Simplicity 1419, lisette

Last year I did a workshop on sewing a dress.

It got me hooked. I had been trying and trying to get in sync with the sewing machine.
I think I've done it!

I love this pattern. 
It's easy enough for me to understand and has enough technical bits and pieces to make me feel like I've achieved something.
This is my 2nd one, and both dresses are good enough to wear out of the house, and to work even!

It is summer - it really is....

It's thundering and lightening and pouring with rain.
Today it's just the humidity that proves the season we're in...  not like last weeks trip to The Mount  :-)



Pretty Pacific views

 

Pohutakawa is out before Christmas -
I think that means we're in for a long summer :-)

Mount Maunganui Main Beach

New Year and raring to go!!

Really?

I have loads of ideas swimming around, the Vampyress Loo Roll Doll and the Flapper Loo roll doll might make it to the crochet hook today, as might the fern inspired wrap/scarf that came to mind whilst driving through the bush clad hills of the Taranaki yesterday 

 

Forgotten World Highway - Stratford to Tauramanui

The most remote pub in New Zealand

And the shawl made of flowers? Well, some of the flowers are made :-)

Then there's the mosaic on the outside table that is half done and I'm sure I could finish today if I put my mind to it. 

 

It does seem like I'm raring to go, it is after all Saturday morning at 8.30 and I'm up, showered and having coffee whilst blogging so who knows what the day will bring?

Some lessons from my summer holidays...

I should have persevered with the Cotton for a market bag.

The prettier one I made with a regular yarn stretched all the way to the floor when I put my togs and beach towel into it! (I'll let you imagine what that one looked like)

I am not destined to make a cardigan or bolero

My first go at motifs together looks quite nice, and can either be a wrap or a table runner depending on how much more yarn there is :-)

It's easy to spend money at the races especially if you drink too much fizzy wine in the sun.

After spending a couple of days at the Stamford Plaza I now know I should be richer so that I can live like that more often

On my walk this morning I saw heaps of dragonflies - they are so pretty :-)

We had a fabulous day at the races on Saturday. We put on our glad rags, packed a yummy picnic with some bubbles and took a few dollars to have a flutter. Sunday morning came as a great reminder that number 30 SPF sun cream needs to be reapplied during the day and to do it before you put your frock on in order to get the best coverage.

I find the bra straps the hardest to place in just the right spot so that they won’t aggravate the red bits.

And so with the onset of summer down under I thought I might make something summery for both my shop and the markets. A lovely lady at work was complaining about sarongs coming undone and having to fiddle with them, so the other day and I bought a wee bag of metal suspender clips from

www.FunkeyMonkeySupplies.etsy.com to try out an idea.

I crocheted some pretty flowers and got the hot glue gun out (always a danger for me with my clumsy ways) I glued the flowers on to the clips with a button in the middle of the flower to finish it off. I thought I might try some fabric flowers as well. bluejulesews blog has a great tutorial, I’m not a good sewer, but she makes it look so easy! http://bluejulesews.blogspot.com/2009/11/tutorial-ii-fabric-flower.html The next thing is to try them out and see if they work!