It must be in the Genes

I’m delighted that my daughter Nicky has taken up sewing with a vengeance lately, and also enjoying doing some hand work.  Now that she as a light airy dedicated sewing room she has been doing such a lot.   She is happy to take any sewing related items off my hands, she said, so I have passed over all sorts of things, buttons, beads, lace, balls of crochet cotton I had accumulated, even feathers which I had purchased for goodness knows what, some time ago.  Plus quite a few crochet hooks which I had gathered up over the years and never ever used.   She likes to make dress up items for Art Deco weekends so I’m sure she will find a use for these items.

While rummaging around recently I came across four white hankies with fine holes stitched around the edges (I'm sure there is a name for this) to do a crotched edge.  Nicky recently taught herself to crochet so I asked if she would be interested in taking them off my hands.  My mother used to do this many years ago and I was always going to learn…… someday.  Within a couple of weeks the hankies started arriving in the post.  Here are the first two, such beautiful fine work, and she is self taught by watching videos.

Two hankies done

And seemingly in no time at all, number three and four arrived, with the message that she had really enjoying doing the edges.  I’m really thrilled that she did this for me.

Edging on four hankies done

But that’s not all, included in the items I had passed on her her a while ago were four stamped cross stitch table mats.  Once again, something I was going to get around to doing.  Probably highly unlikely as I have only ever attempted one cross stitch item before, and that was about 30 years ago!  At our pre-Christmas family lunch last weekend she presented these table mats to me, all finished.

Four cross stitched table mats

If I’m honest I would have to say that Nicky didn't inherit her crotchet and cross stitch skills from me.  She does some dressmaking these days, but is not interested in knitting or quilting.  In her younger years she made gorgeous smocked dresses for her girls, and stitched me a lovely smocked nightie for my 50th birthday.  She has tried her hand at Hardanger, woodwork, and stained glass too, and makes her own soap and cleaning products.  OK, I’ll admit it – she is much cleverer than me!

Weekend at the Red Barn

This was a big weekend for us, it was Robin’s first time towing the caravan since his knee replacement.  We weren't going too far for the weekend, about 60km or so each .  He managed very well, of course, as well as driving, there was the hooking up to do, the legs to wind down, a bit difficult with his knee not bending very well.  He was on his feet quite a bit for this first trip away and was quite sore and achy when we returned home.  The Red Barn was a “new to us” venue, camping available on a farm, and we were joined by our caravan club friends.

Our caravan parked beside the Red Barn

What a weekend of strange weather we had at the rally, it was warm, wet and thundery.  Generally, the days were fine, but by late afternoon the clouds would roll in, thunder would rumble, and the heavy rain would fall, and fall, and fall.  Although we didn't sight any lightening, Mr Google tells us these two always come hand in hand,  and it is not possible to have thunder without lightning. We certainly didn’t notice any, but the lightening would have been flashing somewhere in the sky.  Gemma was happy cuddled up inside, mostly. She has practically outgrown her favourite place on top of the sofa, but curled up tight can can just about squeeze herself into the corner.

Gemma is snoozing

Our group was offered the use of the implement shed to gather in for our morning teas and 4zees, but the resident swallows were not at all happy with our presence – I think they were busy building nests inside the shed.   The birds  were rather agitated and flew about, swooping from corner to corner.  Gemma came on her lead to join us one day  and really enjoyed the interesting smells everywhere, until one of the swallows swooped low and buzzed her!  People were bad enough, but to bring  a cat as well, just too much!

Happy caravanners nice and cozy in the implement shed

Pat planned a little 4WD adventure on Saturday, he was told that he could drive through the farm and reach the Manawatu River.  So off we went, three 4WDs in a row, with the front car opening the gates, and the back car closing them, as you must do on a farm.  The grass was so thick and lush we remarked it was rather like driving over the African  savannah.  Instead of being attacked by lions, we were set upon by a bunch of steers who galloped up from the adjacent paddock. Just as well there was a fence between us.

Here they come, thundering towards us

One of our newer lady members brought our a quilt to show the ladies.  I remarked that I didn't know she was a quilter.  Oh no she said, she doesn't sew, but got it made for her bed in the caravan.  We all oohed and aahed over it, it was full of caravan prints.  She has a vintage style caravan and this quilt looks right at home on her bed.  I know I took some photos of the quilt but goodness knows where they went, how frustrating!

I can show you this though.  I cleared the mail box when we returned home from the weekend, and there was a small parcel from my daughter.  I had sent her up some handkerchiefs which I had tucked away for several years, the type which have tiny stitched holes around the edge to add a simple crotchet edging.  I knew I would never get them done, as I  don't know how to crochet and it really seems too hard for me to learn.  Low and behold, she had done these two in no time at all, different edging on each, and said in her message that she really enjoyed doing it.  It is such fine work, and I’m very proud of Nicky as she has taught herself to crochet, something that I couldn't manage.

Such lovely work

Show and Tell at the Laundromat

How often would this happen to strangers, I wonder?  While still on holiday, there I was, waiting for yet another load of washing to finish its cycle at the laundromat.  It was a typical very hot Hawkes Bay day so I decided to sit outside while I did a little knitting.  Along came young woman who had the same idea, it was so hot inside with all the machines, that we were pleased of a gentle breeze wafting around.  Her name was Louise, and she had brought her knitting along too, to while away the waiting time.

 

Knitting while waiting outside the laundromat

Louise's knitting  skills were obviously much better than mine, as she was doing clever things with circular needles and fancy patterns.  As we got chatting, I told her I did quilting.  “Would you like me to rush home and show you the  quilt I made which was part of an overseas exhibition?”  she asked.  Of course I would, and she was back in a few minutes.

“Survived Extinction” is an original design and was curated by Anne Scott of New Zealand Quilter magazine as part of a group to be exhibited in Seattle, in 2003.  The label reads:

“Imagine being the last of your species on earth. I am Tecomanthe speciosa.  I was the last plant of my species when discovered in the 1940s.  Found on the Three Kings Islands north of New Zealand, I traveled across the water to the Land of the Long White Cloud, where I am grown in your garden.  I have traveled around the world, I am now growing in other countries.  I am Tecomanthe speciosa, I have survived extinction”.

Survived Extinction

Louise also brought an amazing crochet rug to show me.  “Mandala Madness” was worked in the round, and is full of colour, texture, and different patterns.  I have tried to crochet but failed miserably, so I’m astounded that something like this could be made.

Mandala Madness

Such a delightful meeting with a wonderfully talented young woman, and so kind of her to go out of her way to show me her beautiful creations.