Heart Felt

Looking back ~ November 2008

Yes, I'm still here ~ patiently waiting in anticipation.  Baby was doing some major somersaults last night, I can't believe he has enough room in there to even move a limb!

Here are my favorite photographs from one year a go.  Sadie started walking this time last year ~ I can't believe how much Charlie has grown and we definitely weren't contemplating in having another baby.  
So much can happen in a year. xx


Self seeded poppies in the vegetable garden




Charlie reflecting




Sadie studying a flower from the garden




Sadie helping to sow sunflower seeds




Sadie in her sun bonnet




Charlie watering the garden




Sadie wearing my most favorite thrift dress




Sadie with a garden snail




Sadie taking her first steps



A lot of photographs of Sadie ~ but it was a such an incredible time of development ~ mentally and physically for her!

Thrift finds for October

Another month has past and here are my best thrift finds for the month of October.

Only New Zealander's will remember getting their cream in these glass bottles.  I was thrilled to find one which I'm currently using as a vase.

I have found a matching enamel kitchen bowl to go with the jug I found a couple of months back.  Looks great in my old kitchen.

 

So in love with this red leather suitcase with incredible interior including an old Air New Zealand baggage label.

  

Retro child's bed sheet

 

Handmade child's smock that ties up the back.  It will be great for Sadie to wear while she is painting or cooking.  Love the retro apple fabric!

 

I won't be dying this beautiful little cardigan ~ I just love the wee nautical wool embroidery detail on it.  Will be great for our baby boy when it turns cool.

 

A couple of pieces of lovely fabric, I have already used the pink roses as a dress for Sadie.

 

and this lovely machine embroidered table cloth ~ love~

Happy thrifting! xx

Inspiration

Currently sewing has been a continuous process in our household.  I am inspired by the lovely pieces of fabric I have been picking up from thrift shops, the anticipation of the new baby, living in the countryside and piles of sewing books I have borrowed from libraries from around the country.

It's nice to think that my creativity has inspired the children to be creative also.  Charlie wanted to sew with me, but he didn't want to just sew stitches, he wanted to sew 'something'.  This is his first attempt - a beautiful leaf.....I'm very proud of his imagination and the thought he put into his creations.

He continued to make a 'shoe' with a big button and some 'rabbit skin for Sadie's leg' (not quite sure where that one came from except we had inspected a dead rabbit on the road the day before.  Why it's for Sadie's leg......goodness knows.)

Sadie's sewing consisted of pinning a piece of bright red felt with a big green button to the sofa.

Some more creativity....

Dress from vintage fabric and pixie hats with felt motifs.

Pass-it-forward gifts in progress....(hopefully ladies your parcels will be on their way before baby arrvies.)

Sadie has been painting....

 

and some pavement art.....

 

What inspires you?
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 

 
 

Nesting

Another miserable rainy cool day ~ a good day for nesting.  Three weeks and counting until baby is due. 

The anticipation has begun.....

His dresser and cot

Beautiful quilt made by Chris using reproduction vintage fabrics

Dresser with vintage gown

 

Dresser full of vintage and retro baby outfits I have collected over the past months

Beautiful cane bassinet that has been handed down in Ian's family

Basket of toys the children have gathered together from their own baby days

Sewing for baby

The recent horrible weather has given me the opportunity to get the sewing machine out and sew some new things for our baby due in four weeks.  

I have found this book wonderful.  Simple but funky patterns for beginner sewers like myself.  A couple of projects were challenging but I feel my confidence has grown since trying them out and the results being reasonably successful.  

 

The book is laid out beautifully ~ it's worth getting hold of a copy just to have a flick through.

All the fabrics I used were the pieces I found in thrift stores last month along with the cotton.  The only things I bought new were elastic, some binding and the two anchor buttons. (I was hoping to find a couple of old retro ones in Mum's old button tin ~ but with no success)

Teeny-tiny goody-two-shoes ~ project by Allison Jones ~ page 12.

 

Cutest ever baby knickers ~ project by Nichola Prested ~ page 52

 

Yoga pants for happy babies ~ project by Shannon Lamden ~ page 100

I have so much of the retro farmyard fabric I made this pinafore for Sadie using an old 1970s pattern that was given to me.  We call it her 'farm dress'.

I also tried out Melissa's wrap dress tutorial to make a dress for a little girl called Poppy.  It's the first time I have used binding (which I bought ~ didn't have the confidence to make my own) It's not perfect ~ but for my first go I'm reasonably happy.  I hope Poppy doesn't mind being a model for my experimental sewing projects.

Heart Felt Winter

With the excitement and anticipation of our new baby and lots of outdoor adventures winter didn't seem so long for us this year.   We enjoyed harvesting plenty of winter fruit such as feijoas, mandarins, lemons and kiwi fruit.  The snow looked stunning as usual on the Tararua Ranges and we had plenty of short sunny days to recharge our batteries.  We look forward to spring and new beginnings. xx

New adventures to be had....

It's a bit chaotic in the Heart Felt household at the moment.  We have just sold our house and we have plans to shift down the valley in hope of slowing life down a bit.  We are looking forward to living in a little house in the country for the summer while I'm off work with our new baby ~ so there will be all new adventures to be had!

To get away from the mess and the piling boxes, the kids and I took a break and went out to pick daffodils down the road.  Gathering some yellow spring gold in the spring breeze was just what we needed!

One of the positives about shifting is that you find 'forgotten things'.  While cleaning out the garage I found some walnuts that have been drying out since last Autumn.  Charlie had great fun cracking them open with a little hammer while Sadie and  I took out the nuts.  Funny how little things can be so entertaining....

Heart Felt baby @ 21 weeks

Heart Felt baby @ 21 weeks, originally uploaded by Heart felt.

We are half way there already! Everything is well and normal and he jumps around like a little rabbit. Charlie is excited to have a 'boy man' like him. As for me, I'm savoring every moment. xx

Jam making

With our bounty of Kiwi Fruit we picked over the weekend, many people suggested making jam out of the excess.  To tell the truth I have never attempted to made jam.  Mum use to make jam, pickles, chutneys and preserve fruit.  I have lovely memories of fruit bubbling away on the stove top, jars in the oven - cupboards packed with all her preserved produce.  Ian's mother makes jam regularly and often we go home with a lovely jar of rich red raspberry jam or golden preserved peaches.

Thinking back, Mum use to keep us out of the kitchen when she was preserving or jam making because she thought it was too dangerous to have children around with hot jars and scolding pans of sugary fruit.  Maybe this is why I have never made it myself - until today of course.

I use the jam recipe found in the "Edmonds Cookery Book".

1 kg kiwifruit, peeled and chopped                                          1/2 cup orange juice

1/2 cup water                                                                        3 cups of sugar

Put kiwifruit, water and orange juice into a preserving pan.  Boil until fruit is soft and pulpy.  Add sugar. Stir until dissolved.  Boil briskly for 30 minutes or until setting point is reached.  Pour into sterilized jars.

Makes about 3 x 250 ml jars.

My critics (Charlie and Sadie are both jam connoisseurs) will give it the taste test at breakfast time with their morning toast.

Using the very same kitchen scales Mum use to use.

I got to wear my 'new' thrifted apron - just covering the baby bump! (21 weeks)

The final result - a bit darker than I expected - hope I didn't burn the sugar!

Making some handmade labels - one jar will be going to Grandma and another to Glen and Maureen who gave us the Kiwis.  I still have a basket full of fruit, so if all goes well I will be making some more. xx

Cloth

One of my favorite shops in our region is a tiny little shop housed in this historic building in Greytown.

It's called Cloth and here you can find original and affordable handmade clothing for children made out of vintage fabric. 

In the past I have bought these pants...which she is still getting wear out of...

and last Christmas Sadie was given this beautiful wrap dress...

This time I couldn't resist this simple pillow slip dress.  The fabric is quite stiff, but it's made extra special with this gorgeous insect screen print and just love the little blue flowers and the chocolate brown lining.

To top off their 'thrifty' philosophy they don't put your purchase into a plastic bag, instead they have paper bags made out of old children's books!  

Already I have reused the bag as a gift to someone else, how's that for recycling?

The adorable little rabbit Sadie is holding is a gift from Lucy.  Check out her Felt shop, Speckled Egg, where she makes the most gorgeous things for little people.  The rabbit is a gift to our new baby due in November, but Sadie is babysitting it until then. Thanks Lucy, it's very special. xx