Draw String Bags, and Reading

 I'm still working with pink, the Rainbow Scrap Challenge colour for April, so decided to make some more draw string bags for the foster kids.  Looking through my big bag of bag making bits and pieces, I found four pink contenders.

There was a black and grey fabric piece which I had pinned some bright pink for the top.  Piggies in pyjamas, and a pretty floral fat quarter I had tucked away which yielded two bags.  So I cut, and stitched, added the linings and the draw string tops, found some suitable cord, and they were all done.

Four pink bags this month

I really like the piggy bag.  This is the last remaining piece of pig fabric I have left - aren't they just so cute in their pyjamas!  I remember I used my collection of various piggy fabrics some years ago to make a child's bed quilt, so now it's all gone.

Such a cute little bag

My sewing machine has been difficult lately, so I guess as I can't quite remember the time it was last serviced, it must be well overdue.  I contacted the wonderful Barry to book it in, and was devastated to learn that he is moving house and retiring from sewing machine maintenance.  Oh dear, he was highly recommended and I have used his services most years when we moved to Levin about 14 years ago.  Luckily Foxes Cottage, my favourite quilt shop, has a sewing machine mechanic call and collect machines for service, so I dropped it up at the shop.  My Bernina should only be away from home for a week or so, I'm told.  Don't we miss them when they are gone!

This is such a heavy machine for me to handle, so I was pleased I found one of these wheely things in the garage.  When I dropped it off in the shop, I was amazed that the lady serving me picked my heavy machine up and carried it out to the store room, no trouble at all!  Mind you, she was a bit younger than me, that probably makes all the difference.

And of course I've been reading, I really can't imagine my life without books.  I do enjoy the Joe Pickett stories by C J Box.  What I like about Wyoming Game Warden Joe Pickett is that he one of the good guys, steady, reliable, honest.  So honest that when he was a brand new game warden he charged a man for fishing without a license, who turned out to be the Governor of Wyoming.  (This was based on a true story which happened in 1995).  In this book Joe had lost his job and was reappointed by the Governor to investigate a mass murder in Yellowstone National Park.  Luckily his friend Master Falconer Nate who lives to his own agenda, tags along too, and once again, keeps Joe from being killed.  This was a very exciting book, with corruption at the highest level, set in the dangers of Yellowstone Park.  

A great story

I'm a real fan of Philippa Gregory's books, and have avidly read all of her historical royal novels.  Tidelands is a bit different, set in the time of Oliver Cromwell and the downfall of King Charles 1st, and a time when suspicion of witch craft can be a death sentence.  A handsome young Roman Catholic priest sent on a mission to save the King meets a poor young wise woman, abandoned by her husband,  who works in midwifery and herbal medicine.  When I read the storyline I thought to myself, this won't end well.  A very tense page turner of a book, I could hardly put it down.  And I'm delighted to find that my local library has books two and three of this series.  Thoroughly recommended.

I loved this one

New Zealand is bracing for the arrival of Cyclone Vainau, expected to bring life threatening winds, heavy rain and coastal sea surges, flooding, and maybe even land slides.  The top of the country has suffered from several storm events lately.   It is expected to make land fall tonight, and the whole of the North Island is under a red weather warning.  Neighbours Bruce and Julie have been popping in to see those of us on our own and make sure that there are no loose items in our yards which could be picked up and thrown around in the expected strong winds.  Bruce stacked up my patio chairs together, they are not really that light, and the six of them one on top of the other and up against the fence should be immune from any wind gusts.  My two patio tables are very heavy so should be fine.  I always worry about the Archgola in high winds, I must confess.  We will just have to wait and see what happens overnight, fingers crossed.