Kārearea (New Zealand Falcon) take 2

Recently, I was asked to rate my ability in Photoshop. I gave myself a 7 to 8 out of 10. Later, I wished I'd explained the 'average' score was because I've seen the incredible artwork some designers are able to create in this software. But actually, what I do use Photoshop for - editing photographs - I think I do very successfully.

For example, I've been editing the Kārearea photograph I took last year. The edited image is on the left, the original on the right.

Subtle changes (ok, I did clone in a new eye!) but a much improved image, am I right?

Look who stopped by - Kārearea (New Zealand Falcon)

Sheltering in a tree from the heavy rain on Saturday morning, right outside my living room window.  According to the NZ Falcon Survey, "Looks like a male falcon, probably a juvenile from this season’s breeding, just starting to ‘colour up’ to adult."
Very exciting!

Sewing for the soul - Simplicity 5670

Sewing is my happy place, my zen, my bliss. And after the crappiest of crappy weekends, it's also my salvation.

You see, my 10 year old niece - Petal* - has spent the weekend in intensive care at the Children's Hospital in Brisbane.

It all started with the 'flu. Things took a turn for the worst on Friday evening. Her mother looked in on her before going to bed, and discovered Petal in a distressed state, struggling to breathe, with bloated face, arms and hands. She immediately rushed her to hospital, where she was admitted upon arrival.

Wellington being two hours ahead of Brisbane, it was early Saturday morning before I heard the news. By then the hospital staff had found fluid on Petal's lungs and high levels of protein in her kidneys, in addition to extremely high blood pressure. She was transferred to the Children's Hospital during the day, but was unable to be taken off the high oxygen-mix, so remained in intensive care.

My day past in a fog. How the usual weekend chores were done, I really can't remember. Night fell, the fire was lit, dinner was eaten. There was another update to say her condition hadn't improved.

Faced with a night of sleeplessness, I turned to my sewing pile. Next up was a dress I need to make for a wedding I'll soon be attending, but it just didn't seem the appropriate thing to make given the circumstances. Instead, I chose another shirt, red linen/rayon and Simplicity 5670 from 1982. Using view 4 as the base, I changed quite a bit - released the pintucks below the bust, shortened the full front placket (actually, I cut 4 sleeve cuffs and used two as the new plackets), left off the collar, using only the stand, shortened the sleeves to 3/4 length, and lengthened the hem by 20cm.

So in a blur, I sewed. Pintucks, plackets, topstitching, french seams, collar - on, then unpicked at centre fronts and lowered by 1.5cm. By then my eyes were heavy so I finished the night by chalking and pressing up the hems.

Sleep came and went. Sunday morning dawned chilly and bright. Another update - still no improvement, but with a dreadful suggestion of an illness that - like the Harry Potter books - shall forever remain unspoken.

A comforting shroud descended with the whirring of the sewing machine. Collar fixed and topstitched, hems too. French seams for sleeve heads then side seams. Neat - like the neat kid on the gurney 2,500km away.

Sleeve bands, a final press, photography in the garden for a change.

No word.

I had to keep going, find more to do. Did I believe my stitches could mend a child by proxy? "Yeah, Naa", that fabulous/irritating Kiwi saying. Yeah?

Ahh, mending, hole in sweater, dropped trouser hems, missing buttons replaced.

Finally, finally, deep into the evening, the update. The swelling was receding, Petal's poor battered little body was now accepting a lower flow of oxygen. While the chest x-ray was still bad, she was about to be moved to the pediatric ward. 

Blessed relief.

Today, Petal is slowly showing signs of improvement - eating, propped up in bed, asking to see her little brother, whom she adores - she really is that neat a kid.

It will be a week until we know for sure whether there's permanent damage to heart, kidneys, lungs. Cross your fingers and kiss your kids.

All because of the 'flu.

* Name has been changed.

Away to the camels!

Camels? WTfudge?

I’m off to India for a month at the end of the year, and my journey includes a camel trek into the desert at Pushkar. It seemed the perfect opportunity to make a pair of 'camel riding' culottes.

When I found this pattern - Simplicity 9787 - in St Vinnies earlier this year, it seemed like divine intervention, as I'd been hankering after a pair of seaside culottes I'd seen in a movie set in the 1930's. View 2 fits the bill perfectly.

The linen was picked up from Arthur Toyes for 50% off during their summer sale, but is now gun-metal grey, thanks to another bout of dyeing. Finishing them very, very shortly!

The wild week that was

I’m alive!

Worst storm in more than 40 years passed over New Zealand on Thursday night, Wellington bearing the worst of it. Fortunately, we were warned well in advance and no one was killed or injured. Damage though – oh boy! (Take a look at the images on the left under “Storm batters Wellington” link.)

Suffered a little damage ourselves –  a fallen tree in the backyard, thankfully it missed everything vital; part of the fence ended up on the neighbours driveway requiring a cleaning up; and a crack in a window which was sucked open by the force of the wind, not broken, though, so can wait another day or two before I call insurance – let the people who need it most get their claims in first.

Last night there was the most beautiful full moon. I took a shot of it as it was slipping over the hills this morning before I left for work.

Rain, rain, come this way

Wellington has been experiencing the most glorious dry, sunny summer its had in 66 years. However, as there has been no significant rain in almost four months, (and one storage lake empty for earthquake strengthen since spring) there's now a total ban on outdoor water use (eg, cleaning the car, watering the garden) and we've also been asked to reduce personal water use by about 30 litres per person per day - thats about three minutes less in the shower, or ten half-flushes less of the toilet!

All this nice weather has seen me spending a lot of time outdoors, away from the computer and sewing machine, trying to shape the jungle that is my backyard into some sort of usable space. I seized the opportunity on the one slightly overcast day we’ve had to cut out a new winter jacket - of course with a little help. Here’s Sootsta demonstrating the ancient technique of cattus in unguem configere posset in exemplar (cat-claw-pins-the-pattern) leaving me no option but to retaliate with also very old simulant ad legere in nuntius-papyrus (pretend-to-read-the-newspaper) distraction technique.

And thank you to cation designs for the Sewing with Cats blog award. I'm honoured to receive it.

My little helpers

Had to chuckle when I read of Erica at Recycled Fashion sewing under the watchful eye of Her Royal Catness. I have exactly the same problem help from my furry friends.

(Clockwise from top left - Madame Velvet Paws checks the pattern; Sootstar (x2) pressing fabric; Mr T (x3) making an adjustment to the thread tension.

Wellington - Tilt Shift Time Lapse

Welcome to my beautiful city – you can almost see my house on the hill above the airport shots (just needed to pane up a little). 

Superb clip created by Jared C Gray.
Music is by Rhian Sheehan, one of my favourite New Zealand artists.

Ta da!

Now the exterior is weather tight(!) I can start planning the interiors, gardens, etc, the list is endless.

Renovating a Plischke

Where have I been? What have I been doing? Preparing for this!