Some creative bits this time...

Hi dear friends - I've recently had a visit from a blogger in Christchurch, NZ - Deb has a lovely blog, do pop over for a visit The Angel and the Pukeko.

While reading Deb's blog I came across a link for a free online craft magazine which you can download each month - I've placed the link on the left hand side of my blog - though the picture is a little small so you may miss it LOL - here is the link Inspire Online Magazine. Thanks Deb for the link!

We gave Kerry her special birthday quilt on Thursday night - we had such a lovely evening - lots of laughter, and fun. Here are a couple of pic's of her beautiful quilt - I wonder if you can guess which block I made??? I also did the label for her quilt...




Jazz checking I spelt the names correctly !




Did you guess the butterfly block would have been mine LOL

Oh and remember how I said the Ranfurly Shield was coming to visit my work - well here is my daughter Kaitlyn (with the blue jersey) & Morgan hugging Tamati Ellison (poor man had been up all night as his partner gave birth to their first baby)...


and here is Kaitlyn and Morgan holding the shield !! My DH was very jealous about this ...



And what better way to end the school term with a disco on Thursday night - here's Bexx (black singlet) and her friend Tessa just about ready to leave... very hard to get a nice photo of them both as the seem to be at the age for making gooney faces :)



Well had been get a wriggle on, have Quilt club day today and need to run a few errands before I head outfor the afternoon.

Have a super day.
Hugs

Delayed...though Jnr Witch still visiting!

AARGH, got the phone call this morning that everyone who's on a public health waiting list dreads "I'm sorry Julie, though we have to postpone your operation until the 23rd October"... "but...but... my sister is flying up to help me..." "the surgeon has double booked her time and she is meant to be overseas at a meeting" ..."What!" .... I must say I got off the phone call grumpy and thinking 'oh man - all my planning has gone kaput!

Well the brightside of the rainbow is that Junior Witch is still coming to visit - though she's had to unpack her pink rubber gloves and dust-cloths LOL... the bummer is that I won't be able to take any leave from work as need it for the operation - blah!! Couldn't convice sis to change flight dates as its school holiday's and her boy is back from his Dad on the 20th October so she needs to be back home for his return and getting him back into school... a plan B has been created to cover the new operation date.

Another bright side is that I can still go to my previously planned retreat with the Kwilting Katz (my Thursday stitching group) at CherryPie in Levin the weekend of 16-18 October - so I can keep working on the Stitchers Angel Swap and the ChookyBlue Xmas Swap...

Yeah tomorrow it's Thursday, one of our Kwilting Katz is turning 5-0, we are meeting at her house tomorrow night and will be handing over the quilt the rest of the group has made for her birthday - sorry can't post any pic's yet - will do so on Friday...

(Photo c/- stuff)

Oh and a wee brag... Quote from http://www.stuff.co.nz/ "Wellington finally lived up to their billing to end 26 years of Ranfurly Shield torture as they ripped the Log o Wood from Auckland with embarrassing ease to complete what always loomed as an inevitable win at Eden Park on Saturday night"

AND the Log o Wood is visiting my work (we are one of the Lion's sponsors) on Friday, 26th Sept from 9.00am-9.45am - so if you just happen to be in Upper Hutt - come to Gillies Group offices, Gibbons Street - to meet one or two of the players and get to touch the 'shield'

Hope your week has been going well.

Big Hugs

Stitches to come of a different kind...

Well now for the excuse of why I've been off line for a wee bit... very long story short - I had been waiting for an appointment to come through the public health system to see a surgeon for my right hand (carpal tunnel) - well two weeks ago got a phone call out of the blue from the hospital saying they had a cancellation and could I make it the following Thursday (18th Sept). So along came the appointment and I met the surgeon, she kindly agreed that yes indeed I've got severe carpal tunnel in my right hand (yup knew that) and that I definately needed it operated on sooner rather than later as was nearing the point where I could end up with permanent nerve damage. Then we talked about my left hand, and she said - right then - I'll operate on that one too then.

Crickey I had only pysched myself for the right hand... she then said "hmm I think I've got a spot free in two weeks - how would that suit you" - so I'm booked in to get both hands done next Thrs (2nd Oct) - evidently takes only about 10 mins each hand, they make about a 5 cm incision from your wrist through middle of your palm (found a great YouTube video of an operation today that I had a look at - I know crazy - though I like to know what I'm getting myself into).

So its all happening really quickly after putting off it off for years before I made myself do something about the constant numbness... So since then have been working on tidying up the house, working on finishing a few projects etc... the downside is that my Stitcher's Angel swap partner will receive their goodies a little later than planned... I've had to cancel my spot at a machine quilting class and our stitching group's retreat which were all timed for October.... ah well - to take the time out now will mean I should be 100% by Christmas time ...

On the plus side, my baby sister (Junior Witch) has taken it upon herself that she is going to come up (from Oamaru) and be my 'hands' and 'driver' for nearly two weeks, while I'm off work, she's a little bossy and a bit of a clean freak (she knows this so its okay to write this in my blog LOL) so I've also been having a bit of a spring clean fit! Am so excited that she is coming to stay, though the pressure... not!! The husband and daughters are most pleased that they won't be called upon to be the house-slaves, cooks and cleaners. Damn and I'd just finished polishing the brass bell to keep by my couch.

I may even convert Junior Witch to become a quilter yet! I had already promised to "quiltery-sit" for Yvonne at Sawmillers Quiltery on 4th and 5th October, long before I knew about the op, as Yvonne and Kevin are going to Aussie to visit with a supplier to source more wonderful fabrics and goodies for their Quiltery - so I will now be the 'vocal' hostess and Junior Witch will be taking a crash course in cutting fabric and using the shop till as not too sure how good my hands will be. So if you happen to be passing by Plateau Road, Te Marua and in need of some stitching supplies - do pop in to say hello and have a look at the fantastic new fabrics that Yvonne has in the Quiltery. Check out her blog (see above link) to have a sneak peak...

Well my dear friends, I will sign off here, will load some more posts during the week as I tick off items on the "to do" list before 2nd Oct... am rather nervous about it all - though have 'googled' carpal tunnel and like I mentioned above watched the YouTube video of an operation - it all sounds like its a pretty simplistic operation and recovery time can be all good if you take it easy and keep within your limits. Just no heavy lifting for approx 3 months - damn, that means I can't lift the wet washing in the laundry basket or carry the groceries - ooh I could get used to this...

Have a fantastic week.
Hugs

Forgot to show you earlier...

It's been a little while I know... I have a really good excuse which I'll explain later, however I've been meaning to show you a lovely treat my wonderful mum-in-law gave me the other week. A beautfiul card, some gorgeous DMC cotton # 4050, and a scrummy fat 1/4 of Laurel Burch 'bountiful blessings' - absolutely delish.

Last weekend we had a two year old birthday party to go to - it was lovely nostilga seeing littlies with food all over the faces, runny noses and lots of loud noise of excitment... and there was even a 7 week old baby for me to get a baby-cuddle fix :)

Will post more later. Hugs

Great weekend...

The best kind of weekend has just been had...

First off, Yvonne at Sawmiller's Quiltery in Plateau Road, Te Marua - was expecting two bus loads of quilters (one bus from Levin and the other bus from Marton) to visit her shop on Saturday - so Yvonne "really twisted my arm" and asked if I'd like to come and help her - OH YES! never any doubt in my mind that I wouldn't jump at the chance to spend the day fawning over fabric, chatting with quilters and catching up with Yvonne and Barney for the day - what a great day we had with the ladies that swarmed into the shop off the bus - poor 2nd assistant Barney was a little bemused by it all. I got really good at cutting 'point something or other metre' of fabric!! Was a great day. Pop over to Yvonne's blog http://sawmillersquiltery.wordpress.com/ to check out her latest fabrics, and news from Sawmiller's.

Sunday came along - hope everyone's special dad had a lovely father's day... the sun was shining so that meant lots of washing to be done and hung outside for a change - then the garden called me - this doesn't happen often and I even tried to scare away the sun by exposing very neon white legs to the sun rays... so I dug out the flower garden under our bedroom window - leaving only 3 roses to remain - I then hatched a plan to plant herbs and some lettuces (bought the compost today (as our newly established compost bin is nowhere near ready to use in the garden), and will get the plants next weekend - I'm a useless flower garden keeper and we are itching to get a vege garden underway - so may as well start small :) The afternoon meant a chill in the air - so back to wearing the trusty comfy jeans and t-shirt - and out with the sewing machine.

Made this lovely bag - I saw this pattern on A Spoonful of Sugar's blog and Lisa had included a link to the tutorial (by Ayumills) - was so fun and quick to make (I used larger charm squares that I had already cut (3 1/2") ... and having just gone back to attach the links for the tutorial I realise I have sewed my bag base seam too big which meant that you cant see the base fabric like in the tutorial - ah well - I'll just call it my creative spin on a great pattern LOL - will definitely make some more in various shades for gifts I think, and to practice getting the base right.

Then onto planning and making the BOM for next club meeting - went and visited the great Quilter's Cache website and chose "Baton Rouge Square"

Whipped it up in no time and took a photo...... can you see the mistake????

Then had to do two rows of reverse stitching and taa-daa...

Goodness thinking about it now - probably wasn't the best of stitching days with the mistakes that I made... Am off to Stitch & B***ch with the girlies tonight - working on Block 3 of Butterfly Garden BOM...

Have a lovely evening.

Hugs

Butterfly Garden - Block Two...

Block Two is complete - these are so much fun - lots of work and a challenge for a first time needleturn applique - though loving it...

Here is the rough layout for Block 3 before stitching together last night, it is now all together and have stencilled on the drawings for the stitcheries which I started tonight...



Today has been a blissful first day of spring - sunshine, a slight chill to the air and NO rain for three days - ahhh

(picture via google)

Have a happy week.
Hugs