It's now April

Hello friends,

thank you for your condolences, and kind and thoughtful messages, it really means so much xx 

Today I'm going to jump back in and start sharing my recent stitching projects, and what else I've been on working on over the past few weeks.  Although our weekends and evenings after work have been filled with lots of admin tasks, and the process of sorting Glenn's Dad house, shed and workshop, I've been trying to squeeze in as much stitching or reading as I can. Presently I'm trying to get a few older projects completed, some ornaments stitched and I have had one new start, for Easter. I have some new goodies on the way, some Nashville releases and other charts from my wish list, threads and fabrics.  These I'll share when they arrive. I also had a very special delivery, all the way from Japan, with an item I'd been wishing for a long time, so once I get some photos sorted, I'll share that here too.  

I think with all the sorting, tidying and decluttering at my father in law's house, I must have been in the right frame of mind as I've made a small start on the absolute "mess" that is my craft storage/office.  In the past year, this small room has become our junk storage space. I hadn't done any sewing in there for ages, and there's piles of stuff, fabric, etc just waiting to be sorted out.  During the summer holidays, Glenn and I rearranged our garage, moving our chest freezer and fridge to other side, creating space for a new store cupboard to go. Glenn finished making this last weekend and we've been able to move quite a bit of stuff out of the office into there. So now I can get stuck in, when I have the time, go through absolutely everything and rearrange to make it work better. A friend of mine is organising a fabric de-stash sale in June, so that's my goal to have it all done by then as she'll take any of my unwanted fabrics, charts, etc.  Watch this space!

I'm not sure why, because this I love the colours in this design, but I hadn't stitched on this project for ages. I'm using all the recommended threads and 36 count Black Swan linen by Fox & Rabbit. 

Another of my focus projects recently, please excuse the wrinkles, Green Coat Santa by Teresa Kogut. I'd started this mid year last year, could have been during #jollyjuly? I'm stitching this on 32 count natural linen and the recommended threads. 

Lastly for today, here's our handsome boy, we are so lucky to have Diesel x

See you soon x

Sad times

 

On Friday 28th February, Glenn's much loved Dad, my lovely father in law Cliff, and Hannah's proud Pop, passed away suddenly after a short illness. Our hearts are broken.

I've known Cliff for a very long time, since I was a high school student, where he was the woodwork teacher, and when I became part of the Jamieson family, he's was always there with a smile and kindness, and always so willing to lend a hand or help out with something. Cliff helped Glenn with many of his projects around our house, and it was Cliff's idea to build the extension from our lounge and kitchen. He loved calling in for a cuppa and some baking, and always enjoyed coming to have a meal with us, especially in the years since Glenn's mum passed.  Cliff loved spending time with his three grand daughters and was incredibly proud of their achievements, watching the girls play sports, including their hockey games on a freezing cold winter's night, and coming to Hannah's end of the year dancing show.  He always had doggie treats in his pocket for Diesel or Buddy.  

In recent years, Cliff had taken up a few hobbies, including e biking and playing golf, and he also really enjoyed getting away on little trips visiting parts of New Zealand he hadn't been to before. He had made lots of new friends, including a lovely lady whom he'd become very close to over the past twelve months, and was enjoying getting out and about socialising, and spending time playing golf together.

During the week after Cliff's passing, we hosted many of Glenn's relatives for meals, and also dinner after Cliff's service. It was so wonderful they were able to be around for a few days and spend time together, some we hadn't seen since Hannah was a baby.  

Clifton Roy Jamieson, forever missed, cherished and loved.

A Finish and Yummy Treats

This design has been so much fun to stitch over the past few months. It's pretty well travelled too, having been with me on my trip to visit my cousin, and then to the beach several times as well.

This is Christmas Cuckoo Clock by the Tiny Modernist, last year's mystery Christmas stitch along.

I used all the recommended DMC threads and 32 count vintage grey Belfast linen. 

So happy to have another of my 2024 projects ticked off the list!

It's been quite hot here this week, we've days that have reached 30c plus, so a friend and I went along to check out a newly opened cafe in town, Rubylicious Cakes.  This lemon meringue raspberry cupcake was divine, 

So was this passionfruit ice cream, yum!

See you soon xx

Beach Days

Over the past month or so, we've been making the most of the sunny and hot weather and heading out to one of our local beaches in our campervan after work on Friday afternoon.  I've usually got everything ready to go by the time Glenn gets in from work, and we're off. How lucky are we to have several beautiful beaches, all only about 45 minutes drive or less from home.

Diesel loves coming too, lots of beach walks, splashes in the waves and hanging out at our camp site.  He gets super tired by the end of the weekend and will usually snooze the day away once we get home.

Some weekends it's just Glenn, Diesel and I, other times Hannah comes along too and puts her tent up, and we are often joined by our friends with their campervans.  Some weekends there's fishing, but usually there is lots of time for just chilling out, enjoying a bbq for dinner, lots of cheese and crackers,  and a few glasses of bubbles.  Often I take my stitching and it doesn't even come out, as I might just spend a few hours reading.  Life at the beach is so much fun, stress free, and I start each week at work with a clear head.  We hope to get a few more beach weekends in before the cooler weather of autumn comes in April. 

See you soon x

Red work, Stitching & Books

Inspired by our friend Clare's wonderful Merry Christmas banner, some of the ladies from my stitching group and I have started a stitch along on the Rosalie Dekker pattern.  I'm using the pre printed linen that came with the pattern and my thread choice is DMC 321, one of my favourites.  It's been quite some time since I did any red work stitching but so far I'm really enjoying getting back into it. 

I did finish the Tiny Modernist Christmas Cuckoo House last week, photos to come once I've ironed it, ha ha.  Now I'm focusing on Peace and Goodwill by Brenda Gervais, a lovely design, and I enjoyed a bit of stitching time on it at the beach last weekend. 

I ordered some of the new Lori Holt happy charms recently, and a panel of her bags to make up too. I'd been wanting to get one of these panels for absolutely ages so was so thrilled to see them in stock at Rainbow Stash.  I need to buy some of the zippers next.  

As usual, I've been reading a lot lately, this was my pile I picked up from the library just before Christmas.  I'm still carrying on my 2024 goal of reading during my lunchbreak, otherwise I'd have my lunch and go straight back to work.  Funny story, twice now in the past twelve months I've reserved Kate Morton's Homecoming and each time I've ran out of time to read it before it needs to go back for the next reader. Third time lucky in a few months perhaps.

Newly purchased Onyx Storm to add to the pile of books to be read.

I finished Inheritance by Nora Roberts over the weekend, a good romance and ghost story. I picked up the next in the series, the Mirror, yesterday so will start that after my current read, We Solve Murders by Richard Osman, the first in a new series. 

We have a long weekend coming up, a public holiday on Thursday for Waitangi Day, and having taken Friday off work, we're off to Poranghau Beach with our friends for a few days. The weather is looking good, Glenn has bought a new fishing rod, so will he be lucky with his fishing? Lots of walks along the beach, catching up with our friends, it will be a fun weekend.

See you soon x

Girls' Trip

Back when my niece Zoe was a little girl and Hannah just a baby, we started spending a week during January in Palmerston North with my family there. We did this for many years until Covid in 2020 and then for the past few years we've only been to visit a few times.  This January Hannah and I had a wonderful few days staying my cousin Donna and her boyfriend. We filled our days with lots of shopping, sightseeing, eating out and enjoying catching up with my aunty and uncle too.

One of the days we went blueberry picking at Blue Acres, a farm near Ashurst, such a fun afternoon, one for the pot, one for my mouth ha ha.

One evening we visited the He Ara Kotahi bridge, which is near the esplanade in Palmerston. There's a pathway that goes for quite a few kms, and along the way there is a stream where you can feed the eels. 

One of the most loveliest aspects of the week was just spending time with Hannah, and following her around as she found shops to visit, and food and drinks to try. This was a strawberry macha latte, and was quite delicious.

We spent a day in Whanganui, and visited Virginia Lake and the Winter Garden. This has always been a favourite place to visit for me, we went there many times when I was a kid.

Hannah decided to recreate this photo from 2017!

It was such a stunning day weather wise, quite hot too.

We spent an afternoon at the movies, Paddington in Peru, such a fun family movie.

Hannah's favourite shop, where we went three times ha ha

We also were able to catch up with other friends and family members, including another cousin and his partner, and see their amazing fruit and vegetables gardens. I also got to meet the lovely ladies at the sewing group, Sew On, my cousin volunteers with for the Arohanui Hospice, where they make lots of different things from recycled fabrics and craft items. 

Such an enjoyable few days in the Manawatu.

See you soon x