Mug Rugs

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

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

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..........

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

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?

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

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.