NIcky's BIrthday Quilt

 My secret sewing is completed, I've finished and gifted the birthday quilt to my daughter Nicky for her 60th birthday.  Nicky had quite specific ideas for her birthday quilt, nothing sharp and spiky such as stars, she wanted 9 patches.  And in pinks and greens.  I could do that for her.  I had started the quilt some time ago, gathering up fabrics in the required colours, cutting and assembling the nine patch blocks.  In between times of course I stitched away at other projects and challenges.

Slowly the blocks were completed.  I stitched pink nine patches with a centre green square, and green nine patches with a pink centre square.  Webbing them together, I assembled the top.  What about the border, I pondered, and decided on a curvy ric rac with appliqued flowers and leaves.  That was a bit of a disaster, I didn't have enough ric rac!  All those curves were using up much more of the trim than I had calculated.  There was nothing for it but to drive down to Pete's Emporium in Porirua and hope they still had it in stock.  Luckily they did, so I purchased some more, and stopped off at a local cafe for a coffee and cheese roll as a reward, and thanking my lucky stars it all worked out.

I'd run out of this

Then I set to work on the borders, cutting out flowers and leaves, and then machine appliqueing them in place.  Gemma checked them out for me, she is such a big help.

Mmm, what's this, flowers and leaves.

The applique took me quite a while, then at last the top was finished and I dropped it around to get it commercially quilted.  But there was a problem, Deborah wasn't happy with the ric rac on the borders and was worried that the foot on her long arm would get tangled up on it.  The weeks were ticking by, and I was getting concerned about the timing.  Luckily Jacqui took the job on for me instead, and sketched out what she planned to do in the blocks, sashings and borders, all free hand guided quilting.

One step closer, quilt top and backing

I got the quilt back in time, and got on with the binding, stitching it on by machine, then turning it to the back and hand stitching it down.  I really enjoy this part, knowing I'm almost at the finish line.

Binding time

I used a pretty doiley for the label

So here it is, all finished.  I'm thrilled with it, and Jacqui did such wonderful quilting, it really makes the quilt come alive.  It's  on my bed while I took some photos before it was packed up and given to my daughter.  There were spare blocks so I made two cushions as well.

Not too bad, she's thinking

Last week the quilt was packed up into a bag, and traveled with me on the bus to Palmerston North.  These twice weekly off peak buses are great, and are free to oldies like me.  I really appreciate them as it saves me driving up there.    Nicky had taken her birthday week off work and met me at the bus terminal.

Birthday gift for Nicky

She had a quick peek in the blue bag, then put the bag in her boot to take back home.  Morning tea was first on the agenda, I was looking forward to a coffee by this stage,  then a little shopping to get some necessary items, and before we knew, it was time for lunch.  This was a "new to me" place that Nicky sometimes goes to.  I enjoyed some yummy prawns, and another cup of coffee.

My lunch

By this stage it was time for her to drop me back to get the bus home.  It was a lovely day out, catching up with my daughter and delivering her gift, spending time together and enjoying a tasty lunch.

What's on the Table

What's on the table at the moment is a pin wheel quilt documenting our 3 month long trip to England in 2008.  Such a long trip  took a bit of planning for me and Robin, and I took along a big pile of half square triangles, one side patterned and one side plain, together with my  Micron archival pen for people to sign blocks for me as we travelled around.  The first block was signed by our travel agent Petra, wishing us "Bon Voyage".

My 2008 UK Holiday tablecloth

Several blocks were signed on our flights to Singapore, where we had a stop over for several days.  You know you are in foreign country when the breakfast buffet menu offers such delicacies as pickled lettuce, braised peanuts and mee gorang.  It was such a thrill to see the Merlion, having a ride on the newly opened Singapore Flyer, and enjoying a day trip to Santosa Island.  Then it was on to London.

The Singapore Flyer was so new our travel agent was unaware it was up and running

Our eight days in London was spent in a frenzy of sightseeing.  Buckingham Palace was open so we quickly snapped up tickets for that, and we enjoyed a tour through Hampton Court.  Both buildings are so full of English Royal history, which I love with a passion.

Buckingham Palace

The next week was a complete change of pace when we explored the Llangollen Canal onboard narrowboat Gypsy Rover, owned by our friends Dot and Derek.  Leaving the canal behind, we picked up a rental car and went exploring.  

We travelled around England, staying at B&Bs and starting each day with a "full English breakfast".  We visited castles and  cathedrals, and attractions along the way which were on our "must see" list, such as Stone Henge, Avebury Stone Circle  and Hastings where the 1066 battle took place.  

Avebury Stone Circle

There were train rides, boat rides, everywhere we went my HSTs were signed.  During a visit to Canterbury Cathedral to see the shrine to Thomas Beckett who was murdered in the name of Henry 11, my HST was signed by Revd Jacky who wrote "May God bless this precious work with his love".  I was so thrilled with that lovely message.

 Canterbury Cathedral

The blocks were assembled on our return home into a tablecloth.  It's always so nice to read the messages and relive that wonderful trip.

Many happy memories

Wooly Socks and Daffodil Day

 It's just as well that I have finished a couple of pair of woolly socks recently, as Winter has returned with a vengeance.  After weeks of fine, calm, sunny but cool days we now have wind, rain and cold temperatures.  Spring may be just around the corner, but our Spring weather is often fickle and rather changeable.

My two pair of nice, thick, wooly socks used up some remaining sock yarn.  The dark pair was knitted using double knit navy wool, and the rest of coloured sock yarn I had left over from knitting myself a pair of 4ply socks.  (I made the feet in these 4ply socks too long so I need to shorten them and reknit the toes).    The lighter pair used some of the hand spun wool I received from my late friend Merilyn, plus the remains of 4ply sock yarn I had knitted for my grand-daughter.  These socks have been finished a little while now,  but took a while for me to sew the side seam up.

Two pairs of woolly socks

And then I couldn't help myself, and just had to cast another pair on.  I'm in  no hurry for these, but do like to have a pair on the go for when I want some simple knitting.  These are also knitted using some more of Merilyn's hand spun yarn, and left over sock yarn.  It is nice to knit away with Merilyn's wool and reflect on all the lovely times I had with my life long friend.

Another pair on the go

I really do prefer to wear these 12ply socks myself, much more than the lighter 4ply socks, I like the way they fit my foot and over the heel, and they are lovely and warm in the winter.  

And just so you don't think socks are the only thing I knit..........  I have a multi coloured baby cardigan, and a brown hand spun baby jumper on the needles.  Plus a blue jumper for me, which I really must get on with.  This blue jumper was started for me to work on during  our long summer South Island caravan trip, which sadly never happened when Robin passed away.  So it has been languishing in it's bag for quite a while now.  I've decided I can face it again so I'll have to get on with it.

Friday was Daffodil Day, a fund raiser for the Cancer Society.  I stopped in the mall at the stand and came away with a bunch of daffodils, a packet of white chocolate and macadamia biscuits specially made for the Cancer Society fund raiser (cookies to some of you) and a raffle ticket in a huge gift basket.  The Cancer Society advertising slogan this year was reminding everyone that one of three of us will get cancer in our lifetime.  I'm one of three myself, twice sadly, so I was more than happy to donate to such a good cause.

A Kaleidoscope of Butterflies, and Elvis

Kaleidoscope, such  a lovely name for a group of butterflies, although I quite like the alternative name Flutter as well.  I've just put a top together featuring butterfly blocks.  This completion ticks two boxes this month, first for the Chookshed Challenge, as butterflies was on my list for number seven.  Plus, I made the blocks as part of the Rainbow Scrap Challenge, way back in 2022.

I know I've mentioned my former neighbour Dorothy many times.  I received a whole lot of her fabrics when she moved away, including a great pile of her beloved butterfly fabrics.  I stitched four blocks sets using her butterflies in 2022, and still have a lot of fabric left, enough for several more butterfly quilts, I imagine. 

All these still waiting for me

I assembled the butterfly blocks together over the last week or so, choosing purples, blacks and pink, using spotty neutral fabric for the sashings and border.  There are still enough of these blocks in blues, yellows and tan for another single bed quilt.

Lots of pretty butterflies

Then today, I laid it down on the carpet and pinned the layers together.  That's always hard on my back, but the weather wasn't nice enough for me to pin it up outside on the patio table.  Gemma gave it the once over and decided she would quite like to catch a fluttering butterfly outside one day.  She has been known to catch a moth occasionally.

Mmm, just look at those butterflies, but they are not all a flutter, are they, she's thinking.

And look what I received in the mail this week, Elvis is saying hello to me.  My daughter's friend Heather is having an extensive USA trip, and went to Gracelands.  She knows I'm a great Elvis fan so sent me this postcard, how kind is that!  "Elvis says Hi", she wrote on the back.  I'm sure if he was still around he would know I was one of his greatest fans, I've been smitten since I heard him singing "Love me Tender", and that's going back a long time now.

Elvis says "Hi"

Sew Wot Tuesday

 I was the hostess this time for Sew Wot Tuesday, and it was lovely to welcome everyone to my home for the morning.  Heather had just celebrated her birthday so there were lots of gifts waiting for her to open.  It was such fun seeing what was in those parcels, There was wool, smellies, a set of coffee mugs, and she was thrilled to receive a pair of hand knitted socks!  Plus a home grown lemon tree from Helen.

Birthday gifts for Heather

Heather had been knitting up a storm to bring along for Show and Tell.  There were two hooded sleeveless jumpers for when the great great grandbabies get a little bigger.  They have so many baby knits that Heather was planning ahead.  Plus a nice little cream and blue jumper.

Heather's knitting

And Carol had brought along a whole swag of knitted toys to be donated to the Neo Natal Hospital Unit.  Don't they look cute.

Carol's knitted toys

Mary had some knitting to show us too.  A cozy pair of bed socks, and a pair of 4ply socks, still works in progress she said, as they needed stitching up.

Mary's socks

And this cute little pink baby singlet was knitted by Helen, she completed sewing it up on the morning.

Pretty pink baby singlet knitted by Helen

I showed my recently completed boy's donation quilt.  Plus my completed secret sewing project but I can't show it here yet until it was been gifted.

My boy's donation quilt

Morning tea was served, including corn and bacon savouries, a recipe which harks back to when my children were teens, so that is going back a good few years!  The Eat-a-Lots certainly enjoy their morning teas.

Morning tea

Helen had kindly brought along some seedlings from her garden to share.  I don't have a veggie garden so took some cauliflower plants and planted them in  my rhubarb patch.  Hopefully they will grow.

Trying my luck with caulies

We had a lovely morning with the knitting needles click clacking away, socks, baby singlets, a scarf and a man's jumper being worked on.  Plus plenty of chatter too of course.  Gemma walked around and checked out everyone's bags, just in case there was something for her.  It was so nice to be the hostess again.  

A Finish and a Birthday

 I have a Rainbow Scrap Challenge (RSC) finish, I'm pleased to say.  It all started  when I found I had a piece of black and white fabric which I decided to use as a boys project, adding colours each month.  Nice and simple to stitch, and I stitched up four blocks each month.

This is how it started.

Part way through making these blocks I had run out of the original black and white fabric, so had to go to my LQS and buy some more.  I couldn't get exactly what I was using previously, but thought the black and white polka dots blended in quite well.  The final two block sets were  stitched last month, and I had enough to assemble the top, adding a plain black border.  Then a bit of time spent machine quilting, and on to the last part, stitching the burgundy binding down.

Who doesn't love stitching the binding down!

I'm quite pleased with how this turned out, and it will be a boys donation quilt.  Perhaps this one will suit an older, maybe teenage boy?  

All done

I was invited to an 80th birthday celebration today, for my friend Robyn.  I knew Robyn at Waiwhetu Girls College, back in the day.  Although we had lost touch for quite a few years, I bumped into her at a meeting when we moved to Levin, and our friendship picked up again.  So that was really nice. 

Two old school friends

 The weather was glorious, a calm and sunny winter's day, it felt rather like Spring, with not a breath of wind.  Robyn's family put on a lovely day for her, and provided all the food.  The boys cooked up a storm on the BBQ, there were salads, savouries and sandwhiches, and a whole table of delicious birthday cakes and cup cakes.

Just look at all this deliciousness

I had a lovely afternoon helping Robyn celebrate this major milestone in her life.

Brr, it's getting chilly

Our weather has turned wintry again, with snow on the ranges.  That didn't last long, when the rain arrived, and some wind.  It is still winter after all, it's just that we have been spoiled with calm, mild, sunny days for ages. Luckily, there is a heat pump installed, so there is clean, efficient heating here in my little home.  And it has been perfect soup making weather too.  My latest batch was pumpkin and kumara, so nice and tasty, with added pieces of fried onion and bacon, after it was whizzed smooth.  This was made in the microwave, and I do love home made soup.

Creamy pumpkin and kumara soup with added bacon

Gemma had a difficult morning recently, it was time for her annual vaccinations and health check.  I picked her up and put her in the carry cage before she realised what was happening.

How did that happen, she's thinking

Gemma doesn't make a fuss being in the car, and it was a short drive down to the Vets.

Here we are

Gemma was a little uncomfortable when she was lifted on to the table and the vet checked her over.  Everything was fine and she was given her vaccinations.  I had asked if she could get her claws trimmed as it always took both Robin and I working together in the past to get this job done.  She was most unhappy with this procedure and had to be wrapped in a towel, growling at the vet and struggling to get away.  I told the vet that I had never had a cat who growled before.  Finally, with three paws clipped, she was getting so distressed that we agreed to give up  - she couldn't get back into her carry cage fast enough.  Poor Gemma, I wondered if she would forgive me for this abomination when we got home.  She hopped into the hidey hole in her tower at home to recover from her ordeal.

I'm hiding, don't touch me.

I've been doing a bit of knitting in the evenings and more importantly, I'm working hard to get my secret sewing finalised for my daughter's birthday.  It's looking rather good, even if I do say so myself!  All will be revealed soon.