Curiosities

Source: Victoria and Albert Collections

A small region of Christchurch central city is taking on a quality of design inspiration and maturity.   Two doors apart are the Fabric House and Bolt of Cloth.   Each do something slightly different - the former specialising in furnishing fabrics at wholesale prices from around the world but with a  European bias , the latter in finer fabrics from America and Japan and with an emphasis on NZ design.  Both sell online. Bolt of Cloth’s site is particulalry well designed and their Madras Street showroom also incorporates a workroom for soft furnishings.

I have been frequenting these stores in small bites while a son is at music lessons and slowly reaching resolution of fabric choices for the old house.

The commitment of each store to colour , pattern and creativity that emphasises originality rather than slavish fashion makes browsing uplifting.  It is rekindling an old part of myself and quite literally drawing a thread back to my passion for textiles.

Last week I saw a shirt with peasant embriodered yoke  that look frighteningly like a dress I embroidered in 1976!  Cost  $495… and the supply chain hardly bears thinking about.

Is the passion for and collection of lengths of fabric a gendered activity?   Well,  I have yet to meet a bloke who hoardes a collection of  woven and printed dreams folded carefully in a box with a  few mothballs, but I suspect an adage heard long ago “She who dies with the most fabric wins…” seems to speak to a certain sorority.   Once, we all used to sew. Or supposedly we did - some were masterful at it ( whipping up a flouncing ball gown from a set of table napkins)  some couldn’t and  some didn’t.    Now, as global labels cost the earth and all look the same some of us are thinking about dusting off the machine again.

Yesterday I bought a skirt length from the Tree Top Range by an American designer Tina Givens range at Bolt of Cloth.  From the plethora of colour  I have managed to deciphre her signature and am completly inspired by it.  Many of the designers represented in the Bolt of Cloth  collection are well known in their country of origin…. just makes me want go places but at least we can travel design worlds on the web.

After the farewell chapel

The last haka

I have often wondered ( particulalry around the 20th of each month when fees are due) what the worth of a private education has been and will be for our boys.   Last week , participating in the rights of passage of the leaver’s ceremonies I was encouraged to think that the balance is  towards benefit. As a boys school run, in the main, by men it has it’s flaws.  As an institution with its roots firmly planted in an English tradition  that seems outdated even in England,  there are times when the incongruities of its practises might exceed good sense.  But it seems that belonging to a small community, with clear lines of connection and high expectations for participation for  both students and staff  has been, and continues to be,  the worth of the place to our family.

Beards and long hair are now the committed goal for  summer….

Good news on gas.   2/3 of a bottle over two weeks. This is a huge saving from teh origial 2 bottles a week. But then : all the thermostats were connected to the wrong room!   Now - solar boosts in the day , only heating the bathroom floor and the rest  come on only when set back falls below 5 degrees.   Radiators boost only when needed. Yes, gas is dearer wer KW/h but efficiency is greater.  Boys shower is now on this system also.    Just need to get the pool onto a self sufficent regime and we are ‘cookin’.

the system

My father raised me on Roosevelt.  I like this  advice. It’s on the fridge now.

We are gearing for the final stage on the code of compliance.

The Irises are magnicent.

Newphew Tim has written from his travels and studies in sustainability about coming and using out boat in summer.  This is a tepmter .

But also a reminder that we can start to think about doing things other than  the house. ( not much .. spring is galloping up - always a frantic time of year. )

Patons Rock - Parapara in the background?

On the beach

Spot our boy in the choir … open both, I couldn’t see how to fast forward the interview …

Silence form me for a while … been busy getting sorted.  Long lunch today in honour of  Trevor and Deborah  Burnard - here on their way back form the US to the UK.  Funny how children fit in - girls watched Dusney, Boys did WOW, could as easily have been in the city - though as I cleaned up Tom went out into the setting sun and continued his photography of trees and light….

Kitchen is featured of Edge’s web site.  Trevor and I cooked up a feast and it performed well.

Old house accomodating  visitors .. more on devlopments there  soon.

Time to do some gardening in this untimely spring weather… and the need to leave all the not so well done aspects of  the build behind for a while.

Sunday 28th June,

Tom playing piano in new living room, old house in a dirty uproar but the bones of the future are apparent.  New bathroom is great.  Nick says the new bit feels like a hotel.  David says the old house more character.  Various modifications still water to go under the bridge and budget to finish the outside will be tight but such progress!  It swarm and clean and spacious….