CHRISTMAS WISHES

I am just popping in to wish all my fellow bloggers a very Merry Christmas and I look forward to a year ahead where I will blog more frequently rather than just visiting others blogs. There is no doubt that there are the most amazing people in blogland and as I read on a blog recently (sorry can't remember whose)  'friends live in my computer'. I know I have not posted alot this year but with moving country and settling into a new lifestyle things have taken a bit of adjusting.
I am off to Brisbane, Australia, on Wednesday to have a week with family and friends for Christmas. They have been having alot of heavy rain over there which is so unusual  and it will be a change to experience that weather over there when we in fact are having lovely summer weather. Theoretically it should be the other way around but my umbrella and raincoat are packed.
This year I took part in Maree's 6 item swap. Last week I received my parcel from my swap partner Carol and I am still doing a dance. I had not come across Carol's blog before so it was very exciting to meet a new friend. Carol made me the most divine bag, I just love it, (that has already had a few outings) as well as a pincushion and needlebook. She also included some other gifts that were just amazing. Thank you so much Carol.

This is what I sent Noela.

 I did do alot of shopping at Hancocks of Paducah but I won't show you all the bootie- think Kaffe, and more Kaffe as well as some solids. The postie must've got sick of visiting me, but I was so happy.

So to all  my blogging friends enjoy the festive season with family and keep the meaning of Christmas close to your heart.
To leave you with-
I pulled a piece of paper out of my letterbox the other day and read "MERRY CRISMAS". I have since found out it was from the five year old next door- I just love it and will keep it among my treasures of Christmas.

Free Shipping

Just received an email saying Free Shipping for the next 3 days from Hancock's of Paducah.
I'm going shopping-oops got to go to work now but after work shopping it is!
You need to enter FALLSUB in the promotional code box.

Absent Blogger

OMG I can't believe it is two months since I last posted, and two months since we had our huge snowfall. I have been loitering and viewing blogs but just haven't written myself.
It seems alot longer since we had that snow and have since had some glorious spring/summer days. However today it is like winter again and I have to admit I have a fire lit. The temperature has been half what it was yesterday so a bit of a shock to the system.
So what have I been up to-well not much on the sewing front really, and some of it is secret as it is at this time of the year. Work has kept me very busy and I have been working some long hours and also having to cover afternoon shifts-bit of a shock to the system and not really what my job is supposed to entail. Still I can't complain when it involves assisting a new life into the world- what a privileged job I have.
The other thing that has kept me very busy is my garden-it is a long time since I have lived in a house that has such a big garden. The flower gardens are more or less self managing except for having to spray all the roses. However the vegetable garden and tunnel house (a form of glasshouse) has taken the time getting it all planted but yesterday I finally finished planting and can't wait to eat the produce.
I have been stitching Xmas projects over the last couple of weeks and having such fun using up scraps of batting and strips of fabric to produce various forms of these-

 This is making it's way to my mother, a crafter but not a quilter who loves anything I make. I should have ironed it before the photo, sorry folks. These are so easy to make as quilt as you go projects and satisfy the fix of a quick project.

 I have also been using scraps to make alot of these blocks, which will become a quilt that I can practice my skills with my longarm machine. So far i have just been doing practice pieces as I don't want to 'ruin anything'-I know I will just have to bite the bullet and make a start soon.

I have joined an online quilting bee organised by Lizzie, with twelve quilters from around the globe. We each have a month where we choose a block and send fabric out to the others who make a block and return it.
This is the block I made for Vivian who lives in Texas and although it was posted two weeks ago it still hasn't arrived so I hope it gets there soon. It is a Disappearing 4 Patch and was so much fun to make.

A while ago Dzintra showed some Shattered Nine Patch quilts on her blog which gave me an idea for the borders of this quilt. I made this a number of years ago now and love it but could never decide on the borders. I now need to start cutting fabrics.

To end this post here is a photo of Barbara and Shirley. Barbara the little stripey one is coming to live at my house after Christmas. The family who owns the mother cat, Margaret, named them and I am told I can't change her name!!
Be back soon.

Spring in Invercargill

This photo was taken this afternoon and it is now snowing again. It is like Winter Wonderland however it doesn't snow like this in Invercargill-or at least not until today.
Bad weather had been predicted for the whole of New Zealand but we did not expect this. I just love it. All I need now is for Santa Claus to appear. Yes, I know it's not Christmas but it makes me feel like the Christmases I had when I was living in England. Fire is blazing -bit early for the red wine yet-that's later!!
It is just the weather for being in the sewing room but there has been other things to do- I have had a man visiting Invercargil to set this up for me-

My new toy - a Nolting Funquilter. I was lucky enough to get a second hand one and purple as well so I am so lucky. Have to give her a name I think!Now I have to get to and practice,practice,practice. It has always been a dream to own a longarm quilting machine so this is the start.
The poor guy who came down to set it up and do some basic instruction (part of the deal) is now stuck in Invercargill due to the weather but should get out tomorrow.
So have I been doing any sewing-well not much but I have been sewing these-

HST in green and black that are being sewn in a zigzag pattern. Will post the photo once finished.
Then I decided it was time to attack the stash and so more HST-

Although these were the start of a scrap quilt they will be winging their way to Lizzie in Australia who has a friend who is unwell. If you have not already done so please visit her blog to ready the sad story of a fellow quilter.
Well after another flurry of snow the sun is out so the melting will begin.
Hope you are all having a good day.

Earthquake

Sending thoughts and best wishes to all those affected by New Zealands earthquake.
This is one of the photos on the net of some of the devastation caused by the 7.1 earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand, yesterday morning. It happened at 4.30am so luckily the injuries were not as serious as if it had happened in daylight hours. However the area has been declared a disaster zone and some are comparing it to the Haiti earthquake. New Zealand does have earthquakes but Christchurch was not expecting it-they are saying it was caused on a hidden fault line. Wellington is the place in New Zealand that is expected to get 'the big one'.
It is hard to imagine what the city looks like and it is only 8 hours drive north of here.
I am so glad that all those I know in they city, both bloggers and non blogging friends are all safe although have experienced a very scary event. One friends grand daughter who is staying from up in the North Island said "grannys house dances"!! You have to love them.
There was another disaster in the South Island yesterday when a small plane with sky divers aboard crashed soon after takeoff killing all nine aboard-five New Zealanders and four young people from overseas. My heart goes out to all those families affected by this tragedy.

Bits and Pieces

Spring is in the air- or at least for the past few days. Lets hope this beautiful weather continues.
On the weekend I went for a very challenging walk around the coast at a place called Bluff-southern most coast of the South Island. This is a rugged coastline with pounding seas but just spectacular scenery. First there was a walk along the coast and then I headed up the hill-it said 45mins uphill and I thought well it is probably a slight uphill that will take about 20mins. Wrong!! Boy it was straight up and up- took about 30 mins to reach the top!

The island you can see in the picture is Stewart Island - our third island. It was a glorious day and the 2 hour walk was certainly a workout-it is still winter officially but you would never have thought so on the day.

The sewing machine has been doing a little work - this is my Barcode quilt from the book City Quilts. I am adding one more row and it will then sit atop a queen sized bed.

Not the best photo but it gives a preview. So easy to put together.

Of course,Bella had to decide whether it should be approved or not. She is not usually the sewing room cat-my sewing companion died just before I left Australia. This is where she usually curls up

I have also been doing a little bit of hand stitching. I am not a very big hand stitcher except when it comes to Christmas projects-for some reason I enjoy doing these and so when I won a giveaway from Sandy ( as I posted about) I was excited to receive a Christmas stitchery and have made a start on the project.

I'm using DMC cotton 115 and am liking the variegated look. Don't look too closely at my stitches-I don't profess to be very good but theres no police patrolling here.
I have also resurrected my Sue Ross BOM project as I am soooooo far behind.

While my points do not all meet I am just so excited that it sits flat. My first foray into set in seams in a previous block had quite a few rises and falls-hopefully quilting will sort that out. Just have to applique this down onto the background fabric now.
Hope everyone is enjoying their sewing rooms. Take care.

Back Again

The past few weeks seem to have just zoomed by. I have been working long hours so the days just roll into each other. Am also getting over a dreadful head cold-why do people think they should come to work and share their germs around??? I cannot remember when I last had a cold and I even even had to have a couple of days off which is the first time in years I have taken time off sick. these little critters have kept me entertained-twittering away in the garden where I put feed out for them. Different from the squawking birds I fed in Oz but just as delightful.

I have managed a bit of time in the sewing room. These Blocks for Lissa  are on their way to USA to Jane. If you have not seen the request already then pop over to her blog to read about her appeal for blocks to make a quilt for Lissa, a young mum of three children who has been in hospital,in intensive care, for 7 months

 Remember the book in my last post-City Quilts -well here is a little peak of a quilt I am making from that book. I have found a Quilting Circle to attend on a Monday evening. The lady who held the class on fabric dyeing that I went to also holds quilting evenings. I have only been once so far but will go again tomorrow and finish this quilt top then I hope.

I don't enter many giveaways, and only on the blogs I follow so I was absolutely delighted to get an email from Sandy to say I had won. Sandy was very generous with her gifts and I have already started the stitchery-

Bloggers are just such generous people. Thanks Sandy.
I am thinking of purchasing a longarm quilting machine,mainly for hobby use to start with, but which one to choose???. I would value any advise that bloggers who have one could give me on what their experience has been.
Have a great week.

FINISHED

My tablerunner is finished and am quite pleased with the result

I used turquoise thread to quilt straight lines.They are not that straight as I didn't mark the lines but used the eye that obviously doesn't see straight!! I like how the colour of the thread ties it together.

All the fabric is that which I dyed although the backing is just white fabric. Now if you think your eyes are playing tricks with you and you see the end fabrics look like they're tapered, don't panic. They are tapered!! Intentionally- no of course not. I decided they didn't look straight so thought I would sort it-didn't follow the rule measure twice, cut once, but I can live with it. good runner for the outdoor table during summer entertaining.
Now an apology to all my followers. When I  began blogging I was advised by one of my first followers that you should answer comments that were left so I started to do that but boy it took me so long and I often wondered how others answered me so quickly. I thought it was that I have a gmail address but that's not it, I was just a little bit slow!
I would make a list of all those who left comments,visit their blog profile, write down the email address and then send an email which as you can imagine took me forever. I should've asked a question earlier but thought surely I could work this out. Well on the weekend I finally figured it out-only took me a year!!
So to all of you who have left comments and not had a reply, I apologise but now I have no excuse. Thank you to all who have continued to visit.

Happy stitching.

WHERE DID JUNE GO??

I can't believe that July is already here-what happened to the last month?
I am still settling into my new house and life here in Invercargill so the time just zooms by. Fitting all the organising around working fulltime-and more-means the weeks have just zoomed by. Work has been very busy and we have been short of staff so I have been working on the floor rather than in the office. I love it but it is a shame no one does my paper work.
I decided to enrol in a fabric dyeing class in the hope of meeting fellow quilters but in the end it was a personal class for my friend and I. No one else enrolled but the teacher was prepared to hold the class just for us. Boy did we have a great time and produced very different fabrics.

We could use whatever colours we liked and both were happy with what we ended up with. It was more about learning the technique than the results-the true colours are brighter than in this photo but this gives a general idea.
This was my favourite piece-

It is going to become a table runner and is basted ready for quilting-the blue is also one that I dyed. Am loving it.

Even though the sewing machine is taking a while to speed into action this is a book that I ordered and boy am I loving these designs. I have seen it around Blogland so some people are familiar with it. The book is by Cherri House and the quilts are inspired by urban views-simple but dramatic.

Have enjoyed reading all the blogs and admiring the wonderful projects that are being created. It's good to now be back.

BACK AT LAST.

Well that has been a longer than I expected blogging break but I am back at last.
I won't bore you all with the details but I ended up staying in the motel for 6 weeks and the internet connection there was dreadful so very few emails were even sent.
I am now the owner,and resident, of the house I spoke about in the last post. After yet another delay in the settlement of my house in Australia the money finally arrived in my bank account and I was able to put in a pre auction offer for this house which was accepted.I have been in the house for three weeks and am still unpacking boxes and trying to find things. I paid to have professional packers pack up the house but boy I do wonder who trained them!! Things that go together are not in the same box and some things -like a wheel that stabilises my sewing table-I still haven't found!! What I have found is a fabric stash that is far bigger than I thought and I almost embarrassed to see how much is sitting in what will be the sewing room-some serious sewing needs to take place to use up some of that fabric!!
You would think that if you were packing a cordless kettle that both the kettle and heating element would be in the same box-wrong!! And that has how the unpacking has gone with each box. I have been busy buying furniture to fit this house and it's starting to come together. One more week and my new sewing table will arrive-can't wait.

  My new house- Invercargill has alot of these character homes mixed in with more modern homes. I am so lucky to have found a character home that has been modernised.

Just had to show you my kitchen. Even though I love cooking I have never had a house with a nice kitchen but I love this one-it's not quite this tidy now! These are the advertising photos from the real estate agent.

I am loving it here in Invercargill-it reminds me alot of England-the houses, the weather and the countryside. Everyone is so friendly and would do anything for you which is great. My job is great and I have a lovely lot of staff that I manage so what more could you ask.
On the sewing front not alot has been happening with all the unpacking and settling in but one simple quilt has been finished for a very special baby. One of the women who does our data collection has adopted a little boy which is so exciting. They had a little boy a few years ago who only lived seven months and have been trying to have another baby since, without success, so have been on the adoption list for only a short time. This lovely little boy joined their family last week and this is a quilt for Sam.

Very quick to put together and I know there are Kangaroos and Koalas in the quilt but there are also sheep. It was a matter of what fabric I could find in the stash. I'm sure he will love it as he grows old enough to play I Spy.
A friend and I are off to a fabric dyeing class on Friday which I'm really looking forward to. My friend is not really a quilter but a lover of fabric so I have talked her into joining me.
Well that's a quick summary of the last couple of months. It's good to be back and I've enjoyed reading everyones blogs and keeping up with what is happening.
Keep well everyone and happy sewing.

Kia Ora- Greetings from New Zealand

No photos yet sorry.

To all of you who posted your good wishes to me for my move from Australia I want to say thank you. I never got the time to send you all a personal thank you but your good wishes were greatly appreciated.
I arrived in Invercargill, which is at the bottom of the South Island,this week and have been slowly finding my way away the place. I am in motel accommodation that the hospital has arranged and  hopefully I will have a home of my own to move too in a few weeks. I have been looking at houses and have fallen in love with one that is going for auction.I am waiting for my house sale in Australia to settle and will make an offer prior to auction if someone else doesn't beat me to it.
Have found a great quilt shop and chatted to the women in there about ways of meeting fellow quilters. There is a retreat in June so hopefully I will be organised to attend.
Will be back soon. It has been great to be able to read everyones blogs and be inspired by so many projects even though the sewing machine is in storage. The knitting needles are busy now making warm jumpers-things I haven't needed for a few years.

HICCUP

On Friday I was in a local quilt shop, The Quilters Corner, owned by lovely Llisa, and was so lucky to meet Christine from Once Upon a Quilt while we were both at the counter. Llisa has just had her shop website updated and I had seen some patterns I wanted. If you haven't checked it out it is worth visiting.
Unfortunately we did not have long to chat as my phone went and it was the solicitor to say my house sale had fallen through due to lack of finance. 10 days until settlement and in my mind it was all sealed and I was on a roll with organising things.
It was a quick trip to the Real Estate Agent and the house was back on the market and I was so,so lucky to get another offer on it on Saturday-not quite as good as the first but acceptable. So the moving company has been put off for two weeks, the cat has a reprieve and can stay home a week longer and we wait with fingers crossed that this contract does not fall through. It felt like the plans had halted and I wasn't going anywhere but the head is back into it all again and the cleaning has begun!!!
I was so excited when I arrived home after the news to find a parcel waiting for me at the front door-I just love the service the Book Depository gives.  I'm sure you're all glimpsed this in blogland if not in person but I have to share it as I loooove it. My favourite has to be the diamond quilt that you can see in the top right hand corner.

Happy stitching everyone.
I am off to clean-I did have a round of golf this morning after weeks of not playing so I really enjoyed it and could still manage to hit the ball reasonably well. Hopefully I will get one more game in before the clubs and cart have to be scrubbed clean for shipping to New Zealand. Customs and the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries are really tough on anything going into NZ being free of all grass and soil so don't want to upset them!!

Update

Firstly thank you to everyone who left comments on my last post-your best wishes were greatly appreciated. I am sorry I have not had time to answer you all but as you can imagine life is a little hectic here.
The good news is I have a contract on my house and providing all is well with the building inspection tomorrow the sale settles on the 24th March. I am so glad that it only took two Open Homes as keeping the place like a show home was a little tedious. No sewing as yet but maybe this week.
I have a friend from NZ staying the weekend so we are off to the markets today if it doesn't rain. She arrived yesterday and it rained the whole day, so so much for the Sunshine State. She nearly missed her plane, as when she went to check in she had her South African passport(which would've required a visa) rather than her NZ passport. It was a very unlawful speed back home to get the right passport and by the time she returned the plane was ready for take off, so she was escorted onto the plane. I know I nearly missed my plane in NZ but at least I wasn't escorted on as 'that person everyone is waiting for'. Her flight was via Sydney and half the plane had their luggage left in Sydney as 'the carousel broke'. It was supposed to be delivered here between 6.30-9.30pm last night but by 10pm there was no word so it was off to bed. At quarter to 1 this morning the bell goes and it's the suitcase -the van delivering the cases had broken down hence the delay!! Lets hope today is a better one.

At least these beautiful creatures graced the garden last evening for us.
Have a good day.

Still Here

Yesterday was the first day I have turned the sewing machine on in weeks and it still purrs beautifully. Although the machine is still on the table the rest of the sewing room is packed away and with the house now on the market the room has to stay spotless. I am not a tidy person in the sewing room so it is better not to enter!!
However the postie delivered Block 5 of Sue Ross BOM and I thought well that won't make alot of mess so I couldn't resist,even though I haven't finished Block 3 or 4 yet.

 

The Prickly Pear Block with these great fabrics. So I set to and cut the fabrics before going to work yesterday afternoon and this morning it is finished and I love it. It has been the easiest block so far in this BOM and can together so quickly. There are not even any threads on the floor which has to be a first!!

The photo is a bit crooked and the colours in reality are a bit brighter but I do love it.

 

 The sewing room is back to it's tidy state so I have to stay out- at least til after open home on Saturday.

I am over tidying,cleaning,sorting, making trips to the tip and keeping everything like a showhome at all times. The house has been on the market for the sum total of 10 days and I am over it already so I hope it sells quickly-got to be realistic I know.

The moving company are coming this morning to do a pre move survey-I am getting them to do the majority of the packing so at least I don't have to stress about that. Then once they have been it's out to do the lawns which decided with all the rain this week that they would grow tenfold.

Am enjoying reading all the blogs and getting my buzz from seeing all the wondeerful projects that are going on.

Have a great sewing day.

Addit:

OOps just noticed that I have sewn the top row on the wrong way -so Chris it's not perfect unfortunately!!

Off now to fix it.

Lurking

Thought it was long past time to write a post. So what have I been doing- well I have to admit it has not been sewing.The mailman did deliver something quilty for me though so my nose has been in this book-I do love the service the Book Depository gives.

When I have not been working it has been tidying and packing. I am putting my house on the market as I am moving back to New Zealand in a couple of months. My sewing room has been packed up,although the sewing machine is still sitting there. I now need to get some handwork sorted-my Josephs Coat is very slow in progress so I need to get a few blocks prepared ready to sew.

A very good job came up for the midwifery manager of the Southland Maternity Unit and I was encouraged to apply,which I did and have been offered the job. On my trip back for mothers birthday I actually spent more time in the air than on the ground as I flew down to Invercargill for my interview,then back to the middle of the North Island to my mothers party. I am just waiting for the contract to arrive but it should all be ok and if so I will start in the middle of April. The second position I started here in Brisbane is a short term contract that finishes at the end of March and I wanted to honour that which they have been aware of the whole process.

Invercargill is right at the southern end of New Zealand and so will be fairly cold and windy but is a lovely small city which will offer a new way of life,and I am looking forward to it. There are two quiltiing shops and four golf courses so I should be fine!! It's a  part of the country that is close to skiing, lots of bush walks and coastal areas. I do have friends and a brother and sister in law who live there as well so that is good. It is all a bit of a whirlwind and what makes it worse was that I had started to paint inside my house before this all happened so the paint brush has been working overtime.
The great thing about blogging is it doesn't matter where in the world you are as long as there is access to a computer then the friends are there. So if I don't post alot over the next few weeks I will still be here but busy sorting out the transfer.

Returning at Last

It is awhile since I have posted,or replied to any comments so please forgive me. This is the reason why-

 I have shown a few of the blocks for this quilt in previous posts. When I said I would make it, and take it back to NZ with me last week, I forgot just how much work this quilt took and so I was really over committed in my time frame. I worked on it every moment I could and I wouldn't like to think how many hours it took to do but it was worth it and I really loved how it turned out(almost wanted to keep it). I even stayed away from the golf course for a month as that would've taken away too many quilting hours. The border and the applique blocks are all stippled after outline quilting the applique shapes.This photo is not really the best but this is it laid on the floor ready for pinning. I haven't got a photo of it finished as I left it with my sister to finish sewing the binding down-she is the recipients grandmother so didn't mind doing the last bit for me.
But this shows just how worth it it was -

Brooklyn loved her quilt.

I have just been back to NZ for a flying visit to celebrate mothers 80th birthday so th quilt was given then.

And before you all ask -No I didn't make my mother a quilt. She has one I made her on her bed and also a lap quilt I made some time ago. My sister and I bought her a sewing machine as hers had stopped working and she loves sewing- she is not a quilter but has sewn for as long as I can remember. We had a great family reunion and everyone had a great time-have now come back to recover.

So now I think it may be time to look through the unfinished projects and finish some of them before I tackle the next big project.

HAPPY NEW YEAR

To all my blogging friends out there HAPPY NEW YEAR.
I trust that 2010 brings you all what you wish for. It's exciting to think we are starting another year and what that may bring we as yet do not know.
My thoughts go out to those who are beginning the year having just lost their homes in bushfires and I trust that love and friendship is surrounding them a this time.
I want to say thank you to everyone who has helped me as I started my blog in 2009 and for the many friendships I have made in such a short time. I look forward to continuing these in 2010.
I am now off to work for the day. I worked last evening as well so there were no big celebrations going on here. Have a lovely New Years Day everyone.