Mary Martin's Needlepoint - a delightful exploration of why we sew, not just how. 

The wondrous Kitchenmajig 

Singer 201K - beautiful condition 

Op shops

Ah, the immense pleasure of browsing op shops (goodwill, opportunity shops, Oxfam shops, charity shops)...the perpetual jumble sale of the forgotten, the unloved, the unlikely to ever be loved. And, of course, the treasures that I identify and buy and take into my life. Today's best buy: a Singer 201 sewing machine in beautiful nick, $5. And that was after I'd passed on one of the same model, different colour, different op shop. Couldn't leave this one behind. Quirky favourite: (another) Kitchenmajig, the best invention ever to make the best mashed potato. My family had one when I was a kid, and I occasionally find one on days like today. Now I have three... so if one breaks, as my parents' one eventually did, I'm still OK for fabulous spud mash. Book favourite: Mary Martin's Needlepoint, an enduring favourite. She writes not only about the needlepoint/tapestry projects she designed and made, but also very much about the why, the process of stitching and the enduring joy of it.