - mostly funds - allowed.  Nicole did all the painting, sewed the curtains & the soft furnishings for the van.  

It was all done on a shoestring or as my dear Dad would say - the sniff of an oily rag.    All the while they planned & saved for a big South Island trip. 

 Their South Island trip came to fruition recently & they all had a most wonderful time away.  Unfortunately with the cost of petrol currently in NZ, it was not an ideal time so they ended up cutting their trip in half & only doing the top part of the South Island, which in hindsight, was a good decision.

A week before Easter they headed off from Te Awamutu (white asterix), drove down the middle to Wellington (yellow star) where they caught the Interisland ferry across to Picton  (this takes 3.5 hours to cross)

I've tried to show their trip around the top of the South Island here ...

 (1) Picton to (2) Nelson, down to (3) Murchison, (4) Hanmer Springs, (5) Christchurch, out to (6) Akaroa, up to (7) Kaikoura & then up to (8) Blenheim before back up to Picton for the ferry home.

They were away for 3 weeks all up, staying a couple of nights in some places, sometimes freedom camping but also staying in some Camp Grounds to use the facilities. 

Here they are at one Camp Ground - they had purchased this tent-style-cover which you attach over the back door of the Van when it is up & it adds another "room" to the van.  It was wonderful. 

 A few holiday snaps showing the wonderful autumnal weather they experienced. 

Such a great experience for all of them.  Sid's favorite place of all (yes I asked) was Hanmer Springs.  He actually had his birthday while away on the trip & turned 9 !!!   I'm sure you will be seeing more Van Adventures on this blog in the future.  😊

Last weekend was Anzac Weekend here in New Zealand.  I'd been having a sort out of my wool blankets & decided to make some hot water bottle covers.  These are going to a charity that my eldest son has put me on, to but I will document more about this once they have been received as I have still to get these down to Taupo.  I made 6 covers & then put new hotties inside them.  Little One gave them the "seal of approval".  

While i had the offcuts I decided to make some lavender hearts.  I used to make & sell so many of these in my craft cottage.  They are filled with my homegrown dried lavender.  These are going to the Charity also.  

You can see I wasn't quick enough putting the wool blankets away & Someone has taken up residence on the lovely thick orange one ... well I guess it is her colour  🧡

Late last year my sister-in-law gifted me this plum velvet bolster cushion that she no longer had a use for.  I must admit I didn't use it & tucked it away in my trunk.  Recently I noticed Bed, Bath & Beyond had the same plum velvet cushions with 60% off so I treated myself to two.

As we've had a run of fine sunny autumnal days I've been washing all my bedlinen & changing to winter sheets & blankets.  It has been great to get them all dry outside on the clothes-line.

I pulled out my burgundy quilt from the trunk as this is a good weight for winter & it matched the cushions well.  I also pulled out my Zinnia cushion made in this post back in 2021.

Although the cushions seem to be photographing quite dark today they are actually a rich plum colour.    I picked some of my hydrangeas which are similar colours at present, & put a Jugful beside my bed.  

It's amazing how just the addition of 2 new cushions can add such a warm cosy vibe to the room.  And look at that dear friends .  .  .  not a cat in sight (Yet) !!

Thank you all so much for staying through this long post.

Wishing you all a wonderful week ahead - remember to be kind to yourselves & to each other,

Sending much love & friendship to you all,

Easter Crafting Part Two . . . . ~ Miss Milly Rabbit ~

Greetings lovely friends & readers

 Instead of flowers today, we have ornamental Gourds which I picked last weekend.  I had a very small crop this year but my seeds were old so I wasn't surprised & just thankful that any came up.

This old round baking tin was in my stash, no doubt thrifted at some time & showing signs of rust.  I gave it the Resene Rust FX treatment & it came up well.  It was the perfect size to fit under my wire cloche & just big enough to hold my gourds.  

Last Easter I purchased a half metre length of gorgeous rabbit fabric with the plan to make Miss Milly Rabbit out of the above (old) pattern book.

  The fabric sat in my stash for a year & just prior to this Easter I got it out & made the rabbits body.  I enlarged the length of the legs by 3 inches as I wanted a long legged rabbit.  I teadyed the calico & I also sewed chenille pipecleaners into her ears when I attached them to the head as I like the ears standing up somewhat - I feel it adds character.  

The last time I made this pattern was in * this blog post * way back in 2013.

I added a ring to the back of my Miss Milly as I thought she might look good hanging on a wall - she is a good long length measuring 65 cms from head to toe.

I made sure I fussy cut the bodice piece with the rabbit right in the centre.  I also gave my girl some bloomers as we don't want her getting chilly in her nether regions !!  

I purchased this swing tag from Love from Seventeen - I've bought their personalised items before to attach to gifts for the Grandchildren.  This rabbit motif was in my stash so I gave Miss Milly a pocket so I could stitch the motif to it.  I also stitched a vintage lace doiley to her hand as every good rabbit needs a clean handkerchief !

After I'd completed her I decided to paint some shoes on her feet.  I had no pastel coloured paint that matched her so I used chalk paint in the colour Robins Egg.  It was a wonderful match colour-wise.

It's overcast & grey this week so I've photographed her on my deck table where it's a bit lighter.  I'm really pleased with her & have told her she can stay out for awhile longer so long as she behaves herself.  🐰💙

When I went to pack my Easter decor away I came across a bag with these wooden rabbit buttons in & the 3 tiny wood frames.  I can't remember how many years I've had these for but it was time to  

do something with them!!  

I covered the frames with wadding & Tilda scraps,  then stitched the rabbit buttons in the centre.  I tried to use colours that complimented the buttons.  Then I thought I needed something to display them on.

This was one of those vintage frames with the silk pictures in but it was torn & faded so I removed it, painted the frame & backing & then glued some scrapbooking paper to the backing.  

I thought the soft blue toile paper just set the rabbit frames off nicely & I had some leftover ribbon from Miss Milly's ears so I added a bow & a rabbit peg.  I will enjoy adding this to my displays next Easter.  

The recipe calls for 3/4 cup of feijoas - I double this & use Extra!

As I was on hen-feeding-duties over Easter I was able to gather a bucket of feijoas & make my favourite feijoa recipe Feijoa and Coconut Cake.   Yes I served it with lashings of cream because Why Ever Not ??!!

Yesterday morning I lit my first fire of the season.  It was Cold & I'd spent many days stacking firewood so I told myself that it was not for display only & gave myself permission to Use it!!!  It didn't take long for a certain Ginger Princess to find the heat!!!  

Wishing you a wonderful rest-of-the-week dear friends,

Thank you, as always, for your welcome visits here today,

Sending much love & friendship to you all,

Easter Decorating & Crafting 2026 ~ Part One ~

Greetings lovely friends & readers

Some jugs of dahlias & zinnias picked last week before Cyclone Vaianu hit the garden with winds & rain.

 

Easter came & went for another year.  My Easter decorations have now been packed away - a job that normally takes me half a day took longer this year as I appeared to be having "issues" with one of my storage bins  😖!!

I thought I'd share a few Easter decorating photos - very similar to previous years.

~  Kitchen  ~

~  Dining Room  ~

Primitive Rabbits made * here * & * here *

~  Corners of my Lounge  ~

I've tried to insert a short video here of my lounge mantle but blogger won't load it so if you click * Here * on my Instagram post, you may be able to view the video hopefully. 

~  Lounge  ~

On Good Friday we had a brief visit from my step grandaughters as they travelled south & I was able to give them their Easter bags.  Our neighbor spent a few days burning the large heap of trees that he had removed in * this post *.  It was perfect bonfire weather. 

On Easter Sunday I baked all day as I planned a trip down to visit Alec my eldest Grandson & family.  I baked Banana bread, Rice bubble crisp & (more) chocolate cupcakes with choccy eggs on top. 

 I couldn't wait to get my feet in Lake Taupo again.  We had a picnic lunch down at the Lake & then in the afternoon my daughter in law & I went for a 20 minute hike to a secluded Bay.  

    

I'm pretty sure * this * was the track we walked - to Whangamata Bay.  

Such a wonderful secluded spot with a stream running down the hills & into the Lake - Sarah said she often hikes down here & brings her book to read or swims.  

~  Easter Crafting  ~

On Good Friday afternoon I pulled this old wooden box out of the woodshed where it was buried under a plethora of rubbish other items.  I scrubbed it & then painted it using first some leftover white paint to really cover the wood & then chalk-paint in the colour Old Linen.  This was very much about using up what I had on hand.  It took 3 coats all up to get a good coverage.

I'd purchased this wooden embellishment on our recent trip to Paint me Vintage so I glued it to the Lid & once dry, painted it the same colour.  

I still had some transfers left over from when I revamped this drop leafed table so I added these to the lid & front of the box.  Then I lightly sanded the edges & gave it a good wax.  

Now it was time to tackle the inside.  I should have photographed it when I first opened it - it was a sorry sight indeed.  I vacuumed it out & then scrubbed it & left to dry.  I only painted the edges of the lid & the sides of the base as I planned to use up some left over wallpaper for the rest.  

I had just enough of this gorgeous Cath Kidston wallpaper left to do the insides.  I'm really pleased with how it's turned out & I'm sure it won't take me too long to find something to fill it up 😉 as it's a good big size.

Thank you so much for staying through this lengthy post dear friends,

I shall be back soon with Part two as I felt this was long enough for today.

Wishing you all a wonderful rest-of-the-week,

With much love & friendship to you all,