Summer Reading Recommendations

The warm weather is upon us, Christmas is almost here, so for Australians that means hitting the beach over the holidays. Beach holidays (or the summer holiday period in general) always means lots of reading.

Need a good book? I've got you covered. These are my can't put it down, page turning favourites. If you haven't read these yet RUN DON'T WALK.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society by Mary Ann Shaffer

I don't know how to describe this book, only to say that once I picked it up I pretty much ignored my husband on our holiday in Bali until I finished it. Set in post WW2 Britain, a writer discovers the story of the locals living in the formerly German occupied island of Guernsey through a series of correspondence with locals. Read it if you haven't already. JUST DO IT. Seriously. I haven't read it since 2010 and I've been meaning to read it again soon so it will definitely be a summer read for me this year.

You'll like this if you liked The Book Thief and Unbroken.

Prettified Pincushion

After my successful first attempt at paper piecing (this strawberry), I was inspired to get into it and try another project.

I've had the book Patchwork Please by Ayumi Takahashi sitting on my shelf for over a year and I'm ashamed to say, I hadn't yet attempted any of the projects inside. I suspect this was because when the book arrived, several of the projects relied on simple paper piecing and I was completely intimidated. So I let it gather dust for a while...until now!

This pincushion project features on the front cover of the book and it was a nice little project that I completed on a rainy afternoon.

Recent Reads

I think most of you know that I'm a bookworm! I thought I would share some good reads that I've enjoyed lately. I always love a good recommendation so please tell me about titles you've loved lately. Leave a comment so I can check them out!

City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare.

The final in this six book series (that starts with City of Bones). It was a fast paced read that introduces a lot of new characters from her new series The Dark Artifices (which is coming next year I think) but also wraps up The Mortal Instruments series nicely and gives some explanations to the ending of the The Infernal Devices series, which was completed earlier this year. If I'm completely honest, this series should have finished up at book 3 (City of Glass), but I still enjoyed it. The genre is YA paranormal fantasy with action and romance. I read a lot of this genre and Cassandra Clare is certainly one of the best writers of this type of fiction.

If you haven't read her books before, start with Clockwork Princess - The Infernal Devices series is my favourite of hers so far.

Lost On Planet China by J. Maarten Troost

I read a lot of travel narratives and I recently downloaded this one to my Kindle app, which I am using more and more. I do love turning pages of a real book but there is something so satisfying about an instant download! Do you agree? Books vs e-readers - what camp are you in? I'm on the fence right now and enjoying both formats.

But back to the book. This was a funny read and I've found there to be precious few travel books on China. There were moments where I felt the author was a bit intolerant of cultural differences but on the whole it was an interesting read and it took me to not only the big well known Chinese cities but some of the less known areas of western China. Very engaging and a real page turner - I finished it n 48 hours. If you like travel narratives give it a go.

Already Dead by Charlie Huston

Another vampire book. Yep I do enjoy the paranormal stuff and make no apologies for it. This one was a lot grittier than most. Poor old Edward Cullen would have had no chance against Joe Pitt, the main character of this book. Set in New York with political vampire factions, dark links to the paranormal underworld and lots of seedy street life, this book was a fun change of pace from the usual teen romance / vampire makes good literature that is out there. There is a whole series of the Joe Pitt books so I look forward to working my way through them.

Serena by Ron Rash

Not my usual choice but I confess I was interested to read this once I found out Jennifer Lawrence was playing the role of Serena in the upcoming film version. Set in North Carolina in the 1930s, the novel centres on newlywed couple Serena and George Pemberton. Serena is not your usual society lady and instills herself as a figure of harsh authority and fear over the logging labourers and anyone else who gets in the way of her ambitions. If you like historical fiction, American literature and period female characters that aren't the usual helpless romantic cliche, this one is for you. And you know if JLaw is on board, it's going to be good.

And right now, I'm enjoying Pretty Good Number One by Matthew Amster-Burton. It's another travel narrative about an American family who spend a month in Tokyo, and focuses upon their adventures exploring Japanese cuisine. The author tends to go off on tangents and seems amazed about everything relating to Japanese food culture, but maybe I'm spoilt by the wide range of Japanese ingredients and restaurants available in Australia. Apart from that it's still a really interesting read so far and for $4 (kindle version) on Amazon it was a great bargain!

What are you reading?

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My Favourite Book Series

Sewing is not my only hobby. Reading has been a life long love for me, ever since I was small. I've been discussing books with friends lately, and on my facebook page over the weekend. I love talking about books so I thought I'd bring the conversation here today.

One of my favourite things to do is get lost in a book series. It's fantastic when you find a book that keeps you turning the pages all night long until you realise it's 3am. It's even better still when you know that there are several more books in the series to keep you busy for weeks to come!

My tastes in reading are pretty varied, but when it comes to book series, I tend to lean towards historical, fantasy and supernatural themes. So here is a list of my favourites - I hope you find some recommendations among the list!

The Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare

Man, I loved this series. Set in Victorian England, this is Cassandra Clare's second series and is set in the same Shadowhunter world as the popular Mortal Instruments series (that I also love but probably not as much as this one.) Be warned - you will become very emotionally invested in the characters! There are 3 books in this series - Clockwork Angel, Clockwork Prince and Clockwork Princess.

Divine Secrets of The Ya-Ya Sisterhood by Rebecca Wells

 I know many of you will know this story, but did you know there are two prequels as well? I loved these books! I've read Divine Secrets so many times, and was crushed many years ago to lend my copy to someone who never returned it. I have searched thrift and second hand stores high and low for copies of Divine Secrets of the Ya Ya Sisterhood but I've only ever managed to find copies with the film tie in cover (I will NEVER buy books with a film tie in cover). One day I will find it or give in and buy a new copy. Until then, I still read Little Altars Everywhere every few years. There is also Ya Yas in Bloom.

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

Ok, I know everyone has an opinion on this series. I'm a big fan. I was enormously pregnant during a very hot summer, and the trials and tribulations of Edward, Bella & co got me through my 38th & 39th weeks! The movies have been a bit of a disappointment though, but then again, they are NEVER as good as the books. (My only exception to this rule is High Fidelity by Nick Hornby. Book and film starring John Cusack were both excellent.) I'm a person who sees reading as a form of entertainment, and these books are great in that regard.  I'm sure I'll re-read them lots of times in years to come. The books in the series are Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse and Breaking Dawn. Even though it's completely different, I also really enjoyed Stephenie Meyer's other book, The Host.

Divergent by Veronica Roth

 Another young adult series (I read a lot of YA literature) set in a future version of Chicago. The main character, Tris, is a pretty hardcore chick - I like books with strong female characters - I was glued to Divergent and it's sequel, Insurgent. The third book in the series is yet to be released but I can't wait. If you enjoyed the Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins, you will definitely enjoy these.

The Earth's Children by Jean Auel

 This series has been around a long time and tells the story of Ayla, a young girl orphaned and adopted into a Neanderthal clan. I am still reading this series - the books are LONG so I usually borrow one from the library every year and see what adventures Ayla is up to next. Jean Auel is obviously a very passionate historian and fills her books with a lot of detail of this prehistoric era. The first book is Clan of the Cave Bear.

The Ancient Future by Traci Harding

 Time travel, martial arts, Celtic history, a passionate love story. This book has IT ALL. My sister and I both devoured this book in less than a day. The subsequent books in the series get a bit weird and futuristic for me, but certainly books one and two will have you up until the wee hours of the morning following the story of Tori and Maelgwyn. The first book is The Ancient Future. It seems to be quite hard to buy - perhaps it's out of print? I've linked to the Kindle version. If you see it in a second hand book shop, grab it, you won't be disappointed.

Cross Stitch by Diana Gabaldon

 This series has a lot of similarities to the Ancient Future series mentioned above (although this one was published first). Time travel, Celtic history and myths, a love story. It is set in the Scottish Highlands, and in places I've visited in real life which makes it really interesting for me. I haven't quite finished reading this book yet but I know this series has been a huge favourite for many people I know, and the past few nights as soon as the kids are in bed, I jump in bed too and read until very late! I'm addicted so far so I can't wait to keep reading all the books in this series! I'm quite happy to add it to my favourites list already. The first book is Cross Stitch. (Edit: Lots of you may be familiar with this book being titled "Outlander" - it was only published as Cross Stitch in the UK and Australia)

I could go on, but I think that's enough for today! What series do you love? Is there a particular book or series that you just keep going back to? I'm always on the look out for great series, please give me your recommendations!

Anna Plays Nurse: Kids Nurse Costume

One of Anna's favourite books at the moment is a Golden Book I picked up at a thrift store last year, called Pepper Plays Nurse. It's an old one, published in the early seventies, about a little girl called Pepper who decides to set up an animal nursing home at her house.

Anna begged me for weeks to make her a costume to match Pepper. I finally relented!

 

I bet some of you are thinking "I don't remember Pepper but I do remember the Nurse Nancy books!". You are in for a treat - Suz from Sewpony has also made her daughter a nurses costume, based on Nurse Nancy. We were chatting about the coincidence, and how great old Golden Books are, and decided to put our nurses costume posts up together today so you can get two lots of vintage book costume inspiration! You can check out her Nurse Nancy costume here.

 

Anna has been taking her "amb-lee-ence" around the house and backyard for a while, with an ever changing group of plush animals having her special treatment each day. I have caught her several times trying to coax our dog into her 'ambulance' but she's had no luck so far!

Now to the sewing - this is a SUPER EASY project. I thought Pepper's swingy little outfit in the book illustration was a perfect match for a cross over pinafore, so I used the Imagine Gnats Roly Poly Pinafore, which you might remember from when I pattern tested it and made this one for Lucy.

I cut a size 4 and didn't add the front pleat in the pattern, but I forgot to fold the pattern in to omit the extra fabric for the pleat on the front piece. No matter - in some ways to has been good to have a bit more room in the pinny as it has been freezing weather here and Anna wears her costume over several layers of clothes.

I used a white cotton drill, then cut two strips of red homespun cotton and applied them with heat n bond into the cross shape. I then stitched around the cross just with a straight stitch.

For the nurse's hat, I drew a template on a piece of paper and cut two pieces of fabric. To stiffen it, I ironed a piece of heavy weight interfacing to one of the fabric pieces. To make the cross, I used the same method as I used on the pinafore, then I put the pieces right sides together with elastic in the middle. I stitched around the outside leaving a small gap, turned it right sides out and topstitched around the edge of the hat to finish it and close the opening.

It's come out really well and she wears it almost daily at the moment. I've found store bought kids costumes to be really flimsy and made with very poor quality fabric so I'm sure I'll make more.

Did you have Pepper Plays Nurse or Nurse Nancy in your bookshelf? 

My Sewing Space

It's always fun to see people's sewing and craft spaces. With the help of my father-in-law, I've finally got my space set up the way I want it. It's still a work in progress - I think it always will be - but it's become a lovely area for me to spend time in.

My sewing space is set up in a corner of our dining room. You can be assured that it isn't often this neat! We live in a three bedroom weatherboard house which was built just prior to World War 2. It's typical of many homes in Melbourne, and the floor plan is almost a carbon copy of the house my Grandparents lived in when I was growing up. We have a lot of period features including picture rails, which was a great help as we used them to hang the peg board. Being a three bedroom home, all bedrooms are accounted for and there is no study, so I don't have a dedicated craft room.

The peg board is a new addition - my father-in-law Alan is a very talented woodworker and he made it for me. Apart from the peg board backing, all the other parts are made from recycled and reclaimed materials. A few months ago, my friend Amy sent me an email showing me this peg board she found on Pinterest. I showed the picture to Alan and voila! He made it for me! I wanted it modified for my own equipment so mine ended up looking quite different from the original. I'm really pleased with it - it keeps everything close to hand, but also keeps things away from little hands! I've also got lots of my vintage sewing items on display. I haven't filled it completely, there are still things I need to add and change around, but all in good time.

No space is left unused - the side of the shelving unit is a home to my rulers, some stickers and lots of lovely cards sent to me by friends and swap partners. The desk and shelves I bought from Ikea.



On the top shelf I keep my small stash of craft books. I don't have many but I use the ones I have quite often. The Crafty Minx by Kelly Doust really started things for me. By chance I went to Spotlight to buy something random - I hadn't shopped there for years. I picked up a free magazine they had on the counter and read an interview about her. As a result, I bought her book and the simple projects in there really kick started my love of sewing. That was about three years ago. Zakka Style by Rashida Coleman Hale is another book on my shelf that I love and refer to often. I am ashamed to say that I've never made any of the projects from The Liberty Book of Home Sewing, but it is a beautiful book that showcases Liberty fabrics, which are classic and stunning. I love flicking through the pages just for the colours and designs.

I recently changed my fabric stash arrangements, and all my quilting cottons are now on display on my shelves. My big cupboard now houses my flannels, fleece and home dec fabrics, as well as my scrap basket and ever growing number of patterns.

So there you have it - Sew Delicious Head Quarters. I am looking at it right now and I have a lot of tidying up to do to get it back to looking like these pictures!

Kid's Clothes Week Plans

So FINALLY I am participating in Kid's Clothes Week. I have been meaning to for about a year but it always sneaks up on me and I have nothing prepared.

Not this time! The girls really needed some new winter gear and it's getting really cold here so the timing was good.

I have been super organised and I've cut everything already. I am on FIRE! Here is my plan:

If you're with me on Facebook you will already have seen that ridiculous selfie of me wearing this hat! (yep I was amazed it fit too.) I got a head start on this project and it's finished - the cozy winter hood from the Oliver & S book Little Things To Sew. I got the book as a gift from Mum & Dad for Christmas and this is the first project I've made from it. I used a purple polar fleece for the exterior and I had a tiny bit of that vintage squirrel print flannel (in the pic) that was from my late Grandmother-in-law's stash. It was left over from this project. Lucy loves it and will be snug as a bug when we do the early morning kinder drop off!

I did some thrift shopping the other day and saw a pretty baby blanket made of a soft rose print jersey fabric. I had a brain wave and wondered if I would be able to manage to cut it so the edge of the blanket formed the hems and cuffs. For 99c I was happy to give it a go. Success! I just had enough for a size 3T from the skinny flashback tee pattern. Definitely a good way to buy jersey knit - the colours and styles in my local fabric store are pretty boring.

The last two items are the same pattern (from Tie Dye Diva) but one each for Anna and Lucy - a hooded vest.

The fleece will go on the inside and the rose print yellow flannelette on the outside. Anna chose this colour scheme (no surprises there!)

Lucy's is the same but with a red riding hood flannelette on the outside and navy fleece on the inside.

So overall, not too ambitious, but I'd like to get it done without stress or pressure. If I finish all this before the week is over I will make another Oliver & S winter hat for Anna. But that's it - I have quite a few other projects on the go at the moment too. (As usual!)

Are you participating? What are you making?

Tote Bag & Book Swap - gifts for Heather

Bonnie from Pink Stitches hosted a great swap last month that combined two of my great loves - sewing and reading! The brief was that we had to make a book bag for our partner, and also send a book that we thought they might enjoy.

Heather was my partner, she is an amazing sewer and quilter from Portland, Oregon (USA) and you can see her beautiful work over on her blog Quilt or Stitch.

Heather told me she liked blue and green colours, and things that are beach themed. It took me a while to decide on fabric and style, but in the end I settled on the Ranka Indigo fabric from the Lotta Jansdotter Echo range and some natural linen, which I think has a real beach feel to it.

The bag itself is just a very simple rectangular tote, which I made keeping books in mind - it is very similar in style to my own library bag, which you might remember from this post.

I wanted to keep it simple, but once I had sewn the exterior panels of the bag, I felt it needed something more than just decorative top stitching, so I watched a few you-tube videos and taught myself how to do chain stitch embroidery. Last year I adored this simple sun dress made by Katy from No Big Dill, where she chain stitched around the hem and added seed beads for a simple but beautiful detail, and that is where I got the idea from. For an embroidery novice I was pretty happy with how it came out. I stitched a seed bead on every third chain stitch.

I lined the bag with the coordinating Aneta Catalina Echo fabric.

Heather assured me that she had wide reading taste, but it's really hard to choose a book for someone else. You have to take the gamble that they may have read it already, so I avoided current well known best selling titles. I tried to think of a book that I had loved, and I read this one while relaxing by the pool on holiday in Bali a couple of years ago. One of those can't-put-it-down, relaxing, feel good reads - The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows.

I added a couple of other small gifts as well - I made a small pouch from some left over Echo fabric, a pretty aqua coloured pen and a notebook.

Heather sent me a beautiful gift too - a gorgeous tote made from Echino fabric and a book that is absolutely my taste, Book of A Thousand Days by Shannon Hale. I can't wait to start reading it. You can see her gifts for me here. She also sent me a couple of mini totes for my girls and a Moda charm pack. So generous and I loved all of it, so thank you Heather!

Teen Dreams - Junior High & Summer Camp

When I was about ten, I was quite certain that I had been born in the wrong country.

If you were a female born in Australia in the late 70s/ early 80s, chances are you felt the same. It all started for me thanks to the deliciously addictive literary masterpieces by Ann M. Martin. I was sure that my destiny lay over the ocean in a town called Stoneybrook, Connecticut USA. This fictional town was the setting for many of my tween daydreams and the popular novels of The Baby-Sitters Club.

Yep, you know them, and if you are anything like me, you read them all up to #10 479 or whatever ridiculous number they were up to at the time, including the white covered Super Specials (which I saved up for school holiday reading) and then you gave them up for the teenage drama of the never ending Sweet Valley High series and watching Degrassi when you got home from school.

Melbourne suburbia held no appeal for me - nothing could be more exotic and exciting than attending Junior High, eating in the cafeteria, not having to wear a school uniform, having parents that weren't as strict as thought I mine were and HAVING A PHONE IN YOUR BEDROOM.  Probably the main source of envy for most Aussie teenagers - American kids in books, TV and film all had phones in their rooms. And awesome ones too. Hamburger phones anyone?

And while I'm confessing...I thought DJ from the sitcom Full House was the coolest and I desperately wanted her hair and dress sense.

And all the cool American kids went on Summer Camp. Where they slept in beautiful log bunk houses by a lake lined with ancient pine trees, paddled around in canoes and had crushes on their charming and handsome older Camp Counselors. They got up to all sorts of shenanigans, a la Hayley Mills in the Disney film The Parent Trap. Envy was my middle name. A few rainy days visiting Philip Island in Grade Six was as good as it got for me.

So when I saw fellow blogger Danny's call out for some zip pouches to be made for the summer camp she's involved with, all those memories from my tween years came back. Lucky kids! Would I be part of a summer camp in some way? YES. So one of Danny's lucky campers will be getting this:

The summer camp colours are yellow and green, and I had this pretty Moda floral in my stash (sorry, not sure of the actual name) and I lined the pouch in a green gingham.

And that's as close as I'll ever get to summer camp.

Kids these days - so lucky. The daydreams may have changed now, and are more likely to be about moving to a dreary town in the Pacific North West where the local vampire might just sit next to you in your first Biology class. But teen idols are more accessible than ever. For me it was latest pin up poster ripped from Smash Hits Magazine (ahh Keanu Reeves in Speed), now kids can stalk follow their every move on Twitter and Facebook.

What were your tween / teen dreams? Whose face was stuck with blu-tack to your bedroom wall?

And most importantly - did you love The Baby-sitters Club too?