Model planes

Daniel is onto something new.  The last thing was the camera obscura, which I will write about in more depth someday, but he was given a model plane for his birthday and had so much fun making and painting it, then building a background diorama that he saved up and bought some more bits and pieces.

He used my paper crimper to make the corrugated iron then painted it silver, and designed the sheds himself, from old photos.  The hangar even has a light inside it (LED plus battery).

Bryony's Birthday

Bryony turned 16 in March and we had a bit of a party and Grandma and Grandad's place.  Bryony spent a lot of time baking beforehand.

Bryony's favourite...

Most of the non-baking time of the week before was spent frantically trying to finish this dress. Bryony found a huge piece of purple satin for $2 at the op shop, which was probably used for shop-dressing because there were quite a few staple-holes in it.  She made it up using a pattern for the Snow White dress from the Mirror Mirror movie and Grandad made some hoops.  Hoops are pretty awkward for getting through doorways or standing in a group but they looked impressive.

 Hats were compulsory.

Artistic endeavours

 Bryony has been painting in watercolours.  This is a copy of a screencap (here) from
"The Force Awakens"

She's also drawn some original pictures

Self Portrait

Self portrait, scanned then painted

 Daniel has been learning about Leonardo da Vinci and as a result tried out fixed-perspective drawing (above).  He also made a camera obscura from a freezer box and made this painting (among others) of an old dead cello we were given.

Renee has been copying cat and dog pictures and has worked out how to make them look fluffy

Other news

Hair cuts

Budgie eggs - the kids cooked them (they wouldn't have hatched anyway) and found that the egg-white is still translucent after cooking

Baby rabbits, off to Animates petshop

I finally finished this dress.  My least favourite things to sew: Velour.  Zips.  Chiffon.  So this has been sitting in the sewing pile for months.  But the other day I had a look at it (after trying 3 times to tack in the zip), and at Renee, and decided she could probably wiggle into it without a zip.  Luckily I was right (it helps that velour is stretchy), so now it is done.  My "Couture Sewing Techniques" book was a great help with the rolled hems on the chiffon, too.

Bryony was on supper duty for Homegroup

The boys have been feeding the pigeons at the Botanic Gardens

and we went to Central Otago and got fruit

This plum sauce is from a Nigella recipe, Chinese Plum Sauce - the yummiest ever.