Crazy Quilter

Soft and Romantic

2012-01-28T14:54:00.003+13:00

This week I had a request through my services advertisement on Trade Me for some soft pink velvet flowers as well as some hand dyed silk ribbons in soft pinks, green and cream for a project she had in mind.

Colours after my own heart, I thought, so whilst dyeing some ribbons for her I dyed some for myself.

I was glad when she let me know that what I sent was exactly what she had been looking for.

With some of very own hand dyed silk ribbon in lovely, soft colours I set about making another of my 'one of a kind' embroidery pieces and am very happy with the result.

More Stitching Has Already Happened

2012-01-25T14:54:00.003+13:00

The last time I wrote I said I was stitching a pansy quilt project. However, I did not say that prior to that Linda and I had already embarked on another stitching project.

For some time now we have been talking about making a quilt for a relative in Christchurch but the other week we actually sprang into action and made a quilt top together.

I got to do the stitching while Linda did pressing and pinning. We managed to complete the top over two days and then Linda went on to machine quilt it and yesterday I finished stitching down the binding. The only thing that is left to be done is a label.

We really enjoyed working on this project together and one of the things we really liked about it was that it was done from our stash, no running out to the store for extra yardage to complete.

Linda had been given some cat blocks for Christmas one year and we decided to incorporate them into this quilt having checked first that the recipient is a cat lover.

Part of using our stash included using the repurposed woollen blanket for the batting. It can be cold in Christchurch in the winter and so the wool warmth will be very much appreciated.

You can see more pictures of the quilt being machine quilted on Linda's blog.

Stitching is Happening

2012-01-18T17:07:00.007+13:00

Today was the first day of the year for our quilting group, Sweet Peas, to meet at our home.

Just a small group, five of us, but we had a lovely time regardless.

I had been thinking about a sewing project for a few days and Linda and I had been putting together the fabric and so today I started cutting.............

...........and then some sewing...............

and then some more cutting..............

before some more stitching...............

By the time I stopped stitching for the day, I had completed four blocks, with just twelve more to go.

Very bright and cheery and definitely for someone who loves pansies.

Summer in the garden

2012-01-08T13:50:00.005+13:00

So far this summer the weather has proved to be quite wet.

A lot of things in the garden have gone quite rampant.

We have more of this dark red poppy than ever before. We think it would be nice to harvest the seed and have a big cluster of this particular poppy somewhere in our garden. I have saved some of the poppy heads so maybe, just maybe we can do something about this.

These shasta daisies were planted last year and have only just come into bloom in recent weeks. They are making up for lost time as they are there in abundance.

We have found them to be a good vase flower as they last quite well.

From where I sit in my bedroom using my computer I can see this lovely hollyhock plant.

The image is probably more blueish than the real colour, which, to the eye looks a very dark chocolate brown.

It is the dark, dark colour that fascinates me. Not many plants with flowers like this.

A Gentle Reminder..............

2012-01-03T18:17:00.003+13:00

Yesterday morning our brother, Norman, rang from Christchurch to let us know that another round of earthquakes was shaking up their city.

He was ringing to ask if we would do a care package, not for himself, but for his son and daughter-in-law, who he felt needed some encouragement during such a time as this.

We had sent boxes of baked goodies before but it had been some time so we needed a gentle reminder to get the baking gear out again.

A couple of hours in the kitchen and Linda and I had made family biscuits (affectionately called donkey drops by some members of our family), chocolate crunch, butterscotch slice, ginger nut slice and fruit cake.

Chocolate crunch has been a family favourite for years. Our Mother used to make it on a regular basis. It is egg free and if you are interested, the recipe is as follows:-

Crunch 3 weetbix in a bowl

add

1 cup coconut
1 cup flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 dessertspoon of cocoa
1 teaspoon baking powder
6oz (170gms) melted butter

Mix well and spread into buttered slice baking tray.

Bake 10 - 15 minutes in oven 180 c or 350 f - cook further 5 minutes if necessary.

Before cold make icing:-

250g (8oz) icing sugar
1 tablespoon cocoa
50g (2oz) soft butter

Mix together adding sufficient hot water (approximately 3 tablespoons) to make a stiff mix.
Heat in microwave for 30 seconds
Spread on crunch before it is cold and cut into portions.

Enjoy!

Christmas 2011

2011-12-25T18:46:00.010+13:00

Christmas for us this year was about enjoying each others company as family.

Rick and James have come to share two weeks with us over the Christmas period and we have really enjoyed them being here.

Linda started off the day by baking us Christmas mince pies and we had a tipple of Drambuie to go along with our early taste treat.

A little break and then it was on with ham, eggs and fried bread for breakfast. Our leg of ham had been specially cooked for us and was extra delicious. To fry some to have with our eggs was very special - yum.

That was enough eating for a while but inevitably Christmas luncheon needed to be served.

Again Linda treated us with a very special Beef Wellington cooked to perfection.

We were fortunate to able to have new potatoes dug from our garden this morning as well as fresh carrots and beans from the local market.

Rick and James provided a bottle of Cabernet Franc which was very nice to top off the meal.

We finished up with some pavlova roulade and fresh strawberries marinated in cointreau.

This year we had a new centrepiece for our table. A silver plated candelabra combined with a flower bowl, a lovely op shop find that has now become part of our Christmas festivities. Bright pink carpet roses from our garden provided a lovely finishing touch.

We have had a lovely, peaceful Christmas and we hope it is the same for you.

The Gift of Flowers

2011-12-13T08:47:00.004+13:00

On Saturday we had friends around for a pre-Christmas lunch.

One of them, Moira, brought us the most beautiful bouquet of roses from her garden.

They seem like the old worlde varieties and have given us much pleasure as we have watched them open up over the last few days.

More about poppies

2011-12-11T17:50:00.002+13:00

From under one of our lemon trees we have this one poppy plant shoot up each year.

It is the richest red in colour, looks dark and luxurious and if you don't take a photo within the first 24 hours of it opening up you will have missed it at its best.

It is one flower you have to make the most of it when it shows its face because it does not stay for long.

Only A Cat..........

2011-12-08T16:26:00.003+13:00

She could have sat on my lap. There was plenty of room, really.

However, a cat is a cat and as I had my legs up on the footstool, CiCi decided she would much rather find a spot between my lower legs and supported by my feet on the footstool.

She must have felt quite snug but did not appreciate me taking her photo.

A New Camera

2011-12-07T13:30:00.009+13:00

One of my sons gave me some cash for my birthday so I decided it was time to treat myself to a new camera.

My Kodak camera has served me well for five years or more but in this day of ever developing technology I felt it was time for an upgrade.

The Nikon S3100 is half the thickness and has a much larger preview screen, so those two elements alone make it well worthwhile.

I decided to go for a wander in our garden and take some photos of what's in bloom.

This calibrachoa continues to give us pleasure year after year and this year has some exceptional flowers, in quantity and colour.

We are trying to build up the variety of poppies in our garden and this year we have quite a few here and there.

This one was only planted this year and has an amazing amount of buds ready to bloom into scarlet red flowers.

These calendulas have added so much colour to the garden just outside our kitchen.

A great addition as they will be happy to come back year after year.

We have two large pots like this at the entrance to our home.

Linda's efforts have paid off. She planted them both with pansies and lobelias and they are looking so good and we hope they will last for some time to come.

These grandmothers bonnets are a new favourite of mine.

Planted last year, this plant has taken on new strength this year and rewarded us with an abundance of blooms.

We have planted more of these little wonders in another part of the garden and hope they do as well as these ones.

I am very happy with the camera, never mind that I would not have a clue how to use the software that came with it. I managed to work my way around that, fortunately.

Cottage Garden Posy

2011-12-04T09:26:00.003+13:00

The other day we had our Sweet Peas quilting group again. It was the first time they had been to our house in a while so it was lovely to regroup and to hear the chatter as we all caught up with each other.

One of the ladies, Andreena, brought us a lovely large posy of flowers from her garden - roses, lavender, carnations and more. It was really nice.

This yellow rose was part of the collection and I felt that the spiral of the centre of the flower was worth capturing - amazing.

A Funeral, A Wedding and then a Birthday

2011-12-02T13:14:00.003+13:00

It seemed to me that having a birthday so close to significant other family events was maybe a bit much but such is life.

I have often pondered the words from The Lion King in recent times:-

It's the Circle of Life
And it moves us all
Through despair and hope
Through faith and love
Till we find our place
On the path unwinding
In the Circle
The Circle of Life

Yesterday marked my 63rd birthday. I was greeted by my sister, Linda, with a lovely early morning cup of tea and the suggestion that we eat out for breakfast. Yes, please, that would be nice.

We went to our favourite cafe of the moment, Picolos, and had a lovely cooked breakfast.

Well wishes came by way of phone calls, text messages, birthday cards and the new way to send birthday greetings, I have found, Facebook - thank you everybody.

Cooked breakfast was lovely but there was more to come. Linda cooks a pretty smashing beef stroganoff and so that was on offer as well. The beautiful roses came from our garden and the platter the meal was served off was one from our Mother's kitchen - it must be more than 50 years old.

The 'mad' cat was a gift from a quilting friend of ours, Margaret. She is very creative and thought that rather than send us a sympathy card, she would make us a 'care' cat each and so this one is mine. They look so mad they do bring a smile to your face.

Thanks to The Lion King for reminding us about the Circle of Life.

More Wedding Photos

2011-11-30T15:48:00.003+13:00

Linda added some more wedding photos on her blog today.

This one that I took is of Barbara with her other daughter, Sharon, and son Zachary.

Barbara, arriving at the church.

2011-11-29T10:03:00.005+13:00

On Saturday we had a family wedding.

Our sister, Barbara, has worked at an opportunity shop for some time now, and amazingly this is where she met the new man in her life, Bryan.

Apparently there's not much you can't find in an opportunity shop if your prepared for the fun of the waiting game.

This is Barbara's second marriage and she was attended by her daughters and grandchildren.

Fiona and Zachary are here with Barbara bringing her to the church.

As you may have guessed from the images, this was a cowboy/girl theme wedding and hats were in abundance.

This was my only shot of the bride and groom but there were plenty of others taking photos so I hope the bride scored better from them than me.

Never too old for a new romance. I hope that Barbara and Bryan share many happy years together.

Our Mum

2011-11-21T07:15:00.004+13:00

On Friday, 18th November, our Mum passed away - she was 92 years old.

It has been eight years since I came home to take care of her and that time just seems to have slipped away very easily. It has been a privilege to share the twilight years of her life with her.

Two of our brothers have been with us through the last days of Mum's life and it has been lovely to sit around the table for our main meal of the day as, inevitably, our conversations have drifted towards our Mum.

We have had a lot of laughs as she did bring fun into our lives with her interesting characteristics.

She was a very knowledgeable lady who loved to read, loved her music, watching Coronation Street from inception, loved the garden, New Zealand politics and keeping tabs on her ever growing family.

To the best of my knowledge this is the only photo we have of all of our family together.

From the left, Norman, yours truly, Dad with brother Bob sitting in front, then Linda, Mum, Barbara, Wendy and Alan.

Even in those days we were considered to be a large family and our Mum did well to bring us all up and keep us well occupied.

One of the things she instilled in us to keep us occupied was a love of reading. The daily newspaper was always there for us as well as a weekly supply of comics and magazines. Comics were frowned upon by school teachers in general in those days but Mum saw it as another means of encouraging us to read which it certainly did. You could always find a book to read and we all had our own personal favourites.

She also loved to provide puzzles, games and, in latter years, cryptic crosswords.

To this day if you were to observe our family life you would invariably see one or more of us reading, doing a crossword puzzle, in the garden or occupied with craft - all peacable activities which have contributed to us being a self reliant happy family cluster.

Thank you, Mum, for the richness you have given us in the lives that we lead.

Rest in peace - you deserve to!

Back in the day

2011-10-24T07:19:00.007+13:00

Our local radio station has a retail advertisement which alludes to good old fashioned customer service and use the term 'back in the day' quite a bit.

Back in the day when I first began crazy quilting I made this project book for my sister, Linda.

At the time I had been involved with a number of e-mail craft groups who were doing themed swaps and through that I had collected a number of items featuring purple, pansies and this lovely calico print which is one of my all time favourite fabric prints.

Linda loves purple and pansies and so what better theme for this project book that I made.

This is a close up of the front cover.

Close up of the back cover.

I made project pages inside from pellon and it was inclined to cling to itself so I heat fused fabric pansies to the bottom right hand corners to assist with turning of pages.

Overall view of front of project book.

Overall view of back cover.

Bouquets of Spring

2011-10-09T16:09:00.005+13:00

On the river side of our property we have a finger of land that has a pathway lined by trees and it stretches towards and overlooks the Waikato River.

It is a short distance from our house and yet if you walk to end of the pathway you become surrounded by trees and it is almost like being in another place altogether.

At the moment you can stop and listen to the birds of spring and sense the flow of the river below - so peaceful and quiet, it is always a pleasure to spend a few minutes in this part of the garden.

For a while now one of the trees at the end of the pathway has been in blossom with a lovely soft yellow glow. The yellow can be seen at the centre back in this image.

Yesterday I went for a wander down the pathway to investigate the yellow blossom and broke off one of the branches.

I have no idea what it is, possibly wattle, but it seemed a shame to have it on its own so I went for a wander through the rest of our garden.

A little bit of this and a little bit of that from various parts of the garden and our yellow blossom became part of a spring bouquet for our home.

Sitting Ducks?

2011-10-02T14:56:00.004+13:00

We sometimes wonder if we are 'sitting ducks' to the cats of our neighbourhood.

We have already been adopted by one cat 'CiCi' since arriving and regularly have visits from other neighbours cats who wander casually through our property as if they own the place. Some have even been cheeky enough to raid left overs from our cats eating bowls.

Yesterday we were visited upon by neighbourhood ducks. They even came right up to the window at our kitchen as if to say, 'When are you going to feed us?'

They have never done this before and we can only assume that the people who they usually visit were not home to oblige in the food department so they thought they would take a chance with us. Did they really think that we were 'sitting ducks'?

Pretty maids all in a row

2011-09-30T16:10:00.002+13:00

Linda and I have been doing quite a bit of planting of annuals in the garden lately.

We have a tricky piece of garden on the south side which never gets any direct sun and is usually cold no matter what the time of year is. We have put pansies there before and they have survived quite well so this year Linda has made a planting en masse of pansies and violas. We look forward to seeing how they develop.

There is also a garden at the front of our house which gets lots of sun and our plantings there are beginning to reward us already. We have both been quite taken with the cluster of pansies in this image. The look so crisp and fresh and have beautiful colourings and markings and these three together put me in mind of one of my favourite nursery rhymes:-

Mary Mary quite contrary,
How does your garden grow?
With silver bells and cockle shells
And pretty maids all in a row.

I even remember a nursery rhyme book we had, when we were growing up, that had this poem accompanied by a picture of a lovely garden with pretty pansies along the border.

Maybe, subconsciously, images like this may still influence the things we do in the garden today.

More Free Form Embroidery - Again!

2011-09-26T08:26:00.001+13:00

Over the past few weeks I have been including my miniature free form embroidery pieces in my auction listings on Trade Me one at a time and they have been attracting some interest.

This past week I made two more pieces, different but in many ways very similar and so this week I decided to list both of them at the same time.

I am asking people if they can spot the difference - can you?

Linda's Give Away

2011-09-23T15:06:00.002+12:00

If you like give aways on blogs you may like to take time out to look at sister, Linda's blog. She is celebrating having written 100 entries on her blog.

Time for the vegetable garden

2011-09-22T16:02:00.007+12:00

Now, that's not very exciting is it - just a plot of earth.

Needs must be - the compost we have been making needed to be dug into the garden in readiness for planting out some seedlings.

The compost efforts have not been the best, to say the least, but there were worms in the midst, so something must have been done right.

Hopefully the garden soil will be better for our efforts and the vegetables we harvest this year will be extra yummy.
To take away from the starkness of the earth, here and there in the vegie garden the faithful violas are popping up and they really are delightful.

We have a need for violas in our flower beds so I think that some of these lovely ones will have to be relocated in the near future.

We have several of these bushes around the vegetable garden and it is good to see the blue flowers out again as the bees just love them and we need the bees for the processes of life to keep happening in our garden.

I went for a walk this morning to our local mailing box and there was a lovely sense of spring in the air with all sorts of flowers coming into bloom everywhere.

Suddenly I noticed the smell of chimney smoke and it seemed a complete contrast, spring in the air outside but still cold inside somebody's home.

Something nice and homely about the smell of chimney smoke but something extra special about the look and smell of spring in the air as well.

Where it all started

2011-09-18T16:40:00.002+12:00

I have written a couple of times lately about my interest in creating free form embroidery projects, and in particular, my enjoyment in making these in miniature.

I realise, when looking through items in my stash that this type of work has appealed to me for a long time, it has just taken me quite some time to get around to doing it for myself.

The first time I did anything like this was for a crazy quilt retreat I attended in Australia.

All participants were asked to make their own name badge with a crazy quilt theme - well I may not have done any crazy quilting, but I did do the embellishment part.

The badge looks a bit marked and aged by now but still a happy momento of the occasion and a seed interest for me in miniature free form embroidery.

Plum Blossom

2011-09-15T18:19:00.003+12:00

We have two established plum trees at our place.

The first year we were here they were heavy with fruit and before the season was over we were well into making plum jam and plum sauce. It lasted well but sadly now, is all gone.

Last year we looked forward with anticipation of a similar crop but it was not to be. We had about six plums from both trees.

We were not the only ones who did not fare well with plums last year. When we told others what had happened to us they said it had been the same for them too.

This year the blossoms are there in abundance and so we wait and hope that once again we will have an excuse to get out the preserving pan so that we can make good use of the plums as they ripen for us.

Ah, those camelias..........

2011-09-11T15:28:00.006+12:00

Yesterday I talked about flowers on fabric, today it is the real deal.

If anyone asked me to list my favourite flowers I probably would not give camelias a second thought, yet the ones in our garden this year are particularly delightful.

Their vase life is short but they are so lovely it is worth cutting them and bringing them indoors so we can share their beauty.

The previous owners were good enough to plant a variety of camelias and we are really enjoying the fruits of their efforts.

This camelia bush is particularly abundant with blooms and for all the cutting of flowers you would not even know any were gone.

The inside of the petals is the palest of yellows and this seems to reflect the colour of the stamens and in turn this gives a translucent effect to the flowers.

A pleasure to have around the house in vases.

After a week or so of glorious spring weather the rain has set in and so the flowers will drop or their petals will brown.

However, the sun will return, and with so many buds on the bushes we will have lots of camelias to pick before the season is over.

More Free Form Embroidery

2011-09-10T07:39:00.005+12:00

My latest favourite thing to do is to make these little blocks of free form embroidery.

The other day we had our quilting group, Sweet Peas, here and my intention was to make a quilt block. When I discovered that I did not have enough of the necessary fabric it seemed a much easier thing to do to make one of these.

The background lavender silk is approximately 5 x 3 inches. I backed it with fusible webbing and quilters muslin.

I found a strip of hand dyed lace that I had been carrying around in my stash for years and used that for the foundation. I then got out my silk ribbon scraps and threads and with a bit of stitching, mainly french knots and a few silk flowers my little picture was complete. Did not take too long at all really.

These finished blocks can be incorporated into crazy quilting, could be an embellishment for a handbag or framed for enjoyment.

A lot of fun and achievable. I am really enjoying making them.

Sunday, Sunday

2011-09-05T18:46:00.005+12:00

Spring is in the air and with lovely weather forecast for Sunday Linda and I rose early to make the most of the day.

With breakfast done we prepared vegetables for our main meal of the day which was to be roast pork.

Linda also cooked up a batch of mince for freezing to make into pies at a later date while I hung washing out in the fresh spring air.

Then a visit to local plant shops to seek some instant colour for our garden. Three shops later and we came home with lots of plants and potting and compost mix.

Time for a quick cuppa and popping roast in the oven and we were out in the garden. Linda did preparation work in the garden and I followed up with planting.

We have two large green pots at the front of the house and Linda tidied these up and planted fresh pansy and lobelia plants. It all looked pretty sharp by the time she had finished and I can't wait for the flowers to start blooming.

By midday we had done our dash for the day and came indoors to finish off cooking the roast pork. By this time it was smelling pretty good and very tempting.

At last - reward for our labours - our midday meal was truly delicious.

A glass of red wine was enough to make a bit of drowsiness set in and make us have a quiet afternoon but not before I made a double batch of meatballs for freezing for a later date and Linda brought my washing in for me.

It was a lovely, rewarding day - here's to many more.

Hearts and other things for Christchurch

2011-09-04T07:07:00.002+12:00

It is a year now since the first of the big earthquakes hit Christchurch.

I have written before about the heart quilts that many have been making for families affected by the earthquakes but today I thought I would share another point of interest.

About two years ago, Countdown, one of our local supermarkets did a month long drive for people to make beanies and booties for newborn babies in the Wellington area.

At the time I knitted quite a few and after the drive was over continued to do more of the same. They were small projects and easy to do in the evenings while watching television with Mum but at the time I did not have somewhere to send them so they accumulated and ended up in my stash.

Recently, when our Sweet Peas quilting group met, one of the ladies shared that a local radio station was doing a drive for booties and beanies for newborns in the Christchurch area and so I felt, at last, I had a specific use for my knitting efforts.

I contacted Canterbury District Hospital and in turn received a nice thank you letter for items sent.

About a week ago our brother, Norman, sent us a box of carrots and parsnips from his garden and when I was putting the box out to the rubbish I happened to notice an article about hand knitted beanies for babies in Christchurch. Nothing specifically to do with the beanies I had made but lovely to see that this was a news worthy effort by the people of New Zealand.

You can read more about knitting beanies for the hospital and the internet abounds with free knitting patterns for newborns so if you have the urge apparently the Christchurch hospital needs about 500 beanies per month to keep up with the demand.

Kaiser Kraft

2011-09-02T18:11:00.004+12:00

Yesterday sister Linda invited Kaiser to write an entry in her blog:-

http://razzledazzlequilter.blogspot.com/2011/09/kats-kan-kwilt.html

Kwilting was for yesterday, kraft was the activity for today as he tried his best to help me with my activities.

Versatility is the name of the game as far as Kaiser is concerned.

Free Form Embroidery

2011-09-02T07:34:00.003+12:00

The image in my last blog entry took a lot more time to complete than the image on my left.

This one is about 3.5 x 5 inches and was completed in a couple of evenings.

I so enjoy doing little projects like this but, again, what to do with them when finished?

Anyway, I have enjoyed receiving your comments about my other piece of work and 3 people, Cherie, Upinak and Julie all said you thought I should frame it and so, unconventional as it might be, I have decided to send each of you a set of the pansy silk prints.

I have more miniature free form embroidery in the pipe line so will share more as I make progress.

What's A Girl To Do?

2011-08-29T16:28:00.007+12:00

It all started with a sample of floral lace I had been given.

I had no use for it as it was so I cut out the flowers and laid them out on some blue fabric and then started stitching around them.

Nothing complex, mostly french knots in perle cotton in a myriad of colours.

I added some silk ribbon fargo roses and used up some scrappy pieces of silk ribbon by tacking along one edge and then pulling the tacking until the ribbon ruched into a little flower.

I add some bridal lace in the top left hand corner as an extra but it could easily be removed if I did not want it there anymore.

The background fabric is light blue quilting cotton and the piece is backed with lightweight wadding and quilters muslin. It measures approximately 23 x 29 cm (9.5 x 11.5 inches).

Now that I am about done, I am not sure what to do with it. It was just something I had in my work basket to work at in the evenings when I did not have anything else around and fancied doing a bit of stitching.

I did think it could be used for the front of a handbag or framed and put on the wall, or I could put it on my Trade Me auctions and try and sell it.

As a follower, what do you think I should do with it?

The follower with the best idea will receive a set of my pansy silk prints:-

I look forward to hearing your ideas.

Spring is in the air

2011-08-21T15:00:00.003+12:00

Yesterday and today we have had frosts with absolutely picture perfect days to follow.

The birds are chirping, blooms are happening in the garden and it would seem that spring is in the air.

I like to keep fresh flowers from our garden in the bathroom but this has lapsed somewhat over the winter but yesterday I picked a posy which included pink camelias from our garden.

We have a number of established camelia trees in our garden, mostly pinks and when they have had their turn the rhododendrums will take up their role in supplying us with glorious blooms as well.

It is nice to have the sense of spring in the air and it won't be long before we are out and about in the garden trying to establish flowers and vegetables for the summer ahead.

Yesterday's News

2011-08-16T18:13:00.005+12:00

Yesterday it snowed in Taupo and all around the house where we live.

The image to the left is the view from my bedroom window at about 9am.

Nothing unusual in many parts of the world but a rarity where we live.

We had a hail storm at about 1pm yesterday which left much of our property covered in white.

Here, on the south side of the house today we still have ice as a remnant from yesterday.

Today dawned an absolutely beautiful day, crisp and clear.

I tried to capture the fantastic snow covering on the mountains to the south of us but my camera is not quite up to the mark.

Snow across the country is not finished yet so we will wait and see if there is more to come.

The Benefits of De Stashing

2011-08-15T19:00:00.005+12:00

It was just before the turn of the century (21st that is) that I became interested in crazy quilting and so the accumulation of my creative stash began.

Now, all these years later, it has been time for me to de stash and so I have been selling bits and pieces through Trade Me auctions. Trade Me provides a services listing where people can request specific items and I currently have a service listing at the bottom of my auctions.

A lady called Sharon has e-mailed me several times and on one particular occasion she asked if I could assist in providing her with a silk print and embellishment pack that might suit the theme 'Yellow Rose of Texas' which was to be the Members Challenge for the Motueka Quilting Connection group.

Sharon wrote to tell me -
The quilt show is the annual show held by the Motueka Quilting Connection, and is held end of May at the Upper Moutere Community Centre. We are a group of 40 members, and each year manage to have a show that exceeds the previous year. We also manage to fill the hall with new work that has not been in any other show. Plus they have extras, and this year had the Hoffman Challenge quilts, and the Travelling Suitcase Exhibition, plus of course the Members Challenge which this year was the Song Title.

The picture tells the story - Sharon incorporated the embellishment pack that I sent her into her 'Yellow Rose of Texas' challenge and won the judge's commendation for the Best Use of Colour.

I am thrilled for Sharon but also pleased that my attempts to de stash have enabled others, and Sharon in particular, to be creative.

Quilt Panels

2011-08-14T19:23:00.001+12:00

Linda and I have found it helpful to have a few quilt panels in our stash.

You never know when they might come in handy for the addition of a new member to a family.

Quilt panels can often be picked up inexpensively as remnants or specials as was this one.

When Linda bought her new quilting machine last year she was happy for me to trial it and so I chose this panel as a relatively easy way to have a go.

I basically did twirls and circles and by the time it was finished it was nicely textured.

Our nephew recently had an addition to his family, Zachary Blair, and so a quilt panel, has become a cot quilt and has become a part of a young family's life.

Aunt Grace - another milestone

2011-08-13T19:07:00.001+12:00

Last year I wrote about our Aunt Grace celebrating her 101st birthday.

She is still with us and so yesterday we (Mum, sisters Linda, Wendy and me) traveled to Te Awamutu to wish her well for her 102nd birthday.

The banner to the left was attached to the front fence to let all the world know of this auspicious event.

This banner was originally made for Aunt Grace's 100th birthday and each year her daughter goes home after the birthday and changes the last letter in anticipation of another celebration.

We always enjoy the fact that our Mum and her sister, Grace, can have the opportunity to share tit bits from their lives at these get togethers and yesterday was no exception.

Around the house we found a number of flowers that had been delivered to the house for the occasion.

The image to the left is part of a floral arrangement sent to Aunt Grace by her daughter, Marjorie and husband, Paddy.

Linda also wrote about Aunty Grace's birthday on her blog.

Our Sweet Peas Group

2011-08-12T18:45:00.012+12:00

Linda and I continue to enjoy our fortnightly get togethers of our quilting friends, The Sweet Peas.

This time our sister, Wendy, pictured in the green on the right, was staying with us and enjoyed being a part of the scene as well.

Moira, on the left, brought a doll from her childhood with her and she and Wendy are pictured here putting the final touches to dressing the doll.

Linda has written in more detail on her blog about this lovely doll which has been given a new lease of life.

Andreena came for a while and was working on one of several Christmas tree skirts she has made.

Debbie never ceases to amaze us with the applique quilts she makes. This one features an assortment of lovely bright gollies.

Trish was contemplating her next quilting project and was asking Linda for advice on the next steps to take.

Our sister Wendy had brought some quilting fabric leftovers that had been given to her and so our ladies had fun sorting through and contemplating the possibilities for use of the fabric.

Another Recent Read

2011-08-07T13:09:00.005+12:00

There were seven siblings in our family and our Mother instilled in us a love of reading. A great way to keep children occupied in a busy household.

As an adult I don't read as much as I did in my younger years but recently I have had the opportunity to finish a couple of books and thought them worthwhile enough to mention here.

I first read about this book on another blog, Cozy Little House, and something struck a chord with me to want to have a look for myself.

My son, David, gave me a Kindle e-reader for Mothers Day this year and it was an opportunity to make use of this great device.

Wishing for Snow explores the emotions of caring about and dealing with a mentally disturbed parent. Not a light hearted read and if you like to read in chronological order then this book would not be for you. Minrose explores the events of her Mother's life in a zig zag fashion and this was probably how life felt for her at times.

However, I felt I wanted to explore this subject, and probably the thoughts that stayed with me was the mixed emotions the author had about committing her Mother to psychiatric wards and bearing the wrath of her Mother's indignation at the indecency even though it was very necessary at the time.

I admire Minrose for being prepared to put on paper what for many would be a closed subject, a sobering but worthwhile read.

Once more with feeling....................

2011-08-06T15:25:00.002+12:00

Linda has already written on her blog about the three quilts our Sweet Peas group made for families in Christchurch impacted by the recent earthquakes.

Debbie, from our group, had been in touch with a lady from Christchurch who organised for the quilts to go to three specific families.

In the process of co-ordinating this, Debbie found out that the lady who organised this for us has been impacted by the earthquake herself but had not been offered a quilt by anyone.

Back to the stitching and between us we were able to get some more heart blocks together, find batting and backing fabric, and put this one together.

I machine quilted it and put the binding on and so another quilt is ready to bring comfort to someone in need in Christchurch.

Black Heels to Tractor Wheels - A Love Story

2011-07-31T09:00:00.004+12:00

I finished reading a book the other day.

A cowboy romance with a difference - it is a true story.

A light hearted read which brought a smile to my face on quite a few occasions, as the author, Ree, included down to earth reality snippets within the story of being swept off her feet by her modern, real, ever loving Marlborough Man, as she likes to call him.

The western theme might be enough for some not to want to go there, but don't let that put you off. Ree's telling it like it is attitude through the whole romance makes this book, Black Heels to Tractor Wheels a page turner.

You can read more about Ree on her blog The Pioneer Woman and if you are a recipe buff she has them to share as well.

Sister Linda found out about the book through reading Ree's blog and actually bought the book with sister, Barbara, in mind as she knew that Barbara loves reading western romances. Linda read it first, passed it to Barbara who could not put it down and then I followed. We have had our/Linda's moneys worth out of this book already.

Mum is next to read it but Linda intends to take it to her local book club and share with them as well. She thinks the ladies there will enjoy it as well.

Finally Coming Home

2011-07-30T16:16:00.003+12:00

I have written about CiCi before.

She was a stray cat hanging around our place when we moved here over 18 months ago.

As far as we know she had been living the life of a stray for a number of years.

If the slightest thing disturbs her she takes flight but she was not beyond coaxing to come and have a feed and from there we managed to persuade her to sleep indoors.

First in our garage and then, gradually she has accustomed herself to the other rooms of the house.

She often sleeps at my feet at night but it has been very hard to persuade her to take a nap on my lap. Linda has been very good with her and has quite a measure of success but the suggestion of even sitting on my lap was not a good idea.

The other day she popped into our sun room and I managed to pick her up, sit down on my chair and put her on my lap. She sat there for a while, then curled herself up and went to sleep.

Yesterday, even better, she came into the room when I was sitting there and she hopped up on to my lap and curled up again - unbelievable!

Today I looked across to my chair in the sun room and there she was asleep on my chair. I think she has finally come home.

Quilts Really Do Need Labels

2011-07-11T11:05:00.000+12:00

Another quilt I have been re-united with on this visit is one that I made for son, Ricky.

The camera shot helped to capture the design that was created in joining the quilt blocks together.

I had won the blocks in a quilt raffle from the Taupo Quiltmakers group and they came together really well to make this quilt.

It has been washed several times (I think) and has become lovely and soft and a bit crinkly and so has a nice feel and appearance.

Nice to snuggle under during this cool period in Sydney.

For the life of me I could not remember when I had made it but when I turned it over there was the quilt label I had done at the time, providing a permanent record of the history of the quilt.

Yes, quilt labels really are worth taking the time out to do.

Every Cat Needs A Quilt

2011-07-10T18:38:00.001+12:00

Last night my son, Ricky, slept on the floor amidst a bundle of quilts so that I could have his bed to sleep in.

This morning Oraton thought the quilts would make a nice bed for him. Quite rightly so too!

I had given this quilt to James and Amba the last time I visited in 2009 so it is nice to see it still around and in use.

The mountains of home

2011-07-08T20:15:00.001+12:00

Tomorrow, Saturday, I am going to Sydney for a few days to visit with 3 of my sons.

At the moment our mountains are shrouded with snow clouds but prior to this we have seen some spectacular views of them, especially at sunrise and sunset.

I am hoping they will be on show again when I return and I expect them to be blanketed in more snow than ever.

The clouds have been tinged with grey in recent times and the only thing we can put it down to is the volcanic ash that has drifted across from Chile.

The Occasional Piece of Crazy Quilting

2011-07-03T16:47:00.000+12:00

My adventures in crazy quilting are less and less these days as my wrists do not seem to appreciate all that is involved in taking me through the process.

Still I can enjoy the achievements of others and occasionally what I do myself.

This rectangular block was machine pieced from quilting cottons and backed with quilters muslin.

I used fusible webbing to attach the silk print and then did some 'free form' stitching to create a floral surrounding for the image.

Even managed to place some petite gold beads at the centre of the yellow lazy daisy flowers.

Crazy quilting is indeed a lovely craft and the possibilities are unlimited.

Hearts for Christchurch

2011-06-24T07:27:00.001+12:00

I have talked before about heart quilts for families impacted by the Pike River mine explosion and Christchurch earthquakes.

Yesterday our government went some way to address the problems relating to advising families whether they could progress with staying or leaving their properties.

Day to day living has to go on in the meantime and the feedback is that heart quilts are very much appreciated by recipients.

One can only imagine how cold some people must be with winter in full swing and if a heart quilt can bring some comfort then the efforts of those who make them is all the more worth while.

Our small home group of Sweet Pea Quilters committed to making 3 quilts and we finally managed to complete them this week. 3 quilts is only a small number in the whole sum of things but it has been nice to be able to participate and be part of a much larger project.

You can see more about the quilts we made on my sister, Linda's, blog.

I was just looking for silk scraps................

2011-06-22T09:12:00.000+12:00

I wanted to add to the variety of silk scraps that I have and I thought that a silk scarf or two from the Opportunity Shop (Thrift Store) might just do the trick.

As I headed towards the scarf rack I noticed a silk wedding dress lying across one of the clothes racks.

It looked as if it had been discarded for some reason and on closer inspection did not even have a price tag.

There was nothing to be had on the scarf rack and so I picked up the dress and took it to the counter to enquire further about the possibility of purchase.

"All our wedding dresses cost $100," said the sales assistant.

"I don't think I could be paying that," I replied.

"Well, it has got some stains on it, so I will enquire for you from the supervisor."

A few minutes later the message came back that I could have it for $30 and so I did not hesitate.

"Are you going to revamp it?" she wanted to know.

"I don't think I would like to tell you what I am going to do with it,' was my reply.

A few silk scarves had suddenly become a full length cream silk dupioni wedding gown with lace. The stains were not that bad although they did not come out in the wash. However, they were not really a problem for someone like me who wanted to pull apart the garment and repurpose it for crazy quilting and such.

The first time I pulled apart a silk wedding dress I felt quite guilty but now I quite enjoy the process and like to see how the garment was made and whether alterations have been made (which they had in this case) for the prospective bride.

This one even had leg o' mutton sleeves, embellished with lace and covered buttons for a very trim wrist.

The process is nearly done now except for unpicking the lace from the bottom of the skirt. The dress has yielded a lot of lovely cream dupioni silk, a lot more than I would ever have got from some scarves, but then I probably would never have paid $30 for a bunch of scarves.

Aaron and Marcele Came to Stay

2011-06-10T07:35:00.001+12:00

Aaron and Marcele have spent the last few days with us and will be on their way to Auckland tomorrow.

When they arrived on Monday, Kaiser presented himself as everybody's friend to become acquainted with Marcele.

We have really enjoyed their stay and will be sorry to have to say goodbye tomorrow.

How Times Have Changed

2011-06-09T07:47:00.001+12:00

I am not sure what I was expecting by way of cake decoration at Aaron and Marcele's wedding in Rio, but I certainly was not expecting to see the all conquering bride with husband by the collar.

However, the Sydney celebration was not to be outdone in the cake decoration department.

Aaron has been known to his church friends as snapper for many years, and so what could be more appropriate than to see the bride reeling in her 'catch'.

Times sure have changed when it comes to wedding cake decorations.

The Sydney Ceremony

2011-06-07T17:03:00.000+12:00

After attending Aaron and Marcele's wedding in Rio de Janeiro I returned home to New Zealand.

They were to have a second wedding ceremony in Sydney but I was not able to attend.

Fortunately sister Linda was able to be there for me.

My youngest son, Ricky, was best man on the day and I am told he did a wonderful job of speech making.

Brother James, participated by walking the bride down the aisle.

So, with that and brother David (with his lovely wife, Lisa) being able to be best man in Rio, all of the brothers got to participate in Aaron and Marcele's wedding.

This one, at the reception, was worth including.
Aaron and Marcele with brothers, Rick and James and James' partner, Amba.

The Floral Aspect to Travel

2011-06-04T07:13:00.001+12:00

We were heading into the winter season in Rio but we did get to see some lovely flowers along the way.

These orchids were spotted on Sugar Loaf Mountain.

I also saw impatiens growing in their natural habitat, at the base of rain forest areas.

Our local bed and breakfast had pot plants on the balcony.

Lots of bougainvillea to be seen in the local neighbourhood.

We found that Marcele, Aaron's bride to be, had added a touch of floral art to his apartment.

It will be nice to see what touches she adds to her own home when they get to settle.

Trees Grow Differently in Brazil

2011-06-03T15:39:00.001+12:00

Even though we were on the edge of rain forest territory we did not actually go into rain forest area but with images like this one, I did feel that it was close at hand.

I saw this tree with its roots stretching down to the earth below on our first morning in Rio.

It was within walking distance of where we were staying and I was able to return and take a photo of it on another day.

When we went to Sugar Loaf Mountain, we walked along the beach and I saw a similar sight with this tree sending its roots down over the side of a wall and into the sand below.

Tree trunks certainly grow differently in Brazil.

When in Rio

2011-06-03T15:21:00.000+12:00

When in Rio, part of my daily routine (well, almost daily) was to use my iPad to catch up on e-mails and communicate with friends and family back home.

For the most part the internet connection was good and I enjoyed the facilities that the iPad provided for me.

I was able to upload photos, edit them and post to my blog, keep e-mails up to date and do any web browsing that I needed to.

David and Lisa gave me a Kindle e-reader as a Mothers Day present and I was able put that to good use as well.

I was determined not to be overloaded luggage wise for my trip to Dallas/Rio and so frugal was I, I forgot to take some sleepwear but that was easily remedied by a trip to the shops in Dallas.

I consider the iPad a must for travel (if you have one, of course) just as much as I do my pair of Croc shoes. Love them or hate them, they proved invaluable to me. Comfortable for travel and walking, even when my ankles and feet were puffy.

The other thing that is a must for me for air travel is not to be overloaded so that I have to put items in overhead compartments. I find I am too short to manage putting items in these compartments and so if I can't fit my items into a bag small enough to go under the seat in front of me then a cull is required.

Likewise, I would rather send a parcel of possessions home by post, than have an overloaded suitcase to contend with for the journey home.

I have just made my fifth long haul flight since starting blog writing and it has taken me all this time to get to a place where I think I have this international travel sorted, well, for me anyway.

The things you can get up to in Rio

2011-05-26T04:16:00.001+12:00

On our last night in Rio, after the wedding, we were invited to go nightclubbing with members of Marcele's family.

I declined but David and Lisa went and such was their evening they did not come home until 4am.

They had a lot of fun in spite of language barriers and had an insight to nightlife in Rio.

David even came home with a non permanent reminder of their night out together:-

And so life goes on...............

2011-05-25T03:08:00.001+12:00

When we were still in Rio Lisa spoke to Jackson on the phone and asked what he would like us to bring home for him from Brazil.

She suggested we could bring home a monkey for him but he opted for a ball instead.

We have had such a lot of fun with the ball we managed to buy at the supermarket when we got home.

I think a simple rubber ball is a whole lot easier maintenance than a monkey.

If you are small enough you can even sit on the ball, that is, if you can work out how to not let it roll away from you:-

Our last day in Rio

2011-05-24T05:41:00.001+12:00

It was probably the warmest of all the days in Rio and we decided to go to Ipanema.

Brazilian art seems to have a style of its own and this bull statue was no exception. Love hearts and images of the Statue of Christ interspersed?:-

As it turned out we did not get to see too much of the famous beach but we did get a bit of an overview of a totally different part of Rio and it was good that we had the opportunity to do so.

Lisa's iPhone had proved invaluable on our travels, providing our main means of communication, not only with phone calls and text messaging but also as a language translator.

Latterly she discovered a GPS that was able to lead us to a very nice restaurant called Bazzar where we shared our last and very nice feast of Brazilian fare.

While we were at lunch Aaron rang and said that Marcele's family would like to see us once more before we left so after we finished eating we made our way to their apartment and enjoyed a leisurely couple of hours with the newlyweds and family.

From there a couple of more taxi rides and finally the airport and our flight back to Dallas.

Bye, bye Rio - what a wonderful opportunity and experience.

I would never have dreamt of having a reason to visit South America but then I wasn't to to know that one of my sons would decide to marry there. Such are the changes in our global village. It has been nice to part of the happening scene.

Jessica

2011-05-24T02:39:00.001+12:00

We met Jessica several times whilst in Rio.

She is a very close friend of Marcele's and it was nice to get to know her just a little.

Her understanding of English was limited but she did the best she could and we found her to be really lovely.

Not only was she a bridesmaid at the wedding but she sang solo and with the church youth group for the occasion. I noticed that Marcele,as the bride, could not resist and joined in with the singing as well in parts.

A candid view of a Rio wedding

2011-05-23T02:15:00.001+12:00

We made it to Rio and we made it to Aaron's wedding.

My photography on tbe day was not that good but I will share with you some candid shots of the big day.

Aaron gathered at the church with his seven groomsman:-

The bride's Dad was patiently waiting:-

As well as the bride's mother, bride's bouquet in hand:-

David and Lisa were pariently waiting too:-

The service was an hour late getting under way but finally the bride did arrive:-

The wedding finally got under way:-

My photography was not too good but three professional photographers were there to make up for that:-

I did not get an image of all of the bridesmaids together but this is of Daniellee, a friend of Marcele's who did her hair and make up:-

The flowers at each table at the reception were truly lovely:-

The cake was lovely too:-

Even if the centrepiece was somewhat unusual to my way of thinking.

The catering was excellent and for after treats this table had a massive display of sweets all beautifully packaged. Amazingly it all disappeared very quickly:-

Congratulations to Aaron and Marcele for a wonderful wedding day:-

It has been worth every minute. My thanks to David and Lisa for all of their input and for being an essential part of my being here. I could not have done it without you.

Sugar Loaf Mountain

2011-05-21T20:52:00.001+12:00

Aaron and his fiancee, Marcele, were able to join us for an excursion to Sugar Loaf Mountain:-

I had been a bit dubious about making the cable car ride, which was in two stages, but at the end of the day I have to say it was all very worth while and a highlight of our visit:-

When the first part of the journey was completed we were on a large platform area with juice bar and lots of seating. If you chose to stay here and not go any further it was a lovely location with fantastic views back over the city and out to the ocean. We could even look over the Copacabana Beach where we had been just a couple of days before:-

Located as part of first base was a helipad, doing a roaring trade, taking tourists for an aerial excursion around Rio:-

The excursion would not have been complete without the second cable car ride and as we got to the top the sun was setting and it was supposedly 19 degrees C. with a definite chill factor happening.

There was just enough time to take some sunset photos before descending in the dark. Our group of six got separated along the way, which all added to the fun of the day. Eventually we all met up again at the base.

My one sunset photo was of the famous Statue of Christ:-

Most images of this show a solitary statue, so it was interesting, at this height, to see that there is companionship by way of a collection of communication beacons. Quite a lot happening up in them there hills (oops, mountains).

Location:R. Aprazível,Rio de Janeiro,Brazil

Marmoset Monkeys

2011-05-21T00:36:00.001+12:00

When we go down for breakfast at the b and b we are more than likely to be met by a family cluster of marmoset monkeys.

They have laid claim to the balcony and hang off the window bars expectantly waiting for some one to feed them some banana.

They are quite tiny, sitting about 6 inches with a tail about twice as long, they really do have pulling power by way of cuteness.

We feed them sugar bananas from our hands, about 2 inches per monkey and they happily munch and come back for more if they can.

Location:R. Aprazível,Rio de Janeiro,Brazil

We made it to Copacabana Beach

2011-05-20T02:21:00.001+12:00

The Copacabana Beach was our activity for day two of our time here:-

It was very nice and we found a nice beach side cafe where we could sit and take in the atmosphere.

Going on a Monday, not as many people there as there otherwise might be. However, there were some regulars. Additionally, the weather has become cooler and so a lot of people standing around on the beach were wearing regular casual clothing instead of swimwear.

I did not actually see anyone swimming and it seemed to me that the breakers were too strong for this but I did see some surf boarding.

Perched Up on a Cliff

2011-05-19T11:00:00.000+12:00

Perched up on a cliff, close to where we are staying in Santa Theresa, Rio de Janeiro, is this lovely late 19th century dwelling.

I asked about it and was initially told that it was a monastery but our hotelier tells me it was built as a private residence but is now divided up into apartments:-

Built on a granite base it does look rather grand and apparently, if you live there, you have the most magnificent views.

I was not tall enough to take this shot so David took it for me.

Same dwelling but framed with ferns and bouganvillea which are growing over our breakfast balcony - very pretty.

Location:R. Aprazível,Rio de Janeiro,Brazil

The View From our Place

2011-05-19T01:12:00.001+12:00

Our place of residence, a bed and breakfast, is built against a cliff face.

As you walk up the stairs from the bedrooms you see the flora, in abundance climbing the cliff face:-

My photography does not do the cliff face justice but it seems to stretch a long way:-

Apparently what we see at the top of image is the edge of rainforest.

From there the marmoset monkeys come for banana treats from the breakfast table:-

I have also sighted bright coloured butterflies and birds but the weather is against us at the moment and will have to wait for the clouds and rain to clear before we see more of that.

The temperatures have been quite mild since arrival, today a little on the chilly side. Today it is raining and it remains to be seen whether we will be able to go out at all. Along with the rain there is a definite chill in the air and I am grateful for the warmer clothes that I brought with me.

In Rio For a Special Occasion

2011-05-17T23:18:00.001+12:00

Two days ago, David, Lisa and I arrived in Brazil. The reason, to attend the wedding of my oldest son, Aaron.

He has found a lovely Brazilian maiden and we have arrived a week ahead of the wedding to do a few touristy things and to meet and get to know the bride's family.

All credit to them, they know some English, and have been excelling themselves in trying to communicate with us. Far better than me and my total lack of speaking Portuguese.

Aaron's fiancee is doing her best to talk to us and it has been amazing to me to see Aaron speak in their language. When he arrived in Brazil, the first thing he did was enroll in a language school and it was one of the best things he could have done.

The wedding is on Saturday and then they fly to Sydney the following week for a second ceremony with friends and family.

Following that they will visit with us in New Zealand, spend some time in Australia, catching up with friends and then on to London and back to the reality of work.

How Times Have Changed

2011-05-14T06:52:00.001+12:00

When I visited Dallas last July I had just been given an iPad and there was not one in David's household.

Jackson tried mine out and now they not only have one but two of these devices.

He is very clued in about what you can do with the iPad and yesterday while using mine he very quickly knew what to do to find some free games to play that were age appropriate:-

One of his favourite activities on the iPad is to check out a website that promotes families playing board games rather than watching TV:-

Http:www.gameswithyden.com
David and family have quite a number of very good board games and, if possible, they choose games where all participants work together for a common cause rather than competing against each other.

Is This the Next Rudolph Valentino?

2011-05-11T23:40:00.001+12:00

When you have finished swimming in the pool, you just have to dress up, don't you?:-

When Jackson came to visit with us in New Zealand when he as three we made pikelets (or pancakes as we call them here in Texas) together and it was something that has never been forgotten.

Yesterday, before I had finished my morning ritual in the bathroom, there as a tap tap at the door and there was Jackson, wanting to know if Nana could come and make pancakes for breakfast.

Bathroom routine was speeded up somewhat for the more pressing challenge of the day. Jackson now has more dexterity in the mixing process which was good to see. He just loves being involved in the making of the pancakes and so pancakes it was for breakfast.

Summer Time in Dallas

2011-05-11T00:23:00.001+12:00

May in Dallas and the weather is warming up for summer.

Lisa and I were out and about yesterday and at one time the temperature outside was in excess of 100 degrees F.

Jackson and Brennan have found a fun way to keep fresh in the pool. What is supposed to be a basketball hoop is a fun way for them to cross the pool together.

Location:Robinson Terrace,Rangatira Park,New Zealand

You have heard of lollipops, well how about cake pops?

2011-05-10T03:35:00.000+12:00

While Lisa and I were out yesterday we stopped by at Starbucks for some refreshing drinks and Lisa asked if I would like to try a cake pop.

Being me I had no idea what a cake pop was but I was willing to give it a go.

Mine is the pink one on the right. Quite a nice bite size treat to have with a drink when you feel like a snack but not something too big. I enjoyed mine.

From Quilt Block to Quilt

2011-05-09T06:34:00.001+12:00

Our local quilt group does a monthly quilt raffle at the moment.

One of the committee members, Julie, provides the group with the pattern and instructions and whoever is interested can make as many blocks as they like and enter them into the raffle.

You get one draw for each block you enter so the more blocks you make, the more chances you have of winning all blocks made.

This block had particular appeal for me. It is called Disappearing Nine Patch and is relatively quick and easy to make. The theme for the block was to use conversational fabrics so that the blocks could be made into an I Spy quilt, a great favourite with young children.

I made 4 of this particular block and entered 2 in Linda's name and 2 in mine.

There were enough blocks made to divide the raffle into 2 draws and Linda won one of the draws.

She was gracious enough to let me have the blocks so that I could make them into an I Spy quilt for my grandson, Jackson, who I will be seeing in about 24 hours from the time of writing.

So, one block became one quilt:-

Backed with polar fleece, I hope it will ecome a favourite cuddle rug for Jackson and that there will be plenty of opportunity to play I Spy or any other game that may take his fancy.

Goodbye to Taupo - for now..........

2011-05-08T14:19:00.001+12:00

Last autumn I used enjoy looking at this tree at the end of our street.

The way it is situated with the low stone wall and the fallen
leaves I found very appealing.

In spite of the enjoyment I never quite got around to taking pictures.

This year we have had a severe storm recently and a lot of the trees in our neighbourhood have already shed more leaves than usual, including this one.

Even so, with less leaves, it is still a pretty sight.

I will be away from Taupo for three weeks, travelling to Dallas and then on to Rio de Janeiro and I know that by the time I return all signs of the beautiful autumn colour and leaves will be gone.

I am glad to have captured the moment today.

It will be great to be away for this time but I will miss my family, home and the lovely location we live in.

Just in Time

2011-04-28T19:02:00.001+12:00

Recently Linda purchased this panel of quilting fabric and thought it would make a nice rug for Mum for the winter ahead.

At the time she was able to find some lovely, soft and warm fabric to back it with and it has already been used to snuggle under on these cooler evenings.

The Autumn Winds Do Blow

2011-04-28T18:55:00.000+12:00

Autumnal change has been happening where we live.

The tree in the image can be seen from out kitchen and I have been enjoying watching the colours change from day to day.

The leaves had been gathering on the lawn and I had been thinking of gathering them for our compost bin. I was not quick enough.

Tuesday turned out to be a very stormy day with strong, gusty winds. By early afternoon the power went down and did not come back on until late that night.

The next day when I looked out all the leaves on the lawn were gone. Saved me the time and trouble for gathering them but they would have been a nice addition to our compost.

1 Doyley = 4 Mug Rugs

2011-04-23T09:01:00.000+12:00

Ever since I wrote about Linda making mug rugs I have been wanting to have a go myself, crazy quilt style.

Recently we were in an op shop (thrift store) and I saw this sad looking doyley with some lovely hand applique work on it. It had a hand bound scalloped edge. I bought it for the princely sum of 50 cents.

I had it sitting around for a while but decided it was time to do something with it so one doyley was repurposed to become 4 mug rugs crazy quilt style.

Cowboy Quilt

2011-04-21T17:25:00.000+12:00

When I visited Dallas last July I sent home a large package of fabrics that I bought at a garage sale from Quilt Country in Lewisville.

We have had a lot of fun with these fabrics and we still have heaps left to be used.

One of results was the quilt on the left.

Our sister Barbara is very fond of cowboy themes and, within the stash of fabrics, we found strips of fabric featuring cowboys and cowgirls together with matching strips of floral fabric that seemed ideal for a quilt for her.

Sister Linda made up the quilt for Barbara and when I went to stay with her last week the quilt was on the bed I slept in.

Barbara was able to obtain a quilt cover to put under the quilt as well as matching sheets making the cowboy quilt look quite special.

Have a Heart for Pike River/Christchurch

2011-04-20T16:31:00.000+12:00

Late last year I wrote about the results of the call for heart blocks for the Pike River mine disaster.

The response has been huge and has now resulted in quilts being made for families impacted by the Christchurch earthquakes.

We have been involved in some way with some of them.

Our home quilting group, Sweet Peas, are making some quilts and our local quilting group, Taupo Quiltmakers have been involved in the process as well.

The quilts photographed have been machine quilted by my sister, Linda and I bound the blue and yellow one.

The many variations on a theme have been fascinating to observe.

Family Visits

2011-04-10T07:43:00.001+12:00

Family get togethers need to be treasured as the years go by and although not all of the family is here, five out of eight is pretty good considering our homes are quite far apart.

Brother Norman is from Christchurch and his home suffered some damage in the recent earthquakes but he came through a lot better off than many.

Linda is standing on his left and yours truly on the right.

Sister Barbara is sitting with our Mum.

More family to visit this week but not sufficient for another family portrait like this one.

Seasons Come and Seasons Go

2011-04-07T17:51:00.001+12:00

As I read blogs from the northern hemisphere I am aware that spring is on its way and with that the wonderful birth of new life as gardens spring to life after a long, cold winter.

For us, autumn is drawing to a close. Leaves are turning to the ember colours of a dying fire and the flowers of summer are beginning to fade.

A few weeks ago we changed the plants in the pots at the front of our house from the petunias of summer to pansies.

It has taken a while but suddenly the pots are being filled with the lovely, happy faces of the pansies that will cheer us through the winter months ahead.

Moving to Higher Ground

2011-04-06T18:35:00.000+12:00

Our recent influx of visitors necessitated a few things being changed around and so our huge roll of quilters wadding ended up on our work table in our quilt studio area.

Cats love warm soft places and Cici thought this was just the best place to be.

The wadding had to be returned to its home, otherwise I am sure she would still be sleeping there.

2011-04-03T07:44:00.000+12:00

After our visit from Ricky, James and Amba came to stay.

I realised after they left that I had not taken any photos of them together.

The next best thing I could come up with was a photo of Amba with Linda.

How is this for a Saturday morning? Lying in bed with the two best cats in the world by your side, laptop at your feet and Saturday newspaper for a leisurely read.

I thought it was lovely that Amba felt comfortable enough to lie on the bed next to Linda and chatter away to her like they had been friends for years.

It was a lovely visit and we look forward to more of the same in time to come.

Time to Come Home

2011-03-14T07:20:00.000+13:00

It is always lovely to welcome members of the family home for a holiday.

Ricky needed to 'chill' for a week so we enjoyed his company and he took advantage of the autumn sun on our lawn overlooking the river.

In between sleeping and relaxing, watching a few movies, Ricky also took cooking lessons from Linda and went home inspired with new recipes in hand.

Ricky's respite is over but brother, James, is on his way over this weekend and we are looking forward to that as well.

In the garden......again

2011-03-12T17:54:00.001+13:00

Nasturtiums do not feature often at the top of the list when talking about annuals but they do have a loveliness all of their own.

They are supposed to be easy to grow, in fact, the worse you treat them the more they are supposed to reward you. Such has not been the case for us.

Nevertheless, we tried again and this summer we have had some measure of success.

I bought a couple of punnets of nasturtiums and planted them without separating them and within weeks we had a mass of nasturtiums showing off lovely yellow, orange and burnt red flowers.

To see the yellow ones pictured trailing over a retaining wall was truly delightful.

We hope that now we have managed to get them growing this summer that they will continue to self seed in coming years.

Ruby thought............

2011-03-11T07:13:00.000+13:00

Ruby thought that maybe I was being mean to Kaiser by depriving him of the sunny spot he had found on my laptop table.

Does he look deprived stretched out in comfort on my bed?

A cat might get the hump temporarily from being taken away from a nice spot but it is amazing how quickly they can find comfort somewhere else.

This cat is worth a photo a day around our home.

Lap Dog, Lap Top or Lap Top Cat?

2011-03-10T18:04:00.000+13:00

Our Kaiser cat could provide us with a pose a day with the many different spots he finds to while the days away.

Today he found a lovely sunny spot by jumping up onto my laptop table attached to my Stressless chair.

I am not even sure the table was made to bear his weight but he seemed comfortable enough.

However, I did think we needed a solution so I closed the curtain and he moved to a new location.

Worth Replanting

2011-02-02T16:14:00.001+13:00

When we lived in our previous home, we had a small garden and so plants in pots became the thing to do.

We have a much, much bigger garden now and so pots are becoming less important in our lives.

One of the plants I had success with in a pot was a calibrachoa with beautiful deep pink flowers.

I asked my brother to plant it into our garden here and in the last few weeks it has taken off and is looking more splendid than ever.

But wait, there's more.

Lurking behind the calibrachoa is a concrete cat in a very relaxed state and he just happens to be positioned next to the catnip plant that some cats really love and have been known to get high on.

Could our concrete cat have been indulging? After all the catnip is reaching, tantalisingly so, towards his mouth.

Mug Rugs

2011-01-31T07:43:00.001+13:00

I understand that mug rugs have been around for a while but they are new to us.

A small quilting project, they provide an ideal way to try out new quilting designs whilst being able to complete relatively quickly.

Somewhere between a coaster and a place mat, they provide a nice snack place for your coffee/tea with space for a treat to eat as well.

You can make them in any colour and any design that you choose. Just for starters Linda made a few:-

This one Linda made for me with fabrics of my choice - love it!

This one belongs to our Mum - perfect for her.

Just for fun. This one was made from scraps from a quilting project featuring Kaffe Fasset fabrics.

Maybe you like the concept but not for your favourite mug. Another use could be for a home base for remote controls.

Bringing Back Memories

2011-01-30T07:25:00.000+13:00

When we were young tomato sandwiches were a real treat.

In those days tomatoes were seasonal and with the warmer weather and fresh tomatoes available what could be better than thick sliced white bread, butter and fresh sliced tomatoes sprinkled with salt and pepper.

Linda planted a Super Tom in a tub on our patio this spring and yesterday harvested the first of these tomatoes so that we could have a real taste treat right down to having the white bread sandwiches.

Homegrown, no sprays, fresh from the vine - delicious!

Sometimes the simple things in life are the best.

The Present That Gives Year After Year

2011-01-23T07:23:00.001+13:00

Four years ago three of my sons came home for Christmas and one of their gifts to me was a lily.

The seasons come and go and when it is dormant I forget about it altogether, and then, each Christmas it surprises me with its return.

It is a wonder I have not thrown it out during the winter months but it is a survivor and gives much pleasure with its lovely bold colours.

Likewise, my sister was given a lily plant as a free gift when she made some plant purchases from an online gardening company. Just recently the lilies have returned on this plant and they are magnificent with the the added bonus of a lovely scent.

Moments of time..........

2011-01-17T14:32:00.001+13:00

Christmas 2010 was relatively quiet for us - no visitors - just the four of us, but it was lovely and relaxing and we enjoyed the occasion.

On both sides of Christmas we had a succession of family visiting and so, over the past six weeks we have seen all five of our siblings which has been really, really lovely.

Nice to share these moments of time with our family and also nice to capture moments of time from the flowers in our garden.

Yesterday I took this photo of these beautiful, velvety flowers from our garden and today they were spent. I was really pleased I had captured the moments they were able to give us.

Clown Quilt

2011-01-16T07:21:00.001+13:00

I have shared before some of the amazing quilts that our friend, Debbie, has been making.

This is the latest and it is just super.

Bright, cheerful and big enough to fit on a queen size bed.

It could make an wonderful wall hanging.

Debbie wants to sell this quilt and has listed it on Trade Me in New Zealand.

Generational Change?

2011-01-11T07:15:00.001+13:00

Recently we were visited by our niece, her husband and three children.

The eldest, Jason, approached me with a small pack of cards and asked if I would like to watch him play solitaire.

I thought we could go one better than that and he could play solitaire on my iPad.

The fascination and concentration was there - I wonder if playing with real cards will ever be quite the same for him again.

Our Silk Tree

2011-01-01T17:34:00.000+13:00

The previous owners of our home did some excellent planning with layout of the home to maximise on things like sunlight and views.

In the patio just outside our sun room there is outdoor furniture and a silk tree was planted to provide shade in the summer and allow the sun to come through in the winter.

The silk tree has just come into flower and has the most delicate pink flowers which glow against the light green foliage.

When I look at the contrast in colours it is the sort of thing that makes me want to do a bit creative embroidery, it is so pretty.

The branches in this image are just outside our sun room door and seem to be saying let us come in to share your world.

We are glad the silk tree does its bit to make the patio a better place for us.

Part of the Cycle of Life?

2010-12-30T07:25:00.001+13:00

When I watched the movie, The Lion King, I really liked the opening song, The Cycle of Life. Always thought it to be very pertinent.

What that has to do with a kettle you may well wonder.

The first time I went to visit with David and Lisa in Dallas they had a kettle on their cook top for heating water for cups of tea.

It always seemed to take ages to heat up the water and so I recommended to Lisa that they get an electric kettle as I felt it would do the job more efficiently.

Lisa bought the kettle and to this day they still use an electric jug.

However, Linda and I recently acquired an induction cooker for our kitchen and discovered that water could be heated faster on the cook top than in the electric kettle, so guess what we bought? A kettle for the cook top.

It clears some bench space and works efficiently for us - so it would appear that we have gone around one cycle of life.

One of our brothers came to visit recently and was coming to terms with the workings of an induction cook top. He wanted to know if he could use a 'real kettle' (meaning the electric one) but too late, we have entered the new cycle of life and there is no going back.

Our very own river

2010-12-29T08:26:00.001+13:00

There is always something of interest to be observed overlooking the beginnings of the Waikato River from our living area.

The water coming into the river from Lake Taupo is managed, not far away, by a control gate.

In these photos, firstly of a lone fisherman and then of some prospective swimmers, the water is low but when the water is released the beach and the rocks where the fisherman is standing, disappear under the water.

The colour of the water in the image with the swimmers is more true to type. Most of the time it is more aqua in colour than rich blue.

In addition to would be fisherman and swimmers there is the constant flow of kayakers as well as people stopping off for a picnic or, sometimes, a bit of freedom camping.

We are in the middle of the Christmas/New Year holiday season and this spot is a frequent stop off point for visitors.

Vegie Gardens and Christmas

2010-12-27T08:49:00.001+13:00

One of the lovely things about moving to our home was the established raised beds for a vegetable garden.

We still have a lot to learn to make the most of this asset but we have already had some lovely results.

I planted peas and beans on each side of the trellis to the right of the garden. The peas took off but the beans had to have a second planting to get some results.

The peas have grown sufficiently to give us fresh peas for Christmas dinner - the beans have a way to go yet.

Our brother planted Cliff Kidney potatoes for us and again, there was sufficient for us to be able to dig and get fresh potatoes on Christmas morning.

The result - Beef Wellington, served with crushed new potatoes and fresh peas with carrots. Linda says it is one of the easiest Christmas dinners she has ever had to prepare and it was just lovely.

The white with gold trim Christmas table linen was enhanced by an arrangement by Linda, of red and white petunias, also from our garden.

Christmas would not be complete without dessert and it certainly looked as good as it tasted - pavlova roulade with fresh strawberries soaked in a little cointreau.

Pike River Miners

2010-12-25T07:18:00.001+13:00

The Pike River mining disaster in November of this year will have a huge impact on the West Coast community of the South Island of New Zealand for some time to come.

As is often the way in times of tragedy many people rally to help and we have heard many stories of those helping the families of the miners in whatever way they can.

Shirley Goodwin of Rangiora, Christchurch offered to make quilts for each of the members of the miners families and has been inundated with heart blocks and quilts.

You can read more about the responses and see some of the lovely quilts and heart blocks Shirley has received in her blog:-

http://shirleygoodwin.blogspot.com

Linda offered to quilt a quilt top for Shirley and this has now been completed as pictured.

The challenge for Shirley to complete remains huge and if you know of anyone who can help in any way I am sure she would love to hear from you via her blog.

2010-12-22T18:15:00.000+13:00

What would I like for my birthday dinner was the question.

Pasta with meat sauce was my choice and very nice it was too.

A local shop, The Merchant of Taupo, stocks a most delicious Pavlova Roulade and this with brandied strawberries topped off the meal very nicely.

Cactus Flower

2010-12-21T07:26:00.000+13:00

The winter just gone was extremely cold and we have had some very hot late spring weather and as a result our cactus plant has been flowering like it never has before.

Our Mother has had this plant for a number of years but we have never seen it flower like it has for us this time around.

Until the flowers have gone it can take pride of place at the front door and then it can hide in the garden until it decides to give us more of its beauty.

Breakfast for One - or was it Brunch?

2010-12-12T07:18:00.001+13:00

We went out looking for some garage sale bargains and in the process I neglected to have breakfast.

By the time we got home I was very hungry but it seemed too late to be having breakfast.

Instead I made pikelets (small pancakes) for morning tea but when I came to the end of the mixture I made one large pikelet, topped it with sliced banana, muesli and golden syrup.

I guess my breakfast became brunch and it was very nice.

Pikelet recipe:-

Heat fry pan to moderately hot and, using paper towel, wipe with small amount of melted butter

Melt 30 grams butter and hold

1 cup self raising flour
1 dessertspoon sugar
1 pinch salt

Place ingredients in bowl and add -
1 egg
1 cup milk

Mix thoroughly with wire whisk and add the melted butter.

Put dessertspoons of batter into moderately hot pan (6 to 7 for each lot) and when bubbles rise to the surface of the batter they are ready for turning.

When nicely browned on both sides put aside on to a plate that had a tea towel folded in half. Place the pikelets between the layers of the tea towel while you continue cooking.

Keeping the pikelets like this in the tea towel ensures a little bit of steaming and keeps the pikelets nice and soft.

Serve with butter or butter and jam of your choice and enjoy.

These have been a family favourite for years and years.

Best eaten fresh but can be frozen and eaten later.

Getting Ready for Christmas

2010-12-11T18:44:00.000+13:00

Christmas will probably be a low key affair at our place this year.

We are not anticipating having and visitors so it will be just the four of us.

Nice to have some Christmas decorations around the place and this week we put up Christmas quilts and accessories.

The angel wall hanging is in the sun room where Mum and I spend most of our time.

A variety of Christmas ornaments adorn the bookcase on top of a Christmas runner.

Stepping Back in Time

2010-11-27T07:01:00.000+13:00

Staying with my Aunt Grace this last week was almost like taking a step back in time.

When Linda and I were children, we used to go and stay with her and the cutlery and crockery in this image where what was used then so it all must be at least 60 years old.

The bedrooms reflected times gone by as well with old fashioned white cotton sheets, white candlewick bedspreads, wire wove mattress base on the bed,white cotton pillow cases tied with cotton tape, rather than the envelope style pillows we have today and wool blankets.

The washing machine broke down just as I arrived and there was a suggestion that we revert to the wringer washing machine that Aunt Grace is so proud of because it still works, but fortunately a modern automatic was bought to replace it.

I did miss not having a dish washer and microwave but all was well.

All in all a very interesting trip down memory lane.