Wet weather pursuits!!

It's not much of a day out there today and my two usual Wednesday playmates both had commitments elsewhere, so I stayed home and played.

On Sunday I finished cutting three inch squares.

 And made a bunch of four patch blocks to accompany the flying geese I had made previously.

 So today, I turned both sets of blocks into a quilt top, complete with borders.

Not the best image, sorry. I tried lights on, lights off, flash on, flash off and combining the above and this was the best I could get. Like I said, it's not much of a day.

In fact it is so dark, I've had a light on all day.

The inspector stayed with me throughout the whole process. (I suspect, because I have the heater in here with me).

I have to say though, she was a bit slack on the job, I didn't see her move all day and the only thing she inspected was the backs of her eyelids!!

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My back is improving slowly. A little too slowly, but that may be my own fault, not only did I sew on Sunday, I also did an hour in the garden then had a huge set back on Monday.  Maybe the garden was a bad idea? LOL I wonder how it will get on with the quilting frame? I now have two tops that need quilting.

Right, time to try cross stitch, IF I can get comfortable in the chair.

Moving Slowly On.

Cause now I've hurt my back!!

If you need to know, I hopped up out of an office chair at work, and it all got painful very fast!!

I went straight from work to a chiropractor. She has made great improvements, but it's going to take a few more visits and a lot more $$$$$

(Sigh)

It's really not been a good year so far!!

At least I can still go to work, so that and some social engagements and other fun stuff have gotten in the way too, but I have found time to craft.  

About two weeks ago I started to cut into a bunch of pretty batik fabrics.

And they sat, and they sat!

 Until Sunday, when I made a flying goose unit! Just as an experiment, to see how my back would cope with the sewing machine and the ironing board.

 Then I made a whole bunch more.

 I set about cutting again this morning, but that is a whole different game.

The table is more than a little low, so I stopped. ( I really must nag ask Tony about sorting out something to raise it up some more, it's not quite high enough anyway).

I might have another go later today, maybe short bursts is the way to go for now.

There hasn't been much progress on Jiffy's blanket, but I spread it out and got a photo for you.

I think maybe one or two more hanks of yarn and it will be about done.

I should be able to get that done before Summer arrives and it warms up too much to sit under a huge pure wool blanket.

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I recently learned that one of the regulars at work used to own a long arm machine and a quilting frame. I got chatting to him and he very kindly gifted some of his old pattern books to me!

 Oh, My goodness.

He took on board that my machine has only a short throat and selected books of patterns that will work with it.

 Not just one book.....

 There are four of them.

 Including a whole book of border designs.

Each of the books has a big write up about how to use the designs. Discussing how to enlarge and reduce them, how to make the pantos nestle nicely together and how to make the borders go neatly around corners. Such a huge amount of information and such a wonderfully kind gift.

I spent some time organising them, as they were just together in a plastic bag and had become mixed up. Now they are tucked into ring binders and safely put away under the quilting frame.

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And because I love him.

A picture of Floki.

He is nearly four months old now and is enjoying his first tastes of solid foods.

Mashed carrots is his favourite I'm told.

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No lunch with the girls today, one has to work and the other has flu!!

Hope she is feeling better soon.

I'm off to potter about and hopefully find something to do.

When life gives you lemons....

Big bags full of lemons!!

(Father in law pruned a customers tree!)

Buy Vodka!!

And make Limoncello.

 One litre of vodka requires the rind of 12 -18 lemons depending on their size.

Let it steep in a cool dark place for a while, up to a year if you are patient enough, then strain and add a simple syrup and you are done.

Chill and serve.

 Of course a consequence of needing all that rind, is a whole bunch of naked lemons!!

So I made lemon Curd too.

Just one batch today, I still have some naked lemons and loads more with skins so will make more of both recipes soon.

The lemon curd is not a preserve, so will not keep in the pantry but it will keep in the freezer for a few months, and home made is much better than the stuff from the store with all the preservatives added.

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Last weekend in Wellington was fun, we did take a few photos, but it wasn't really that kind of trip.

I found some cross stitch supplies, but sadly only half of my list.

I have thread to quilt the Carpenters Wheel, and I had planned to make a start on that today, but someone gifted me a big bag of lemons. LOL

Jiffys blanket is keeping me warm on these cool evenings as I work away at it.

I might need to peep into the bottom of the basket and see if it is nearly time for more yarn.

*

Lunch with Claire again today.

Moving slowly on....

I'm back at work having finally gotten rid of that nasty throat and ear thing! Thank you to everyone who sent get well wishes. I'm sure that is what fixed it. 😉😉

I've been getting on slowly with one or two things. In the evenings I curl up on the sofa with my crochet, so Jiffys blanket is growing, I think I'm just about half way now. It's getting very heavy and is very warm to work on and under. So I'm sure it will keep him warm and cosy.

 I set Mr H the task of sorting out my cross stitch frame and he did, so I've also spent a little time working on spring Queen.

 Here are the parts that were causing issues for me. The wee plastic elbesee clips were not holding the fabric correctly and it was slipping through them. I discovered that a turn in the dishwasher 'shrinks' them and helps them to grip again. One issue sorted.

 Another issue was the bolts and wing nuts. The bolts were just going around and around in the wood rather than tightening up. Mr H came up with a fix for that too.  

Yay! I can stitch comfortably again.

The fabric I ordered for my Carpenters wheel quilt has arrived, it sat about for a day or two, but this morning I finally got it pressed and onto the frame. then the top was added too and now I just need thread. 

I thought I had the right one, but I was wrong!!

Debs and I are off to Wellington on Friday, I'll add it to my shopping list.

 And finally!

The reason Debs and I are going to Wellington is that it will be our birthdays on Sunday and Monday. We were born 364 days apart!

It will also be Debbie's daughter Ashleigh's birthday on Tuesday, and Ash just happens to live in Wellington.....There will be celebrating as well as shopping.

So anyway, my prezzie arrived early.

My old Samsung notebook was getting a bit slow and clunky and Mr H has been suggesting for a while that we should replace it.  I finally agreed. 

Gotta go, I'm off out for lunch with Claire today. 

Busy times

 Thank you to everyone who expressed get well wishes. My throat is feeling a lot better and I do finally sound more normal. I was still hoarse yesterday when I popped into work to chat with my boss and we decided that I should have today off work as well, just to get in the maximum rest and hopefully get rid of what ever it is, once and for all!!

Here's hoping.

So I haven't been lax during my time off and find that today, I actually have quite a bit to show and tell. 

First up Jiffys blanket. As you can see, it's a bright sunny day, which made taking photos a little difficult.

I wanted to show the blanket on a bed, to give an idea of how much is done. I think maybe just over a third. This is one very cosy blanket. Here it is without the shadows.

My arms are starting to complaining about the amount of crochet I have been doing. The top of my left arm, and the wrist of my right. Maybe I had better slow down a little.

So the other day I found myself in my sewing room, adding borders to the Carpenters Wheel. I had thought to add something pieced and pretty, but in the end I decided that less is more and added just a simple cream border, with red corner stones that match the wheel itself.

 I'm pleased with how this one is going. 

It's currently waiting on the frame, while I await the arrival of backing fabric and quilting thread. I have set aside fabrics for a scrappy binding.

Today would be a good day to be in the quilting room. It's full of sunshine. Most of the trees are bare and the garden is in winter mode, but it is still a beautiful space to work in.

 I changed the guard in the hall way. My sister in Law recently borrowed a whole bunch of my quilts to put on a display at her place of work. When she returned them I had a tidy up in the cupboard and came across this one. I decided it could have a turn in the hall. I made this one in 2012. Funny, I don't recall the problems I mention in that post, but I have to say, it's very rare that I use anything other than cotton batting these days. Lessons must have been learned.  LOL 

Here is the display. Made up of quilts, crochet and cross stitch loaned by myself and lots more crochet and yarn loaned by another lady.

I didn't get a chance to visit it in person, but I'm told it looked better in real life than it does here, and all who saw it were complimentary. 

Still trying to rest my arms, on Saturday I headed back into my wee room and pottered about tidying up the left overs from the Carpenters Wheel. During that process I came across a wee kit I bought at the quilting shed earlier this year. Before I knew it I was selecting fabrics for borders and cutting up the left overs!  I didn't even get a before picture. LOL

here is where I left it at lunchtime. Mr H took us out for lunch and we didn't make it home until late afternoon. We did a little shopping, (Not something we do together often, so that was nice). We bought boring but necessary items for the home. I did go back into the room yesterday, but got side tracked, maybe today I'll get back to these pieces and make up some flying geese.

Here is what got my attention yesterday.

Spring Queen has been resting in my room for a while.

She didn't say much, just rested quietly on her frame against my sewing desk. Yesterday for some reason, it was her day.

As you can see I took her out of the frame and was using a hoop. My frames are quite old now and not holding tension very well. I brought them with me from GB and have been unable to find the same frames here. I have found others, but struggle to make them work with my stand. I really do need to find a solution. The largest and best alternative frame I can find here in NZ is not big enough to hold a design this size. 

I shall plod on with my hoops and maybe set Tony a mission to find a way to repair the old frames.

Beading really is easier on a frame!! 

And I have lots of beading to do on this piece, and her sisters.

Well that's my news. 

Now I'm off to play.