Honey and Grassy.

A couple of weeks ago, Archie and I placed on order on two little dutch bunnies. We decided to keep it a secret so we could give Hugo a wonderful surprise. When we arrived at the breeders house, he was told we were going to pick up a large crate of broccoli. Can you imagine how thrilled he was to find out that we were instead picking up these two little girls.

I love the facial expression on this one's face. Not its happiest moment.

It is so hard keeping up with twins.

The other exciting thing is that Stef the bride and her mum gave me this skirt. It was originally purchased for Stef's daughter who wasn't so keen on it.... so they thought I should have it!!!! It is going to drape on the wall above our bed on a clothes hanger (maybe a crocheted one) and I can look up at its filminess and dream. I always thought I would have to have a little girl to warrant an article of clothing like this but now I know... as long as I don't awkwardly and bulgingly wear it, I can hang cool girl stuff on the wall.

Now... where can I find some ballet slippers....

A New Skirt for Me!

Today I made...

A new skirt (the title of this post kind of gave that away). Pleats on the front AND on the back. I was going to put in an invisible zip but the foot wasn't right for my machine so I thought I may as well make the visible zip into a little feature.

Buttons on the front.

Hopefully I will see Jonno for long enough tomorrow that he can take a photo of me wearing it. I love this skirt so much and will include pattern details (it's by Simplicity) next post. The fabric is a linen/cotton mix and is lovely to wear, making me want to twirl in a sedate manner throughout the house.

Anyhoo, time to put to boys to bed and then get out my knitting needles.

Lots of love,

Kate xxooxx.

A New Little Beanie.

Wahoo - the rains I have been so desperate for arrived yesterday and poured and poured and poured. The boys and I played around with puzzles for a little while and then nestled down on the couch to watch 'Top Gear'. I owe a friend a beanie so I took my circular needles out, some 12 ply wool and my dodgy memories of a beanie I knitted for Hugo a couple of years ago. Not all freestyle knitting works so well for me but fortunately, I now have a little hat ready to gift. I must say though that it looks much better on than off (lying on the bench it sort of looks like a gigantic bosom warmer).

I hope the weekend brought many cosy moments to you too.

Lots of love,

Kate xxooxxooxx.

The Final Week.

Okay, I think I am about ready for the kids to start school now. Not that I am sick of them, or even the holidays but I have to say, I am spent. I have loved the laid back pace, the lack of running around and seeing the boys just melt into the garden or spend hours building crab hotels at the beach. After seven weeks though, the thought of hiding out in my studio seems like heaven. Maybe that is the sign of a good holiday though, to feel as though every moment has been all used up and maybe, just maybe, a very quiet week is exactly what the boys need before starting a whole new year of school. Rain is scheduled so I will keep my fingers crossed, a few board games, a bit of knitting, the odd d.v.d. That sounds so wonderful. I think even if the sun is shining, I might just call it a rain day anyway.

Lots of love,

Kate xxooxx.

Notes on a Chair Bag (and a little bit of embroidery).

First of all, a quick peek at my next piece of tapestry.

A nice 'light' summer project - Archie's jumper has been abandoned for a little while. It is very thick with a 3x3 rib and takes up a lot of space on my knee (almost eight year olds require a lot more knitted area!!!) and makes me feel very hot and bothered.

Now, many of you were wondering what a chair bag is. Well, here we go - they go over the children's chair at school and they keep all of their books and pens and secret things in there. Archie is very excited because this year he is graduating on to a proper desk where he gets to keep all of his stuff inside it. Sadly, when this happens the classroom loses something as it's so lovely to walk into a room and see all of the chairs covered with their colourful and highly unique bags.

This is the pattern sent home from school and I am sure they wouldn't mind if I posted the dimensions. It's kind of like sewing a back to front pillowcase where the right side of the overlap is sewn against the right side of the largest piece of fabric (a.) and the right side of the pocket is sewn against the wrong side of piece a. and then it is all turned inside out. Hmmm, maybe I should take photos for a proper tutorial but if any of you are desperate for your own chair bag, hopefully this will get you started. Whenever I make one (that's only been twice), I always think I should make a set for the table as they are so handy for magazines, cook books, pens and paper. Maybe some oil cloth ones would be good....
Yes, oilcloth would be good - Hugo was so happy about his chair bag it kept him company as he ate dinner and after the odd stroke, left saucy fingerprints and drippings of yoghurt on it. Uh oh - I am supposed to be having a cooking and picnic today but I can hear my sewing machine purring...
Lots of love,
Kate xxooxx.

Hugo's Chair Bag.

With Hugo beginning school in a week and a half, I decided that it was finally time to sew him his required chair bag. It seems like such a rite of passage and surely it was only yesterday that Archie's one was finished - how can I be sewing my baby's chair bag????

Archie gently reminded me that Hugo's name had to be on it so I pilfered some melty counted cross stitch grid stuff from my new Cath Kidston book 'Stitch' (her best so far) and found some embroidery floss.

The melty-grid stuff is fantastic, I've never used it before but it is very, very easy. When you have finished your work, you simply snip around it and then soak it in water. Voila! The font pattern comes from 'Made in France: Linen and Thread' by Monique Lyonnet.

I had to share with you my sweet pea posy I picked for a friend today. Another use for washi tape - wahooooo!!! My new tapestry that I am currently working on is peeping from behind... I gave it a little premature fashion parade in the frame to see how it would fit. All very exciting.

I love washi tape.

Lots of love,

Kate xxooxx.

Hips and Stuff.

We have recently had many, many meals with friends as is often the way at this time of year. And with all of the festivities, I am beginning to feel very average, almost as though my skin has forgotten how to breathe.

So today, with my curly headed Canadian friend Delphine and our gang of children, we met up at the local school and had a hit of tennis while the kids dashed around the concrete pathways on their bikes. I perspired profusely which is a very good thing and the best part is that I barely noticed because I was having so much fun.

However, just towards the very end, I wrenched my hip and am now hobbling around like an eighty year old. How can this be? The funny thing is even with the pain I can't wait to get out there and play again. Sometimes sport is fun something that always leeks from my mind whenever I am confronted by peoplele dressed in lycra with terrifying and torturous looks on their faces. Sometimes sport can be a game. I am waffling a bit I know but it has been so long since exercise seemed fun.

Anyhoo - here are a few more photos from my last couple of days. I have to remember to go easy on dressing the whole family in stripes. I am beginning to get too many comments on us all wearing matching outfits and I don't necessarily think that is a good thing. The green jug is a present from Bride-Stef and the buns below were for our picnic dinner down by the beach and were stuffed with ham and corn and red onion and cheese. Picnic food is the best and I love how virtuous I feel when it is lovingly bundled up and packed into a basket.

Better pop along and cook tonight's dinner now.

Love Kate xxooxx.