Easter was a short, sharp break but a welcome one. Finally got to see Grace Kelly:Style Icon. It's not a massive collection but to see some of key outfits from the 50s through to the 80s was great. There's even the Edith Head dress that Grace wore in the final scene of Rear Window along with bags, shoes and gorgeous sunglasses. The gallery was packed as we shuffled past a parade stunning evening gowns and floaty, sheer dresses.

The rest of the holiday was all family, dog walks on the beach, a bit of crochet and of course, chocolate...

In bloom

This pillow almost never got made. I started it in a heady enthusiastic rush about six months ago but ran out of puff a few weeks later. So it sat in my wool basket looking sad and floppy and for whatever reason, I almost decided to abaondon it compeletly. Then I didn't. I found more bright coloured wool, picked it up and kind of fell in love the project all over again.
So here she be. A little wonky (that's standard) but done. It's one of Attic24's fantastic patterns: Blooming Flower Cushion and she did an amazing job on the tutorial - loads of photos and step by step instructions. Such an inspiration.

It flew by. New orange sandles. Walks on the beach. Yarraville Farmer's Market (fresh beetroot). Got lost in the wonderful Hugo. Read Various Positions by Martha Schabas in the shade. Drank mocktails with friends. Had a water-fight. Rode our bikes to breakfast. Watched (part) of the most amazing games of Tennis I've ever seen and fell asleep to the whirr of the over-head fan. Hope you had a good one too.

Year of the Dragon

Crazy bustle. Sweet pork buns. Mini buses zooming. Skyscrappers looming. Endless noise of the best kind. I got some sleep. Hong Kong didn't.
Happy New Year.

It had been so long since I ventured into the craft room to make something that I had to literally dust off of the sewing machine and brush cobwebs away from the windows. Lack of time and frankly, inclination meant any thoughts of actually making something fizzled. Then I came across hop skip jump's new book. The second I saw this monkey, I started picking fabric - in my head. I think I botched up the arms a little but that's just fine. Somewhere between stuffing his head and turning his legs, I realised how much I missed making stuff. The rest of the patterns are great too so I'm looking forward to making more.

Seal Sunday: the movie

Big Wide World

Five weeks, a handful of countries and a thousand memories. Apart from the obvious attraction (not working) there's lots of reasons why I love visiting different places. It shakes you up. Reminds you that you're part of something bigger than catching the next train or forgetting to buy tissues.

Lots of great things happened on this trip, stuff that was unplanned like getting to see a book that belonged to Vita Sackville West at Sissinghurst, eating Bakewell Pudding in Bakewell, furtively watching a 'star' eat breakfast in London (Ron Howard), catching a local farmers market in misty Sennen in Cornwall, being followed by an incredibly friendly cat while we searched for Sylvia Plath's grave in Heptonstall, eating fish n chips and watching a sunset at the end of Brighton Pier, finding the Phantom's box at The Paris Opera, reading Hemingway at Shakespeare and Co, falling asleep on the soft grass near the canals at Versailles, watching squirrels chase each other in Regent's Park.

I've come back full of ideas. Nothing grand just creative thoughts that only seem to bubble to the surface when I'm busy looking at the world as if I've never seen it before.

It's good to be home but is it good to be back?

If you're going somewhere - Bon Voyage.

If you've just come home - Welcome back.