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Mrs Busy would like to apologise to her loyal followers, in reference to total lack of blogging since ... well probably since Adam was a cowboy or sometime around then. I can't be sure what it is that causes me to cease completely. Probably laziness, but there must a more technical term than that.
Okay now here come the excuses - er - reasons.
Ahem....
The Busy Household... because its not like its busy enough already, took on a couple of 10 year old Japanese Home stay students for a few weeks. I was in my "expanding the family's perspective on things" mode! I didn't realise expanding the family's perspective on worldwide cultures could be quite as exhausting as it was. For one the boys spoke NO ENGLISH! And I didn't realise sign language took so much time and effort. I could go on and on, but if you are anything like my kids you will have switched off from me and switched on the tele!
Speaking of my kids. Senior Busy daughter turned 21 yesterday. Now do not ask me how that happened because seriously I was only 21 about 10 years ago. I'm sure of that! I still have my beautiful dress that I had made, with the big bow on the back. I took it out of the wardrobe for old times sake, and pulled it on. The little cinched in waist fits very nicely ... around my thigh!
Senior Busy daughter is flatting now. She found our house far too confining so moved to somewhere smaller, but we had our usual "its your birthday and you get to pick what to have for dinner" last night. It must have been okay, because she has just popped in for cold left overs tonight! I'm gonna have to give her some cooking lessons I think, but I quite like the fact that she still needs her mother, even if only a little bit! Which leads me very nicely to the fact that I said I would do the food for her big party on Saturday. I was a bit naive, and didn't realise there were 130 people coming! Ah well, in for a penny, in for a nervous breakdown!
I haven't done a whole heap of sewing, but ages ago I promised to show you the little pouch and makeup bag I made for my nieces recent wedding. It was a stunning affair (is that the correct word when describing a wedding?). I sound like a really geriatric old Aunty, but my niece is in fact only about 6 years younger than me. We are a big family and really spread out! So because blogs can be a bit boring without pictures I will leave you with a couple of pics. I am currently charging the batteries in the camera - again - so will have to show you what I have been doing when they are charged. I should perhaps change the title of my blog to: Charging the Batteries. Cue music ...

Dupion Silk pouch, trimmed with vintage lace. The outside of the pouch is in white and lined with blush dupion silk, which is the fabric my own wedding dress was made from.

Inside the little pouch an old penny from 1877, which was my late Dad's, and my late Mum's little badge. Its a proud Kiwi, and my Mum wore it whenever she travelled. The little pouch is something that has become a tradition in our family, and either myself or my other niece, the only sewers in the family make one, for whoever is getting married. It's small enough to just tie behind a bouquet.

And a wee blue flower sewn into it, for something blue...


And a little make-up bag because - well just because!