Good things take time ……

Some take a really long time.  I started this quilt in May 2008.  I finally finished it yesterday.  Wow, 3 years and 3 months.  Though at a guess I would say there is probably about 40-50 hours of work put into this.  It sat unloved and half-finished for a long time.  It was started as part of a quilting class.  When we signed up for the class we were not told that there is no pattern, just a basic idea of what to make.  Back in 2008 I was still very much a novice quilter, in terms of improvisational piecing and very much so in the way of free motion quilting.  So I struggled a lot with making this quilt.

I’m totally stoked with the finished result.  For one it’s made of colours that aren’t really in my cupboard any more, but I love the richness of it.  I love that it’s so different from the one the tutor made.  So well worth the effort in the end.  I put this on the bed as a top blanket last night and it was so warm and comfy with its wool batting, but sadly think it’s probably destined to be a large wall quilt as I can’t bear not to share it with lots of people.

The whole front…

the Geisha…

the Cranes…with some reverse quilting showing of the cranes on the back…

the whole back…

close up of some of the quilting…

Today I’m snowed under with tradesmen turning up to measure up for quotes for fencing, consents, building (the new deck), tree felling and electrical work.  We have our quotes in for the moving of the house, so now I have to get quotes for the rest of the work so we can go to the bank for the $$ to get started.  In between workmen I’m hoping to finish off the last Wool coat to put in the shop before winter really leaves us.  It will be a girly coloured one this time

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Animal Party 2

I have to admit to not getting much sewing done last week.  Not from lack of time, just lack of concentration and motivation.  I did finally today finish up a cot quilt top made with the other 4 squares of Animal Party that I had left after making the last quilt.  I’m planning on getting this quilted and bound and into the shop by the end of the week.  It’s good to have a goal.  I added in a strip of Urban Circus giraffes to the top and bottom just to add the length. I think it matches quite well.  I’ve had the giraffes in my stash for ages, it was one fo several fabric that were just too nice to cut into, but I was brave and just started slashing away.  Fabric is meant to be used and not hoarded (though there is nothing wrong with a big stash) using it means I can replace it with something else

With the rest of my sewing time (which is not much on the weekends sometimes) I got the last of the quilting done on a quilt I’ve been working on (or not working on) for a couple of years now.  I just have a couple of appliques to sew on tomorrow and then I can bind it.  Yay!

We have a contractor come around today to talk about getting the house shifted and repiled.  So that’s 2 quotes we’ll be getting.  Sounded very reasonable and helpful too.

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Help – Send me some confindence :-)

We are about to (possibly, no probably) commit to repiling our aging house, built-in the 1880′s.  I’m a bit scared to be honest.  Really the biggest worry is that I won’t budget for something important and will go over budget.  Once we commit to this and borrow from the bank there is a finite amount of money, if I don’t budget for something important we can’t just magic the money from thin air. The shit will hit the fan.

One of the possible contractors has come out and assured me that it can be done, easily.  We can pretty much do what we like, just a straight lift and repile, lift and move it to a better spot, lift, move and turn the house any direction we want.  Now we have to make a decision as to what we want to do.  It’s not easy.  There are pros and cons for each idea.  We’re not doing this for resale value, but for the house to be better to live in.

Scary aye??

This is the front of our house… (taken when we moved in 8 years ago, the gardens have changed a fair bit but not much else)

this is the back…

At the moment its only a few metres from the main highway, so moving it back seems like a good idea, however that would mean lots of extra costs like new drainage and plumbing to rejoin to the septic tank, moving the water tanks and then fixing the guttering up.  We’ll have to replace the entire front deck with either option (its rotten anyway). We have trees to cut down, fencing that needs to be put up and fencing that would need taking down.  So many things to think of.  But if we don’t do it our house will keep declining in value and sinking into the ground slowly and unevenly.

Anyone want to wave a magic wand for me??

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Ruby Tuesday

Here’s pics of our Red Poll calf  ”Ruby”  Ian got to choose the name this time

She’s full of energy and thinks you are going to feed her every time you go into the paddock.  Yesterday she though my gumboots were good to suck on…..

You have to wonder what the big cow is thinking when she’s watching.  They would love to be in the same paddock but have to be content talking through the fence till Ruby is weaned, otherwise the big cow will get in the way at feeding time.

Big cows nickname is “Sausage” , but she used to be called ‘little red”, she’s not so little now.  Check out the very “round” sheep in the background!

Ruby loves to chase the chickens around.

Having a calf chasing the chooks doesn’t stop “Foghorn Leghorn” from doing his job…  here he is luring the hen over,

then “Shazam!”.

 Poor hens, I do feel sorry for them sometimes.  However he is a gentleman as far as roosters go, the girls always get to eat first and he helps protect them from the Magpies.

We’ve really been enjoying the last 3 days of sunshine, it really feels like spring might be on the way.

I finished a custom quilt yesterday.  I love how simple and clean it is.

Lovely soft flannel backing.

I am enjoying having a bit longer to work during the day with Cam at school.  I almost got a whole cot quilt top finished today. Yay for time to work!!

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I’m such a sucker….

for a pretty face!  I went to the livestock sales with my neighbour on Friday.  I was moral support as she wanted to get some piglets and had never been to the sales.  I have been, but not for a couple of years.

I had i mind that I might get an orphan lamb for Lilly to look after, but as lots of “townies” were buying them to raise for pet day in a few months they were going for crazy prices, so I didn’t get one of those.  My neighbour ended up getting 2 piglets. We will be getting some piglets, but not for a few more weeks. We need to make running repairs to the pig pen first (as is usual before new tenants arrive).  So I didn’t come home with pigs.

Nope, it’s the soppy, cute calves that get me almost every time.  I came home with a Red Poll heifer (female cattle).  I was so excited, it’s not often the sales have beef breeds available.  I was hoping for a Murray Gray as we’ve had 2 of those and they grow very well, but a Red Poll is even better.  I don’t have a picture to share of “Ruby” yet (camera batteries need replacing) but here’s a pic of what she will look like when she’s bigger….

Nice eh??  It always feels good to be investing in the future.  The kids are having a blast with hand rearing a calf too, we haven’t done one for a couple of years.  Hopefully our Ewes will be lambing very soon. The black sheep looks huge!!

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More for my list…..

It’s quite hard to think of 40 things to do before I turn 4o.  At least realistic things that is.  I’d love to do an Outward bound course, but we won’t be able to afford to do that in the next few years.  Priorities

So, here are the next 11 items on my list.  An eclectic mix if i do say so myself.  I’ve added my list to the sidebar for easy reference.  I can almost cross off #10, I’m reading the complete works of Louisa May Alcott, I loaded it up onto my Kindle (which is my early birthday present).

11. Learn to dance

 12. Start learning to speak Spanish

 13. Volunteer for a school or community project

14. Start making the Dear Jane Quilt (225 – 6 inch blocks)

15. Get a new tattoo

16. Make a mini whole cloth quilt

17. Be gluten-free for a month

18. Be vegetarian for a month

19. Buy myself a gorgeous dress (or 2)

 20. Buy some high heels (I have none)

 21. Try wearing earring again (I appear to have developed an allergy to them, but it’s worth trying again).

I’ll update as I decide on more things to add.  I will NOT be getting any piercings, I’ve had more than my fair share of needles and have no wish for more.  I might add “wear make-up at least once”, or maybe not.  Maybe add some pampering type things??

What would you do??

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Super Me, Super You…

 I made a bunch of superhero masks for the goodie bags that were for Cam’s party.  something simple to make, the kids loved them

I used a pattern that’s in an old craft book I have, but if you’d like to make some of your own Jacqui at Hazelnuts has a great tutorial on her blog. Just click on the link to go over there.

These are the goodie bags.  It was nice to use up lots of small pieces of fabric to make them.

I’m snowed under with work this week, so there won’t be many crafty pics till I get some of it finished.  See you in a few days!

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Five and the gift of snow.

Cameron had a fantastic party on the weekend!  I can’t show pics because they all have other people’s children in them.  It was nice for Ian and I not to have any cooking or clean up for the party

Sunday was meant to be a family afternoon tea party, but was not quite as expected.  One Nana didn’t come because of expected bad weather, as well as a family friend, which turned out to be a good idea.  Nana and Kev came for afternoon tea and went home safe.  However other family that came from the Wellington region came later,  stayed for dinner and the night when the expected storm hit.  They tried to leave, but the snow closed the road out of the Wairarapa.  The Rimutaka road has been closed since Sunday night and is still closed due to snow.  Ian ended up working from home the last 2 days. as the direction he goes to work was closed too.  Our region really was cut off.  Farmers had to dump their milk (not just here but all over the country) as the trucks could not get through to pick up .  We’ve had no mail, and will not get any till the road is open again.  Bugger, because Cameron should have a couple of pressies in the post and I am expecting some parcel of fabric.

A few pics…..  The kids have a great time… for those of you who aren’t aware, we don’t live in a region that usually snows.  There hasn’t been this much snowfall in the Wairarapa for 50-60 years.  It even snowed in Auckland (sort of).

This was Sunday night, just as it started…

Monday morning…..

Mid morning…….

Yesterday we just had sleet in the morning and then rain all day, which continues.  Cameron still had his first day at school, even though not many kids went.  Here he is in his school uniform (a bad pic taken on phone camera as I ran out of batteries for the big camera after all the snow pics).

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A wee bit manic..

So much to do this week.  We’ve had school visits, kindy, stuff to make for the party tomorrow and to add to that a trip to A & E on Wednesday night for Cameron’s croup.  That was his third bout this winter.  The steroids work great though, so he’s much better now.  At least this time we were at the hospital by 9.30pm not 1am.  A couple of hours then home again.  Today was a bit of last-minute shopping for things to fill the party bags with.  I figured that if I was getting away with not having to do any food then I could put some effort into the party bags.  Once I finish up a bit of sewing tonight I can relax a bit.  We have a family birthday party on Sunday, then final day at Kindy on Monday, Tuesday is the actual birthday and first day of school.   

I hope I can get plenty of work done next week, I have to admit to lacking in focus lately.  I did mange to finish and send off Bec’s quilts.  Here’s the completed Dolce quilt.  I do love how it turned out. Now I’m looking forward to making a big quilt with these fabrics. I have the whole set of Fat Quarters

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Cumulonimbus

Cumulonimbus (Cb) is a towering vertical cloud (family D2) that is very tall, dense, and involved in thunderstorms and other inclement weather. Cumulonimbus originates from Latin: Cumulus “accumulated” and nimbus “rain”. It is a result of atmospheric instability. These clouds can form alone, in clusters, or along a cold front in a squall line. They create lightning through the heart of the cloud. Cumulonimbus clouds form from cumulus clouds (namely from cumulus congestus) and can further develop into a supercell, a severe thunderstorm with special features.

Check out the front that passed through here yesterday, The cloud formation was spectacular!  I had gone outside to get some pics of Cam and Lilly on the swing, I noticed immediately the change in temperature and felt that rain was imminent.  These clouds were just a few kilometres away and approaching fast.  Less than 10 minutes after taking these pics it was raining here and the front was overhead.  The awesomeness of nature.

The sky beyond the front was so dark it was almost black.

However it did pass very quickly, just a bit of wind and rain. This pic was just as the front was moving overhead.  The wind was incredibly cold.

I did manage to get a pic of Cam and Lilly on the swing before we all had to run inside

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