Have just realised I haven't blogged in over 2 months, where did those weeks go?
My sewing sort of came to a halt at beginning of April. My DH got a new job so we had two weeks to work on the house before he started, then like me he would only have 2 days a week off -at present I have Fri /Sat he has Sun /Mon off. LOL
Priority before winter was to put in the new double glazed windows.
Our old dining room windows, architraves off and windows ready to remove.
New windows in, how much more modern is this.
Luckily I didn't have to put them in place, being double glazed they are very heavy, my job was from the inside lining them up and cleaning up the mess afterwards!!!!
We had drapes on these windows but I no longer want them. They close up the corner so am replacing with narrow venetian blinds for privacy from the street. I have them - just waiting for DH to finish windows and install them!!!
After this.
Our friends have just completed a 3 bedroom extension to their house for her parents.
Can you make my Mum a bedspread? Thinking I could work in a colour/ style spectrum and make a quilt I said, Sure what would you like?
A very simple one, I have found plain sheets that are a perfect match for her drapes and I want a lightweight
bedspread that goes to the floor and is reversible. Duck Egg blue one side and cream the other.
Okay - not what I hoped for but that took up another couple of weeks of my time.
May came and we had our first holiday together in 9 years.
My DH loves his Big Boy's car. We had been told about a group of car enthusiasts who organise what they call the "Gumboot Rally" a couple of times a year. In May it was a Coast to Coast scavenger hunt, race car themed. Raglan to Tauronga then back to Hamilton over a weekend. we signed up and added an extra couple of days as Whangarei to Raglan is 4 hours, same from Hamilton back home so lets enjoy a week away.
Steve's new employer's were happy to signwrite his car for him as they sponser some motor sport in NZ.
When we arrived in Raglan his car looked like this. It even looks like race car!!!!
May came and we had our first holiday together in 9 years.
My DH loves his Big Boy's car. We had been told about a group of car enthusiasts who organise what they call the "Gumboot Rally" a couple of times a year. In May it was a Coast to Coast scavenger hunt, race car themed. Raglan to Tauronga then back to Hamilton over a weekend. we signed up and added an extra couple of days as Whangarei to Raglan is 4 hours, same from Hamilton back home so lets enjoy a week away.
Steve's new employer's were happy to signwrite his car for him as they sponser some motor sport in NZ.
When we arrived in Raglan his car looked like this. It even looks like race car!!!!
Next morning at the start 50 cars from all era's of motorsport
Am not going to bore you with all Steve's photo's but this is his dream toy, a Lotus Elice.
After the start, first task- have your photo taken with a fisherman in Raglan
These guys stood patiently at the wharf and had a great time as 50 people took their photo.
From here we had several hours driving wonderful backroads on our way to Tauronga.
Then a problem.
Hit a pothole and our rear tire died. If Steve had put in extra wheel nuts suitable for the spare wheel no problem but his mag wheel nuts were smaller so time to call out the Bridgestone rescue team for a roadside tire change
Back in the rally and caught up with the others. Another must have, a photo of a team member at Life Rock.
Sadly, shortly after was this was the end of the rally for us.
The car died on us a couple of hours later, No drive at all. DH thought clutch had gone, he was going to replace it before the rally but ran out of time, did have new one with us though.
This is when my holiday really started.
Can't fix it on the side of the road, AA arrived, no photo as I forgot to take one of our car on back of truck.
Where are we anyway. NO idea as we have been following our route book and don't know the area.
Middle of South Waikato District, closest town and motel in Tirau- No vacancy at only motel- they are building a new service station and are full of construction workers!!!
Truck driver knows a place about 6 km's away that should have room available.
The Okoroire Hot springs Hotel, built in the 1870 / 80's, Lovingly restored and added to over the years.
The bill was also up there compared to what we had planned on spending, but luckily we were able to cancel our planned accomodation which was some help.
Recently bought by Korean's it is undergoing a further upgrade especially to it's thermal hot spring pools which are the first concrete hot pools in NZ.
WOW, These people were the greatest in the world. Room to unload the car by our studio unit at the rear, a wonderful bar/restaurant where we over indulged that night, meeting and talking with the locals who make this place their own and also a couple who were celebating their wedding anniversary and have done so there for 20 years. Hotel also has it's own 9 hole golf course, tennis courts and volley ball courts.
Could understand the charges when we discovered all it's facilities.
The new owners recently bought this 1935 Rolls Royce, Fully warranted and registered it has never moved from its parking space since they bought it, just part of the look.
I had a fabulous time as I could only hand my DH tools as he worked on the car.
We did have two 4 1/2 hr trips in a rental car, hired to us by the Mitsubushi dealers in Matamata at a NO km rate. Back home, spend a night at home to take the gearbox out of my car the next morning and then back to fix our broken car. Another night spent with great people. Finally arrived home at 11pm
Got sidetracked this week with the new fabric's as they are going to be perfect for large cushion covers in the lounge and I have found a Ginny Beyer pattern I can reduce and use for them.
New fabric's always mean a new project - don't they?
Am not going to bore you with all Steve's photo's but this is his dream toy, a Lotus Elice.
After the start, first task- have your photo taken with a fisherman in Raglan
These guys stood patiently at the wharf and had a great time as 50 people took their photo.
From here we had several hours driving wonderful backroads on our way to Tauronga.
Then a problem.
Hit a pothole and our rear tire died. If Steve had put in extra wheel nuts suitable for the spare wheel no problem but his mag wheel nuts were smaller so time to call out the Bridgestone rescue team for a roadside tire change
Back in the rally and caught up with the others. Another must have, a photo of a team member at Life Rock.
Sadly, shortly after was this was the end of the rally for us.
The car died on us a couple of hours later, No drive at all. DH thought clutch had gone, he was going to replace it before the rally but ran out of time, did have new one with us though.
This is when my holiday really started.
Can't fix it on the side of the road, AA arrived, no photo as I forgot to take one of our car on back of truck.
Where are we anyway. NO idea as we have been following our route book and don't know the area.
Middle of South Waikato District, closest town and motel in Tirau- No vacancy at only motel- they are building a new service station and are full of construction workers!!!
Truck driver knows a place about 6 km's away that should have room available.
The Okoroire Hot springs Hotel, built in the 1870 / 80's, Lovingly restored and added to over the years.
The bill was also up there compared to what we had planned on spending, but luckily we were able to cancel our planned accomodation which was some help.
Recently bought by Korean's it is undergoing a further upgrade especially to it's thermal hot spring pools which are the first concrete hot pools in NZ.
WOW, These people were the greatest in the world. Room to unload the car by our studio unit at the rear, a wonderful bar/restaurant where we over indulged that night, meeting and talking with the locals who make this place their own and also a couple who were celebating their wedding anniversary and have done so there for 20 years. Hotel also has it's own 9 hole golf course, tennis courts and volley ball courts.
Could understand the charges when we discovered all it's facilities.
The new owners recently bought this 1935 Rolls Royce, Fully warranted and registered it has never moved from its parking space since they bought it, just part of the look.
These giant Red Woods border the walkway to the hotpools
A five minute stroll through these trees are the hot pools.
Updating has just begun so they are now closed to the public but we were allowed to take these photo's
This next photo I think is very telling as
hanging in the dining room is this photo.
Opening day in 1878, not a lot has changed.
When renovation has finished what a fabulous place this will be.
Just had to take these photo's of these baskets hanging outside every studio unit
I had a fabulous time as I could only hand my DH tools as he worked on the car.
We did have two 4 1/2 hr trips in a rental car, hired to us by the Mitsubushi dealers in Matamata at a NO km rate. Back home, spend a night at home to take the gearbox out of my car the next morning and then back to fix our broken car. Another night spent with great people. Finally arrived home at 11pm
A phonecall from my quilting group last week has stirred me back into quilting. "The show is next month, have you finished LE yet or what else have you made that you would like to show?"
Owned up to having packed LE away for the time being. " Well Fabrege is finished, Poppies only needs last border and binding (forget the beading, it might or might not happen) and 12 DOC, I better get a move on!!!!
Last week I added border, binding and hanging sleeve to my Poppies wallhanging
Now called "Lest We Forget" it had been pinned on our lounge wall unfinished but while watching the Anzac Day services I just had to get my late FIL's medals from the drawer and pin them to my wall hanging as he served in both Africa and Egypt. It just seemed right to do so.
Not sure if I will get the beading done on the poppies before the show next month as my thumbs are really playing up at present but I am happy with it as it is.
At this stage I am going to bind 12 DOC tomorrow and add hanging sleeve ready for the show then see how much extra background quilting I can get done in time as main quilting is done. Baubles have had red ribbon added for hanging and I have found little star buttons to hang them from, only four attached yet to get the ribbon length right. Next week should be able to 12 DOC is finished
At this stage I am going to bind 12 DOC tomorrow and add hanging sleeve ready for the show then see how much extra background quilting I can get done in time as main quilting is done. Baubles have had red ribbon added for hanging and I have found little star buttons to hang them from, only four attached yet to get the ribbon length right. Next week should be able to 12 DOC is finished
While making the Ginny Beyer wall hanging Faberge I really feel in love with her fabrics and how well they work together. Ginny has combined with Craftsy for a free block of the month quilt along.
Not quite what I want to make but my WOW was that this BOM uses the border fabric I used as a substitute in my Faberge Hanging, and I could buy a 16 piece fat quarter pack of her new fabric's which are very similar to my Faberge fabrics. I was impressed as ordered on 8th May they arrived on 22nd May.
Not quite what I want to make but my WOW was that this BOM uses the border fabric I used as a substitute in my Faberge Hanging, and I could buy a 16 piece fat quarter pack of her new fabric's which are very similar to my Faberge fabrics. I was impressed as ordered on 8th May they arrived on 22nd May.
Got sidetracked this week with the new fabric's as they are going to be perfect for large cushion covers in the lounge and I have found a Ginny Beyer pattern I can reduce and use for them.
New fabric's always mean a new project - don't they?
This is the Ginny Beyer Wall hanging pattern "Facets"
A free download pattern from her website.
If I finally want to link to Esther;s WOW I neeed to close now and make the link,
Cheer's everyone, Enjoy what you are doing,
Jenny
