Sew Wot Tuesday

 Our Sew Wot Tuesday was held out in the country, at Helen's rural property.  Ruby, the large rottweiler greeted us as we parked our cars, and Helen came down to greet us and help with bags.  Climbing up the steep internal staircase was a challenge for me, a sign that I'm getting older.  No doubt Helen runs up and down these stairs with no trouble at all.   It was lovely to meet up again with everyone, with one absence this time. 

There was plenty of show and tell this time.  Heather had some pretty baby knitting to show us, her grandson and his wife are expecting a baby.  But.... they just found out that it was not one baby, but twins!  How exciting is that.  Heather is now knitting extra fast to make two of everything.  Helen handed her several pairs of booties that she had made and entered into the recent craft show, they will certainly come in handy for the twins.

Heather's baby knitting

Jude had such a pretty finish.  She had stitched this lovely Kaffe Fasset quilt top as a Block of the Month, these colours are gorgeous.

Jude's pretty Kaffe Fasset top

Helen had really been busy, as she had three things to show us.  First was her lovely black and white with just a touch of colour hand pieced quilt, which she had commercially quilted, she is keeping this beauty for her own bed.

Helen's black and white quilt

Next was an Ohio Star quilt top, ready to go and get quilted.  The on point stars are bordered in a narrow stripe, and I do like the dark blue background.  I never think of working with darker backgrounds myself, generally stick with cream or white, I think I need to branch out more, but Helen's choice certainly makes the stars pop.

Ohio Stars

And lastly, she had knitted a cozy vest for one of her grandsons.  This pattern is a family favourite and Helen has knitted it several times for the growing boys.  Nice and cozy with a hood and plenty of pockets to put their treasures in.

A cozy green vest for Helen's grandson

I had taken along my rope basket, made as a Christmas swap by a quilt club member using my choice of fabrics.  None of the other Sew Wots had stitched anything like this before and were interested to have a close look to see how it was done.  

My rope basket and coasters

Helen had been having a clean out and had a few things which needed a new home.  She asked me if I was still making draw string bags for Foster Hope.  Yes I am, I said, and she presented me with a nice pile of lining fabrics, very useful indeed, as I always line the bags.  Thanks so much, Helen.

Lining fabrics for draw string bags

We were all busy knitting away at our various projects, and chatting away too, as we do.  Then it was time for morning tea, we never go hungry, do we.  Those carrot cake muffins were particularly delicious, and we got to try the recipe of Helen's prize winning chocolate chip biscuits too.

Morning tea is served

We had a lovely morning, as we always do.  Thanks so much for being the hostess, Helen.

A little more Blue

 I've finished the last of the blue sewing for RSC this month.    I'm on a quest to use up the last remaining few selvedge strips this year and found a small handful of blue ones.  So, another double handed oven mitt was created.   Just like the pink  ones I stitched last month, there were just enough strips to use on the top of the pockets, and I used dark blue fabric for the rest.  Insulbrite and toweling in the middle, and hessian (sacking) on the back.

Blue for February

So that is two oven mitts I've made so far, and I have selvedges in several colours to use up during the year.  I'm quite pleased with how these are turning out, and will probably keep them for gifts, my daughter and two granddaughters are all keen cooks.

What else have I been doing?  I met up with a friend for lunch during the week, and sad to say I got a little lost finding the place.  As I tell people, I'm sometimes navigationally challenged, even when I've been somewhere before.  Robin used to do all the driving, and I just sat back and did some knitting, not really taking too much notice of where we were.  Luckily, I found the cafe at the end, parked up, and look, there is Trish in the car beside me!  She had only just arrived too, so that was good timing.

Harrisons Garden-world

Harrisons has a cafe attached and we debated where to sit, deciding on the indoor area.  There was plenty of space outside under sun umbrellas, but the morning had been rather drizzly, so we decided not to risk it and stayed indoors.  We had a nice lunch, and a good catch up.  Then we had a look around the shop.  Look what I spotted, the resident cat, tucked up nice and comfy in his basket.  Trish couldn't resist giving him a pat.

Hello, puss

I purchased some candles, as I'm lighting one each night for Robin, and wanted to have a few extra.  These sounded very nice, lavender and vanilla scented.  

After a pleasant time out, we said our goodbyes, and went on our way.  I was heading north, and Trish was driving south.  That pesky drizzle had stopped, and the sun had come out, so it was a pleasant drive home.

Christmas Jar Challenge

Last year mt quilt club announced a secret challenge.  We were to bring in some fabric in a jam jar, with our name under the lid so you didn't know who it belonged to.  The idea was for another club member to take your jar home, make whatever they liked from your fabric, adding one other fabric if necessary, and bring it back on the last club night of the year.  This is the anonymous jar I chose to take home, it had an interesting mix of colours inside.

Wonder what's in here?

Tucked inside was a lovely piece of linen type floral fabric.  As soon as I saw it, my mind was made up, I was going to make a tote bag.  My extra fabric was purchased, turquoise Grunge for the back, straps, and lining of the bag.  I started work on this project straight away, and this is what I came up with.

  Bag front

I used the pieces of fabrics provided, making an inside pocket on the lining, and using this pretty floral strip down the back of the bag.  And I must say, I'm rather pleased with how it all came together.

Back of the bag

It's just as well I finished this project in good time, as Robin passed away in late November and I didn't feel that I could attend the Christmas meeting.  This bag was dropped off to the recipient, and challenge was delivered to me last week, thanks to the Sew Wot girls involved.

I had filled my jar with New Zealand themed fabrics, and was thrilled with what I received back.  Never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined the club member would make me a rope basket.  Such a lot of work, and it was beautifully done.  Colleen had placed the beautiful native Tuis in the base of the basket.  The early settlers named these parson birds because of the white feathers at their throats.

My beautiful rope basket

Collen had also made me two lovely little coasters.  I think her creativity and skill is amazing indeed.

Rope basket and two coasters

In my view, the Christmas challenge was very sucessful.  I'm pleased with what I made although  it was a big responsibility making something really special from the jam jar fabrics.  And I'm over the moon with what I received back, thanks again to Colleen.

Valentine's Day

 Happy Valentine's Day.  Celebrated on 14th February, Valentine was a priest who defied the orders of the Emperor and secretly married couples to spare the husbands from war.  He was martyred in 270 CE.  This is my first Valentine's Day without Robin.  We always used to do something special, go out to dinner, or in later years, out to lunch.  Or just stay home and cook a special meal.  Whatever we decided to do, the day was celebrated together in our own quiet way.  

As a quilter, I only have one quilt with hearts.  This is "Hearts of Love", made for our 25th Anniversary.  I put it on our bed during the months of February, to celebrate Valentine's Day, and again in November, the month we were married.

Hearts of Love

So this year is quite different for me, but I celebrate our love each day, lighting a candle in the evening for him.  There is a photo of Robin beside the bed, and I say a few words to him each evening, and pat his pillow before I go to sleep.  Little rituals which seem to help in the dark times.  But we had 41 years of marriage, that certainly is worth celebrating, and remembering the good times, our travels  and adventures together.  

Sew Wot Tuesday

It's been quite some time, but our Sew Wot meetings have now resumed for 2025.  Mary was the hostess this time, and we all gathered at her home, excited to see each other again, with the exception of  Sandra who couldn't make it this time.

There was a birthday to celebrate, our first of the year.  Happy Birthday to Carol.  We all eagerly watched as she opened her gifts.  She received all sorts of exciting things, a lovely knitting bag, wool, threads, fabric, fruit tea bags and sweets.  And a bag of toy stuffing, to help with all those knitted toys she makes and donates.

That's handy, a bag of toy stuffing

Helen and Carol had entered the local AP&I Show and brought along their winning entries to show us.  Helen won two champion rosettes, and several certificates for her craft entries.  Plus got first prize for her biscuits in the cooking section, as well as being interviewed and had her photo in the local newspaper!

Helen's prize winning entries

Carol was thrilled with her knitted toy as well, her entry won 1st prize in that section.

Isn't he cute!

Of course there was Show and Tell.  Heather had made a pretty flannel baby quilt for a friend's first great grand child.  And Carol had some more knitted toys to show us, these will be donated to new babies at the Neo Natal ward.

Pretty little baby quilt.

Mary had made a gorgeous pouch and sewing set using a hand embroidered yellow table cloth stitched by her mother.  She remembered this table cloth from her childhood days and it was brought out on special occasions.

Made by Mary

I had taken along my just finished Wheel on the Bus quilt, made from a rescued duvet cover.  This is a donation quilt.

My show and tell

We had been given a challenge to work on over the Christmas break, to make each of our Sew Wot friends a 6in finished block, any design and colour.  And bring them along to our first meeting, wrapped and named.   I made mine early, forgot to take photos, and wrapped them all up.  

Here are my mini quilts, all wrapped up

And here they are in piles ready to be opened, how exciting

It was such fun to see what everyone had made.   We can do whatever we like with them, just keep as they are, make into a book, and several have said they might make them into a banner.

These are my beautiful little mini quilts, each one a little work of art

After all this excitement, it was time for morning tea.  Carol was presented with a cream sponge birthday cake, and then we tucked in to a delicious spread.  Well done, Mary.

Happy birthday, Carol

Morning tea is served

Just before we left we went out the back to admire Mary's bountiful garden.  She has such a lot growing in a small area, making the most of the space she has.  I spotted tomatoes, peppers, corn, beetroot and silver beet, as well as fruit trees growing in large pots.  Many thanks to Mary for hosting our morning, I had a lovely time, as usual.

Slow Stitching and Knitting

It's about time I worked on my purple clam shell quilt again, goodness knows when I last got it out of the bag.  This project came with me to a monthly craft group I recently joined.  We can take anything we like to work on,  there was knitting and crochet happening, needle felting and one lady was setting up a hand loom, that looked rather tricky to me.  After doing big stitch hand quilting around all the clam shells, I'm now up to the borders.  I won't tell you just how old this project is, but believe me, it's elderly!

Hand quilting the borders

It's about time I got on with my pink sock knitting too.  The sock yarn was a gift from my daughter Nicky back in Christmas 2024, and it is lovely wool indeed.  Not too far to go on these, I'm up to the foot, not too far to the toe shaping.  As I'm sure I've mentioned before, I knit my socks flat, two at a time, then sew a seam up the side.  None of those tricky little double pointed needles for me.   I pleased to say my daughter Nicky is knitting her very first pair of socks, using my pattern.  She hasn't knitted for years, and is doing really well.  I wouldn't be surprised if she completed her socks before me.

My pink socks are coming along well

RSC - Blue for February, and Out to Lunch

 In Rainbow Scrap Challenge land, a new month means a new colour.  And blue it is.  I looked through my small bag of 2.5in squares and selected some with blue tones to make more framed four patch blocks.  That bag doesn't seem to be going down at all, but it must be, ever so slowly.  I know I've said it before, but I really don't like working with 2.5in squares, they just seem so small to me.  And yes, I know, some bloggers delight in working with even tinier 1.5in squares, how do they do it, I wonder?  I found enough squares to make seven small blocks, so I'm pleased with that.  The idea is to use up the squares I have, and not cut any new ones.  Last year I stitched quite a few hollow nine patches from this bag, with plenty still left to start this new project of framed four patches.

Blue framed four patches

And perhaps I could quietly add another RSC project too.  I had a piece of black and white fabric which I decided to use as a boys project, adding colours each month.  I didn't want to use pink, so substituted burgundies instead, then  made the blue blocks.  Nice and simple to stitch, and I have previously used this block when I made a tablecloth using New Zealand fabrics, but that's another story.

Quilt for a boy

Last week my daughter Nicky drove down to take us out on a lunch date.  I was keen to try the newly opened Tatum Park Cafe.  This is a brand new building, large and airy, and the staff were very friendly and attentive.  Nicky had chicken and I enjoyed a plate of dumplings.  After lunch we went to check out the original homestead, ground floor only, which has been renovated and caters for overnight guests.  I sat in one of the large roomy chairs, pretending I was someone very important.

Who do you think you are?

Looking out from the back deck we could see where wedding ceremonies took place.  The grounds here are gorgeous.

A lovely place for a wedding

Tatum Homestead

Built in 1912, Tatum House was the home of Major and Lady Tatum.  Having no children of their own, the property was a bequest to the Scouting Association in the 1940s, eventually becoming the organisation's National Training centre.  As time went on, maintaining the buildings and grounds became too much of a financial burden for the Scouting Association.  By 2012 the trust terms were renegotiated allowing the property to be sold.  New owners, Wayne Bishop Group purchased the property in 2024 and have developed it into a wedding venue with accommodation and a restaurant.

Our caravan club had many weekend caravan rallies at Tatum in the early years.  Lovely grounds, but the facilities were rather basic and in need of an upgrade even back then.  The only camping these days is "glamping" we were told, no doubt in rather posh tents.