Some crafting

I have been able to get a small amount of work done in the past week.  Not as much as I’d like, but you can’t sew much when you have a small boy home sick.

A mini quilt, almost completed.  I just need to add some binding.  I think I’m going to keep this one.  I wanted to finally make a mini quilt that I didn’t need to send away.

I’ve been able to add some vertical sashing between my pin wheel blocks (which I made ages ago), but I’ve run out of fabric for the horizontal sashing and borders.  I love the way this looks now and can’t wait to finish it.  I’m a bit gutted that I’ve decided to give it away   But you know, Xmas is coming.

A cot sized quilt top – ready to sandwich and quilt.  Love these fabrics !! I like too that’s it’s almost symmetrical, but not quite (there is a deliberate “God block”).

And the first block ready for Julie’s sampler quilt.  Julie has chosen these lovely cottage-y kind of fabrics, they are going to look fabulous in her house.

Because I’m making quite a few blocks in Julie’s quilt that I’ve not made before, I thought it would be prudent to make some test blocks.  So I’m making one of each block in my fabric first, so I can be sure by the time I make the second one I know what I’m doing.  Here’s my one, I’ve used my Amy Butler Love Fat Quarter set and white quilter’s muslin.  It will be fab that by the time I have finished Julie’s quilt top, I’ll have finished another one for me

Thanks everyone for your get well wishes for the wee boy.  The public health nurse called to check on him this afternoon.  She did ask if I was willing to send him for a blood test to confirm that it def is measles, but having previously worked as a phlebotomist (blood collector) I know what it’s like to take a blood sample from a 4-year-old and it’s not something I think it’s necessary to subject him to.  It was hard enough yesterday to give him eye drops for his supposed eye infection (which turned out to be a symptom of measles instead).  I was glad I didn’t have to do that today.  Hopefully we all get more sleep tonight, except that Lilly has to be at school at 6.30am to go on a sports tournament.  Luckily Ian is on early morning deliveries

Read Full Post »

Measles !!

Cam has been crook for ages, feels like it’s never-ending.  First the croup, then the ear infection last week, now Measles.  He had headaches and fevers all weekend and kept sleeping in the afternoon, not eating etc, yesterday the first of the spots came out, today the rest.  At least his fevers are not so high now, and he is eating again.

This is Cam crashed out on his bean bag on Sunday afternoon…….

And today with his spots………

And yes, Cameron is vaccinated against Measles.

Read Full Post »

Auckland trip

Cameron and I had great time away in Auckland, but it wasn’t without its dramas.  Sunday afternoon Cameron started complaining of a sore ear, so first thing Monday morning I took him to the Doctors. Sure enough he had a mild ear infection, safe enough to travel.  It might have been safe to travel, but it wasn’t pleasant, as soon as the plane started descending his ear started hurting.  After that we caught a bus from the Airport to the City, and just as we got to Queen St Cameron vomited everywhere   He doesn’t usually get car sick so I’m putting that down to the sore ears etc.  That was nasty.  Luckily I had a packet of wet wipes in my bag and the apartment we stayed in had laundry facilities.  We stayed at Quest in Ponsonby.  I have to say I’d definitely recommend staying there.  Fabulous apartments, clean, tidy and centrally located.  They have apartments in 48 locations.  Very affordable too. The first afternoon we went to Kelly Tarletons, which although it was good, I think it’s way overpriced.  We struggled to fill in more than an hour there.  Cam loved taking the Shark bus back to the city though. 

 

The following day we went to Auckland Zoo.  It’s a great Zoo, heaps more animals than Wellington, but it’s hard to find you way around and they have heaps of construction going on at the moment. Cam was in a bit of a hurry and rushed us a bit, we didn’t get to see the reptiles at all  

After the Zoo we went to MOTAT, which for us was the main attraction.  It was awesome !  So much to see and do.  We spent about 4 hours exploring and could have been there much longer.  The displays are fantastic, lots in interactive and hands on stuff for the kids (and big kids).  Well worth the money.

The highlight of the trip for me was the last morning.  I got to meet up with Jodee from Jodz Stuff and Dee from Sew Funky.  I’ve been reading Jodee and Dee’s blog for the past couple of years, so it was fantastic to finally meet up in person.  Jodee and Dee were awesome.  I can’t believe they both travelled over and hour just to come and have morning tea with Cam and I.   We did a bit of shopping together as well   I even got presents.  Dee gave me this lovely brooch…..

and Jodee made me the fantastic crocheted cushion cover….

How nice was that???  I can’t wait to go to visit them again.  It really great to meet people who you’ve talked to online for ages, you do feel like you have a head start on knowing them.  Thanks Jodee and Dee I really enjoyed my visit

Read Full Post »

Arrghh !!

Seems today I have got the EITTTS :-( (everything I touch turns to shit).

I’ve got a sick chook, my biggest and loveliest one   I’m hoping she’ll come right, but doubt it.  I’ve put her in isolation for now.

The plumbing for the wetback on the woodburner was leaking this morning, after waiting till after lunch for a plumber to come and look at it, it turns out that the nut holding the pipe on was loose, so god knows how much thats going to cost us, for something Ian could have fixed himself (if he’d been home).

The biggest bummer of the day???????  I spent the morning quilting a friends quilt, almost finished, called her up and left a message that it was done, front looks great.  TURNED IN OVER AND THE BACK HAS HEAPS OF PUCKERS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Please insert swearing here.

Lots of it.

So now I’m faced with unpicking a whole quilt.  Stippled ALL over.

Add some more swearing.

I can’t do anything else.  I certainly wouldn’t be happy with it.

Rats

Shoot me now.

Read Full Post »

A slice of Aotearoa

Finally the Kiwiana quilt is on it’s way to Lil Bean, so I can load up some pics.

I quilted it in native flora and fauna with invisible thread.

Read Full Post »

Self portrait

Well, I don’t often post pics of myself here, but I thought I’d force myself to make an exception.  I received a fantastic apron top in a swap and needed to take pics of me wearing it, so I decided to share them with you. Luckily with such a short haircut you can’t see any grey till you’re very close

The first shot is with the top tied at the back…………

this one is with it tied at the front (which I think works better for my shape)…………..

Big thanks to Angela for thinking of something to make that was just for me.

Just to burst your bubble here’s how I usually dress……… long sleeve tops so worn they have holes in them (but they are very comfortable), t-shirt over the top, slightly saggy jeans and man boots

The shawls hanging up on the mirror in the pics are just for show.  The cream one used to belong to either my Nana or Great Grandmother (I can’t remember which) and the green one was made for me by Hannah, but I’ve not been anywhere suitable to wear it yet.  Maybe I’ll wear it on my birthday.

Read Full Post »

Bee-vering away

I’ve been busy getting all my bee blocks done for the month. 

Jules asked for house blocks of any kind.  I’ve made houses before, but they were pieced ones.  I decided to do raw edge applique this time.  I like the result much better.

 

Frieda asked for Flying geese blocks.  I made the circular flying geese block and another fairly plain block.

Jolene asked us to make pretty much any kind of block (except wonky).  I love making it up as I go, that’s my favourite type of bee block to make, so I had a ball making these two blocks.  The colours are so bright and cheerful too.

Only one block left to sew up for August, but the fabric has not arrived yet.  The remaining block is for the final month of the Mish Mash Stash Bee.  I haven’t yet sewn up my quilt from the blocks I got from that bee as they were paper pieced and I didn’t supply the pattern, the blocks have come in a variety of sizes (some printed to scale, some not), so that was a lesson to me, provide the paper pattern yourself!  I have to work out the best way to fit the blocks together. No rush.

Now that one bee is over, I’ve joined another to fill that spot.  It’s a solids only bee.  I’m really looking forward to the challenge of working only with solid colours.

Read Full Post »

At the end of the world??

I know we’re “down under” but sometimes it just gets ridiculous.  I feel like I’m living under a rock.  I was busy making up some blocks for a bee, had plenty of background fabric left and thought I’d make an extra, no problem, I’ll just buy a FQ online and make another block to go with the ones I’ve made, (really because I didn’t quite have enough feature fabric to make the block I really wanted to).  But do you think I could get some Hope Valley by Denyse Schmidt here in New Zealand?  Not on your nelly.  I looked up all the ones I know of and not one had any, I googled it an all.  It’s one of the few lines I haven’t bought any fabric of, I do like it, but I’ve wanted others more.  Oh well, I guess I’ll just send the 2 blocks I’ve made. Stink.

If anyone knows where to get some in NZ, please enlighten me.

Read Full Post »

Cam’s birthday quilt

Made with the left overs of the last Wheels quilt, backed with lovely soft flannel.  It’s now his “on the couch” quilt, so we all get to huddle under it

Read Full Post »

Excitement…….

of one kind or another.  Some kinds you can do with out.  Like Friday night, being woken at 1am by Cameron who had bad croup, taking a ride in the Ambulance to the hospital.  Amazing what half an hour on the nebulizer and some steroids can do.  Cameron was not in any state to be excited by his ride in the ambulance.  We were home again by 4.15am.  Took us a few days to catch up on the lost sleep.  He was fine after all that, but has a nasty cold now, so he’s home from Kindy today.

The birthday was very exciting for Cameron.  I think 4′s a pretty good number to be, but the day after his birthday Cameron told me “he’s nearly 5 now”.  I think he needs a bit of patience.

We’re pretty excited about our holiday in Auckland next week.  I can only hope that Cam is well again by then and that the weather is better.  We will be taking jackets cause I’m sure it always rains in Auckland

Spring is not too far away.  That’s exciting.  The plum tree is blossoming.  Ian had a late start this morning so we took the opportunity to get a load of compost for the raised bed that needed a new load.  We are recycling Cameron’s tractor tyre (which is a bit small for a sandpit) into a new bed for our peas.  We had enough compost to fill that up too.  NZ gardener say’s it’s time to plant peas.  I have seeds, so we are set.  All we need now is some clear weather so we can weed a bit.  Our garlic and shallots are up and we have 2 artichokes ready to eat.  A friend of our has a paddock of Asparagus, it might be time to ask when she expects some to be up.  It’s one of our favourite vegetables.  I really love growing our own food.

Read Full Post »