(Please excuse the mess. I haven't found homes for everything in my studio yet. It's actually much better than it was - Rob got me some storage drawers and now you can see the floor.) On Monday my studio became a wood shop. My dad came over to help us out with our deck (it is now level) and to help me with my sewing table. It was Rob's desk when he was at university; I've been using it for my sewing machine for a few years now but it was kind of high.

I checked with Rob (who said I can do whatever I want to that table since he's got another desk) and asked Dad to cut four inches off each of the legs. We got saw dust all over the carpet but my table is now the perfect height for me. Dad also brought over a piece of fibreboard to reinforce the back of the table so it doesn't shake so much when I'm sewing.

I wanted to try it out so I made a pincushion. It was a lot easier on my neck and shoulders to sew with the lower table. I can look right down on what I'm doing and my hands are at a much more comfortable height (my elbows don't have to bend so far). The pattern is "Kelly's Pincushion" from Last Minute Quilted and Patchwork Gifts and turned out so cute. I have to try more projects from this book - I really like all the ones I've done so far.

There are five of these stones. I gathered them as paper weights several years ago when I was learning about Chinese and Japanese brush painting and needed something to hold down my rice paper sheets. They are from the beach in front of my great-grandmother's house. The whole beach is pebbles. Smooth black and grey and white stones like the bedrock that can still be seen at points further up and down the coast.

I don't remember why I picked up five stones; papers have only four corners. Lately I've been using them to hold fabric and pattern pieces in place for tracing and cutting. They are a lovely shape to handle. Smooth enough to be comfortable but rough enough to not slip. They make a nice earthy addition to my sewing space ... and they remind me of summer vacations and grandparents and Chinese painting.

No, I didn't make this. I have been doing crafty things this week but all of them have been middles of projects and just don't make good pictures (three-quarters of a bobbin of yarn looking very similar to half). This guy was a gift from one of my sisters a few years ago. He usually sits on top of my desk. His head bobs around when you move him and since my desk is a little on the shaky side he does it a lot - especially when I'm typing (like this).

We're just heading out for a walk so maybe I'll take the camera and treat you to some spring pictures when we get back. I saw a bug yesterday!