on growth...and development...

my baby turned 4...how this happened is beyond me...seems like only yesterday she arrived and brightened up our lives like nothing we could ever have expected...on birthdays I feel so lucky to have her and her sister in my life...apart from anything else I feel lucky that we are privileged enough to live in an affluent society...though elements of this affluent capitalist society irritate me beyond belief there is no arguing with the fact that we have plenty to eat, a roof over our heads and wonderful health care should we ever need it...


my baby turning 4 prompted me to think of the kids less fortunate...I don't do this very often as it leads me to a dark place full of wondering what sense or reason there is in this crazy world where bankers earn millions in bonuses and people starve. Instead I have a fairly innocuous amount of money come out of my bank account once a month...about the amount it would cost to buy two pretty mediocre bottles of wine or 5 super skinny vanilla frappucinno deluxes...and I sponsor a little girl in Paraguay through Plan. I've recently given up alcohol and coffee (in a temporary way!) and so have even less need for pretty mediocre bottles of wine or frappucino deluxes...which means I can now extend my sponsorship to cover two little girls ...which feels right given that I have two little girls of my own, like I am putting something back and helping in a tiny way to redress that awful imbalance...

I feel funny telling you about this, I don't think anyone outside my immediate family knows, why should they? it matters only to me really...but as I was browsing Plan's website while sorting things out for my new sponsorship this week I noticed that they actively solicit people with websites to link to them...free viral marketing I suppose you would call it in this free market economy...and so I've put a link at the side of this page...I urge you to visit their site, read a bit about the work they do, and make your own judgement...

am off to Ireland for a while over Easter...see you when I'm back

in the meantime have a very Happy Easter...hope the bunny is good to you!

a log cabin and lots of tea...what could possibly be nicer...

doesn't that look strange?

I was paired with Laura for Vonnie's Time for Tea swap. Laura is a graphic artist (currently looking for a job - GO snap her up - she won't be around for long) and jewellery maker and just look at what she sent me

gorgeous buttons...part 1

gorgeous buttons...part 2

fabulous print...part 1

fabulous print...part 2

excuse the awful photos of the prints - those dark patches are to do with my less than perfect photography skills, NOT the prints

there was also some tiptree jam (love it) and some chocolate...unfortunately one of the parcels Laura sent (yes, I had installments of wonderfulness all last week!) got damaged in the post and tea and some other bits and pieces she sent got lost, but still a wonderful swap package I thought. Thanks Laura.

I broadened my horizons for this swap and made something I have always wanted myself, a soya wax candle in a vintage china teacup ...I tell you these are making me damn happy at the moment...

I have this tutorial to thank for revealing to me how easy it could be...

I also made Laura a merino wool tea cosy from the yarn Mia gave me for my birthday, in a new variation for me, two by two rib, it may be my favourite so far...

I sent some rose quartz and green aventurine stones for Laura to play with too

Great swap. Thanks Laura and Vonnie.

so to log cabins...have wanted to make a log cabin square forever (at least it feels that way) but been too nervous...project improv forced my hand as the charity square was due last week, and had to be log cabin. I cut the strips the weekend before and happily sat down the night before the deadline, filled with false optimism, thinking maybe I'd manage two or three squares...come midnight I couldn't even see straight, managed to sew a couple of pieces on wrong side out and had a paltry one square to show for all my efforts.


It was a LOT of fun though, and now, finally, I can say I have pieced a log cabin square. I hope there will be many more where that came from as I do love the randomness of the pattern that emerges when you don't think two much about the fabric placement...I like this Improvisation business...it's just my cup of tea...