New Starts, Knitting, 18 Birthday Candles and more

 Hello friends,

well, I can't get this photo the right way up but this is a recent start on Mother's Day last Sunday. Birds and Bees Sewing Roll by Stacy Nash. I actually had another piece of linen chosen for this project but when the Fox & Rabbit linens I'd bought for my May Fabric club arrived, I thought this would be perfect. 36 count Prehistoric linen with the recommended Weeks Dye Works threads.

The other linen fat quarter I'd bought is a newly released colour by Fox & Rabbit, Tuscan Path.

Recently I went into a shop in town that has a small selection of yarns and knitting accessories and found this pretty sock yarn.  My other rainbow socks have been relegated to "file 13" for now, ha ha. 

These have been my lunch break project lately.

Another new project underway has been one of Teresa Kogut's Santas, lots of stitches in this design. I love the DMC red colour, DMC 22.

Our darling Hannah May is now 18, wow, where have the years gone?  

We celebrated with takeaways, an ice cream cake and treats as Hannah had been late at school, involved in the dress rehearsals for their latest production, in the hair and make up team. 

It was Mother's day here last Sunday and for a treat on Saturday night, we went out with friends to a restaurant we'd not been to before. It was delicious and I enjoyed a crispy salmon and pork belly salad for my main followed by sticky date pudding for dessert, so divine!

On Sunday afternoon Hannah and I watched the school production, Alice in Wonderland.  Wow, there are some incredibly talented young adults at our local high school and I really enjoyed watching several of Hannah's good friends taking to the stage.  

I'll finish today with some recent photos of the goodest boy ever, Mr Diesel.  We've had to put our river walks on hold for a week or so as he's had a sore paw but we'll be back walking our limestone tracks hopefully this coming weekend. 

See you soon x

Sewing, new starts and books

Hi friends, 

More Lori Holt bags were finished this past weekend after a few hours at my sewing machine, I still have a few more to go from the two fabric panels. 

I love the colours in these ones. 

I started two new projects around my birthday earlier in the month - first up, A Daily Reminder by Brenda Gervais. I'd purchased this chart last year and then bought the fabric from Helen at That Crafty Kiwi, so it's been kitted for awhile.  The 36 count Arboreal fabric by Cedar River linen is a lot greener than this photo is showing.   

Another new start this month is Peace on Earth by Shakespeare's Peddler, I'm stitching this on 36 count Dust Bunny by Fox & Rabbit with the recommended threads. 

Two night's stitching:

This week I've finished the third ornament in the current series from the Hands on Designs, Plaid Tidings.  There'll be another design coming out sometime after the 1st May.

It’s been a little while since I talked about what I’m planning to read, but I’ve added a few new titles to my stack, all of which I’m really looking forward to.

That's it for today’s update — now to decide which book to open first, and which of the above stitching projects to work on later.

See you soon x

Wild wet weather

Hi friends, 

What a stretch of wild weather we’re having at the moment. Just last weekend we were under a cyclone warning, and now this week the North Island is being hammered by heavy rain. It looks like this weather is set to stick around for a few more days yet, and with the temperatures dropping, you can really feel winter is on it's way.

My latest finish depicts the weather perfectly, Mr Bunny sheltering his chicks from the rain :)

I couldn't resist starting this new Teresa Kogut chart, Spring Rain, when it arrived. Stitched on 32 count vintage mocha linen using most of the called for threads. 

Another Mill Hill Santa completed for the collection.  The back stitching in this design almost drove me crazy!

I love seeing what the free stitch Friday design is going to be in the Primrose Cottage Stitches newsletter each month. This time it was another Sweetly Sayin' design, a little sampler all about stitching.  This photo has come out quite dark so doesn't show the colour of the fabric very well,  Pewter Lugana. 

One of my friends and I have been getting together to work on some of the Lori Holt bag panels. We've been having a good time, and lots of laughs, as we work out the best method for us to put the panels together. We've both been using Elizabeth Ann Can Stitch's project bag tutorial on You tube and have made a few adjustments, including using iron on stabiliser and lining fabrics.   Not sure what I'm going to do with 16 new project bags, ha ha. 

I had a birthday earlier in the month and it was good timing as the fabric I'd ordered for my own fabric of the month club arrived from Helen, That Crafty Kiwi.  This month I chose 40 count White Clay by Fox and Rabbit, and added the cutest needle minder and a pink Nurge frame to the order. 

A parcel also came from Elizabeth at Stitch NZ, with some fabric and threads, and also a tacky bill, which might make the beading on the Mill Hill Santas a little easier, and prevent beads from going everywhere!

The day of my birthday I also received my recent order from 123 Stitch, containing some Nashville releases and wish list charts, and the red Aztec linen in the next photo. 

Isn't it great when designers offer PDF charts - instant gratification, and awesome for international stitchers.  I purchased Peace on Earth, and several others, from Teresa, Kitten Stitcher, as soon as the chart was listed in her site. Peace on Earth has been on my wish list for two years since it was first released as a retreat exclusive.   I started it on the weekend so when I've made some decent progress I'll share a pic. 

Birthday bubbles using a special glass gifted by my niece Zoe a few years ago.

Another lovely mail delivery,  a new Glasshouse candle and fragrance to enjoy over the coming months.

I had the nicest day with my stitching friends recently. We’ve been meeting up more often this year, and it’s been wonderful to enjoy that time together.  Kath treated me to some new accessories, which I just love:

I also received a little gift in the mail from my dear friend Elizabeth, 

This wooden needlebook is so sweet.

I'll be back soon with a couple of new projects, and some new books too.  Have a great week.

See you soon x

Easter Weekend

Easter this year saw us travel all the way up to Pukekohe for a long‑overdue catch‑up with Glenn’s Dad's side of the family. We hadn’t been there since October 2013 — far too long, and even though we saw some of the family at Glenn's dad's funeral service last March, some of the family we hadn't seen since Hannah was a baby.

It was awesome to revisit familiar spots, soak in the scenery, and even stop by the old Jamieson family farm. On one of the night's there was a gathering with 46 family members present, including the newest family member, aged 6 weeks old :) Lots of hugs, food, and laughter, a very special occasion.

We'd hired an air b & b at Karaka, the perfect spot for the weekend. 

We all fell in love with Glenn's aunty's new ragdoll kitten, little Chowder, he is absolutely gorgeous :)

We took the girls on a sight seeing trip around Pukekohe, a real mix of nostalgia and “wow, things have changed, and gosh, this is a busy place now". 

from the last time we visited :)  Glenn's Dad lived on the family farm at Buckland until he left home to train in his trade as a carpenter, the family farm being established in the early 1900's. There are no Jamiesons living along Jamieson Rd now.

The weather was perfect all Easter, asides from a few showers later on Saturday evening. 

From there, we headed back to Taupo for a night, and enjoyed a chilled out stay there, some more yummy food, a treat from Starbucks and a wander around in the sunshine. It was a very busy, lots of people out and about. 

A very meaningful Easter, reconnecting with family and making memories :)

See you soon x