Oh to wake up to this...

...on a holiday Monday morning. 

Just the most beautiful sight to look out to as I stepped out of bed - the mist just rising off Lake Tarawera, where we stayed overnight last Sunday as we had a holiday on the Monday.

The lake house was up from the lake and had a neat pathway down through some native ferns and bush down to the jetty. Vince's best friend Tony had rented the house and brought his boat down so we had gone across the lake the previous afternoon and I had managed a dip in the coolish water on route to the hot pools which were against the rocks. Very cool.

"The Boys" chilling prior to some very deep discussions - with me on the other side of said deep discussions I might add!!! Lots of heavy stuff went down....

I usually manage to stay on the other side of the camera but somehow Vince must've sneaked this one in. Check out that sunshine on the water - Yay for summer approaching.
Ciao,

Hint of Halloween decorating

Here in New Zealand we don't have quite so much of a big hoorah over Halloween. But I couldn't resist making a quilt to hang on my theme wall.

I made this a few years ago and it is based on a Linda Lum de Bono design with a few tweaks and alterations. It has always been one of my faves to hang because of the bright funky colours. 
The cool border fabric has glow in the dark eyes which are particularly great.
However as far as Halloween goes, that is the full extent of decorating in our house. When my kids were younger, I had made them fabric Halloween buckets for trick or treating but even that was something they only did a couple of times.
I do enjoy seeing what everyone does on their blogs though as far as decorating their houses - very cool.
Ciao,

Playing with dolls

Well not quite playing - more like making, or playing with a pattern that I found in some magazines I have had out from the library (and that are soooooo overdue I may as well have bought them!!!!).
Here are Pepper and Poppet

They are a design by an Australian lady called Fiona Lech of Dear Fii and were in an Australian Homespun magazine. I hadn't planned to make two but, as usual, didn't read the instructions and raced ahead to find out that you only needed one lot of panels for the front as the back is made from one whole piece of flannel or other soft fabric. So rather than waste those orange bits of fabric I decided to make another doll - hence the purple Poppet was born!!!!!

I haven't done any embroidery for ages so it was quite nice stitching the 'girls' hair decorations.

Now that I've done these, maybe I should return that magazine and actually have a go at some of the other patterns in the other magazines and try to get them back as well!!!!! I really am atrocious with library books. Maybe I should stick to lovely tutorials on wonderful blogs now that I have discovered them:)
Ciao,

Jeusshed up outfit for Breast Cancer Awareness walk

This month being Breast Cancer awareness month I headed over to take part in the local walk in Tauranga. 
Boy has it grown since the first one I took part in! Talk about pink - there was a great effort by ladies (and the odd man) to get into the theme, so I was pleased I had taken some time to take these raw materials

Do some fancy shmancy sewing and tweaking and da-da-da-dahhhh

The tops (cos I had one for myself and one for Tanya) were nice and long so figured we would wear them over a black t-shirt and black leggings. And to accesorise the multipurpose headband/neckband/wristband.
I loved the silky flowers with the addition of the blingy centre thingy - see

They just added a bit of sophistication to the look:)
Thought that was it but at the last minute I decided that maybe a skirt might be an idea....just to cover those wee flabby bits (or should I say butts). So quick whizz on the machine produced these

The wonder of crepe paper.
Unfortunately I forgot to take my camera with me so no photo of the full effect but we looked fab. And great to have been part of this cause, which we all can identify with.


Been a busy week in the non-sewing creating arena designing,making and sending out invites for the great 71st birthday - Vinces 50th and Sams 21st. Here's the invite I came up with on the theme "Born to Be Wild"

Not quite as funky as I would've liked to have done but with a tight timeframe it was a  matter of getting it done!!!
Yesterday I finally was able to get to some sewing creating - yay - so hopefully will be able to share photos of that tomorrow.
Ciao, 

I'm in on this swap: New Zealand Handmade Christmas Ornament Swap

I love Christmas - have been known as the Christmas Fairy in my time, so when I saw another Christmas ornament swap well, I couldn't resist. And it's only a wee commitment so it's not like taking on a huge new project.

As one of my goals is to theme our Christmas with a real New Zealand flavour I am hoping I will be able to make, and receive, some ornaments that reflect those things special to a Kiwi Christmas.
Head on over here - 
New Zealand Handmade: New Zealand Handmade Christmas Ornament Swap
to sign up - the more the merrier.
RIght, now to get my thinking cap on.......have a few ideas jostling around in my head already:)
Ciao, 

Take one plain blue sewing chair...

...that really was long overdue for a bit of a pep up

                         

Add some very funky Michael Miller 'Mending Madness' fabric picked up from Spotlight at some point in the past for a project in the future (must be this) - barely a metre though. SO there had to be some careful (yeah, right) planning and thinking, before cutting. 

Put it all together and you get this....

Voila!!!!! Now I am sure my butt will just be drawn to this chair and that my sewing will be soooooooo much funkier and fresher:)

Do I admit that I have walked past my sewing room several times and stopped to just gaze at my inviting chair??? Sad, I know.

Ciao,

Baby bunting and boosting book

It's been a productive couple of days and I was stoked to finish this bunting, which I was making for a friend to give as a gift.

Having never made bunting before it was pretty much a matter of just going with the flow but things seemed to work out fine. I found some firm denim at my local wee op shop and used that as my base, then used a selection of fabrics from my stash.

I hummed and haa-ed (no idea how that is spelled!) about putting a backing on them, but after I'd stitched the letters on decided that yep, it would finish them off nicely so hence this plaid. Then it was pinking shears all round and voila!
I think young Jasper will enjoy lying in his cot and gazing at these.
Meanwhile the job hunting continues. Last week I had my quickest rejection email to date - applied for a job on Tuesday lunchtime and had a rejection letter in my inbox by Thursday lunchtime!!!! Top marks to that company for efficiency if nothing else.
Have to admit that it doesn't get any easier so when I saw this wee book at the flea market on Sunday I decided maybe I should get it and have it by my laptop so that each morning it might just give me the positive boost to keep my head up

I'm starting to wonder if maybe I should "stick to my knitting" so to speak rather than trying to do something different ........ 

but then I read this and think ... I really don't know 'what I want to be when I grow up'!!!!!!
Ciao,

A 1930's pretty - so not like me!

Take about 30 of these blocks, started in a swap oh..... well lets say quite a few years ago...

Now, I vaguely remember having a brief moment in my life when I must've thought "gee, those 1930's fabrics are quite pretty".

And they are quite sweet, but you know over time our tastes change, and if you saw me now you would think - whoaaaaaa these blocks must belong to someone else!!!!!!! Me, who has a kitchen painted in lime green, orange and turquoise, and drives a bright yellow VW!!!!!
BUT I am on a bit of a mission to try to complete some of my UFO's, and also to use fabrics in my stash so over this week while I have been staying with my quilting buddy Sam I worked on putting these blocks together.
This is what I have done so far...

This is about largish lap size and will be just right for my fave aunty who turned 80 a couple of weeks ago. She has always had the most fantastic garden, and this reminds me of the freshness of it, with all the lovely mix of colours. The open spaces of white will give me an opportunity for some free motion quilting - will have to think of what to do now.
However, I am still left with 21 blocks!!!!!!!!!!
Mmmmmm....... could be some cot quilts........and maybe another lap quilt perhaps.
Certainly makes me realise that I really need to work on completing a quilt within the year I start it before my tastes change!


Ciao, 

'L is for...', and k-ute Kiwi

Am spending some 'chillax' time with my quilting buddy Sam which is always great for getting ahead on some quilting projects and have managed to complete a couple of wee things so far one of which is well overdue.....

I have been part of a swap I organised for our New Zealand online group Kiwiquilters. Each person chose either a block or theme for their swap, and this persons theme was "L is for.....", for her daughter Leah. My block is  'L is for Lovebug' from a design from Linderella and I'm pretty happy with it, as I think Holly dog (my friend Sam's poodle) is too:)

Next wee project finished is this 'k'-ute ( I know, pretty corny pun) kiwi that I made from start to finish on Monday night after Vince dropped me off here at Sam's house. Sam was out so I amused myself 'til she got home by making up this kit that I bought at last years Calico Christmas. I figured with this years exhibition fast approaching I'd better actually make up what I had bought before I went along and bought something new (how's that for justification of spending)!!!!!
Isn't he just great ..... am thinking he could make pretty groovy Christmas decorations for my Kiwiana Christmas theme.
Spread out on the floor at the moment are not one but two WIP's that involve 1930's fabrics - so not me normally - and they are both quilts that have been in my cupboard for quite some time. 
Will keep you posted on them ....
Ciao

Bandana bib blitz

So I might've got a bit carried away with the bandana bib making perhaps ....

But once I got going they were sooooo much fun!!!! Some have got the chenille backing and some have got a lovely soft cotton flannel backing.
Then there were the decisions of which fabrics to chose from my stash - because these were for boys that at least helped narrow down the choices a little bit.

The burger one has to be for fast food restaurants.......

And can't you just see a little chap sitting up at a fancy restaurant or wine bar wearing this one while Mum and Dad sip on their chardonnay or sauvignon blanc?????

    I've always liked the Buzzy Bee icon so 

this one was a definite to be made. Every Kiwi baby needs to grow up having had a pull along Buzzy Bee toy as part of their childhood memories.
On some of the bibs I have used velcro fastening - I put this on the ones with the chenille backing as these were a bit thicker - and on the flannel ones I've put a snap dome fastener.
Now I just wish we'd had some of these around when my boys were young chaps - how trendy would they have looked.


Right - off to catch some good sleep before heading off to Hamilton for my Half Marathon walk .... 21km, mmmm .... only a few butterflies in my tummy ....
Ciao,