Lots of stitching and other news

Hello friends, how quickly the days seem to be going right now. It's been quite hectic at my work and I've also been helping one of my aunts that recently moved, with packing up and then unpacking at her new house. 

Hannah has a couple of days left of the school term, then two weeks holiday break, and once she goes back for the last term of the year, she'll only be at school for a few weeks before study leave starts for end of the year exams. She's recently had her annual dancing exams, and has also had a visit to our local polytechnic, where she is going to be studying one day a week from early next year. Exciting times ahead for our girl.

Lots of stitching happening here right now too. I've been really enjoying stitching on some of my sampler projects including Oh Joyous Day by Blackbird Designs. I love the colours in this design.

More finishing is happening when I have a bit of time to get my sewing machine out. These two adorable bunny designs are from Lila Studio's Spring Parade 1 & 2 booklets, stitched on 36 count vintage mocha linen.

Strawberry car 

Carrot Car

Winter Rose Manor, which I started way back in January 2021, is nearly done. I don't know why I left the house stitching until last though!

Stitched on 36 count Wren by Picture This Plus linen with the recommended threads, WDW Conch for the house.

Part 1 of the 2024 Christmas Cuckoo Clock mystery stitch along by Tiny Modernist is finished and I'm looking forward to seeing what Part 2 will be on the 1st October.

One of my work friends recently made this pretty set of stitching accessories for me - needlebook, pumpkin pin cushion and thread catcher. I love the pink fabric.

A new start recently - I waited patiently for this chart to be released as a PDF, Beautiful Things by Primrose Cottage Stitches.  I think this design will look awesome on the front of a project bag.

I hadn't done any lunch box baking in ages so on the weekend I made a walnut, apple and carrot loaf, yum, 

Chocolate chip and banana slice, this was so tasty. 

                                                      

                  

I always love to try Whittaker's new releases and picked up these two from the supermarket recently - being a dark chocolate fan, the raspberry and strawberry would be my favourite.

I snapped a pic of these gorgeous irises in my aunty's garden the other day - I really do miss the spring bulbs at my old work place. 

This coming weekend we are catching up with some friends we haven't seen in ages, and our Daylight savings hours start on Sunday. I can't believe that October is nearly here!

See you soon x

Satsuma Street cuties

Earlier in the year I bought some of the Satuma Street Christmas designs as I thought they were so cute! Over the winter months I decided to kit up some of the designs, bought some perforated paper and away I went. I thoroughly enjoyed stitching these designs with the bright colours.

Candy Claus

Santa Cruiser

Ring a Ding Santa

Lolly Claus

As you can see, I've cut the designs out ready and will the use the red felt as the backing.  These have been so much fun to make.  

See you soon x

New stitching starts and poor Diesel!

Hello friends, each year I look forward to joining the Tiny Modernist's mystery Christmas stitch along, which gets underway on the 1st September. Parts are released each month leading up to Christmas. 

This year's design is a Christmas Cuckoo Clock - looks like I'm in for a lot of stitching on this one!

My fabric choice is 32 count Vintage Grey Belfast linen, which I was able to buy at my local sewing shop, Curtis Fabrics.

My stitching so far

I also decided to start this sweet design on the weekend, the threads in this design are so pretty.

Spring time here in Central Hawkes Bay means it's the annual Spring Fling time, with various events being held throughout September and October. This Saturday's event was a market held at one of our local parks with lots of stalls, food trucks, and entertainment. Hannah and I went along with my friend Sherryn, and we had a lovely time strolling around in the sunshine. So many people out and about.

 

Hannah had her annual dancing exams over the weekend too, jazz and ballet, and she was very happy how they went.  

We went along to our local movie theatre Saturday night to see the new Beetlejuice movie, which was bit of a laugh, quite cheesy. I was a teenager when the first movie came out, I don't know how many times I would have watched it. I also used to love watching any movie with Winona Ryder in it.

Glenn has made a great job on getting the small deck done off our laundry.  The boxing part to the left of this photo will eventually be a small garden.

Poor Diesel, he was so unwell late last week, which was very worrying We'd noticed a few days earlier he seemed really lethargic and snorting a lot, and then on Friday morning, he was making some loud "coughing" noises. I was able to drop him into our vets on my way to work Friday morning and after a thorough check up, Glenn was able to collect him after lunch, three lots of medication and lots of $$ later, it turns out he has an ear infection again, skin irritations and congestion. After lots of care and attention, and the medicines kicking in, this week he is a lot better and will go back to the vets on the weekend for another check up. 

See you soon x

Hello friends, it's time for a stitching update - as always, I have lots of things on the go, makes life interesting ha ha.

Sampler September, a stitch along on Instagram,  is underway and unlike previous years, where I've started a new project, this year I've chosen to concentrate on getting one or two of my current works in progress possibly finished, fingers crossed.

I've made some great progress on the Light of Winter by Brenda Gervais. This is being stitched on 36 count Ballet Slippers by Fox & Rabbit using the recommended threads. I started this at the start of December 2023.

The light isn't so good on these photos sorry.

These next two fully finished pillows are some Easter stitching.  This little pillow is from the Jelly Bean Jubilee booklet by Brenda Gervais, stitched on 40 count vintage mocha Belfast linen.

Spring Awakens, also by Brenda Gervais, and stitched on 36 count vintage mocha Belfast linen.

For both of these, I twisted some DMC chenille to make the trim.

Here's Christmas Bird, from the Pastel Collection by Country Cottage Needleworks, finished as a flat ornament.

This is going to be the first Christmas ornament for our friends' new baby grand daughter, born on the 14th August, Margot Florence. I can't wait to have baby cuddles when they come to visit in a few weeks time.

 

Thanks for stopping by, see you soon x

The Rest of August Catch Up

Hi friends, it's now officially spring here in New Zealand, I can't believe we are through winter, and in a few short weeks not only will it be the school holidays again but our Daylight savings hours will start. 

Just sharing a few things from the rest of August - a nice surprise left on my desk at work by one of my staff members who visited the local daffodil farm.

This past Sunday was a lovely warm spring day, so Glenn and I ticked off a few jobs on our outside to do list, including getting our greenhouse ready all tidied and swept out. I can't wait to get some vegetable seeds going in the greenhouse - lettuce, beans, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, spinach, beans, etc hopefully ready to be planted out in late October. 

 

Our winter garden has been going well, there's been lots of celery, silver beet and plenty of broccoli to share with my parents too.

So pretty seeing the neighbour's fruit trees in blossom.

Books I've enjoyed lately: this one by NZ author Michael Bennett, is the second in a series, which I didn't realise but can be read as a stand alone. 

David Baldacci's latest story - it's not light reading, I think this might be my favourite book so far this year.

Glenn and I had a few nights away in Auckland last week, going to see a band that Glenn likes from the US, Greta Van Fleet. The concert was really good but oh so loud!!

The weather was perfect for walking around the CBD and waterfront, and we visited Sylvia Park for some shopping. It was good to get away for a couple of days. 

As always, Glenn has several home projects on the go and the latest is this little area having a spruce up. A new deck to come and concreting to go in what used to be a small patch of grass. We're also thinking of having a boxed garden with some sort of hedging along the edging, if that makes sense.

Miss H and her lovely friend recently competed in a high school dance competition, and received a runner up placing in their category. Their dance was beautiful to watch, the girls had spent many hours choreographing the dance, then practising, picking out their costumes, doing their own hair and make up.

Hannah's hockey season has recently finished too, and she thoroughly enjoyed it. Held on Monday evenings, some weeks the weather was freezing, or pouring with rain, but the kids got out there, played their game, win or lose, they had a ball.

Stitching lately has included finishing some Stitching with the Housewives ornaments leftover from Jolly July, and also working on some older sampler projects. I'll be back soon with some stitching pics.

See you soon x