Come visit me today...

The day is dark and gloomy in Upper Hutt today, a perfect day for Quilters...

I have the wonderful task of looking after Sawmillers Quiltery for Yvonne today from 10am to 4.30pm - so if you're about - why don't you pop in to say hello and check out the new fabrics that have arrived - I had a sneak peak on Thursday night - they are rather delicious :)

Why not bring some handstitching and share a cuppa with me...

Hope to see you soon.

Hugs

Stitching Weekend...

Hi

I hope you have had a lovely weekend and managed to get some serious stitching, quilting done :)

I spent Friday night and all of yesterday and night with a small group of lovely ladies stitching up a storm - and yay have completed the main section of baby sister's (aka Junior Witch) quilt top - Tatty Teddies. Sis wanted a quilt that wasn't too busy in pattern design, and she chose the bulk of the fabrics - eek I don't know if it is plain enough - so hard for me to do - love bold quilts... The borders are plain fabric to tone down the quilt with a funky border fabric (the chequered purple squares) - I've decided I will large stipple in variegated thread to pull it all together - tho won't stipple over the stitcheries - will shadow quilt the boxes...

I'm currently got the fabric hunt emails going to source enough of the fabric's needed for the two borders and binding... (my fingers are crossed).

Here are a variety of pictures (sorry the lighting wasn't too great for good photo taking) ...

I even made a start on the SkrappySak bag pattern that Beth sent to me as part of her gift to me for SSCS08 - using the delicious fabrics that also came with my goodies from Beth - pics to follow for this...

Like all stitching weekends have come home tired, a huge bag of quilting stuff to unpack that didn't even get a chance to touch, a very full tummy - we had such delicious baking provided by our hostess to tempt us everytime we had a cuppa :) Lots of happy laughters and catching up - ah bliss - now its back to reality .... and work tomorrow....

Hugs

From Capital Quilters Inc - February 2009 newsletter...

Quilter Husband's Lament

I've always learned that life was full of obstacles and woes.
I've learned to live with sickness, death, taxes, heaven knows.
I've taken all these things in stride, the problems and strife,
But one I didn't count on was a Quilter for a wife.
Come home from work, the stove is cold, the dirty clothes still there,
The suit I wanted cleaned today, still laying on the chair.
"Where's Mama, son?" I asked my boy, "This house is such a mess.
Why, all the sheets are missing, we've been burglarized I guess."
"No, Mama stripped down all the beds and took the sheets away.
She cut them into little strips and pieced two quilts today."
"Why every pair of pants I own is cut in little squares."
"I'm demonstrating applique," my lovely wife declares.
I show up in the office in my boxer shorts and tie.
My secretary giggles and the clerks give me the eye.
It's freezing cold, I'm shaking and my knees are turning blue.
My boss considered firing me, but his wife's a quilter too.
I told him what had happened and he said he could believe.
I noticed that the coat he wore had only half a sleeve.
A husband needs a loving wife to help him when he's ill.
To soothe and comfort, mop his brow and help him take his pills.
Should influenza strike you, your life's not worth a dime,
Particularly if it hits at Quilt Convention time.
You'll lay there in an empty house in pain and deep despair,
While the workshops and the lectures keep your wife's attention there.
You learn to ask no questions when she smiles and drives away,
Rushing to the Fabric Shop for a big sale there today.
She's gone for hours, then drags back home all bleary eyed and down,
Now who'd believe a lie like that? She must be running round.
But I'll get by, I always do, some days are fine, some not.
When your wife's a Quilter you tolerate a lot.
I know that when my life is through and I pass away
They'll have to set my funeral so it's not a Quilting Day.

(Author: unknown)

Valentine's Surprise...

Frank Loves Bella...

Wonderful treats in the post...

Hmm... let me at them...

Hey Licorice - do you want to try one?

Right, I'll let you share these treats if you are nice... cause my darling Frank sent them to me!

MMMM ... delicious....

Here are all the goodies... from our darling friends Deb and Frank

Beautiful hearts.......

Their new home in my sewing nook...

Thank you so much - was a wonderful Valentine's Surprise.

Big Hugs

Bella &

A very successful first Stonestead Outdoor Quilt Festival

Thank you Yvonne of Sawmillers Quiltery and Kevin of Stonestead Devonshire Teas for hosting the first Stonestead Outdoor Quilt Festival - we couldn't have asked for a better day - it was SO HOT, the sun shone and shone and shone - we had lots and lots of visitors, from near and far, a couple of blog readers introduced themselves to me (and I'm so sorry ladies with serving and meeting people all day, I remember your faces... though your names have escaped my immediate memory - thank you for introducing yourselves to me, it was a real thrill to meet you).

The Quiltery was very busy with lots of fabric been cut from the bolt, and fat quarters of the new fabrics in store, being sold as quickly as we could cut them. I so look forward to seeing some of this fabric in new quilts that I hopefully will get to see at a Show n Tell in the future :) (no pressure all you ladies who purchased fabrics!)

We had lots of families (with the kiddies enjoying the bouncy castle), groups enjoying a picnic under the trees, devonshire teas (poor Kevin sweltering in the kitchen all day with queues of hungry and thirsty guests), Yvonne's husband, George, was our fabulous first aid official.
New quilters, experienced quilters, a couple of cyclists stopped by for a look, along with my husband looking for the "Triumph Motorbike Convention" LOL ... he too was very impressed with the amount of people visiting, I had to laugh as he asked Glen from Wellington Sewing Centre - "now how many gears do these machines (sewing) have!" he was only jesting - though it did bring a smile.

Visitors were very kind with making a gold coin donation and we have collected a wonderful amount to pass onto Te Omanga Hospice. Thank you for your generous support of a very worthy cause.

More photo's will come over the next few days - however I wanted to give you just a sample of the wonderful day we had :)

I just had to include this photo... as we were setting up the quiltery - I noticed a huge dragonfly on the vase of roses - munching away on his breakfast - an unlucky cicada !!

Hope you have all had a lovely weekend...

Hugs

Stonestead Outdoor Quilt Festival...

A reminder...

...FOUR more sleeps until Stonestead's First Outdoor Quilt Festival and Sawmillers Quiltery's first birthday ...

It will be a great day out to meander amongst Stonestead's garden to view the quilts, there will be a bouncy castle for the kiddies to keep them amused whilst you relax and wander...enjoy a freshly made devonshire tea, then pop over to Sawmillers to check out the specials to celebrate their first birthday. Barney and Archie (four paws assistants) will be there to greet you, along with gorgeous Yvonne, delightful Cheryl and me to look after your quilting needs... along with lots of volunteers (who are quilters) to answer any questions, quilters who will be stitching etc

Hope to see you on Sunday, 8th February from 10am to 5pm.

Hugs

A couple of purchases...

Catching up on the latest Homespun magazine - as usual beautiful articles and lots of projects just itching to be stitched.

A lovely book from Minerva (the home of NZ Quilter) - Embroidery & Crazy Quilt Stitch Tool - in the hope that my handstitching knowledge will expand past running stitch, french knots and lazy daisy stitch which have served me well in the past - though its time to broaden one's hand stitching potential LOL.

And these gorgeous gifts cards - pictures of New Zealand quilts by Anna Prussing.

And a couple of gifted fabrics........ delicious Jane Sassman

and butterflies - how could I resist - this will be used on another UFO quilt top... butterfly themed of course

Hugs

A few things I've been working on...

I've been quietly working away on a few things - now this Christmas stitchery is to give me a head start for this year - I believe I found this pattern somewhere in blog-land and I'm so sorry I can't acknowledge the creator. Have made note to self ..."in future note down the blogsite and creator" ...


I've started working on a lovely Mill Hill cross-stitch that also involves little bead work in the borders - the 'cloth' is like a fine plastic and is not that easy to stitch at night - and need to concentrate so only a little progress on this...

Here's a very sneak peak of ChookyBlue's gift for winning my 100th post draw - ChookyBlue this will be on its way to you soonest...



I read Nicola's Daisies regularly and Nicola talks about her collection of 'weekend skirts' - this got me thinking about creating my own supply - here's one from local thrift shop - great score $6.95 ... I've found some other great buys in the local thrift shops too, however haven't taken any pics :(


Then I picked up this fabric from Arthur Toye on sale for $6/mtr so have cut out this skirt to make... ohh I think Nicola, you've got me started on something - have been so used to wearing jeans all the time around home in the weekends - am loving the 'weekend skirt' ... so much so am venturing into wearing them to work instead of the plain black I'm so prone to wear - its really quite refreshing !!

Have also done a little quilting on "Autumn Leaves" - have worked on detailing the batik leaves and now at a standstill while I work out how to machine quilt the background...


Hugs

Kitten Kisses for Frank...

Bella got a gorgeous postcard from her friend Frank the other day, it was such a hoot, Frank left his paw-print along with a very cute message.

Bella was tickled pink she is BLISSED out in love :)

Bella's operation wounds are now all healed (stitches removed) and just waiting for her fur to grow back - the brown smudge on her face was the reminder swipe from Licorice not to get TOO close to him yet - he's still adjusting...

The days have been so hot that Bella has taken to stretching out completely on the concrete floors of the kitchen to cool her tummy - too cute!