Stitchy stuff.

Yesterday I had a play-date with a pal. Debbie came to play, she brought along a project, her daughter and her sewing machine. She put together this cute wee discovery bag.

Debbie is a child carer/teacher, she has up to 4 preschoolers in her home each day and thought these bags were a great idea.

While Debbie was busy with her project, I finished off a wee gift bag, but forgot to take a photo! 

I also finished this little cutie. It was lying neglected for over two years. I had put the borders on, but never got around to backing it.

Yesterday was it's day!

It's now all packaged up waiting for a trip to the post office.

Debbie brought her daughter with her, while we sewed, Courtney looked through some of my books and asked if she could make a pin cushion. I helped her to make two cute wee nine patches, then I sewed then onto a gusset for her, alas I had no stuffing! But Debbie said she had some at home and would help Courtney to finish it off this week.

Courtney was also looking at my cross stitch pictures and asked if she could do one of those too!

I found a Christmas card kit and sent that home with her. Debbie says she will teach her how to do that too!

Another convert. :-)

A new friend.

Way back in May, just not long after I started work at the pool complex, this guy was handed in over the desk. Someone had found him in the car park. He sat for a while on the desk, we were sure someone would come along and claim him, but alas no one did.

 After a while, one of my colleagues moved him into the lost property room.

Well I was in there the other day looking for something and came across him. Poor soul, left in a dark room with a load of smelly gym gear and togs.

I felt so sorry for him, so I sat him on the bosses desk with a note.

I mentioned that he had been in the pound for nearly 6 months and surely I could adopt him.

Now he sits on the back of my chair, and watches while I sew. :-)

Speaking of sewing.

 I bought a quilt hanger for this advent and got it into the post yesterday.

It is on it's way to my beautiful little grand daughter Faith, along with a bag of chocs for the pockets.

Almost done with the secret stuff, So hopefully I'll be able to blog about my sewing again soon.

It's here already!

My SSCS giver is Shez.

How do I know this?

Well I panicked when I realized that moving house was coming right about the time we would all be stalking our posties.

I sent an email to Elf Chooky who emailed Shez, who was ready, willing and able to send my package early, just to allay my worries.

Thank you ladies, I realise now, there was really no need to worry, I guess I'm used to things taking a little longer to get up to the Northern hemisphere! LOL

So anyway, my package arrived today. Carefully wrapped in red paper.

 The big black label on the larger package says I must save it until Dec 25th. :-)

But the figgy pudding label says it is my ornament and I can open it now.

So I did just that!

I got a cute wee stocking ornament.

Yes, Shez, I do like it, in fact, I love it.

It's all hand stitched, with gold beads and gold string and cute robins on the back.

Thank you, thank you, thank you. xx

Thank you also to Chooky for all that she does at this time of year.

Love you.

It's that time......

No, I'm not moving house just yet, that's in another two weeks!

No, this is far more important.

The time to get all of our SSCS packages onto the sleigh has arrived.

This week, all around the world crafters will be heading to the post office with packages made up of carefully and beautifully crafted items. 

Here is mine, all wrapped and ready to go.

But where is it going?

*

In other news, we went to the Geraldine Arts and Plants show at the weekend. The local quilters always put on a great exhibition. 

Guess who forgot the camera?

I did take some pictures on my phone, but didn't figure out how to get them off there yet!

While we were there, I visited the local quilty shop and bought a couple of end of bolt pieces, they just sort of jumped into my hand!

At the quilt exhibition I picked up some bundles of New Zealand quilter magazine.

I was a little disappointed with them and glad I hadn't paid full price.

They are very glossy and expensive feeling, with lots and lots of pictures and features about exhibitions and individual quilters. Not too much advertising, but only two or three patterns. Not at all what I'm used to with the UK, US and Aussie magazines, where you get loads of patterns and ideas, amid all of the inspiration. I think I'll stick to 'Country Crafts' for now.

*

Right, time to head out to the post office. 

A stitchy picture.

I figure I can get away with posting this work in progress picture!

I spent time in my play room yesterday, creating secret stuff, one such item needed a date.

I'm off to finish it, then 

I'll ride on my bumblebee up to the new shop, I do hope they have some quilt wadding. I have a huge king size piece which I dont want to cut in to and plenty of off cuts, but none of them are quite big enough for what I have in mind.

Time is flying

Another week has gone by! Where is the time going?

Once again, I have achieved a lot, but have very little to show!

I found time to do a little more to the secret stuff. I knew I should have done more to it during the year. OK there are certain things you can't do until now, but I could have made a start.

Maybe soon I'll be able to show off some of my stitching, but don't hold your breath, we move house again in 25 days. (That's three moves on one year!!)

I swear I am not moving house ever again. 

So, the house.

It is a long way away from work. By my reckoning just over an hours walk!

How am I going to get to work for 5.15am? (I cannot drive, I never learned).

On my Bumblebee of course.

Last week we went out and bought this cute wee moped.

  

 Those of you who have known me for a loooooong time, will remember that I used to ride one on the Isle of Man before Tony came along.

I've had to borrow a helmet off my brother in law as a mix up meant that the wrong size was delivered with the bike, but that will be sorted today.

I was out for a ride yesterday. It was fun, I had forgotten how much I enjoyed it.

*

There is a new stitching shop here in Timaru!

Half way between work and the new place.

I called in on the day they opened, but I had Tony with me.

I vowed to return alone. I'm looking forward to spending time there as well as dollars! LOL

*

In other news.

Just over a week ago I got my hair cut.

Not just any hair cut, I had it shaved off with a number 1 comb.

All for charity.

I raised over $700NZ

For Child Cancer Research NZ South Canterbury branch.

I have to say, I love having it this short, It's growing back very quickly though.

DS Joe did not join me! But he did have more hair than me until just a couple of days ago, when he asked me to cut it. He opted for the number 4 comb though. (That is still longer than mine! LOL)

*

Let me see what else have we been up to?

The land lady is selling the property. 

We felt awful having to tell her that we hoped to leave before the end of our contract, she was feeling awful having to tell us that we couldn't re-sign and stay on after the end of our contract. LOL.

So we're all happy now.

Anyway, that said we are doing our bit to ensure the property looks nice for any prospective buyers. No lazy days, we're keeping the place in tip top shape. Even the garden.

I'm sure I've said it before, we really are not great gardeners, but we have done our best to keep the place looking neat. Out with the mower every week and pulling weeds as soon as we see them.

My spuds are growing well, father in law says to leave them now, no more ridging up, just let them grow, and maybe I'll get to dig some up before we leave.

There are some other potatoes growing in a fallow bed at the other end of the garden, they must have self set last year. Yesterday when I was weeding I pulled one by accident, it was hiding amid some longer weeds. Anyway, there was a little bite size potato on the root!

Maybe, just maybe I will be able to get some potatoes out of this garden before we go!

I have also planted some beans into a trough, no need to leave those behind, I'll just pick up the trough and take it with me. :-)

*

Right, all the efforts in the garden yesterday means there is mud and grass cutting tracked in through the back door!

And I need to clean the kitchen floor too. I spilled flour!

So I'm off to be domestic.

Growing things.

We have had some beautifully warm spring weather, with a few spring downpours! (I guess they equate to April showers in good old Blighty!)

So my rented garden is growing well.

This beautiful yellow rose bush is growing over the fence, I think its roots belong to next door.

 There are many other beauties flowering and lots and lots of green leaves and shoots appearing.

some of those green shoots are of my own doing.

I have spuds!

I feel a little agreeved that I may have to leave them behind. Though my father in law thinks I may be able to unearth some, just as we are due to move into our new place. 

I've also planted a few bean plants into some portable tubs, no worries about leaving those behind.

 Just one month until we move. Sometimes it seems so far away, and other times it seems like it will spin around so fast,

and somtimes I think, what again! Do I really have to move again!? It seems like I've done more than my share of sorting out, giving away and packing up my home in the last few years.

okay enough of that!

Something else thats growing is my beautiful grand daughter Faith.

I love this picture of her peeping out of her castle/tent.

so beautiful, makes my heart burst.