Busy Days

It's the lead up to Christmas and the days are still so busy.  On Monday the first thing on my list was a visit to the library, as I had found out that the local library would be closed for two weeks over the holiday period.  Oh dear, what if I run out of books to read!  So I called in and collected three more, just in case.   The library was nicely decorated and had quite a Christmas vibe, very nice indeed.

Letters for Santa go in the red box

I think that arm chair is for Santa

With enough reading material to last me for a while, I then headed off to my Monday craft group.  This was to be the last get together for the year and we were all taking something for a shared lunch.  I decided to make some fresh fruit kebabs with strawberries, grapes and marshmallows.

Easy to make and so yummy indeed

There were all sorts of goodies to share, sandwhiches, quiche, cheese and crackers, Christmas fruit mince tarts, strawberries galore with dipping chocolate, plenty for everyone.

Lunch is served

After our delicious lunch, we all settled back into our projects.  There was knitting, diamond art, drawing, plus a small cuddly brown teddy was being assembled, all ready to meet an expected grandchild who was arriving very soon.  It was nice to wander around the tables and see what everyone was working on.  I took along knitting and hand quilting to work on.  Carolyn had made us all a little Christmas angel and we got to choose which one took our fancy from the box.  I decided on a pretty white sparkly angel with silver legs.  That was so kind of her, and mine is now safely home with me and hanging up, spreading her Christmas angel wishes around my home.

I chose a sparkly white and silver angel

Today, Tuesday, dawned very wet indeed.  What happened to Summer?  I had one more social occasion on the calendar, to celebrate a belated birthday lunch with my friend Dot.  Her birthday was several weeks ago, and it took us all this time to find a date which suited us both.  As I mentioned, it was a wet and miserable day indeed, and the cafe had Seafood Chowder on the menu, a mutual favourite, so that is what we ordered.  

Tomorrow is Christmas Eve and I'm staying home, there is no need for me to brave the Christmas shopping crowds again.  I have a little baking to do, some gifts to wrap, then I will be all ready for Christmas Day.  

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas, have a wonderful day, and if you are traveling, stay safe on the roads.  I do feel a bit nostalgic seeing all those caravans and motorhomes taking off for the summer holidays.  

What's on the Table

 Christmas is almost here so I need to put something festive on the dining table.  Sometimes I use a quilt, but this year I decided on my Christmas tablecloth.  Just a simple one really, made by yours truly.  Somewhere or other I had purchased a pretty piece of Christmas fabric, featuring small panels of Christmas trees and  wreaths, and some musical notes scattered though some of the designs.  Wonder is it is "real" music, Christmas carols perhaps?   Much too pretty to cut up, I decided, so I simply hemmed around the edges and soon turned it into a tablecloth.  Don't ask me when I made it - I've searched the blog but couldn't see any mention of it.

Tis the season of Christmas

We're in countdown mode now, Christmas will be here in just a few more days.

RSC Finishes

 I know we are not quite at the end of the year just yet, but close I thought to show my Rainbow Scrap Challenge finishes for the year. There are not too many completed projects, but that's the way it goes sometimes.  First was my challenge to get rid of my small bag of selvedges which had been hanging about forever.  I used to collect selvedges years ago, and have made all sorts of small items from them, bags, oven mitts, place mats, an apron, and have even  knitted some into small mats.  So this year, 2025, I decided to use up the remaining selvedges and stitched up double handed oven mitts,  according to the colour chosen each month.  I never did find my missing black and brown selvedges, maybe I decided I'd had enough of stitching these and tossed them out!  But I'm so pleased with the ones I made, in all their various colours.  Some will be used for gifts, I can replace my ratty ones, and any remaining will be tucked away for future presents.

Double handed selvedge oven mitts

Another finish was an  easy design in black and white, adding colours each month.  Nice and simple to stitch, and I stitched up four blocks each month.  I thought this might be suitable for an older boy's donation quilt.  This was finished in August, with a burgundy binding, and hasn't been donated yet.

  Black and white boy's donation quilt

When it was orange month for RSC I remembered I had a UFO with a touch of orange, so concentrated on getting it finished during the month.  Using some string pieced blocks and a child's blue feature fabric with touches of orange, I got to work.  This is another donation quilt, for a young boy, and has a nice cuddly grey fleece on the back.

A touch of orange

And when green was the colour of the month, I worked on my  long forgotten green Coin UFO.  I'm so pleased that I managed to complete the top, and then quilt it.  Seems that I need a nudge sometimes to get things across the finish line.  

Green coin quilt, donated to Grandparents Raising Grandchildren

I've worked on various RSC block sets during the year, and after my wardrobe malfunction earlier in the year, these have been tidied up, put in bags, and into a crate, so I know where to find them.  I really need to concentrate of working on these next year.  Will I start any new RSC projects in 2026?  I shouldn't,  but who knows what might take my fancy.

These are all RSC block sets from previous years

And there are several more RSC quilt tops now residing on the spare chair in front of the wardrobe.  A couple are pinned up, ready to quilt, others have the backing folded up with them, and I had planned ahead and  made the bindings for several of these quilt tops too.  

Ready for quilting

As I used to tell Robin, I'll never run out of things to do.  This lot should keep me busy for a while, I think.  

Service of Remembrance and Sew Wots

 Several nights ago I went along to the Service of Remembrance put on by Harvey Bowler Funeral Services to remember those who had passed away during the previous year.  This was held at the Uniting Church and I really didn't know what to expect at all.   As it turned out, I knew several ladies also attending who had lost their husbands recently too.  I found seeing Robin's name up on the Scroll of Remembrance quite hard to cope with.  Rev Sandra took the service, and we were invited up to light a candle for our loved one, and to write their name on a tag and hang it on the memorial Christmas Tree.  The whole service was nice and gentle, and very well done, I thought.

After the service light refreshments were served, and I had the chance to talk to the staff member who helped me so much with Robin's arrangements.  He remembered me, and commented on the quilt I had made and requested for Robin to be wrapped in, inside his casket.

The church was also hosting the annual Avenue of Trees, each decorated by a community group.  We all  had the chance to wander around and check them out at the conclusion of the Service of Remembrance.  This event was opening to the public over the next few nights, and collects donations for the local foodbanks to help those in need.  Such a good cause, and everyone gets to vote for their favourite tree.

Just a few of the entries

I walked up and down admiring all the trees.  There were entries  from businesses, schools, rest homes, and clubs.  And I finally found the tree from our Sew Wots group decorated by Helen, featuring sewing paraphernalia - how fun is that!

Sew Wots Tree

It certainly was a night of reflection and remembrance, plus there were a few tears shed, which was not unexpected.  I was pleased I attended and lit a candle in Robin's name.  And we all got to have a preview of the Avenue of Trees before it was opened to the public.  

Final Quilt Club Meeting of the Year

 I had to make sure I took everything required for our final quilt club meeting of the year.  Into my bag went a wrapped fat quarter, batik blocks stitched for the block draw, an item for the food bank, and something for show and tell.  I hoped I had remembered everything.  We were welcomed to the hall with a glass of bubbly grape juice, that was a nice touch.  There was a basket for the fat quarters, and a box for donations for the food bank.  Raffle tickets were purchased, and our batik blocks were handed over and hung on the wall.  They looked stunning, all pinned up.  Mmm, I'd rather like to win them, I thought to myself.

Batik blocks made by club members

It certainly was a fun night and we started off with a couple of games of Skittles.  Plastic bottles were arranged and we used Jelly Rolls as the ball.  One through each, to see who could knock the most over.  Mine missed completely, as did several others.  You could tell which ladies had down serious bowling , their concentration and arm action certainly got results.  Kay was the best dressed elf and she was running around rearranging the bottles, with Sandra's help, after each throw.   Don't you just love her stripy stockings!

Who's a cute little elf, then!

Then we were all put into a circle, with a fat quarter in hand and listened to a story being read out.  Whenever the words left or right were used, and they were used very quickly as the story progressed, those fat quarters changed hands very rapidly.  At the story's end, we kept the parcel we had in our hand.  That was a lot of fun.

The raffles were drawn, no, nothing for me, but my name was called out as the winner of the batik quilt blocks, all 74 of them!  How wonderful.

There was some show and tell, I took along my recently completed memory tablecloth from my Far North trip, and then supper.  And what a wonderful supper it was.  Home made meringues, strawberries and cream.  A delicious home baked Christmas cake, and fruit mince pies - a delightful Christmas supper indeed.  It was a very special night, and thanks to the committee for their hard work in putting it all together.  

Socks and a little Slow Stitching

 My latest pair of socks are now finished.  These ones have been knitted in some lovely cream hand spun wool gifted to me by my late friend Merilyn.  I've only got enough of this precious yarn left for one more pair of socks.  I added some left over 4ply sock yarn to make my favourite warm and cozy 12ply winter socks, just for me.  Knitting the heels always seem quite magical to me, and I often wonder who worked out how to do heels, way back in the mists of time.  I don't know about other sock knitters, but when doing heels I need to sit quietly with my notebook and mark off each row.

Up to the heels

When I got to this stage I wondered about putting the socks aside till next winter - it's just turned to Summer here in New Zealand.  No, I told myself, that's a silly idea, just keep knitting and you will soon get them finished.  So I did, although I ran out of the pinky/purple yarn as I was almost at the toes. Luckily I had some thin reinforcing yarn I could add to make the thickness the same in the toes.   Never mind, they still look OK, I think.

All ready for next winter

Without having a slow stitching project in the works for a while, I was pleased to find "Land and Sea" panel a wee while ago at a quilt show.  Featuring New Zealand birds and sea life, it will be a pleasure to work on it.  I plan to do big stitch quilting using Perle #5 thread and so far have only just started.  Luckily I've got most of the colours I need, but I'm having trouble finding some of the shades.  

I'm looking forward to stitching this

Memory Tablecloth

 Memory tablecloths, and memory quilts, seem to be my thing, as I've made several over the years.  My latest one was to commemorate a trip away up to the far north.  Robin and I had been planning to go there next Christmas/New Year, but with losing him,  that would not be happening.  So when I saw the "North of the North" coach trip advertised, I decided to be brave and go on my own.  

Bay Tours Coach

My bag was packed, and I included blocks I'd stitched for my memory tablecloth plus a Micron marking pen.  My blocks were from fabric  featuring New Zealand designs, mostly batiks with a few prints, and a centre white square to write on.

Ready to go on holiday

Those blocks traveled to the top of the North Island with me and back.  It was fun to get them out at the various hotels we stayed at and write where I had been, and what attractions had been visited.  Special places were walking the track down to Cape Reinga, the Hole in the Rock cruise, and visiting the magnificent Tane Mahuta Kauri tree again.

Writing messages on each block

Once home again I stitched the blocks together, added a pale green border, and pinned it with backing, no batting required for a tablecloth.  Then sat down over several days doing the quilting, and finally the binding and label.  

The label on the back

All finished

So now it's having a turn on the dining table.  It's always fun to read the messages again.  And I'm really pleased with how it turned out.

My new tablecloth on the dining table

It's a busy time of the year

 It's only the beginning of December but it is certainly getting busy.  All the various clubs and groups are winding down and having their Christmas celebrations.  And this week was no exception when I had several break ups to attend.  The Probus Club had it's last meeting of the year, followed by a Christmas meal.  Our monthly meetings are held in the local Cossie (Cosmopolitan) Club, and the staff had been busy making things look very festive.

Christmas meeting at the Cossie Club

This year the Probus Club formed a writing group. and I was keen to join.  We have been meeting monthly in the library,  and bring along something we have written to read out.  It is all very informal, no topics are given, we write about whatever we want.  As it turns out, most of us like to write short stories of our lives and family, and the occasional poem.  Our leader decided that it would be nice to promote the writing group at the Christmas meeting, so several of us climbed up on stage to give a reading.  My offering was a poem of about Probus, how I came to join, and the fun things we do.  

And at the end of the meeting our delicious lunch was served.  Hot beef and ham, roast veggies, broccoli  and cauliflower in cheese sauce, peas and carrots, such a tasty meal.  Followed by Christmas Pudding and custard.  It was a nice finale to the Probus year.

Jenny and Dot waiting for Christmas lunch

Next week is just as busy with two lunches to attend, plus the final meeting for my quilt club.  Busy, busy, busy, but then things will quiet down completely as most groups will not start up again till February.

I've put some Christmas quilts out at home, one on the back of one sofa, one hanging above the other sofa, and several folded on my quilt ladder.  I like to keep Robin's quilt on the top of the quilt ladder in his memory.  Other decorations are stored in plastic crates up in the loft, but I can't access them by myself, so the quilts will be it this year.

The quilt ladder

"Jingle" table runner, pattern by Red Brolly

So that's what I've been up to this week.  How is your Christmas decorating coming along?