SKoW and Other Bits

A few weeks ago Katrina, Clare, Wendy, Janet and I got together at Katrina's.  We had a great stitchy Saturday and I am sure I found my missing stitching mojo while I was there.  We all had a great afternoon of laughs and food.  Here was our dessert....

Oooooooh I have had the hurry up from Chookyblue so here is my update, I have not been idle......
My SAL is coming along pretty good, considering I didnt get the last of my fabric till the middle of January, and have been working some longish hours at work and have often been totally stuffed when I have got home.
So here are some pics of what has been happening in my house with SKoW... I have used a lot of Buggy Barns Creamery Neutrals for my backgrounds and a couple of others that fit in well too.  I am really pleased with all the fabrics.

I have also been cutting madly on other things, like this cushion I would like to make for my chair at work - the chair just kills my back!  I thought I would make a mug mat to match.....

I have also been stitching a little on ABC Christmas and I am so close to a finish I can smell it.  Do excuse the wrinkles!

So all in all, some healthy progress.  It will be block stitching for March to catch up, and with the weather certainly feeling very autumnal for this time of the year I know I am going to look forward to all this sewing and stitching and cutting.

Thanks for popping in, hope your week is going well too.

Kath

Simply Gorgeous Shoes

I have fallen in love with the Anni Downs new book Some Kind of Wonderful.  The patterns and projects in the book are just beautiful and right where I want to be right now.  I have made one design and finished it.... Simply Gorgeous Shoes.



So with that said, I have been collecting a few fabrics and have joined the SAL of Some Kind of Wonderful.  I know I am a bit behind the eight ball on this project - what's new - but I know I will catch up over the winter months as I am a bit of a home body. Chookyblue will have her whip out at me I am sure!!  So watch the progress as I make each block.  Here are some of the fabrics....



Aren't they delicious?

Here are a few of my backgrounds, have gatherered a few that I had in my stash, and have bought a few bigger pieces. I am waiting on one more piece, hopefully in the mailbox

 tomorrow.

I have always loved fabric.  I just cant go past a fabric shop without looking inside.  And the designers make it so hard these days with all the beautiful colours and patterns.  I have decided I am more contemporary that traditional though in the things I like. And I am not all about quilts, I am always on the lookout for 'things' made with fabric.  I will still stitch I know, but for this year it is about this quilt and Some Kind of Wonderful nd finishing off a few other projects.  (I have spent a few hours sorting and cutting, and thanks to Clare for her help and advice too.)

Alison and Deb, yep, I know I will go this way at some stage, but for now I am enjoying both my stitching and the sewing.  Wendy, no reason why you cannot join me in making your black and white quilt either.

Thanks for dropping by, till next time....

Kath

January Roundup

Well, not too much really over this past couple of weeks.  I have been particularly busy at work and have had some late nights and early mornings there, and quite honestly, by the time I have come home and cooked dinner and done a few chores, I have been quite tired.  If I pick up a needle I fall asleep!  I have not been watching tv even.  So early nights have been in order and I have been reading a bit.  I have enjoyed that.

I have been doing a lot of this though...

cutting out squares for a black and white themed quilt.  There are oodles of these babies, so to get to and sew them together now will be great.  I do find I need to cut in the daytime, so it is often home and into this for a bit each night.

There has been a bit of collecting going on over the last year, and this is one of my favourite fabric lines, Martinique by 3 Sisters.  This is the fabric that will adorn the sewing room and I have a few ideas to make some deliciousness to cover my machine, overlocker and goodness knows what else.I did make these our of Martinique..... a ort bag, and a wee tiny bag to hold the threads I will be using when needleturning a quilt I am about to start.  I knew I needed 'somewhere safe' for them lol. I am loving my new sewing machine!

I have not even worked on Holly and Ivy much, but here is where I am up to on this.  I do hope to work on it this week a bit while watching a bit of tv in the evenings.

Another weekend over, back to work for another week.  I am looking forward to the long weekend - Waitangi Day, 6 February, our national day.  I know there will be stitching involved and some gardening will be a must also. 

Have a good week, thanks for popping in, and I just love the comments you leave.

Kath

Girls and Their New Toys

Well Hello!

After much debating with myself for some time now, and I guess it came to a head when Anna was here and we both wanted to sew.  I knew the Bernina which belonged to my mum and I got when she passed away, was coming to the end of it's life and for the new sewing projects that I would like to persue, I had to do something.  I looked around and talked with a friend who sews a lot, and looked a bit more and the decision was made.

I will let the photos do the talking.

by itself

with the mega sized tray on it

and the scissors, these are just fabulous and there is no more cotton all over the floor and no more wastage! 

I am tickled pink with this machine and I know I am going to have hours and hours of fun with it, so keep watching and see what is produced over the nexe few months.

And during last year, I remodeled my sewing room.  I had bits of furniture in there, and it really did not work at all.  No space to spread myself and fabrics and bits as I would have liked.

This is the outcome....

The baskets on the shelf there are from my gradmothers collection and from my Aunt who made it some years ago and gave it to me for my birthday.  I would have been about 12 at the time.  Both very special.



the sewing end

the whole room.

I do spend a lot of time in here, poking around, on the computer, and constantly tidying it up!  Constantly, so now I hope that things are sorted enough for me to actually accomplish something lol.  I do love my little room, and what is best, it can be shut off from the rest of the house and no one would know what is going on in there! hehe

And lastly, my lovely neighbour Juene passed away. She had a stoke some seven weeks ago, and as a feisty, independent, lovely woman, she went to a lady who had to depend on everyone for help. She would never be able to come and live back in our lovely neighbourhood and she slipped away last Sunday morning. It was very sad to see this 85 year old who was extremely sprighty go this way. She had a lovely service yesterday, the church was full, outside was full, and people hearts were full of all of Juene's love for her family. A wonderful family she has too. Rest well Juene.

Kath

Rain, Rain Go Away!

Happy New Year to you All.

Lazy holiday days have moved on now and tomorrow I go back to work, how quickly the days at home have gone.  Anna has returned home too, and she made good progress on her quilt, and she did it all herself.  I was really pleased with her efforts, particularly for someone who had never sewed before.  Here is a bit of a snapshot of the making of her quilt....

She placed the squares...

she practised on the machine with scraps first

she sewed all the squares  together.

The seams were very good and were matching perfectly as the rows were sewn together.  Sadly that is as far as she got.  Next visit she will do more to have it finished to take home.

It's been a particularly nasty day out there today, rain has come down in buckets, and forecasters are saying we will have this for a good few days yet. Oh yay!!!  One thing though, it is great for crafting.  I have not done as much as I had set out to do.  I will update progress next time.
Thanks for dropping by, I do love to read your comments.

Kath

Lazy Holiday Days

The stockings hung with care this year

How lovely it is to be at home with no rushing around.  Just to spend time with the girls, in the garden and a little time with my stitching.  I enjoy that.  Even a lovely dessert....

A rolled berry pavlova

Katrina, Glenn and Hannah popped around on the day after boxing day and we exchanged out Christmas gifts.  All great of course!  Here is a sampling from Katrina...

a lovely stitchery which I will hang in my sewing room

a very cute bon bon

a great quilting book - really good ideas in this

These for Katrina....

Front

Back

a Thread Catcher

And ornament - found here

and I had a lot of fun making for these for Katrina, knowing that she wanted a cover for her sewing machine.  And thank you to Clare too.... I got a bit lost in Christmas with my head in too many places, Clare set me right and helped me get the binding sorted and show me a few tricks.  Great friends that is for sure.  The patterns I used can be found here, here, and here.

And I just must show you these cards Wendy made, for all occasions.... a brilliant idea!

And look at Wendy's ornament..... from this

to this...

A very cute angel.

We managed a bit of after Christmas shopping at the sales with a trip to Napier with the girls.  I got a couple of things I really wanted.... and at good prices too.  A couple of tops too, so have some summer clothes at last!

A great cookbook....

The days have been lovely and not too hot with a nice breeze just to take the edge off.  I spent time in the garden - weeds wait for no one! - cleaned out the sewing room after the Christmas frenzy in there, and just caught up on chores so the next week can be for what I would like to do and to start a couple of sewing projects that had been put aside for this time.

Holly and Ivy - Shepherds Bush - a kit

The weather is meant to pack in for the next few days, so I can see the sewing machine being used a lot.  I have found a pattern for Anna's quilt, and will purchase another fabric to use with the Bliss I won from Deb's giveaway.

Chris and Lauren are back for a night and will head back home today to spend time with their friends for New Years.  Anna I will be here, no plans just chilling out.  Cant say that I am overly into New Years parties, but a bit of time to think about the coming year will certaily be in order.

So with that I wish you all a very Happy and Prosperous New Year, hope all your wishes and dreams come true and you and yours stay happy and healthy.

Kath

Merry Christmas to All

Merry Christmas!

I hope you have all had a wonderful Christmas no matter where in the world you are.

Lauren, Anna and I had a lovely day at home, opening presents, a lovey 'light' brunch and then our early dinner.

Ham cheese and tomato croissant

In between we played cards, all had a little nap - think all this Christmas business had worn us all out - and we all felt a lot better for it too.

I got some lovely things, a new food processor from Lauren, Chris and Anna.  I had a wee accident with a part of mine a few weeks ago, and it was cheaper to buy new than to replace the part! (ou would not believe what they charge for parts these days!!) It's horrendous!

And some beautiful stitchy things from Clare...

and some other just as lovely bits from my other stitchy friends.  A talented bunch!
I had been pretty busy making things too.... here is a bit of look-see at what I made..... a bit of a solly prductin line going on for a while there...

For Wendy

All th above are part of an exchange took part in, The Great Global Christmas Exchange organised by Fiona Marie

and this is what I received from Jessica Lynn

Another dolly....

For Kelly, I tried tmake her look a litte French

and just loved the way her hair turned out.

Thank you to my crafty friends, I think you are amazingly clever with what you come  up with.  Still a few more things to show, but cant at the moment as I have not given to the recipient as yet.  Maybe tomorrow.

It's also lovely having the girls here, and the 'boys' are enjoying the extra attention too.  With the days being warm and sunny after days that felt like winter, I am sure everyone is enjoying themselves being outdoors.

With having my paved area now, it certainly is lovely to sit outdoors.  I know I will spend heaps of time with my stitching, book, lunch and drinks sitting in this lovely area.  I even moved the bbq around there today....!

We have eaten well.... here are some of the meals we have had.....

Our Christmas dinner....

our dessert.... oh so yum!

This is a dessert I made on Christmas Eve when Chris and his family came for lunch, oh it was mightly lovely and I will make that again.  A Christmas tart with meringue topping.

Katrina and I are going to work on our SB Holly and Ivy over the Christmas break, it is ages since I stitched anything SB so I know I am going to enjoy it heaps.

Thanks for dropping in and leaving a comment, I just love to read them.

Cheerio for now, watch for some more updates....

Kath