Friday, June 22, 2012

more tree buttons

 Some of the finished  buttons. These ones are cherry wood: now sanded and sealed with homemade beeswax polish. Wrapped up with some wool and a pattern for my mum who has rediscovered knitting! (She taught me everything i  needed to start my knitting journey around age 8)
 These ones are either apple or hazel wood,   (there's just a big pile of unfinished buttons in the shed...the cherry ones are obvious, the rest less so), adorning a newly finished winter coat for Joska.
The pattern is the 
"baby in the hood jacket" from Anna Maria Horner's 'Handmade Beginnings.' The outer fabrics are velveteen and some sort of upholstery stuff from op shops, then stashed. The lining is some train print cotton from the local school gala/bookfair last year.
 The tree buttons were sliced a few weeks ago, then I drilled the holes using a 1.5 mm drill bit and left to dry for a few weeks. Then in the last few days I've sanded the ones I needed with 180 grit sandpaper and polished with some wax and vegetable oil melted together ( I have a big pot of it in the pantry), I think it was 50/50 mix.
I had a few casualties, but they were wafer thin to start with.
  I have a knitting project to be getting on with ( when Joska has his 30 min cat nap); what will you do with this cold, wet weekend?

Sunday, June 3, 2012

long weekending

 A long weekend, just what we needed! You too? On Saturday we cleaned and gardened a little bit, and Joska and I partied until late at a lovely Mother blessing. I found it a but full on emotionally; I knew my last birth experience was still fresh, but I didn't realise just how raw it all still was. There was talk of the hardness of it and then the moment of euphoria after and I realised I didn't get that; no endorphins to balance the experience, no real rush of love for my baby, not then anyway. The love has come slowly and gradually ( which is real and valid for many women), but I feel a bit ripped off that I didn't get that moment! I didn't feel empowered this time. I like to think I kept that stuff out of that environment but I'm probably quite see-through when I'm trying to hide my feelings etc. I wish my friend an amazing and empowering birth experience and I don't doubt for a moment that she'll get that. Soon too!
 Yesterday the older kids had a Nanny(Granny-Nanny) day, and Struan and Joska and I headed into Nelson for a day of birthday shopping ( Maaike will be 6 next week!) and Founders Book Fair-ing. Struan carried Joska mostly and my body had a little break.
 Today I thought, "I need tree buttons!" so I chopped some branches off and a tree down and  made Struan cut some button sized bits. We also ended up with some block sized bits for the kids and some kindling. It was a mama-initiated activity but the kids loved it too. Tobin was a helping builder man and the girls were chatting excitedly about using the blocks to make fairy plates or chairs and things.
Here are some of my prized book fair finds ( there were two bags between us all up). I particularly like the  gum nut babies books after seeing the author profiled in Frankie magazine a while back. Then at Spotlight I saw a range of quilting Fabric with the same illustrations. Yay! (I didn't get any this time).
 How did you spend your long weekend?