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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.