Different Day, Different Weather.

The famous Kiwi sunshine has returned. Look, blue skies,

and sunshine.

It was like this yesterday too, and I had planned on getting into my room to quilt, but I got called in to work at short notice. So I had to wait until today.

But first.....

Some time ago, (Years ago) I was gifted a folder of pantograph patterns. The gentleman who gave them to me was a professional quilter here in town. He took on board that I have a small machine and gave me two pattern books of 3 inch pantograph patterns. Today I decided to be brave and finally give one of them a go.

This rose pattern seemed appropriate.

I copied it and stuck the pages together, carefully following the instructions.

Then started to quilt, in the beautifully warm sunshine.

By the time Tony came home for his lunch, I had the first pass done and was feeling very happy with the world.

Since Tony went back to work I started the next pass, but I've had issues with top and bottom threads snapping. I didn't change any settings, I didn't even turn the machine off while we ate our beans on toast, but for some reason, problems have started. 

Now I have turned it off, and walked away

I'll play some more tomorrow. 

Right now I'm going to put my feet up and make a start on something Christmassy.

 

Winter has arrived.

Yesterday I loaded Something Floral on to the quilting frame. It was not a pleasant job.

The room where the frame lives is a delight on a warm sunny day, even in winter, but on a cold, overcast day with wind and rain it is not a nice room to be in.

Belle didn't even come to supervise.

The beautiful trees outside the windows are bare.

You can see the heavy overcast layer.

There used to be a huge and beautiful elm tree a few properties over, in the picture below. It was chopped down a couple of weeks ago. So sad, even bare of it's leaves it had a beautiful shape. 

No matter which way I looked, it was the same grim picture.

It was snowing up in the mountains, while it rained down here by the coast.

I had a heater running, but it was struggling, all that glazing, (Two whole walls of glass) which normally lets in so much warmth, light and sunshine, was bleeding heat.

With icy cold fingers I got all of the layers pinned and ready to start quilting, but stopped there.

I might make a start soon, if the weather warms up.

See, it's not just you ladies who sew in cavernous basements and cellars or chooksheds who struggle with temperatures.

I decided a good way to keep warm, might be to put the oven on and bake.

Two lovely carrot cakes, one for Tony and one for the guys at work.

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Fingers crossed that the weather warms up a little soon and I can spend some time with my quilting frame. 

Today is a day for sitting with my crochet in my lap. 

Lucy Locker came out to play.

After a good nights sleep, I got brave and played with my new to me Lucy (over)Locker.

The lady we had purchased her from had left her threaded, all I had to do was tie on and pull through my own thread colour, thread the needles with the correct threads and start playing. I had purchased 4 spools of white overlocker thread all individually wrapped in their own cellophane wrappers.

Belle heard them crinkling an emerged from whatever hidey hole she was in and came to investigate. She does so love to play with them.

I left them on the table, I figured that would be less mess than having her tip out the bin looking for them. LOL

They were still there when I left the room, but I'm sure she will find and play with them.

I wonder where I will find them?

So after pulling my white threads through the machine, I had a wee practice on some scraps of fabric, tweaked the tension and then made a start.

A few hours later, my newest work top was complete.

This one is covered in all things sewing.

There are threads and scissors, pins and needles.

Seam rippers and tape measures and a whole plethora of other sewing related tools and gadgets.

I'll be wearing it for work this evening.

Lucy Locker behaved very well, but I have a thing or two to learn about using her.

All in good time. For now she is tucked away under her plastic cover, hmm, I might need to get busy and make something pretty. 

Time to go grocery shopping, and do some chores. 

I hope you're having fun.

Did you make any churndash blocks?

 

More churns and some acquisitions.

I'm happy to announce that I am all up to date with my churndash sew along. 

I now have eight happy blue churns awaiting some company.

I may yet add the sashing strips as that will save a little time in the last round.

Yesterday I had another wee trip out with Debbie.

We had to drive for 50 minutes this time, to what we would call a destination shop, you don't pass the quilting shed by accident. Well, not unless you are lost. LOL

Debbie was looking for backing fabric for a big scrappy quilt top she has completed.

I just went along for the ride and of course found something to spend my money on anyway. LOL

Just in case any of my colleagues or clients may have any doubts about what I would prefer to be doing, I'll make myself another work top in this notions fabric.

As soon as I saw it, I knew I had to.

I also found a cone of quilting thread for my latest scrapper.

Very restrained don't you think?

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The courier called this morning and left a package in my porch.

But we were not expecting anything....

The lovely Jo at ButterZ blogspot had sent me a jigsaw puzzle to add to my collection.

Have you ever done or seen a wasgij? You do not recreate to picture on the box, instead you look behind the camera as it were, in this case I will have to imagine what one of the birds above the traffic jam can see. LOL

I have done one or two of these puzzles a few years ago, they are always fun.

Thank you so much Jo. I've added it to the to do pile. 

Tucked in to the package with the puzzle was a card, with a very cute wee quilt design on the front.

Inside there was a lovely message from Jo and on the back the instructions to make the quilt.

Yes Jo, I just might make one, in blue. LOL

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And finally for today my gift from the tax man.

When we found about my tax rebate, Tony shopped around for an over locker for me.  He found a previously loved one on a local facebook selling page. He bargained the price down a little and paid via online banking. Today I went across the road and three doors up to collect my new to me Janome 644D Over locker. To purchase this model brand new would be nearly $1000NZ, I got it for about a third of that price. Score!

Turns out I know the seller quite well, she is a very good friend of one of the residents at work and visits often. 

So I have another machine in my collection, the third Janome.

What do I call her?

I have Jenny Janome (1600p)

Sally (Janome) Skyline S5

Maybe Lucy Locker?

I'm tired and cold today and I'm not sure I'm up to the challenges of a new machine, so I think I'll curl up with some crochet. Not a new project, I adding more rounds to an older project, it needs to be bigger.  Maybe tomorrow I'll be brave and have a play. 

Tops, boxes, onions and Churns..

I've had a busy couple of days. 

There has been some study and a meeting with my assessor, who was very complimentary of my efforts so far.

Buoyed up by the results of my first effort I got stuck in and made a second work top.

This one did not go quite so well and I had a few issues. But got there eventually. 

I plan to make some more of these. They are lighter to wear than those provided, so cooler in a hot nursing home environment.

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Tony had a new lamp for his work station delivered the other day and Belle moved in as soon as the box was empty.

Cats and boxes.

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I spent a spur of the moment couple of hours with Chooky on zoom yesterday and made a little progress on my Lucy Blue quilt top. Sorry no pic. I have only two large blocks left to join, then I will be working on edge treatments.

Time to take a look at which EPP project I might do next.

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Father in Law delivered a bag of pickling onions and shallots and asked if I could work my preserving magic on them. There was enough onions to make eight one litre jars of pickles.

Some of them were huge, bigger than golf balls. 

LOL

While they were cooling, I finally made a start on my Churndash blocks for Chookys sew along.

Here are the first four. 

If I get a chance, I'll try to make another four tomorrow.

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And finally....

The tax man has awarded me a rebate!

Only yesterday Tony and I were discussing possibly getting me an overlocker/serger machine.

We just bought one.

I should have it in a few days.

Yippie!