November 2007

November 21st, 2007

To market, to market

Activity levels have been upped a bit in the past week to ‘as high as possible’ due to the upcoming ‘my first ever craft market’ at Coatesville on the 2nd of December – and again on the 16th for a twilight market.

There’s also a bit of a do up at The Cream of Matakana on Sunday for which they want my skincare range. Now that would have been easy, but a new certified organic preservative has only just last week come on the market and I’ve been waiting for that. So tomorrow is going to be one busy day. At least the hair care is ready and I’m bottling hydrosols today and Lavender is back in stock.



I’m having a massive Japan phase right now. My call for help to Japan did not go unanswered and I also found a service which is reasonably priced at tokyobuy.com for those who are interested. But as things go my usual sources turned up with some fabulous fabrics so I didn’t need to go any further. I just can’t wait for them to arrive. I’ve already used up half each of the two bolts that have come – making summery beach bags.



There’s a bolt or two of beautiful shibori fabric just waiting to become girls clothes. Astrid will be getting the first two skirts to come off the production line. Here’s the cut fabric sitting underneath a bunch of chirimen ribbon.



This whole shibori thing got me thinking I might dye some onesies because Astrid and white just do not go together. I did some research on indigo dye and found this – but still too much effort right now. So I found an indigo blue tin of Dylon and it looks pretty good to me. The red I think was a once off – but it actually looks really cute on!



Yars dahling, it’s not tie-die you know. It’s shibori dahling.



After spending days and days making these halter neck tops I decided I’d figure out an easier and faster way to make something similar. A simple 80cm length of yukata fabric, folded, sewn like a skirt with chirimen cord attached – and voila – an easy sun dress! All headed off to Coatesville craft market, and if not sold, then on to Matakana. If anyone would like anything here please email me as it won’t be going in the shop this time.



This is the best ever piece of yukata fabric I’ve found. I only got 80cm of it. I think it’s from around the 50s and the cotton is heavy, the weave a bit looser. Oooh it’s just divine. And I so love the colour. Here’s Astrid coupling the new dress with her indigo dyed onesie.



The Christmas project was started weeks ago. It’s so simple. All I need to do is cut out the lining and sew. But I haven’t got around to it yet. The blue linen is a vintage Swedish runner (of course) with natural linen from Martha’s as backing. I think I’ll just line them with white cotton.



Of course the Liberty delivery has been as well for the month. This is the latest loot!



The garden’s going great guns. The potatoes are huge and the tomatoes are growing like mad. The seedlings are all settled in now and I’m looking forward to watching them grow. It’s a bit hard to see, but things are happening!



Oh – and here’s the bunny I finished up at Sandy Bay.



Right. The printer’s about to come with a proof and then hydrosols await their bottling session. Hooray!

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November 15th, 2007

Lovely NZ improvements

Today I finally got around to creating the new Lovely NZ homepage – which lists all updates. So people no longer have to trawl through each site, hoping for updates (when there probably haven’t been any). Now it’s easy to see all one the one page – and I even updated each and every one of the sites today too!



In between all that I managed to waste plenty of time looking at vintage kimono and checking the chirimen on Yahoo! Japan auctions. I also received the brilliant news there is at last a certified organic preservative on the market (very big YAY). Astrid has just learnt to sit up on her own so every now and again there’s a big thud as she falls back onto her head *ouch*. The office is now full of cushions but the thuds are still getting through.



I did cheat a bit with the Ellerslie Flower Show story – I’ve not actually written anything yet – just uploaded the photos. Tuesday was Media Day and it was very cool going when it was so empty – it only took me an hour and a half to look at everything. I slightly missed the crowds though – they are in fact quite a part of that kind of event aren’t they?



The only slight bummer was the food people were still setting up. So no yummy samples this time – especially from naked organics who are always the best. Anathoth Beetroot Relish was a good discovery while we were away at Sandy Bay. Highly recommended with sausages and burgers which I think is all we ate whilst there – and we’re still recovering.

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November 13th, 2007

Seeking help from Japan

I’ve been buying a lot of fabric from Japan recently – because I find it so much fun and I just love Japanese fabrics. Today I found a site that buys for you on Japanese Yahoo auctions but the fees are enormous.



So, I thought I would put the question out there… is there a nice person out there who lives in Japan, who can help me buy a few things each month and at the end of the month send out the fabrics to me?



Naturally it will be a business arrangement with a commission or fee or maybe even free skincare for you! – something to make it worth your while. If you think this might be you please send me an @anknelandburblets.com">email and we can find a way to make it work that’s good for both of us.



The fabrics in the photos are some examples of things I saw today that I would love to buy. Thank you so much!

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November 12th, 2007

Another relaxing weekend

Well I haven’t sewn anything since I finished the bunny while we were away last week – and I have had so much time for other things!

The Michael Park school fair was wonderful. And I remembered the last time I went I was 24 – so only ten years ago in fact – just before I moved to the UK. First stop was the cake stall and we found the prettiest organic banana cake with borage flowers and nasturtiums to last us the week. I’m just so in love with this cake – borage flowers are just magic aren’t they?



The craft room had pretty much sold out – but I did meet someone interesting. It’s a very long story, but it was the sister of the person I bought my first Japanese craft book from on eBay in the UK. I’m going to visit her next week in her lovely shop, Born, in Remuera.



Sandii and I are still waiting for one of us to win the quilt. Now I’m finally going to join the parents craft group though I’ll learn how to make one like it. The detail on it is just amazing.



The crafts were so so lovely. I don’t remember things like that from the fairs of my childhood. I just remember the dolls and puppets we used to make for the fair although I’m sure they were there. I was more interested in the Fairy Castle and the Magnetic Fish Game than shopping.



We’ve been eating very well too now I’ve got all this newly found leisure time. Delicious salads of beetroot, heirloom carrot and fresh thyme with lemon viniagrette, barbeque fish on Friday, a picnic at Cheltenham on Sunday for Fay’s birthday with poisson cru, rocket and parmesan salad, artisan cheeses, potato salad, barbeque cajun chicken, more beetroot salad, sourdough and pretty banana birthday cake.



Astrid had a lovely weekend. She enjoyed all the activity. Although now when there is no activity shrill yelling ensues. Like now. There is currently yelling. Food doesn’t stop it. Only constant attention. Which isn’t easy when you’re working. But then we’ve got the nanny starting next week. I don’t think I could manage her leaving the house yet so it was that or me not work.



The seedlings came back from Tammy’s greenhouse and the garden is now all planted, complete with irrigation system. To be honest it all looks a bit messy right now so I’ll photograph it once a bit of growing has happened.

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November 8th, 2007

Sandy Bay



It’s been raining a lot lately. Which is good because I love the rain. Last Friday we dropped the cats off in Greenhithe and drove up to Whangarei where we bought food for eight. Then off we headed to the far reaches of Sandy Bay.



Upon arrival I walked along the empty beach to the bach, in the wind and rain, and alerted the others to our arrival.



We enjoyed a long weekend of walks along the white sandy beach, playing boisterous scrabble, collecting driftwood, eating proper sausages from Westmere butcher, eating gorgeously delicious burgers made by me, and eating pumpkin and lemon risotto also made by me – which incidentally took me about two hours to make because I didn’t make enough to begin with. I actually really enjoyed that it took that long and it was perfect and delicious even at ten o’clock.



On Sunday afternoon after most of the others left we lay in our room all snuggled up on the duvet, the doors open, watching the sea, the rain, the pohutukawa and the surfers.



Simply doing nothing. I’d found a book of New Zealand short stories. Kevin was reading a Reginald Perrin book they’d unearthed in the bookshelf and Astrid was quite happy to just hang out. And of course we went for another walk or two. Up and down the beach. Daddy didn’t love the rain much, but mummy did. She took lots of photos of wet shells. And wet families.



I finished the wool bunny which needs photographing. We did have one sunny-ish day too. Astrid even had to wear her hat. It didn’t stay on for long. She managed to break daddy’s glasses again too.



On the way home we stopped off at The Cream of Matakana and handed over a box of two hundred cards and a pile of halter neck tops. This morning has been spent ordering more ingredients from around the world for moisturisers, ready for the day very soon when I make the full range of six.



Some of you may have noticed price increases at Little Orchard. That’s because my skincare products, cards and baby clothes are now available at Ruby & Sol and The Cream of Matakana. And me being the complete shop novice had priced everything at wholesale – it never occurring to me I’d one day have my things in shops. This paragraph is going to self destruct in a month or so, but blog friends, if you wanted to order something just email me telling me what you would like and I’ll give you wholesale prices.



In other news I have my fingers crossed that we have found the perfect nanny for Astrid to come here two to three days a week. I won’t say anything though until it’s all final. Now Astrid’s crawling – and especially interested in power cables, electric sockets and sewing machine and overlocker pedals – life here is very interesting. Here she is at the bach eating the stool.



Michael Park School fair’s on this Saturday from ten in the morning until I’m not sure. It’s at 55 Amy Street, Ellerslie – and I can’t wait to go – it’s been at least twenty years since I was there. My word. And we’ll be there again next week, Astrid starts baby group there on Tuesdays and one day soon I’ll join the craft group. Maybe next year for that.

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