So Tread Softly...

in pictures

Time, once again, is running away with me - it always happens when I'm not looking! Would you therefore, be content with a few photographic snippets of my week perhaps? You would? Smashing!

: the set up for the Thorndon Fair in Wellington last weekend:
: it was busy...really busy, the street was a sea of people busy. aAaaand it was hot! Boy was it hot!:

: the view at this months Stitch 'n' Bitch. A friends 'Country Living' front cover garden:

: the tree is up even though it's 25 degrees outside and I don't feel in the slightest bit Christmassy. Need to muster up some of those Christmas feelings:
: there's lots of this being consumed right now. Can't get enough of it:

Thank you to those of you who took the time and trouble to leave lovely comments on the last post.Have I told you how lovely you are? Well you are, very, very lovely! Thank you!

Until next time...

noel

image: noel lavender heart set + antique buttons + trumpet
Just a quick post to say, if you're in Wellington this Sunday at the Thorndon Christmas Fair, I, along with the agnes coy stall will be towards the bottom of Hill Street just off Tinakori Road. Stop by and say hi, as it would be great to see you!
Until next time....

from our garden

image: broad beans + red onion
Even though we haven't got a clue what to do with most of the garden we have, what is working well for us is the vegetable plot. We did lots of planting over the winter and it's just starting to pay off with beautiful sweet tasting organic produce being served at our dining table each evening. With summer kicking in on Monday I've been craving fresh salads and simple meals.
I'm a big broad bean fan. When I was growing up I saw them as a bit of a treat because we'd only have them when we went to visit our grandparents. They'd boil them to within an inch of their life and serve them with a Sunday roast. I didn't want to mess too much with the beans picked yesterday evening from our garden  so I did a google recipe search and up popped a very straight forward idea for a broad bean salad.
image: popped broad beans

Ingredients:
3oz podded broad beans, cooked (I just blanched them for about 2 minutes)
quarter of a red onion - finely chopped
1 tbsp fresh chopped chives
1 tbsp oliver oil
half a lemon - juice only
freshly ground salt and pepper

Mix broad beans, red onion and chives in a bowl. Drizzle over the olive oil and lemon juice and add salt and pepper. Toss together and transfer to a serving plate.

image: organic broad bean salad
Apart from  the olive oil, we had everything else in the garden. It was perfect - fresh, sweet and zingy. We decided to serve ours with strips of grilled halloumi.
image: halloumi + broad bean salad
Can I just say a big thank you for all of your lovely comments over the past couple of weeks regarding the magazine article and the studio. They were beautiful - thank you.
Until next time...

so proud

image: the graduate

Today Mr Tread Softly and I traveled up to Palmerston North to see my father in laws partner graduate from Massey University. She gained her Master of Education with honours.

We're so proud of you Myra!

studio progress

I thought that I'd better give you an update on how the new studio is coming along. Mr Tread Softly has been working so hard to get if finished and open by Christmas. However, due to building supply holdups, it's put him back a couple of weeks, so realistically we think that the opening will be at the beginning of January. That sits well with us - starting the new year with a new studio that the public will be able to visit sounds like a great way to start the year.
As you can see, the building has now been weather boarded and the first coat of paint has been applied. The shot above is what I see from my kitchen window - that and the shot below.

I just love those huge recycled windows that he's put in. They bring in so much natural light. Want to see the inside?

We have insulation,a ceiling, walls and a fabulous wood floor that I intend to lime-wash. It's so spacious. The log burner (a mini version of the one in our cottage ) has been ordered and should be with us sometime in January. So, as you can see, it's coming along quite nicely.
What else? Ummm, the sign is being made that will hang from a pole at the edge of our property and postcard publicity has been designed and printed. I'll show you those in another post.
There's always time to potter about the garden though. We're already harvesting leeks, broad beans, radish and lettuce and I've planted up some pots and filled them with Spring and Summer colour. I came across two little drawers at the local second-hand store and I think that they look pretty neat perched on our back step.

I'll be back soon with details of the Thorndon Fair that I'll be selling at on 7th December.
Until next time...

 

nz house & garden

image: breakfast with nz house and garden
Way back in June I was approached by the people at NZ House and Garden and asked if I wanted to work with them on their Christmas edition. The brief was to make a series of decorations and write some tutorials so that readers could make their own. Being British, it just so happened that with the New Zealand winter in full force, I was feeling particularly Christmassy, making it the perfect time to create. The magazine is now out in the shops but for those of you overseas who fancy taking a peek you can view it on my website on the Press page.
Until next time...

the goodness in people

Goodness : generosity, friendliness, kindness, wholesomeness, worth, decency.
At times, the goodness in people makes me gasp, makes me smile, makes my rose coloured glasses that I occasionally like to pop on, even more rosy.
A stall-holder next to me last week arrived with a bag filled with beautiful antique and vintage lace for me to work with. She'd also included a stunning tablecloth and a box of wonderfully tactile buttons.
 

image: antique collar. Layered puff brooch available on my website

image: tablecloth + lace

image: old, old buttons in a vintage soap box

On Friday our neighbour handed us a bunch of freshly cut peonies from her garden.

image: white peonies

On Saturday morning I opened the front door and found, sitting on the doorstep, fresh eggs from a friend and a book she thought I might like.

image: eggs and 'The Guernsey Literacy and Potato Peel Club'

Thank you - know that your goodness made my day.

Until next time...

holly trail

I'm back safe and sound from 4 days in Havelock North at The Holly Trail. It was such a privilege to be invited to have a stall there. The atmosphere was divine and the shoppers so elegant. The organizers had put me next to my friend and we had so much fun. Really hope to be involved in the next one which hopefully will take place in two years time.
Far too tired to chat for long so I'll just leave you with a few shots of the fabulous vineyards that surrounded the amazing house and grounds where the show took place. Most of the photos were taken as we were setting up each day. I'm still buzzing from the experience but it's so good to be home.

[click on the images to enlarge]

image: coffee and fruit tea having just arrived in Havelock North
image: view from the stall - Te Mata Vineyard
image: stall and stall holder
image: the car park!!
image: my house! I wish!
image: sky - so much sky above the tent tops

I now have a Havelock stockist, Carrie from Cadeaux. You'll find the address in the side bar to the left.
I'll be back later on in the week with a little post about the goodness of people.
Until then...

I'm ready

I'm great with deadlines - I work better that way. When I know that a fair or an event is approaching, I make a list of the designs that need creating and I craft and sew right up until the last minute. I get such a buzz out of going full steam ahead, determined to meet that deadline. With The Holly Trail just days away, I can happily say that I am ready! I work my regular job on a Monday and Tuesday so I knew that everything had to be done and dusted by the end of today (Sunday), and I'm there! The Holly Trail is a three day event in the beautiful Hawkes Bay. It will be the longest amount of time that Mr TS and I have been away from each other since we moved to NZ and that, I can honestly say, neither of us are looking forward to.
This week has been super busy which is why, for a second week in a row, I haven't had chance to email personal thank yous to those of you who left comments. So thank you, again. You're all smashing!

image: giant pin cushions

image: literary flat card, envelope and 1940's true love story
image: hand stitched hearts
image: lavender filling

Today I closed the website. I need to give it a bit of a Spring clean. I'll open it up again on 19th November with new designs and a page about the studio which now has a ceiling! So exciting! The new page will give NZ readers information about when it will open to the public.
So pleased that everything is ready for the fair. It means that I've got a bit of time to work on embellishing a vintage cardigan that I picked up from the op shop earlier on in the week.

image: hand embroidery, suffolk puffs on a vintage sweater

So, I'll leave you now but all being well will be back in a week with photos of The Holly Trail.
Until next time...

use what you have

Today is a Bank Holiday and we've spent most of it in the garden planting the vegetables that should see us through the summer months. Last year we were pretty much self sufficient when it came to salads and vegetables. We now have 5 vegetable beds (with a sixth one on the way next weekend) but we've still managed to run out of space, so I've been hunting around the garage and garden for vessels to plant in.
Old clay pipes are just perfect for garlic.

I added a few to our herb garden. Mint, chives and parsley look very at home in them.

I adore old terracotta flower pots. This one I picked up at a garage sale for 10cents. The metal wall sconce was a dollar.
We tend to use mixed leaves everyday. These wooden fruit boxes sit just outside our back door so that we can grab handfuls of salad whenever we need it.
I found this metal laundry bucket at the local Op Shop. Mr Tread Softly drilled some holes in the bottom for me and I planted a beach grass and some white trailing labelia which, in time, should spill over the top of the rim.

Using what you have instead of spending goodness knows how much on pots from the garden centre, kind of makes complete sense to me.

Before I sign off, do you mind another photo of Trumpet? It's just that he was looking particularly photogenic today!

Until next time..