Bunny Treat Bags

When searching around for a little Easter craft project to make for Hannah and my nieces, I remembered that I had bookmarked some Bunny treat bags last year, after Easter had been and gone:)

The tutorial and free template can be found here.

All set for Easter now, hope the Easter bunny comes!

See you soon x

Jingle All the Way

I can't resist Lizzie Kate's cute Christmas designs - this kit was released late last year.

Jingle all the Way - Lizzie Kate

stitched with recommended threads, fabrics supplied.

The lovely red and green fabric, buttons and bells were supplied in the kit.  Made into a simple pillow.

See you soon x

Stitching with Friends and a Birthday Gift

Once a month I spend an afternoon catching up with my lovely stitching friends. Last year we only managed to get together a handful of times but so far this year we're sticking to the monthly routine.

It's such an enjoyable way to spend a Saturday afternoon - stitching (some of us do!), laughing, snacking and cuppas, and plenty of chit chat about what is happening in our daily lives.

So a round up from Saturday's session: my stitching project, another in the Country Cottage Needleworks ornament series, don't you just love the spotty fabric :)

The lovely Kath :)

Kath was stitching on a Cats Whiskers design using a very pretty thread.

One of Kath's neat project bags.

 The rest of the happy bunch, Janet, Clare and Wendy.

Wendy is going great on her kitty cats cross stitch, we give her lots of encouragement with all those colour changes.

This is Clare's little stitching project - from the Stoney Creek magazine.

 Janet's stitching accessories - handbags and shoes of course!

 Janet is making great progress on her Leanne Beasley stitching box embroidery.

Dear Wendy, the birthday girl, who celebrated her birthday on Sunday and she's started a new job this week.

Yay, welcome to the project bag club Wendy - Kath made this one for Wendy.



And my gift for Wendy was a little "door hanger" using a stitchery by Natalie Bird.

I chose some cute Lynette Anderson fabric to finish it and added a little gathered frill (idea from here)

Another brilliant afternoon with the ladies. Friends, food, and stitching together, makes for a happy time don't you think?

See you soon xx

Crochet Blanket

Three weeks ago today, there was a little addition to my extended family, one of my cousins and his wife welcomed their first child, a little boy. They live in Melbourne, Australia and the very proud grandparents will be visiting during Easter. I wanted to make a special something to send over with them and decided on a simple crochet granny square blanket.

I ordered some lovely 100% pure New Zealand wool from the Wool Company and started it one afternoon while waiting for Hannah at her Pippins group.

 I love using the Clover Amour crochet hooks

I added a simple scalloped edging.

Hannah was pretty happy to snuggle under the blanket one day last week when she was a bit under the weather. I think I'll have to make another!

Walk Before You Fly

I hope you are having an enjoyable weekend. Hannah has had her best friend to stay for a sleepover, and DH and I have been gardening, cleaning windows and I've been catching up on some monthly bookwork for DH too.  I also made a yummy slice yesterday, Caramel Fruit slice, from the Chelsea Sugar website. Lovely recipes there!

I've been stitching lately on a Country Cottage Needleworks design.  This was first started back in February 2014 and then put away for some reason or another. When I was sorting out some bits and pieces in my stitching baskets recently I thought I'd better get a move on with it.

Here's the finished piece - thanks to my friend Clare for coming to my rescue with some Shutter Green thread, I ran out with only a few leaves to stitch.

Walk Before You Fly by Country Cottage Needleworks

stitched on 32ct mocha belfast linen with recommended threads.

See you soon x

Napier Art Deco Weekend

Backtracking a little bit today, a few weekends ago, on a gorgeous summer day, Hannah and I went with my parents and Zoe to Napier to check out the Art Deco weekend happenings.

On the 3rd February 1931 most of Napier was leveled by a 7.8 earthquake and subsequent fires, 261 people died and thousands were injured.  Napier was entirely rebuilt in the years following in the architectural style of the times - Spanish Mission, stripped classical and Art Deco.

Now every February Napier celebrates it's annual festival with over 200 events bringing 1000's of people into the area from all over New Zealand, and visitors from overseas as well.  There's outdoor concerts, vintage car parades, Great Gatsby picnics, steam train excursions, fashion parades and so much more. Locals and visitors dress in 1920s and 1930s fashion.

One of the events we got to see was the Veroncia Bell Parade. The Royal New Zealand Navy played a significant role in the aftermath of the 1931 earthquake. HMS Veronica had berthed in Napier's harbour that morning and immediately began assisting the people of Napier. The bell from HMS Veronica was presented to the city as a momento and is now housed in the Hawkes Bay Museum. The bell is rung each New Year and again at the conclusion of Art Deco weekend to commemorate those who suffered and died in the earthquake.

The last event we enjoyed was a vintage plane fly over, what an awesome display in the sky over the Marine Parade.

This was our first time attending this amazing festival but certainly won't be our last. You can find out more about Napier Art Deco here.

See you soon x

Dear Rudolph

This little kit by Lizzie Kate was a quick stitch, I think I'll be stitching this cute design again for my gift ornaments.

Lizzie Kate - Dear Rudolph kit

stitched on 32ct lambswool linen with recommended threads

The fabric, buttons, beads, and rick rack were provided in the kit.  

Many thanks for all your kind words on my previous post, and those of you taking the time to say hello in an email, thank you as well. To my new followers, welcome and I'm so pleased you found my blog. 

Bye for now xx

February Ornaments

My 2015 ornament stitching has started! As you know, Christmas ornaments are some of my favourite designs to stitch and every year I like to gift out several to my family and friends - they must all have quite a little collection from me by now! 

Here's February choices:

Lizzie Kate's Winter ABC's

stitched on 32ct waterlily jobelan with recommended threads

Country Cottage Needlework - Dear Santa

# 2 in the Classic Ornaments collection

stitched on 32ct cream belfast with recommended threads

The Little Stitcher - Merry Christmas Deer, freebie found here

stitched on 30ct RR Reproductions Abecedarian linen

with recommended threads

I have lots of freebie designs and charts stored away for future stitching so enjoy flicking through these folders each month deciding what to stitch. 

I'll be back soon with another little Christmas finish.