You say bicyclette, I say biciclette

It's true I prefer the French pronunciation, but I like the Italian spelling best. If I ask pretty please can I have them both? No, for consistency's sake I'm going with the Italian (bichi-cle-tay). It's just as well, since my dream town is Mantova - where the local dish is pumpkin ravioli and bicycles outnumber cars on the street.

My pumpkin fairytale

One day we threw some seeds out the kitchen window, and overnight (it seems) we had a pumpkin patch. It makes for a lovely view while washing dishes, and in a pinch fed us and two friends. I used the left overs to make this soupy Thai dessert:

Ingredients

• 1 cup coconut milk
• 1/2 water
• 1/4 of a pumpkin, peeled and cubed
• a pinch of salt
• brown sugar (or palm sugar if you can find it) to taste

1. Heat the coconut milk & water in a saucepan over low heat.
2. Add the pumpkin, salt & sugar.
3. Cook until the pumpkin is tender. Serves 4.

I Love Zakka

I treated myself to this Japanese craft mook (magazine + book) because I loved the cover. Even though I had to pay twice the price, it was worth it. I've gotten a lot of inspiration from the photos, but the little girl's shirt from the cover was my first project. It's a very simple pattern. I used a yoke pattern I already had and cut the rest using my own measurements.

For the embellished neckline I used remnants from my scrap basket.

Here's a detail of the scallop trim which I made using one of the fancy stitch functions on my sewing machine.

I made a cropped jacket with bell sleeves to go with this blouse from handwoven hemp I picked up at the border. I love the coarseness of the hemp, but with time it will soften.

Tien x Two

I think Thailand has the best cats in the world, but of those cats I have the most sweet and cuddly. He sleeps with me most nights curled under my arm. He endures my embraces like a plush animal, but his warmth and purring are much more comforting than any teddy from my childhood. Sadly there's only one real Tien, but I'm making stuffed versions for his many admirers. They're 100% cotton, with raw cotton stuffing, and their embroidered faces are friendly even for the very young.

Elinor goes to School

During the relaxed summer term at Nandachart Preschool, we took the opportunity to introduce our new pet - Elinor the Hedgehog. The preschool class was curious yet skeptical of the visitor. The handful that could be convinced to hold her whimpered "Jet, jet"... in other words "She hurts!". The kindergarten class, however, was fearless. We had a hard time holding back their little, poking fingers. They even enjoyed feeding Elinor the meal worms we brought along. It will take some figuring out, but I plan to make an Elinor doll in the same fashion as the one I made of Tien. In this way even the most sensitive hands will be able to hold her.