Happy New Year

Wow, 24 quilts in 2009 (not including the top I finished today, plus a few other tops ready for quilting).  I’m impressed.

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Pottering about

Seems like not much gets done here between Xmas and New Year.  It’s a bit of a lazy time.  Ian spent all of yesterday cleanig out the garage, that was a big job.  Nice to be able to get to the freezers without having to climb over all the bikes.

I have had a wee bit of sewing time, but seems that everytime I start something I’m lacking in materials to finish it.  I really suck at planning.  Maybe that can be something to work on this year.  I got 95% of a quilt top done, which will go in the shop when finished.  I ran out of white muslin, I only needed 8 five-inch squares to finish the top.  I have got the extra fabric today. Yay.

Cute Heather Ross wildflower prints and bicycles.

I finally quilted and bound the mini quilt for the Fall swap. 

It’s another that I like that back better than the front.

I got a block made for Jane for the Sew Kid bee.

Last but not least, some bibs which are now in the shop.

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Horsing around.

I forgot to add a pic yesterday of Cam on his horse.

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Merry Xmas!

Hi all, Merry Christmas from us all here.  We’ve had a fantastic Christmas day.  The kids had their stockings, then we had pancakes with bacon and maple syrup for breakfast.  Nana and Kev came and breakfasted with us.  The rest of the pressies were opened, then we all skivved off into Wellington for the afternoon.  We had a picnic on top of the hill at Breaker Bay.  Awesome.  Relaxing.  We didn’t have to be anywhere, at any particular time, it was great.  Then home, a bit of a rest, then an easy dinner.  Cam is now in bed, snuggled under his new quilt with his new hobby horse next to him on the floor.  Nathan and Lilly are both in their rooms, computering and Matt is back at his flat.  Now it’s quiet. So here are the 2 quilts I couldn’t show you. 

This one is Mum’s.  Beautiful Kona Bay fabric.  I love the richness.  I’ve just done the top.  I’ll be finishing it in a while.

This one is Lilly’s. She had made all the blocks, and put half the top together, then lost the love for it.  So I finished it off and quilted it.  I’m happy to say she loves it.

Here are some pics of our day.  I was glad we went into Welly, as it was a bit cooler there and slightly cloudy.  It was 27°C at home. 

Hope you all had a day as good!

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A few last minute things

I have been doing a bit more sewing, just a few last-minute gifts.

A bag for a friend who love Cath Kidston fabrics.  I bought the book “Sew” which comes with all you need to make up the bag.

A couple of sets of coasters.

We needed to downsize the kids Christmas stockings, that last ones were enormous, so Lilly sewed these ones up yesterday.  Her sewing has improved so much.  Aren’t they great.!

I had a parcel of fabric arrive in the mail.  9 days from the US.  I think that’s pretty good service for Xmas time.  It was an order I had placed with Hawthorne Threads.  Their service is excellent! Great selection and good prices.  I’ll definitely order from them again.  What to see what I got?

A selection of Riley Blake “All Stars”, half to make quilts for the shop and half for Nathan’s quilt.

Stripe and Alphabet (boys colours) “Girl Friday” by Cosmo Cricket, Birdie “Wild Thyme” and Alexander Henry “2D Zoo”.  Nice. 

I got my Secret Santa present in the post too, from a swap organised on TNN, but that’s all I’ll say on that (my Mother always taught me if you have nothing nice to say, say nothing). Oh well.

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The last few days……………

Some good work by Nathan at amusing himself, he made a punching bag.  Cam had some fun playing with it.

Matt’s birthday on Saturday. 19.  Nice day, Nana and Kev  and Nana B all came for lunch, then the last of the Beef Fillet for birthday dinner.  Yum.  Yummy banana birthday cake. After that we let Cam stay up late and went from a drive to see all the Xmas lights up.  There is a really neat place just a few streets away that have a Xmas garden walk.  It was lots of fun.  Cam had a ball.

I made 2 batches of Jam.  Blackberry (using the frozen berries from last season) and mixed berry (blackberries and some fresh raspberries).  After that Matt and I had a bit of a cook off, making lemon curd.  Matt used a recipe from Tana Ramsey’s “Homemade” cookbook and I used a microwave recipe I found on the net.  Both very different, as well as methods they had quite different ingredients.  So, Matt’s was nice, not quite lemony enough, but not too sweet.  Mine was good and lemony, but too sweet.  Both were about the same time, mine maybe a bit easier.  Fun.  Tomorrow Matt and Nathan are making different types of fudge.  That will be for Xmas gifts as neither of them having any funds for pressies.

I finished a quilt which is a present for a regular blog reader, so can’t show pics.  I finished a quilt top, and can’t show pics. Made a couple of bags, which i can show pics of.  The first bag was for my niece, who came for a visit today.

Ironically the skirt I used for the bag was one of her castoffs

The second bag was for Matt’s girlfriend.  Not as nice outside, but nicer inside and cool handles.  I liked it better than my one!

I hope she will like it.

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Stress!!!

Things have been a bit sucky lately (like your preschooler learning to swear), with the gale force winds taking out about a 3rd of all the new seedlings, the hen that’s crook and the hen with new babies.  On top of organising Matt’s birthday tomorrow and Christmas.

One of the Mother Hen’s is sick.  I though she might have been injured, but no, just sick (which is harder to treat).  I really didn’t need to have a Vet bill right now.  So she got some antibiotics and a jab of painkiller.  Didn’t do any good.  She is just wasting away.  The chicks should be okay, they are about 3 weeks old now.  The hen is still sheltering them from the cold, but that’s about all.

The other broody hen had her eggs hatch yesterday.  Only 3 out of 6 hatched, and one didn’t make it, so only 2 chicks.  Bugger, that’s not great odds.

I’m almost done with getting Christmas organised. Lots of sewing, which I can’t show here, yet.

Now, lets finish off with the good things……..

New potatoes from the garden yesterday

This is what they look like on the inside…………

A present from my lovely friend Sandra. Parsley and Garlic Pesto, Homemade cookies and some really cute reindeer tea towels.  Nice !!!

Last but not least (by any means), looks like I may have sold another quilt.  Hooray!!! (Just waiting on confirmation and payment).  Fantastic!  That’s 5 or 6 quilts sold this year, 2 of which were custom-made and I have an order for another custom quilt in January.  I finally ordered some business cards today.  That will help spread the word.

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Must stop swearing

When the little dude is outside shouting at the cat “Jack get out of the f#^*ing garden” you know who he is repeating aye?  Oops.

I never pretended to be perfect.

I was wondering where he got the bit about the “f*&king policeman” coming to visit though.  I’m sure that wasn’t me.

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Owls

I was asked to make a smocket with bird fabric and just happened to have a few pieces of Alexander Henry’s Owl prints in my stash.  It seemed a better use of time to make 3 instead of 1.  A friend came round to sew with me while I was making them and was duly admired and ordered, so another one found a home, the last one found a home last night (depending on a size check).  So 3 made, and none made it into the shop.

I’ve been busy getting the Christmas presents ready, luckily I have finished today.  Cameron was very helpful. 

I will get plenty of time to sew tomorrow, Lilly is at Nana’s for a few days, making her presents.  Nathan went to stay with Matt for a week, they will be home on Friday.  I think next week will be the noisy one.

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Wow

It’s been a bit windy here today.  Look what happened…………………

This was the piece of fence we had planned to make repairs on over the Christmas break, but it got done today instead.  Ian managed to find some wood to fix the gap.  It had to be fixed right away as we are on a main highway.  Don’t want Cam getting out to the road. 

The vege garden took a hammering in the wind.  Hope they all survive.

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