Spring has Sprung & Current Project Progress

Spring is in the air - what a good feeling, and our Daylight Savings hours start in a few weekends too. It's been quite busy at my work this week as several of my staff have been on leave for various reasons so the days seem to be flying by quickly.  

Yesterday afternoon I was at my parents, they live in the same street as me, so I snapped a few pics of currently what's flowering in Mum's garden. Daffodils galore, 

Sweet smelling violets,

and pretty hellebores.

Last Sunday it was a fairly good day so we packed up a picnic lunch, put on some warm clothes and headed out to the beach.  Glenn has two new purchases - a drone which he is going to use for fishing, and a new vehicle, a 2025 Nissan Navara, both needed testing out of course!

It was a sunny out there but boy, the wind was freezing! We enjoyed a brisk walk along the beach, then a hot cuppa.

Glenn had a good practise with the drone - it will be great to see it in action with his fishing line one day soon.

Stitching at the moment, I'm focusing on getting a few small projects finished, and would you believe it, I've been actually "finishing" a few items.  I've also been making some good progress on several wips including Stacy Nash's Gingerbread House Sewing book, sorry I can't recall what fabric I'm using for this design. 

Americana Blue by October House Fibre Arts, which I'm stitching on 36 count Fibre on a Whim Affogato linen with WDW Blue Jeans threads. 

Humming of the Bees by Blackbird Designs, I'm stitching this on 36 count vintage mocha linen.

These photos looked a bit washed out, sorry!

Spring time here in Central Hawkes Bay also means the start of the CHB Spring Fling, with various events being held during September and October. This Saturday is one of my favourite events, the Spring Market, where there will be lots of stalls, food trucks and entertainment. I hope the weather holds out for it as the forecast is not looking too good.  Glenn is off to Auckland with some friends to watch the All Blacks rugby team play South Africa, Hannah has her yearly ballet exam, and my niece Zoe and her Dad Marcus, my younger brother, are visiting so it should be a fun but full on weekend!

See you soon x

A finish, new stash, books and scissors

It's a beautiful autumn day here in NZ, and we've been enjoying some really nice weather lately. I love the weather at this time of the year, cooler mornings and evenings but gorgeous sunny days. Our daylight savings ended last weekend. Its also the start of the school holidays here, Hannah now has two weeks off school after finishing term 1. We have the Easter break coming up from Friday so we're all looking forward to some down time around home. We might head up to Napier over the break, for a day out, go somewhere nice for lunch perhaps. Other plans include more sorting in my craft room/office and Glenn has been building a new rose planter box as we were gifted a rose from some friends, Compassion, so he'll try and get it finished.

Another work in progress ticked off the list, Green Coat Santa, which I finished over the weekend. Stitched with recommended threads and 32 count natural Belfast linen.

Lovely mail received recently from Helen, That Crafty Kiwi :

I've ordered some linen from Helen for this chart

New Cohana scissors, all the way from Japan. I couldn't resist when I saw these being advertised 

Oh Joyous Day came out of my stitching basket for my sampler choice last week and I spent a few evenings working on this lovely design. 

Some new books bought with some birthday money. A new cook book by Vanya Insull, VJ Cooks, a NZ food blogger, and this is her third book. I just love her recipes, so easy and most of the recipes use pantry staples. 

a new Hunger Games novel, and the latest in a series by local Hawke Bay writers Gareth and Louise Ward. They own a bookshop in Havelock North, which is not far from where I live.

Have a fab week friends, see you soon x

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

April update

The past few weeks have just flown by! Earlier in the month I celebrated my 50th birthday and what a wonderful day I had, or week I should say, as the celebrations were happening all week long! 

A family dinner, catching up with everyone was so lovely and we had such a fun night together. 

Love this photo of Hannah and I with my gorgeous nieces. 

I was totally spoilt by my work friends, not only did they surprise me with a very delicious morning tea, where some of my family also came along, they gifted me a Pandora necklace and charm. 

This fun chocolate board, hilarious. 

We enjoyed dinner out at our favourite local Indian restaurant.

Another wonderful little party with some family and my dear stitching friends. 

Hannah loved catching up with her young cousins, Logan, is about to turn 1 year old. 

I was completely overwhelmed when my lovely friends Kath and Wendy presented me with this wonderful quilt! I absolutely love it and its going to be well used this winter. 

Super happy as my cousin Donna came too, we hadn't seen each other in ages.

I'm so grateful for all the lovely birthday celebrations, and to my family and friends for making it all so special. 

Now for a stitching update - there's been lots going on but not a lot of time lately to get some things fully finished, soon I hope!

I really enjoyed stitching Valentine's Quaker by Primrose Cottage. Stitched on 32 count white linen with Classic Colourworks Ripe Melon thread.

My other recent fully finished project is Wilhelmina by Fox & Rabbit. Stitched on 36 count vintage mocha linen with recommended threads. 

As I have several samplers on the go right now, I'm trying to get some decent stitching done on each one. Most weeks I pull one out and will stitch on it for several evenings. This week's sampler, Oh Joyous Day, hasn't been stitched on in ages, such a lovely design.

I think that's everything up to date for now. This coming weekend is a long weekend for us, tomorrow we commemorate ANZAC day, then on Friday Glenn and I are both taking leave to spend the day with Hannah as its school holidays right now. I think we're heading to Napier for the day.

See you soon x