kia kaha christchurch - one year on

wooden ornament in the shape of the iconic stained glass 'rose window' of the cathedral

 

 

 

 

 

 

the real 'rose window' of christchurch cathedral - before the quake

ceramic dish from mudbird's 'emerge' range (with some pieces from my favourite christchurch jeweler, darrell of jakana jewellry)

today marks the one year anniversary of the deadly and devastating christchurch february 22nd earthquake.  my heart is still so much with the people of this beautiful city who continue to endure constant aftershocks (10 000 and counting, i believe) as well as all the layers of uncertainty, grief and trauma.  i have been spending time this morning remembering all that was lost, but also celebrating what remains - including the wonderful creative spirit that has always been so evident.  above are a couple of my favourite handmade things that have come from the dust (literally, in one case - mudbird's 'emerge' range contains liquefaction silt.  ingenious.)

'i will make something for you' - no 2

my creation for alex (yes, the cushion craze continues). i found myself making something that reminded me of the day i met her - at a friends blessingway...there were sumptuous cushions scattered throughout a beautifully set up tent with sides billowing in the breeze...somehow the purple seemed right too.
(and i'm still enjoying this way of breathing new life into old doilies)

can't get you out of my head

ever since my friend naomi at the long and short of it blogged about her recent bunting adventures i keep thinking back to my first encounter with it last year...the serendipity of finding two floral doona covers at st vinnies, locating an old damaged tablecloth that tied in with the covers and then selecting some fresh yellow and white polkadot material to brighten it up a bit.

then the start of the seemingly endless cutting which was at once tedious and also verging on a form of meditation; the visual appeal of the production line; the fun of creating new projects with offcuts (a little tablecloth for the kiddie table and decorations for the 'fort') ; the time spent with my sister winding 35 metres of twine onto our arms; the family effort of carrying it all downstairs and the joy of finally seeing it all come together at last after so so many hours of work.


(i've decided that these doona covers are a bit like the magic pudding - they never seem to run out. after all the bunting-related bits there was enough remaining for jax's dress...

and still a little left!)

mrs d's first married birthday present

deciding to hand-make a present for one of the most crafty people i know was perhaps not the brightest idea i've had...fraught with anxieties over my level of competence! the lovely sarah-may of a year of handmade presents is the birthday girl - and a seamstress extraordinaire (by my standards anyway).

these are cushions no. two and three that i have made - complete with infamous invisible zippers (tutorial found very serendipitously here at kirinote via flowerpress) - so, far from perfect. materials are all vintage with the exception of the blue and pink amy butler material in one of the sashes, the rest i found on ebay, as mentioned in a previous post. the second cushion is a multitasker with two removable options to jazz it up - a 'sash' and an 'obi'. makes it ever so easy to change looks...

(my witch's cat discovered the cushions when i'd popped them on the sofa to photograph - was looking very self-satisfied when i found him).