Monday, October 31, 2011

Finished in time for the end of the month..

I've taken the pins out of the piece of lace I was working on in the previous post and the bookmark is finished just in time for the end of the month.  It gave me a chance to practice a few stitches to get me back into it..and a change from the stitching I have been doing of late...What will I do next??  Off to the monthly get together of the local lace group tomorrow night...

Sunday, October 30, 2011

Some SKOW fabric chosen...

I've been sorting out some fabrics to use for the Some Kind of Wonderful quilt.  Last week I went on a road trip down south with some stitching friends.  We stopped on the way for morning tea and a visit to a patchwork shop and then continued on our way.  At the end of our 2 1/2 hour drive we came to the shop we had aimed for - I have never seen so much fabric in one place before-- there were so many choices it was unbelievable!  I came away with a few pieces to add to the basket above and a few other bits and pieces- it was just as well I had gone with a list of what I wanted or who knows what might have happened!!   It will be well worth another trip in the future...with such good travelling companions it didn't seem like such a long drive.
I've been getting on with some secret sewing but have also put something else on to the lace pillow- with a little bit more to do I should have another finish for the month.  After finishing the other piece a few weeks back I have got back in the groove.. (should have tidied up the bobbins before I took the photo!)
 Yesterday we had a balmy 20 degrees here (well when the temperatures during the week have been about 13/14 degrees then 20 does seem a lot warmer)  Today is supposed to be 24 but it has been raining.. looks like it is going to fine up though.
In the garden the kowhai tree is flowering...we thought this was lost to the frosts a few years back, but it recovered..
As some of the rhododendrons finish flowering others are just coming into flower..this is one we bought as a tiny plant at the sale at the Botanic Gardens in town quite a few years ago..don't know its name though...

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Checking in...

I just love Fig Tree fabrics, and in my stash is a jelly roll and fat quarter set from the Buttercup range...so today I am sharing the photo of the jelly roll, and the way the colours spiral around- what are my plans for the fat quarters..well, when I bought them I was planning on using them for the quilt from the Vignette magazine, but other things seem to be getting in the way....too many projects on the wish list, not enough time...

Meanwhile in my garden another rhodendron is starting to flower and this one is Mrs G W Leak - I love the spotted throat on the flowers.  

It was a lovely sunny day on Monday when I took the photo, but yesterday it was heavy rain all day...not nice weather at all, so I don't know how the flowers will hold up.  The weather didn't worry me too much yesterday, though...I went on a road trip down south, with some stitching friends, to visit a couple of patchwork shops...but I'll leave that for another day...

Thursday, October 13, 2011

Off the pillow at last....

....the bobbin lace pillow that is...



this little (about 2 inches across) piece of Bucks Point lace has been sitting 'finished' except for the the ends to be joined to make it complete...
While I have been busy doing other things it has been sitting for far longer than I would like to admit and so yesterday was the day... feels good to have another finish...so now I can set up my bobbins for the new thing I want to do... just hope I remember what to do as it has been so long now......I need the practise....

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

It's a finish...

Yes, a finish so early in the month...the fabric from several posts back has been turned into this, the latest Christmas themed project we have done in the group I have been going to each  month...I do have sore fingers from attaching the beads and stitching to highlight the patterns on the fabric...( if I had spaced it out better over the month then there wouldn't have been a problem...but Tis the Season took up a bit of my time..)

It wouldn't be Spring without the sight of daffodils...after the strong winds that we have had in the past few days a few of them have their stems bent and heads down...there are bits and pieces blown around the yard, but at least we escaped the power outages that others in the area had...

Have a great day!

Monday, October 10, 2011

I'm happy that...

My favourite rhododendron is starting to come out in flower...

 **It was Holden 1,2,3 at Bathurst yesterday in the Supercheap Auto 1000. While we didn't spend the whole day watching it on TV, the things that kept me occupied during the day were near enough to keep an ear and at times eye on the race...49 years it has been running for ....funny how some of the drivers have aged too (or retired)...as if we haven't as well !!! LOL!!

 **The Wallabies won their quarterfinal (YAY!!)  at the Rugby World Cup...

 **I think I have found the fabric which I think I will use for a secret something.....for a secret someone.... using a pattern which have ordered...and which I am waiting on to arrive... I hope I have correctly interpreted what I was reading on their blog in what I am making.... will run it by some friends later in the week to see what they think...

And I have finally worked out why I have been having a little problem with the set out of my posts as I write them...thought it was the new interface but I have just pushed a button at the top and everything is back to normal....

Saturday, October 8, 2011

New Blogger in Kiwiland

Clare has just started her blog this week- - I have just been over to visit her and this is her blog Craft Lady in Kiwiland

Monday, October 3, 2011

A new project..

Just need to do some stitching and beading to transform this piece of fabric into another finish...

Sunday, October 2, 2011

Manly, 2011 Premiers....

Great excitement in our household.... Manly won the NRL Grand Final today...just wish I could have been there, but sat glued to the TV instead...brings back those memories of growing up on the Northern Beaches and all those afternoons sitting on the hill there at Brookvale Oval cheering Manly on... even being lucky enough to see them play and win a few of their earlier Grand Finals...though I live in NZ now it is still Manly all the way ....