Waving the Flag

 This little corgi is waving the flag for Great Britain.  I had stitched three of these, and made two into place mats for my corgi owning grand-daughter as a Christmas gift a couple of years ago.  Why I stitched the third one, I've got no idea.  But I found it hiding in a basket full of stuff recently and thought it was time  I did something with it.

So I decided to make myself a new apron and use the corgi stitchery as a pocket.  I've got lots of aprons, but some are getting rather tatty and should be replaced, so a new one is a good idea.  Full disclosure, I'm a messy cook, and always use an apron when I'm cooking.

Included in a recent parcel of donated fabric was a length of red and navy checked fabric.  I would have preferred to make the apron a little wider, but was working with what I had.  A simple sew, with the pocket stitched on the right hand side, and purchased red tape for the straps.

My new apron

Another recently finished project was a winter cowl neck top, made from cream stretch fabric with a little wool in the mix.  Many years ago I used to do "Knit Wit" stretch sewing, it was very big here in New Zealand and Australia in the 80s and early 90s.  I'm not sure if  this franchise made it's way to overseas countries as well.  There must be former Knit Wit ladies out there, I'm sure.  Luckily I had some stretch machine needles to use, and remembered to pull the fabric slightly while sewing.

New winter top

When my grand-daughter pulled down some crates from the loft for me a wee while ago, there were two full of stretch fabric that I had almost forgotten about.  Some I will use, there are a couple of pretty lengths to make new summer nighties, some I have already sent to the Op Shop, and goodness knows what I will do with the rest.  Years ago I got rid of most of my patterns, just have a couple left.

The Polar blast has moved away, the temperatures are slightly warmer, but it is still winter here, of course.  Rain is forecast now.  Winter weather is not so bad for retired people who don't have to brave the winter weather too much, and at much more civilised hours than workers.  But I can remember my working years, out of the house by 6.30am, travel by bus and train from Upper Hutt to Wellington, work all day then repeat the trip home.  Always traveling in the dark during the winter months, and coming home to a cold house, light the fire, cook a meal, and repeat.    Life is certainly so much simpler now.

A Little Knitting and a Fancy Raincoat

 Just for a change of pace this week I've put my summer cotton top I've been knitting aside.  There were several very small balls of left over yarn hanging about so I decided to knit a baby hat, just to use them up.  I had a little of pink, white, grey and burgundy so knitted up a striped baby hat.  That didn't turn out too bad, nice easy knitting in the evenings, and I was pleased to see those tiny balls gone.

Striped baby hat

Then I came across a stalled knitting project, so pulled it out to see what was left to do on this one.  It is a cozy cardigan using hand spun wool which my dear friend Merilyn sent me.  With just the fronts to finish up, I then have to stitch it together and work on the front and neck bands.  I'll keep this one out close by as I may as well keep on with it, I decided.

The cardigan fronts

Perhaps you may remember when I posted pictures on a beautiful coat made by Vicky from the Creative Crafts group a wee while ago?  Well, she has down it again and stitched herself another beautiful coat, this one is a rain coat using parka nylon, and covered with Vicky's beautiful applique and embelishments.  Such a lot of work, the coat really is eye catching.

Vicky's new raincoat

Cyclone Vaianu has caused flooding, fallen trees, rivers bursting their banks and many road closures in parts of the North Island, and many flights cancelled.  The Met Service advises that the cyclone is moving away from the North Island so that is good news.  My area hasn't really been impacted, thank goodness, and the cyclone was predicted to be so much worse.  The clean up in the affected areas will take some time I imagine, it seems a never ending cycle of damage to the northern areas which are getting hammered several times in a row.

A Week of Blues

 With blue being the RSC colour for January, there certainly was plenty of blue in my week.  I have  added another RSC to the mix.  You may remember that I stitch up draw string bags for foster children from time to time - they use them for toiletries, pencils, or to keep treasures in.  There is a big bag sitting by my sewing machine on the floor, stuffed full of small pieces of fabrics, lining, and cords.  Any interesting small pieces of fabric which I think might be suitable gets put away, as well as random quilt blocks.  Why not use the RSC monthly colour prompts to get stitching bags again, I thought.

A bag full of bag makings

So I went looking for blues, and found pieces to make 8 bags.  They were mainly dark blue, but that doesn't matter at all.  There are trains, baskets, fish, sailing ships, a random happy block, colourful rectangles, and nails of many hues.  When I purchased this fabric quite some time ago I thought it was full of pencils, but no, they turned out to be nails, which just goes to show that you see what you expect to see.  And not forgetting the jandals - summer beach footwear, also known as thongs overseas.  Not here in New Zealand though, thong is the word we use for those rather skimpy undies! I'll continue making these bags each month if I have fabric of the selected colour.

Eight blue draw string bags

My favourites, the jandal bag, and Thomas the Tank Engine's friends

I've done as much as I can on my secret heart project - need to purchase some border fabric next.  So I've shifted my attention to the second half of this project, the stars.  These need sashing, I've made a start so I'll keep stitching away.

Blue stars

And how about this for a beautiful blue creation?  Vicky from our Creative Crafts group  has finished her gorgeous blue coat, a one of a kind original.  She has done couching, and applique, adding all sorts of beads, threads, ruffles etc to show an undersea wonderland with the seagulls circling in the blue sky above.  She is happy  for me to show the photo on my blog.

Wow, this coat is amazing

I've been to the movies again, this time  to see "Song Sung Blue".  This tells the true story of a pair of out of work singers who meet and become a Neil Diamond Tribute band.  The music was amazing, I was sitting engrossed enjoying the story, their stage performances,  and the songs, when bang, tragedy struck them.   I won't tell you the rest of the story in case you want to see the film.   If you love Neil Diamond music, I certainly recommend this film, it is the best one I've seen in ages.  

Song Sung Blue

There was a sadder "blue" happening this week.  Robin's brother Gary had died just before Christmas and I attended his memorial service mid week.  That was certainly sad, Robin's passing was mentioned, and there were family photos of him in the photo tribute, so there were plenty of tears seeing his image up on screen.  Gary was four years younger than Robin, and they died twelve months apart.

Back to Napier for Art Deco Festival

After staying for a few days in rural Maraekakaho, south of Hastings, the next stop on our ICA rally was to Napier for the Art Deco Weekend.   The Art Deco Trust puts together a very full programme,  and as first time attendees, everything was new to us.  The highlight to us was the vintage car parade, with 300 pre-1946 cars registered.   We spent some time admiring these beauties as they awaited the start of the parade.  How did the passengers clamber up into those dickey seats and get settled while dressed to the nines, I wonder?

Lovingly restored vintage cars

In my opinion, there is nothing more thrilling than a pipe band - the Hawkes Bay Highland Pipe band started playing and got my toes tapping and my (diluted) Scots blood racing through the veins.  Then there was the  Royal New Zealand Navy Band looking extra smart in their white uniforms as they started playing before the parade – two great bands indeed.

Hawkes Bay Highland Band and the Royal NZ Navy Band

The navy played a crucial role in Napier during the 1931 earthquake.  At 10:46 am on 3 February 1931 an earthquake registering 7.8 on the Richter scale shook throughout New Zealand, its epicentre just 15.2 kms north of Napier. The initial shock lasted for 2.5 minutes.  In the city of Napier, buildings and chimneys toppled, roads broke apart and the earth heaved and opened.   Water rushed out of the harbour as the ground rose. Veronica was ‘left high and dry, all the wire mooring lines broke, but the ropes, made from New Zealand flax, held, and prevented her from rolling over on her side.’ Commander Morgan landed rescue teams to assist the injured, feed the hungry and help establish a sense of order amidst the chaos.  Fires were ablaze on shore, power and water supplies were cut and hundreds discovered they were homeless.  Two merchant ships at anchor nearby, the Taranaki and Northumberland placed themselves under naval command and assisted in the relief efforts.

Once the car parade, the bands, and marching girls had moved off, it was time to make our way to see some of the other delights on show.  Ladies walked by dressed in their beaded finery, fancy feather headdresses, and some sporting fox furs around their shoulders.  The gents were also elegantly dressed, braces, hats, some in knickerbocker trousers too.    My daughter Nicky was also in Napier enjoying the festivities and we arranged to meet further along the street.  “You always want to take photos”, she complained.  “That’s what mothers do”, I told her.  

SIL Robert, daughter Nicky, and her friend Heather

There was a “Traction Trundle” taking place -  look what fun this bunch of revelers are having.  Other working vintage engines were on display.  Flying displays by the Warbirds Display Team roared overhead.  We watched as the planes flew in formation, and looped the loop.  Then one would break away from the group, fly up high, then nose down seemingly in a suicide mission, luckily pulling up in the nick of time and continue on his way.  Thrilling stuff indeed!

Vintage steam engines

Later in the afternoon our group had their own Best Dressed competition, and what a lovely bunch we were.  After the judges put their heads together and made their decisions, the winners were announced, Best Dressed Couple, Best Dressed Lady, and Best Dressed Gentleman.  Congratulations to the winners.

All dressed up

Our time at Napier experiencing Art Deco has come to an end, next stop is Kairakau on the east coast.  That should be fun, we have never stayed there before.

Something for the Ladies

Looking through Transport World  museum packed full of cars and trucks was only mildly interesting to me, so I was delighted to discover other exhibits aimed at the female customers who accompany their husbands.  Such as a range of “Wearable Art” upstairs.  Here are some which took my fancy.  First was “The Phoenix” by Claire Maley-Shaw, and is made from fabric, feathers, sequins, beads, and interestingly, pipe lagging!  A little “over the top” for my taste, but certainly an eye catching outfit.

The Phoenix

And in keeping with the transport theme, I thought these next two certainly fitted that theme.  On the right is “Are we there Yet?” – and how many times have the kids said that on a road trip?  Made by Patricia Munro from a recycled mattress topper, polystyrene wrap, felt, buttons and various other bits and bobs.  And the pale two piece creation “Journeys” was made by the HWR Richardson Group staff using copper wire and thousands of Road User Charge labels and Vehicle Relicensing labels.

“Are we there Yet?”  and “Journeys”

I was really interested in all the lovely exhibits in the Vintage Vault, some rather old fashioned and homely, and some absolutely exquisite.  For those of you who collect old doilies, how about making a doily dress like this?  Don’t like the hat, but the dress is certainly interesting.

Dress made from dollies

Beautiful old clothing and embroidery

Vintage Singer sewing machine and washing machine

Rag rug with a difference – made from strips of woolen blankets

Even the bathrooms in the museum were themed.  Robin told me the male toilets were decorated with car memorabilia, while the ladies I went in to was much more feminine.  It was fitted with pretty pastel hand basins and had a selection of hand mirrors on the wall, just like Granny would have displayed on her dressing table.

Ladies bathroom

Robin and I met up in the café for lunch, once he could tear himself away from looking at cars, trucks and tractors.  As expected, the café had a motorized theme too, the table numbers were made from old number plates, as were the light shades.  And who would have known that there was once a thriving canned rabbit industry?  During the late 1880s and throughout the 1900s, rabbits rampaged through the country.  Bluff had a canning factory for their meat which was shipped overseas and there were also rabbit processing plants at Woodlands and Gore. Rabbit fur was also shipped back to England to be made into felt hats.

My pretty lunch in the Café – Cauliflower Soup with Beetroot Crispy Curls on top

A visit to Bill Richardson’s Transport in Invercargill was a big “must do” for Robin and he really enjoyed his day.  And I certainly enjoyed mine too, checking out some of the old vintage cars, but I gave the tractors a miss.  But there was plenty for me to see, so I was perfectly content too.

Be-twist and Between

What’s a girl to do on Saturday when there hasn’t been a roll of the dice early in the week to let me know what UFO to work on?  I had finished stitching the binding on my new quilt, added the label, took some photos and wrote a blog about it.  What can I do now, without upsetting my “roll the dice” campaign, which incidentally, always (or like this particular week, sometimes) happens on Monday morning?

I know, I’ll work on that summer skirt I’ve been meaning to make for sometime.  It’s been cut out and put away for ages.  The pretty autumn hued leafy fabric was purchased on our trip to Australia from the Aboriginal Fabric Gallery in Alice Springs, and I purchased enough to make a skirt.    I suspect that they are gum leaves, but I’m happy to be corrected.  Read about my visit to this lovely quilt shop here.

Cotton quilting fabric for my new skirt

The pattern used was nothing too fancy, just a simple summer skirt with an elastic waist band.  It didn’t take too long at all to stitch up, and will be nice and cool to wear now that the weather has changed yet again.  We have gone from the torrential showers of yesterday, to hot, muggy and sticky temperatures today – rather like Aussie, actually.  No two days seem to be the same lately.

My new summer skirt

With that extra bit of sewing accomplished, I’m looking forward to rolling the dice again on Monday morning.  Wonder which UFO I’ll get to work on?  I’ll just have to wait and see what number comes up.

Textile Treasures at Government House

Government House in Wellington is the official residence of the Governor General and his family.  Twelve members of our caravan club did a tour through this wonderful old building, which was recently refurbished and earthquake strengthened at a cost of 40 million dollars.  The House is full of all sorts of treasures, lovely old furniture, paintings, silver, ceramics, and although I didn’t spot and quilts, there were many beautiful textiles on display.  Such as this beautiful silk screen in the State Dining Room which dates from the 1860s.

Silk Screen

The Norrie State Dining Room in Government House features a long, extending table from about 1880 and can seat up to 26 guests, and is where State Dinners for visiting Heads of State are often held.  I was particularly interested in the 38 tapestry chairs which were created by branches of the Country Women’s Institute in the 1950s, for the cancelled visit of King George VI.   The design on the back of each chair is the coat of arms of a New Zealand city or borough.  The carver chairs (with arms) are from  the four major cities: Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin.  Our guide kindly found me the chair stitched in Levin, our new home town, so I could get a photo taken.

Chair with  the coat of arms from Levin

The Blundell Room is characterised by New Zealand’s native Tui, known for its social, chatty nature. The dark oily blue of the Tui’s plumage and the bright yellow Kowhai flower whose nectar the Tui feasts upon, have guided the selection of drapery and upholstery fabrics.  Plump embroidered cushions are arranged on the settees in this room.

Embroidered cushions

The woven kowhai screen had quite a story.  It was being made at the Arts Centre in Christchurch when the massive earthquake struck, and laid buried in the rubble for some time.  It was finally dug out, and was finished in time for when the refurbishments were complete and Government House finally reopened

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Woven screen featuring kowhai blossoms

Government House has an unique tapa cloth dress in the foyer.  The World of Wearable Art collection loans a rotating range of items with a Pacifica theme, we were told.

Tapa cloth dress on loan

Owen took us through the house starting at the Ballroom,  which is used for receptions, concerts, balls, investitures and other award ceremonies.  Most significantly, it is the room where the Prime Minister and his or her Ministers as sworn in as members of the Executive Council by the Governor-General after a General Election.  At one end is the dais on which stand the two thrones. Above these hangs a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, painted by Denis Fildes in 1960.   The two beautiful  Czech crystal chandeliers hanging from the ceiling were completely disassembled and rewired with energy-efficient bulbs as part of the Conservation Project during the refurbishment.

The Ball Room

Government House and the Reflecting Pool

We had a great tour, and as we walked through this room and that, our guide Owen told us the function of each room.  He pointed out various interesting objects and was a font of knowledge.   Such as the fact that Government House was built on the site of the Mt View Lunatic Asylum, which was dismantled and the patients moved to Porirua Hospital – we didn’t know that before!

Remember the 70s?

Recently we visited the Dowse Art Museum to see “The Age of Aquarius – a 1970s Revolution in Fashion”.  The garments brought back memories and made us smile.  In the 70s I wasn’t much of a fashionista myself.  With two young children and a full time job my life was busy just keeping going, so there wasn’t much spare time or cash to keep with with the fashion trends.   I did have a peasant blouse though, rather like the one on the mannequin,  but would not have dreamed of wearing a leather mini skirt.

Casual wear from the 70s

Remember when trouser suits came along?  Yes, I had a couple of these.  However, it took me a long time to feel comfortable wearing a trouser suit to work, working as I did in an office environment.  It was dresses, jackets, stockings and heels back then.  Things are certainly different these days, aren’t they?   Not sure about that lime green little number though.

Denim dungarees were not my thing, but those denim bags would not look out of place today.

Denim dungarees and satchels

The men weren’t left out of the fashion stakes either, I can remember those close fitting lightweight knit shirts.  And just look at the size of the collar!

Men’s clothing in the height of fashion

As we looked around the displays, we decided that some of the clothes shown could still be worn today.  Such as these two outfits, they don’t look too dated, do they?

Lurex shirt with long skirt and evening dress

It was fun to reminisce and look back.  Some of the garments on show were from well known designers, while others were from trendy small boutiques, both out of my price range.  I was probably still sewing my own clothes, along with garments for my children, back then.