Sweet Mary

Meet SJ, one of the two chickens we have recently bought to live with a friendly free range flock on Farmlet Road. We live in a smallish modern house with no room for chickens so our friends who own a lifestyle block said lets share! Who knows what we will buy next but for the meantime I have to learn about chickens and hopefully they will reward us with eggs and entertainment. My computer is still sick and frustratingly is no nearer to coming home so I am using my husband's computer to write this and the only photo available was of SJ.  No Sweet Mary photos but I have packaged up lots more beautiful vintage buttons for sale so... Don't forget:  Craft&Design Market in Havelock Nth around the Hawthorne coffee shop - this Saturday, 1st June, 9-1pm.

My computer is poorly and has to go to hospital, maybe a week or even two. So, no blogging for the meantime but I will be back!

  Inspired by this beautiful book, very happily received as a birthday gift recently, I spent yesterday snipping and stitching to make the lavender sachets below. Encouraged by my mum to re-use some of the time damaged linen inherited from herself and my grandmother, I cut around the holes and stains to make usable pieces. Backed with soft woollen fabric, not vintage but gifted and perfect for the cooler months to come. These wee pillows are filled with homegrown lavender, grown either in my garden or my friends garden. We both grow organically and without sprays. Once harvested and dried, I strip the stalks of their lavender buds, called rubbings. Its a time consuming but sweet smelling job that mum helps me with during her yearly visit to Hawkes Bay.      I also made small cushions with scraps of vintage linen cloths that I found at the bottom of my linen stash. I had forgoten about these pieces afte...

    It time for for the pretty bright colours of summer to turn to the lovely deep shades of autumn. I have been making tiered cake plates again, in readyness for my deconstructed then reconstucted Little Vintage china hire service. Just a few more  tweaks and it should be up and running properly in a week or so. Its no secret that autumn is my favourite time of the year, I just love those rich colours and the light that sinks low over my garden. Its a good time for reflection, making lists and plans for the quieter winter months. Mostly I will be sewing, some will be personal for special family celebrations that are looming and then there are always goodies to sew for my monthly Sweet Mary stall in Havelock North. See details top right of the blog - Craft and Design Market but basically it should be the first Saturday of every month.        Autumn leaves hanging from the pergola outside bedroom doors - double click on photo to see...

As its the first Saturday of the month tomorrow, its market day around Hawthorne Coffee shop in Havelock North. The Craft & Design market starts at 9am and runs until 1pm but just in case the predicted bad weather starts make sure you look HERE in case it is postponed. THE MARKET IS POSTPONED UNTIL NEXT SATURDAY, 13th APRIL.

Thanks everyone who came along to the market on Saturday, it was a thoroughly enjoyable day for me and especially good to say hello to past stall visitors who have rediscovered me now that I am happily ensconced back at the market. My haberdashery box is a big hit for fossicking through buttons, ribbons, lace etc. This afternoon I have packaged up my latest button finds and will soon do the same with the extra wide bias binding I came across this morning. The next day after the market, Easter Sunday, I packed up an all day grazing picnic box and my honey and I left home early for a day out. Our aim was to visit the Central Hawke's Bay beaches south of the two beautiful ones that we have near us in Havelock North. First stop though was the cute little market held every Sunday in Otane, its a mixture of food stalls and second-hand goods and good for a mooch around. My favourite seller of bio-dynamically grown fruit and vegetable was there and also Kahikatea Farm seedl...

Either late 1920's or early 1930's my grandparents opened a drapery shop in Rotorua selling manchester, fashion, curtaining and haberdashery items. My father has told me many stories over the years about the success and popularity of this store which he remembers working in as a young man. All these years later, looking around my magpie collection of fabrics, buttons, ribbons and general sewing items, I now find myself gently introducing haberdashery items to my Sweet Mary stall. Every month I will add new treasures which will sell alongside my handmade vintage style fabric pretties. Come along to the Craft&Design market, details top right of this post.