When Zanele is not busy -
- weaving Mielie bags
- training others to weave
- checking quality of work handed in
- helping to set up food gardens or other community projects,
she also runs a little sewing business. Last year she received a big order from the Dora Tamana Preschool (one of our favourite Khayelitsha projects) to make graduation cloaks and caps for all the little graduates who were about to go on to primary school. She also made Nobuntu, the principal, a school-girl's outfit, and at the last minute whipped up a beautiful denim ensemble for herself.
Picutred top left is Zanele and her son, Lusa, who graduated from Dora Tamana a couple of years ago. Top right: Zanele receives a gift from "head girl" Nobuntu.
With the help of some very kind German and Dutch Mielie friends, we have managed to install some wonderful playground equipment at Dora Tamana. The official opening party is on Friday, so I should have pics to show you early next week.
A quick thanks also to Hannah Morris for the cool article on Mielie featured in the online mag, Taxi Design, which you can check out here
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I'm taking tomorrow off and spending the weekend in Churchhaven - my favourite place on earth. No electricity. Limited water. A lagoon. Loads of inspiration.
I took these photos in the past week. They don't have anything to do with, well, anything, but I thought I'd share them with you all the same.
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I've been working on a pattern for a 5m snake that is destined for Finland. We made one a couple of years back, but I can't remember the pattern, which is actually not a bad thing. I would like to try it as a zigzag and also a curled up spiral snake, and the brilliant thing is that Outi, my Finnish distributor is keen to also try one of each! I'll keep you in the loop as the snake drama unfolds... hardiharhar
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Cape Town has been abuzz since the appearance of a mysterious 2.5m resin sculpture on on of my favourite rocks, 300m off the coast of Oudekraal. What is it? Who put it there? It disappeared as quickly as it arrived, only to reappear on Skeleton Gorge, halfway up Table Mountain. According to local newspapers the artist wished to raise awareness of our collective role as custodians of the environment. In similar vein, a year or so ago wooden mock fire extinguishers were mounted on trees in Cape Town forests to raise awareness of how easily forest fires start and spread.
Most Capetonians are lucky enough to live a couple of minutes from a beautiful walk. My favourite way of finding balance is my morning walk with Deon and the dogs (...and the boys, if they're awake). As custodians of our environment, I think our most important job is to celebrate the beauty around us by spending time there.
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These also came in on Thursday.
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Meet Carlyn, pictured here with our Sheila and her brother and two little cousins. Carlyn (8) is the daughter of Therese Wijnen of All Unique, Mielie's Dutch distributor. When they were in Cape Town last year, we took Carlyn and her family to Khayelitsha where most Mielie bags are born. We also took Carlyn's family to visit the Dora Tamana, a local preschool that we like to help out wherever we can. The school made such an impression on her that she put a piggy bank in her school and started raising money to help Dora Tamana. This week she proudly handed over R1500. Is that awesome, or what?
Thank you so much, Carlyn - you're an inspiration to us all!
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My sister mailed me these pics taken of our family in a photobooth in Taiwan. As you can see, we look in turns hysterical and bewildered. This was partly because we had spent a long day at the National Palace Museum, but mostly because we were in a room filled with about twenty similar booths, all singing and jingling and ringing at an alarming volume. It was very confusing as the instructions were in Japanese - my sister speaks a bit of Mandarin, which didn't help much. Once we'd taken our photos we could add some pizazz with pixie dust. What fun!
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... on Tuesday five and today we're six. And so we're slowly trickling back to work after our Christmas break, full of plans and resolutions.
Mzo's highlight was seeing his family again in the Transkei. They slaughtered a sheep for Christmas and by all accounts there was much laughter and celebration.
Mawethu had an excellent Christmas meal - salads and meat.
Sheila didn't have a great holiday - she tried to go home to the Transkei to visit her ancestral home, but unfortunately had car troubles and spent much of her time at the side of the road. Sorry, Sisi.
Ntumeleng (pictured here in all her orange glory, with matching tortoise design bag) had her best Christmas ever. She was anointed in her church and also promoted to a position of greater responsibility where she has the task of helping those in need.
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The stars of this year's new year's party were definitely our collective hoard of crazy kids... and maybe also the bunting we strung up outside. It was an early iteration of our button-together letter bunting and it looked soo happy flapping away in the wind.
I baked my first ever pavlova and it was a huge hit - I carried it to the table with sparklers a-blazing. To cut the sweetness, I mixed vanilla ice-cream with plain yoghurt. My verdict: delicious!
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